What Defines Us - Chapter 37 (Patreon)

For the second day in a row, Weiss woke up without any clue where she was.  In addition to the confusion, this morning threw in the added bonus of a terrible crick in her neck and a way-too-bright room searing behind her eyelids.  Cracking her eyes open, she found herself staring up at...the sky?  

She tried to move, and a groan slipped out when her neck fervently protested.  Whatever she was sleeping on was somewhat comfortable, but lumpy and uneven.  It was the unevenness that sat oddly under her neck - propping her head up in an awkward position.  It felt like multiple pieces that weren’t perfectly molded together. Almost like sofa cushions.

Sofa cushions…like the ones Ruby had thrown onto the ground last night.

Turning tentatively to one side, Weiss’ mounting wish was immediately granted - Ruby was curled up nearby, still sleeping soundly with one hand gently grasping the ring hanging from her necklace.  The sight - which was nearly too precious to describe - sent Weiss’ heart bursting into a kaleidoscope of butterflies.

Last night actually happened.  It wasn’t just a wonderful dream - it was real.   

When Weiss was on the verge of sleep last night, she’d worried that morning would come and, with it, her night with Ruby would disappear.  The entire evening had been so many wishes come true that she believed it could be nothing more than a cruel dream - a trick her mind played on her, to which she’d willingly surrendered.

If it was a dream, she was still living it.  She could feel the feather-light breaths brushing against her cheek when Ruby exhaled, and the stiffness in her neck was definitely real.  Which meant their kiss...

Real, real, all of it was real.

Closing her eyes, she tried to contain her rapidly-expanding jubilation.  She was so elated she could probably fly herself to the moon right now. While she was there, she’d say ‘hello’ to Ruby’s mom and thank her for such an amazing daughter.

After the initial rush of happiness surged through her, Weiss opened her eyes and felt her heart instantly do another flip in her chest.  Reaching out, careful to move slowly so as not to disturb the peace settled over them, she brushed a few short strands of hair out of Ruby’s eyes.  When they fell right back into place, she smiled and dropped her hand to the cushion between them - content to savor this moment while it lasted.

When was the last time she’d felt so...light and free?  It felt as if the weights that had been dragging her down for quite some time had suddenly lifted - giving her the opportunity to feel what it was like to live a blessed, guilt-free life.  Talking, telling stories, laughing, being honest and free and open and together - it was all working wonders in breathing life back into her bones.

But what did this mean for them now?  What was Ruby feeling? She said herself that everything was a jumble of confusion that she needed to sort through, but what questions was she trying to answer?  How long might it take? It would be presumptuous to expect Ruby to want to get back together this instant, right?

No, those weren’t the questions Weiss should focus on right now.  For once, she needed to stop worrying about every possible answer in advance.  Their future, whatever it may be, would happen regardless of how much she overanalyzed every thought and action.  It was more important to be here right now, with Ruby.

Ruby...who was wonderful in ways that had yet to be explained.  For all she’d gone through and all she’d accomplished, she never lost sight of humility, compassion, and the drive to help others.  If there was anything Weiss wanted most in this world, other than Ruby’s safety, it was to help Ruby reach all of her goals and more.

When a soft sigh passed Ruby’s lips, Weiss couldn’t help wondering what thought or dream had been the source of it.  Would it be selfish for her to hope it was an alternate version of herself gracing Ruby’s subconscious? That sleep hadn’t separated them at all, but only changed the plane on which they interacted?

Still in the midst of that dream, Ruby shifted in a way that caused the sun to bother her eyes - so she shifted even more.  Another sigh appeared, this one sounding heavier and more annoyed than the first. Her fingers curled and then uncurled - releasing her ring before her eyes finally peeked open, sparkling silver appearing and disappearing while the haze of sleep lifted.

Ruby was waking up...and it was still the most adorable moment in the world.

“Good morning,” Weiss whispered while Ruby’s eyes blinked several times to clear the sleep away.

“Mmmmorning…”  

The mumble was followed by an adorable yawn that Ruby covered with one hand while stretching her other arm above her head.

“Did you sleep alright?” Weiss asked, drawing both Ruby’s gaze and a still-sleepy smile.

“Yeah...did you?”

The last two nights Weiss had slept so peacefully that today she was recharged and rejuvenated in a way she hadn’t felt in quite some time.  Not only was she sleeping well, undisturbed by bad dreams, but the events of the past couple of days had left her feeling lighter than air.

“I did,” she replied simply, feeling no need to go into those details at the moment.

“I can’t believe we fell asleep on the cushions,” Ruby said, sitting up and looking around.  “But you can’t beat that view, right?”

When Ruby unceremoniously flopped back onto the cushions to look up at the sky, Weiss felt a smile slip onto her lips.  If she woke up to this view every morning, she could die happy - and her reason had nothing to do with the beautiful sky up above.  

Even though the morning had already passed them by - and she probably had a hundred unread messages from work - she’d be completely fine lying here all day.  Just the two of them…‘hanging out’ again...how they used to.

When she heard a soft grumble of someone’s stomach, she realized staying here all day wasn’t an option.

“Are you hungry?” she asked, earning a happy look from Ruby in return.

“Pretty sure that’s a question with only one answer!”

Chuckling at the response, Weiss pushed herself to her feet before reaching down to pull Ruby off of their makeshift bed.

“Alright - let’s find breakfast.  And you can leave those,” she said, waving Ruby away from the cushions so they could walk downstairs together - hand-in-hand after Ruby took Weiss’ hand in her own.

“I had a dream I was a teacup,” Ruby mused as they headed down the wide staircase towards the kitchen.  

“A teacup?” 

“Yeah.  It was really weird.  I was super worried about getting broken, too.”  Her brow cutely creasing while trying to remember the dream, Ruby followed Weiss through the doorway of the kitchen on autopilot.  “People aren’t very careful with teacups!” Ruby concluded in a near whine. “I think I got a chipped tooth or something…”

After pulling out one of the chairs surrounding the large island and patting the seat for Ruby, Weiss gestured towards Ruby’s mouth.

“Show me a smile,” she directed, playfully making a show of checking each of Ruby’s teeth before smiling.  “No chips here - just a wonderful smile.”

The way Ruby beamed at the compliment made Weiss blush and turn to the cupboards for relief.  “Let’s see what we have…” she muttered, walking over to open the first door and peek inside.

