Despite the fact that Ruby had bounced around the entire floor looking at everything and anything that caught her eye, and appearing as excitable as a young child in doing so, Weiss could tell that underneath the facade she wasn't actually paying any attention to the room. And considering the reason they were there, she couldn't blame her.
"It's so cute!" Ruby crooned from the window where Weiss remembered there being a three inch tall tree among other fancy baubles.
"Ruby, you know you don't have to pretend to be okay." Weiss said from her spot on the couch as she flipped randomly through a news site on her scroll, paying as much attention to it as Ruby was to the room.
"… Sorry." Ruby dropped into the seat beside Weiss and leaned into her. "I guess I'm just nervous."
"You and me both, Ruby." Weiss admitted and gave Ruby a small hug.
"Do you know when they're coming?" Ruby asked even though Weiss had told her several times already.
"They should be here within an hour since the deal went through easier than expected." Weiss answered automatically, not caring that she had already told Ruby this information several times already. In fact, it helped her focus on what was now a quickly approaching confrontation.
They remained cuddled together, simply enjoying the warmth of each other for a while as they waited patiently for Weiss's family. They only had to wait ten minutes for the sound of the elevator door opening echo faintly from beyond the locked door.
"Alright, remember what we discussed." Weiss said, standing and turning toward the door.
Ruby nodded and followed Weiss, standing just behind and to the side of her.
The door clicked as the deadbolt was withdrawn and then swung open to reveal a rather tall man with shockingly white hair in a deeply contrasting black business suit talking to three women. His build was more athletic than you'd expect for someone who sits at a desk most of the day doing paperwork, but nothing like that of a career hunter. But what his body lacked in natural ability to threaten, his face made up for it. His dark gray eyes were sharp and piercing, looking as if they could puncture diamond with barely any effort. His face was cleanly shaven and had not a single scar, but the sharp jaw line and definition of his chin seemed to speak of a hidden strength that was far beyond comprehension. To top it all off, his nose had a small imperfection as if it had been broken many times over the years it had been part of his body.
Of the three women, only one looked slightly older than the others. She wore a black cocktail dress and carried a purse so small there could only be one or two things contained within it. Her hair was a light brown, falling to her shoulders, while her eyes shone a brilliantly bright green that sparkled in the sunlight from the wall sized window behind Ruby and Weiss. She was just an inch or two taller than Weiss and her posture seemed far too impatient for the kindness her face seemed to exude.
The other two women were dressed identically in a simple gray blazer and knee length pencil skirt. The one talking to who Ruby assumed was Mr. Schnee, had a face that looked almost identical to Weiss's, though without the scar. Her hair was also much shorter like the woman wearing the dress, and most of it was tucked back into a bun with only a few strands left to hang loose. The second major difference between the girl and Weiss was, and Ruby reprimanded herself for noticing, the size of her chest.
The last woman had her black hair in a clean bun and carried a clipboard which she was writing on as the group walked in. She was almost as tall as Mr. Schnee, making her the tallest woman in the room since everyone else was around Weiss's and Ruby's height.
"Good afternoon Father." Weiss said, drawing attention to herself and Ruby. She continued, nodding briefly to each other person. "Mother, Winter, Hazel. This is Ruby Rose, who I'm sure some of you may know of."
"Ah, yes. Hazel, that is enough for now. We'll be down shortly." Mr. Schnee spoke with authority, cutting off his conversation abruptly at noticing that they had company.
"Of course." The black haired woman bowed shortly and left, closing the door behind her.
"As I was saying, this is Ruby Rose." Weiss reiterated. "Ruby, these are my parents and older sister, Winter."
"Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Schnee, Mrs. Schnee, Winter." Ruby said exactly as she'd been instructed.
"I'm sure it is." The brunette answered before walking over to one of the nearby couches and carefully sitting on the edge as the Weiss's doppelganger moved to stand behind the piece of furniture.
"Please take a seat, father." Weiss gestured to the open spot beside her step mother and motioned for Ruby to follow as she sat in the couch facing opposite.
Ruby quickly sat beside Weiss, perhaps closer than she should have, but knew Weiss had warned her about any type of fidgeting so she didn't move a muscle.
"Very well, you said you have an important issue to discuss with us." Mr. Schnee stated clearly as if talking to his daughter was just another business deal.
"Yes, although my purpose for this conversation is less a discussion than a formal notification." Weiss said, hoping to make it clear that the matter she had yet to bring up was not up for debate. She took a deep breath and glanced quickly at each of her family members in turn before taking a deep breath. "I assume you are aware of Ruby's record at Beacon?"
"Yes." Winter replied, pulling her scroll from her blazer's pocket. "Ruby Rose, entered Beacon two years early by two recommendations from the headmaster and an active huntress. Team leader of Team RWBY, consisting of herself, her sister, you, and one other who we seem to have very little information about. Current grades average an A minus, an improvement from the midterm average of C. Hometown is in Patch where her uncle, a teacher at Signal, trained her in the use of scythe type weaponry. No information on him either. Her father works as a paramedic at Patch's only hospital. No known White Fang connections to speak of."
