So my last chapter was apparently my most liked so far, and thanks to the wonderful response I got, the answer is yes. I will do the wedding chapter, sometime soon I believe. But since someone also mentioned a curiosity about how Ruby proposed, I decided to write that up as well. This took me a while, and for that I apologize. I simply had a lot of trouble with this chapter, because I really wanted to do them justice (I am a multi-shipper, but Whiterose IS my favorite of them all), and I don't really think I did, but...well, this is what I came up with. I truly hope you all enjoy this very fluffy chapter as well, and thanks once again to all of you who enjoy this story!
PS-So RTX has shown Winter and Qrow, and turns out Winter is now confirmed as the older sister. I may or may not go back and edit other chapters to deal with her age difference, but for now I'm leaving that alone as is. I am somewhat proud that I was pretty close in my mind as to what Qrow looks like though.
Disclaimer-I don't own RWBY. I'm busy being hyped for Volume 3!
Ruby Rose, Dolt Extraordinare
Two years earlier
Pyrrha crept carefully along the hallway, a bit leery to be headed down into the depths of the Schnee Estate. An accident during a difficult mission had left Milo badly damaged…the blade was cracked, and the trigger had broken clean off. Now, Pyrrha was many things, but a weapon engineer she was not. Sure, she had built Milo and Akouo herself, but she had been given a lot of assistance during it, and well, look at the result. This was the tenth time they had been damaged since she had begun at Beacon, but most of the previous damage had been fairly easy to repair. But this time, it was clear, she needed professional help.
Ruby was perhaps the most prolific weapon engineer Pyrrha had ever seen, not that Fox or Sage were any slouches either. When those three weren't spending time adding guns to a Christmas tree, they could be some of the best weapon experts she knew. Her caution had less to do with distrust of Ruby, and more to do with worries about a random explosion, as was known to happen from time to time in the workshop. Pyrrha knew only Ruby was in the workshop…the only people currently in the Estate were herself, Jaune, and Ruby. The rest were all out on missions, time spent in Atlas, or off at another meeting. Having searched all of Ruby's other main hangouts, Pyrrha was left with the workshop. Stopping at the large steel door leading into the workshop, Pyrrha listened carefully for the telltale sounds of Ruby's slight gun obsession, but could hear almost nothing. Instead, all she heard was a small scratching noise. Pyrrha took a deep breath and pressed the button to open the door, watching as it recessed into the wall with a hissing noise.
Pyrrha's eyes scanned around the well-lit massive room, noting all the tools and machines scattered about. Multiple screens, glowing with faint light, were attached to machines of all sizes, placed haphazardly around the floor. A few scrolls were carefully set at one well lit table in a back corner, piles of thick books scattered around them. A large open container that appeared to contain scrap metal was partially full along the far wall, along with sections that were fairly obviously specific to the three different people who used this workshop…one section entirely plastered with posters of multiple different types of explosives clearly belonged to Sage and his obsession on exploding weaponry. A section with far less lighting, but a lot of braille schematics taped up around the desk had to belong to Fox. The final section, with a clear black and red color scheme, situated around a desk where Pyrrha's target sat, bent over in her chair, fiddling with something small. The scratching sound was coming from there, so Pyrrha decided she shouldn't interrupt yet, and just walked quietly over to Ruby's side.
Ruby had a pair of strange dark goggles on her face, a telescoping lens attached to both eyepieces. Before her was a small clamp, holding a deep red gemstone up before her. Two pinpoint lights were shining down onto the gem, as Ruby held a tiny chisel and hammer in hand. Ruby was carefully tapping into the gem, moving very cautiously as she did so. After every tap, she'd lift up a cloth and carefully brush the gem off, peering down at it again before once again resuming her chiseling. On the desk scattered before her were a multitude of small drills and screwdrivers, along with a small band of some shiny metal laying before her. Pyrrha waited until Ruby had set down the chisel and hammer again and was just reaching for the cloth before clearing her throat.
Ruby jumped, eyes scanning around wildly, but when they settled on Pyrrha she jolted back again. Quickly she tore the goggles off, looking back up to see Pyrrha before giving a sheepish smile, her hand over her heart as she panted. "Pyrrha! What are you doing down here?"
Pyrrha held out Milo, the crack in the blade showing clearly. "I was hoping you could take a look at this. I think I need to just get Milo redone…it cracks a lot." Ruby took Milo in her hands, her expression instantly switching to a calculating one as she stared at intently, moving it carefully between her hands as she inspected it. Pyrrha was a little bit surprised by the intensity in Ruby's eyes, once again reminded that underneath Ruby's bubbly, innocent personality was a true craftsman. Before Ruby could disappear with Milo, Pyrrha gestured to the table, her curiosity getting the better of her. "So…what's this?"