Cooking was a hobby Weiss had only pursued due to Ruby’s love for food.  It had been a fruitless endeavor in the beginning - and rightfully so. She’d never cooked for herself before enrolling at Beacon, and suddenly she was trying to impress her perpetually-hungry partner?  The first few iterations of ‘breakfast’ had been...less than edible. 

As it turned out, Weiss was about as equipped to become a chef as Ruby was to win a walk-a-thon - meaning, not at all.  Memorizing recipes and instructions was easy, but there was a special magic needed to translate those directions into a finished product.  Surprisingly, it took some improvisation to react to what the food was doing, not just what the instructions told her to do.  It was a somewhat ironic parallel to her weakness in battle - where she struggled when her training and calculated strategies were thrown into disarray.

Fortunately, one member of their team was a master of improvisation.  

It was only after Weiss caved and asked Yang for help that significant improvement was made.  Already quite adept in the art of feeding Ruby - seeing as how she’d done it for most of their childhood - Yang was able to pass along some of Ruby’s favorite recipes while also teaching Weiss how to cook, not ‘cook.’

That was literally the entire first lesson - Yang using the word ‘cook’ in different tones until Weiss couldn’t even tell if that was the right word anymore.  

As anyone would have expected, it didn’t take long for the two of them to want to strangle each other in frustration, but they pushed through those struggles.  Personally, Weiss was driven by her desire to offer something of value to Ruby, while Yang wanted to pass along the title of ‘Person Ruby Goes to for Food.’

It hadn’t taken Weiss long to learn why Yang was so willing to give up that title - Ruby was an absolute vacuum cleaner when it came to any and all food.

Opening and closing several more cupboards and then the refrigerator, Weiss quickly realized how ill-prepared she was for Ruby’s visit.  Nothing in the house would appeal to someone like Ruby - there wasn’t enough sugar. 

Scrunching her brow and scouring the dusty collection of recipes in her head, Weiss took stock of what was available and tried to come up with something.  Thankfully, an idea popped into her mind.

“Would you like french toast?” 

“You can make french toast??”

“You didn’t think I could only make spaghetti, did you?” Weiss asked, turning around to shoot Ruby a playful look of disbelief.

“I mean...if you can make the world’s best spaghetti, you don’t really need to make anything else...”

Chuckling while pulling a mixing bowl from a cupboard and some measuring spoons from a drawer, Weiss sent a quick glance Ruby’s way.

“Would you eat spaghetti three times a day?”

“Yours?  Yeah, most likely.”

Failing to prevent a pleased smile from appearing, Weiss turned away to find a loaf of bread.  

She’d always loved the way Ruby doled out compliments.  They were genuine, honest, and not spoken to ingratiate any favor.  They were just...true.

“Well, thankfully I’m capable of making a few other things,” Weiss commented while setting a host of items on the island to prepare breakfast.

French toast was perfect.  It was quick and easy to make.  It involved limited ingredients, all of which were available.  And it was, or had been, one of Ruby’s favorites.

“Have you ever made french toast before?” Weiss asked while cracking eggs into a bowl.  The answer was ‘yes,’ but that was another first they’d shared at Beacon. What she was really asking was whether Yang or Blake had made french toast for Ruby during the past year.

“Nnnope!  But I have a ton of experience eating it!”

Smiling, Weiss motioned her head for Ruby to come over.

“You can help me,” she said before quickly scrambling the eggs and other ingredients together.  Leaving Ruby at the bowl, Weiss opened the loaf of bread and set a stack of slices by Ruby’s elbow.  “Soak these in the egg; then I’ll cook them.”

Obediently dropping the first slice into the bowl, Ruby stared at it while Weiss prepared the pan.

“Um…”

“Use your hands,” Weiss instructed with a grin, making sure to watch as Ruby stuck her hand into the bowl.  The expression she made next was priceless.

“This feels so weirddd!” Ruby squealed gleefully.  “Like a crazy spongey slug thingy!”

“Yes, ‘crazy spongey slug thingy’ is precisely how I’d describe it.  But don’t leave it in too long or it’ll get soggy.”

“Oh!”  

When Ruby hurriedly pulled out the piece of bread, they both watched as it split in half and one half plopped back into the bowl.  Ruby cringed, still holding one gooey half in her hand. 

“Uhh...this one’s mine.”

Shaking her head, Weiss brought the pan over for Ruby to drop the bread into before quickly fishing the other half out of the bowl.  “They’re all yours,” she commented while moving back to the stove. “I don’t normally eat breakfast, so that grapefruit over there is for me.”

“Grapefruit?  Ew.” 

When Ruby scrunched her nose, Weiss laughed.  Somehow, that reaction hadn’t changed in years.

“Exactly.  Ew,” she agreed with a smile as she turned her attention back to the pan.  “Try another piece?”

The second slice of bread made it to the pan in one piece, while the third and fourth were prepared to perfection.

“And now we flip -” Weiss muttered while slipping a spatula under a half-cooked piece and flipping it over.  “Voila!”

Proudly turning to Ruby, Weiss found silver eyes and a grin already set on her.  The look was enough to make her blush and turn back to the pan to flip the rest of the slices over.  

Ruby was staying close this morning, her presence always near Weiss’ elbow.  Even when Weiss couldn’t see Ruby out of her peripheral vision, she could pick out the smell of fresh roses nearby - a scent she loved above all others.

“Can you find a plate?” she asked, pointing in the general direction of the right cupboard.  Ruby wasn’t gone more than a blink of an eye before she was back, followed by a few rose petals that drifted lazily into the pan.  Calmly picking them out, Weiss arranged them in a small flower on the edge of Ruby’s plate for decoration before layering the finished french toast in the center.

“There you have it,” she commented, holding the plate out to Ruby.  “Breakfast is served.”

Briefly looking at the plate, Ruby turned back to Weiss with a warm smile.

“You’re amazing.”

A blush hadn’t even finished appearing on Weiss’ cheeks before Ruby raced over to the table and sat down.  Fishing out a fork and knife from a drawer, Weiss slid the silverware across to Ruby before realizing that they were missing one very crucial ingredient.

“Oh...we don’t have any syrup.”

