Flashing Lights - Chapter 5 (Patreon)

What’s wrong with you?

The steady thump of Weiss’ feet and whir of the treadmill occupied the background while the question haunted Weiss’ thoughts.  

Ruby hadn’t said it quite like that though.  Ruby said, What’s wrong with you?

Weiss edged the treadmill’s speed higher.  Her breathing grew more labored as her legs strained to move faster.  The glass wall in front of her overlooked the ocean, offering a breathtaking view that made her feel like she was running over the waves towards a destination lost at sea.

Nothing was wrong with her.  She was rich, well-educated, beautiful, and knew how to get what she wanted.  And, sure, maybe that meant she had forced every interaction that she and Ruby shared, but she was just having some fun at the police department’s expense.  

Except it had also been at Ruby’s expense.

Manipulating a stranger was easy, but Ruby had crossed the line between stranger and acquaintance.  Treating her like an object or toy at this point was something that Weiss’ father would do.

Weiss was like her father.  She knew she was.  That’s why she was his favorite.  Why he had such big plans for her.  Why she got the sports car for her birthday when her brother and sister got peanuts in comparison.

She used her name and influence to control Ruby just like he would have done.  Ruby didn’t like it and Weiss knew that yet did it anyway.  Somehow, Ruby tolerated all of that, yet when Weiss shoots a couple of assholes who were literally trying to kidnap her, then something was wrong with her?  What was she supposed to do - let them kidnap her?  Stand by and cry while they went after Ruby?

She would do everything the same way in a heartbeat, but apparently her lack of ‘damsel in distress’ energy meant something was wrong with her.  

“Fuck that,” she muttered before noticing someone motioning for her attention.  Finding Winter walking over, she stopped the treadmill so they could have a conversation.

“Who pissed you off?” Winter asked.

“It’s nothing.”  Weiss sucked in several deep breaths before reaching for her water.  “Need something?”

“Bill’s here to see you and Dad again.”

“Fucking hell,” she groaned before hopping off the treadmill.  “Who knew the attorneys would be the worst part about being almost kidnapped…” 

Winter made a soft sound of agreement while Weiss took several more large gulps of water, but she lingered rather than hurry off for her next task.  “How are you doing?” she eventually asked, meeting Weiss’ gaze with a worried one of her own.  “With…everything?”

“You mean a pair of assholes trying to kidnap me and me blasting their fucking kneecaps off?”

Winter grimaced at the succinct description.

“Yes.  With that.”

“I’m fine.”  Weiss wouldn't be fine if people kept asking, but she smiled and added, “I consider it my ‘welcome to the family’ moment.”

“That shouldn’t be anyone’s ‘welcome to the family’ moment.”

“Yeah, well.”  Weiss shrugged rather than point out that they hadn’t exactly been dealt a sterling hand.  “You should’ve seen all the blood though.  I didn’t know kneecaps could bleed that much.  Isn’t it just bone over cartilage?”

Winter scrunched up her nose but subtly shook her head rather than answer the question or scold Weiss for being callous.  “If you need anything,” she said instead.  “You know I’m here.”

Weiss did know that, so she nodded, and Winter turned to leave.  Weiss let her sister get nearly to the door before spinning around.

“Winter?” she called out, pausing Winter’s exit only to chew on her words.  “Is there something wrong with me?” she eventually asked.

“Not that I’m aware of.  Why?”

“What happened…I did what I had to do, but was that not…normal?”

A simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ would have sufficed, but Winter returned to Weiss, set a hand on her shoulder, and looked her squarely in the eyes.

“Not many people could have done what you did, and maybe that’s not normal.  But you’re safe, and that’s the most important thing to me.”

Winter waited for Weiss’ acceptance and, once Weiss gave it, squeezed her shoulder before exiting the gym.  Weiss stewed over the response for several moments before capping her water bottle and hurrying to her room.  Winter would hopefully inform everyone that Weiss needed a few minutes because she wasn’t showing up anywhere before a shower and change of clothes.

Once clean and appropriately dressed, she headed downstairs feeling more like herself.  She returned even more to form when she entered the living room that had doubled as a meeting room for the past few days and found several suited assholes, plus her father, already seated at the large, oval table.

“Ah.  There she is.”  

