A/N UPDATE! If you've read the previous note on arrangements for my works, then you know that I'll be having a little help with my this and other fics as I take a break from Fanfic. I'll still be doing the notes, but the writing is/isn't mine. If you didn't read that last note? Well to sum it up, it's not fair that I abandon Fanfic entirely, so I'll be taking a break to get things in order, but to keep things going, I've brought a fellow author/friend of mine to pick up my slack so to speak. Confusing, I know. PM inbox will still be open if you have questions or the like, I'll be sure to reply to reviews too, as it's not as time consuming as typing.
So yeah, an update as it were. This one is pretty smooth, and after this there's only 3 more to go... sadly. Sorry to keep you in a noose when it comes to what's going on, I feel like an idiot.
Read and enjoy.
Chapter 21. Take A Load Off.
Later that evening...
Bringing Mercury's faithful sedan to a halt in Ruby's apartment lot, Cinder felt at ease. Coming here no longer felt like she was entering a hostile firing range. She was just coming to pick up her girlfriend –no strings attached.
Her conversation with Yang did come as a surprise, but it was long overdue. She wasn't really sure where the guilt took residence. Had she been too weak to stand up to Yang? Or was the blame on the blonde's stubborn personality? All at the expense of Ruby's feelings. Still, it was another resolved issue. An issue. That's it. The ebony-haired girl wasn't asking for Yang's "blessing", or if it's "okay", it was an issue, and issues are meant to be solved. Plain and simple.
"Yang did have the guts to come over, though," Cinder mused. She'd be lying if there wasn't some form of shock when the door opened and a blonde she branded the enemy, stood there waiting. It had all been Emerald's plan, but for Yang to actually take the bite and come at her own volition...
Cinder didn't know what to say.
When the proverbial dust settled and the blonde dispersed, Cinder hastily got in contact with Ruby. She didn't mention anything about it via text, but it was a sure bet that Yang had gone home to her and given some form of word on it. Even if things hadn't worked out this evening; Cinder was still sure as hell going to see her crimsonette. She said she would after all.
A knock on the passenger window snapped Cinder from her thoughts. She turned and grinned a bit upon seeing Ruby impatiently waiting to climb in. Seeing her now only made Cinder's grin widen. There was the girl she put all her heart into. Her hair, her smile, her red hoodie and jeans, all of it reminding the ebony-haired girl of a time when their relationship was just friendship.
Through her reminisce, Cinder unlocked the door and watched as Ruby settled in. Apart from the soft idle of the car, and the crimsonette's shuffling; it was quiet. Cinder faced forward, an awkward feeling creeping over her, like she really didn't know what to say. Honestly she wanted to blurt out about how her 'meeting' with Yang went, but that just wasn't her thing. Upon hearing Ruby stop moving, Cinder could clearly see the redhead's stare from the apex of her eyes.
"Yang told me what happened," Ruby spoke up, breaking the silence and immediately getting to the point.
"She did?" Cinder replied.
"Well..." The younger of the two paused, "She kinda did. She came in, said: 'I talked to her', and then went out. To see Weiss I'm guessing. I could tell by her expression that I assume things went... good?"
Hearing Ruby say that made Cinder feel a little childish. Like Yang had come over for a play date or something, "Yeah, it did," She sighed, "I'd like to just put it in the past and-" The elder girl was cut short at a pair of lips pecking her cheek. She blushed, lightly so, tilting her head a bit as Ruby pulled back. Cinder faced her girlfriend, surprised to see a smug look on her face.
"What?"
"Don't give me 'What?'." Ruby nearly spat back, "It went well and you were somewhat moved by it, weren't you? I can tell by that look in your eye, the one where you try to hide how you-"
"Alright, alright..." the ebony-haired girl sarcastically lifted her hands like she was under arrest, "Things went... really well."
Ruby gave Cinder another quick kiss, "That's all I wanted to hear." She grinned.
Cinder looked away and rolled her eyes, marveled at how childish Ruby could be sometimes. Not that she didn't like it however, just another thing that made the crimsonette a delight to be with.
