Weiss picked the perfect outfit: a white, pleated skirt that ended well above her knees, a light-blue blouse with a sharp collar, a pair of matching heels - she had already determined the right heel size to bring her close to Ruby's height yet still leave her an inch shorter - and a set of dazzling ruby earrings. One of her favorite cream-colored purses carried her essentials, yet she couldn't consider herself 'ready' without stopping by the kitchen.
Only two chocolate chip cookies languished on the island tonight, so she wrapped both in a napkin and slipped them into her bag. She then glanced at the other cookies on the tray but, when Winter entered the kitchen, left them alone for now.
"What're you up to?" Winter asked, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.
"About to go out."
"Anywhere fun?"
"Not sure yet." Despite the lack of destination, Weiss had looked forward to seeing Ruby all day. "But anywhere outside the house should be more fun," she added. Winter hummed a quiet agreement and leaned against the countertop, so Weiss lingered. "How's Robyn?"
Winter's expression softened at the mention of Robyn's name. Weiss would have teased her about being a sap if it wouldn't make her instantly clam up.
"She's good," Winter replied in that wistful tone she only used for Robyn. "She's as sick of the extra security as I am, but it can't be helped, I guess."
"Sorry. I cramped your style, huh?"
Weiss clicked her tongue and shook her head, but Winter responded with a serious expression.
"It's not your fault, Weiss. It just…is what it is." Winter sighed softly before shaking away the inconvenience of a permanent bodyguard. "Other than that, she's good. Work has her running around like crazy right now, but that should sort itself out soon."
Weiss shook her head, continually amazed that an art curator could have so much work. "Oh," she added when Winter's remark jogged her memory. "I almost forgot - you can pick up Whitley's birthday present now. I'll send you the address."
"What'd I get him?"
"A pair of those horrendous sneakers he loves so much."
Weiss dismissively waved a hand, but Winter's brow creased.
"I'm assuming this is a specific type of shoe?"
"You haven't noticed those obnoxiously bright things strapped to his feet?"
Winter pursed her lips but eventually shook her head and said, "Guess I haven't."
"Well, these are bright blue ones. I'm sure they won't go with a single outfit he owns, but that's probably the point."
Weiss rolled her eyes at the thought while Winter twisted the cap on and off the bottle in her hands.
"Thank you for doing that," she eventually said. "And…thank you for your…help…with the Flints."
"They came around?"
"They did." In what should be a prideful moment, Winter instead sighed, her shoulders drooping. "We're handling logistics now."
"That's good then. It's all coming together."
That was good news to Weiss, at least, but Winter simply nodded. Weiss would usually pry Winter for an explanation of why the deal bothered her so much, but a glance at her phone confirmed the conversation would have to wait. "I should get going," she said, slowly backing to the door. "We'll catch up later?" she offered and, once Winter nodded, hurried out of the kitchen.
Being the oldest was a curse, Weiss decided on her way to the front door. Due to age alone, Winter was forced into something that clearly made her uncomfortable. Weiss would probably never understand why it made Winter so uncomfortable, but she didn't need to fully understand in order to want to help. Winter had all of the skill and intelligence to do an incredible job. If she needed Weiss' help for the…less savory aspects…then Weiss would help. The alternative was a future where her father shunted Winter and Whitley aside in favor of putting all the responsibility on her shoulders, and she wouldn't survive without them.
Of course, she wouldn't survive until the weekend if she didn't stop running into Henry fucking Marigold in her house.
This time, Henry stood with her father and two of her father's 'associates' in a living room branching off of the foyer. The way they hung onto her father's words suggested important instructions were being issued, and resolute nods were exchanged before the associates disbursed to do his bidding.
Her mom would be livid if she caught wind of family business happening in the 'family-only' section of the house, so Weiss filed the interaction away for later. Her father had the decency to look vaguely - very vaguely - sheepish for being caught, and she gave him a pointed look before greeting Henry with her best fake smile.
"Hey Henry. Thanks for dinner last night. It was lovely."
Henry scowled at the reminder but forced his own smile when her dad looked at him. "If you had such a great time," he replied through gritted teeth. "Then we should go out again."
"I'm a little busy at the moment, but I'll let you know."
Her father nodded, satisfied with the response, but Henry glanced at the bag hanging from the crook of her elbow and smirked.
"Where are you going?"
"None of your damn business."