Her father motioned for her to sit beside him, which she obediently did.  The two of them faced the attorneys on the other side who, despite having strength in numbers, looked ready to bolt at the next loud noise.  Weiss had half a mind to clap her hands to see which one would jump up the fastest, but her father took over before she followed through.

“Bill has an update,” he explained before gesturing for Bill to speak.

Bill had a rat-like face and nasally voice that grated Weiss’ nerves like sandpaper.  He only needed to open his mouth for her to clench her jaw and scowl.

“We’ve been in communication with the department and prosecutor’s office all day,” he explained.  “Her statement matches the responding officer’s, so they won’t need anything more from us.  Everyone agrees it was self-defense.”

“Good.  The last thing we need is a mark on her record for something like this.”  When her father glanced over, Weiss spared a thin smile.  “Did the police figure out who they were working for?”

“No affiliations have been found.  Both men said they were working by themselves.  They figured out where she went shopping and cooked up the idea to make some quick money.  They would stop by at the same time every day and wait for her to show up.”

“What a fucking waste of time,” Weiss huffed, drawing both men’s gazes before they turned back to each other.

“Have charges been filed?” her father asked, and Bill nodded.

“Attempted kidnapping, false imprisonment, assault with a deadly weapon, conspiracy, assault on a police officer, resisting arrest, obstructing justice -”

“Bail?”

“No bail,” Bill replied.  “The Chief of Police personally protested.  They’ll be in custody for a while.”

“Good.”  Weiss’ father nodded once before placing his palms on the table and pushing himself to his feet.  The rest of them followed suit - the junior attorneys, Weiss noted, jumped up like rabbits.  “Will you need anything else from us?”

“Most likely not.  The rest of the case should play out through the legal system.”

“And we know how well the legal system works.”  Weiss’ father chuckled to himself before motioning to the door.  “In that case, we’ll leave it in your hands.”

“Yes, Mr. Schnee.  Don’t worry about a thing.”

If Weiss was in Bill’s shoes, she would be incredibly worried about everything.  But Bill bowed before rushing out of the house with his juniors in tow.  Weiss watched them go before turning to her father, whose furrowed brow and pursed lips suggested something else was on his mind.

“Tell your mother I won’t be at dinner,” he eventually said.  “I’m going to make a few calls and make sure the police did their jobs.”

Weiss nodded and headed to the kitchen, grateful to be done with those dreadful meetings for now.  Hopefully, they wouldn't need to speak to her again.  Not that they were even speaking to her so much as speaking around her.

Shaking her head at what was one of her biggest pet peeves, she reached the kitchen and discovered that they had company.  Winter must have invited Robyn over, and now the tall, tan woman stood next to Winter at the island, one hand resting on the small of Winter’s back.  Robyn usually wore her snow-white hair tied up in a short ponytail, like it was tonight, and had a strange penchant for wearing gloves.  

Besides those riveting details, all Weiss knew was that Robyn worked as an art curator, seemed overly cautious around Weiss in particular, and made Winter happy.  The last part mattered most, so Weiss walked over to the pair and flashed a small smile.

“Winter didn’t say you’d be here,” she told Robyn.  “It’s nice to see you again.”

“You too, Weiss.”  Robyn’s violet eyes dashed to Winter before returning to Weiss.  “Winter told me what happened…are you doing ok?”

Weiss’ jaw clenched, but she forced a smile and said, “Never been better.”  Robyn’s brow rose, but then Weiss’ mom swept into the room with Whitley in tow.

“Let’s eat, everyone.”  After motioning Whitley to the dining table, she gestured for one of the housekeepers to refill her glass of wine while the other started serving dinner.  “Dad’s busy,” Weiss told her, but she waved a hand as if that was expected news and guided Weiss to the table.  Weiss sat beside Whitley, who was already playing some game on his phone that he hadn’t put down in days.

“No games at the table,” Winter reminded him while she and Robyn sat on the other side of the table.  When Whitley heaved a big sigh, she shrugged and added, “Dad’s rules.”

“Dad’s not even here,” he pointed out, but he put his phone away regardless.  A plate of food appeared in front of him then, so he turned to Weiss.  “Hey, Weiss -” was all he got out before Weiss rolled her eyes and traded his lobster for her steak.  “You’re the best,” he said before digging into his dinner.

The table quickly settled into silence broken by the sound of silverware clinking on plates, but a strain lingered in the air.  That strain always appeared when Robyn was around, and Weiss couldn't understand how Winter tolerated it.  They couldn't be themselves in Robyn’s presence - they had to be the picture-perfect family that Robyn and the rest of Vale expected them to be.

