"She took a step and didn't want to take any more, but she did."
― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
Chapter 7-
Neo just sat stunned on the bed, not really registering what happened as one minute she was prepared to have sex with Ruby and then suddenly she was gone.
It wasn't until a knock on the door stirred her from her starring at the wall. Getting up from the bed, still in her bikini she opened the door to face a tall, white haired woman.
"Ruby. I'm sorry I couldn't make it, but I've got big news for you." The woman said before she realised that Ruby wasn't in front of her.
"Wait. You're not Ruby. Who are you?" She asked.
"Um…I'm Neo. Who are you?" Neo asked.
"Winter Schnee at your service." The woman said, bowing dramatically at the waist.
"Um hello." Neo said awkwardly.
"Can I come in?" Winter asked.
"Uh sure. But Ruby's not here." Neo said.
"Where is she? And who are you to her?" Winter asked.
"Um she…I don't know. Either of those questions." Neo said, mournful and confused.
Winter immediately picked up on Neo's sadness and confusion so said, "Let's go sit down shall we? And you can tell me everything that's happened with dear Ruby." Winter said.
Over the next half an hour Neo explained everything that happened over the last week, even revealing the fact she had feelings for Ruby which was awkward once Winter revealed who her sister was, and to Ruby which came out when Neo mentioned what Ruby had said.
She blushed when she explained about nearly having sex with Ruby and what she had said once Ruby ran off.
"Ok, why don't you stay here and get ready for the meal with your parents? I think I know where Ruby's gone. I won't be long." Winter said, thus leaving Neo alone inside Ruby's flat.
Trying to take her mind off things she went to get a shower and get ready for dinner with her parents, worried about Ruby throughout.
Winter knew where Ruby would go, she had gotten to know the woman first when she entered competitions and then later on when Ruby dated Weiss, oh she knew their parents were close as well and kept in contact.
Going down to the beach, at this time there were very few surfers in the sea, and only one dressed in only a bikini in the freezing cold water.
She saw Ruby catch a wave and come close to the shore so she shouted out. "Ruby Rose! Come here now or I'll come in and get you!" Winter shouted out.
This got Ruby's attention as she immediately came into the shore and up to Winter, knowing she would go into the water in her normal clothes.
"Winter. What do you want?" Ruby asked.
"Not even a hello?" Winter teased before moving on, "Alright. I went to your house and there's a rather cute girl in there rather upset at the moment." Winter stated.
Ruby blushed and turned away from Winter, "It was a mistake. I can't go out with her." Ruby stated, already knowing that Winter had learnt what happened.
"And why not? She rather likes you or have you been leading her on for the whole week?" Winter asked.
"I wasn't leading her on. But I shouldn't have done it. It's wrong." Ruby stated.
"Who's it wrong for? You or Weiss?" Winter asked harshly.
Ruby turned around and looked at the sea, choosing not to answer Winter's question hoping she would drop it.
Winter sighed as she saw Ruby's reaction so moved to stand next to her, saying. "You know this isn't what Weiss would want. She'd want you to move on, not be lost in her memory instead of living your life. Neo told me about the conversations you had. You haven't told anyone the complete truth about your days away from home over the last year have you?" Winter asked.
"No." Ruby said.
"You need to move on Ruby, Weiss would hate it if you didn't live your life to the fullest. And I'm pretty sure that woman in your flat is quite ready to fuck you silly." Winter teased.
Blushing Ruby replied, "I don't know how. She speaks to me in ways Weiss never did, but I feel like I'm betraying her memory by moving on." Ruby stated.
"You're betraying her memory by not moving on. If Neo does things that Weiss never did for you, than I'm pretty sure she'll be right for you. But what's life without a little risk, right?" Winter said.
Ruby just nodded in response and a slight smile on her face as she shivered at a small wind coming by.
"Come on, let's get you home and ready for meeting the parents. Plus I have some big news for you." Winter said, smiling as she didn't tell Ruby what it was but it was clearly something big.
Heading back to her house they found a worried Neo sitting nervously on her couch, "I'll go get you a towel and something hot." Winter said, leaving the two alone as she went to get stuff for Ruby.
