Maybe people will be a little less mad after this chapter?

Ruby got back to her house about an hour later. She had ran as much of the way as she could, and her lungs were burning, ragged and dry and wheezing like an old pair of bellows. She stumbled in the door, dusty and sweaty. At least she had stopped crying...

"Shit, Rubes, what happened to you!" Yang exclaimed from their fluffy brown couch. It looked like she had been texting or something, but when she saw Ruby she dropped the cell phone and wrapped strong arms around her little sister.

"I screwed up..." Ruby mumbled, licking at her dry lips. "I screwed up so bad Yang..."

"Well, uh, sit down and... do you want anything to drink?" Yang offered weakly, her strong arms tense, a worried frown clouding her face.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Weiss offered, throwing a look over her shoulder at Ruby, her white hair swishing perfectly around as she gazed at Ruby with those perfect blue eyes.

Ruby broke into fresh sobs, and Yang held her as best she could, rocking back and forth.

"Shh. Shh. Hey, c'mon Rubes... talk to me, I'm worried here..."

"C-can I just have the water? Please?" Ruby sniffled, wiping her runny nose, the skin around it red and chapped, burning as her red sleeve swiped across it. She broke apart from her sister and slumped down on the couch, curling up around one ripped green pillows casually tossed on it.

"Yeah. Sure." Yang hurried to the kitchen and came back a second later with a cheap blue plastic cup, filled with lukewarm tapwater.

Ruby gulped at it eagerly, draining the cup in two seconds flat. "...Thanks..." She said quietly, huddling in on herself. She buried her face in the pillow, breathing it its comforting, musty smell.

"So, what happened." Yang demanded. Ruby heard a thump and felt the couch shift as her sister plopped down beside her. "I mean... you never get this upset, Rubes."

"...You really wanna know?" Ruby mumbled around a faceful of fluffy pillow.

"'Course I wanna know! I'm your sister! And besides... this is kinda freaking me out."

"Well um." Ruby licked her lips again, and still found them to be bone dry. "Could I have some more water first?"

"Yeah. Sure." Yang got up, and fetched some more. Ruby sat up and took small little sips, which turned into greedy slurps as she drained the glass.

"So..." Yang hinted, and Ruby took a deep breath.

"You know Weiss?"

"Um, yeah. Rich girl you hang out with, right?"

She's so much more than that...

"I kissed her."

"About damn time!"

"Wait what!" Ruby shrieked, dropping her glass onto the stained carpet floor. "H-how did you-"

"Sis, you are like, the gayest person I know. Seriously, other than the time you dated that Jaune guy..."

"Hey now! Jaune's a good friend!" Ruby protested. "Don't always talk about him like that!"

"Fine, fine... but seriously, I've been expecting this talk for like, years." Yang ruffled her hair affectionately. "So, then, what's the big sob fest for? You smooched the hot chick, right?"

Ruby looked down glumly. "It isn't that simple I... it was kinda one sided... I mostly just kissed her." Yang started to talk, but Ruby cut her off, continuing on in a quiet little voice. "I don't think she was kissing me back... I basically just attacked her, Yang! She probably hates me now... and even if she wasn't totally against it, I couldn't date her I just..." Fresh tears began to fall again, though where they came from Ruby didn't know.

"Are you sure?" Yang asked quietly, like she was soothing a frightened animal. "You... well, you assume the worst a lot Rubes. Are you sure you just jumped her?"

"Well, even if I didn't it doesn't matter. They talk about us." Ruby sniffled. "The other students. I hear what they say and... her parents could never approve and... she's just so, so above me Yang. Nobody she knows would ever be okay with her dating a nobody like me..."

"Ruby-!" Yang started to protest, to tell her she was wrong or something. Ruby didn't care. She knew she was right. Weiss probably hated her... no, Weiss definitely did.

So Ruby ignored her sister, wiping her tear stained cheeks and shuffling off for her room. "I'm going to bed, Yang." Was all she said, shutting the door behind her.

Sleep did not come easy. But when it did, it was deep, and thankfully empty.

Weiss stood expectantly by the gate, eyes scanning the street. Where was Ruby? She had to be here today, she had to! There was so much Weiss needed to say...