Cinder admitted to herself that things with Yang had gone much better than she thought, it was an earnest attempt from the blonde, and it showed her that Yang looked out for Ruby just like always. All she needed was a little push out of the stubborn zone sometimes.
"Something caught your mind?" Ruby perked up.
Cinder faced her again, "No not re- actually..."
"Hm?"
"That sister of yours really cares about you y'know. I'm ninety-nine percent sure she came by more for the sake of your relationship than to actually settle things. But I could be wrong, hell, I'm always wrong, but she... she did it for you, and that's one of the reasons I wasn't so brash when she came by." The elder girl explained. She was beginning to feel like she was lying to Ruby, and that in truth thus had been a plan set in motion just this past weekend. Her expression became a little more stern, and Ruby raised a brow, Cinder decided to just out with it before the redhead could respond, "Okay that's... not the truth."
"Eh?"
"The truth is, is that this was all planned out. In a way."
"Planned? I'm not following."
Cinder placed a gentle hand on Ruby's small shoulder, "I saw how much the stagnant relationship between you and Yang was affecting you, a-and I felt like such a helpless idiot, so I went to Em. She talked to Weiss, and Princess talked to Yang. None of us thought that Yang would come by at her own volition, so... technically it's still genuine. Right?"
Ruby nodded along, she soaked in what Cinder said, and honestly, it really didn't bother her. The two people she cared for most had both put some for of effort in to try and fix things. As a result, she couldn't complain.
"It's fine." Ruby mustered an answer.
-Finish conversation (500 words)
"Really? It doesn't upset you?" Cinder eyed her, somewhat surprised.
The redhead nodded, "No. Well yeah- b-but not in a bad way. I'm... I'm just Yang came around y'know? I'm glad I guess you could say." Ruby ended her sentence with a small laugh that morphed into a stint of full-on laughter. Cinder cocked her head in wonder at the girl's odd behavior.
"Something..." Cinder paused, confused, "Funny?"
Ruby's small fit died down, and she looked Cinder directly in the eyes with a genuine smile, "Eh, I don't know. It's just funny how I don't even know who I should be grateful towards. You for asking Emerald, Emerald for telling Weiss, Weiss for talking to Yang, or Yang for talking to you and working things out."
Cinder laughed as well, "I guess you could say we're just a bunch of morons who take a long time to see the obvious."
The crimsonette cackled some more, "Y-Yeah, right."
As her laughter slowly ceased again, and the car fell silent; Ruby came up with an idea before an awkward air settled in.
"Hey Cin?"
"Hm?" The ember-eyed girl tutted.
"Thanks... really. I know It wasn't all you, but in my eyes it was. Weiss and Emerald helped, but I'm not dating them, I'm dating you. And... I mean... maybe I'm throwing it out there too much, or maybe it's way out of context, b-b-but we've done so much and... well-"
Cinder grabbed Ruby by the collar and clashed their lips together, effectively silencing her ramble. The younger girl wanted to protest; but this felt so damn good. The first heated kiss she shared with Cinder that wasn't bonded by feelings of getting caught by Yang. She didn't have to fear it anymore, and there was nothing to hide.
She lapsed deep into their exchange, Cinder somewhat taken aback by the feedback she got from Ruby's end.
'Not that I'm complaining.'
The ebony-haired girl raised her right hand and cupped Ruby's cheek, slowly it turned into a tug as her lust for the girl surfaced, and she felt right back in her domain. Ruby didn't mind when Cinder kicked it up a notch and started Frenching, the sounds of small gasps and grasps were all that could be heard. That's when Ruby –out of her need to kiss Cinder- remembered that she was trying to say something rather important.
The redhead pulled back and roughly sat back in her seat. She brushed her bangs away and met eyes with Cinder's confused face –the second time that's happened today.
"What's wrong?" the elder girl hummed.
Ruby made a face, "I was trying to say something, and then you just- gah!"
"What?" Cinder giggled, "You were enjoying that, c'mon."
