The Winter Challenge - Chapter 7 (Patreon)

“That wasn’t too bad,” Yang remarked as they headed back to the dorms.  “We got like what - five keys?  That’s gotta be a good amount.”

Blake’s response was a scoff, because she was still mildly disgruntled and annoyed by the affection Yang showed for people who clearly didn’t deserve it.  In her mind, there probably wasn’t a soul living who deserved Yang’s affection.  Besides her, of course, although the chances of her admitting that were slim to none.

“Even Weiss got to help out.” 

When Yang winked, Weiss huffed and tried to ignore the spike of excitement such an innocuous comment caused.

“Jealous?” she shot back, hoping to turn the situation on Yang rather than dwell on Ruby any longer.  

From the way Yang kept bringing it up, she was disappointed that Coco hadn’t given her the dare so she had an excuse to kiss Blake.  What she didn’t realize was that Coco probably assumed the two of them were already making out during their free time, so that wouldn’t be much of a dare at all.  What she also didn’t realize was that by bringing it up, she was making Blake more jealous...

“Yes, too bad you didn’t get to kiss Weiss too...” Blake grumbled, proving Weiss’ point and then some.

While Weiss tried to think of a way to tell Yang that Blake needed attention (and affection), Yang beat her to the punch.  Wrapping an arm around Blake’s shoulders, Yang tugged her partner close and didn’t let go even though Blake looked not-at-all enthused about the contact.

“Now that that’s over, how ‘bout you and I hang out?” Yang offered with a sincere smile.  “Watch a movie or something?  I don’t think we have anything else to do today - right, Weiss?”

As soon as Yang turned her way, Weiss shook her head and pretended she hadn’t been watching.

“You’re right.  That’s it for today.”

Pleased by the response, Yang smiled at Blake.  “Whaddya think?  Snuggle up and watch a rom-com?”

Anyone looking at Blake right now could watch her struggle against Yang’s magnetism.  She wanted to be irritated.  She wanted to be annoyed that Yang just flirted with half of the team captains at Beacon.  Ultimately, she relented and leaned into Yang’s side, unable to hold onto the annoyance for long.  Of course she couldn’t - not when she had Yang’s full attention once again.

“That sounds nice.”

Weiss breathed a sigh of relief at the response, both grateful and reassured that Blake was willing to let it go.  Hopefully, this would serve as yet another wake-up call of the emotions she held at bay, as well as a reminder of how detrimental it was to keep everything locked away.  What if these jealousy-inducing moments kept popping up and she reacted in a similarly annoyed way?  What if she lashed out and said something she didn’t mean - all out of jealousy?

“This challenge was fun, right?” Ruby whispered to Weiss, drawing her attention while they walked side-by-side back to their room.  

When Weiss’ thoughts returned to her one and only job for the challenge, she blushed.  Her blush made Ruby blush, which was something of a vicious cycle she hoped to get out of sometime soon.

“It was a nice break,” she replied.  Her mind, however, refused to let go of the moment her lips touched Ruby’s cheek.  The warmth and softness and heavenly smell of roses...every aspect of that kiss was burned into her memory.  Not that she necessarily minded, but it was a little hard to focus on other matters - like her goal of getting Blake and Yang together - when her thoughts revolved around Ruby.

“It was nice that I didn’t have to do much,” Ruby admitted.  

Weiss’ initial reaction was to roll her eyes at the ‘lazy’ response, but she quickly stopped herself and smiled instead.  In her family, any fragment of laziness or perceived laziness was unacceptable.  It wasn’t until she came to Beacon that she realized the world was more complicated than that, and Ruby was more complicated than that.  Maybe she shirked on homework sometimes, and maybe she appreciated the days when she wasn’t tasked with anything, but she took on the partner race yesterday without complaint.  Not only that, but she practiced whenever Weiss asked her to.  She practiced with anyone whenever they asked her to.  

So yes, maybe Ruby enjoyed a day off, but maybe she deserved one.

