Soulmates in the Making - WR (Patreon)

“I’m gonna grab a smoothie - you want something?”

From the sparkle in Ruby’s eyes - brought about by the mere thought of imminent food - she was serious about ordering something to eat right now.  And that was enough for Weiss to give a small scoff of disbelief.

“We’re leaving for breakfast in ten minutes,” she pointed out.

“I know!  But it’s a smoothie!  It’s not actually food.”

To plenty of people, a smoothie was actually food, and actually pretty filling.  Understanding the way Ruby’s hunger operated, however, Weiss smiled and shook her head.  “No, thank you,” she replied, and watched with that smile still in place as Ruby hurried over to the counter to place her order.

“She must’ve done something cute again.”

Weiss immediately dropped the smile when Blake and Yang took the seats across from her.  Yang, as usual, didn’t pass up the opportunity to point out the obvious.  Blake, as usual, tried and failed to hide her amusement at Yang’s ability to point out the obvious.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Weiss huffed as she turned away from Ruby and willed her cheeks not to flush.  

Since her and Ruby’s relationship was still relatively new, she hadn’t yet grown accustomed to Yang and Blake’s near-constant presence and participation in her life.  She didn’t dislike it, but it was...different, and something she would need to get used to.

“Today’s the big day, right?” Yang asked while wrapping her arms around Blake’s waist.  “Penny’s back in town?”

“Yes.”  The mere name reminded Weiss of the nerves she’d sworn to conquer this morning.  “We’re meeting her for breakfast in a few minutes.”

“Then...why is Ruby ordering right now?” Blake asked with a nod towards the counter, but Yang chuckled and nuzzled into Blake’s neck.

“It’s her pre-breakfast breakfast!”

Weiss nodded at the term, which was surprisingly apt for Ruby’s eating schedule.  The girl ate more meals per day than anyone she’d ever met, yet somehow maintained a slim, gorgeous form.  It must be all the running she did...

“Are you excited to meet Penny?” Yang followed up with, and Weiss stifled her desire to sigh.  If she was going to be calm and collected about the upcoming meeting, she needed to not think about it.  And she couldn’t not think about it if Yang insisted on bringing it up.

“It will be nice to finally meet her,” she replied, but felt a spike of nerves when Yang laughed.

“Penny’s awesome - you’ll love her.  Plus, her and Ruby get along so well.  They’re practically soulmates.” When Weiss immediately frowned at the term, Blake nudged Yang’s side.  “I mean, not that type of soulmate.  More like, the friend kind, you know?  Although Dad and I always thought they’d get together...oh, hey Ruby!  Good morning!”

“Good morning!” Content now that she had her smoothie, Ruby waved to Blake and Yang before smiling at Weiss.  “Ready to go?”

The last thing Weiss would call herself was ready, especially after what Yang just said, but she nodded and stood up.

“Say ‘hi’ to Penny for me!” Yang called after them, as Ruby took Weiss by the hand and led them out of their usual morning meeting place.

“I’m so excited,” Ruby remarked as they headed towards a nicer breakfast spot just off of campus.  From the hop in her step and sparkle in her eyes, Weiss could tell that she was very excited.  Even more so than usual, which was really saying something.

Weiss found it incredibly sweet that Ruby was so excited to see her childhood friend again, but that was before Yang’s ‘soulmates’ comment.  Soulmates didn’t exist.  At least, that was Weiss’ stance on the matter.  

But...certain people were more compatible than others.  What if Penny was more compatible with Ruby than Weiss was?

“Don’t worry,” Ruby said as they crossed the street.  “She’ll love you!”

“I hope so…” Weiss muttered while holding Ruby’s hand a little tighter and praying that this went alright.  She didn’t know why it made her so nervous to meet a stranger - she often didn’t care about meeting strangers at all - but she knew that Penny was important to Ruby, which meant that her opinion mattered.  And what would Ruby’s ‘soulmate’ think about someone like Weiss?

“Oh!  There she is!”

The moment Ruby dropped Weiss’ hand, her heart jumped into her throat as the inevitable decline began.  

But Ruby didn’t race away from her to give Penny a hug.  Instead, she merely waved to get Penny’s attention.

“Penny!” she called out while they walked towards the girl occupying a table by herself on the patio of the restaurant.  The girl turned and broke into a big smile when she saw Ruby, and stood to accept the hug Ruby gave her as soon as they were close enough.

With an orange bob, brilliant eyes, and tall stature, Penny was...pretty - something Weiss begrudgingly accepted while the hug extended a little longer than she felt was necessary.  Eventually, the two girls separated with nearly matching smiles.

“This is Weiss!” Ruby immediately added with a gentle touch of Weiss’ shoulder, which turned Penny’s attention Weiss’ way.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Weiss!” Penny said with that big smile in place.  Before Weiss could decide whether a nod or handshake was more appropriate in this situation, Penny hugged her just the same as she’d hugged Ruby.

“Uh, nice to meet you too.”  

By the time Penny pulled away, Weiss was frazzled.  And she didn’t like being frazzled.  It threw off her ability to come up with quick-witted remarks or interesting conversation.