"Should you be going anywhere right now?" he pressed, his voice dripping in fake concern. "Especially when the cops released those two guys who tried to kidnap you…"
"How do you know that?" she snapped while her father's brow rose.
"It's called the grapevine for a reason."
"And what reason is that?" she shot back. While he floundered for an answer beyond his intellect, she turned to her father. "Sorry, Dad. Chief Fowler told me late last night, and it seemed so trivial that I already forgot about it."
"They were released?"
"They cut some deal with the DA." She waved the 'issue' away, but her father's frown deepened.
"The Hacketts are behind this," he concluded, his frown morphing into a scowl. "They must be working on something…and they're using this to distract us." Weiss shrugged at the greater mechanisms afoot, but then her father turned to her and said, "You aren't going anywhere until we figure this out."
She wished that she could slap the triumphant smirk off of Henry's face. She switched to damage control mode instead.
"We don't need to worry though," she replied with a confident smile. "Chief Fowler assigned an officer to protect me. Anytime I leave the house, one of their best will be with me the whole time."
His frown remained, but he mulled over the idea rather than outright reject it.
"Yeah, right," Henry scoffed. "They can't even keep criminals locked up. Why should we trust them?"
"I feel safer with them than with you," she quipped before turning back to her dad. "If the Hacketts want to rattle us but see me going out like normal - without protection, no less - then they won't even know what to think. I'll still have someone with me though, so you don't have to worry."
"A plainclothes officer could work…" Henry's eyes widened, but Weiss' father continued. "The Hacketts will be paying attention. If we don't react, they'll be forced to change tactics."
"Exactly," Weiss agreed, smirking at Henry now.
"Regardless," her father added. "I want to meet this officer before you go anywhere."
"Absolutely." She dutifully nodded but internally cringed at the request. "She'll be here soon, so you can meet her."
Once her father nodded, she shot Henry a smug look, flipped her hair over her shoulder, and hurried out the front door. She prided herself on being a timely person, but she had yet to prove that to Ruby due to getting caught in the most frustrating delays. That frustration lifted the moment she spotted Ruby's car headed up the drive, replaced by anticipation and a fair amount of jitters.
She dashed out to the car as soon as it reached the top of the driveway and opened the driver's door before Ruby hardly got the vehicle in park. "Hi," she said, leaning in and planting a kiss on Ruby's lips. "My dad has to meet you before I can leave."
"Your - what?"
Ruby looked bewildered and taken aback by the greeting, but Weiss was already pulling her out of the car and dragging her through the courtyard.
"It'll be painless, promise. Just impress him with how capable you are so he knows you can keep me alive."
"But I'm not, like, dressed to meet your dad."
"Don't be stupid. You look incredible."
Weiss' gaze slid over Ruby's red jacket and jeans, paying particular attention to the way the material hugged her curves. Now wasn't the time to get caught up in Ruby's appearance, however. If she wanted to go out with Ruby tonight - and she really, really wanted to go out with Ruby tonight - then she needed her father's blessing.
By the time they made it to the fountain, her father - and Henry, of course - had moved outside to greet them. Henry scowled when he saw Ruby, but Ruby's brow only briefly pinched before she focused on Weiss' father.
"Don't worry," Weiss quietly reassured her before throwing on a pleasant smile. "Dad, this is Ru - Officer Rose. Officer Rose, this is my father, Jacques Schnee."
He stood taller so that he could look down his nose at Ruby, but she politely shook his hand and said, "It's nice to meet you, sir."
"Likewise," he replied without any sincerity. "Chief Fowler assigned you to protect my daughter?"
"Yes, sir." Ruby glanced at Weiss before squaring her shoulders - and damn did she look good like that. "Your family's safety is of the utmost importance to us, so during this…unsettled time…she thought it'd be for the best if I accompanied Weiss. We understand you have your own security detail, but we thought subtlety would be a better strategy in this particular situation."
Without even being fed the right words, Ruby answered so perfectly that Weiss beamed at her. Weiss' dad, meanwhile, clasped his hands behind his back and squinted as if reading Ruby's credentials stitched on her clothes.
"How long have you worked for the department?" he eventually asked, though it sounded more like a demand for information.
"Just over three years now." His brow furrowed and Henry looked poised to jump on the lack of experience, but Ruby continued. "It might not sound like much, but I graduated from the academy at the top of my class and I've led the department in arrests for the past three years."
The disclosure stunned Weiss, but her dad loved it. "That's quite the accomplishment," he even said, but Ruby shrugged, not recognizing how uncommon such praise was.