The minutes ticked by, then the hour. The bell chimed for the start of classes, and with many backwards glances, Weiss had to walk away.

It seemed that Ruby wasn't at school.

She didn't know what that meant... but Weiss couldn't imagine it was anything good. But, Weiss could help in her own small way. As a favor, she decided to take two sets of notes for when the other girl returned. That way, she could give the extra set to Ruby, and the other girl wouldn't fall behind in her classes... assuming she showed up soon.

She had to.

She had to be back.

The next morning, Weiss was disappointed yet again. Some fearful part of her was worried sick, and the rest of her couldn't argue.

She still hadn't shown up...

On the morning of the fourth day, Weiss caught a glimpse of something she had been aching to see, a black and yellow motorcycle rumbling for the school.

As it approached, however, she frowned. There was only that taller girl... Ruby's sister, who drove her to school every day. Ruby wasn't on the back. She was missing.

A sudden thought struck her. Ruby had just left her apartment without any way of getting home... what if she had gotten hit by a car on the way home? Or was sick, or...

Before she knew it, Weiss was moving as fast as she could for the approaching bike, her heels almost causing her to fall as she jogged along the payment.

The rider took off her helmet, and a cascade of messy golden curls tumbled free. Ruby's sister waved Weiss over.

"Are you Weiss?" She asked, when Weiss was close enough.

"Yes, I am." Weiss replied. "Please, can you tell me where Ruby is? I need to speak with her, urgently."

"I can do you one better." Ruby's sister... Yang, that was her name, Yang patted the back of the bike, the other hand extending a rosy red helmet. "As long as you aren't gonna be shitty to her, I'll take you to her." There was something hard and fierce in those lilac eyes, like fire. Yang didn't need to make any threats, she conveyed perfectly well that if Weiss wasn't going to be on her best behaviour, Yang would end her.

Without hesitation, Weiss nodded. Normally, there was no way she'd get on such an unsafe contraption. But for Ruby, she would have to. "Then drive." And with that, she climbed on the bike, pulling the helmet over her face, a name blazing in her mind like a bolt of lightning against the night sky.

Ruby.

Yang drove dangerously fast, even going so far as to run a red light on the way back. They pulled up in front of a dilapidated old apartment building, chipped green paint flaking off the three story block of a structure.

Weiss immediately climbed off the bike, rushing for it, Yang close at her heels.

They went inside, but paused outside a little whitewashed door with a brass number one on it, the first set of rooms in the building. "She's in her room, it's the door on the far right when you walk in." Yang said quickly, quietly. "I'll hang around somewhere else, but I swear if you do anything-"

"I won't." Weiss said, no malice in her voice. She knew she would be acting the same way, if their positions were reversed. And besides, all she needed to do right now was make sure Ruby was okay.

With a quick motion, Yang unlocked the door, gave Weiss one brief look, and then headed back out of the building.

Weiss took a deep breath, and pushed the door open, stepping in.

The place was a mess. The furniture was old, broken, and possibly slightly moldy. Used dishes cluttered every available surface, and it was impossible to tell what color the carpet had been, it was so stained and ripped and faded.

But none of that mattered.

It was the door all the way to the right.

Weiss strode over to it, seized the doorknob, and turned, the door swinging open.

There, lying curled around her pillow, was Ruby. Her face was bright red and splotchy from crying, and she looked pale, paler than usual, an absolute mess.

It broke Weiss's heart to know that somehow, she was responsible for this.

"Weiss!" Ruby gasped.

"Weiss!"

Ruby couldn't believe it.

Weiss was standing in her doorway.

She was right there.

But for some reason, Ruby couldn't move. She couldn't do anything but stare as slowly, Weiss came closer, stepping over the dirty laundry and cups and plates that littered the floor, to kneel beside her bed. Her pale blue skirt brushed the floor, and the end of her form fitting hoodie she was wearing trailed on the ground as she just sat and looked at Ruby, something unreadable in her beautiful blue eyes.

Ruby had gotten her that hoodie, when they went shopping a couple weeks ago. It had looked so good on her and Ruby had insisted she buy it, pestering the other girl until, with a huff and a grouchy remark, she did.