Ruby chuckled sheepishly, eyes glancing off to the side as she ran her hand through her hair, the other lowering Milo to the table beside her. "Um…you promise not to say a word?" Pyrrha nodded, eager to know what had made Ruby take up what looked like gem cutting as a hobby. Ruby took a deep breath. "It's for Weiss." Ruby kept her eyes on the floor as Pyrrha glanced down at the gemstone again, before her eyes flicked back to the blushing Ruby. As the wheels in her head turned, it hit her, making her eyes open in surprise as she covered her mouth, barely unable to suppress a squeal.
"You're going to propose to Weiss?!" Ruby nodded, eyes still downcast, blush firmly in place. Pyrrha leapt out and wrapped her arms around Ruby, crushing her in a hug that would make Yang proud, the normally calm amazon too excited for words. Pyrrha found herself at a loss for words, just squealing in happiness as she squeezed. Ruby elbowing her in the side made her release the younger girl, looking at her with a hurt expression until she realized Ruby was panting, trying to catch her breath. Pyrrha's eyes went wide as she remembered her own strength. Thinking back, she realized only Yang in the full grips of her semblance was actually stronger than her…Yatsuhashi and herself had so far evened out in strength. "Err...oops? I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?" Pyrrha's frantic comments made Ruby wave her hand dismissively, coughing slightly.
"No, no. I'm fine Pyrrha. I just wasn't expecting that from you, that's all. I'm used to Yang doing things like that." Ruby grinned up at Pyrrha, but her blush hadn't quite faded away.
Pyrrha's grin wouldn't leave her face. "Can I see it?" Ruby shrugged, moving slightly out of the way, allowing Pyrrha an opportunity to move closer. With the much closer viewpoint she had, she had a clear view of the intricate designs etched into the band. The band had small circles equidistant from each other, and inside each circle was a symbol. Every other one was the Schnee crest, while the ones that filled in between were Ruby's own Rose emblem. Upon closer inspection, Pyrrha discerned it was a ruby, which didn't surprise her in the slightest. The large number of red flakes scattered about Ruby's meticulously clean work station made it clear the gem was originally much larger, as Ruby had been cutting and shaving it down for an apparently long time. Pyrrha moved back out of the way, smile still plastered on her face. "It's lovely. I'm sure Weiss will love it! When are you going to ask?"
Ruby sighed, giving a small shrug. "I've been working on it for a while now, when I'm not busy on other projects. I'm nearly done, and I'm sure I'll be ready by the time she gets back from her latest conference. But I haven't really worked out how I'm going to ask! It has to be perfect!"
Pyrrha placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder, squeezing gently. "Ruby, you and Weiss are made for each other. Anything you do will be perfect, because it'll be you doing it for Weiss. Trust yourself…because I know Weiss does."
Ruby lifted her gaze from the floor to stare directly into Pyrrha's brilliantly green eyes, water gathering at the corner of her eyes as she smiled at Pyrrha. Leaning forward, she hugged Pyrrha gently, squeezing the amazon slightly before pulling back. "Thanks Pyrrha. That means a lot to me. But enough about that. Let's see what we can do with Milo."
Ruby paced nervously on the rooftop, arms crossed behind her back. The full moon shone its light down, illuminating the entire flat space of the roof Ruby was pacing across. Her deep scarlet single strap dress swished along her side as she paced, the light, silky material flowing easily as she paced. The only adornment she wore on herself besides the dress was a small necklace, a simple silver locket Weiss had given her the previous year for her birthday. Inside, a picture of the two of them together, smiling at the camera, Ruby's head leaning onto Weiss'. Simple red flats completed her outfit, barely visible beneath the nearly floor length outfit she wore. Ruby's nervous introspection was halted by the sound of the door to the roof opening, a weary looking Weiss, still in her business suit, coming through the doorway.
Weiss looked up as the door opened, wondering at the very strange note Ruby had left asking her to come see her on the roof. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she felt her breath freeze in her lungs at the vision before her, illuminated in the moonlight. The soft silvery light enveloped the huntress, her entire being seeming to glow in the effervescent springtime air. Ruby's silver eyes had the same brilliant shine as the moon above, enchanting Weiss with their radiance. It took Weiss a full minute before she could speak, looking at the adorably nervous Ruby as the younger woman shuffled quietly before her, hands clasped at her waist.
"R-Ruby? What's…what's going on?"
