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You stare.
And you stare. (And stare . You stare until your eyes no longer focus, so focused that not even the world is important enough to regard.)
And then you sigh and fling herself back into your pillow to let out a frustrated growl. This was hard, impossible even! You’d been staring at this problem for days now and you still hadn’t figured out a solution to it. Your patience was long since bitten down to the quick and you’re somewhat convinced that you’d finally found something that was actually impossible to crack for once. An impossible equation.
“Still struggling to figure out a gift for Weiss?” Blake’s voice drifts through the stillness of the air, a song of mirth playing off her tongue.
You peel yourself back up off your bed, glancing over the edge where your feline teammate watches you with a content sheen in golden eyes. You sigh through your teeth, pulling your palms down your face as if it will help reset your thoughts. It doesn’t, it hasn't the last few times, “It’s not supposed to be this hard!”
Blake hums, gaze flicking back to the novel in her hand again, though her cat ears still tilt towards you, “I think you’re overthinking again.”
You pout, deciding that it’ll just be easier to swing your legs over the edge of the bunk bed as you talk, “Says you. You got Yang, she’s like, the second easiest to buy for!”
A chuckle, “And who’s the easiest?”
You dramatically tap your fingers off your chest, “Me! Buy me cookies and you might just overtake Weiss for the honors of best friend.”
Blake gasps dramatically at your words, lifting her gaze off the words in her hand and pressing the book to her chest, as if the mere idea alone was appalling, “What would Weiss think? Being replaced so easily?”
You groan playfully, running your fingers through your hair and slicking the loose strands back out of your eyes, “Weiss knows how to earn my loyalty. Why do you think she brings me stuff from the bakery every morning?”
“Because she likes you?”
A beat. You press your lips together tightly, your hand freezing on your scalp. You don’t need to hear Blake’s satisfied snicker to know you’ve turned as red as your namesake, but you stutter anyway, “I walked into that.”
Blake turns fully to face you, a lazy grin on her face as she crosses one leg over the other, “You did.”
She stares at you for a long moment, and it makes your skin start to itch. You instead opt to slide off your bed, landing with practiced movement as you scratch at the base of your neck, “I can’t tell her Blake.”
The faunus tilts her head, “Can’t, or won’t?”
Your face burns, “ Can’t ! I can even speak English on a good day, how would I even start?” You straighten out your chest, turning as stiff as a board as you turn to face nothing. “‘ Hello Weiss. I, Ruby Rose, your partner who is two years younger than you and incompetent, have a crush on you. I have had a crush on you since Beacon. Let’s make out! ’”
Blake rolls her eyes playfully at you, “Maybe you don’t have to say it then. Show her.”
“How?” You groan. Blake shrugs with a smile, and turns back to her novel. You’re right back where you started now, in the trenches of this problem.
What do you get the girl who has everything?
-
You sigh into the winter air, frost coating your lips. You sink into the comfort of your cape, bathing in the heat that’s gathered beneath the thick material. The night grows longer, the moon reflecting its broken reflection off the frozen lake far in the distance. You’re on surveillance duty, your last shift before you get to rest for the holidays with your team. The Ace Ops will handle the duties for the next week alone, for the harshness of the cold keeps most Grimm away, and most of society inside.
You hadn’t seen many grimm trudging through the snowy tundra before you, only the odd beowolf or sabyr, which you’d easily taken care of with a silenced shot from Crescent Rose. You really loved the lunar glow over the snow at night, the way the frost twinkled under the moonlight. It was peaceful, and it gave you time to think. Usually.
“No Grimm detected in a quarter mile radius,” Penny rattles off beside you, a turquoise glow ringing her pupil as her android abilities scanned the landscape (far better than you could. You believe Penny would have handled this mission alone if she was allowed.) You’re a little jealous, to be honest. Maybe you should invest in a new night-vision equipped scope for Crescent Rose.
“ Rodger ,” a voice cawed back over the radio, “ Your shift will be over at 0500 hours. Stay strong.”
You check your scroll and groan tiredly. You’d been here for hours already, and you’d be here for a few more. You’d lost sensation in your toes long ago, and the thought of your warm bed was making you tired. You hated surveillance duty.