Those moments were likely gone forever. She didn't even know why Weiss was bothering to visit...

"W-Weiss I-" Ruby stammered, then cleared her throat, so very grateful she wasn't crying. Well, yet anyway. "Why are you here?" She finally said in a small, small voice.

"...I took notes for you." Weiss said, her voice equally soft. "Since you missed class."

"T-that was n-nice of you..." Ruby replied. Maybe... maybe she had a chance to salvage the friendship at least. Maybe... if Weiss had taken notes for her...

"I'm worried about you, Ruby." Weiss told her. "You haven't been at school. And... I still don't know what happened... earlier."

Ruby closed her eyes. There it was. This was it. Weiss seemed so disappointed and hurt and this was why... "I'm sorry." She said. Might as well face the music... "I'm sorry I kissed you. I know you didn't want to, because, you know, you weren't moving or anything you just seemed kind of shocked..." Ruby coughed, her voice catching as she kept on. "A-and I hear what p-people... what people say about us, and I'm sorry. I'll change schools, I'll leave, so maybe you can be happy and maybe I can too and..." All of a sudden the words dried up, and Ruby couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. She lay there, eyes screwed shut, quaking under her covers.

A minute passed. Two.

Ruby finally opened her eyes, to see Weiss crying.

The other girl's head was bowed, and her shoulders were shaking slightly, little drops of water - like diamonds - falling into her lap.

"W-Weiss?" Ruby was panicking, something was wrong, Weiss didn't cry Weiss-

Suddenly the other girl moved, slapping her. A small burst of pain spread across her cheek, and she stared in shock as Weiss looked up at her, furious.

"Idiot!" She seized Ruby by the shoulders, shaking her. "Why would you-" She paused, a small sob interrupting her. "I don't want you gone! I want-"

And suddenly Weiss pulled on Ruby's shoulders, yanking her forward, crashing their lips together. Their lips met so hard and rough that Ruby bit her lip, hot blood flowing into her mouth as she whimpered into the kiss, clutching at Weiss's clothing, trying to pull her closer, sucking at her tongue and pressing into her chest and...

They broke apart for a short second, panting and gasping and then Weiss moved forwards again, pushing Ruby back on the bed, lying atop her, blue eyes darkening as their lips fused again, tongues dancing in time, frantic, like this was the last touch they would ever have, like if they broke apart they could never be together again.

Their legs entwined, their arms bound them together, until it was just the two of them crying, or laughing, into eachother and rocking back and forth.

Ruby was shaking, whimpering. "Weiss... oh Weiss..."

Weiss held her, one hand on her back of her neck, one tangled in her black and red hair, greasy from lack of showers.

"I'm here." She said simply. "Shh... I'm here."

Blue eyes met silver as Ruby pulled back a little bit to look at her. "So are we... I mean..." She buried her face in Weiss's chest. "I love you."

Three little words. Ruby waited, heart beating wildly, for an answer.

"I love you too."

"So are we... are we dating?" Ruby asked, her voice muffled by Weiss's hoodie.

"Yes, you dolt, we're dating." Weiss replied, a hint of sarcasm and a lot of affection lacing her tone.

"Oh. Good." Ruby paused. "Um, just do me one favor?"

"Hmm?"

"No pinching. I'm pretty sure I'm just having a really good dream so-" Suddenly, Ruby yelped, a sharp stinging pain lancing through her side as Weiss squeezed a little bit of skin between thumb and forefinger. "Gah! I said don't!"

"You aren't dreaming." Weiss told her drily. "Just relax."

"Okay."

They lay like that until morning. And for just a few hours, there was no school, no company, no sister or family or anything else. It was like they were the only two people in the world, whispering quietly to eachother until, first Ruby then Weiss, they fell asleep.

"I love you."

"I love you too."

"So much."

"So much it hurts."

Yes, it was intentional not to say who was saying what at the end there. I like it that way.

As always, thanks so much to Wendy Crescent.

And, just in case you were wondering, it is possible to kiss someone so hard you make them bite their lip and bleed. I have personal experience with these matters, and it isn't exactly all that fun. Please don't actually try it.

Written to Diamonds, by Rihanna, and Paralyzer, by Finger Eleven.