"T-That's not the point," the crimsonette blushed, "Look... things have been wild these past weeks. When I said that I loved you, I... didn't really feel like I was being full with it. Like, the situation with Yang restricted it's meaning. Maybe it didn't feel that way for you, but it did for me."
The latter girl's expression sank a bit, "I don't think I follow."
"Cinder," Ruby took a breath, "I love you, okay? Really, I do."
Cinder gave a warm smile, "I love you too, but... you didn't have to say it. I knew how you felt, but you said it anyways because you wanted me to be happy. It was sweet."
"Sweet... yeah." The redhead murmured.
Cinder's glance turned sickeningly sweet. An idea regarding what they were just doing formed in her mind, "So, can we pick up where we left off?"
Ruby swallowed hard at that sultry tone. She blushed and averted her eyes, trying to keep her demeanor, "Why d-don't we..." Her mind conjured up some words to say. Time ran thin as Cinder was close to resuming their fun, not that Ruby was in protest, but rather; the car made kissing so awkward. When she thought of places where they could go, a certain spot popped into her mind. One she'd never even thought of before.
"Wait, Cinder, how about we go somewhere else? I know this really cool place just for us."
Already opening her door, Cinder hummed a response, "Lead the way."
######
When Ruby said she had a place in mind, Cinder assumed it was away from the girl's apartment. Instead, she found herself trailing behind the redhead up never-ending after never-ending stair flights. Ruby's apartment sat closer to the top of the building, but Cinder couldn't have guessed that there was this many floors above it –the place looked so small from the outside.
"A few more," the girl called, "Sucks that the elevator doesn't run to the roof, but oh-well."
'Roof?' Cinder mulled. "We're going to the roof?"
"Crap! Ah, I spoiled it." Ruby groaned, spilling the name of the proclaimed 'super-secret-place'.
"Don't worry, I figured it was that anyway."
There was no reply, but judging by the sound of a door latch being undone, their destination had been reached. Cinder caught up to Ruby, just as the younger girl budged the steel door open with her shoulder. The dim staircase was immediately filled with outdoor air, and Ruby practically ran out. Cinder followed behind, and was immediately stunned by the rooftop.
Her hunch was right. This place did look shorter than it actually was. The roof gave both young women a picturesque view of the suburbs, and downtown off into the distance. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, but the sky was still blanketed in a vivid purple. The light caught the glass exteriors of downtown's skyscrapers perfectly, creating a photo-worthy panorama. As Cinder slowly paced closer to the edge; she could barely make out the cars on the road, the only intelligible signs of them were their headlights illuminating the road. Upon squinting her eyes, the ebony-haired girl made out her own neighborhood, and the backyard of the house she lived in.
"Wow," Just about summed up Cinder's feelings.
"I know right?" Ruby spoke from behind, "I... came up here a lot after my Mom passed. It ended up being the only place where I could really think, I found the skyline calming, and eventually this turned into a relaxation zone."
It stung to hear this is where Ruby came to be alone after the passing of Summer, but Cinder too found the scene a little calming. It was peaceful, and honestly she wanted to sit and watch the sky rather than kiss right now, "It is calming," the ember-eyed girl turned around, but found no Ruby there, "Ruby?"
"Over here!" Came her call. Cinder swiveled around again, seeing Ruby sitting on an air duct near the northwest corner of the building. Quickly she jogged over and sat down next to her, and the redhead's reaction was to peck her on the cheek.
"See? I told you it was cool."
Cinder chuckled, "I never doubted you."
The crimsonette stretched her arm around Cinder's waist and leaned up against her shoulder. The ebony-haired girl responded by doing much the same.
They sat there in silence. Enjoying each others' company, feeling the breeze blow by, and listening to the sounds of the suburban nighttime. After what seemed close to an hour, but in fact was much less, Cinder let her eyes drift down to Ruby, feeling affectionate as the girl tenderly clung to her.