“Are you uncomfortable, Ruby?” Penny asks, having heard your discontent sigh, or having seen it. It had made an impressive cloud of air when you’d done it.
You shake your head, smiling at the android, your friend, “No, just cold. You’re so lucky you can’t feel it.”
Penny hums, and you watch as her pupil shrinks slightly, reading something across her vision, “My external readers say it is minus twelve degrees celsius. That’s slightly warmer than usual.”
You chuckle, curling your fingers into the creases of your arms and soaking in the warmth, “That’s still freezing, Penny. I grew up in Patch, I’m not used to this kind of cold.”
“Patch, off the coast of Vale. Do they not have cold winters?” she regards you curiously. You take a breath and stop a wince at how sharp it is in your lungs.
“Oh we did, but the lowest we ever got was minus three or four,” you recline back slightly, watching your words dissipate into clouds, “Yang and I used to make snow forts and have snowball fights. She always won, but I won our last game before we left for Beacon!”
You’d always remember the excited ‘it snowed !’ the both of you would cry when you looked out your window early in the morning. Your Dad could hardly get the two of you dressed in winter gear before you were out pelting snow at each other. You’d especially remember the time half the snow on the roof fell onto Yang when she was chasing Zwei one year. You’d laughed so hard it’d hurt to breathe.
“I have never played with snow,” Penny said, softly, sadly, “My original model was not stable enough to survive extreme cold. It’s partially why I ended up transferring to Vale.”
Ruby sat up, horror on her face, “You’ve never played in the snow? Not even once?”
“No.”
“What about now? Your current body, could that handle snow?” You ask. Penny looked down at her hands and clenched them, before shaking her head ‘no’.
“My systems would freeze and slow down. Technology and cold don’t go together,” Penny smiled at you then, “But it’s okay! I get to watch the children play in it around Mantle. That is good enough for me.”
“Man, that makes two people I know who’ve never played in snow,” You frown, casting an eye into the scope resting against your chest and brushing across the snowy tundra reflected in it. “Weiss hasn’t ever done it either.”
“Why don’t you give Weiss snow for your Secretive Santa?” Penny asked innocently, and it caused a laugh to bubble out of you.
“I don’t think Weiss would appreciate that. I think she’s more the sentimental type,” You explain. “Besides, Weiss made it clear she didn’t like snow during our escort mission a while back. She didn’t like the wet part.”
“Have you gotten her a sentimental gift?”
“You can’t really buy something that's pre-sentimental,” you sigh, doubling back when you pass by something in your line of vision. Just a snowy rock. “You can only get sentimental over memories and stuff, I think.”
“Oh,” Penny looks off into the distance, her hand resting on her jaw as she digests that answer. You sat back with a cold sigh as you finished your sweep, nestling your baby against your shoulder more comfortably.
“Can you gift a memory?”
You glance up at Penny, but her eyes don’t move from scanning the terrain. You itch your temple, “Uh, maybe? Like, an experience? Bring her somewhere?”
Like on a date? You blush, and you relish in it because the rush of blood warms your cheeks. You tuck your nose into the collar of your cloak to try and hide your face out of embarrassment.
“Precisely- oh , your heart rate is elevated,” Penny’s gaze turned serious, her head snapping to look back at you, “Did you see a grimm?”
You shake your head, coughing to clear out the garbled mess of words on your tongue, “N-no, no grimm. Just thinking.”
-
You don't actually remember how your crush on your partner initially started.
It was sometime early in your friendship, you think. Just before midterm, or maybe it was during the midterms? Whenever it was, it'd caught you in a vice grip and not let go since, and actually, its grip had grown even tighter. Suffocating, almost.
You can remember the first time you realized you had a crush on her though.
The fall of Beacon.
That was a night of many firsts. You saw your first friend die in front of you, you saw your first maiden, you saw Yang weak and broken down and defeated and not shining bright like she always was for the first time. Your silver eyes activated, petrifying the dragon atop of Beacon tower where it remained, screaming silently into the air long after its downfall.