“That’s ok!  I can eat ‘em like this!”  Using her fork to cut off a corner, Ruby happily popped the piece in her mouth.  Sighing in defeat, Weiss sat across from Ruby and carefully cut her grapefruit in half.

That wasn’t the optimal way to eat french toast though...

“I’m sorry.  I forgot you’d need syrup…” she muttered, taking a bite of grapefruit and looking around the kitchen as if a bottle of syrup would pop out of the cupboards.  When her eyes made their way back to Ruby, she caught another one of those heart-melting looks.

“What?”

“Uh, nothing,” Ruby immediately said.  When Weiss raised her brow in disbelief, Ruby caved and explained.  “Ok, uh, I was just kinda wondering…if maybe...” 

When Ruby shut her mouth and blushed profusely, Weiss felt her own cheeks warm.

Oh.  That’s what Ruby was getting at.

“You think we could, ya know.”  Tapping one finger quickly to her lips, Ruby just as quickly looked away.  “Again?”

“You don’t need to ask,” Weiss managed to answer, already feeling breathless in anticipation.

“Yeah, but I felt like -”  Pausing, Ruby hid her face in both hands while Weiss resisted the urge to do the same.  If this was what it was going to be like every time, she’d surpass her yearly blush quota in no time.  Considering she’d already been through this stage once before, shouldn’t she have a bit more maturity this time around?

Dropping her hands, Ruby quickly leaned forward and kissed Weiss across the table - catching her completely off guard in the process.  By the time her eyes closed and she breathed in the scent of roses, Ruby was already pulling away.

But with a pretty pleased grin on her lips.

“You taste like grapefruit.”

“You taste like french toast,” Weiss whispered back, her heart pounding wildly in her ears.  Ruby made an ‘mmm’ noise before taking another bite of her breakfast - that grin still set in place while she chewed.

A shiver ran through Weiss as she ate another piece of grapefruit, which tasted incredibly sour after that kiss.

“Are you cold?” 

“No, just -”  Suddenly, Weiss paused when she remembered something.  “Actually, there’s ice cream in the freezer.”

Her forgetfulness would have to be attributed to Ruby’s all-consuming company.  At least, that was her excuse as she retrieved the frozen treat.

“No way!  Ice cream with breakfast??”

“Don’t get too used to it,” Weiss teased while placing the container on the countertop with a spoon.  Ruby spun it around to read the top, where words had been scrawled in permanent marker.

“‘Welcome back, Ice Cream?’” she read aloud, her face scrunched in confusion.

“Your sister sent it,” Weiss explained while sitting down.  “A pretty clear sign that they knew where I was staying. It’s a play on the name ‘Ice Queen,’ something people used to call me.”

“Oh...I get it - since you’re so good with ice!” Ruby quipped before digging out a big scoop of ice cream and dumping it on top of her french toast.  The response made Weiss smile.

“Something like that...”

The fact that Ruby couldn’t see another application of that nickname filled Weiss with gratitude.  She liked to believe that she’d left that version of herself behind, and she was glad Ruby wouldn’t have to live through that maturing process once again.

“How are you feeling?” she asked while Ruby demolished her sugar-topped breakfast, hoping to uncover a greater understanding of how Ruby had taken the information from last night.  “Overwhelmed?”

Swallowing the bite in her mouth, Ruby shrugged and smiled.

“A bit - but in a happy way, you know?  I’m just glad I can spend time with you!”

The response was such an incredible relief.  Somehow, Ruby knew exactly what to say to take enormous weight off of Weiss’ shoulders.  When Weiss expected the worst, Ruby hardly flinched - taking life-altering information in stride.  But she’d always been the most resilient of the four of them...

After downing another bite that looked like nearly half a slice, Ruby tapped her fingers against the table in hesitation.

“I have a question though…” she finally said.  “If we were like...ya know, together after graduating, then - like, were we...I mean, where were we staying?”

It was like pulling on a thread.  The more Ruby pulled, the more everything unraveled.  But Weiss had made a promise that she’d be honest from here on out, and she intended to keep that promise.

“We were staying...together.”

“Like in a house somewhere?”

Looking at Ruby, Weiss battled with herself over how to answer that question.  Should she reply in the easiest of terms? Or should she commit to true honesty - and with it, complete disclosure?

The old Weiss, unfortunately, would hedge around the subject.  But today...Ruby deserved the answers she was seeking.

“Do you think you can absorb some more information?” Weiss asked instead of answering directly.

“You bet!  I’m just as spongey as that bread!  Only not really, cuz I won’t break in half if you leave me in egg too long.  Not that you’d leave me in egg too long because you know exactly how long is too long.”  When Weiss tilted her head in amusement, Ruby waved her hands and ended her ramble. “Or just yes.  Yes, I can absorb more information.”

“Then I can show you,” Weiss replied, clearing her plate and half-empty grapefruit off of the table, trying to ignore the bubble of doubt growing in her chest. 

Did she really want to do this?

“Field trip!” Ruby cheered before shoving the remainder of breakfast into her mouth and popping the top back onto the ice cream carton.

Once the ice cream was away and the dishes were in the sink, Weiss walked out of the kitchen with Ruby right on her heels.  Destination: memory lane.

Ruby was doing a very poor job hiding her excitement, as there was a noticeable hop in her step while she raced into the foyer.

“Is it far?”  

“Not very.  We’ll be there soon.”  

Weiss’ doubt only grew with those words, but she took a deep breath and pushed herself forward - away from the relative comfort of Winter’s home and into the car to set them on their course.  

“Shouldn’t you be at work today??” Ruby suddenly asked, fiddling with all of the buttons on the passenger side of the car but not pressing any of them.

“I told them I’d be out for a few days for The Invite,” Weiss explained, grateful for the change in conversation while heading along far-too-familiar roads.  “But yes, I’ll need to check in with them eventually.”

Feeling eyes on her, she glanced over and caught a sincere smile that made her instantly blush and turn away.  

Why hadn’t she told Ruby sooner?  If she’d known that this was how Ruby would respond, she would’ve come clean much, much earlier.  Although, realistically, it probably helped that they were already close when the news was revealed.

Regardless, she suddenly found herself grateful that the information was out in the open.  Not only had it pushed their relationship to another level, but the amount of stress it had done away with was remarkable.  Who needed a massage when there was this little thing called honesty?