Ruby took a deep breath, closing her eyes briefly, before she walked slowly over to Weiss. Extending her hands, Ruby took Weiss' hands in her own, clasping them gently as she pulled Weiss into the pool of moonlight illuminating the rooftop. Ruby squeezed Weiss' hands tightly for a moment. "Weiss…I've tried to think of what to say, the perfect thing to tell you, and I couldn't think of anything worthy of you. I've tried so hard to think of what words will express how I feel, but I don't think they exist. You know me, I'm not the best at explaining things in words…but I still have to try." Ruby slowly pulled Weiss closer to her, letting her hands rest on Weiss' hips as she pulled the shorter woman close. Ruby tapped a tiny button on her waist, and the soft strains of a violin began playing from the darkness outside the moonlight, a quiet background to the pair standing on the roof. Slowly, Ruby began swaying, letting Weiss catch on. The older woman smiled, still slightly confused, but let her hands reach up and wrap around Ruby's neck, tangling her fingers in Ruby's short locks and slowly running them through, letting the silky strands run along her fingers. Ruby's grip on her hips tightened as she continued swaying, opening her heart to let the words come flowing out.
"Weiss, you were my first real friend besides my sister. The first person who I ever could let come close. And what we went through…I never would have made it through without you. I never would have been able to survive everything that happened without you by my side." Weiss opened her mouth to interrupt, but Ruby placed a finger over her lips, shushing her. Weiss jerked her head back, a disgruntled expression plastered on her face, but she sighed and let Ruby continue. "Weiss, I…I love you. So much. I wish I had the words to express how deeply and truly I love you, but the only thing I can tell you is that you are my reason to wake up in the morning. You're the reason I can find so much happiness in life. You're the reason I can just be me. You never ask me to be someone else, never ask me to be anyone but me. You accept me, flaws and all. Little hyperactive Ruby Rose, just some kid who got lucky and found her way into Beacon…and you fell in love with me. You blessed me. My princess." Ruby stopped swaying, reaching down into a pocket that was cleverly hidden in the folds of her dress, and drew out a small blue box. Keeping one of Weiss' hand in her own, Ruby slowly sank to one knee, uncaring at how the fabric of her dress bunched up beneath her knee, keeping her eyes locked on Weiss'. Ice blue eyes went wide, her free hand coming up to cover her mouth as tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.
"I guess what I want to say Weiss, is that I will love you for eternity and beyond, because one eternity spent with you simply isn't enough. Weiss Schnee…will you marry me?" Ruby extended the hand holding the box, anxiously waiting to see what Weiss would say.
Weiss' reaction was not the one Ruby expected, as Weiss suddenly released her hand and stomped her foot angrily, fists clenched at her side, even as a single tear fell from her eye. "You dolt! You can't do this, not right now!" Ruby's jaw dropped, blinking rapidly as she tried to process Weiss' response, before the older woman pointed firmly down at Ruby. "You stay right there! Don't you dare move!" Weiss dashed off, running at top speed through the door to the roof, leaving a flabbergasted Ruby with a slowly reddening face kneeling, arm still holding the small box out.
It took less than a minute for Weiss, red in the fact and panting, to come bursting out the doorway, finding Ruby still in the same position she had been in when Weiss had left. Weiss took a couple deep breaths, trying to calm her pounding heart, before she took Ruby's hand in her own and lifted the younger woman to her feet. Weiss coughed, before putting as serious an expression on her face as she could manage, even though she sniffled slightly before speaking (to her utmost embarrassment.) Ruby opened her mouth, but Weiss quickly shushed her in the same manner Ruby previously had, smiling softly at Ruby's pout. "You spoke your mind, now it's my turn." Weiss took Ruby's free hand in her own, holding a small black box of the same size in her hand.
"Ruby…if it weren't for you, I would never have learned how wonderful and kind friends can be. I would never have learned what it means to have a real family. I'd still be cold and stuck trying to be perfect, when the perfect one here is you. You made my heart beat again, and it beats for you now. You're my angel, the one who elevated me above with your beautiful soul and loving heart. I wanted to do this a different way, but of course you had to ruin my plans." Weiss' smile took the sting from her words as she sank to one knee, Ruby trailing with her, the two women taking mirrored postures of each other. "Ruby Rose…will you marry me?" Ruby's smile grew, brighter than the brilliant silver shine coming down upon the two of them like silver rain.
"You never answered me."
Weiss smirked slightly, cocking her head to the side. "Then…together. Forever." Locking eyes once more, the two women stared at each other, silver meeting blue, letting the moment carry them as they spoke in one voice, one heart.
"Yes."