"I'm also trained in every firearm the department owns and recently re-certified in hand-to-hand combat, SWAT tactics, and crisis intervention."
Weiss had expected to have to convince her father to let her go, yet Ruby convinced him all by herself. She impressed him, actually - not something many people could do. Weiss' heart felt a little too big in her chest as she smiled at Ruby, who showed no nerves or intimidation in Jacques Schnee's presence.
"Good," he eventually said, probably as impressed by Ruby's lack of fear as Weiss was. Before anyone celebrated, however, he gave Ruby one last stern look. "But if anything happens to my daughter, I'm holding you personally accountable."
"Nothing will happen to her, sir. You have my word."
No stutter. No gulp of fear. Ruby didn't even break eye contact. She just nodded at him as if pledging her life to keep Weiss safe. Henry looked stunned by the favorable response but couldn't protest without looking like an ass. All he could do was watch helplessly as Weiss' father turned to her and said, "Be back before midnight."
"Of course." Usually, she would protest a curfew, but she knew when to pick her battles. She smiled at her dad, smirked at Henry, then tapped Ruby's arm and flounced away with Ruby calmly walking beside her.
"Ruby -" she began while approaching the car, but Ruby was already reaching for the door.
"Don't worry. I got it."
Weiss could have kissed Ruby for the remark and the knowing smile accompanying it, but she glanced back at their audience and waved before slipping into the front seat.
"Your dad's a little intense," Ruby said after joining her on the other side of the car.
"Yet you handled him so well."
"He doesn't have a monopoly on ego…" Ruby muttered while shoving the vehicle into drive and taking them away from the house. Her brow unfurrowed, however, when Weiss laughed.
"If that was possible, he'd buy it in an instant." Weiss paused and studied Ruby more closely. "Speaking of ego…you graduated at the top of your class? I didn't realize I found one of Vale's best officers…" When Ruby rolled her eyes, Weiss dropped the teasing and added, "Seriously, though. You should brag about that."
"I can do my job. Big deal."
"You're great at your job, and that's really fucking hot. At least own it a little."
Ruby chewed on her bottom lip but, as the tall gates fell behind them, shook her head and motioned to the road.
"What do you want to do?"
"Well, I'm sure you'll decline my suggestions." Weiss added a dramatic sigh for effect and waited for Ruby's smile before continuing. "So…what do you normally do on a date? Better yet, what did you do on your last date?"
"You mean the kitchen? Or the ride-along?"
"I'm glad we finally agree those were dates," Weiss teased, her heart far more delighted than her words let on. "But I meant your last date with someone who wasn't me."
"Oh. Uh…" Ruby tapped the steering wheel and glanced at Weiss out of the corner of her eye. "We had dinner then walked around the park for a bit."
"Did you take her home after?"
Weiss hardly got the question out before jealousy followed. Fortunately, Ruby chuckled and said, "No, I didn't."
"No spark?"
"We're friends," Ruby replied. "And decided it's better that way."
"I see…"
The response suggested this mystery suitor lingered in Ruby's life, but Ruby didn't give Weiss time to brood over the situation.
"How about we go see a movie?"
"Is that something you want to do?" Once Ruby nodded, Weiss did, too. "Then a movie sounds nice."
Ruby changed lanes as their destination was set, and Weiss' thoughts started wandering. Sitting beside each other…in a dark theater…Weiss sincerely hoped that Ruby had thought this through. She would find out soon enough, as it wasn't long before they arrived at one of Vale's largest outdoor malls. After finding a place to park, the two of them joined the steady flow of shoppers making their way between the collection of stores selling everything from clothing to electronics.
As they headed to the theater, an almost giddy anticipation flowed through Weiss' veins. Her feet hardly seemed to touch the ground, and a smile felt suspiciously close to appearing at any dumb little thing. Then Ruby's hand brushed hers and her heart burst into butterflies.
It was childish, really, but she couldn't remember the last time she felt this light and carefree. Ruby's shoulders held much more tension as her silver eyes scanned every person crossing their path, but she still smiled at Weiss when the theater came into view.
"You don't strike me as a big movie watcher," Ruby even commented as they passed the posters decorating the theater's outer wall.
"I'm not, but my brother is."
"Meaning you watch your fair share?"
"I do," Weiss sighed.
"Anything look good then?"
Ruby motioned to the posters, but Weiss pursed her lips at the selection and ultimately said, "Why don't you pick?"