“Oh!  We’re kinda near the shopping center!”

“It is.  We were frequent customers,” Weiss commented while navigating the streets.  Ruby made a soft ‘hmm’ in thought before continuing to stare out the passenger window.

The more familiar the streets became, the bigger Weiss’ bubble of doubt grew.  It was easy to convince herself back at Winter’s house that this was what needed to be done - for Ruby.  It was entirely different to think that this was necessary when her palms were beginning to sweat against the steering wheel.

But the decision had been made, and they reached the point of no return when Weiss drove through a set of gates and parked in front of the house that had sat silent for just over a year now.  A familiar feeling - fear - joined her growing doubt when they stepped outside. Suddenly, she was unsure if she could set foot inside, not knowing what demons she may be forced to confront.

“Is this...?”  

When Ruby turned to Weiss for confirmation, she took a quick breath and nodded.

“This was our home.”

The word still carried a certain amount of pain and longing in it - the type that made her heart clench in her chest.  

This was home.  This was where Weiss wanted to run when life grew increasingly rough, but the person who’d made it ‘home’ hadn’t been here.  Instead, it sat empty...just as alone as she had been.

“It looks nice!”  

It did look nice - well-maintained despite its lack of use.  Every precaution had been taken to make sure it never fell into disrepair, ensuring that it would survive in a time capsule - never changing even as the world around it did.

Taking a deep breath to collect herself, Weiss forced her feet up the steps to the front door, where she quickly punched in the entry code.  It was only after the door unlocked that she realized Ruby was no longer standing behind her. Turning around, she found Ruby still standing at the foot of the stairs, her eyes trained upwards as if the second story windows were in the midst of telling her their secrets.

“Ruby?” Weiss called out.

“Oh!  Yup, sorry, coming!”  Racing up the steps, Ruby gave Weiss an embarrassed grin.

“We can always leave -” 

“No!  I wanna go in!” Ruby quickly said.  “I was just trying to get a feeling for the vibe, ya know?  But I’m ready.”

Nodding at the response, Weiss balled her fingers into fists, pushed the door open, and stepped inside.

The familiarity was overwhelming.  The sights, the smells, the unique quiet broken only by the soft ticking of a clock in another room.  When Ruby’s shoulder brushed against hers, Weiss closed her eyes and struggled to remain calm in the midst of a sudden storm of emotions.

It was like coming home after a long trip - exhausted and worn through-and-through, but finally making it back to their space...together.  This was where they could relax and truly live, sometimes pretending as if everything beyond these walls ceased to exist.  This was their refuge from the never-ending wars. This was their safe place...their shelter…

This was their home.

The sound of footsteps made Weiss open her eyes.  Ruby walked further into the foyer - the dark wood floors making slight creaks as she walked - while her eyes took in every last inch of the space.  It was nowhere near as grand as the entryway to Winter’s home, but it was elegant in its own way. The chandelier was a touch Weiss had insisted upon, and it added a great deal of character to the air above their heads.  Thankfully, the broken vase had been cleaned up since Weiss’ last visit, leaving the foyer floor sparkling clean. And the photographs had been righted - drawing Ruby’s immediate attention.

“Wow!  This is a great photo.  You look so pretty!”

Weiss blushed while Ruby looked at a picture from Yang’s birthday party several years ago.

“I mean, you still are, but this picture is also really pretty!” Ruby stammered.  “You’re just pretty all the time. That’s what I’m trying to say!”

“Thank you,” Weiss murmured before stepping forward to join Ruby by the picture, leaving the safety of the doorway behind.  Being close to Ruby was comforting...that’s how she would get through this.

“So...are you gonna give me the grand tour?” 

Tour.  Right, of course.  Why wasn’t Weiss able to think properly at the moment?

“Yes,” she said, gesturing to their right.  “There are only three bedrooms - two for guests and then...the master.  The living room is through here -” 

Walking through the open doorway, Weiss paused in the center of the airy living room.  High ceilings, not overcrowded with furniture, ice-white curtains draping tall windows that looked out to the front and back lawns on either side.  A piano. Several floor-to-ceiling bookcases holding books on such a wide variety of subjects it would be impossible to group them together. During the day, sunlight filled the room, but at night a variety of standing and desk lamps provided ample lighting.

“Just the one,” Weiss joked lightly while Ruby walked over to the bookcases and ran a hand across the spines on one shelf.  “There isn’t room for an upstairs living room anyway…”

“Guess two living rooms is kinda excessive,” Ruby replied, her eyes only briefly landing on Weiss before scanning the room one more time.  “What kinda stuff did we do in here?”

The question caught Weiss off guard.  For whatever reason, she hadn’t anticipated that Ruby would want to know how they’d lived here.  She thought seeing would be enough, but, then again, why would that be enough when Ruby was openly curious about their life together?

“Well, we...we would read.  Or sit and talk after dinner.  Blake and Yang would come over often.  Or, I was teaching you some piano.”

“Am I any good then?” Ruby asked with a playful smile and nod towards the piano.  Weiss couldn’t help but smile in return.

“You’re...improving.”

Laughing at the diplomatic answer, Ruby walked back the way they came, turning around one more time to take in the room in its entirety.  “It does look like a great room for reading and chatting,” she commented absentmindedly on the way out.

“It was,” Weiss quietly agreed before leading them across the entryway to the room on the other side.

It was like walking through a living memory.  The pictures on the walls, the furniture, the random odds and ends strewn about.  Some were trophies from hunts or souvenirs from vacations, but everything was tied to the past in some way, shape, or form.  Even Ruby, though she didn’t remember, was a piece of that past. She belonged in these halls just as much as Weiss did.

“The kitchen,” Weiss announced when they entered the marbled masterpiece.  “And dining room,” she added, nodding towards the attached dining area that held a large wooden table and chairs.

“So this is where you made spaghetti and french toast!”  

“Among other things,” she added while a smile tugged at her lips.  “Thankfully, we didn’t subsist on just those two foods...or cold cereal.”

“Hey, I can make a mean bowl of cereal!”

If Ruby was going out of her way to help Weiss relax, it was working.  Every small comment was comforting and made her feel...more like herself.  Like her old self.

“And how do you provoke your cereal to such anger?” she teased, succeeding in drawing a laugh from Ruby.  

“I dunno...poke it a bunch?”

