Ruby watched Yang lean towards the metal slab she'd had been hammering into— a commissioned piece for a Knight from Vale. Her name was Penny, or something like that, and she'd paid quite handsomely for a curved falchion. Nice as the money was, Ruby got a lot more value from the knowledge that her work was good enough to make the trip from Vale.

Yang poked the piece, then immediately pulled back and stuck her finger in her mouth. "Shite! You could've warned me it was still hot!"

Ruby shrugged. "Yang, it was glowing just a minute ago. You could've figured that out yourself."

Yang pouted, though the expression was ruined by the digit in her mouth. "Still…"

Ruby, just to enunciate her sister's foolishness, slowly and deliberately used her tongs to place the metal back in the furnace, staring at Yang all the while.

"So…" Yang pulled the burned finger from her mouth. "You… thought about anybody lately?"

Ruby raised an eyebrow at her sister. "I don't know what you mean."

"Sure you do."

Ruby rolled her eyes and refocused on pumping the bellows. "I really don't."

"You know, romantically."

Ruby's foot froze on the pedal, then continued after a long moment. "I'm… busy. Don't really have time for that."

"Well, you'll have to make time eventually," Yang said ominously. "Or someone else will."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Yang waved dismissively. "What about that Jaune boy? He's got his own business— well, his father's business, but it's pretty much his now. Handsome, too."

Ruby felt an immediate, inordinately disgusted reaction deep in her soul. She tried to tamp it down— Jaune was a nice guy, he really was, but they were just friends. Closer to business acquaintances, actually, she hadn't really seen much of him since she labored over all those nails.

"Wow. I'd guess not, judging by that face."

Ruby shook her head and reset her expression. "Like I said— I'm busy."

Yang hummed dismissively. "Still, somebody will come along sooner or later."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Sure, Yang. Somebody's going to come into my shop with a bundle of roses and announce their love to me— me. All covered in soot and work-stuff. I'd rather just focus on my forge."

"You know, I could give you some lessons on romance," Yang offered, leaning closer to her sister as her face dramatically puckered. "I'm quite the romantic, you know."

Ruby pumped her bellows. The metal was probably hot enough to put back on the anvil, but she left it in a little longer, just to give Yang some time to finish whatever she was blathering on about. Smithing can be a deafening task, after all. "Sure, sis."

"I'm serious. Seducing, courting, kissing…" she pressed annoyingly close to Ruby, making smooching noises to accentuate her point. "My knowledge could illuminate you to a new side of life."

Okay, Ruby was done with this. She gave a final pump, then grabbed her tongs. "I'll live without it."

Ruby regretted not taking those lessons; she was a fish out of water at the heiress' kiss. Weiss' warm lips slowly pressed against her own, making her whole body seize as if lightning coursed through her veins. Dark as it was, she didn't even notice that she'd closed her eyes.

The blessed feeling fled just as quickly though, leaving Ruby stumbling after it as Weiss stepped back.

"Oh Gods, Ruby, I'm so sorry!" Weiss had her hands over her mouth like the part had betrayed her. "I— I didn't mean—"

Ruby grasped blindly forward, her injured leg buckling beneath her now-unsupported weight. She began to fall, but Weiss dashed forward to catch her again. "W— huh?" She didn't know what else to say. Her mind was still reeling from the feeling of Weiss' lips.

Weiss held her as far as she could while still supporting her weight. "I'm sorry, you just looked so sad and I… I don't know what happened, I couldn't stop myself!" She bowed her head to Ruby, her voice apologetic. "Please forgive me, I've soiled your innocence."

"S-soiled? Huh?" Ruby blinked. The brief moment had been so wonderful that she didn't even realize it was her first.

"Crook and cane, I'm just as worthless as that philandering Neptune," Weiss shook her head with disgust. "Just… forget what I've done. Don't tell your sister. Or… maybe you should, that way your honor can be reclaimed…"

"W-Weiss?" She mumbled, too dazed to process the strange words and unfamiliar concepts. "What are you even talking about?"

Weiss looked at her like she was an idiot. "Ruby, I've stolen your first kiss, your innocence! Don't you understand? A girl like you— it's your only bargaining chip! The only way you could get it back is if Yang defeats me in a duel."

