The first thing to enter Weiss's conscious mind that morning was pain. Her head decided a nice reminder of why she didn't make a habit of drinking was in order. Her eyes felt sore as if she'd been up all night, her mouth was dry and felt as if her tongue was made of coarse grind sandpaper, and her throat felt as if it had swollen shut.
As her senses slowly returned, she noticed something else. Something that until now, she'd dismissed as a dream.
She opened her eyes a crack, not willing to move in case she would disturb her teammate who had one arm wrapped loosely around her middle. Through the crack that sent a shiv of light into her brain, she could easily make out the destroyed bunk bed resting in a pile across the room and could tell there was more light than was normal where she slept.
The longer she was awake, the more memories from the previous night returned. And Weiss felt a large wave of dread wash over her.
"Morning, Weiss." Ruby yawned before she moved to give Weiss a peck on the lips.
Across the room, an audible gasp was heard just before the sound of knuckles popping.
"Yang, leave it." Blake ordered monotonously. "I'm sure they have an explanation."
"They better!" Yang spat, her anger evident in her voice.
"Well, last night we-" Ruby started only to be cut off.
"Ruby!" Weiss's brain wasn't working as fast as she wished it would, but she knew she had to take control of this situation quickly as she knew it was going to get out of hand if she didn't. "Just… wait…. Before that, we need to have a talk… and painkillers. And I do not wish to discuss this while your sister is angry."
"Tough! Someone better talk before I decide it doesn't really matter!" Yang's aura flared, heating the room.
"Yang, just… wait, okay? I promise I'll explain some time today, okay?" Ruby pleaded, understanding Weiss's reasoning before jumping out of bed to try to placate her sister.
"How about we all meet at the Vale Bakery for supper at six?" Blake suggested, helpfully buying the two time to discuss whatever they needed to.
"Fine, but you two better be there or else!" Yang looked directly at Weiss when she said those words, and the meaning couldn't have been clearer.
"We'll be there, don't worry." Ruby reassured her sister before grabbing her clothes and running into the washroom to change.
An awkward silence fell on the room as Blake continued to read the book she'd temporarily neglected and Yang watched Weiss gather her clothes for the day unblinkingly. After a minute, Ruby came out and Weiss took her place, quickly changing and heading back to the room to find Yang whispering to Ruby who was shaking her head.
"Ruby, time to go." Weiss said, picking up her scroll and walking to the door.
"Bye! See you later!" Ruby called to the other two of her teammates as she followed Weiss out the door.
They walked along the hall in silence, heading for the taxi Weiss had texted immediately after leaving.
"Where are we going?" Ruby asked curiously.
"To a furniture shop to get bunk beds." Weiss answered shortly, opening the door and holding it a second longer than she normally would have done so Ruby could catch it as she followed.
After that, the walk was quiet. So quiet it was painful to both girls. Weiss hated how short she'd been with Ruby, but she knew deep down that their relationship couldn't change. Barring a drunken night of celebration, Weiss knew she had to push Ruby away. If not to please her father, then to keep Ruby safe from all the dangers that came with being in a relationship with a Schnee. The only problem now was how silent her usually talkative teammate was being.
The two arrived at a furniture shop with the silence between them intact. Weiss led Ruby to the back of the store where she noticed a display bed much like the one in her room at White Castle. After they'd passed the majority of the other furniture, it wasn't hard to find the bunk beds ranging from small ones for children to larger ones for adults. A few were wall mounted or collapsible, most made of wood but a few crafted from metal tubing.
The two walked past most of the beds until Weiss finally stopped in front of one made with simply cut wood that was varnished with a clear finish to preserve the look of the natural grain.
"What do you think of this one?" Weiss asked appraising the qualities of the bed.
"Um… it's the same color as the ones in our room?" Ruby responded, her voice cracking from disuse. Weiss knew she was still thinking about what they'd talk about when they'd eventually get someplace more private, so it fell to her to decide.
The wood was plain. It matched the wood of the beds provided by the school in color and type. The only issue might have been that it was slightly larger in size than those the bunks were meant to replace. It wouldn't be a problem, but it would eliminate the small isle between the beds and the wall that she liked to use when getting out of bed.
Weiss looked around and not a single other set looked as if they'd match the room and sighed as a salesman approached her. She quickly ordered the bed and installation for later that day and paid for it with her credit card. Without waiting for Ruby to realize she was done, she started walking out of the store.
She had just placed one foot on the sidewalk when a hand slipped into hers. Weiss gave a small yelp and yanked her hand back as if she were burned and turned to find Ruby looking at her sadly.
"I'm sorry… I just thought…" Ruby started, her eyes tearing up.
"Shhh." Weiss couldn't bear to see Ruby hurt by her actions, yet she knew she'd see much worse by the end of the day. She decided she'd at least try to keep her happy until then. "Let's go for a walk in the park and talk, okay?"
"Can we hold hands?" Ruby asked hopefully, still sad from Weiss's initial response.
"I don't think that would be a good idea." Weiss responded just before taking another glance at her partner.