“I’m glad you had fun,” Weiss replied before following Blake and Yang into the room.  From Blake’s smile, Yang had already worn through her attempt at surliness.  Which...of course she did.  Even though Yang could flirt with anyone, she was best at flirting with Blake.  Surely, Blake felt the difference - Yang’s flirting energy amplified by a factor of ten whenever directed her way.  To those unfortunate souls in attendance, that was equivalent to the difference between glancing at the sun and standing on its surface.

Seriously.  Weiss often wished she had a pair of sunglasses capable of blocking their giant smiles and excessive flirting personas.  

Blake had to feel the difference.  At least, that was Weiss’ hope as she headed to her desk while Blake and Yang went to their side of the room to pick out a movie.  

“Do you need my help with anything?” Ruby asked, following Weiss to the desk and looking very much like a puppy that wanted to go outside and play.

“I’m going to study for a bit.”  After nodding towards the stack of books on the desk, Weiss smiled and motioned Ruby away.  “Don’t you have that game to play?”

“I do!”  Needing no more permission than that, Ruby raced over to Weiss’ bed with her scroll already in hand.  Her butt hardly touched the covers, however, before she popped back to her feet, gave a quick “Be right back!”, and disappeared into the hall.

Shaking her head at the very characteristic sequence of events, Weiss turned her attention to the desk and pulled over a notebook.  With Blake and Yang whispering to each other and Ruby temporarily away, calmness settled over the room.  After a somewhat emotionally stressful morning, the return to normal was a relief, especially when Weiss heard Blake giggle at whatever Yang just said.

Yang was the only person in Remnant who could make Blake giggle - Weiss was certain of that.  But sure, they were ‘just friends.’  That made a lot of sense, actually, because ‘just friends’ typically made people feel emotions that no one else made them feel.

Rolling her eyes - they couldn’t see her, so she got away with it - Weiss left them alone in their little lovenest.  In the meantime, Ruby’s absence made this the perfect opportunity to think of a gift.  There were only a few days left until Sunday, after all, and it would take at least a day to have a present shipped to Beacon.  Paying for expedited shipping was always an option, but she didn’t want to risk it arriving late.

Not that she had any idea what ‘it’ would be.  All she knew was that she needed a gift for Ruby by Sunday, and it needed to be great - because Ruby deserved the best and then some.

The best ideas started with a plan, so Weiss opened her notebook to a blank page and wrote down everything Ruby liked or enjoyed.  From cookies (chocolate chip, then snickerdoodle, then sugar) to random weapon parts to television shows and movies.  Ruby’s interests spanned a wide enough spectrum that almost any gift would be appropriate.  And if it was something she’d never heard of before, it would be even more appropriate - because she loved trying out or learning about new things.

Weiss didn’t want to say she felt overly confident, but...her competition was a book about Nevermores.  (Not that she was competing against Yang for best present, but she certainly wouldn’t mind if Ruby categorized this future gift as one of the best gifts she’d ever received.)

After a few minutes of work, the page was covered with likes, hobbies, and interests that could serve as a launching point.  From here, Weiss could craft something amazing - she hoped.  She had no idea what it would be, but her answer hid somewhere between ‘panda stuffed animals’ and ‘anything red.’

A red panda stuffed animal seemed too simple.  But somehow, Weiss knew that Ruby would appreciate the effort of having a custom-designed and hand-sewn stuffed animal created for her.  

“Whatcha doing?” Yang asked, drawing Weiss’ attention while Blake stood up and stretched.  It wasn’t immediately clear what disrupted their incessant flirts and giggles - maybe one of them needed water or some pun-free air.

“Trying to think of a gift for Ruby.”  Even though Weiss knew she didn’t have to, she handed the notebook to Blake before being asked.  She already knew Blake wanted to see, as evidenced by the curiosity in her eyes.

“Wow.”  After scanning the first few lines, Blake gave Weiss a look of surprise.  “This is...thorough.”

“I wasn’t sure where to start, so I made a list of her favorite things.  From there, I can come up with an idea.”

Blake’s surprise slowly disappeared, only to be replaced by a smile.  “It looks like you know her better than Yang.”

That statement caught Yang’s attention in a hurry, and she immediately scoffed.  “Doubtful.”