Ruby mirrored the heiress' expression. "My bargaining… what? You're talking nonsense!"

Ignoring her confusion, Weiss stepped away and paced back and forth, babbling, "Yes, a duel… One which she'll have to win— she'll have to, for your sake. But who could even officiate it? We'd have to find someone, perhaps in Atlas— no, Patch. That's where you're from, right? That little island? And you have a father… he'll do fine as a witness, he'll respect propriety, I'm sure. Of course, why wouldn't he?" She began to giggle oddly, grimly. "After all, I've besmirched your honor, your honor, Ruby, I've got none left to besmirch, after all; I stabbed my father— butit's not about me, it's about you!"

Weiss suddenly surged forward and grabbed a handful of umber cloak, pulling Ruby close and meeting her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Ruby, but this is how it must be. I'll duel Yang, let her defeat me—" her eyes glazed over, her face scrunching as if she was bickering with her own mind. "Though with the sword… I don't know, it seems like it can control itself. We'll just have to hope it agrees with me— this is for your sake, after all. It's my responsibility to amend your honor."

Ruby pushed the girl away and stood tall, ignoring a fresh lance of pain as she forced her injured thigh to put in work. "Shut up, would you? Gods, you're…" she wiped her face with a hand. "Stupid! Just stupid!"

Weiss opened her mouth to rebut, but Ruby continued with vigor.

"You're really worried about my honor? What is that even worth now?" Ruby barked out a laugh that made the heiress flinch. "Whatever 'honor' I had, I left it in that tourney when I cut a noble's arm off! Then I spat in another one's face and broke his hand! Do you really think a bunch of stupid boys are going to care if I've been kissed or not? I'm probably wanted by half the damn nobility!"

Weiss shrank with every word. "Which could have been avoided if I—"

"Weiss, I don't care what you did, or what you could've done! I'm—" she pinched the bridge of her nose and laughed. "I don't care! Don't you get it?"

Weiss stared with a mixture of fear and confusion.

"I don't care! Haha, gods what is wrong with me? I should care, I guess, but… I don't! I'm glad!" The laughter spread across her whole body, making her stumble into a tree as her leg collapsed. Weiss rushed forward to help her, but Ruby's outstretched hand kept the heiress at bay. Slowly, as the wracking laughter faded, she lifted her gaze to meet Weiss'. "I finally got what I wanted."

Weiss blinked and recoiled. "W-what?"

"Don't you see, Weiss? This is what I ran away for! Honor or no honor, I've certainlymade a name for myself! And guess what? I still got a kiss out of it! From a noble, no less!" A final bout of laughter took her, after which she straightened herself— as much as her arboreal support would allow, at least.

Weiss wasn't sure how to feel about this Ruby. Even Rupert didn't have thiskind of… violent, maddened confidence. "B-but… your inno—"

"I swear to the gods, if you start crying about my innocence again, I'm going to slap you."

Weiss clamped her mouth shut.

Ruby pushed herself off the tree and stumbled towards the heiress, finally accepting her support when her leg buckled. She looked up at Weiss and gave her a cocked smile. "You care far too much about what a bunch of soggy nobles think, especially for someone who stabbed the Lord Protectorof Vale."

Weiss gulped and averted her gaze, blushing slightly. "Perhaps I am somewhat of a hypocrite."

"Weiss, look at me."

The duelist obliged, cautiously turning to meet Ruby's eyes again. The girl smiled at her, this time bright and full.

"What I'm about to do, I'm doing it because I want to. I don't care about whatever stupid 'innocence' or 'honor' you keep whining about." She reached up and laid a hand on Weiss' cheek, wiping away a drop of leftover ichor. "I'm done caring about how others see me."

The rough, calloused palm made Weiss' cheek tingle. Any feeble argument she could conjure shriveled and died halfway up her throat.

"You should stop, too."

With that, it was Ruby's turn to kiss the girl. Despite all Yang's talk about love and shackles, she'd never felt so free.

A/N: sorry my frequency is ass lol, original work has been taking a lot of my time. it's really fun. i really hope it could actually make money lol.

anywasd,,s d girlrs? kissing? oh god.,,.. oh no,... guys i thinke they might be sgay

next time: weiss bashing! :) thanks for reading!