Humming to herself, Weiss wrapped up a stack of cookies - chocolate chip, sugar, and something with candy pieces in it - and slipped them into her bag. Chocolate chip remained Ruby's favorite, but anything with copious amounts of sugar seemed to be a hit. And Weiss had decided that it was better to give them to someone who enjoyed them than let them go to waste.
She nearly left the kitchen but paused when she spotted one of the housekeepers dusting a rarely used countertop. The action seemed innocuous enough, but the staff rarely lingered in her presence, and they certainly never glanced at her out of the corner of their eye. She normally walked away - what did she care about a random housekeeper glancing at her other than being annoyed by it? - but stopped instead.
"Excuse me."
The young woman flinched and nearly dropped the duster in her hand.
"Y-yes, Miss Schnee?"
"It's Weiss," she corrected in a wince-inducing tone. "Sorry," she sighed, then shook her head for apologizing at all. "Do you know where those come from?"
Weiss pointed at the tray of baked goods on the island, and the young woman's gaze flitted to them as her posture relaxed. "Oh," she exhaled. "They're from a little residential bakery, Mi -" She stopped herself mid-word. "They're from a residential bakery…Weiss. Shell Bakery - they don't have a storefront yet."
Weis couldn't remember the last time one of the housekeepers called her by her first name. She had started to believe that they purposefully didn't learn it out of fear of - well, out of fear of her.
"Do you know who brings them?" As soon as the young woman shuffled her feet and looked down, Weiss narrowed her eyes. "Are you bringing them?"
"Um, yes, Mi - Weiss. Yes, I am."
"Not 'Mi-Weiss' Just 'Weiss,'" she corrected. "What's your name?"
"It's…Shelly."
"Shelly," Weiss repeated, squinting at the fidgeting young woman. "And you get these from Shell Bakery." When Shelly stared at her feet and nodded, Weiss squared her shoulders and smiled. "Can you bring more of the chocolate chip cookies? I have a…friend…who loves them, and Whitley likes them, too. He keeps whining that there are never enough."
Shelly's gaze shot up, disbelief swirling in her eyes. As soon as she saw that Weiss was serious, however, she beamed and enthusiastically nodded. "I can! Of course. Whatever you want."
"Thank you." Weiss turned to leave before pausing, pulling a stack of bills from her purse, and handing them over. "For your hard work," she explained before leaving the wide-eyed girl behind.
Her heels tapped quickly across the marble floors, and a smile slipped onto her lips just thinking about the evening she had in store. Ruby would be thrilled to finally learn where the mystical cookies came from. Although…without a storefront, Weiss couldn't surprise Ruby by taking her there to buy one of everything, like a kid in a candy store only better. But a storefront probably didn't cost that much…
As that unexpected idea formed into a loose plan, her smile grew so bright that she partially blinded Whitley as he traipsed down the staircase.
"You're leaving again?" he whined as soon as he saw her outfit. "You're gone all the time now. Do you even live here anymore?"
"Sorry, but also not sorry." When he pouted, she pinched his cheek. "Someday, you'll find a super hot girl or guy who can make your toes curl and then you'll completely understand."
His nose wrinkled while she searched the hall closet for a jacket.
"It's just sex then?"
"What?" she asked, glancing back at him.
"You're just with her for sex?" he elaborated, motioning with his hands. "Because fucking a cop is one thing. Falling in love with one is another."
She recoiled from the word - or maybe from how her heart responded to the word. After pulling on the blue jacket she had been searching for, she returned to Whitley and patted his shoulder.
"Don't worry about me, baby brother. I have it under control." When he grumbled at the term, she added, "How about we go out this weekend? It can be an…extended birthday celebration. We'll see that dumb movie you won't stop talking about, just you and me."
"You mean just you, me, and your cop escort-slash-girlfriend…"
"No, I mean you and me." When his brow pinched, she flicked his forehead. "You really think we can't sneak out of here without anyone noticing?" Once a grin slipped onto his lips, she smiled and glanced at his shoes. "Those are horrendous, by the way."
"You mean awesome." He beamed and lifted his feet, which were enshrouded by electric blue sneakers. "Thanks for getting them for me."
"They're from Winter."
"Sure. Except you're the one who asked about them, you're the one who knows where the store is, and she called them rollerblades."
"Christ," Weiss swore while he laughed. "Did she skip all of childhood?" When Whitley shrugged, she shook her head and pulled her jacket tighter. "How do I look?"
"Like you're going to get laid - again."