Fortunately, Robyn didn’t visit often.

“Did your father get everything sorted out with Bill?” Weiss’ mother asked, her blue eyes only temporarily holding Weiss’ before returning to her wine.

“Sounds like everything’s taken care of.”

“Good.  Just what we need is something like that lingering out there.”

“Bill’s the family attorney,” Winter explained to Robyn.  “He’s dealing with…what happened to Weiss.”

“Ah.”  Robyn nodded while Weiss silently stewed over how that sounded.  Unfortunately, Robyn didn’t let her stew for long.  “Was it scary?” she asked.  

The direct question caught Weiss by surprise considering how guarded Robyn typically was, but she shook her head and said, “Not really.  There wasn’t time to be scared.”

“And Weiss isn’t scared of anything,” Whitley piped in, grinning at Weiss while she patted his arm.  “She took them out all on her own.  Shot ‘em with their own gun.”  

While he mimed holding a gun and popping off two shots, Weiss glanced at Robyn and said, “We don’t need to go into details…”  When Whitley’s brow furrowed, she sent a pointed nod Robyn’s way.  His eyes briefly widened, then he stuffed an enormous piece of steak into his mouth and shut up.

“I’m glad it’s over,” she told Robyn.  “And the people involved were arrested, so there’s nothing to worry about.  We can all just move on.”

What she really wanted to say was that everyone could stop treating her like a porcelain doll, but she tried to be on her best behavior in Robyn’s presence.  Winter really liked Robyn, so the last thing Weiss wanted to do was cause an issue by pointing out that all of them had seen or heard far worse than someone getting shot in the kneecap during a botched kidnapping.

Thankfully, the conversation moved to lighter, simpler subjects.  Robyn’s work at the museum.  Whitley’s classes.  Their mother’s complaints about the burdens of being invited to all of Vale’s most important gatherings.

By the time the housekeepers cleared away the dishes, Weiss had learned nothing new about Robyn, Whitley, or her mother.  The shallow, unsatisfying pleasantries rubbed the wrong way, but Winter seemed happy with how dinner went despite Whitley teasing her about everything from her hair to the way she sat.  

Weiss might have joined in on a couple of those jokes, but she couldn't let Whitley die alone on the hill of, ‘You look like you’re sitting on a tiny cactus.’  If she taught him anything in the next few years, it would be how to reduce someone to tears through words alone.  Not Winter, of course, but any of the other idiots occupying the world with them.  She was beginning to fear that he was too sweet to ever develop that killer instinct…in which case she would just have to castigate everyone on his behalf.

As soon as dinner ended, their mother disappeared to the balcony for a nightcap and Winter provided no explanation or destination as she set off with Robyn, hand in hand.  They hardly left the kitchen before Whitley leaned over and whispered, “Robyn’s weird, right?  All…boring and museum-y.”

He giggled when Weiss shushed him, but he made a valid point.

“Maybe Winter just wants something…simple,” she offered.

“But that’s weird, right?  How’s she going to hide things for the rest of her life?”

Weiss pursued her lips at a conundrum that she ultimately had no answer for.  She shook her head and said, “She’ll just have to figure that out,” instead.  Whitley shrugged and patted his pocket for his keys, then his eyes widened.

“Shoot.  Forgot to lock the garage door.”

“Again?” Weiss asked while he jumped up.  “Mom’s going to have a stroke one of these days.”

“She’ll be fine!” he protested, leaving the kitchen at a quick jog.  

With Whitley rushing off to correct his mistake, Winter occupied with her sweet-yet-boring girlfriend, and their mom approaching incomprehensible by now, Weiss sighed and decided to return to her room.  She could read another book or watch some mindless television until she got tired enough to sleep, or Whitley might bother her to watch him play his game.

The humdrum evening suited her just fine.  Unfortunately, the foyer held an unwelcome surprise for her in the form of Henry Marigold.  Surrounded by two of his ever-present bodyguards, he loitered around like he owned the place.  As if that didn’t annoy Weiss enough, he caught sight of her and immediately blocked her path to the staircase.

“What do you want?” she snapped.

“I heard what happened, so I came to check on you.  See how you’re doing.”

“How sweet.  Now you’ve seen me, so fuck off.”

