What Defines Us - Chapter 39 (Patreon)

Invited over in the middle of the night?  What could possibly be so important? Why couldn’t it wait until morning?  

Those questions, along with a thousand possible answers, hadn’t stopped running through Weiss’ mind since Ruby made the unexpected request.  Of course, Weiss hadn’t even considered declining the invitation. If Ruby wanted her to come over, she would come over. Day or night. Rain or shine.  Sleep or no sleep. 

She was willing to drop everything and rush to Ruby’s side, but the urgency of this situation threw her off.  Was urgency a good sign or bad? What could have happened to create such urgency in the middle of the night?

The request didn’t fit with how they ended their day together.  When she dropped Ruby off at home earlier that evening, things between them seemed fine - albeit a tad off kilter.  Weiss understood that Ruby needed time to process the information she’d just received, but so far she’d absorbed everything in stride.  In fact, it felt like they’d made so much progress today while they sorted through the past together. What changed since then?

As soon as the message arrived on Weiss’ scroll, whatever exhaustion she’d been feeling disappeared.  She hadn’t been sleeping anyway - that was a fruitless endeavor she’d uselessly chased ever since bidding Ruby goodnight.  Instead, she was lying in bed while meticulously dissecting and analyzing every interaction they’d shared over the past two days.  This was a habit she was trying to break, but in this circumstance, she really couldn’t help it - not when the outcomes seemed to be pointing up.

Now this.  

Why was Ruby even awake at this hour?  Unless...had she found it difficult to sleep as well?  Had Weiss told her too much? Shown her too much? Was she struggling with the information, and that’s why she asked Weiss to come over?

That distressing thought made Weiss wish it hadn’t taken so long to get out of the house.  Usually, it wouldn’t take her longer than a few minutes, but - quite honestly - she hadn’t known what to wear.  It was a silly issue, but an issue nonetheless. What outfit was appropriate when rushing over in the middle of the night for an unknown conversation that most likely had something to do with her recently disclosed past?

Eventually, she’d decided to pretend that it wasn’t the middle of the night and dressed as if it were a regular afternoon.  A regular afternoon where the moon was out, and the rest of the city was sleeping.

It was unexpected and unconventional, but this entire episode shouldn’t be surprising.  Ruby had never been the most conventional of souls.

When Weiss finally arrived at the small house, there were no lights to be found.  All was dark and quiet in the neighborhood, as well. 

Thanking the taxi driver and stepping outside, she walked as silently as possible to the front door - trying not to disturb the eerie quiet.  When she stepped onto the front stoop and the door didn’t automatically open for her, she thought of what to do next.

Pulling out her scroll, she sent a quick ‘here’ to Ruby before waiting.  And waiting. Several minutes passed, but no response returned to her.  

Time for Plan B, but what was Plan B?  Was the front door still appropriate? Should she knock?  If Blake and Yang were asleep, the last thing she wanted to do was knock and wake one or both of them up.  

No, she shouldn’t knock.  Instead, she sent another message to Ruby - a succinct ‘Ruby?’ - before hesitantly reaching out and trying the handle.  It was locked.

Taking a step back and looking at the front of the house, she tried to figure out what her next step should be.  

Where was Ruby?

Clicking the call button on her scroll, Weiss held the device to her ear and listened to it ring and ring before switching over to voicemail.  Sighing out loud, she ended the call without leaving a message. 

Ruby’s scroll was probably programmed to silence incoming calls after a particular time.  It was a useful feature in many instances, but a favorites list needed to be established to ensure she still received important calls.  Not that Weiss was so presumptuous as to assume she’d make that list...or that her calls were important. In fact, maybe Ruby had already created a list of favorite contacts, and Weiss hadn’t made the cut.

Disheartened by the thought, she tried to convince herself that Ruby just hadn’t played with those settings while taking a step back towards the sidewalk.  Tapping the side of her scroll against her leg, she finally decided that she’d try the side of the house instead of using the front door. A small strip of grass running parallel to the garage would lead her to the backyard.  From there, she could reach Ruby’s bedroom window - and hopefully not scare the living daylights out of the possibly-sleeping girl by knocking on the glass.

Why was Weiss going through so much trouble?  If no one answered the front door or responded to her messages, the appropriate response was to either wait out front or go home and try again later.  Why was she diverging from proper manners? Sneaking around someone’s house to reach their bedroom window was the epitome of a teenager pining for their muse.

But maybe Ruby fell asleep in the time it took Weiss to get here.  Or maybe this was a test of some sort. Maybe Weiss was supposed to find a way to Ruby when the most obvious path was blocked.

Settled upon her plan, she strode across the grass in the front yard before walking across the concrete driveway leading to the garage.  On the far side of the property was a fence separating her from the backyard, but the short set of flimsy boards wouldn't be a problem at all.  Using a single glyph, she catapulted herself over the fence - and landed directly in a shrub she hadn’t seen on the other side.

Lovely.

Yanking her foot out of the twigs and stumbling forward a couple of steps before regaining her balance, she brushed off her clothes and said a silent thanks that no one witnessed that unfortunate failure.  But who planted shrubbery along a fence?