She huffed and rolled her eyes when he nudged her elbow. When he started laughing though, she couldn't help but join in a little. "Alright, maybe," she admitted just to extend his delight. "But we talk and stuff first."
"'How do you want it today?'"
"I'll wash your mouth out," she warned, which only made him laugh more.
"Just be careful, ok? If Dad finds out…"
"Dad won't find out because he's too busy with all that Marigold shit." Weiss scowled at whatever plan Henry and her father had concocted but quickly shook the frustration away. "It sounds like things are progressing, unfortunately. I thought Henry was too useless to accomplish anything."
"You? Thinking someone's useless?"
When Whitley broke into more laughter, Weiss again rolled her eyes. She didn't argue - most people were useless - but she frowned when Winter entered the foyer surrounded by five of their dad's most loyal 'associates.' They were all armed, except Winter, and spoke in hushed tones before splitting off and heading outside. Winter, meanwhile, clasped her hands behind her back and took a deep breath.
"Everything alright?" Weiss asked, glancing after the men before studying her sister's anxiety-filled posture.
"It's fine. We're just…being overly cautious. It's a lot of…merchandise…and I want to make sure the Flints don't get any bright ideas."
Weiss' mode instantly sombered, and she shared a worried glance with Whitley before they moved closer to their sister.
"Don't tell me you're going," Weiss said.
"Yeah, Dad never goes unless it's like…serious," Whitley added. "Usually, he just kind of…you know…directs from the shadows."
"Wayne Flint will be there, so I should be."
"Wayne Flint's showing up? Like, in person?"
Winter nodded, Weiss frowned, and Whitley visibly grimaced. There was no reason to point out that the Flint family patriarch was just as unlikely to show up for a deal as their father was - Winter already knew that. She grew up in this life just like they did. She was smart. She was savvy. But, as the heavily armed men implied, she was also putting herself in a very real, very dangerous situation.
"Be safe, ok?" Weiss asked, her tone bordering on pleading.
"Everything will be fine," Winter assured them. "Just…promise you won't go anywhere near the pier tonight."
Weiss glanced at Whitley, at a brief loss for words and struggling to untangle her emotions. But the last thing she wanted to do was stress Winter out even more, so she pretended that this was just a normal evening. Because normal families sold crates of guns to criminals in clandestine meetings at the pier.
"Don't worry," Weiss replied despite her internal turmoil. "I have no plans of leaving bed. Her bed, that is."
Whitley giggled when Weiss nudged his side, and Winter's mouth briefly tilted with a smile. Winter quickly snuffed out the smile though - she couldn't let them know that she enjoyed their banter, after all - and sighed.
"You two really are a pair…" she muttered before hugging each of them, holding on for a second longer than usual, and heading to the door.
"Good luck!" Whitley called after her. She waved over one shoulder before the door shut behind her, leaving Weiss and Whitley to stare after her in silence.
"There's no way she fucks Robyn," he eventually said. Weiss shushed him before they dissolved into laughter. It helped, albeit only a little, and she felt moderately lighter by the time she locked her lingering worries away.
"I'll see you later, ok?" she told him. "Be good."
"Only if you are."
"You know I'm never good," she teased, winking and heading out the front door. She hardly set foot outside before searching for Ruby and quickened her pace when she saw a police car making its way up the drive. It wasn't long ago when she would have scoffed and gone back inside at the sight of the white and black cruiser, yet today she hurried across the courtyard to greet the vehicle as soon as it stopped.
She opened the door for herself and slipped inside in one seamless action. "Hey -" was all Ruby got out before Weiss' lips found hers, silencing the generic greeting in favor of speaking without words. Ruby's fingers gently brushed Weiss' cheek, and she beamed brighter than the sun when Weiss eventually sank into her seat.
"'Hey,' yourself." Weiss smiled at Ruby before buckling herself in. "What's with the car?"
"I'm on-call tonight. So, you know, technically working?"
"I'll make you work, alright…"
"I would laugh, but I know you actually mean it."
Ruby glanced at Weiss and then laughed anyway. Weiss' heart came alive at the sound just like it did yesterday, and the day before that, and the day before that. Something about earning Ruby's laughter spoke to her in ways nothing else ever had. She glanced at Ruby as they set off down the drive - another successful jailbreak in the works - and her heart warmed.
"If you're on-call, does that mean we're stuck in this car all evening?" she asked, biting her lip at the possibilities. Ruby, unfortunately, shook her head.