Their laughter was like medicine, working wonders as it ran through Weiss’ system.  It was easy for her to believe that as long as Ruby was happy and laughing, everything was alright.

“This looks like a nice place,” Ruby commented, again looking around with a small smile.  “It looks like...someplace I’d like to hang out and eat.”

The response made Weiss happier than she would have expected.  She loved this house - it was one of her favorite places in the entire world - but to hear that Ruby thought it looked like a nice place to spend time...that meant a lot to her.

“Well, that’s pretty much it for the first level,” Weiss said, dragging one finger across the island in the kitchen.  “Do you want to see upstairs?”

“Do you even have to ask??”

A part of her was searching for an early exit from this memory, but, thankfully, Ruby wouldn’t allow it.  Instead, Weiss gestured back to the entryway, determined to move on. 

As Weiss turned to lead the way, however, Ruby reached out and grabbed ahold of her hand.  Glancing at their intertwined fingers, she smiled and pulled Ruby up to the soft, carpeted living level.  It was a silent gesture, but it said one thing very clearly - they were in this together. 

“There are two guest rooms,” Weiss explained, heading to the pair of matching doors located above the living room.  Pushing one open, she stepped out of the way so Ruby could peek inside and see the lavender-themed room beyond.

“Who stayed with us?” Ruby asked, walking into the room while Weiss waited by the door.  She would have followed Ruby, but...the hallway felt much safer at the moment.

“Your sister and Blake if they stayed too late and didn't want to head home,” she answered, watching Ruby move around the room, trying to ignore the pinpricks of pain stemming from seeing Ruby in such a familiar setting.  “Or friends from Beacon - JNPR mostly. CFVY every once in a while if they were in town and needed a quick place to stay.”

Weiss had no idea if the team names were recognizable, but Ruby nodded as if it made sense to her - all while her silver eyes ceaselessly scanned the small room.  Eventually, she rejoined Weiss and immediately looked at the door across the hall. Sensing the silent question, Weiss stepped across the hall and pushed the second door open - again standing aside so Ruby could see.

“The second guest room.”  

This one was themed in a light yellow - a tasteful light yellow, unlike what Yang would have people believe.  Other than being shaded in a different color, the two rooms were practically mirror images of each other.  The same beds, the same chests of drawers...with varying pieces of artwork hung on the walls.

“I like ‘em!  They look comfy.”

“They are.  Nothing over the top though.”  

While Weiss spoke, she glanced at the only remaining door upstairs - the one down the hall.  If there was any room in this house that she was terrified of, it was the one behind that door.  Unfortunately, Ruby caught the look and turned that way.

“And that one?” Ruby prodded gently, giving Weiss what could only be described as an encouraging smile while gesturing towards the door.  It was almost as if she knew...as if somehow she sensed that it was becoming increasingly difficult for Weiss to press forward.

But they were going to move forward - together.  Together, they were strong enough to make it through this.

Walking down the hall with nothing but determination driving her forward, Weiss opened the door and gestured for Ruby to go in first before clenching a fist and following.  As soon as her eyes found the room beyond, she felt a vice tighten around her heart and throat - making it difficult to breathe while her pulse thumped painfully.

Everything was exactly how she left it - exactly how they left it - the morning they’d set out for the hunt.  She’d given the housecleaners explicit instructions to keep it clean, but not to move anything in this room.  And so it had remained...the perfect time capsule of their life together.

A small pile of washed, folded laundry was still sitting on the desk chair - Ruby hadn’t put it away the night before, but she’d promised to do it ‘later.’  On top of the desk were neat stacks of unused envelopes from the official wedding invitations they’d just mailed out. The large window overlooking the backyard still had a heart drawn on it in white marker, and Weiss still had no idea if it would ever come off because she didn’t know what type of marker Ruby used.   

It was all still here, just as it had been...right before this life ended...

“This is…?” 

“Our room…” Weiss replied before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath of unfamiliar air.  In Ruby’s absence, the room lost what she’d once considered a permanent aroma of roses. How long had it taken for the scent to wither away?  

It wasn’t a question she could answer.  In the aftermath of that day, she spent all of her time in the hospital.  When she finally started coming home at night, she’d stayed in the lavender bedroom - unable to bear staying in their room alone.

Feeling someone grasp her hands, her eyes shot open in surprise - finding silver eyes filled with concern.  

While Weiss teetered on the edge of this vast chasm of heartache, Ruby had returned to her side and was now watching her intently.

“Are you ok?” Ruby whispered, the soft question causing Weiss’ throat catch in sadness.

“I should be asking you that…” Weiss whispered back, hearing emotion running thickly through her tone - enough so that Ruby gave her hands a gentle squeeze.

“I’m ok.  I think this is a lot harder for you than for me...”

As Weiss let her eyes wander from Ruby back to the room, the desire to cry swelled in her chest. 

This was their life together.  This was what they’d lost. It was all right here - just...sitting here.  Abandoned. Left behind. 

Forgotten.    

The sense of loss was overwhelming, but when a sob rose to the surface, Ruby squeezed Weiss’ hands reassuringly - telling her without words that it was alright to cry now.  It was alright to mourn. It was alright to feel the weight of grief that had plagued her for so long.

But when one tear slipped out, no more followed.  The feeling abated. The tears receded, and the constriction in her throat loosened.

This was what they’d lost.  This was what they’d once had.  It was painful and sad and some days it hurt like hell, but...she couldn’t live in the past forever.  She’d eventually have to live for today, and for tomorrow. She’d have to find the good in what she had - and there was good to be found, beginning with the caring girl standing right in front of her.

“I’ll be alright,” she said softly, wiping away the tear and giving Ruby’s hands a squeeze of gratitude.  And for the first time in quite a long time, she believed the words she said. 

“Then...I can keep exploring?”

“Please feel free.”

Before moving away, Ruby gently rubbed Weiss’ cheek - where the solitary tear had been - before lightly kissing Weiss’ forehead.  Only then did she hop over to the closet door and throw it open, stepping inside with a gasp.

“Woah - this is huge!”

The reaction succeeded in making Weiss chuckle lightly, uprooting her feet from the floor and walking over to watch Ruby roving around inside.  Weiss had always loved this closet - it was big enough to hold all of her clothes with Ruby’s in between. Plenty of red and white...her favorite color combination.