Each one of these revelations regarding Ruby's life seemed to revolve around Summer. Places and object of deep meaning that only Ruby had bestowed to her and no one else. It was a sign of just how much the crimsonette cared, and how deep she felt her relationship with Cinder actually was. The elder girl knew she probably couldn't hold a candle to Summer when it came to influence in Ruby's life, but times like these made her feel valuable, reciprocated,
Loved.
Cinder stroked the redhead's hair, and decided to ask a question: "How'd you find this place?" She asked, her voice low like a whisper.
Ruby shuffled a bit, "I don't really remember. It... it was a year or so after... y'know, and I was having a rough day. Yang and I got into a fight. I remember she said something she didn't mean to say; but I had already taken off out of the apartment. I thought if I ran up the staircase she wouldn't look for me there. Long story short, I found this place. I went back down before Yang would find this place, and every other night after that; I'd sneak out and come up here for a few hours to clear my head."
"Hm, I could've used a place like this..." Cinder spoke under her breath, "So why show it to me."
Ruby laughed a bit, "That's a stupid question. You're you, I don't need a reason for that."
"Fair enough."
"You could've used a place like this, you said?" the crimsonette spoke with a smug look on her face.
"You heard that, huh?"
Ruby nodded.
"Yeah... I could've. I was pretty weak when I started high-school. I'd come home with all this negativity in my head and have nowhere to put it." Cinder replied solemnly.
Ruby could feel her girlfriend tense a bit, but her curiosity got the better of her, "So what'd you do?" Her question was genuine, and her tone was soft. She didn't want to pressure Cinder, but there was that need to know how another person dealt with such a downed situation.
"I... cried." The ebony-haired girl's voice cracked, and Ruby began to wonder if she had gone one question too far. She jerked her head and made eye contact with Cinder, seeing the older girl's solemn glance was answer enough.
"Sorry, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
"No, it's fine. That's basically it anyway. In the end I just grew tired of being sorry for myself all the time. Granted I still was, but instead I was more... extroverted about it. I broke bad and got into lots of fights," She paused. Her features became less tense as she looked off into the horizon, "It was an odd way of clearing my head. Really I just repressed everything."
Cinder's answer allowed Ruby to calm herself. 'Maybe it's better if I don't pry.' The girl thought. Ruby knew if she continued to do so, it'd just give her an answer she already had. The root of all this: Cinder's parents.
'Calling them parents is stretching it.' The redhead remarked. Ruby began to wonder what it would be like if they ever found them. Ruby would've liked to give them a piece of her mind, show them just how deep Cinder's wounds were. The latter probably wouldn't even want to see them.
Right?
"C'mon Rose, don't think like an idiot.'
The sound of a zipper pulled Ruby from her thoughts, she glanced and saw Cinder zipping her leather jacket up whilst scooching a little closer.
"Cold?"
"No, just... getting comfortable is all."
"Hey, uh Cinder?"
"What is it?"
Ruby took a deep breath, not really sure if this was crossing the line or not, "You ever..." She trailed off.
Cinder eyed her intently, "Ever what?"
"You ever... t-tried to... y'know, find your parents?" The last bit of Ruby's sentence dipped to a high pitched whisper. She awaited the raven-haired girl's reply, or rather, outburst.
Instead, Cinder's face remind as blank and stoic as ever. She merely focused her attention elsewhere, "No." Was all she said.
Ruby went to speak but was silenced immediately, "No," Cinder repeated, "Next question."
The redhead slumped back a bit. There was a light essence of bite on Cinder's words, still she pretended not to notice. This was a question she didn't want a deterred answer to.
She went to speak for a second time, but Cinder's posture turned back around; a knowing look in her amber eyes, "I'm guessing you won't let up, right?"
Ruby brought her hands up, "I-If you don't wanna, we can talk about-"
"It's crossed my mind a handful of times." Cinder interrupted, "Well, that's a lie. Really it was only twice. The first time was literally the day after they left me, and the second time was Christmas of that year."
"Christmas?"