"We can go to my place. It's just in case a call comes in."
"Oh."
"You don't have to sound so disappointed." Ruby shot Weiss an amused glance as the gates of the estate closed behind them. "I really don't think having sex in here will be as great as you think."
"I'd like to figure that out on my own."
"Want me to leave you alone for a bit then?"
Weiss glared at Ruby for the suggestion, but Ruby just chuckled and flicked on the turn signal. If Weiss really wanted to, she could convince Ruby to try it at least once. Ruby was agreeable…yet had enough backbone that she wouldn't let Weiss get away with anything too indecent. And being told 'no,' as it turned out, was sometimes just as good as being told 'yes.'
"Just kidding though," Ruby added while driving along familiar roads. "Can't leave you alone - for your own protection, of course."
"Of course." Weiss rolled her eyes before sneaking a glance at Ruby. "Can't we drop the extra security though? Those dickheads have been out for weeks and nothing's happened."
"You don't like me picking you up?"
"I do, but I don't want to waste your time. And maybe I'd like to drive myself every once in a while."
"I can hear the streets of Vale weeping." Ruby grinned and cupped one hand around her ear but, when Weiss arched her brow, grew serious. "But ok. I guess if you and your dad are fine with it, I'll deal with it."
"Well, what's your professional opinion?"
Ruby blew a breath through her lips before answering.
"If I didn't know you? I'd say you're in the clear."
"And since you know me?"
After stopping at a traffic signal, Ruby looked over, her silver eyes honest and warm.
"I want to keep you safe."
Ruby's sincerity sank into Weiss' heart like poison-tipped fangs, spreading that warm, fuzzy feeling everywhere. Once the traffic light turned green, however, Ruby's focus returned to the road. "And I like picking you up," she added lightly. "Tony and Dan let me through without asking for my ID anymore."
"Who?"
"The gate guards?"
"Of course you know their names…" Weiss sighed, but a smile slipped onto her lips the moment her gaze returned to Ruby. She could just imagine Ruby striking up a conversation with the two men who Weiss had driven by hundreds of times without a second thought. But Ruby saw people. Where Weiss looked past them, Ruby looked at them. That was just one of the ways in which they were opposites and one of the things that Weiss wished she could change about herself.
Shifting her purse in her lap, she opened her mouth to say that she finally found out who made the 'world's best cookies' only to stop herself.
"Maybe I can take you somewhere tomorrow," she said instead, wondering how much of her plan she could pull together in a day. "It's a surprise," she added when Ruby glanced over.
"You don't like surprises."
"Maybe they aren't so bad." She waited for Ruby's laughter, accompanied by sparkling silver eyes, before letting her smile slip out. "Plus, then you'll see that I'm actually a good driver."
"I can still give you a ticket if I'm the passenger, you know."
"I'd love to see you try."
"Yeah, that didn't work out so well last time…" Ruby muttered while pulling into the garage below her building. Once parked, she grabbed her phone and her radio, which clipped onto her jeans, and got out. Weiss joined her, and they linked hands while heading upstairs. The perpetually out-of-order elevator no longer bothered Weiss. She actually enjoyed the short trek to Ruby's floor. The time they made out in the stairwell probably influenced her feelings…but being with Ruby in general influenced her feelings.
"I was thinking we could make stir fry tonight," Ruby said, oblivious to Weiss' gaze lingering on the spot of their previous escapade. "Unless you want something else?"
"I know you need to eat, so we should do that first - get your energy up."
"I had a protein bar a few hours ago," Ruby joked while fishing for her keys and unlocking her apartment door. "Shouldn't that keep me going for a while?"
"Not at the speed I'm going to run you."
Again, Ruby laughed as if that was the funniest response in the world. She then dropped her keys on the small table just inside the door and let go of Weiss' hand in order to remove her shoes. Weiss, meanwhile, took a deep breath of rose-tinged air and let a smile tug at the corner of her mouth.
Ruby's apartment felt so familiar that she could probably find her way around blindfolded. She could definitely make her way around in the dead of night while searching for water. That familiarity meant that she easily spotted something out of place: a vase of pristine white roses sitting on the table.
Noticing Weiss' gaze, Ruby grabbed her hand and led her over to the flowers.
"They're for you." Ruby pulled the roses closer so that Weiss could look at them. "Roses, since - you know - symbolism. And white because -" Ruby motioned to Weiss. "You really like white."
"I…do." Weiss lightly touched one of the feathery petals before looking at Ruby. "Why did you get me flowers?"