She brushed past him, but he turned and walked beside her.

“You must’ve been scared out of your mind.”

“The only thing that scares me is how little brain activity happens between your ears.”  When he grabbed her elbow to try to stop her, she jerked away and glared at him.  “What did I say about touching me?”

“Come on.  I brought you a little something.”  

He dug a plastic bag out of his pocket and held it in front of her.  As soon as she saw the white powder in it, and the idiotic smile plastered on his lips, she slapped his hand away and said, “Get that shit out of my face.”

“Don’t be such a narc.  This is the good stuff.  It’ll take the edge off.  Maybe you’ll even relax for once.”

He chuckled at the idea, but she glared daggers at him.

“I’d rather peel my skin off than touch that shit.  And if you ever bring it into this house again, I’ll call the cops on you myself.  Got it?”  When he frowned, looking thoroughly confused, she crossed her arms over her chest.  “No drugs or anything illegal here, dipshit.  You’re lucky my dad didn’t see that.”

Eyes finally widening, he shoved the bag back into his pocket and asked, “How about a drink then?  I know a great little bar -”

“Hard pass.”  

A brief frown flashed across his lips, but he brightened when Whitley appeared in the entryway.  “Hey Champ!” he called out, raising his hand for Whitley’s reluctant high-five.  “Can’t you convince your sister to give me a shot?”

“Uh…”  Whitley glanced at Weiss, who scowled, and shook his head.  “She doesn’t do anything she doesn’t want to.”

“And that’s currently you,” Weiss pointedly added.  Henry’s frown cut deeper this time, but she frowned right back until Whitley tapped her arm.

“Someone’s here for you.”

“Who?”

“Dunno.  Some girl.  She’s waiting out by the driveway.”

Weiss’ attention perked up at the meager description, and her lips nearly betrayed her with a smile.  She cleared her throat and tilted her chin up to level Henry with one last glare.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have somewhere better to be.”

With that, she grabbed a jacket from the coat closet and marched outside.  The chilly air nipped at her cheeks and nose, but she hardly thought anything of it as she hurried to the driveway as fast as her heels would carry her.  Hope stirred in her chest, which she silently reprimanded herself for, but then she reached the end of the courtyard and felt her heart try to come undone.

There, standing near a parked car that was clearly out of place near such an extravagant home, was Ruby.  Weiss hadn’t forced her to come, or even asked her to come, yet there she was…wearing a lightweight black jacket, jeans, and sneakers.  Her hands were shoved into her pockets, her posture relaxed as she leaned against the hood of the car, and her short brown hair that perfect combination of ruffled yet sexy.

For the briefest moment, Weiss imagined flying into Ruby’s arms for a hug.  She imagined strong arms wrapping around her while a warm hand wove through her hair and soft assurances were whispered into her ear.  She imagined being enveloped in the smell of cinnamon and roses.  

She shoved those musings aside and stomped over to Ruby instead.

“What’re you doing here?” she demanded, yet Ruby didn’t flinch at the terse tone.  She didn’t even look surprised by it - she left her hands in her pockets and shrugged a shoulder towards one of the walkways splitting off of the driveway.

“Can we go for a walk or something?”

“You think you can just show up unannounced and ‘go for a walk?’” Weiss shot back.

“I do, yeah.”

Weiss scoffed, but the sound had no real annoyance behind it.  She already knew that she would agree, and Ruby seemed to know it, too.  Regardless, she had an image to uphold, so she ground her jaw back and forth before impatiently motioning for Ruby to lead the way.  Making Ruby lead when she had no idea where to go wasn’t the nicest of tactics, but she didn’t hesitate in picking a path for them.

If that path led somewhere Weiss didn’t want to go, she would have corrected Ruby.  But it took them away from the house and prying eyes, so she said nothing and followed.  She wanted to say many things but crossed her arms over her chest and kept her mouth shut.  Ruby would have to work for a conversation this time.

Ruby said nothing as they reached a lighted trail branching out toward the ocean.  Maybe she thought that Weiss would speak first.  Or maybe she also wanted the privacy offered by the lush, manicured landscape and the soft sound of waves.  Were it not for the uneasy silence, Weiss could pretend that they were here simply to enjoy the beautiful scenery and each other’s company.  Then Ruby gently cleared her throat, announcing an end to the silence.