“Are some of these are mine?” Ruby asked, pulling out a shirt that was most definitely not hers.

“Yes, many of them are yours.”

“Oh, this looks nice,” Ruby muttered while finding another random article of clothing - holding it out in front of her before sticking it back on the rack.  “And this too -”

Pulling out another outfit, Ruby looked at it and grinned.

“This is like shopping in a store that knows me super well!” she exclaimed.  “I really like this! Can I have it?” 

“Of course,” Weiss answered, smiling at how happy Ruby was right now.  “It’s yours, after all. Take what you want.”

Biting her lip in thought, Ruby turned and hung the outfit back up.

“I’ll come back and get it later,” she said shyly, making Weiss’ heart skip a beat in surprise.  

Would Ruby come back?  As in...she expected to come back to this house in the future?

Leaving the closet behind, Ruby walked over to the window next and looked outside.

“Is that the backyard?” she asked, pointing to the grass below.

“It is.  Come on; we can go see it.”

As they left their old bedroom behind, Weiss couldn’t help the soft sigh of relief that slipped out when the door clicked shut behind them.  That had been difficult, but not as paralyzingly impossible as she’d once expected it to be. Of course, she wasn’t alone. Ruby was here with her - helping her through every room.  Without Ruby...none of this would happen.

“Look at this!” Ruby exclaimed while jumping onto the back patio, spreading her arms wide towards the lawn stretching in front of them.  “It’s huge!  It would take Blake forever to push me to those trees back there!”

Smiling, Weiss followed Ruby to the railing of the porch and rested her arms on the wood.  The yard was one of the reasons Ruby wanted this house to begin with. It was nearly a full acre of flat land, with a couple of giant oak trees sprinkled here and there before reaching a section of woods in the distance.

Seeing it in such pristine condition - with stunningly green grass stretching from the porch to the trees - was a bit painful.  Gone was the trail of packed dirt Ruby had pounded into it while running around it like a racetrack. Now it looked like any other yard, not one that hosted individual track meets for one of the fastest girls in Remnant.

“We hardly ever sparred in the yard though,” Weiss commented, feeling an amused smile appear when Ruby turned to her in shock.

“We didn’t?  Why not? It’s perfect!  Look how big it is! And flat!”

“It is,” Weiss agreed before gesturing Ruby back into the house.  “Follow me.” 

“There’s more??”

The disbelief made Weiss smile while heading back through the door with Ruby on her heels.  It wouldn’t be a true Schnee household if it didn’t hide a secret.  Thankfully, this one was more of a pleasant surprise than a skeleton in the closet.

“Only the best part of the house,” she replied, stopping in front of a locked door located right off the entryway.  To the uninitiated, it might look like a storage closet, but that wouldn’t explain why it required a palm print to unlock it.

Ruby watched with wide eyes while Weiss placed her hand on the scanner and waited for the door to click open with an audible chime of approval.  Behind the door was nothing but a long staircase with a smoothly-polished handrail - no bumps. Ruby had expressly requested no bumps, although Weiss had only figured out later that the reason was so she could slide down the banister to the level below.

“Is it a dungeon??” Ruby asked in a hushed whisper of excitement, making Weiss laugh as she descended towards the basement of the home.

Today, Ruby walked too, and when they reached the bottom - some three floors below ground - they found themselves in a large, open room.  If the living area was small, the area hidden underneath the sprawling lawn was anything but. The moment they stepped into the room, the lights clicked on in rapid succession, illuminating the space in white light.  The floor was made of the same white panels as Beacon’s arena.  The walls and ceiling were the same white panels - stretching as far as they could see.

“No.  Way.” 

Jaw dropped in disbelief, Ruby looked as if she might stay rooted to the floor forever if Weiss hadn’t walked further into the room.  Ruby mindlessly followed before snapping out of her trance to look at the panel that stood in front of them - rising out of the floor with a large touchscreen stationed on the top.

When Ruby reached out and tapped the top of it, the screen sprang to life and turned a shade of ruby red that Ruby had picked out herself.  The computer system then loaded all of Ruby’s saved environments onto the screen - quite a long list at that.

“State of the art,” Weiss commented proudly.  “Well, it was. It could probably use a few updates by now...”

“But these things cost a fortune!” 

“They are quite expensive,” Weiss agreed with a laugh.  “But completely worth it.”

When it came to decorating the rest of the house, Ruby had been very reasonable.  But when it was time to design the combat room...well, Weiss had quickly learned the true meaning of the phrase ‘no expense spared.’

With her jaw still dropped in surprise, Ruby turned and noticed the locker slots built into the wall behind them.  Two of the spaces were currently empty, but the other two were filled with decorated lockers. Weiss’ had a rather simple and clean white snowflake near the top.  Ruby’s was covered in a swirl of red roses, complete with stems and shedding petals.

“Are these -?”

“Yes, this is where we kept our weapons.  In lockers so they could always be called to us, but down here where we could easily use them for training.”

“And the empty ones?” Ruby asked, pointing to the two empty spaces.  “Yang and Blake?”

“Yes.  We held team practices down here.”

“Then...where are their lockers now?”

The question made Weiss laugh and shake her head.  

“You know, I’ve been wondering the same thing.  I honestly don’t know what they did with them.”

Quickly forgetting the lockers, Ruby’s full attention returned to the room’s ‘brain’ - the control panel that operated every nook and cranny of this space.

“So you can create a Grimm right now?”

“Absolutely.”

Walking over to the panel, Weiss tapped through several menus before finding the right options.  Pressing a few more buttons, she looked up when a stationary Beowolf appeared in front of them - making Ruby gasp. 

“Oh my god.  That’s so cool!  He’s frozen!” Unafraid, Ruby rushed over to the Grimm statue and poked it in the arm.

“You can manipulate their characteristics, like their ferocity.  Or size…” ” Weiss explained, searching through more menus. Since she hadn’t used the system in quite some time, it took her longer than usual to find what she was looking for.  But eventually, she stumbled across the right options.

Dragging a slider down, the Beowolf shrank until it was nothing over two feet tall.  Ruby squealed in delight.

“So cute!” she said, crouching down to look at him.

“We can also make them bigger.”  The Beowolf grew until it towered over their heads, and Ruby had to crane her neck to look up at it.  