"Because we've been together for a month," Ruby answered so matter-of-factly that Weiss' heart seized.
"It's been longer than a month," she pointed out breathlessly.
"That depends on what you consider to be our first date."
"I consider our first date to be our first date. The one where you put me in handcuffs."
Weiss expected Ruby to use her signature response - 'agree to disagree.' Instead, Ruby kissed her cheek and said, "Happy 'over a month' anniversary then."
This type of…'sentimental bullshit' she once called it…had never affected her before. What was the point in buying flowers that would die in a week or chocolate that would rot her teeth? But, as she stared at the white roses bought just for her, to symbolize a length of time unique to them, she suddenly grasped the allure.
"Why are you such a romantic?" she sighed.
"Because I like showing you that I care." Ruby kissed Weiss' cheek again and, as if that wasn't enough to sweep Weiss off of her feet, nuzzled her nose into Weiss' hair and inhaled. A shiver raced down Weiss' spine at what was one of the most stupidly arousing things she had ever experienced.
"I have something for you, too," she blurted out before giving in to baser desires. Ruby pulled away with a soft, "Yeah?" while Weiss removed the cookies from her bag and handed them over. "They're not flowers, but -"
But Ruby still gasped when she unfolded the napkin, revealing the stack of cookies.
"But you thought of me, and that's just as good."
Ruby pecked Weiss on the lips before taking a big bite and humming. Her arm wrapped around Weiss' waist so naturally that Weiss' lungs briefly stopped working, every one of her senses zeroing in on Ruby happily munching through the cookies while holding Weiss against her side.
"Enjoying yourself?" Weiss teased as Ruby polished off the first one.
"Very much." After setting the remaining delicacies on the table, Ruby brushed off her hands and then took Weiss' in her own. "But we should make dinner first, right?"
"We don't have to," Weiss protested while Ruby tugged her into the kitchen. "I like watching you eat cookies."
"Is this some weird kink of yours…?" Ruby snuck a teasing grin Weiss' way before laughing at Weiss' eyeroll. She then rustled through the drawers, refrigerator, and cabinets for a collection of items that made little sense to Weiss. "So…stir fry?"
"Sounds boring." Ruby mimed being stabbed in the chest, so Weiss smiled and added, "But I guess it'll do."
"'It'll do,' she says," Ruby mumbled while setting everything up. Rather than retreat to one of the barstools, Weiss waited in the kitchen until Ruby set a knife and cutting board in front of her. "How about you dice up some onions? Might be the only way I ever see you cry."
"You think onions will make me cry?" Weiss scoffed as she grabbed the onion Ruby rolled across the counter to her. While she started peeling it, Ruby worked on…everything else. Weiss was still amazed by the way Ruby moved around the kitchen, but she was now very well acquainted with Ruby's confidence in 'her' space.
Who was Weiss kidding…this was Ruby's kingdom, and Ruby ruled it very, very well.
"Have any plans this weekend?" Ruby asked while setting a pan on the stove.
"If you want my company, you should just ask for it."
"Fine," Ruby replied, chuckling and shaking her head. "I want your company."
"I like the sound of that." Weiss smirked at Ruby before remembering something. "Oh, I'll be busy at least one day though. I promised Whitley we'd spend time together."
"Brother-sister bonding time? Cute."
"It's not cute," Weiss retorted, though her attitude melted as soon as she saw Ruby's patient, accepting smile. "He's feeling a little left out," she admitted. "Since we've been seeing each other so much."
"That's still cute. And sweet. He's important to you."
"He's a little shit." Once Ruby laughed, Weiss relaxed and added, "But I guess I love him or whatever."
"'Or whatever,'" Ruby repeated with an amused shake of her head. While Ruby continued her never-ending list of tasks for dinner, Weiss slowly diced the onions and frowned while thinking about her brother.
"He's too sweet to work for the family business. It'll crush him."
"Like it would crush anyone with a soul?" Ruby joked.
"That's why I sold my soul years ago."
"But then you stole it back."
'It's not that easy,' Weiss nearly said. If she wanted proof of that, she needed to look no further than Winter. Winter…her kind, stoic older sister who hated guns and the evils attached to them. Who once made Whitley turn off a movie because there were too many gunfights. Who now, literally right this instant, had to orchestrate the sale of hundreds of high-powered weapons to a group of people who would use them in all the ways she detested.
Weiss hadn't realized that she stopped chopping until Ruby appeared beside her.