“Can you list her top five favorite colors in order?” Blake asked, glancing at Weiss’ work before smirking at Yang, who looked caught off guard by the question.

“Uh, sure.  Red’s her favorite, of course.”

“That’s one.  What about the other four?” 

After scrunching up her face in thought, Yang shook her head.  “Yellow?”

Chuckling at the (wrong) answer, Blake handed the notebook back to Weiss and shook her head.  “I think you just lost.”

“I didn’t lose!” Yang protested while Blake grabbed a bottle of water and returned to her side.  The moment Blake snuggled into her shoulder, however, she lost much of her chagrin at the conversation.  “I just never asked her about favorite colors,” she concluded, although it didn’t appear she cared much anymore - not when Blake smiled up at her and offered the water.

Rolling her eyes and turning back to the notebook, Weiss read through her notes and started writing down every gift idea that popped into her head.

Thinking of gifts for Ruby wasn’t difficult.  The hard part was deciding which one was meaningful enough to give on Christmas day.  She deserved something extraordinary - because she was extraordinary - and Weiss wanted to be the one to give it to her.

Most of the ideas were expensive, because those were guaranteed to make an impression based on value alone.  Spending a large sum of money seemed more than appropriate to prove just how special Ruby was.  There was the small issue of Ruby not wanting Weiss to spend a lot of money on her, but...Weiss would work around that.

“What about this one?” Yang whispered to Blake - the two of them finally picking out a movie while leaning against Blake’s pillows.  Weiss might as well think of it as ‘Blake and Yang’s bed’ from now on since they both spent the same amount of time on it...

“It looks too...dramatic,” Blake replied - a subtle way of saying she wasn’t looking for drama right now, probably because their day had been filled with too much relationship drama as it was.

Weiss shook her head at the irony while writing ‘anti-gravity boots?’ on her list.  Blake had no issue absorbing all of that Xiao Long energy for herself, but watching it dispensed to others had rankled her more than Weiss expected.  Fortunately, all Yang needed to be was herself, and Blake would quickly forget the concentrated dose of flirting she’d witnessed.  Mostly because that concentrated flirting had returned to her instead.

“So no drama…” Yang muttered while searching for another option.  And Weiss decided to give Yang a nudge in the right direction.  Kind of like accidentally bumping a vat of highly reactive chemicals - all she needed was the right phrase to set Yang off.

“Why don’t you watch the one with that actress you told me about?”  When Weiss turned around, Blake and Yang looked at her as if she just interrupted their private moment (which she couldn’t have since this was her room too).  “The one you said looks like Blake?” she clarified when Yang didn’t immediately catch on.

After another moment of confusion, Yang’s eyes lit up, and Blake gave her a curious look.  

“What actress?” 

“Oh my god, Blake - you have to see her - she’s gorgeous.”  While Yang searched for photos, Blake blinked at the roundabout compliment.  Of course, Yang wasn’t done yet.

“She’s one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen,” she doubled down before holding up the scroll for Blake to see.  “See?  She kind of looks like you, right?” 

A blush rushed to Blake’s cheeks while she looked at the photograph.  “I guess...” 

“I think so,” Yang added before enlarging one of the pictures.  “Her hair is gorgeous, like yours.  She has that adorable nose.  Great body.  A smile that makes you want to see more.”  She pulled the screen closer before glancing at Blake, who was too busy suffering from an immense blush to make eye contact.  “She just doesn’t have your eyes...” Yang mused.  “You have prettier eyes.” 

“Thank you...” Blake mumbled, and Weiss turned back to her desk with a smile.  If that didn’t make Blake feel better about their afternoon, nothing would.  Besides, that chemical reaction wasn’t even done yet…

While Yang found more ways to call Blake the most beautiful person in the world, Weiss returned her focus to her own partner, who was beautiful in her own right.

Yang hadn’t noticed yet.  Ruby hadn’t noticed yet.  But Weiss had.  She saw the glances Ruby had started receiving.  She noticed the way some of the boys stared at her in a flattering yet infuriating way.  And she knew that she or Yang would eventually need to step in and do something.  Preferably, the two of them could work together in beating the idiots away, forming a vicious and capable tag team that every boy at Beacon should fear.