But you won't forget the tightness, the panic , in your chest as you ran back to the main courtyard in front of Beacon, watching as your teammates aura ticked away, into orange and then into red and then gone completely. The way your body turned stone cold as the connection from the CCT cut you off from the people you were learning were more than just friends. You didn’t know if your family was alive.
The relief you'd felt when you saw Weiss again, okay and alive and unharmed as far as you could see, had been staggering. You can remember thanking every god as you ran up the courtyard, your aura stretched too thin to use your semblance anymore, reaching for her and she reached for you back and she was warm and alive .
That moment where you both locked eyes, exhaustion and relief and gratitude that they were both okay. That’s when you think you realised.
Your feelings had only matured since then, slowly blossoming into something you could hardly keep the reins on anymore. Those months apart after Weiss had been dragged back to Atlas by her father had been some of your hardest. Of course, you still had team RNJR, and you always cherished your time together because they were suffering too, they understood, but it wasn't your team. You missed Yang, and Blake. But you really missed Weiss.
And now, you're all in Atlas and together and you're all officially huntresses (and it's exhausting, but you're together). You knew Atlas didn't really have seasonal celebrations like Halloween or Christmas, you remember being horrified to hear that before from Weiss, but everyone had been working so hard. That's why you decided to set up Secret Santa. Something fun to do as a team again, and what's better than giving presents?
But now that you're here, in the heart of the moment, you don't quite know how to proceed.
Weiss bunched closer to herself, her breath misting in the chilly Atlesian air. You'd kidnapped her to the roof of the dorms (not that she put up much a fight, she'd just sounded a bit miffed at the idea of going out into the cold.) but now that you were here, the wind chill in your lungs froze your tongue to the roof of your mouth.
"What did you want to talk about?" Weiss asks, turning to face you. You jump on your toes nervously, always moving. You need to build yourself up a bit more, you decide. Yes, that's what you need to do.
You take a sharp breath of air, "The, um, the views are pretty cool from up here."
Weiss quirks a brow, studying you for a moment before looking out beyond the horizon. You could just see the edge of Atlas from the Academy, the twinkling lights of Mantle beneath them. She moves closer to you and it takes your entire mental strength not to squirm away nervously.
"Yes, I suppose it is," your partner turns to glance at you, the same confused look in her (beautiful, beautiful—) azure eyes, "Why are we up here? I know it's not for the view."
You chuckle weakly, Weiss was always the most perceptive in your partnership, "Yeah, I, uh... Well, I have this thing..."
Weiss glares at you, arms folding neatly over her chest, "A 'thing' ."
"Yeah, a thing— And I kinda need you to be here to... Sort out? This thing."
The stare Weiss gives you is exhausted. She pinches her eyes, sighing into velvet gloves, "Ruby. I'm really not in the mood for your games. It's cold, and I'm exhausted. Just hurry up and tell me what's wrong."
"Well, nothing's really wrong, I think," You stare down at the scuffed metal of your boots, focusing on one deeper scrape in particular, "Actually, it's kinda the opposite? It's... It's related to the Secret Santa we're doing."
"Do you need help choosing a gift for someone? I'm... Admittedly not the best at this kind of thing," Weiss tightens her squeeze on herself, "Did you ask Blake?"
You grimace awkwardly. Awkward, this was so awkward, "Yeah... And Penny. They both kinda suggested the same thing."
"Well, who are you buying for? I can offer some assistance."
You swallow, looking up to meet Weiss' eyes with your pair of sheepish ones. It doesn't take long for it to click in her mind, and her eyes widen somewhat. You look back to your boots.
"Oh. It's me, isn't it?" She asks, and you nod slowly. She sighs, placing hands in her hips, "You had me concerned. You don't need to get me anything, Ruby. It's alright."
You nod again, before stopping abruptly halfway as you realize what Weiss was actually saying to you, "Wait! No, I got you— Well, I got you a thing, but it's something I can only really give you away from Yang and Blake."
"Oh? It's not illegal, is it?" Weiss asks with a pained look on her face. You giggle slightly, stepping closer to her.