"Hm, God I was so stupid and naive then. I figured I'd find them on Christmas eve or something and we'd all celebrate together and everything would be sunshine and rainbows again," the ebony-haired girl paused to chuckle, "I remember I had it all planned out, even scrounged up money to buy some half-assed gifts for them."
Ruby eyed her, waiting patiently, "So, what happened?"
"I wussed out. I had a nightmare one night about it. Where I found them and they still wanted nothing to do with me. It... hurt. The next day I trashed the gifts I bought and found something else to do. Pathetic, right?"
Ruby sat closer to Cinder, sharing her warmth and looking at her with serious stormy eyes, "You're not pathetic."
Cinder avoided the redhead's gaze, "After that I never really thought about it anymore. I believed what I told myself and repressed it. Still I... I always felt like it... n-nevermind."
The last bit of Cinder's sentence hooked Ruby, "Nevermind what?"
"It's nothing. Forget I said it."
A familiar tense feeling arose from the elder girl's body. Cinder went a little stiff and refused to look back at the crimsonette still sitting next to her. In response, Ruby bent forward to try and get a glimpse of Cinder's face; but the dark-haired girl was turned too far.
"Cinder," Ruby spoke softly, "What is it, you can tell me."
The girl in question heaved a sigh and swivelled back, locking eyes with Ruby. For a split-second, Ruby was stunned to see the traces of resentment in her girlfriend's expression, "What if I told you... that I want to find them, but then I don't?"
Ruby raised a brow, "I'd continue to listen cause I'm ninety-nine percent sure there's more to it."
'Clever.' Cinder deduced. She heaved a second sigh and continued to speak, "I hate them. I hope both of them rot and cease to exist so I don't have to see them again. I can't draw a single positive memory of them, and because of what they did to me; my life has been so screwed up it's not funny." The girl spat. Her glance left Ruby and went to the night-time horizon, she bit her lip, trying to steel herself. Ruby continued to watch, somewhat regretting that she may or may not have prodded a touchy subject for Cinder.
"But... that's childish," Cinder continued, "There's a part of me that wants to see them. Not to 'work things out' but just so I can give them a few words, and maybe get some closure out if it. Then I... I think of what'll happen if I did meet them; and every time I imagine them laughing at me and the whole situation ends up being a slap to the face. You don't know how many nights I've stayed up trying to think this through, I..."
She looked Ruby directly in the eyes, amber-irises glossy with tears, "I'm scared and confused and I never know what to do..." She leaned in, pressing her head against Ruby's shoulder.
Hearing what Cinder just said, this was all news to the crimsonette. 'Great going, you made her cry.' She thought of what she could do, realizing this was a lot more complicated than, 'Hey, let's go find your parents'. She gently stroked Cinder's ebony tresses in an effort to ease her soft sobbing. Ruby somewhat understood the elder girl's internal turmoil, but there was one thing she hadn't factored into all of this...
"You don't have to be confused, or scared."
Cinder sat straight and looked back at Ruby, "I know, a-and that's what's fucking me up."
"But you're forgetting something." Ruby pulled the sleeve of her hoodie over her hand and used it to wipe Cinder's tears.
"What?"
Ruby made a sweet grin, "Me, you big dummy."
The redheads answer made Cinder laugh a bit. She could never really be upset around Ruby, "I don't follow."
"You're not alone anymore. You- no, we could go and find your parents, and give them a piece of our minds together. If they don't want to hear it; then they're not worth getting upset over. You don't have to do it alone." Ruby felt her hand being wrapped by Cinder's own. The crimsonette further smiled at the action.
"Maybe you're right," Cinder shook her head, "I'm such a temperamental bitch to you, aren't I?"
Ruby gave her a slight nudge, "Never."
Cinder looked off into the distance again. Was she really going to do this? More importantly did she really want to? Ruby was right in calling her a dummy, as she hadn't even thought of bringing Ruby along. She'd assumed it would be a burden to the crimsonette, like she was dragging her deeper into the abyss of problems she held.
"Still, I'm not sure..."
"Psh, you don't have to be. It can wait, right?"