Ruby was too kind, too gentle, and too pure to risk her heart with some random schmuck.  Weiss wouldn’t stand for it.  Ruby deserved the best.  If she decided that pursuing romance was something she wanted to do (doubtful considering her nearly myopic focus on training and food), that person would need Weiss’ approval first.  And she had very high standards.  Possibly higher standards for Ruby than for herself.

Hearing the movie play, Weiss glanced over her shoulder and found Yang and Blake cuddled together in their bed.  From the look of it, Yang had already earned Blake’s forgiveness and was now earning Blake’s affection by letting Blake snuggle into her side.

What could possibly be better than snuggling with your crush while watching a movie?

Snuggling with your crush while watching a movie alone.

If Weiss wanted or needed to be in the room, she would never consider this option.  But she didn’t have to be here right now.  If some alone time gave Blake and Yang the opportunity to talk about those glaring feelings projecting from them like spotlights, Weiss was all for presenting the opportunity.  She only needed to grab Ruby and...

Glancing around the room, she realized Ruby was still missing.  

“Do you know where Ruby went?” she asked while the previews played.  When both of them shook their heads - although Blake hardly made an effort since she was so burrowed into Yang’s neck - Weiss decided to check across the hall.

As soon as she walked out of the room, she noticed that Team JNPR’s door was slightly ajar, and she heard Ruby giggling uncontrollably from inside.  In addition to Ruby’s giggles was a male voice that Weiss assumed was Jaune’s.

“Come on,” he said while Weiss moved closer, her curiosity and annoyance rising with every step.  “Just one more!”

Ruby’s response was another giggle, which Weiss simultaneously adored and disliked at this moment.  That giggle meant Ruby was particularly happy with something or was particularly enjoying something - with Jaune.

“I shouldn’t - Weiss will be mad!”

As soon as Weiss heard the words, her annoyance became preemptive anger.  There were only so many things Ruby could do with Jaune that would make her mad.  

Her thoughts flew back to earlier that afternoon when she kissed Ruby’s cheek.  And how the boys at Beacon were changing their behaviors towards Ruby.  And how, eventually, Ruby might want to see someone romantically.  But Jaune Arc?  Over Weiss’ dead body.

“She doesn’t have to know...”

Cheeks flushing in anger, Weiss shoved the door open and stormed into the room saying “Just what do you think -”

With her hand still on the door handle, she froze, and confusion replaced her anger.  She’d expected to find something that would make her extremely upset.  Instead, Jaune and Ruby were sitting on the floor playing a game on their scrolls.

“Weiss!”  Regardless of Weiss’ rage-fueled entrance, Ruby still grinned upon seeing her.

“What’s up, Weiss?  Wanna play?” Jaune asked while offering his scroll to her.

“Yeah, cuz I suck,” Ruby added before leaning into his side and giggling some more.  Their proximity and friendliness made Weiss’ skin prickle with dislike.

“Ruby, come here.”  When she heard how bossy that came out, she took a deep breath and forced a smile.  “Ruby, can you come here, please?  I need your help with something.” 

“Oh, sure!”  Ruby immediately popped to her feet and hurried over.  “Thanks for playing, Jaune!  I’ll be better next time, I swear.” 

As soon as Ruby was close enough, Weiss grabbed her by the hand and dragged her out of the room.  Only when they were in the hall and JNPR’s door was firmly closed did Weiss’ heart rate slow and the flush fade from her cheeks.

That had been an unexpected rush of annoyance, but who could blame her?  Ruby had far better things to do than fraternize with other team members, especially Jaune.  Or any boy, for that matter.  And Weiss was positive she had Yang’s full support on this. 

Which brought her to what she needed Ruby’s help with.

“What do you need?” Ruby asked, looking not at all perturbed by what just happened.  If anything, she looked happy to be spending time with Weiss again.  

Weiss didn’t know how Ruby did it, but that smile always made her feel extra content and reassured.  It was like...Ruby shared her feelings somehow - that upbeat, giddy energy flowing from her to Weiss whenever Weiss needed it.