"Really?" Ruby's brow rose but, after Weiss nodded, she smiled. "Well, everyone's been talking about this one. Apparently, it's pretty good."
Ruby motioned to a poster for what looked like a typical action-adventure film based on the variety of vehicles and explosions occurring behind the main characters. "'The Dust Chronicles?'" Weiss read aloud before glancing at the string of showtimes advertised near the theater's entrance. The limited number of screenings suggested this movie had been released weeks ago, but the last one would start soon enough.
"It sounds dumb," she concluded. "But let's do it."
"Why are you being nice?"
"I'm not being nice." She rolled her eyes at the suggestion and led Ruby to the row of machines selling tickets. As soon as Ruby reached for her wallet, however, Weiss pushed her arm down and said, "What do you think you're doing?"
"Buying tickets?"
"Nice try, Officer, but I'm paying."
Ruby dropped her arm and tilted her head, and then the most delighted yet confused smile snuck onto her lips.
"Are you taking me out?"
"Yes." Ruby's brow shot up, but Weiss stepped up to the counter and found her credit card in her purse. After paying for two tickets and grabbing the slips of paper, she headed to the entrance. Ruby reached in front of her to open the door, prompting her smile as she entered the large atrium smelling overwhelmingly of buttered popcorn.
"Want anything?" She motioned to the concession stand but, when Ruby deliberated a moment too long, sighed. "At least get something," she prodded.
"Ok, uh, a water, I guess?"
The boring order deserved a protest, but Weiss simply shot Ruby an amused glance before joining the line. Ruby stuck so close to her elbow that she would have told anyone else to back the fuck off. She welcomed Ruby's presence though. Invited it, even, as she subtly turned her shoulders so that they stood nearly face to face in that way couples often did.
Ruby was so distracted by searching every nook and cranny of the theater that she didn't notice, but Weiss only moved away when their turn to order arrived. One bottle of water later, they made their way further into the sprawling building. Their arms brushed several times, but Ruby seemed to think nothing of it as she led the way down the dark tunnel to their theater, the bottle of water clutched loosely in one hand.
Weiss' breath caught when she turned the corner and found a sea of empty seats in front of them. The smattering of moviegoers who deemed this film worthy of viewing had congregated in the center of the room, leaving the edges and front unoccupied.
"Let's sit up top," Ruby said before Weiss even opened her mouth. She smiled and followed Ruby to the top row, where Ruby then selected seats in the corner of the room.
"Cozy," Weiss remarked while taking the seat Ruby pointed out to her.
"You mean safe."
Ruby gestured at the secondary exit beside them before sitting beside Weiss and plopping the bottle of water into the drink holder. Not the drink holder between them, thankfully. Otherwise, Weiss would have kindly instructed her to relocate it. Instead, Weiss frowned as Ruby kept her eyes glued to the main entrance, studying everyone who walked in, and let her knee bounce like a child hopped up on sugar.
"Can you relax?" Weiss finally said. "You're acting like the boogeyman's about to jump out at us."
"In case you've forgotten, I'm here as your protection."
"Does that mean you'd rather be somewhere else?"
Ruby paused and finally met Weiss' gaze with that starry silver one of her own. "No," she admitted.
"Then stop acting like a cop for a bit. Please."
Ruby's brow shot up.
"Did you just say 'please' and mean it?"
"Enjoy the moment while it lasts," Weiss huffed, but Ruby finally smiled. Some of the tension left her shoulders, too.
"Sorry, I just don't want to be caught off guard again. And I don't want your dad to kill me."
"He wouldn't kill you, but he would make your life miserable. Most likely get you fired. Probably sue you. He might even have you evicted if he was feeling particularly vindictive." As Ruby's eyes grew wider and wider, Weiss eventually stopped and smiled. "But let's not think about him right now."
She nearly set her purse down before remembering the distraction stashed inside.
"Oh, I brought you something."
She pulled out the napkin-wrapped cookies and offered them to Ruby, whose expression lit up as soon as she discovered what they were. A soft, delighted sound slipped through her lips, and she took a giant bite before moaning and clutching the remainder of the cookie to her chest.
The response turned Weiss on just as much as it delighted her, leaving her with a rather odd mix of emotions as she watched Ruby devour both cookies. She had never seen someone so content to eat before, nor someone who ate so quickly. Two cookies hardly seemed like enough, as Ruby was brushing crumbs off of her palms and licking melted chocolate from her fingers in no time.