“Uh...I think I liked it better when he was small.”

Grinning at the response, Weiss made the creature tiny again.  In the past, they might have played around with the system quite a bit.  Hordes of tiny but very powerful Beowolves. One giant Beowolf who was so fast he was nearly impossible to catch.  The options were both endless and entertaining.

“We created quite a few maps and scenarios.  Well, you created most of them,” Weiss explained while launching one of Ruby’s favorite courses.  A trail appeared on the ground in front of them then, disappearing into a forest of newly-materialized trees.

“What did we use this for?” Ruby asked, stepping onto the marked path.

“You used it for racing.”

“Racing?  Who did I race?”

The question made Weiss smile. 

“Yourself, of course.”

Eyes wide, Ruby looked between the trail and Weiss several times.

“That’s my favorite kind of race!”

“Why don’t you try it out?” Weiss suggested.  “The system will start timing you as soon as you hit the treeline.”

“Yes!  Oh, but are there like...Grimm in there?”

“Not this one - it’s non-combat.  You used them to work on your agility and semblance.”

“Then yes!  I totally wanna do this!”  

Hopping up and down while swinging her arms back and forth, Ruby suddenly shot off towards the woods at full speed.  After Ruby disappeared into the trees, Weiss watched the timer on the screen while waiting for the girl to return. This was one of the shorter tracks, so it shouldn’t take too long...

A whirlwind of wonderfully fragrant air announced Ruby’s impending arrival, with the huntress herself skidding to a stop beside Weiss an instant later.

“Whoo!  That was awesome!  It’s all twisty and turn-y in there!  But how’d I do?” Ruby looked over Weiss’ shoulder at the screen, which flashed the time for them to see.  “That’s fast, right?”

“I’m not sure...but we can look at your records.”  Moving forward, Weiss tapped a button that displayed Ruby’s fastest logged times - and Ruby’s eyes immediately boggled.

“What?!” she shrieked in surprise.  “How’d I go so fast??”

“I have no idea,” Weiss replied with a chuckle.

“Oh!  I must’ve memorized the layout -”  Before Ruby could go any further with that train of thought, Weiss shook her head. 

“That would be nearly impossible to do.  You set it up to randomly generate each time.  These records aren’t for this exact course, but for ones that are identical in length, difficulty, and the number of turns or obstacles.”

Staring at Weiss in open-mouthed surprise, Ruby didn’t have an immediate response to that information.

“So you’re telling me…” she finally said.  “That if I run it again right now...it’ll be completely different?”

“Yes.  Don’t believe me?”  

When Weiss gestured towards the entrance of the maze, Ruby grinned.

“I totally believe you, but I still wanna try it out!” she said before blasting off.

Watching a trail of petals disappear into the trees, Weiss couldn’t help but feel infinitely more relaxed than she had when they’d toured the upstairs.  She’d forgotten how much fun it was to use the combat room with Ruby. Even though they’d run through thousands of simulations together, they somehow found a way to try new things.

When Ruby soared back from the woods, the screen flashed at them - a good sign.

“Looks like you made it into the top ten,” Weiss remarked with a smile.  “Congratulations!”

“Ninth though??”  Hands on her hips and breathing a bit heavy, Ruby looked at the screen in dismay.

“You intentionally made it difficult on yourself,” Weiss explained with a light laugh at Ruby’s consternation.

“I wanna try one more time!” Ruby finally said, hopping a few paces away and putting one hand on the ground like a sprinter.  “Count me down!”

“Alright.  Three...two...one…”

No sooner had Weiss’ finger tapped the screen did the environment shimmer into a new course and Ruby disappeared with an audible pop.  The next second a red blur shot past Weiss and a hit the wall behind her with a loud thud.  Spinning around in surprise, she found Ruby on the ground - upside down and leaning against the wall.  

“Ruby!  Are you alright?”  Rushing over in concern, Weiss knelt by Ruby’s side, but Ruby was already standing up.

“Uh...yup!” she replied, popping to her feet before slouching and rubbing the back of her head.  “What was my time??” Forgetting any potential injury, she rushed over to screen - which now flashed the number three.  As in three seconds.

“Yes!” Ruby cried out, pumping a fist in the air with a hop of success.  “Take that, past me!”

“Wow.  That’s...how did you do that?” Weiss asked, staring at the number while it slid into place at the top of the leaderboard.  Not having an answer, Ruby shrugged, and Weiss shook her head in disbelief. Just when she thought Ruby had maxed out her power...  “I think you officially broke your own system.”

“Naw.”  Squinting at the menus, Ruby pushed several buttons and looked very much like she knew exactly what she was doing.  “I can only hold that speed for so long. I just didn’t make these long enough! If they’re longer, I’d have to use my regular speed for at least part of it…”

Weiss watched Ruby fiddle with the system for several seconds before opening the small cabinet built into the base and pulling out what looked like an oversized scroll.

“Here,” she said, offering it to Ruby.  “Take this with you. You can design new maps with it.”

“Really?” Ruby asked, taking the tablet and turning it around to look at it.  “That’s so cool!”

“And feel free to come over and use the room whenever you want,” Weiss added.  “I’ll make sure it’s fully upgraded soon.”

“You’ll let me?  Wow, imagine how good I’d be if I had this to train with.”

When the comment made Weiss laugh, Ruby looked at her in confusion - confirming something that Weiss had vaguely suspected ever since that first hunt in the forest.  Ruby had no idea how good she was.

“You’re already extremely good, Ruby.  You don’t need any of this to be.” 

When Weiss waved towards the expensive simulation technology, Ruby shrugged in self-doubt.

“You think so?”   

“Yes,” Weiss answered emphatically, hoping Ruby would see even a fraction of her capability.  “How many teams did you see reach round five at The Invite? Three? Four? It’s not easy to do, but you got us there without any team training.”

Biting her lip, Ruby thought about that for a moment before finding a smile and shrugging again.  “I just remember all the times Blake and Yang kicked my butt. It doesn’t feel like that long ago!”

“And let me guess...they haven’t been clamoring to spar with you recently, have they?”

“Uh, no, but we’ve been busy.  And they didn’t want to get too worn out before The Invite.”

Smirking at the blatantly see-through excuses, Weiss shook her head.  “It sounds like they might be avoiding a ‘butt kicking’ of their own...”