Accepting the emotions with a smile, she gestured for Ruby to follow her a little further away from their door.  Even though she thought they were out of Blake’s earshot, she lowered her voice to nearly a whisper.

“I think Blake and Yang could use some alone time to watch their movie,” she explained.  “Maybe we can hang out somewhere else?”

“That sounds like fun!  Maybe the library?”

“The library?”

“Yeah!  To work on our paper.”

“You want to do schoolwork?” Weiss replied, raising her brow in surprise.

“Not just any schoolwork - our joint paper.”  When Ruby added a hop with the response, Weiss laughed and set her hand on Ruby’s shoulder to direct them back to the room.

“If I’d known this would help your motivation, I would’ve asked for our work to be combined long ago.”

“I just really love working with you...doesn’t matter what it is.”

Ruby’s reply was so sweet and heartfelt, Weiss’ cheeks heated up in response.

“That’s…” she started to say, but her voice trailed off when she found herself at a loss for words.  How could she explain what it meant to have a partner who liked working with her?  Who liked talking to her or even just being around her?  After spending her childhood believing she was destined to be alone, how could she explain the relief of finding someone willing to fight by her side?

“Thank you,” she whispered, and her gaze fell to the floor to avoid the curious silver gaze aimed her way.  Before Ruby could ask what the gratitude was for, Weiss cleared her throat and did what she did best - talked about what they needed to do next.

“Let’s grab our notes and head over there,” she said while leading Ruby back to the room.  She hadn’t let go of Ruby’s hand yet, but she didn’t feel like it - not even when a member of another team gave them a look while passing by.

She wished there was a way to tell everyone at Beacon to keep their hands off of Ruby, but she hadn’t figured out how to do that.  The only answer she had, at the moment, was to be possessive and keep Ruby out of those situations.  Which meant she might need to spend more time with Ruby and Jaune.  Or Ruby and Sun.  Or Ruby and...basically, Ruby and anyone else.  Weiss might even include Blake in that group if Blake wasn’t already hopelessly devoted to Yang.

That hopeless devotion was on full display when Weiss and Ruby walked into the room - in the form of Blake cuddling into Yang’s side while ‘casually’ holding Yang closer with one arm.  Really, they couldn’t get much closer if they glued themselves together.  Although, that probably wouldn’t stop them from trying.

“We’re going to the library!” Ruby announced in the midst of their movie, prompting Yang to pause and look more than a little disappointed when Blake retreated to a ‘friendly’ distance.  Although Blake’s version of ‘friendly’ was still...intimate.  Did she share the same personal bubble with all of her friends or just the ones she harbored all-encompassing crushes for?  (Rhetorical question - Weiss had watched Blake literally push friends out of her space before.  Repeatedly.)

“Sounds good,” Yang replied with a smile.  “Have fun!”  

From Yang’s smile, this was the best news she’d heard all day.  And Blake...well, Blake was a closed book, as usual, but her ears gave a little flick that Weiss would interpret as happiness.

It seemed her idea to give the two some privacy was well-received.  Now they could bask in each other’s company without their two pesky roommates around to make Blake self-conscious. What could she ever have to be self-conscious about when she was only being ‘friendly?’

Stifling an eye roll, Weiss grabbed the books and notebooks she needed and stuffed them into her bag.  Once done, she watched Ruby find her books, then find an appropriate number of snacks to last however long they would work for.  From the amount of food she shoved into her bag, they would be in the library for...approximately three weeks.

“Ready?” Weiss asked when Ruby rushed over and gave a thumbs up.  Satisfied that they were prepared for an evening away from the room, she gave their teammates one last look - and one last nudge.

“Don’t have too much fun without us.” 

Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she tried not to smirk when Yang’s eyes widened and Blake looked at the wall.  The response only made her amusement grow while she led Ruby towards the library.

The likelihood of them making any progress seemed slim to none, but Weiss could dream.  Maybe Blake would take a page out of one of her books and use the opportunity to profess her love in more physical ways.