"You can lick chocolate off me like that."
The comment slipped out, but Weiss didn't regret it when Ruby froze with a finger still in her mouth. Weiss smiled instead, and watched with no small amount of glee as Ruby removed her finger and cleared her throat.
"Uh, that's -" Ruby cleared her throat again. "That's good to know. Thanks."
"You're welcome," Weiss replied before laughing at the ridiculous response and the adorable blush racing to the tips of Ruby's ears. "You're cute when you blush," she added to help it on its way. With Ruby gawking at her now, she smirked and turned forward as if she was actually interested in the reel of advertisements on the giant screen.
She snuck glances at Ruby out of the corner of her eye though and, for a moment, thought that Ruby would come up with a response. The lights dimmed and the previews started instead, so Ruby settled in to watch. Before long, the lights faded to nothing, and the film started with a bang - literally, a building exploded as the main characters sped away on a motorcycle.
"Oh, I love this girl," Ruby whispered as a blonde actress removed her helmet and shook her long, golden hair. Weiss smiled at Ruby, whose bright eyes reflected the screen, before half paying attention to the movie. The other half of her attention remained on Ruby - Ruby's physical presence, more specifically.
Every time Ruby moved, Weiss' anticipation spiked. But Ruby only leaned forward, setting her hands on her legs, or leaned back, or laughed at a joke and lightly nudged Weiss' shoulder when Weiss didn't laugh too. After far too many of those instances, Weiss finally lost her patience. So, during the next relatively quiet scene, she leaned over to Ruby and whispered, "You didn't suggest we got to a movie to actually watch a movie, did you?"
Ruby's doe-eyed look was enough of an answer.
"What else would I suggest a movie for?"
Weiss wished that she could give Ruby a glimpse into her mind, or under her skirt perhaps, but shook her head and pretended to be engrossed in the film. The action progressed - it actually got somewhat entertaining - but she was far more interested in Ruby taking a drink of water before setting the bottle between them, only to quickly pick it up and return it to the other side.
Biting back a smile at what seemed to be a big, flashing hint, Weiss pushed up the armrest. With the barrier out of the way, her heart pounded so loudly for the next few minutes that she could hardly hear the characters' lines. And her heart only got louder when she slowly, measuredly, leaned against Ruby's side.
It was so stupid and trivial, but the fact that Ruby didn't move away made her feel like she was floating in the clouds. She would have spent the rest of the movie in that blissful state, but then Ruby sent her straight to heaven by wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
Ruby had to feel Weiss' thumping heart, yet Weiss didn't care. She leaned closer, fitting perfectly into the comforting warmth offered by Ruby's arm. The movie might as well not be playing by this point as every shred of her focus zeroed in on the strong, comfortable body beside her.
Now that they had made it this far, she wanted more.
As the minutes ticked past, however, she worried that Ruby would waste a perfect opportunity. They were literally cuddling in the back of this theater, with Weiss crossing her legs just to make her skirt ride up, and Ruby was giving her nothing. So she set her hand on Ruby's leg, right at that delicious divot where her thigh met her pelvis, and kept it there. If Ruby was going to leave her hanging, then she was going to make sure that Ruby also suffered.
When Ruby subtly shifted in her seat and cleared her throat, Weiss was struck by the realization that maybe Ruby didn't know what to do next. Or maybe she knew what to do but wouldn't without Weiss' permission.
Honestly…Weiss wished more people were like Ruby. In the same vein, she wished that Ruby was more like everyone else. A little less chivalrous. A little more mischievous. A little more willing to take what she wanted.
Fortunately, Weiss was an expert in taking what she wanted. As the film moved into its final act, with the action and explosions ramping into high gear, she reached over and turned Ruby's gaze to her. Before Ruby asked what was going on, as her curious silver eyes suggested that she might, Weiss kissed her.
Ruby froze for a split second before returning the kiss with every drop of passion that Weiss had dreamed about. Her lips moved lightly against Weiss' at first before becoming firmer, more decisive, and confident. Weiss responded in kind, wrapping her arms around Ruby's neck to prevent her from slipping away too soon. Not that Ruby gave any indication that she would slip away too soon. Her hand landed on Weiss' bare skin, just below the bottom of her skirt, drawing a soft moan from Weiss' lips. Ruby's tongue followed the sound, seamlessly deepening the kiss while repositioning herself to press Weiss further back into the seat.