"You ok?" A tender hand landed on Weiss' waist while silver eyes studied her. "You seem a little…worried."
"It's nothing."
Weiss shook her head but sighed as soon as Ruby's brow furrowed. She hated when this subject came up because she hated lying to Ruby. She hated hiding parts of herself. She hated not knowing how Ruby truly felt about it, and she hated that she was too scared to ask.
"Winter's just stressed about something. And I'm stressed for her, I guess."
"Ah."
Ruby's hand disappeared as she returned to preparing their meal, leaving Weiss to deal with the loss of warmth. Ruby never pressed for details. She never asked follow-up questions. She reacted as if she had accidentally touched a hot stove, reflexively pulling away before it burned her.
The knee-jerk response hurt more every time it happened, but Weiss didn't know how to fix it. Ruby wanted to support her - she knew that - but some topics were just…better left in the dark.
How many times could they dance around the subject before one of them finally tripped on a thread and pulled everything apart? What happened then? What would she do if she couldn't see Ruby anymore?
"Fuck this onion…" she muttered when her eyes started burning.
"No thanks," Ruby quipped, offering a soft, apologetic smile before wrapping her arms around Weiss' waist and resting her chin on Weiss' shoulder. "Those look perfect," she hummed as Weiss set the knife aside.
"It's not exactly rocket science."
"You can just accept the compliment, you know." Ruby briefly squeezed Weiss close and kissed her cheek. "I know you like them…" Ruby whispered in Weiss' ear, her teeth lightly grazing against it, before grabbing the cutting board and returning to the stove. A blush rushed onto Weiss' cheeks, and she needed a full second to compose herself before clearing her throat and turning around.
"Can I help with anything else?"
"You could get out plates and stuff?"
Weiss nodded before fetching dishes and silverware from the appropriate cabinets and drawers.
"Yang and I are going to the community kitchen this weekend," Ruby said while Weiss maneuvered around her in the small kitchen. "If you're not busy with Whitley, you're welcome to come."
"Does she even want me there?"
"Probably not, but I do. And it might be good for her to see you outside of bumping into each other at the station."
"You mean for her to see me in a hairnet," Weiss scoffed, leaning against the counter while Ruby finished cooking.
"She'll have to wear one too, and she hates it just as much as you do."
"At least we have something in common."
The dry comment deserved no reaction, but Ruby turned off the stovetop, set down the ladle, and clasped both of Weiss' hands in hers.
"You have more in common than you think." As soon as Weiss arched a brow, Ruby backpedaled. "I mean, not a whole lot, but it's not like you're complete opposites." When Weiss pursed her lips, Ruby rubbed her thumb along the backs of Weiss' hands and sighed. "I guess…I just want you two to get along, or at least be able to be in the same room. We've been seeing each other for a little while now and…you're both important to me."
Weiss already knew she would agree because she would agree to anything in order to spend time with Ruby, regardless of the circumstances or slightly menacing, snappy older sister involved. But when Ruby actually asked for something…she could ask Weiss to move a mountain for her, and Weiss would make it happen. Fortunately, this request was slightly easier to accommodate.
"Fine. I'll come."
"Really?"
Ruby lit up like the sun, and those warm rays prompted Weiss' smile.
"She's your sister. You can't keep us separated forever." Weiss briefly remembered that she was trying to do exactly that with her family and Ruby before shoving the thought aside and adding, "Besides, if it goes horribly, you can just make it up to me -"
"Of course."
"- in bed."
Weiss' sly smile brightened when Ruby laughed.
"You have all the money in the world and that's what you want?"
Weiss shrugged and let her gaze drift away, worried that Ruby might realize that it wasn't just the sex she coveted so much. It was the intimacy. The closeness. The safety and security in Ruby's arms or under Ruby's body. Moving together in perfect harmony as if nothing could ever come between them. All things that she couldn't buy no matter how much money she had.
Tender fingers turned her gaze back to affectionate silver eyes, and her heart thumped hard in her chest. She wished that she could buy that look. She wished that she could buy the emotions behind it, then she would know that nothing would ever change. But it wouldn't be special then. Delicate. Fragile.
Her eyes fluttered shut when Ruby leaned in and captured her lips in a kiss. The soft, sweet touch had an out-sized effect on her pulse, which raced multiples faster than the pace of their lips. She matched Ruby at every turn yet still felt like she was falling behind. Like she was falling into something much larger than that moment. It was as if Ruby was weaving a love song into a kiss…and Weiss' heart responded to every note.