Weiss scoffed at the idea, which drew Ruby’s gaze her way.  

“What?” Ruby asked with a smile.  

“Nothing, it’s just...”  Weiss couldn’t tell Ruby the thought she just had - for a variety of reasons that included maintaining Ruby’s innocence - so she came up with something else in a hurry.  “I just think it’s funny how much time Blake and Yang spend together, yet they never get tired of each other.” 

“Oh.” Ruby’s brow furrowed while she pondered that thought, then she turned back to Weiss with a big smile.  “I never get tired of you either!” 

Weiss hadn’t been fishing for that answer, but now that she had it...she’d probably never felt more special.  

“Same to you,” she admitted, and Ruby’s smile grew. 

Spending so much time with one person seemed like a recipe for disaster.  At least, that’s what she thought before coming to Beacon.  The idea of being paired with another person for four years only seemed manageable if she had the most experienced, most dedicated, second-most intelligent partner in the school.

The person she ended up with was the best partner for her, and the best fighter in the school - she would fight anyone who dared argue that fact.

When they reached the library, Ruby raced forward and opened the door for Weiss, who smiled while walking inside.  Seeing as how it was still winter break, there weren’t many students using the library at this time.  Just as well - the lack of activity meant plenty of tables to choose from and less demand that they work as quietly as possible.

“Ok,” Weiss said while picking a table and unpacking her bag.  “Since we finished the outline, we can start finding sources and quotes.  We should be able to do that and write at least two pages today.”

“I’m in charge of finding sources, right?”

Weiss had expected the response and smiled across the table at Ruby.

“Yes, you can be in charge of finding sources,” she replied, her smile growing when Ruby did a cute little fist pump of success.

“Best partners ever!”

Even though Weiss’ heart was already beating happily, those words added to the warmth and joy filling her chest.  It seemed silly, but she loved it when Ruby said that.  And she couldn’t agree more.

“Alright,” she said, determined to focus on work rather than how grateful she was for her partner.  One of her notebooks contained their outline, which she flipped to before setting it where both of them could see.  Another notebook had the beginning of her rough draft, which she was in the midst of finding when Ruby reached across the table and set a hand on her arm.  The touch drew her full attention, and she stared at Ruby’s hand for several seconds before meeting Ruby’s gaze.

“Before we start…”  As soon as Weiss spotted the red on Ruby’s cheeks, she blushed and could only imagine the topic to come.  “About today...” Ruby added, and Weiss’ cheeks grew considerably warmer.  “Coco’s challenge,” she elaborated, as if Weiss didn’t remember - but how could she have forgotten?  

“I was just wondering if, like...we need to talk about it?”

“Talk about it?”  Hearing the nervous laugh that slipped out, Weiss silently chastised herself and tried to compose a response.  “Why would we need to talk about it?” 

Ruby seemed just as embarrassed as Weiss felt, and looked at her hands rather than make eye contact.  “I dunno, I just wanted to make sure it was ok.” 

In a single sentence, Ruby sent Weiss’ mind racing with worry.  Had it not been ok?  Did she not like it?  She said it was ok, but maybe she hadn’t actually wanted Weiss to kiss her and thought Weiss would understand without her saying it out loud.

“I’m sorry,” Weiss apologized even though not exactly sure what she was apologizing for.  “Was it not ok?” 

“No, no - that’s not what I meant!” Ruby was quick to wave her hands.  “It was fine!  More than fine.” 

“Oh.  Then...did you not like it?”  That thought threatened to crush Weiss’ spirit, but Ruby waved her hands even more emphatically.

“That’s not it at all.  I just wanted to make sure that...you didn’t feel like you had to, you know?  We could’ve just walked away - I would’ve been ok with that.  Even with the challenge and everything...I don’t want you to do something you don’t want to do.”

“Oh.”  Glancing at her notebook, Weiss sorted through her thoughts and searched for a response.  Thankfully, she hadn’t overstepped her bounds or made Ruby uncomfortable.  Actually, the fact that Ruby checked in afterward showed remarkable maturity.  But she hadn’t answered Weiss’ question...

