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“Are you almost ready, Rubes?” Yang asked, obviously annoyed. She wouldn’t normally be so impatient, but they’ve been waiting for what feels like forever.
“Yes! I’m just- I’m just trying to get my dress on!” Ruby yelled from the bathroom.
“Yang, you and Blake go down to the auditorium, I’ll stay here,” Weiss offered. “It’s not fair to keep your date waiting.”
Standing near the door was Blake, with her ears perked up. “They have SUSHI!” she exclaimed, grabbing ahold of Yang’s hand. “I can’t wait for you to try some, sweetie. It’s delicious!”
As Blake started pulling Yang to the auditorium, Weiss could hear a faint “Thanks Weiss!” from down the hall.
She sure does like sushi, Weiss thought. Hopefully, Yang doesn’t ruin the tuxedo I got for her.
As if purposefully timed, Ruby burst out of the bathroom, completely out of breath. Excited, Ruby pumped her fist into the air and shouted, “Finished! Just in-”
“What took you so long? Yang could’ve finished brushing her hair before you even stepped a foot in that…” Wiess hesitated, but continued on with her rant, “stupid dress!”
“Hey! I look nice!” Ruby protested.
Frustrated, Weiss sighed, “You’re wearing sneakers with a gown. This is a formal dance, you dolt! There’s a time and place for sneakers, you know.”
“Well, I can’t wear heels! They’re death traps!” Ruby whined. “Last time I wore heels I almost sprained my ankle!”
“Ugh, what size shoes do you wear?” Weiss asked.
“Uh, eight…?” Ruby trailed off, wondering why she’d want to know that.
Weiss then walked off to the closet and dug out a dusty box that read, “Donation box”. She opened the box and shuffled around until she pulled out a pair of heels.
“This is the closest I have to your size. Might be a little small, I got these a while ago.”
“Oh, thank you, Weiss! But why do you even carry a donation box with stuff in it from years ago? Couldn’t you have just donated it at that time-”
“The box isn’t full, you dolt. Be glad I even offered those to you!” Weiss interrupted.
“Aw, Ice Queen, still just as cold as ever!” Ruby laughed, a red flush rising on her cheeks. She sat down on Weiss’ bunk and put her shoes on, wincing a little. “These are gonna be even harder to walk in than before!”
“Just be quiet! Do you need help walking?” Weiss worried, seeing Ruby wobble as she stood up.
“Uh- Maybe?” Ruby chuckled, wobbling even more as she took a few steps towards Weiss.
Weiss interlocked her arms with the red-head and made sure she was standing still. They took a few, although quite small, steps towards the door. after making it out into the hall, tons of students rushed past, eager to enjoy the blaring music and punch. The two girls got to the middle of the hallway, where Ruby faceplanted on the ground, pulling Weiss down with her.
“How do you fight in these?!” Ruby whined as she sat up.
Weiss sat up and blurted, “You get used to it after being forced to do recitals.”
“..Oh. Oh! I-I didn’t mean to make you sad or anything, Weiss! Forget I said anything, okay-”
“It’s fine, you idiot. I just don’t like parties or dances because of all the people. I only survived the last dance because I was distracted.” Weiss admitted. “Mainly because Nora kept drinking all the fruit punch whenever I went to get a cup. I seriously don’t know how Ren deals with her shenanigans.”
“Do you want to talk about it? I’m perfectly fine with missing the dance if you need to talk, Ice Queen,” Ruby said as she helped Weiss up.
“Well, yeah, sort of. But it can wait until the dance is over. Besides, we deserve a break from all the schoolwork.” Weiss stated. “I also want to have a dance with someone who makes me feel loved, even though they can be really annoying at times.”
Confused, she looked over at her and asked, “Who? Oooh, Weiss! That’s adorable, you have a cru-”
“How oblivious can you be? I-” Weiss paused, letting herself calm down, “I want to dance with you, Ruby. You make me feel happy and all...mushy inside. I know we had a rough start, and honestly, I was a bit of a bitch, but I want to thank you for not giving up on me. I appreciate it, Ruby.”
Ruby went dead silent and stared at Weiss, whose face was as red as a tomato.
Oh Gods, she likes me?? How?? What?? Who??? Ruby thought.
As Ruby spiraled into Gay Panic™, Weiss’s blush faded as she looked down again, tears welling up in her eyes as she whispered, “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same, don’t feel like you have to dance with me.”
“No, no, no! I'm sorry that I worried you, Weiss! I was lost in thought when I should have been paying attention,” Ruby panicked.
“And yeah, I wanna dance with you,” Ruby added. “When we first met, I thought you were just a brat. And for the first few months, you were. But I felt like it was my duty as a team leader and a human being to give you a chance.”
Making sure no other students were near, Ruby grabbed Weiss's hand and held it up to her chest. “I don’t know where it started. Quick glances turned into stares. What would’ve been a 30-minute study session turned into a 15-minute study session and a two-hour long chat. Every time I looked at you or thought of you made my stomach feel weird, you know.”
“Oh, wow, Ruby… That is a lot. Um, I’m glad you feel the same way.” Weiss stammered, internally freaking out. Is this what Yang calls “Gay Panic™???
“Shall we dance?” Ruby beamed as she stood up, practically vibrating with excitement.
“We shall,” Weiss replied, helping Ruby walk to the auditorium.
...
“Ruby, you dolt! I keep telling you, heel THEN toe, not toe THEN heel! You’re going to end up spraining your ankle!”