"N-no— But it might be easier if you close your eyes?" You suggest. Your heart was hammering a song you were familiar with.
You can make out the faint dusting of freckles under her eyes, so faint that you'd easily miss it. Crystal blue looks up at you, a pout of confusion on her face as she studies you. You’re slightly taller, you’ve grown since Beacon (And Weiss hated it. You didn’t tell her, but you knew she wore taller heels nowadays.)
"Please?" You add after a beat. Weiss watches you for a heartbeat longer, eyes fluttering across your face. Studying your emotions, trying to figure you out. Reluctantly, she sighs, and closes her eyes.
"There. Closed."
And, here you are again. Facing the impossible equation of what to do.
Because you're scared. Maybe even terrified.
(If this goes wrong, you don’t know how to back out of it. ‘It was a mistake’ or ‘I just wanted to tease you’ or even a simple ‘sorry’ would probably do it. The drop from the roof wasn’t too far either, if you got a good headstart with your semblance you’d probably be fine, right? Weiss would catch you eventually, but you could retreat to Jaune’s room, or your Uncle, or-)
“Ruby?” Weiss prompts, eyes still closed, head still tilted toward you. You bite the backs of your lips, your skin tingling as you feel Weiss gently brush the back of her knuckles against your hand. “Are you still there?”
You’re terrified, but with Weiss, it's always easier. You both support each other, halves of a whole. You take a long breath, steeling your resolve, and you lean forward.
Kissing Weiss Schnee is... An experience.
When you first meet, she gasps into your mouth and it sends goosebumps racing along your neck like lightning. You feel her palm against your chest and for a minute you think she's going to push you away. To shove you off of her and chastise you for your decision.
But fingers hook into the strings of your corset and tug you closer, and suddenly it's a lot more passionate than just a kiss between friends. You can feel her warmth against you, you can register your own body moving to cup her face with your hand as she kisses you back. And-
And she's kissing you back .
And maybe that's what causes you to pull back a little earlier than you mean to because Weiss Schnee is kissing you back . She trails after you, her eyes fluttering open before meeting yours again. She smirks crookedly, and there's this soft look that covers her features then. She places gloved hands on either side of your face.
"It took you long enough."
You stammer, your brain slowly catching up with your body, "You- You kissed back."
Weiss chuffs, taking half a step back as you regather yourself. She tilts her head, "You kissed me, Ruby Rose."
"Yeah, but you kissed back ," you press, "I didn't... What."
Weiss chuckles quietly, tucking some hair behind her ear, to reveal the sparkling rubies on her ears, "Well Ruby, when someone kisses you, you tend to kiss them in return."
You shake your head, "No! Weiss, you know what I mean! Why didn't— Why? I didn't even know you were interested in relationships, or that you were into girls."
Weiss flushes now, pressing her palm against her own face as it heated up, "Well, I didn't either. I wasn't sure until a few minutes ago."
Your train of thoughts keeps crashing against the front of your skull. You shake the debris out, taking a step back and sucking in a long breath, "Okay. This is good, I think. Wait, you weren't just pressured into it were you? I shouldn't have done that, actually. That was wrong of me—"
"Ruby," Weiss cut, her voice demanding. You silence yourself, turning to face your partner. She takes another step closer to you and suddenly you're both very close and— and oh, she's kissing you again.
You melt into her touch, and she pulls away far too soon, mint and frost coating your lips as she breathes with you. She reaches, grasping your hand.
"I think whatever you are feeling, it's mutual," she smiles at you. You swallow.
"Are you sure? Cause there's a lot in here and—"
Weiss presses her fingers to your mouth, and you shut up under her disapproving glare, "Ruby. Stop talking."
You nod, slowly reaching up to gently hold Weiss’ wrist and pull it back from your mouth. You smile shyly at her, your face hot, “Well, can I kiss you again?”
Weiss is so close you can read her answer in her eyes, stars sparkling in cerulean blue that are just full of love for you. Weiss Schnee loves you too, and you can hardly believe it. She presses close to you, breathing with you, she is everything in this moment. You don’t wait, leaning down to kiss her again.