Penny, however, looked nonplussed by the introduction.

“Ruby’s told me so much about you!” 

“Oh...yeah...”  When Weiss looked Ruby’s way, Ruby gave an embarrassed smile.  “She got to hear all about my, uh, worries.”

‘Worries’ sounded bad, and Weiss would have asked what they were if this was the time or the place.  But, rather than pull at that thread, she attempted a smile and sat down when Penny gestured for them to join her.

“You didn’t have problems finding it, did you?” Ruby asked while Weiss flipped open the extensive menu and looked at the options.

“Not at all.  And I already ordered your favorite!  We just need to know what Weiss would like to eat.”

The way Penny smiled implied that she thought nothing of the gesture, but Weiss looked at the menu and furrowed her brow.  Something about it bothered her, and it might have to do with her inability to decide what on this menu Ruby liked most.  There were pancakes, waffles, French toast - all of them would be appropriate depending on Ruby’s mood.

“I’ll have the same as Ruby,” she answered while closing the menu and putting it aside.  She had no idea what Ruby’s order was, but she wasn’t going to let anyone know that.  

“That’s great!” Penny replied with a smile.  “I can let the waiter know.”

“Are you sure?” Ruby asked after a quick glance at Penny.  “It’s a lot of food...”

“I’m sure.”  Before Ruby asked why Weiss wanted what was surely a mountain of breakfast, she cleared her throat and focused on Penny.  “You haven’t been waiting here long, have you?”

“Only a few minutes.  I was a bit late to being early.”

Ruby giggled at the comment, which simultaneously made Weiss smile and feel...off.  She also would have been early, but Ruby insisted that they stop by their ‘usual joint’ first...

“Ruby says you’re a pre-law major!” Penny said to continue the flow of conversation.  “You must be very smart.”

“I’ve done well academically.”  Weiss didn’t want to boast too much, but she also didn’t want Penny to think she was an academic slouch - because she wasn’t.  “I’m currently at the top of my class, but it’s been quite the competition.”

When Penny looked vaguely impressed - or at least, still excited - by the response, Weiss felt a small thread of vindication. 

“What about you?” she asked in return.  “Ruby mentioned that you’re studying something...math related.”

“Quantum mechanics!”

“That’s what it was.”  Ruby snapped her fingers and laughed at her inability to remember her friend’s field of study.  “I just know it’s super hard.”

“It’s not difficult if you know what you’re doing,” Penny replied with a smile.  “One of my professors let me teach his class the other day!”

“No way!  That’s so cool!”

While Ruby gushed over the news, Weiss tried not to frown.  

Quantum mechanics?  Honestly, she had no idea what that major even entailed.  It sounded exceptionally difficult though, regardless of how Penny explained it.

It certainly sounded more difficult than pre-law.

“You’re such a genius,” Ruby added with another adorable laugh, but Weiss found it difficult to focus on Ruby’s cuteness while regarding Penny in a new light.

Ruby always commented on how much she liked Weiss’ intelligence, and Penny was theoretically smarter...

“Do you have any plans for break this year?” Penny asked after Ruby stopped fawning over how smart she was.  She made direct eye contact with Weiss after the question, which implied she was asking Weiss specifically.

Unfortunately, Weiss couldn’t answer that question without giving away the trip she’d been planning but hadn’t officially invited Ruby on yet.

“Nothing yet,” she replied while sneaking a glance at Ruby.  Fortunately, Ruby jumped into the conversation to keep it going.

“Last break, Weiss and I went to Vacuo!  We stayed at this super swanky hotel where everyone did everything for you.  I didn’t even have to carry my own drinks!”  When Ruby sat back and smiled at the memory, a wave of relief roll through Weiss.

Maybe she wasn’t the smartest person at this table, but she was plenty capable of arranging the perfect vacation for Ruby.

“Oh let me know next time you’re there!” Penny replied with a smile.  “My father just bought one of the islands nearby, and I’d love for you to visit!”

“That’s awesome!”  When Ruby turned to Weiss, it was with an even bigger smile.  “Isn’t that awesome?  We could visit a private island!”

“Of course, Ruby,” Weiss replied before turning back to Penny with a small amount of disbelief.  “He bought the entire island?”

“Her family’s like...super loaded,” Ruby whispered while Penny nodded.  

Weiss clenched her jaw and forced a smile at the comment, but she felt worse and worse about this meeting the longer it went.

If she named the reasons why she and Ruby should be together, she wouldn’t have many.  She was difficult to get along with, high maintenance, snappy, and sometimes arrogant.  The only things she could point out were her intelligence and her family’s wealth, which would allow her to provide a wonderful life for Ruby.

Penny was smarter and wealthier, with a better personality that more closely matched Ruby’s.

“Have you seen the new show on engineers?” Penny asked then, and Ruby emphatically nodded.

“It’s so cool!”  She looked at Weiss and smiled.  “Weiss won’t watch it with me though - said it looked boring.”

“But it’s so informative!”