“Did you not like it?” Weiss asked again.  For some reason, the answer seemed important.  It was just a kiss on the cheek, but if she couldn’t do that correctly...or in a way that Ruby enjoyed…

Fortunately, Ruby giggled and shook her head.

“It was really nice!” she admitted before her cheeks flushed and she started to stammer.  “I-I mean, I didn’t not like it.  And like...wouldn’t mind if you did it again or anything.  If you ever felt like it or something.” 

“I’m - sorry, what?”

It felt an awful lot like Ruby was giving Weiss permission to kiss her again.  To kiss her cheek again.  Because any other type of kiss would just be...would need a different type of permission.

“Yeah!  I mean, why not?”  Ruby’s nervous laugh highlighted how uncomfortable this topic was becoming for them both, and Weiss felt her embarrassment rising right along with Ruby’s.  “I guess if it’s weird or something -”

“I don’t think it’s weird,” Weiss cut in, only to wish she’d remained silent when Ruby gave her a look - a look she didn’t quite know what to do with. 

“You don’t?”

“Some people give cheek kisses all the time,” Weiss elaborated.  “It’s...a form of endearment.”

“Yeah!  Like that!  Only like - no, yeah, like that.”

For several seconds, the two of them stared at each other - both trying to figure out where to go with that conversation.  Weiss grasped that she now had permission to kiss Ruby’s cheek...whenever, it sounded like, but could she without spontaneously bursting into flames?

Maybe she should try and find out.

The instant she considered it, however, her cheeks reddened and she leaned back in her seat.

“Right - the paper!” Ruby exclaimed.  “I am so excited about this paper,” she muttered while flipping through the pages of her notebook, suddenly determined to write something.

Weiss was equally determined to put that conversation behind them (until she had time to fully dwell on it) but found her attention diverted when Jaune rushed into the library.  He spotted Ruby and hurried over, which only sparked her annoyance back to life.  She didn’t even know what he wanted, but he’d already overstayed his welcome as far as she was concerned.  Especially after the incident from before.  Even though it had been far more innocent than she’d assumed, she still wasn’t happy about it.

“Hey guys,” he said while dropping into the chair next to Ruby.  After flashing Weiss a smile - and somehow not understanding her glare - he turned towards Ruby.  “I had a great idea.”

“How did you know we were here?” Weiss butted in.

“I asked Blake and Yang,” he replied as if that should’ve been obvious.  

When he turned back to Ruby, however, Weiss sighed.  Knowing him, he barged in and scared the two hopeless romantics apart.  Knowing Blake, she wouldn’t relax for the rest of the night while worrying about someone bursting through the door to find her and Yang cuddling - or more - together.  Thanks, Boy Wonder.

“But I had an awesome idea,” he repeated, and Ruby lit up at the mention of an ‘awesome’ anything.  “Well, Ren said it first,” he continued.  “But I’m the one who brought it up and came up with the idea -”

“What is it, Jaune,” Weiss interrupted, knowing they could sit here forever otherwise.  

“A tournament!” he replied with a big smile.

“What...kind of tournament?” she asked, but he turned back to Ruby, which only annoyed her further.  

Couldn’t he keep his eyes off of Ruby for five seconds?

“Get this - a Grimm Bashers tournament.” 

Ruby’s eyes widened while Weiss repeated the name and tried to figure out what the hell he was talking about.  It was bad enough he interrupted her and Ruby’s study time, but to do so only to spout nonsense?

“Once classes start up, we should set up a tournament!” he continued.  “We can have matches every Friday night or weekend, create brackets, come up with prizes -”

“That sounds awesome!” Ruby exclaimed.  Because, of course she thought it was awesome.

“Yeah??  Perfect - because I need you to be my partner.”

Weiss clenched her jaw at the statement, but Ruby nodded.   Agreeing to be Jaune’s partner.

“We’re so winning,” she replied, but Weiss cleared her throat to draw their attention.  

“Excuse me.”  She tried to be polite, but she was more annoyed than she’d been in quite some time.  “But what exactly are you stealing my partner for?”  She sent Jaune another glare with that accusation, and he finally cringed.  