Ruby looked like a kicked puppy. Nothing else could have described her appearance at that moment of time better, and Weiss knew that she was the one who'd done the kicking. Weiss felt a pain rise up in her stomach that had nothing to do with the lingering effects of her hangover and sighed in frustration. She quickly grabbed Ruby's hand and walked off, dragging her friend into the deserted park and sitting down at a bench near the center.
"So…" Ruby started after five minutes of silence.
"We need to talk about last night." Weiss said seriously, keeping her eyes on her hands that were now clasped in her lap.
"I don't think Yang was that upset. Otherwise we would've had a repeat of last time." Ruby said quickly, guessing at the first thing Weiss would want to take care of. "Plus with the bed being destroyed and all…"
"I agree." Weiss sighed. This was the most difficulty she's ever had talking to someone, but she couldn't back out now otherwise she knew she'd never be able to do what she knew she had to. "All that's left is to discuss our relationship then."
"Uhm, sure Weiss. What did you want to talk about?" Ruby asked nervously.
"I…" Her voice cracked and gave out just as she started her sentence. She silently cursed her voice and cleared her throat. "I… we…can't do this."
"Huh?" Ruby sounded surprised and slightly put off by the statement. "Why not?"
"Because we're both girls. Because I'm afraid you'll get hurt, and because my last name is Schnee!" Weiss vented, talking quickly but not harshly. She took a deep breath and clenched her hands into fists as she said the last thing she knew needed to be said. "I'm sorry Ruby. I'm so sorry. You would be better off to forget about me."
The silence stretched between them. Weiss felt the painful roll of her stomach as she waited patiently for Ruby to say something, anything to show she understood. That she'd continue living her life without her as a girlfriend.
"Weiss." Ruby's hand lightly cupped her opposite cheek and Weiss turned her head out of reflex to look deep into Ruby's eyes.
Weiss gulped as her resolve started to waver from Ruby's silver gaze. Her pulse quickly doubled and tripled until she could only feel a heated thrum running through her veins while Ruby's eyes held her captive. Ruby leaned forward and Weiss found herself mirroring Ruby even though this was exactly what she'd been trying to prevent.
Ruby's lips were softer than silk as they pressed so gently to Weiss's that she felt herself start to tear up. Ruby kept still, the only contact between them their lips and the guiding hand. Weiss's eyes burned hotter as the kiss continued.
"I'm sorry." Weiss broke the kiss and looked down at her hands again.
Ruby remained silent for a few seconds before Weiss felt a head rest on her shoulder. "Nope."
"Huh?" Weiss didn't think she'd heard Ruby right.
"I said… nope!" Ruby giggled softly. "You made me a promise last night, and you're not allowed to break it."
"I was drunk!" Weiss exclaimed incredulously, snapped out of her sadness by Ruby's stubbornness.
"That's no excuse." Ruby replied quietly, bringing back the sense of intimacy that the conversation had lost.
"But…" Weiss couldn't think of an argument. Or rather, she couldn't bring herself to say anything she thought up.
"Weiss. It doesn't matter if we're both girls. I know you know that." Ruby started arguing Weiss's reasoning. "And I'm not a little girl anymore. I know what I'm doing. The only way you could hurt me right now is if you walked away and kept lying to yourself."
"Fine… you win. But we still can't date." Weiss said before taking a deep breath. Weiss felt lighter now that she knew Ruby didn't hate her, but she knew the next semester was going to be difficult now that she had to keep Ruby at arms length.
Weiss felt Ruby freeze for a moment. Then, "Could you explain why to me?"
"There's nothing to explain." Weiss knew Ruby wouldn't stop asking until she gave some form of information, so she settled with a bare summary. "My parents would be a problem. With them comes the company, board of directors, media, paparazzi, hit men, white fang… the list goes on…."
"I still don't see a problem." Ruby stated honestly. "It's not as if we haven't dealt with stuff like that before. Remember the shipping yard?"
"This isn't…" Weiss started and stopped. There was no use arguing with Ruby. "I can't…. I just can't drag you into my life and my problems. I've seen so much blood… I can't have yours on my hands. I wouldn't be able to live with that…. I wouldn't…"
"Shhh…" Ruby wrapped her arms around Weiss, pulling her close so her ear stopped right beside Ruby's mouth. Weiss felt Ruby's calm breath graze her skin, heating it with a warmth that contrasted sharply with the bitterly cold outdoor air. "Nothing's going to happen."
"You don't know that!" Weiss shook as her fear started forcing its way out as her defensive walls began to crumble after holding in too much for far too long.
"You're right." Ruby admitted. "But that sort of thing comes with the territory of becoming a huntress. So really the only difference would be that I get to be in love with my best friend."
Weiss froze as she heard Ruby's words. Her tears forgotten in favour of the idea that maybe she didn't have to shield Ruby from her life's ever-present dangers. Then the exact words Ruby had spoken sunk in. "Y-you're in l-love with me?"
"Yes, Weiss… I love you, as long as you'll let me. Will you be my girlfriend?"