Hurrying past the side of the garage before turning the corner into the backyard, Weiss barely caught sight of a flash of movement that she burst away from on instinct.  But, as she slid backward, something grabbed the backs of her heels, dragging her off balance before a substantial weight hit her squarely on the chest - knocking the air from her lungs and sending her crashing to the ground.  In under a second, she found herself on her back in the grass staring down the edge of a blade.

“Don’t m- oh, Grimm.  Weiss!” Quickly putting Gambol away, Blake reached down and pulled Weiss back to her feet.  “What’re you doing out here?”

Holding up one finger, Weiss crouched over and put one hand on her knee while trying to regain the breath Blake’s heels had just knocked from her lungs.

“Ruby...asked me…” 

“Why didn’t you use the door then?  Why are you sneaking around?”

Still waiting for her lungs to re-inflate, she was only capable of shaking her head while Blake waited for an answer.  Thankfully, the back door burst open at that moment, and Ruby flew outside.

“I’m so sorry!  I fell asleep!” she wailed while racing to Weiss’ side.  “I closed my eyes for like a second and missed your message!”  

As Ruby set a hand on Weiss’ shoulder in concern, Blake looked between the two of them before shaking her head and sighing.

“I’m going back to sleep…” she mumbled before stalking inside.

“Sorry!” Ruby called out after Blake before grimacing.  “Whoops...are you ok though? Did she hurt you?”

“Only my pride…” Weiss muttered with the air she’d managed to reclaim, rubbing at the spot on her collarbone where she’d probably have boot prints for the next few days.  

That had been a rather large lapse in spacial awareness on her part.  Avoiding Blake’s attacks when she was in full stealth mode was difficult on the best of days, but Weiss should’ve been able to escape the ribbon pull, at least.  Instead, she was easily apprehended like some common criminal.

After shaking her head at her floundering skills, she finally looked at Ruby - more specifically, what Ruby was wearing.

Weiss was overdressed.  Well, anything was overdressing a jacket thrown over strawberry-patterned pajamas and a matching pair of fuzzy slippers.  Of course, somehow Ruby pulled it off and looked absolutely adorable.

Coughing lightly into one hand, Weiss couldn’t prevent a smile from appearing.  The fuzzy slippers were just too cute. That and being back together, no matter the pretenses, was worthy of a display of happiness.  

And, from the grin Ruby currently wore, she might be feeling the same way.

“Hi,” Weiss finally said, dipping her head in greeting.

“Hey!  Thanks for coming over!”

The response reminded Weiss that she didn’t know why she’d come over - and why the two of them were standing outside in the middle of the night.

“Of course.  But...what’s the occasion?” she asked, wondering if she really wanted to know what caused this impromptu meeting, or if they could pretend this was a planned continuation of their day together.

“Oh, uh, right.”  

After glancing towards the house, Ruby took Weiss’ hands and led them towards the woods at the edge of the yard.  Curiosity growing as Ruby guided her through the darkened trees, Weiss eventually recognized where they were headed - the small clearing where she’d tried and failed to catch a butterfly.

Tonight, the clearing was filled with moonlight, making it possible to see within the blackness of the woods.  And at this distance from the house, they probably had privacy from Blake’s ears - which must’ve been Ruby’s intent.

But what did Ruby have to say that she didn’t want Blake to overhear?  And why was she suddenly shuffling her feet against the forest floor, as if uncertain about moving forward at all? 

“First, I...uh, I wanted to apologize.”

Now that was unexpected.

“What?  Ruby, you have nothing to apologize for,” Weiss replied emphatically.

“Well I want to anyway!  And I took all your apologies, so you gotta take this one, ok?”  When Ruby’s imploring eyes met Weiss’, her resolve immediately wavered.  Without Weiss even saying as much, Ruby somehow understood - and sucked in a big breath before continuing.

“I wanted to say…”  Pausing, Ruby furrowed her brow in such unmistakable sadness that Weiss’ heart clenched.  “I wanted to say that I’m sorry I got hurt and made you run away and caused you all this pain.”

“That wasn’t your fault -”

“But I was involved in some way, doesn’t that make me partially to blame?”

“Of course not,” Weiss immediately replied.  A small voice in the back of her mind called her out for the hypocrisy of that statement.  She spent the last year blaming herself for Ruby’s injuries, but that was different. That was actually her fault.

...right?

Fortunately, Ruby’s apologetic expression lessened with Weiss’ words.

“I’m still sorry it happened,” she said, glancing at a small piece of paper tucked within one of her hands.  “And how much it changed...everything.”

“What’s that?” Weiss asked, nodding towards Ruby’s hand.  Ruby willingly extended the paper, which Weiss accepted and turned around so she could see.

It was a photograph, and as soon as she could make out the details under the moonlight, she smiled.

“I remember this,” she remarked, touching a finger to Ruby’s grinning image.  “We were on winter break and a large snowstorm had just passed through. Everyone headed outside to build snowmen and start snowball fights.  Velvet ran around taking photos and asked us to pose for one. We’re laughing because right when Velvet told us to smile, Nora fell out of a pine tree and disappeared in a pile of snow.”  The memory made Weiss pause and chuckle. “The noise she made was one of the funniest things I’ve ever heard.”

When Weiss offered the photo back, Ruby accepted it like it was some prized treasure.

“Where’d you get it from?” 

“Uh...just something Yang gave me,” Ruby replied before grinning.  “I really like it.”