The sweetness in Ruby's words made her sentence ring true. It definitely wasn't a priority, still it was there.
Silence befell them. Ruby took a good look around to realize it was pitch dark night now. The light if the horizon had been replaced with that of the waning moon. The breeze had picked up since then as well, making it a little too cold for her tastes. Cinder on the other hand; didn't look too bothered by it. The redhead quietly slipped her phone from her pocket and checked the time, the screen reading 10:27. 'How long have we been up here?' She wondered.
"Cold?" Cinder asked.
"A little, yeah. N-Not that you're not warm, just it's... yeah."
Knowing what to do, Cinder placed Ruby's hand in her own and stood up, pulling the crimsonette with her. Doing it just right, she bent forward as Ruby came up, and caught her in a sly lip-lock. Ruby gasped before it happened, but melded right into it. The coldness went away, and things felt serene again. Seconds later Cinder broke the kiss much to Ruby's chagrin, "How about I walk you home?" Was all she said.
Ruby giggled at the gesture, "Sure, but it's a long ways from here." She spoke sarcastically.
"All the more reason to do so." The ebony-haired girl outstretched her hand, Ruby followed suit as they sauntered off the rooftop and returned inside. They continued down the stairwell to Ruby's floor –hand-in-hand. Once they reached the redhead's door; Cinder kissed her cheek. Ruby blushed and went to open the door with Cinder still standing idly by. Went it creaked open, she was greeted with a vacant apartment. Her father was off to work as usual, and Yang seemed to have dispersed too –most likely to see Weiss.
Cinder peaked around the doorframe, "No one's home?"
Hearing her girlfriend's words, Ruby got an idea. Yang had brought Weiss over on late school nights, so why can't she do the same with Cinder?
"You wanna come in? For a bit?"
Cinder didn't reply and simply passed by Ruby and walked in. She gently removed her shoes and found the nearest light switch belonging to the lamps in the den, she looked around, "Still can't believe this is like, the second time I've been in this place."
"Well," Ruby shut the door, "Now you can come here whenever."
Cinder flashed a concerned stare, "What about your father?"
Ruby sighed, "That'll be another day. Trust me, he'll probably like you."
"Good, I'm glad we're not getting a Yang part 2 to deal with." Cinder laughed to herself.
Ruby nodded. She paced around the kitchen island to set her keys down before joining Cinder in the living room. She took a quick moment to think about how things had finally worked out. For the betterment of everyone, 'Now all that's left is introduce her to Dad...' Ruby erased that thought as quickly as It came. Not that it would be a problem over her dating the same sex, but of the embarrassing situation that would ensue when he'd meet Cinder.
Cinder had taken her place on the couch. The ember-eyed girl beckoned Ruby to rest adjacent with the girl's head resting on her thigh. Ruby obliged, and took her place, adjusting her posture until it was just the right amount of comfort. She looked up and locked eyes with Cinder's beautiful ones, "Hey."
Cinder said nothing, still revelling in the abundance of good moments she was able to spend with Ruby. Better suited for actions and not words; the ebony-haired girl brought her hand up to cup Ruby's chin. The redhead merely blushed as Cinder brought the girl's head up into a soft kiss. Unlike the quick one on the roof, this one spoke what neither of them could. To show she was enjoying it, Ruby wrapped her arm around Cinder's shoulders, giving her leverage and allowing her to sit up straight. The embrace and kiss intensified, both young women fully enjoying their latter's company.
Cinder took an initiative and palmed the redhead's shoulder, breaking the kiss and twisting her around so she was on her back. Cinder then placed her hands on the downed girl's shoulders as she now loomed over her.
In an instant their kiss resumed. Ruby didn't mind the change in positions, all she could focus on was Cinder's form anyways. The latter's dark hair draped over her like a silky curtain, making her fully enraptured by Cinder's presence.
Ruby let her hands land on Cinder's waist when she realized her leather jacket was still on. The redhead gave it a decent tug which was prompt enough for Cinder to shrug it off onto the floor.