“I’m sure you’re ready to stab the next person who asks how you’re doing, so I won’t.  But, you know, I hope you’re doing ok with…everything.”

Part of Weiss hated that Ruby knew how much the question annoyed her, but another part warmed pleasantly.

“It’ll take more than that to rattle me,” she quipped, so Ruby blew a breath through her lips.

“Right.  It’s just…most people would be a little rattled.”

Weiss clenched her jaw at another insinuation that she wasn’t ‘most people.’  Ordinarily, she was fine with that.  It was true.  But she enjoyed it much less today.

“I was,” Ruby continued regardless.  “Scared, too.  And so full of adrenaline that I couldn't sleep.  Just stared at the ceiling all night.”  When Weiss still didn’t respond, this time dismayed that Ruby openly admitted such weaknesses, Ruby sighed.  “If you ever want to talk to someone about it, I guess…”

Ruby paired the offer with a little shrug, and Weiss was struck by how genuine it sounded.  Like Ruby would actually take the time to listen while Weiss spilled her heart out, as if that was something Weiss could ever do.  While Weiss studied Ruby though, searching for some ulterior motive or just pure stupidity in the overture, she finally noticed the hobble in Ruby’s gait.

“Are you ok?”  

When Ruby looked over, expression confused, Weiss motioned to her leg.

“Oh.  Yeah, it’s fine.  Just bruised and swollen, kind of like I slammed my knee into concrete.”  Ruby chuckled, but Weiss bit back some unsavory words about the asshole who caused the injury.  “I’m surprised they let me through so easily,” Ruby added, motioning to the gates that looked miles away by now.  “Thought they’d give me a hard time, but I just showed them my badge and they waved me in.”

“Of course they did.  We have nothing to hide from Vale’s dedicated men and women in uniform.”

Ruby huffed and glanced over, her silver eyes sparkling in the light from the elegant lanterns lining the path.

“It sounds like you’re reading off a script when you say stuff like that.  Especially without any curse words.”

“Then of course they let you in.  We have nothing to fucking hide,” Weiss restated before looking up at Ruby.  “Better?”

“Much.”

When Ruby chuckled, Weiss’ heart fluttered.  Weiss immediately scolded her heart, trying to force it back into submission, but it rebelled even more.  Walking with someone seemed like the most mundane activity in the world, yet every step along the smooth concrete path accompanied a growing bubble of words in her chest.  She wanted to talk about everything - anything - yet surrendered to the tension in the air.

It wasn’t until they reached one of the most beautiful spots on the property, where the trail swooped out to a cliff jutting out over the water, that Ruby stopped and stared.  The moon had begun to rise, casting a white glow on the ocean while waves crashed on the shore hundreds of feet below.  Under different circumstances, Weiss would joke about how romantic it was for the two of them to be out here, far from prying eyes, with nothing but the moon and ocean as company.  Ruby, however, seemed to have other matters on her mind, as she took a deep breath and released it in one long exhale.

“I wanted to say I’m sorry,” she abruptly said, turning to Weiss with an apologetic expression.  “I didn’t take my job, or you, seriously enough.  I was supposed to protect you.  Instead, I -”  Ruby briefly squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.  “I could never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

“That almost sounds like you care, Officer.”

“I do.”  The straightforward response briefly halted Weiss’ breathing, and Ruby doubled down on it with a nod.  “I care about what happens to you.  And…I don’t think anything’s wrong with you.  It’s just…I’ve spent years training for situations like that, yet you’re just…”  Ruby made a motion with her hands before sighing.  “You handled it like you were born for it, and I didn’t expect that.  I should have, considering -”  Ruby motioned to Weiss again.  “But I shouldn’t have said that.  I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, and I’m really sorry.”

“You really think you could hurt my feelings that easily?”  Weiss scoffed at the thought but softened her response under Ruby’s knowing gaze.  “Well, I’ll accept your apology if you say my name again.”

“What?”

“Say my name.”

“Weiss?”

Weiss closed her eyes and hummed.  

“That sounds so good coming out of your mouth.”

“It feels pretty good, too.”

“Oh?”  Weiss arched a brow and, in a test of boundaries, reached up and touched Ruby’s bottom lip with her thumb.  Ruby didn’t pull away - she smiled, and her eyes sparkled.  She must have already known that Weiss would respond that way, so Weiss held back the dirty thought lingering on her tongue.  The show of restraint accomplished the extraordinary - Ruby laughed, and Weiss was soon smiling instead.