On any given day Ruby’s train of thought could be random and jumpy, but there were certain instances, like this one, where the randomness wasn’t quite right.  She was random, but usually in a strangely-purposeful way.  

Inviting Weiss over in the middle of the night to show her this old picture was only random.  There wasn’t any purpose to it - at least, not that Weiss could see.

Ruby was stalling.  But why was she stalling?

A part of Weiss didn’t want to know what Ruby was avoiding.  But another part of her was immensely curious.

“Was there something you wanted to ask me?” she guessed, hoping that the question would draw out an answer.

“No, I...I wanted to tell you something.”

The more Ruby squirmed, the faster Weiss’ heart beat in anticipation and trepidation.  Swallowing once in an attempt to alleviate her nerves at what was to come, she nodded once and steeled herself.

“I’m listening.”

Shifting between her feet and playing with the hem of her jacket, Ruby let out a huff of air before meeting Weiss’ eyes with an air of determination.

“I wanted to tell you that...I like you, Weiss.  Like a lot. I think you’re the most amazing person ever.  You’re beautiful and funny and smart and generous and just being around you makes me happy!”

Worry or concern left Weiss like the air out of a deflating balloon.  Any of those compliments by themselves would have her walking on Cloud 9 for an entire day - receiving them all at once was nearly too good to be true.

Although, after everything she admitted last night, for Ruby to use the term ‘like’ felt as if they were stuck in the same spot they’d been in before.  It was better than moving backward, but... 

“I like you too, Ruby,” Weiss answered with a smile, willing to accept whatever feelings of affection Ruby offered.  Because she understood now that it was better than nothing - anything from Ruby was better than being without her.

But Ruby shook her head.

“No, no.  Not like that.  I didn't mean it like that.”  

Confused by the response, Weiss watched Ruby’s eyes shift to the house before snapping back to her.  

“I mean that...I like you...how Yang likes Blake.”

How Yang likes...but Yang and Blake - did Ruby...could she mean…?

Suddenly, Weiss’ heart was beating almost too loudly for her to hear anything else.  Swallowing again, she licked her lips before responding.

“But Yang...loves Blake.”  

The look she gave Ruby begged for clarification on what Ruby was trying to say.  A red blush and nod were more than enough of an answer.

“Uh, yeah.  Yeah, like that.  I kinda, I mean, I know now that I...love you, Weiss.”

If a meteor landed beside Weiss at this instant, she wouldn’t notice.  If the earth split apart and began spewing lava, if a hurricane passed overhead, if a twister touched down and broke the woods into splinters...she would still stand there - staring in absolute dismay.

A prompt response was probably desirable in a moment like this, but she never dared dream that this could happen again.  What they’d once had was lost - forever -

“And I know that it’s fast or whatever, but I can’t help it!” Ruby continued when Weiss didn’t respond.  “I have all these feelings and it doesn’t feel right to hold them inside anymore. I don’t really understand like a hundred percent of it, but I wanted you to know - I feel like you need to know -”  

The longer Weiss stayed silent, the faster Ruby spoke.  But she couldn’t believe this was happening. All those nights she cried over losing Ruby...the sleep she lost knowing that she’d never love like that again... 

“I love you too,” she blurted out in the midst of Ruby’s rambling.  When Ruby returned a look of shock, Weiss blushed and added, “I mean, I...like you too.  How Yang likes Blake…” 

Her embarrassment disappeared at the look of elation on Ruby’s face - she was beaming, bright as a ray of sunshine.

“Then you still love me?” Ruby asked, the question causing Weiss’ heart to overflow with affection.

“Ruby...I never stopped.”

Letting out a relieved laugh, Ruby bounced on her toes - a symbol of excitement refueling her veins.

“Then...I know we used to be really close.  And we had a lot. I’m sorry I forgot all of that, but maybe...uh, maybe we could like...try again?”

“Try again?”

“Yeah like, you know, we could...be together?”  

When Ruby pressed the tips of her two forefingers together, Weiss stared.  

Together.  As in together together.

Her heart wasn’t built for this much rapid beating.

“Are you asking me out?” she asked breathlessly.

With a nervous laugh, Ruby ran a hand through her hair and flashed a shy grin.  “I’m trying? But not just asking you out. Like, I’m asking if...what we used to have before I got hurt...will you like, save that spot for me?  Cuz I kinda want it back.” 

“Of - of course I will.  There could never be anyone else,” Weiss replied as her tone filled with inescapable emotion.  

What Ruby was saying - that she wanted her spot back - that must also mean that she…

She wanted Weiss back.

How was this possible?  It seemed too good to be true - too amazing to be real.  All of the doubt Weiss had wasted upon herself, only for Ruby to prove that their relationship hadn’t been a fluke.  It wasn’t some mistake that would reveal itself in time. Ruby loved her - even though she was more flawed than anyone else she knew.  Ruby found ways to love her.

Overcome by emotion, her eyes filled with tears, which immediately made Ruby’s eyes widen.

“Oh no, I’m sorry!  I didn’t mean to make you cry!!”

“Please don’t be sorry,” Weiss managed to reply while wiping tears away with her sleeve.  “I’m just...happy…”

A short laugh slipped out while she tried to get her emotions under control.

“I really love you,” she mumbled before wiping her eyes a third time and smiling at Ruby, who smiled in return.

“So...can I like...kiss you now?”