"I'm sorry." Ruby said, coming up to Neo and stopping just before her.
"It's fine. Are you ok? Were you in the water? Like that?" Neo asked quickly, worried as she saw Ruby dressed in very little.
"Um…" Ruby said, unsure how to answer that correctly.
Neo just sighed in response and waited for Winter to come back with what she said she was getting, "I forgive you. But well…I just want to know where we stand." Neo asked.
Ruby leaned forward and kissed Neo softly on her lips, breaking apart she said, "Does that answer your question? I'm sorry for running, I…uh thought I wasn't ready. I thought I was betraying Weiss' memory but I guess it took Winter to convince me otherwise." Ruby stated.
"Oh." Neo replied, blushing after the kiss and unsure what exactly they were now.
"Ok here." Winter said, coming into the room and stopping as she saw both of them close together, with Neo blushing. "I just ruined something didn't I?" Winter asked.
Unable to help herself Ruby just laughed at Winter's reaction, "You did. Pass me the towel." Ruby asked, taking the towel from Winter and wrapping it around her body.
"Anyway I'm going to get changed." Ruby said, leaving them alone as she went to shower and get changed.
"So what happened?" Winter asked, sitting down on the couch.
"Nothing, she said sorry and when I asked about where we stand, she kissed me. And explained why she ran." Neo told her.
"That's great. When's the dinner with your parents?" Winter asked.
"Um we've got about forty five minutes, why?" Neo replied.
"Ah good, just enough time than. I've got some big news for Ruby." Winter said excitedly.
Fifteen minutes later Ruby came back dressed in simple black jeans, plain white t-shirt and a red and black flannel shirt over the top.
"So what's this news?" Ruby asked, sitting down next to Neo and hugging her.
Winter stood up and moved to sit on the edge of the coffee table in front of them, "Alright so remember when you went on your trips with your uncle to surf the big waves in Portugal?" Winter asked.
"Uh sure I do." Ruby said, glancing at Neo.
"Wait. I thought you said you were thinking of doing it not actually doing it." Neo stated. Glaring at Ruby.
"Um well you see. I went on weekend trips a few times over the last year and well I was surfing big waves, to keep my skills sharp." Ruby replied, unsure how to take Neo's reaction.
"Anyway the past couple times there's been someone there watching. Seems Qrow was tipping them off." Winter commented.
"Tipping who off?" Ruby asked, confused.
"Well Tukson has been watching you surf out there." Winter stated.
"Tukson? Really? Why?" Ruby asked, surprised at the revelation.
"Who's Tukson?" Neo asked, confused at the excitement.
"Tukson is a great surfer, he's also head of the committee that decides who's invited to the Titans of Mavericks surf competition. So why's he been watching me?" Ruby asked.
"Well you've been invited to compete in November, waves permitting." Winter informed her.
"Wait…what? But I haven't been in competitions for a year and certainly not in any big wave ones, how did I get invited?" Ruby asked stunned at the news.
Neo sat next to Ruby stunned at the news, hearing that the competition related to much larger waves scared Neo but even more the fact that this must be the most dangerous if it's invite only as she could assume.
"Well he saw something out there and put forward a case to get you invited and well, they all agreed when he showed them a video of something. Don't know what." Winter told her.
"Look you've got a little bit of time to decide, but I think you need to get to dinner, right?" Winter asked.
"Yeah…yeah we do. Are you ready Neo?" Ruby asked, turning to see the stunned Neo knowing that they were going to talk later about this.
"I am." Neo said a little weakly.
"Well I'll leave you two to enjoy, I'm staying at your mothers if you need me. Oh and I'll be going tomorrow night." Winter said, leaving the pair alone.
"Are you alright?" Ruby asked once Winter had left.
"I'm fine. Come on." Neo said, getting her boots on and following Ruby outside.
They both knew the discussion later would be big but Neo was willing to hear Ruby's side of it first but she worried what she might do and what would happen between them as it was a rather blurred line at the moment.
This was the first time Neo was able to go onto Ruby's bike, and it was clear she liked to go fast as they raced up the hill outside of the bay and they seemed to reach the restaurant in almost record speed.