Ruby tasted like chocolate chip cookies, smelled like roses, and felt like the most incredible, arousing thing that Weiss had ever experienced. Everything about her invaded Weiss' senses and set her veins ablaze with desire, and that was before Ruby's hand began sliding up her leg. They could have been in the middle of a crowded restaurant and she wouldn't give a single fuck about anything other than Ruby's strong, warm hand inching higher. First, underneath the hem of her skirt, then up her thigh, before a soft, surprised gasp slipped through her lips.
They both froze for a split second, breathless and staring into each other's eyes, before their lips collided with even more hunger. When her hips involuntarily bucked against Ruby's hand - her body giving a very clear signal of where and what she wanted Ruby to do with it - she briefly wondered if they were really going to have sex in the back of a movie theater. But then the background noise of the movie quieted so much that their labored breathing sounded more like loud gasps, the lights came back up, and motion filled the room.
Ruby crashed back into her own seat as if she hadn't just been pinning Weiss to hers, and Weiss quickly pulled her skirt back into place before fixing her ruffled hair and crossing her arms in her lap. Neither of them said a word - they sat silently and watched the other moviegoers file out. Several minutes passed before her breathing eventually returned to normal and her heart stopped pounding in her ears.
"Guess we should head out," Ruby muttered when the employees arrived to clean up.
"Right. We should."
Weiss grabbed her purse and motioned for Ruby to lead the way out of the theater. It was only when they reached the lobby that she noticed the faint pink blush lingering on Ruby's cheeks and realized that her cheeks probably looked the same. She smiled at the thought, and smiled at Ruby as she held the door leading outside.
"Well, that was the best movie I've seen in a long time," Weiss proclaimed once Ruby joined her in front of the theater.
"Yeah?" Ruby asked while uncapping her bottle of water. "What was your favorite part?"
"The part when you had your hand up my skirt." Weiss batted her eyes while Ruby nearly spit water onto the sidewalk. Ruby somehow kept it down but started coughing, so Weiss patted her back. "Doing alright there?"
"I'm fine." Ruby's voice came out squeakier than normal, so she held up a hand, cleared her throat, and repeated, "I'm fine. Perfectly fine."
"I'll agree with that." Weiss let her gaze roam over Ruby before glancing around and beaming when she spotted their next destination. "Want some ice cream?"
Ruby's brow rose, but Weiss had already grabbed her hand and started dragging her to the busy ice cream parlor.
"You eat ice cream?"
"Rarely. But this is a special occasion, isn't it?"
When Ruby didn't decline, Weiss opened the door and pulled Ruby into a sugar-filled haven. The late hour meant plenty of college-aged kids occupied the round tables, offering a boisterous atmosphere of laughter and teasing.
"Get whatever you want," she told Ruby while they waited in line. "The more expensive, the better."
Ruby lightly scoffed at Weiss' smile and ended up ordering a medium-sized, chocolate-infused concoction. Weiss ordered blueberry yogurt, the least-sweet option, before they grabbed a recently vacated table. Ruby sat beside Weiss rather than across from her, a little change that Weiss read into far more than she should have.
"Did you actually like the movie though?" Ruby asked while Weiss checked her phone for any missed messages and set it aside.
"It was decent. Of course, I don't remember much of the middle or the end." Weiss flashed a smile as Ruby's cheeks adorably reddened.
"Yeah, I don't know how it ended either…" Ruby muttered before shoveling ice cream into her mouth as if that might save her from embarrassment. Weiss, meanwhile, swirled her spoon in her cup and imagined what Ruby's lips must taste like now - sweet, chocolatey, with an initial burst of cold that would quickly give way to intoxicating warmth.
Her phone interrupted that pleasant daydream, but she hardly looked at the screen before scowling and silencing the call. Ruby, however, glanced at it and did a double take.
"Uh, who's 'shithead?'" she asked while Weiss shoved her phone back into her bag.
"No one."
"They must be someone to have earned such a…unique…name."
"It's not unique. There are plenty of 'heads' in my contacts. Shithead, dickhead, fuckhead, big head -"
Weiss hadn't even finished the list before Ruby started laughing.
"Why don't you just save them as 'don't answer?'"
"Because then I won't know who they are and why I should be annoyed at them for calling."
"You can tell them apart?"
"Of course. Shithead is that idiot Marigold. Dickhead is one of my dad's 'associates.' Fuckhead is one of our chauffeurs. And big head is my hair stylist."