Before it became a full-fledged orchestra of feelings that she couldn't profess, she flipped the switch from love to lust. She lightly bit Ruby's bottom lip, drawing a little gasp, before running her hands down Ruby's shirt, bumping her hand against the radio that wasn't usually there, and groping at all the soft skin and muscles she could find.
Ruby responded in kind, her fingers trailing through Weiss' hair before tracing down Weiss' sides and playing with the hem of Weiss' shirt. That was all it took for Weiss to grab the front of Ruby's and drag her toward the bedroom.
"But…dinner?" Ruby got out between feverish kisses.
"After," Weiss mumbled without breaking the kiss. Those perfect lips curled into a smile against hers, telling her that she was about to get her way. Ruby's hesitation turned into eagerness, and that eagerness morphed into authority when Weiss accidentally backed into the doorframe. Ruby's hands tightened around her hips, guiding her through the doorway before lifting her onto the bed. She quickly scooted backward, prompting Ruby onto the covers with her as they started tugging on clothing in earnest. She hardly reached the pillow before Ruby unclipped the radio and set it on the bedside table. Then, after a brief hesitation, she reached into the drawer and pulled out a pair of handcuffs.
"Please tell me you haven't used those on some sweaty drug dealer," Weiss got out, her voice breathless.
"Nope. These are brand new."
"Oh?" When Ruby grabbed Weiss by the hand and expertly slapped the cuffs around her wrist, desire shot straight down her spine. "Oh…" she gasped when the other end looped around the bedpost. She pulled forward and heard the chains snap taunt. The cold metal cutting into her skin combined with the hungry look in Ruby's eyes threatened to send her straight to heaven. Then Ruby's lips returned to hers, and she knew she was about to have the best night of her fucking life.
"Attention all officers -" the radio suddenly spewed into the room, freezing them both. "We have a Code 10-34 developing at the pier. This is not a drill. All available officers, report to duty immediately -"
"Oh, shit." Ruby grabbed the radio and pressed it to her ear to hear the rest of the message while Weiss watched in increasing horror. "I have to go," Ruby said while trying to get up.
"Wait. No."
Weiss grabbed Ruby's arm with her free hand, her heart racing for the wrong reasons now.
"They're calling all officers -"
"Can't you show up late or something?"
Weiss could hardly hear the dispatcher repeating the message over her pounding heart while she clung to Ruby's hand, imploring her to ignore everything they just heard. But Ruby just kissed her before slipping out of her grasp.
"I'll be back before you know it." Ruby glanced at the handcuffs still around Weiss' wrist before winking, grabbing the radio, and racing out of the apartment. Weiss stared at the door in dismay, but her adrenaline kicked into overdrive the instant Ruby's footsteps faded away.
"Fuck," she breathed out, tugging at her restrained hand before looking around the room. Spotting a small, silver key on the bedside table, she snatched it up and unlocked the handcuffs. The side attached to the bed was easiest to reach, so she unlocked that first and left the metal contraption dangling from her wrist as she rushed into the kitchen, found her phone, and called Winter.
"Pick up, pick up, pick up…" she muttered while the call rang.
"Weiss?"
"Winter! The police know. They're on the way now."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean the entire fucking department's on the way. Get out of there now."
"Shit."
Winter hung up without another word, leaving Weiss to drop her phone on the counter and bury her head in her hands. "You're fucking kidding me," she shouted at no one before unlocking the other side of the handcuffs and slamming them down on the island. Freed of the inconvenience, she glowered across the kitchen, her thoughts far from there.
Winter shouldn't have gone in person. If she stayed home, the police could arrest everyone at the pier and Weiss wouldn't bat an eye. But Winter was there.
And now Ruby would be there.
Suddenly feeling nauseous, Weiss closed her eyes and clamped her mouth shut. What if the deal didn't break up in time? What if Ruby showed up and a gunfight broke out? What if Ruby was shot - or worse, killed? What if Winter was hurt? What if the police arrested everyone - what would Ruby think if she had to arrest Weiss' sister? How could they ever pretend that things were normal if that happened?
Growling in frustration, she shoved herself to her feet and paced across Ruby's small living room. She swung the handcuffs with every turn, letting them fall open in a smooth glide before flicking them closed with a satisfying snap. If she could do anything else, she would. Instead, she paced and looked at her phone while the seconds and minutes dragged by.
