She worked in front of the mirror, brushing her hair. She smiled at her reflection, and even grabbed her sister's small bottle of perfume, spritzing some on her neck. "You look nice," Yang commented from the bed. "Where's he taking you?"

Ruby's smile slipped away, and she pursed her lips. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she replied, and strode for the door.

Yang looked up at that, her brows furrowed. "Uh, yeah, I would like to-"

"I'll be back later. Don't wait up." The door closed behind her with a click.

Yang sat up, and exchanged a look with Weiss. "She's never talked to me like that."

"I'm sure it doesn't mean anything," Weiss comforted. "Even I fight with my sister sometimes." Yang simply narrowed her eyes at the door.

Ruby moved stealthily across the school, careful to avoid being seen. Shadows danced across her as she moved through them. She passed through Ozpin's office and tip-toed up the stairs, jumping when one of the moving parts in the machinery clanged loudly against each other. At his door, she caught her breath, adjusted her cape, and knocked.

He opened the door, and she greeted him with a smile. "Hey. May I come in?"

He smiled in returned, and stepped aside to let her through. "Sure, though you're a bit early."

"That's fine." She folded her hands behind her back, once again admiring the look of the place.

He closed the door behind her. "You know, you didn't have to dress up. It's just dinner-and-a-movie."

"Yeah but I felt like dressing up a little. Feel fancy." She sat at the island counter.

"You'll have to wait a couple minutes. It needs time to set." He walked past her into the kitchen.

"That's fine." She drummed her hands against the granite. "What'd you make?"

He went to a baking dish that rested on the stove, and lifted back the foil a little to let her have a peek. Steam billowed out, and Ruby breathed in deeply through her nose, smiling at the smell. "Casserole."

"What kind?"

He shrugged, replacing the foil. "It's my own recipe. It's a little different every time, so I can't guarantee the taste."

"I'm sure it's delicious."

"Can I get you anything to drink?" He retrieved a couple of glasses from the cupboard.

"Water is fine." He nodded and retrieved a pitcher from the fridge. Her glass fogged as it filled with the cold liquid, and he handed it over to her. She sipped as he returned the pitcher to its place, and then opened up another cupboard to grab a bottle. "What's that?"

"Peppermint schnapps." He poured himself a shot's worth.

"Is it good?"

"In its own way." Clark held his glass out to her, smiling. "A toast."

"To us." Ruby held out her own glass, the drinks sloshing as they clinked together.

"To us." They drank.

Ruby watched the light move through the clear liquid. She waited until he set his glass down. "Can I have some of that?"

"Nope."

"Aw c'mon, just a little!"

"Absolutely not. I'm not about to give a minor alcohol."

"I'm practically an adult. And in some places, they let you drink at 16."

"And you're 15."

"If this was the dark ages, I'd already be married by now." She sat up straight, arms crossed.

"Thank goodness it's not the dark ages."

She groaned, slouching all over the counter. "Come oooonnnnn." She tried pleading to him with her eyes. "Just a sip."

He sighed, shaking his head. "You won't like it."

She sat bolt upright. "How do I know unless I try?"

He rolled his eyes, then passed his glass over to her. "Just a sip."

She smiled appreciatively, and tilted the glass towards herself, her tongue flicking out. Her eyes suddenly widened, and she immediately gave the glass back. "Aaah!" she cried out, fanning her mouth.

Clark laughed. "I warned you."

"It burns! Why does it burn?!"

"Because it's liquor."

She spat and gulped down her water. "It tastes awful!"

"Yeah." He looked down at his drink as he swirled it in the glass, and threw back another mouthful. "It tastes better if you mix it with something. Like cocoa. But sometimes I think it's nice to have plain."

She shook her head, running her fingers over her tongue. "That doesn't make any sense at all. Being an adult makes no sense."

He chuckled. "Here, I know how to get that taste out of your mouth." He turned and completely removed the foil over the casserole. He served them both, setting her bowl in front of her. "Let me know what you think."

She picked up the spoon, and carefully took a bite. Her eyes lit up. "It's good!" she said, her food pushed to one side in her cheek.

He smiled. "I'm glad." They dined, Clark having dragged one of the stools to his side of the island. They chatted over the food, each with stories and thoughts to share. Ruby eventually took off her cape, letting it drape over the back of her stool. They both proved to be hearty eaters, Clark having seconds, while Ruby managed to tuck away thirds. When she requested dessert while Clark put away the leftovers, she found to her delight that there was a small carton of harlequin ice cream in the freezer, that he had acquired for the occasion. She had a small bowl as Clark stowed their dishes in the washer, and refilled his glass of schnapps.

He stepped out of the kitchen, heading for the den. "I already have a movie selected."

She turned in her seat to watch him, strawberry and vanilla resting on her spoon. "I'd be disappointed if you hadn't planned everything out for tonight." He smirked at that, and set up the movie to be played. Soon a title screen was displayed on the tv, sweet songs floating from the speakers. "'The King's Music'?" she read.

"It's an older movie," he admitted. "But it still holds up, I assure you."

"I believe it. Age doesn't discount quality, as you prove." A pink tinge came into his cheeks, but she didn't see. He took a seat on the couch, and soon Ruby came and sat down next to him, bringing her ice cream with her. "Do you mind?" She gestured at the dessert.

"So long as you don't make a mess. Though I don't want you to make a habit of eating in the den."

"You got it." She settled herself into her seat, tucking her legs up underneath her. Clark hit the play button on the remote. It didn't take long for Ruby to become engrossed in the movie's plot. She set the soon empty bowl on the coffee table, then sat back, leaning against Clark ever so slightly. There soon came to be a scene where the leading male and female were at a party while something like a waltz played. As the two joined hands, Ruby sat up, tilting her head at the screen.