Ruby listened to the list with a mixture of amusement and delight sparkling in her eyes. Then she nodded, and a sly smile slipped onto her gorgeous lips.
"What'd you save me as?"
"'Ruby,'" Weiss answered so fast that Ruby's eyes widened.
"You just lied!"
"I did not."
"You just lied again!" Weiss tried to scowl, but she unwillingly smiled when Ruby oh-so-cutely tickled her side. "Come on, let me see," Ruby teased, reaching for Weiss' purse while Weiss half-heartedly turned away. Ruby swiped Weiss' purse from the other side then, surprising even Weiss with the fluid action, but held it up and didn't reach inside until Weiss playfully sighed.
Ruby quickly found Weiss' phone and smiled when she tried and failed to unlock it. She pulled out her own phone instead and, after a few button presses, beamed when Weiss' screen lit up. Weiss' cheeks burned when Ruby's contact popped up: "Hot Cop" followed by several flame emojis.
Giggling, Ruby showed her screen to Weiss. It said "Weiss," but the heart emojis surrounding it did far more to Weiss' heart than they should have. While Weiss questioned the fluttering feelings in her chest, Ruby returned Weiss' phone to her purse and set it back on Weiss' lap.
"Are you going to finish that?" she asked, gesturing to Weiss' mostly untouched ice cream.
"You're going to eat my ice cream?"
"How do you make everything sound dirty?" Ruby shook her head before glancing to the side and leaning closer. Weiss' heart froze at the sexy smirk on Ruby's lips, and she was leaning forward too when Ruby whispered, "I have no problem eating your ice cream."
Weiss sucked in a breath and exhaled disappointment.
"You can have it for a kiss," she bargained, but Ruby chuckled and swiped the cup right out from under her nose.
"You mean I can have it if I can take it." Stunned speechless, Weiss watched Ruby take a bite of the blueberry yogurt and hum. "Want to go?" she asked, motioning to a table of rowdy young men before standing. Weiss stood up without protest and followed Ruby outside, where she realized that she just let Ruby take control.
"You owe me a kiss now," she huffed as they headed back to the parking lot.
"Do I?" Ruby grinned at Weiss before eating another spoonful. "This is so good, too. Maybe I should get this next time."
'Next time.' Ruby kept throwing out words that Weiss clung to like a teenager with a massive crush.
"'Next time' better be with me…" she grumbled as they returned to Ruby's car. Ruby responded to the sulky remark with an amused smile before tossing the empty cup into the nearest garbage can and finding her keys. "You aren't taking me home home, are you?" she added before getting into the passenger seat. "I don't have to be back until midnight. That's still plenty of time to…do other things."
Her mind returned to their moment in the theater, salivating at the thought of where those feelings led, but Ruby shook her head.
"I want to get you home before it's too late, just to be on the safe side."
"That's my least favorite side."
"But it's my favorite," Ruby replied, glancing over when Weiss scoffed. "It's not the end of the world to go home, is it?"
Weiss plucked a piece of lint from her sleeve before looking out the window as they drove toward the outskirts of Vale. "It's not," she admitted. "It's just…"
"You called it a prison."
"Because it feels that way sometimes."
"Is that why you like when I come get you? Like I'm breaking you out of prison instead of locking you in?"
When Ruby offered a reassuring smile, Weiss actually laughed. "I never thought of it that way," she replied. "A cop rescuing me from prison…how ironic."
"Like some kind of twisted fairytale."
Weiss hummed and ruminated on the thought, but Ruby tapped her fingers on the steering wheel before glancing over again.
"I looked up your grandpa." Weiss immediately froze. "He sounds like he was a really cool guy," Ruby continued anyway. "A lot of articles called him a 'visionary.' I never expected to read that."
Ruby kept glancing over for Weiss' reaction, but Weiss stared out the window and scrambled for a response.
"He was great," she eventually said. Then, after several seconds of silence, she sighed. "He was better than great. He had such big dreams…he wanted to make a difference." She paused and frowned. "My father wanted to make a difference, too. Just…a different type of difference."
"Did you spend a lot of time with your grandparents growing up?"
"Not as much as I would've liked. My dad thought they were 'poor influences.'"
"That's an interesting word for 'positive.'"
"My thoughts exactly." Weiss shook her head before glancing at Ruby. Ruby's silver eyes focused on the road, but a slight frown tugged where a smile should be, and her brow tightened in the middle when it should be raised and happy.