“Ruby,” Weiss replied in a playfully scolding tone.  “You don’t have to -”

Quickly stepping forward, Ruby tilted Weiss’ chin up with one hand and kissed her on the lips mid-sentence.  She was completely unprepared, but this time Ruby lingered long enough that she was able to return the kiss with all her heart.

It felt so good to say those words aloud.  Ruby, I love you - I love you, I love you, I love you - to the moon and back.  More than anything in all of Remnant.

When Ruby eventually pulled away, blushing madly, Weiss resisted the urge to follow and instead raised one hand to gently touch her lips.

“Ha…” Ruby breathed out before shaking her head, sending her hair ruffling.  “I still...gotta get used to that…”

Before Weiss could respond, Ruby covered her reddened cheeks with both hands.

“Oh my god!  And my mom totally could’ve been watching that!”

When Ruby looked up through the trees to the moon, hands still covering her flushing cheeks, Weiss reached out to take one of Ruby’s hands and laughed softly.  Right now, she felt as light as air - as if the loss and pain from the past year had finally washed from her hands and mind, allowing her to breathe again.

“I’m sure she turned away for a few seconds,” she replied, giving Ruby’s hands a reassuring squeeze.  

The next second she was wrapped in Ruby’s arms for a tight hug - one that was different from the previous hugs they’d shared.  Maybe it was only Weiss’ imagination, but she thought she could feel a hint of the protectiveness Ruby used to hold - as if she was using the hug to create a physical barrier between the two of them and the rest of the world.  It made Weiss feel safe and secure and...loved. 

With one more comforting squeeze, Ruby lifted Weiss’ feet right off the ground before setting her down and releasing her with a grin.

“Hey, you’re not that heavy!” 

“I’m not...did you think I was??”

If anything, Weiss was currently under the ideal weight for her height.  Could it be this outfit? Was it adding to her frame in an unflattering way?

Eyes widening in horror, Ruby rapidly shook her head.

“Of course not!  You’re super skinny!  Like, so skinny and beautiful!  I was just saying, I mean, you’re light enough that I could probably carry you!”

Understanding that Ruby had just suffered another unfortunate ‘foot in mouth’ incident, Weiss shook her head and laughed while letting it go.  Relaxing back into a grin, Ruby took a step closer - close enough that the tips of their feet were nearly touching. Tearing her eyes away from silver for an instant, Weiss glanced up at the moon and let out a large sigh of relief.

“I’m so glad you asked me to come over...” she breathed out, turning back when she felt one of Ruby’s hands lightly touch her waist.  Everything Ruby did held an air of hesitation at the moment, as if wondering where her boundaries were.

If it was permission Ruby sought, Weiss was more than willing to grant it - which she did with a smile that made Ruby immediately relax.

“Me too!”  Regaining some nerves, Ruby bit her lip and peered down at Weiss with imploring eyes.  “Do you...do you think you could stay over? I kinda like not being alone. Unless you have somewhere else to be.”

The request was heartwarming...and served to solidify what they’d just confessed to each other.  Not only was Ruby accepting the past that had just come to light, but their present didn’t seem affected by the disclosure.  If anything, they’d only grown closer...through Weiss finally finding the courage to be honest and forthcoming.

“It’s flattering that you think I’m popular enough to have plans in the middle of the night,” she answered in a slightly teasing tone.  “But I have nowhere else to be. Even if I had plans, I’d gladly cancel them for you.”

With that decision made, the two of them shared a smile that felt like it could last forever.  That is, until a cold wind raced through the clearing and Weiss shivered - a shiver that didn’t go unnoticed by Ruby.

“Are you cold?  Let’s go inside!  We don’t have to keep standing out here.”  

Without waiting for a response, Ruby took Weiss by the hand and led them through the dark trees to the door of the house.  After sneaking across the creaky porch and stepping inside, Ruby raised one finger to her lips and made a quiet ‘shhhh’ noise.  When Weiss nodded in acceptance of the gentle instruction, they padded silently down the hall before ducking into Ruby’s bedroom.  Once Ruby closed the door, she leaped onto her bed and patted the covers in front of her for Weiss to sit down.

“Just so ya know, Blake can hear into my room perfectly,” Ruby warned while Weiss attempted to sit as properly as possible, but sitting in the middle of a bedspread wasn’t the most welcoming of places for etiquette.  Eventually giving up, she followed Ruby’s lead and crossed her legs.

“Understood.  So we shouldn’t say all the bad things we planned to talk about?” she joked.

“Oh yeah.  Guess we can’t talk about how much she annoys us with her constant talking about tuna and salmon!” Ruby replied in a hushed voice before giggling softly.  “And what about how she secretly loves the AchieveMen?  I know for a fact she only pretends to hate them so no one thinks she’s a huge nerd like Yang.”

Pausing for a second, Ruby tilted one ear towards the bedroom door as if she expected Blake to burst in at any moment.  When several seconds passed and nothing happened, she turned back to Weiss with a pleased grin.

“She’s either asleep or seriously annoyed with you now,” Weiss replied, shaking her head at Ruby’s antics.

“Guess I’ll find out tomorrow!”  

Grinning from ear-to-ear, Ruby grabbed onto her feet and rocked back and forth on the bed.  The action made Weiss smile for no reason other than that Ruby looked so happy. And seeing Ruby happy made her happy.