The crimsonette's hands now found a better suited place on Cinder's abdomen, right by the hem of her black tank top. As they continued to make-out, Ruby hooked her thumbs onto the edge of the shirt and rolled it up a bit, exposing some of the dark-haired girl's toned waist.
Cinder was so deep into their kiss she almost failed to realize what Ruby was doing. She felt the girl's still cold hands slow sliding up her sides, the majority of her shirt going with it, 'Someone's a bit playful today.'
Cinder just went along with it. Once her shirt was rolled up high enough; she momentarily ceased their kiss to let it join her jacket on the floor. Ruby's hands then found a permanent place linked behind her neck.
The crimsonette was almost jovial to see Cinder's body like this. Her upper body exposed, save for a blood red bra covering her bust. It reminded her of the night they spent together after Mercury's party got busted, making her face flush red, 'What am I doing?' She wondered, but still showed no restraint.
Cinder on the other hand was enjoying this more and more. As if she didn't want Ruby to one-one-up her, she placed her knee at the apex of Ruby's legs, making the girl gasp into their kiss. Her lips left Ruby's pink ones as she trailed down her cheek and stopped at her neck, wanting to leave a mark before she went further.
She wouldn't be getting any further tonight.
In a sudden motion, Ruby sat straight up, almost bumping heads with Cinder. The ebony haired girl raised up as well, flipping her hair back and wondering what was wrong, "Did I do something?"
Ruby didn't answer and rather hastily stood up, "Get dressed." She whisper-shrieked.
"Uhm, what?"
"Yang's coming, get dressed."
Cinder shook her head, "How the hell do you know it's-"
"Trust me, I know the sound of my sisters boots when I hear them, just do it." Ruby said while fixing the sofa.
Cinder sighed and reluctantly obliged, she slipped back into her shirt and placed her jacket over the arm of a nearby chair. She could hear the footsteps coming now too, but still wasn't sold that it was Yang. If it was, she be amazed at Ruby's sense of hearing, and upset that their fun git ruined.
Ruby swiftly turned around and grabbed the TV remote. She nonchalantly sat on the couch and prompted Cinder to do the same.
Seconds later, there was a click at the door, and lo name behold, Yang stepped in –looking surprised to see Cinder and Ruby sitting on the couch watching... was that an infomercial?
"Oh! Hey Yang," Ruby greeted.
Cinder just went along with this dumb charade, "Blondie."
Yang didn't look mad, but rather annoyed, "Hey, uh, what's Cinder doing here Rubes."
"What? You get to bring Weiss over late, so I thought I'd do the same."
Yang shrugged, "What- forget it. Look you might wanna get Cinder outta here, Dad's coming home early." The blonde felt weird using the term early when it was night time, "Hence why I'm back early."
Cinder rolled her eyes, Ruby gave her a look, and whispered, "Another time."
Cinder groaned but still got up to leave, not before giving Ruby a kiss, "I'll see you tomorrow then?"
Ruby nodded and quickly ushered her to the door. The night wasn't technically ruined. Their time on the roof was where it counted. She waved bye to Cinder as the door shut, thanking the heavens for her sense of hearing. If it wasn't for that; this would've been a thousand times worse.
Yang watched as Ruby went to turn off the TV, the crimsonette had a sickeningly sweet smile plastered on her face, which In turn made Yang do that same. Just as glad as everyone else that things worked out with Cinder.
It put a smile on Ruby's face, so who was she to complain?
"What'd you guys end up doing tonight?" The blonde asked.
"Eh," Ruby shrugged, "Not much."
A/N So this fic has officially been ongoing for over a year, and is now over 100k words. That's a thing. THANKS for your support ladies and gentlemen. Now we all know that Volume 3 is coming up very soon, and just as an announcement I will not be including stuff from that in this, mainly because it's nearing completion. BUT, my other less developed fics probably will. I'm not going to redo the plot so it's centred around V3, but if I see something that fits, it'll be added in (characters, themes, etc...)
Thanks again everyone. You guys set the world record when it comes to patience.