By the time Ruby’s laughter trailed off, the air between them felt clearer than the sky on a cloudless day.  A small, comfortable silence lasted only until Ruby’s gaze flitted to the ocean before making its way back to Weiss.

“And, uh…I kind of miss you bothering me.  The last few days have been pretty boring.”

Weiss’ feelings finally broke free, and she couldn’t have held back a smile if someone paid her.

“You like me,” she teased, though her heart damn near stopped when Ruby shyly rubbed the back of her neck.

“I mean, it’s just - things are a lot more…interesting…when you’re around.”

“I make your days better,” Weiss rephrased.  Another smile slipped onto her lips when Ruby playfully rolled her eyes.  “I figured that I did,” she continued, chasing that thread as long as it amused Ruby.  “I mean, who wouldn't want to spend the day almost getting kidnapped with me?”

“They definitely weren’t after me.”

“Their loss.”  Ruby’s brow rose when the comment registered, so Weiss swiftly changed course.  “To be fair, that’s never happened before.  My family’s freaking out about it.”

“How are you so calm then?”

“I’m fine, aren’t I?”

“Physically, yeah -”

“I knew you found me attractive,” Weiss interrupted, but Ruby rolled her eyes.

“For the tenth time, yes.  You’re pretty.  I don’t know why you make such a big deal about it.”

“Maybe I like hearing you say it.”

“Then I think you’re really pretty.  Beautiful.  Gorgeous, even.”

Weiss had been called all of those before but, this time, averted her gaze as her cheeks warmed to an uncomfortable degree.  Ruby’s dumb, candid honesty could be incredibly disarming sometimes - like this one, forcing Weiss to blow a small, shallow breath through her lips before clearing her throat and replying with a delayed, “I’m aware.”

Ruby’s smile said that the reaction had been noted, but no comment was made.  Before Weiss worried about what Ruby might do with that knowledge, Ruby buried her hands deeper in her pockets and shuffled her feet.

“I wanted to ask something.”  When Weiss patiently waited, Ruby blew out a quick breath before saying, “If you’re free this weekend, there’s somewhere I want to take you.”

“Like…a date?”  

Weiss could hardly conceal a bright smile while Ruby shrugged and said, “Sure.  Like a date.  I mean, you’ll call it that anyway.”

“I would,” Weiss agreed, though her heart started jumping all around her chest when Ruby used the word.  “Where?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“I don’t like surprises.”

“Well, I do.  So…I guess one of us will be unhappy.”

Faced with that conundrum, Weiss pursed her lips for a moment before solemnly nodding.  “I’ll be the unhappy one,” she resolved, but her brow unfurrowed when Ruby grinned at her.  “What?”

“Pretty sure that’s the most selfless thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

“I can be selfless,” Weiss huffed, only to melt under Ruby’s smile.  “When and where should I meet you?”

“How about Saturday at eleven?  And I’ll pick you up.”  Ruby paused and glanced at Weiss’ feet.  “You might not want to wear heels.”

“I always wear heels.”

“But we’ll be on our feet for a while.”

“That’s fine.  I haven’t felt my feet in years.”  Weiss waved off the worry, but Ruby’s eyes widened like saucers.  “I’m kidding,” Weiss added as yet another smile slipped onto her lips.  That smile brightened when Ruby laughed.

“Ok, wear whatever you want.  I won’t be wearing heels though.”

Weiss’ gaze slid to Ruby’s feet, suddenly imagining Ruby standing several inches taller, forcing Weiss to tilt her chin up even more than she already had to.  The pleasant image had Weiss wetting her lips, only to shiver when a cold ocean breeze swept across them.  Despite Weiss’ attempt to downplay the reaction, Ruby noticed.

“We should probably head back now.  It’s getting pretty cold.”

It could have been snowing and Weiss would have stayed out there for hours more, but Ruby headed back towards the house without waiting for Weiss’ blessing.

“Maybe you should check my room for intruders again,” Weiss commented.  “You know, for safety.”

Ruby glanced at the windows of the mansion before shaking her head.

“Is your dad home?”

“Maybe…”

“Then pretty sure I’d be the intruder.”

“Forget my room then - we could use one of the guest houses.  That way no one would…interrupt us.”