“Now you’re just flattering me!”  

“I don’t flatter - I state facts,” Weiss teased while turning towards the only other door located off of the arena floor.  “But there’s one more room I need to show you.” 

“What else could there possibly be??  This is already the best house ever!” 

If Ruby already thought that this was the best house ever, then the next room would only be icing on the cake.  After Weiss swung the door open, Ruby stepped inside and gasped.

“What house of yours would be complete without a workshop?” Weiss asked, smiling at the expression of pure awe on Ruby’s face.

“This was my workshop?”

“Yes.  This was your space.  I have no idea what any of these machines or tools do though, so please don’t ask me.”

“That’s a Dust recirculator!” Ruby called out, racing over to what Weiss saw as a random piece of metal equipment.  “And this is an Aura generator. It mimics an aura for testing!”

Running her hands over each machine like it was made of gold, Ruby probably couldn’t be more starstruck than this moment - as she looked at her own contraptions.

“Wow.  I was fancy!” she finally summarized with a beaming smile that Weiss returned.

“Fancy and extremely skilled.”

Watching Ruby rest both hands on top of the workbench and gaze around, Weiss felt a wave of déjà vu sweep over her.  How many times had she seen Ruby just like this - brow crinkled in thought while picking out the next project she wanted to work on?

Noticing the time on the clock on the far wall, Weiss couldn't believe how quickly the day had slipped away from them.

“I should probably take you home,” she said regretfully.  “Yang is probably missing you.”

Biting her lip, Ruby cast one more a glance around the workshop before turning back at Weiss.  “It’s funny though because this used to be my home.  So technically I’m already home!”

Technically, they were both home.

Shaking her head when Ruby stepped around the workbench to join her, Weiss offered Ruby her hand as they made their way back upstairs.

“For some reason, I doubt Yang would agree with that argument,” she remarked as they walked upstairs.

“But she doesn’t have to agree with me.  I get to pick where I call home, right?”

“Sometimes you don’t get to choose,” Weiss replied, her breathing a bit elevated from their rapid ascent of the stairs.  “Sometimes a home just...springs into being.”

“Like fairies build it or something?” Ruby joked, making Weiss laugh and shake her head as they reached the main level of the house and headed to the front door.

“Not quite.  More like your heart just decides that it’s at home, and there’s nothing you can do but accept it.  That’s what happened to me.”

“Would you ever move back here?” Ruby asked as they stepped outside - where the sun was no longer high in the sky, but rapidly sinking below the horizon.  

“Not without you.”  

The honest reply slipped out without warning.  Weiss cringed at the implication behind the words, but Ruby only made a thoughtful sound before settling into the car with one last glance towards their past home.  

Grateful that Ruby wasn’t making a big deal over the statement, Weiss walked to the other side of the vehicle and quickly got inside.

“I hope that wasn’t too much…” she said while whisking them away from their past, her relief growing when the house faded from view. 

“No!  Definitely not.  I mean, I might as well smush as much stuff into my brain as I can, right?”

Weiss didn’t know if that was the best way to operate, but if Ruby was amenable to it...then that would have to work.

“Oh wait!  I recognize where we are!”  Suddenly much more alert, Ruby sat straight up in the seat and watched the streets pass them by.  “Yeah, we’re almost there!”

“So your sense of direction has drastically improved,” Weiss teased.  Laughing, Ruby sat back and stared outside for the next few minutes until the now-familiar little house in the middle of the street pulled into view.

“We’re not that far,” Ruby commented to herself when they arrived.

“Only a few minutes away.”

“Huh…”  Sitting back in her seat, Ruby stared out the window at the house but made no motion to get out.  Weiss didn’t want Ruby to leave either, but what was the other option? She’d already monopolized Ruby’s time for the past day.  She wanted more, but she also knew that she was greedy.

“Thank you,” Ruby suddenly said, turning towards Weiss with a bright smile.  “For...explaining things to me. And showing me our house.”

Ruby’s use of the word ‘our’ made Weiss’ heart do a flip of joy.  It was their home.  Ownership had nothing to do with who paid for it and everything to do with the time they’d spent filling it with good memories.

“You’re welcome,” Weiss replied with a nod.  “Thank you for being so understanding. I suppose...you have a great deal to think about.”  

Letting out a small huff, Ruby smiled.

“You can say that again!”

“Let me know if you have any more questions.  I’m more than happy to try to explain my decisions…”

“You’re not gonna apologize again, are you?”

“I don’t think I can ever apologize enough -”

“Yeah, you can!  And you already have.  Apologies - past, present, and future - accepted!”  

The way Ruby grinned made Weiss think it was that simple.  As if the burden of guilt she’d harbored all this time...all she’d needed to rid herself of that weight was Ruby’s forgiveness.  

“Well...I plan on spending the rest of my life making up for my mistakes,” she added anyway.

“At least you’re not a flight risk!” Ruby said, chuckling at her joke before growing more serious.  “So, uh...maybe you can come over tomorrow? We can hang out?”

It might sound like a mundane invitation, but it signified so much more than the simple words implied.  Ruby knew about Weiss’ mistakes - her past, her lies, her cowardice - yet still wanted her company. As if none of that mattered as much as she thought it did...

“I’d love to ‘hang out,’” she answered before the two of them smiled at each other for what felt like a long time.  Eventually, Ruby pushed open the door and hopped outside.

“Can’t wait!” she quipped before waving and jogging up to the front stoop.  Quickly unlocking the door, she raced through before pulling it closed behind her - but not without sending Weiss one last wave.

For several minutes, Weiss sat there and stared at the door Ruby had just disappeared through - too stunned to move.  

The events of the past few weeks were difficult to process when she thought of them as a whole.  At the edge of her memory, she could still feel the despondency and defeat that had eaten away at her morale.  It was only the depths of despair that drove her back to Vale - one last ditch effort to do the right thing before something catastrophic happened.

Then Ruby happened.

Ruby was like a ray of sunshine - a beacon of hope that Weiss might find some shred of forgiveness for her wrongs.  And within Ruby’s glow of cheerfulness and endless optimism, Weiss felt her heart warming and her vitality returning.  

There were still questions that needed to be answered, but if she had the strength to make it through a day like today...she might just make it through whatever the future threw at her.