“You and Blake are close,” Weiss finally commented after it became clear Ruby was perfectly content to sit and beam forever.

Ruby and Blake’s relationship never seemed out of place because they were always good friends, but taken in the context of the past year, the two were remarkably close.

“Yup!” Ruby confirmed, adding some nods to boot.  “She’s like my second sister. You know, the one that doesn’t tease me all the time or threaten to hit people.”  Chuckling, Ruby shook her head before growing slightly more serious. “She encourages me when I need it, and she gives great advice.  I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. Or any of you.”

“She does give excellent advice,” Weiss admitted while gratitude swelled in her chest for Blake’s support of both her and Ruby during the most trying period of their lives.  “But I wouldn’t doubt yourself so much. You’ve always been exceptional at making the impossible possible.”

“Is that how I got you to like me?”

Flushing, Weiss shook her head but couldn't think of anything to say in response.  Normally, she had no problem issuing a comeback to any statement, but Ruby could be so unassumingly charming sometimes... 

“You only have to be yourself for me to love you...” Weiss managed to say after re-finding her words.  

Love - the word bounced around her mind in big neon letters as soon as it slipped past her lips.

Ruby loved her.

Whatever exhaustion she’d felt earlier that night had disappeared.  Instead, she was filled with light, joyful energy that probably wouldn't go away anytime soon.  Thankfully, Ruby didn’t appear anywhere near sleep either - not while she was rocking on the bed and grinning at Weiss.

“Can you tell me more about yourself?  Like...what were you like as a kid? Growing up?”

The questions made Weiss chuckle while shaking her head in disbelief.  Ruby was getting all of the unbecoming stories up front.

“I had a very...regimented...childhood,” Weiss answered regardless, feeling her brow crease when she recalled her younger years in detail.  “My family had money, but that didn’t mean I had the freedom to do what I wanted. The days were structured for me - 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. schooling, 4 to 6 private tutors, 6 to 7 dinner, 7 to bed a rotating schedule of more training, vocal lessons, piano lessons, or etiquette instruction.”

“That doesn’t sound very fun…”

“No, but by the time I arrived at Beacon, I was accomplished, capable, and extraordinarily full of myself.”

“I don’t believe that at all!” Ruby replied with a vigorous shake of her head.  “You’re so nice and down-to-earth!”

Maybe it was a blessing in disguise that Ruby didn’t remember what Weiss was like when they first met.  Being forced to work with teammates, not being appointed a team leader...those were some of the best things that ever happened to her.  They were extremely humbling, but that’s exactly what she’d needed.

“What’s something you really like to do?” Ruby asked next.  “Like a hobby? Do you have a hobby?”

“I enjoy singing,” Weiss admitted after a slight pause.  “I was forced into it, but I like creating music in some way.”

“I bet you sound like an angel!  Will you sing for me sometime? Please?” Ruby asked the question so earnestly, Weiss couldn’t help but laugh.

“Of course.  Someday I’d be more than willing to.”

Satisfied with that answer, Ruby rocked backward and then forward once more - with that same grin refusing to leave her face.

“If I ask questions about myself - my old self - will you answer them?  I won’t freak out, I promise!” Ruby added when Weiss opened her mouth to express hesitation. 

At this point, was there any point in keeping the past from Ruby?  If she wanted to know...if she was willing to ask the questions and hear the answers...then why shouldn’t Weiss give them to her?  

“I guess you hardly freaked out about me being your partner…” Weiss replied, growing more certain in her answer by the second.  “So yes. I will.”

“Great!  This’ll be fun!  It’ll be a test of how well you know, er, knew me!  I’ll start with the most important question.  What was my favorite flavor of ice cream?”

Ah - these were easy questions.  Weiss knew the answer as easily as she knew her last name.

“Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate.  Or Smushed Grimm, depending on your mood.”

“Those are both great!  I think I’ve liked Smushed Grimm since I was like two.  What about favorite type of cookie?”

“Snickerdoodle.”

“Snakerdoodles??  No wayyyy!” Ruby cried out before laughing merrily.  “That doesn’t seem right. It’s chocolate chip, for sure.”

“Noted,” Weiss replied, dipping her head.  This time it didn’t bother her one bit that that piece of Ruby had changed.  If anything, it only made it more difficult to become a master of all things Ruby - something Weiss once prided herself in being.  And one day, she would be again. 

“Favorite thing to eat?  Like for dinner?”

“Spaghetti.”

“Because you can’t mess with something perfect.  Oh! Is that why you make such good spaghetti?”

Flushing when Ruby put two-and-two together, Weiss averted silver eyes while answering.  

“I may have made it more than a few times...” she hedged in response, causing Ruby to beam before searching for another question.

“Favorite...time of day?”

“Night, usually.”

“That’s funny!  Now I’m a morning person.”

“I am too,” Weiss replied with a smile.  The two of them shared an equal look of curiosity - both trying to figure out what might have caused that change - before Ruby shook her head and carried on.

“Favorite memory of the two of us?”

This time when Weiss opened her mouth to respond, no words came out.

“That’s...hard to decide…” she said while scouring her mind.   There were so many moments marked as her favorites. The day Ruby made Weiss skip classes for the first time.  Their first kiss. The moment Ruby said ‘yes.’ Their second first kiss. The list went on and on...and kept growing. 