“That’s what I said!” Ruby replied, her expression light and happy as they landed on a subject she clearly wanted to talk about.  “Did you see the one where they made a car that could drive underwater?”

“I convinced my father to let me build one for myself.”

“No way!  Really?  Can I help??”

And...of course they watched the same television shows and had the same hobbies.  Why would Weiss expect anything else?

“Can you excuse me for a minute?” she asked softly, but hardly caught Ruby’s nod before standing and walking away from the table.

Searching for a quiet place to sort out her thoughts, she headed towards the bathroom in the restaurant but stopped short of walking inside.  Instead, she leaned against the wall in the small waiting area and sighed.

Yang was right.  If soulmates existed, that’s what it would look like.

What was most disappointing was that she really liked Ruby, and she thought Ruby really liked her too.  They got along really well, despite their differences, and it felt like they grew closer with every minute they spent together.

Why would Ruby date Weiss when she already had the perfect girl ready to wait on her hand and foot?  Why waste her time with someone so...pedestrian...when she clearly had better options?

Sighing again, Weiss pulled out her phone and looked at the background Ruby had set for her.  The picture was of the two of them on one of their first dates, when she was just beginning to realize what it meant to really like someone.  Her smile probably never felt so effortless, and Ruby...Ruby also looked exceptionally, genuinely happy.

Putting her phone away, Weiss vowed not to give up.  She still had a chance.  She could study harder and make more money.  She could learn all of Ruby’s favorite things.  She could be more agreeable and treat Ruby like the absolute joy she was.  She could do that, and she would do that.  

If anything, she should look at this meeting as a fortunate occurrence.  Penny was highlighting her areas of weakness, which she could now tackle with 100% of her ability.  Plus, she had the advantage - she was still Ruby’s girlfriend.  She had time to make changes, and they could become even more compatible than they already were.

Newly determined, she stepped away from the wall and nearly crashed into Ruby when she careened around the corner.

“Woah!  Sorry, I didn’t see you there!”

“It’s ok,” Weiss replied, and felt her heart stutter when Ruby’s hand casually settled near her elbow.  “What are you rushing around for?”

“I was looking for you!  And now I found you.”  The words were enough to make Weiss smile, and the kiss Ruby pressed to her cheek only lifted her heart further.

“Did you abandon breakfast?” she asked, but Ruby shook her head.

“Penny got a call from her dad, and I missed you.”

For the life of her, Weiss didn’t understand how Ruby so effortlessly made her feel like the most treasured person in the world.  But right now, she didn’t care how Ruby did it.  All she cared about was that it reassured her in a way she needed more than her class ranking or family’s bank account.

“And, uh, I wanted to say thanks for coming with me,” Ruby added with a smile.  “It’s so much fun to spend time with you and Penny.  It’s like...my two favorite people in the same place at once!”  Weiss was prepared to accept being lumped together with Penny, but then Ruby reached out and squeezed her hand.  “But you’re my absolute favorite.”

“Am I?” Weiss asked, and silently rejoiced when Ruby laced their fingers together.

“Of course!  That’s why we’re, uh, you know - together.” 

“Ruby...” Weiss felt a blush coming on but did her best to ignore it.  “You can call me your girlfriend, you know.” 

“Right.  Um, that’s why you’re my, uh, girlfriend.  You know, because...you’re amazing.”

No one had ever made Weiss feel like Ruby did, and she doubted that anyone else ever could.  That’s what made Ruby so incredibly special, and made her worth fighting for.

“I could say the same about you,” Weiss replied before leaning forward and giving Ruby a quick kiss on the lips.  When she backed away and saw the silly grin on Ruby’s lips, she laughed and pulled Ruby towards the front of the restaurant.

“Now come on, we shouldn’t leave her waiting for us.”

By the time they sat back down at the table, Weiss was all smiles.  Not only had Ruby made her feel exceptionally better with just a few short sentences, but she now felt more assured than ever that she could be Ruby’s soulmate.  

“Sorry, Penny!” Ruby apologized, but Penny didn’t look at all affronted by their absence.  Instead, she looked between the two of them and smiled.

“You’re so cute together,” she commented before meeting Weiss’ gaze.  “I’m really glad Ruby found someone as fantastic as you!”

Taken aback by the remark, Weiss managed a quiet “thank you” while sneaking a look at Ruby out of the corner of her eye.

She hated to admit it, but Yang was still right - Penny was awesome.  Sweet, kind, and refreshingly honest, she actually reminded Weiss a lot of Ruby.

That thought made Weiss smile while turning back to Penny.

“What other hobbies are you interested in?” she asked, and felt her jealousy disappear when Penny looked more than happy to answer.  And Weiss was more than happy to listen, even if it meant learning more areas where Penny and Ruby were more similar than she and Ruby were. 

This was an opportunity to learn more about one of Ruby’s closest friends, and to learn more about Ruby in the process.  Weiss would always jump at the chance to learn more about Ruby, and possibly make a new friend in the process.

She still didn’t believe in soulmates, but...maybe she believed that she and Ruby were soulmates in the making.