"Sorry," Weiss said, though she wasn't entirely sure what she was apologizing for. "I don't really talk about him. I…hate thinking about what could have been. It accomplishes nothing now."
"I think it still accomplishes something." Ruby looked over and offered an encouraging smile. "Thinking about what could've been shows us who we want to be."
As usual, Ruby put a positive spin on an unfavorable situation. Weiss liked that about her, so she returned Ruby's smile with a small one of her own before dwelling on the comment in silence. The street grew wider as time crept on and, despite Ruby driving at a snail's pace, they reached Weiss' home in what felt like no time.
Ruby walked Weiss to the front door without request or prompting, but she stuck her hands in her pockets and chewed on many words that she never said. The pesky fountain didn't exactly encourage conversation, yet Weiss approached the small alcove near the entrance with anticipation and a drop of sadness. A sigh even escaped her lips when they reached their inevitable parting spot.
"Here we are," she said, watching Ruby's gaze flicker to the door and surrounding windows before returning to her.
"Yeah, guess so." Ruby bit her lip before smiling. "Thanks for taking me out though. It was fun."
The sincerity warmed Weiss' heart and reminded her of how rewarding it was to do anything with Ruby. That became especially true when Ruby rubbed the back of her neck and shot Weiss a bashful smile.
"So, uh, I was thinking…maybe you want to come over to my place tomorrow? I can make dinner or -"
"I'd love to," Weiss interrupted.
"Yeah?" Ruby lit up, and god if she didn't look like an overly excited puppy like that.
"Honestly," Weiss huffed at how cute Ruby looked but quickly shook her head. "How many times have I asked you to take me to your place?"
"More like told me to take you to my place," Ruby corrected, but Weiss dismissed the clarification with a wave of her hand.
"Tell me where to meet you?" she asked, but Ruby's gaze flitted to the house.
"How about I pick you up again? No offense, but I don't really want your dad's, uh, 'associates' knowing where I live."
"Fair. Around five?"
"Early dinner?" Ruby gave Weiss a knowing look but still nodded and said, "Sure. I'll pick you up at five."
Weiss smiled at their future plans - for tomorrow evening, even - but Ruby stole the smile right off her lips by leaning in and kissing her. The kiss ended before Weiss could appropriately respond, with Ruby pulling away wearing a grin.
"I'll be back for you soon," she said while slowly backing away. "Don't piss off the wardens too much."
Ruby winked before returning to her car, leaving Weiss biting her lip before a bright smile slipped out. Her heart felt like it had sprouted wings as if flew around her chest, knocking into everything and making an all-around mess of her usually neat and tidy emotions. The mess had its own charm though, so she made no attempt to correct it while floating inside and making her way to the kitchen.
Whitley sat at the island, his eyes glued to his phone, when she dropped her purse onto the counter and wistfully sighed.
"What was that?" he asked, lowering his phone and looking at her outfit. "Where were you?"
"Went to see a movie."
"Like with a friend? I didn't know you had friends." When she glared at him, he laughed and said, "What'd you see?"
She completely blanked on the title for an instant before saying, "The Dust Chronicles."
"Really? Did you like it?"
From what she remembered, it was an average action-adventure story. Yet she smiled and said, "Yes, I did. A lot."
Ruby was the source of her enjoyment, of course, but she didn't tell Whitley that. Instead, she sat on one of the barstools and replayed every second of their time together. The casual touches and almost touches. The jokes. Conversation. Flirting. Kissing…
Whitley's disgruntled noise dragged her thoughts away from the best part of her evening.
"Who's eating all the chocolate chip cookies?" He spun the tray around searching for one before looking at her. "Are you taking them?"
"Have you ever seen me eat one of these?" she replied, so he scrunched up his nose. "Do you know where they come from?"
"No? One of the housekeepers brings them."
"Which housekeeper?"
"Would you know who it was even if I had a name?"
She paused and eventually shook her head. "Let me know if you find out, ok?" Once he nodded, she ruffled his short white hair, grabbed her purse, and headed upstairs. Ordinarily, she would hang out with him for a little longer, but right now she wanted to go over her evening without any interruptions.
More specifically, she wanted to replay the memory of that kiss until she wore it out. That might not even happen tonight, but she sure as hell didn't mind trying.
And tomorrow…dinner at Ruby's apartment. Ruby cooking dinner…Weiss seeing where Ruby lived…being surrounded by all of Ruby's belongings…
She might not sleep tonight.