“Ok, how about favorite memory with the two of us and either Blake or Yang, but only one of them.” 

The oddly specific question made Weiss chuckle while trying to think of an answer.  It was rare that the two girls weren’t together, which severely narrowed down the selection.

“Most of the time when Blake and Yang are apart, they’re moody about missing each other,” she explained.  

“Really?” Ruby asked.

“Yes.  It was cute though.  Especially before they were officially dating.”

“I can’t even imagine them not dating!  They’re perfect for each other!”

“That’s what everyone else thought,” Weiss replied with a shake of her head.  “Unfortunately, it’s not always so simple.”

It had been incredibly obvious to the rest of Beacon, yet somehow the two girls took an eternity to get on the same page with their feelings.  It had taken a spurt of courage and determination on Yang’s behalf, plus just a little bit of meddling, to finally create the couple who would test the limits on public displays of affection.  

“I can understand,” Ruby added with a cheerful grin.  “I definitely didn’t understand how I felt about you for a long time!”

“But it all worked out in the end,” Weiss added, to which Ruby nodded enthusiastically.  While Yang eventually succeeded in breaking through Blake’s walls, Ruby easily hurdled every barrier Weiss had set up protecting her heart.  The two sisters were undaunted by any setbacks - a part of their personalities that shone through more often than not.

“Anyway,” Weiss continued after a slight pause.  “I do have one though. Yang was sick with a nasty flu, so you, me, and Blake headed out on a trial hunt without her.  A trial hunt was monitored by one of the professors, so if we got into real trouble, they would help us. We were tasked with finding and killing ten Ursa - a decently-sized objective at the time.  Well, we found thirty.”

“Oh no,” Ruby replied with wide eyes.  “Did we have to get rescued?”

The concern made Weiss laugh.

“You’d think so.  If Professor Goodwitch had been in charge, she would’ve had us out of there in a heartbeat.  But Professor Oobleck is a tad more...unconventional. He left us to see what we could do.”

Recalling the memory, Weiss could still feel the momentary confusion and panic when they realized just how large the den was that they’d stumbled upon.  Personally, she’d expected their professor to show up at any second to bail them out, but as precious time ticked away it became clear that wasn’t going to happen...

“You have to understand that up until this point, Yang was our primary damage dealer,” Weiss tried to explain so that Ruby could understand why this memory was significant.  “She was the one who barreled into them. You dealt secondary waves of damage while Blake and I acted from the periphery. Without Yang, we didn’t have that shield in front of us drawing their attention.  But we killed them all anyway.”

“We did??”  Ruby’s eyes twinkled in excitement at the story, which only made Weiss happier in telling it.

“Yes,” she replied with a nod.  “We figured out a way.”

“Why’s that your favorite memory?”

“Well, again, there’s not many to choose from where Yang’s not whining like a child or Blake’s not silently moping, but that was one of the moments when I think we realized what we were capable of.  Even taking one of us away, we adapted and overcame.”

“So we don’t need Yang after all!” Ruby playfully cheered.

“That’s right.  And believe me, I reminded her of that constantly for the next few weeks.  ‘Why are you even here again?  It’s not like we can’t kill thirty Ursa without you.’”  Imitating the more haughty voice of her past, Weiss grinned when Ruby laughed.  

“But we’re much better with her,” Weiss added for clarity’s sake - and in case Blake was actually awake and listening.

“It’s so weirdddd not being able to remember this stuff,” Ruby said, briefly scratching her temple but grinning regardless.  “All this time I didn't even try to think about what was knocked outta me. It’s too bad. Sounds like I lost some great stuff.”

It was in this moment where Weiss expected Ruby to display some level of sorrow over what had happened, but the moment passed without a hint of pain.  Instead, Ruby leaned forward again, her eyes sparkling with interest.

“So how’d we do it?”

Weiss nearly laughed out loud at the question.  Of course Ruby was interested in the strategic side of things.

“You rushed through them in a pattern.”  Using one finger, Weiss traced that pattern in the air.  “You were flying faster than we’d seen before, weaving through them over and over again.  It broke them apart and prevented them from grouping up or moving - like you’d rounded them up with ten different lassos at the same time.  Blake and I were able to fight through them group-by-group while you whittled them down from the sides. It worked perfectly.”

No Yang, no problem.  

That was also the first moment Weiss could remember being so...proud...of Ruby.  She wasn’t jealous. She wasn’t resentful. She was very, very proud. That was her partner - her leader, her friend.  And Ruby was just beginning to show what she was capable of accomplishing.

Leaning back, Ruby sighed in longing.  “Man, I wish I could see that...oh! Do you think Beacon kept a video?”

“They...might have?  Honestly, I’m not sure.  If there is a video, I’ve never seen it.”

“Ah, I see,” Ruby said with a quick nod before her eyes darted off to one side.  After biting her lip, she stretched over to the side table and picked up the map builder Weiss had sent her home with earlier that day.

“So, uh, I was playing around with this earlier,” Ruby said, tapping the back of it against her hand.

“Did you enjoy it?”

“It’s tons of fun!  I built a new map and saved it.”

“We can try it out later,” Weiss offered, tilting her head in interest of Ruby’s rapidly changing behavior.

“Cool.”  