"What's up?"

She grinned, and stood. "I want to dance. Like them." She pointed at the characters on screen.

He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Right now?"

"Yes." She grabbed his hands and yanked him to his feet. She lead him to a clear space in the room, then attempted to place his hands like the character on tv had placed his. Though he promptly moved his hand higher up her back than she had placed it. She placed her owns hands in a similar fashion to the female lead. She kept twisted her head around, watching the characters and trying to mimic their movements, dragging him around with her. "This is a lot harder than it looks."

"It's because you're too focused on the movements and not on the music." Clark smiled, and they stopped for a moment. He took her by the shoulders, and adjusted her stance. He then took her hand. "Now, just follow my lead. All you have to do is keep in time with the rhythm." He moved, and she took a second to move with him. "One two three, one two three, one two three." They moved slow to start with, Ruby watching her feet, trying not to step on his foot. "You won't trip."

She looked up.

She could see the surrounding lights sparkling in his dark eyes. "You're far too clever for that."

She smiled, and felt the tension and awkwardness leave her limbs. His mantra of "one two three" echoed in her ears as they began to move in sync. Faster and faster, moving all around the space, their shadows and reflections captured in the nearby glass doors. The music flowed around and through them, guiding and watching over them. It seemed that all the world was a whirl to Ruby. All she could see was Clark's smiling face, just as all he could see were her sparkling silver eyes and flushed smile.

Then, perhaps too soon, the song came to its close, and they were forced to stop. One final turn took them back to the couch, where they promptly plopped down on it. They sat next to each other, holding hands and giggling, trying to catch their breath. "I feel like I'm 16 again," Clark said.

"Young at heart," Ruby agreed, scooting up closer to him. They turned their attention back to the characters, as the female lead now suddenly fled from the male, her face in her hands as the male lead looked sullen. On the movie went, pausing for an intermission. The minutes ticked by, the hour growing late, and Ruby could feel the exhaustion of her muscles. Outside the glass doors, a star-filled autumn night stretched on and on. Her eyes felt dry and tired, and she supposed to close them for just a moment or two, to rejuvenate them.

He felt her rest all her weight against him, head pressed against his shoulder. He looked down, and saw that her eyes were shut, her chest rising and falling at an even pace. She's asleep, he realized. She looked so peaceful when she slept. For a moment, he considered waking her. It simply wasn't polite to allow a young lady to fall asleep at a man's apartment, especially when that man was her significant other. Oh, but with her head so close, he could smell the cherry shampoo off her hair. And a floral perfume. And it was awfully late, especially for a young lady like her.

In the end, he simply grabbed the nearby throw-blanket, and pulled it up over her. He settled in his seat, letting her sleep where she lay. He watched the movie to its completion, his own eyes growing tired by the time the lead couple shared their triumphant embrace. As the credits rolled, Clark sat up, moving and waking Ruby. She blinked sleepily, looking around. "Hey," he greeted, his voice soft.

She turned her gaze on him, and gave him a sleepy little smile. "Hey," she yawned.

"It's late. You better head back to your dorm."

She nodded, pushing herself upright. "What happened at the end?"

"Constance and Robin resolved their misunderstanding, and lived happily ever after."

She rubbed at her eye. "That's good."

He stood, and she followed. He collected her cape from the back of the stool, and handed it to her. "Thank you for this evening, Ruby."

With a slight flourish she fastened her cape around her shoulders. "No, thank you." He escorted her to the door. "Tonight was wonderful."

"Sleep well, Ruby." He held the door open for her.

She took a step towards it, then paused and looked back up at him. He looked at her questioningly, about to ask, when before he could, she managed to lean up and kiss him on the cheek. "Good night, Clark. Sweet dreams," she bid, her smile small and coy. She walked through the door, beginning her descent down the stairs.

"Yes, you too." He watched her go, waiting until she was out of sight before closing the door. Despite the lights, it seemed that long dark shadows gathered in every corner of the room. He cleared away the dregs of their get-together. He turned the lights off, the world briefly turning to pitch before his eyes adjusted. There was only a sliver of moon that night, so that even its light abandoned him that night. He climbed the stairs to his room, getting ready for bed in a matter of minutes.

He just moved the covers out of the way before falling over onto his mattress. He was so tired. But then, curiously, he found he couldn't get comfortable. The pillows wouldn't support his head properly, either being too soft, or too stiff in the wrong places. He tried flipping them over and switching them around, but nothing helped. And it seemed that his sheets kept getting tangled around him, so that he had to keep adjusting them. And his toes felt cold, no matter how he tried to huddle within himself to try and get warm.

He rolled over onto his back, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had a headache. And then a piercing flash went through his mind, and he opened his eyes for a moment, remembering. How beautiful she looked in that dress, her dark, bi-colored hair shining in the light. He squeezed his eyes shut, and rolled over onto his side. Stop it. The tinkle of her laugh. Her smiling pink lips. He rolled over onto his other side. Don't. Her rosy cheeks. Her pretty, glittering silver eyes. He lied on his stomach. You can't.

Her soft hands, encased in his, fingers entwining. The breathless excitement on her face, his hand pressed against her back, holding her close. He pressed his face into his pillow, wishing he could suffocate himself. The rise and fall of her chest, both when she was exhausted and when she was resting. The smell of her cherry shampoo, her lavender perfume. The feel of her kiss upon his cheek. He looked up at the wall, hugging the pillow close. If he closed his eyes, he could see the crimson swirl of her cape, her magnificence emphasized in her careless grace.

He felt so very, very, sick.