Weiss gave Ruby’s outfit another thorough inspection, mentally planning exactly where she would tug and pull to remove each article of clothing, but her heart came alive when Ruby laughed.  Something about that simple, joyful sound made Weiss feel like she could levitate right off the ground.

“Maybe next time.”

Weiss literally stumbled at the response, but Ruby grabbed her arm to steady her.  Much to Weiss’ disappointment, however, Ruby let go as soon as she regained her balance.

“When are you coming over next then?” she pressed.

“Saturday.  To pick you up.”

Ruby grinned at the tease, and Weiss opened her mouth only to shut it on the host of responses lined up on the tip of her tongue.  She usually didn’t enjoy being teased, but in this instance…she didn’t exactly mind it.  

“This is gorgeous, by the way,” Ruby commented, waving to the cliffside and the ocean.  “It’s like…somewhere someone would get married.”

“Is that a proposal?  Because I’d much rather be propositioned first.”

“Believe me, I know.”  While Weiss smiled, Ruby chuckled and added, “I’m just saying - it’s nice out here.  You almost forget who owns it.”

The comment lessened Weiss’ smile, and she lightly clenched her fists as they continued their walk.

“This property belonged to my grandfather,” she explained.  “He built the house and put in all these trails.  He loved walking with my grandmother or just by himself to think.  He had big plans.  Good plans.”

“What happened to those plans?”

“My father happened.”  Weiss frowned for a second before adding, “He’s the only one who hasn’t asked how I’m doing.  He knows I’m fine.”

“Knows you’re fine or assumes you’re fine?”

“Those are the same thing to him.”

That response opened the door to more questions, but Ruby nodded and kept walking.  Her hand brushed against Weiss’ on the next step, seizing Weiss’ heart for a moment, before continuing as if nothing happened.  If the walk had been longer, maybe she would have held Weiss’ hand.  Weiss would have been more than amenable to that, especially since she couldn't stop wondering if Ruby’s hands were soft or toughened from years of police training.  Instead of learning the answer, she found herself moderately annoyed when they reached the house sooner than she wanted.

“Here we are.”  Ruby stopped near her car, so Weiss did too.  “Thanks for walking with me.  And not having your security guys escort me out of here.”

“We’d never do that to one of Vale’s fucking finest.”  

As soon as Ruby laughed, Weiss smiled so hard that her mouth might permanently remain that way.  That growing concern flitted from her thoughts when Ruby pulled out her car keys but, rather than leave, fiddled with them in her hand.  The hesitation sent Weiss’ hopes rocketing to an all-time high.  Just when she considered making the first move, however, Ruby hugged her.

It wasn’t a kiss, but Weiss melted into the embrace like she was soft butter and Ruby was the sun on a hot day.  She couldn't remember the last time she hugged someone besides Winter or Whitley, but she would need more of it.  Ruby was gentle, warm, and smelled vaguely like cinnamon and roses, but her arms were strong.  They held Weiss closely and securely, as if daring anyone to try to get between them.

“I’m glad you’re ok…” Ruby whispered before burrowing her nose into Weiss’ hair and taking a deep breath, and damn if that wasn’t one of the most needlessly erotic things that Weiss had ever experienced.  

By the time Ruby pulled away - with the sweetest, most tender smile Weiss had ever received - Weiss was grasping for words, caught between ordering Ruby to stay and needing space to sort through overwhelming emotions.  She wanted Ruby to say, but she couldn't tell Ruby what to do - well, she could, but she didn’t want to.  She wanted to see what Ruby would do on her own volition, and Ruby smiled while stepping away.

“I’ll see you Saturday,” she said before getting into her car.  The engine started, the headlights turned on, and she waved through the passenger window before starting down the drive.

Weiss watched the car leave, the lights dimming and the silence returning with each passing second.  Only when the car disappeared onto city streets did she realize how silly she must look standing out there by herself.  Yet she didn’t budge.

She would have to go back inside eventually, returning to her ‘real’ life, but she wanted to delay the inevitable for a moment longer.  She wanted to savor something so magical and unexpected that she couldn't have dreamed it up in her imagination.  

Ruby, under her own free will, came to see Weiss.  She didn’t have to - she probably shouldn’t have after everything Weiss did - yet she had.

Maybe Weiss should be wondering what was wrong with Ruby.  Instead, with her heart still racing and a smile refusing to leave her lips, she replayed that hug over and over again while looking forward to Saturday.