The lack of an exclamation point proved Weiss’ suspicion - something was off.  Ruby was now behaving as if she felt...guilty...about something. But what was the guilt for? 

“I, uh, I also saw that there were some saved videos on here.”  

When Ruby waved the device through the air, Weiss froze.  How had she forgotten those? 

“Right...the room records every simulation so it can be replayed later,” she explained slowly, testing Ruby’s reaction.  “We used them for training and fine-tuning our strategies.”

But Ruby already knew what Weiss was talking about, because...

“I watched ‘em,” Ruby admitted before quickly adding, “Just one!  Or a couple. But only one of the saved ones!”

“Which one?” Weiss asked while her cheeks rapidly heated up.

“The first one,” Ruby answered, clicking on the device and quickly navigating through the screens.  Turning it around, she pointed to the video at the top of the list. “‘The Horde.’”

“That’s a good one…” Weiss mumbled, rubbing her hands together in unease. 

Why was this so embarrassing?  It wasn’t like they were doing anything other than fighting in these videos.  

But they were videos.  It was as close as they could ever get to seeing their relationship again - all playing out in real time.  If Ruby watched...what did she think of how they’d once been? Had it freaked her out or made her feel uncomfortable?

Rationally, Weiss understood that Ruby said ‘I love you’ after watching the videos, so what was the real problem here?  That they showed the past? Or did her hesitation stem from the fact that she hadn’t remembered they were there, and thus hadn’t been mentally prepared for the revelation?

“‘Good?’” Ruby repeated, her expression incredulous.  “It’s great!  I mean, I can’t believe how awesome we were!”

The use of past tense made Weiss flinch, but Ruby didn’t seem at all disturbed by how far they’d fallen.  If anything, she was...excited. And Ruby’s excitement eased the pain and embarrassment right out of Weiss’ system.

“I think we were too,” Weiss whispered in response, managing a small smile that - for once - didn’t feel forced.

“Can we watch it?” Ruby suddenly asked with hopeful eyes.  “Will you watch with me? I have a ton of questions!”

“Questions?”

“Yeah!  Like how we did this stuff.”  Pressing play, Ruby scooted over and sat beside Weiss in the middle of the bed, their shoulders and legs touching.  “You’re so cute, by the way! Look at you all nervous!”

“I wasn’t nervous,” Weiss immediately refuted, but Ruby just laughed at the lie while the video counted down to the beginning of the simulation.

“Can you tell me what’s going on?  Like what’re you thinking now?”

Right now, Weiss was thinking that she couldn’t believe they were watching this together, but she doubted that’s what Ruby wanted to know.  Looking down at the screen and watching carefully, Weiss could practically put herself back in those shoes - feeling the surge of anticipation and growing focus that was ready to spring into action.

“They’re spawning randomly.  We’re listening for the direction the first group will come from.  We stand back-to-back so we can pinpoint the direction,” Weiss explained, clenching her left hand into a loose fist when the first Grimm spawned around the edge of the map.

“They’re in front of you, but you didn't say anything!” Ruby pointed out while gesturing towards the screen.

“I didn’t, but I stepped forward in the right direction - that’s how you knew.”

“Oh!  That’s super smart!  But now? What’s happening now?”

Weiss watched the first Beowolf break through the tree line and tear towards them with reckless abandon.  

“We have a rhythm,” she narrated while Ruby swept the first Grimm off its feet and destroyed it with a backward swing of Crescent Rose.  The next Beowolf fell an instant after with the third right behind it - a blast of red wiping the initial foes from the map. The fourth enemy Weiss engaged and mortally wounded while Ruby flew over her head to the fifth.  

Watching the sequence unfold made her heart ache in a deeply-rooted way.

“It’s like a dance,” she began again as two new groups burst through the trees.  “Every dance has a certain cadence - one-two-three, one-two-three, one-two-three.”

Their attacks lined up to the rhythm as Weiss counted, and the Beowolves quickly disappeared.  They were instantly replaced by a growing number of Grimm - blending into one large group instead of smaller sections that could be quickly picked off.  On screen, Ruby wordlessly signaled that they were moving into a different set of patterns.

“We’ve switched to a more complex attack arrangement,” Weiss said, so drawn into the video that she nearly forgot that Ruby was waiting for an interpretation.  By the time she reached out to show Ruby one of the movements, it had already passed - too quick to catch in real time. “There are a lot of small moves we’re repeating here, creating a defensible space with just the two of us.  We keep the Beowolves out of that space while attacking along the edges.”

“Hold on,” Ruby suddenly said, pressing pause before turning and laying down with her head on her pillow.  She then patted the pillow next to her. Taking the hint, Weiss moved up the bed and laid down beside Ruby, close enough that they were just barely touching.  When Ruby held the screen above them and pressed play, Weiss leaned close to Ruby’s shoulder. The video resumed where it had left off, and the Grimm count kept growing.

“What did you just do??” Ruby asked, pointing to the screen - where a group of Beowolves had just disappeared.

“I froze them; you shattered them.  That was a set move - you were moving into place the past few seconds.”

The answer made Ruby sigh.  “I’m gonna have to watch this a ton more times to learn everything.”

“I don’t mind,” Weiss replied.  And she really didn’t. Lying here, close to Ruby, discussing strategies as they once had, was something she’d willingly do for hours on end.  It reminded her of when they were at Beacon - lying in bed while too tired to move from their most recent training, but their minds still going through a million thoughts per minute as they crafted the partners they had yet to become.