Her phone buzzed over an hour later, and words couldn't even describe her relief at Winter's simple, 'I'm home.' Not long after that, she heard footsteps in the hall, and a key slid into the lock shortly after. When Ruby stepped inside, tired but unharmed, Weiss' adrenaline crashed like a satellite into a sea of relief. So many indecipherable emotions accompanied that relief, however, that she reacted the only way she knew how: angrily.
As soon as Ruby shut the door, Weiss tossed the handcuffs at her.
"What if something happened to you and I was cuffed to your fucking bed?" Weiss spit out, tears burning her eyes. Ruby noticed - of course she noticed - so set the handcuffs on the table and hurried over to hold Weiss' hands.
"I'm sorry. I left the key on the table. I figured -" Ruby paused and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. That was dumb of me."
Suddenly, Weiss couldn't look Ruby in the eyes. "Don't ever fucking leave me like that again…" she whispered to the floor instead.
"I won't. Promise."
Ruby squeezed Weiss' hands to seal the promise, but Weiss didn't look up. Her anger had only been skin deep, wiped away by Ruby's sincerity, leaving behind something much worse: guilt.
"Don't you want to know what happened?" Ruby eventually asked.
Weiss nearly shook her head but stopped when she thought better of it. "What happened?" she asked, her voice dull and her eyes briefly meeting Ruby's before shying away.
"No one showed up."
Good, Weiss thought, but she cleared her throat and said, "That's too bad. Doesn't surprise me that the department had bad info though." She waved her free hand as if none of this mattered, but Ruby's brow pinched. Then disbelief filled silver eyes.
"You didn't - you tipped them off?"
"What're you talking about?" Weiss replied calmly, but Ruby's eyes just widened further.
"Holy shit, Weiss." Ruby dropped Weiss' hand and ran both of hers through her hair. "What were you thinking? I could arrest you for this!"
"Arrest me for what?"
Ruby stared for a solid three seconds before her mouth curled down in a frown.
"Don't lie to me," she fumed before shaking her head and turning away. Weiss reached out for her but withdrew when she suddenly spun back around. "How could you do this? I - I trusted you."
"You don't understand -"
"No, I understand perfectly. You tipped off your family so no one got caught."
"So no one got hurt," Weiss corrected, dropping her feigned innocence in a heartbeat. "It was a fucking weapons deal, Ruby. Do you know what that means? It means the cops show up and people start shooting."
"Dangerous weapons. That you're selling to dangerous people -"
"I'm not selling anything to anyone."
"But your family is, and you know what's happening. You're just going to stand there and let it happen?"
"What else am I supposed to do, Ruby?" she asked, her voice rising to match Ruby's. "I know it's bad. I know it's wrong. I know it hurts people, but I don't get a choice. Neither does Whitley, or Winter - we just do whatever he makes us do."
She had never had to explain herself before, and she hated it. She hated it almost as much as she hated the way Ruby stepped back as if the words had shoved her away when Weiss was only trying to bring her closer.
"And what if he finds out about us, huh?" Ruby asked, her soft tone somehow worse than her angry one. "What if he tells you to use me? What then?"
"I would never -"
"Wouldn't you?" Ruby interrupted. "Because you kind of just did."
The comment plunged like a knife into Weiss' heart, but there was nothing she could do to stop it. She could only stare, at a loss for words, while Ruby stepped closer.
"This -" Ruby gestured between them. "Doesn't work if I can't trust you. And how can I trust you when you're…you."
"I can't change my family," Weiss got out through gritted teeth. "If I could, I already would have."
"I know. I get it, Weiss. I'd do anything for Yang or my dad, but that's -" Ruby squeezed her eyes shut before meeting Weiss' gaze. "I don't want to constantly watch what I say in case you use it against me. I don't want to always wonder what's real. I don't want to wonder if you're lying or going behind my back."
"Then how do I prove I'm not?"
Ruby thought about the question for a long time before slowly shaking her head.
"I don't think you can."
Those were the last words that Weiss ever wanted to hear. Worse, they proved that Ruby had stolen her heart. That was the only explanation for the gaping, bleeding hole opening in her chest. Tears instantly stung her eyes, and she struggled to remember how to breathe let alone form sentences.
"What happens now?" she got out, searching Ruby's eyes in futile hope that something might change. But Ruby just bit her bottom lip, her brow deeply furrowed, before her shoulders fell with a sigh.
"I think…I should take you home."
That severed Weiss' connection to her heart entirely, but she swallowed and tilted her chin up.
"Don't bother. I'll get my own ride."
"Weiss -" Ruby reached for her hand, but Weiss pulled away and glared at her.