"Right, well that is sufficient." Weiss waved her sister off the file that inevitably went on to list everything that could be deduced from Ruby's paper trail. "What I wished to notify you of is that I am… a…"
"What have I taught you about finishing your sentences?" Mrs. Schnee reprimanded. "Honestly it's like your trying to tell us you're dying."
"Not that far off." Weiss mumbled so only Ruby could hear before clearing her throat to solidify her resolve. "I'm a lesbian."
The atmosphere at that moment could have been shattered like glass. Weiss's last words echoed slightly in the loud silence of the room as each Schnee looked at her with a varying degree of surprise and frustration.
"Ruby is my girlfriend, so I'd appreciate it if you'd be kind with your choice of response." Weiss finished, breaking the silence.
"I… see…" Mr. Schnee frowned at his daughter, but refrained from speaking until he had his thoughts sorted out. "How long has this… activity… been going on?"
"Not long enough for the media to catch on." Winter answered for Weiss. "It would have been a headline all over the net."
"I see…. Well, I suppose… I could wait out this phase of yours, but I suggest you outgrow it quickly. In one months time you are to meet Bruce Noar, the sun of the CEO of Noar and Associates. He has placed a valid bid for your hand. I am currently revising the contract that will close this deal." Mr. Schnee stated as he stood. His eyes focused in the distance over the two girl's heads. Mrs. Schnee followed him silently to the door with her head bowed, clearly avoiding looking at the couple. Her father had just opened the door when Weiss finally found her voice and stood up.
"No!" She said loudly and firmly.
"I'm sorry?" Her father turned back to her. His face was calm, but his eyes spoke of a raging fury.
"I said, no." Weiss repeated. "I'm not going to let you decide my life anymore. It will be my marriage, so I will choose who I marry, even if it is another girl!"
"If that is what you'd like to believe, you are a greater fool than I believed you were. In time you will out grow this… nonsensical phase, and then you will continue on the path I've set for you. You will marry Mr. Noar. And you will produce the next heir to this family's fortune." He said and left the room without so much as a goodbye.
Weiss felt like she'd had her lungs squeezed into little balls. She knew her father would be angry but for him to say anything like that without a smile on his face, she knew he was beyond what anyone could call angry. He was livid.
"Winter?" Weiss asked as Winter moved to follow her parents.
Without turning, Winter took a deep breath and spoke in a tone Weiss hadn't heard for a long time. "You only live once… enjoy it while you can. It's not my place to judge how you choose to live."
"Thanks Winter… I hoped you'd understand. Do you think they'll come around?" Weiss asked, Ruby still following her girlfriends instructions to keep quiet.
"No. Not by themselves if its even possible." Winter replied regretfully.
"Oh… I was afraid of that." Weiss sat back on the couch beside Ruby and leaned her head onto her shoulder.
Winters footsteps clacked over to the door and stopped for the brief moment it took to say her last words to her little sister. "Keep clucking, little duckling. And it was a pleasure to meet you Ruby."
Weiss smiled at the words and took a deep breath to help calm her shaking hands as the door closed gently.
"Well, that was a thing." Ruby said awkwardly into Weiss's hair as she kissed the top of her head.
"You sound like your sister. Stop it." Weiss said without any real conviction as she raised her head to give Ruby a kiss.
"You won't really get married, will you?" Ruby asked after a moment of silence and thought.
"No." Weiss said clearly with as much force she could muster. "I never really saw myself in a wedding dress. But I suppose now…"
"Oh…" Ruby sunk at Weiss's words.
"Let me finish, you dolt!" Weiss said, giving Ruby a small peck on her cheek. "I suppose I can see myself getting married one day, but I have no intention of doing it to close a business deal."
Ruby perked up a little at the heiress's words. "So you won't marry that guy your dad talked about?"
"No. I most definitely will not marry him." Weiss responded firmly. Ruby's lips met hers and she felt her trembling stop as warmth radiated through her from Ruby's contact. She knew her father would most certainly be a problem, but right now as she felt Ruby's lips mesh so… perfectly with hers, she couldn't possibly care less.
When they broke apart, Ruby looked around at the massive apartment. She'd obviously gotten much happier after hearing Weiss's words.
"So… we're all alone in an apartment at the top of a building with nobody else. I wonder what we could do for fun to blow off some steam before we head to Patch tomorrow?" Ruby said, walking her fingers up Weiss's far arm as they remained in their position just cuddling.
"You are a horrible tease, you know that?" Weiss pushed Ruby away playfully as she made some space between them.
"Yup." Ruby giggled, stealing a quick kiss before jumping up and flashing away with her semblance.
"Ruby! Get back here!" Weiss yelled as she leapt to her feet and looked down the path of rose petals falling through the air.
"Nope! Catch me if you can!" Ruby called as she pranced away from Weiss tauntingly.
"Ruby!" Weiss yelled, barely suppressing a giggle as she took off after her partner. "I'm going to catch you!"