It was during moments like these that Weiss realized just how enthusiastic Ruby was about being a huntress.  Not only enthusiastic, but clever - more clever than Weiss ever thought to give her credit for. But tonight, for what might be the first time, Weiss knew more about combat strategy than Ruby did.  

When the last of the Beowolves disappeared and the simulation drew to a close, Weiss watched as Ruby lifted her up in the air and leaned in for a kiss - making her heart thumping longingly in the process.  The video ended there, stopping tantalizingly close to when their lips would meet.

The map builder automatically returned to the menu of saved simulations, and Ruby set the device on the bed beside them.

“Do we have like...a list of moves?” she asked, both of them now staring up at the ceiling.  “Can you write them down for me?”

“It’s a long list, but I can make one for you.”

“Do they have cool names?”

The question made Weiss laugh - mostly due to how obvious the answer seemed.

“You made most of them up, Ruby.  Would you give them cool names?”

“Absolutely!”

“And they do.  Although ‘cool’ might be subjective...”

The bed shifted as Ruby suddenly sat up and jumped off the bed.  Saddened by the abrupt loss of company, Weiss propped herself up on her elbows and watched Ruby dig around the desk drawers before returning with a pen and notebook in her hands.  The instant Ruby sat down again, she began writing furiously on the first page.

“We can practice them, right?” Ruby asked without looking up.

“Right now?  Ruby, it’s like 3 a.m.”

“Not right now, but soon?  I need to relearn this stuff!”

“You only need to relearn them if we’re going out on hunts together…”  Weiss’ voice trailed off when Ruby stopped writing and looked at her expectantly.

“Will you?  Go on hunts with me?”

The question made Weiss’ heart thump against her rib cage.  Like there was any chance she’d be able to say ‘no’ to that…

“Of course I will.”

“Then we need to practice!” Ruby exclaimed before turning back to the notebook.  “I need to learn these moves. We’re gonna have to spend a ton of time together.  Which, ya know, I’d wanna do anyway, but this gives us something to work on!”

Her heart racing, Weiss sat up and looked at the diagrams rapidly appearing on the page.

“You want to be partners again?” she asked.  The question drew Ruby’s gaze again, only this time in confusion.

“What?  Yeah, of course!  I’ve wanted to be partners with you for like forever!”  After flashing a genuine smile, Ruby turned her full attention back to the page and gave the most adorable little chuckle.  “I’ve also wanted to kiss you for like forever. Guess all my wishes are coming true, huh?”

Ruby’s wishes were coming true?  What about Weiss’? Hers were being granted by the handful.

It wasn’t that long ago that she’d lost the love of her life.  Not only the love of her life, but her partner and her best friend.  Everything. Yet, over the course of the past few weeks, Ruby had proven that miracles were worth wishing for.  Because sometimes...they happened.

Elated with the most recent developments in their relationship, it was with an unflinching smile that Weiss watched Ruby diagram and perfectly recreate what they’d just watched.  A few strands of hair fell into Ruby’s eyes, but she brushed them out of the way and hardly paused her work. As she did so, Weiss felt her already rampant adoration growing. 

She loved watching Ruby work.  There was something about her heightened level of concentration that Weiss had always found attractive.  And it only applied to two topics - weapons and battle strategy.

Finally lifting the pen, Ruby rotated the notebook so that Weiss could see.

“What do you think about this?  Instead of rotating clockwise in a circle, what if we thought of it more like a diamond with four bases like this -”

Eyes widening in surprise, Weiss listened while Ruby spilled combat genius in the form of crazy analogies and random thoughts that created a masterpiece.  In that short amount of time, Ruby had taken their old maneuvers and turned them on their head, while also finding a more efficient way to operate.

So much for Weiss knowing more about battle strategy than Ruby - clearly, that was already a thing of the past.  But it didn’t bother Weiss in the slightest that Ruby had instantly reclaimed her throne as combat expert - especially not when Ruby dove back into note-taking only after taking Weiss’ hand in her own.

“Ok, so was this part a move?” Ruby asked while showing Weiss another diagram.

“Yes, it was,” she answered with a smile, giving Ruby’s hand a soft squeeze.  “You called it ‘The Esquire.’”

“‘The Esquire??’” Ruby repeated before bursting into giggles.  “That’s such a funny word!!”

“That’s what you thought at the time, too,” Weiss replied, happily watching Ruby write the name across the top of the page before turning to a new one.

“Ok, can you show me where the next one starts?” Ruby asked while grabbing the map builder and turning it back on.

“Sure,” Weiss replied, waiting patiently as Ruby set the device up again.

If she squinted from a distance, it might look like nothing had changed from last year.  Except that so much had. This version of Ruby was different, but that wasn’t a bad thing in the slightest.  How long had it taken the two of them to admit their feelings the first time? And to get past their first kiss?

This Ruby was more willing to express those feelings, as if unwilling to risk anything being left unsaid.  She was less modest. She was quick to affection - well, quicker than before. And, impossibly, she was more driven - something Weiss wouldn’t have thought possible if she wasn’t seeing it with her own eyes.

Two versions of Ruby, and Weiss was exceptionally fond of them both - in love with them both, actually.