"I'm not your problem anymore."
Ruby opened her mouth but, when she just stared, Weiss grabbed her bag and left. She hardly reached the stairwell before calling her usual driver.
"Pick me up on the East End."
"I can be there in a half hour."
"Shit," she cursed under her breath. "Never mind," she told him before dialing Whitley.
"What's up?" he answered on the second ring.
"Any chance you're near the East End tonight?" she asked while crossing the lobby.
"I'm still at school. You alright?"
"I'm fine. See you at home."
She ended that call and walked outside as if she knew what she was doing and where she was going. If she stopped moving, she might have a complete meltdown and do something pathetic like run back upstairs and beg Ruby to change her mind. So she picked a random direction, started walking, and dialed the last person she wanted to see or speak to right now.
"Well, well, well -"
"Shut up," she interrupted. "Any chance you're near the East End?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Can you give me a ride home?"
"Is Weiss Schnee asking me for something?"
"Just -" She tilted her head back and closed her eyes to hold back tears. "Nevermind. I'll take a cab."
"Woah, wait! Didn't say I wouldn't. Tell me where you are and I'll be there in a minute."
"I'll text you the address."
Abhorring the thought of revealing Ruby's address, she walked to the next block and picked the address of Ruby's gym. Despite the late hour, several people were still working out, providing some sense of security as she waited for an SUV with heavily tinted windows to stop beside her. The bodyguard in the front seat stepped out and opened the passenger door for her, which she slipped through without a word.
"Where's your 'police escort?'" Henry asked as the vehicle pulled away from the curb.
"She's busy."
"So she left you alone in this hellhole?"
When he started giggling uncontrollably, she glared at him.
"Are you high?"
"No." He mustered a serious expression for half a second before more giggles slipped out. "Alright, maybe a little." When he held his thumb and forefinger together, she rolled her eyes and stared outside. "My dad always says I'm useless, but see? I can get Weiss Schnee home."
"If that's all you can do, that is pretty fucking useless."
"Wow," Henry replied, his eyes wide with wonder. "You sound just like him. Except his voice is lower. It's more like, 'Put your phone down or I'll get the belt, you useless piece of shit.'"
Henry beamed as if he deserved a goddamn award for the imitation of his father, but Weiss pretended he didn't exist. Unfortunately, that encouraged him to keep talking.
"It's funny though, right? You need help and who do you call? Can't call the cops. Can't call your girlfriend. Who drops everything to get you home safe and sound? Henry fucking Marigold, that's who! I haven't let you down like your badge did."
When he giggled as if that was the funniest thing in the world, Weiss actually found herself grateful for his presence. She refused to cry in front of him, and he pissed her off so easily that she would rather punch him than wallow.
He was wrong though. Ruby hadn't let her down. Ruby was perfect. Ruby was everything anyone could ever want or hope to be. Weiss let her down. And the worst part was that Weiss hadn't even realized it at the time. She just…reacted.
"Hey, so -" Henry began when the car stopped in front of her home, but she opened the door and shut it in his face before he finished the question. Her feet led her inside on autopilot, her mind preparing to torment her the instant she stepped through the doors.
She expected peace and quiet. Instead, she walked into a shitshow of people talking over one another. Most of them hurried into the bad wing of the house, likely to meet with her dad, while Winter stood near the entryway, wringing her hands until she spotted Weiss.
"I don't know how they found out," were her first words, but Weiss cut her off with a hug.
"I'm glad you're ok." Weiss held on a little longer, feeling her tears spring back up, before backing away. Winter took one look at her and frowned.
"Are you ok?"
"Of course." Her smile wavered, so she ducked Winter's gaze and motioned upstairs. "Just tired. I'll head to bed now unless you need me?"
"Everything's fine here. Go get some sleep."
Winter squeezed Weiss' shoulder as Weiss headed to her room. The numbness that had shielded her on the way home faded with each step. By the time she closed the door behind her, her nerves were exposed, subjecting her to pain at every small breath of air. So, in a testament to just how 'fine' she was, she laid down on top of her covers, buried her face in her pillow, and sobbed.
They never could have made it work - she realized that now. There were too many secrets. Too many topics they had to avoid. Too many instances where she was forced into half-truths when Ruby wanted - deserved - the whole truth.
Ruby was never meant to be with Weiss - that should have been obvious from the way Weiss had to manipulate their relationship from the beginning. Unfortunately, knowing that didn't make losing her hurt any less.