Dinner with her parents were weird, she introduced Ruby as a friend, and unsure what she could really say otherwise.
Her parents seemed to like Ruby, asking her questions about what it was she did and about her surfing as they knew she was a pro surfer.
It went fine until Ruby needed to use the restroom and excused herself from the table briefly, leaving Neo alone with her parents.
"She seems nice." Her dad said.
"She is, perfect match it looks like as well." Her mother said, leading Neo to blush as she realised what they were talking about.
"What are you two talking about?" Neo asked.
"Please dear, we aren't blind. We can see you two like each other. We're just trying to let you know we approve." Her mother stated.
Ruby returned just after that comment with a large smile as she sat down and when she got talking about her back up if surfing didn't work out it surprised the two parents as it seemed rather a stark change from surfer to a weapons engineer.
Dinner was a large success it looked like on the way home as Ruby fit in with her parents and both of them said they liked the girl but they reminded Neo that tomorrow was her last day here before they returned home.
That presented another problem as Neo lived in the US and Ruby lived in the UK, she was unsure what that would do to their relationship, if they even had one.
Getting into Ruby's flat they removed their shoes silently and went onto the couch hugging together when they started to talk.
"Where should we start?" Ruby asked gently.
"How about the weekends surfing with your uncle?" Neo replied, trying not to sound harsh or upset but failing that.
"I'm not completely blind to how my family worry but…well I couldn't help it. It's the thrill, it's so fun knowing that just one mistake could mean something disastrous and well I didn't care about the risks so I took them. I'm sorry if you're angry." Ruby said.
"I'm not angry, I'm just upset that you lied to me about it." Neo replied.
"I just…I just didn't want anyone to worry but I guess I've done something worse haven't I?" Ruby asked.
"No. You've already done it so there's nothing we can change about the past, all I wish is that you told me. What's this event then? It sounds dangerous if it's invite only." Neo asked next.
"It is. People have died at that spot, but it's the biggest and most sought after big wave competition. I've never been working towards it, I just like surfing big waves for fun but this event. For someone like me, it's once in a lifetime, it's safe but you can't completely take out the risks. If you don't want me to, I won't do it." Ruby said firmly.
"You…wouldn't do it?" Neo asked, stunned at hearing how big this event was for Ruby and that she'd give it up.
"For you? Yeah I would. If you don't want me to do this, I won't. I care more about being with you than this event." Ruby said just as firmly again.
"What about us? I mean tomorrow is our last day together, after that I fly back to America and you stay here." Neo said sadly.
"I like you, a lot. More than Weiss I think, there are ways to keep in contact. Phone, Skype. Hell I'll even fly over to see you. If you want to be with me, then we'll find a way to keep it together." Ruby replied, her voice firm and determined.
"I do want to be with you." Neo said, leaning up to kiss Ruby.
"We'll find a way then." Ruby replied, kissing Neo back.
They kept on kissing for what felt like hours before they finally began talking about.
"I think I might go back to doing competitions. Not the big wave stuff, but other competitions. I'd need to train but I think I'll be able to do it again." Ruby said.
"Do it. I'll support you in whatever you do. And…and if you want to do Titans of Mavericks than do it. I wouldn't want you to miss out on something like this." Neo said.
"Really? But what about the risks? I'm happy not doing it." Ruby said again, trying to understand the sudden change in heart.
"You'll be as safe as can be out there won't you?" Receiving a nod Neo continued. "Then do it. What's life without a little risk?" Neo replied playfully.
Ruby laughed in response and kissed Neo again, breaking apart she sent Winter confirmation that she wanted to accept the invite and the two happily spent the rest of the night kissing and eventually sleeping.
A/N
So oops, forgot to post this chapter yesterday. Blame Christmas and writing something relating to star wars rebels and RWBY.
Not too much to say, I don't really know much of the event except the fact it is invite only and from the website and a movie, Chasing Mavericks which is a great surfing movie alongside Soul Surfer.
So please don't be too harsh on me, and the next two/three chapters as it'll involve competition stuff which I don't know. But we're coming to the end, so shit I better get a move on with other things.
Until next time. ^_^