“Grimm Bashers!” Ruby explained.  “That game we’ve been playing.”

“And what if I wanted to play?”  

“But...you never want to play...” 

Ruby’s hesitancy said she realized that Weiss was upset but didn’t understand why yet.  Weiss hardly understood why she was upset, but Jaune saying that Ruby would be ‘his’ partner didn’t sit well with her. 

“I haven’t in the past,” she snapped before giving Jaune another look.  “But that doesn’t mean I couldn’t.”

She was familiar with the game, and didn’t particularly enjoy it.  What she enjoyed even less, however, was the thought of Jaune and Ruby spending all of their free time together under the pretense of ‘practicing.’  That sounded an awful lot like an underhanded way to steal private time with Ruby, and she wouldn’t tolerate that.

“If you want to play, then of course we’ll be partners!” Ruby smiled at Weiss, seeking out her gaze before finally turning to Jaune.  “Sorry, Jaune, but Weiss always comes first.” 

While Jaune sighed, Weiss felt like one of the most valued people alive - but also horrible for barging in on something she didn’t actually want to participate in.  

“It’s fine,” Jaune replied with slumped shoulders.  “I should’ve known you’d already be spoken for.”

“I have a better idea,” Weiss cut in before the conversation ended.  Now that Ruby put Jaune in his place, which he easily accepted, she felt much more hospitable to the idea of them competing.  “Why don’t you two play, and I’ll be team captain.” 

Ruby beamed at the suggestion, and Jaune considered it for a few seconds before nodding.  “That could work...” 

“You realize we have to win now,” Ruby teased.  “Or she’ll be mad.  And we don’t want to make Weiss mad.”

“I’ll start practicing right now!” After shooting to his feet, Jaune smiled and headed out with a “see you guys!”

“Are you sure you’re ok with that?” Ruby asked while he left.  

“Sure.  Why wouldn’t I be?”  Now that Weiss was team captain, she had an excuse to supervise their time together.  If Jaune had any ulterior motives for putting himself on a team with Ruby, she would handle it immediately.

“Because you called it a ‘dumb game that feels joy in cheating its players.’”

“Well -”  Pausing for a moment, Weiss quickly thought of an excuse for that (accurate) description.  “That’s how I feel about it, but that doesn’t mean I won’t help you win a tournament.”

Ruby’s smile proved her decision to join more correct.

“We’ll totally win!” Ruby proclaimed, raising her hand for a high five that Weiss willingly gave.  “And this is great because you can help us come up with strategies!”

Weiss did enjoy strategizing...even if it was for some child’s game.

“But first,” she said before Ruby carried on that train of thought.  “Let’s get more of this paper done.”

“Right.”  Ruby agreed to their course of action with a nod, but her smile alone made Weiss feel like she’d done something extra good today.  “Maybe we can get dinner before heading back to the room and then strategize?” 

Of the many things Ruby had done to impress Weiss recently, it was learning how to refocus and set a future time to discuss her distractions.  

“That sounds like a great idea,” Weiss replied with a smile.  If she and Ruby stayed away from the room a little longer, maybe Blake and Yang would watch another movie.  Or confess their love to each other. 

“Yeah?” 

“Of course, Ruby.”

“I like when just the two of us get dinner together,” Ruby added while pulling over her book and flipping to the right chapter.

“I do too.”  

When Ruby finally got to work, Weiss’ heart filled with pride for the person Ruby was growing to be.  She liked to think she played a small role in Ruby’s maturation, but realistically, Ruby was a better influence on her than the other way around.

“We can do that more often if you want.”  When Ruby looked up and caught her gaze, Weiss smiled.  “Get lunch or dinner by ourselves,” she clarified.

“Really?  I’d love to!” 

Weiss’ heart warmed at the response, at Ruby’s uninhibited smile, and at the thought of spending more time together.  Really, there wasn’t anything she liked more than spending time with Ruby.  Plus, she knew two people who would also love the increase in alone time.  

Now, if only Blake and Yang would do something with that alone time.

With Wednesday drawing to a close and still no movement on that front, Weiss might need to resort to riskier tactics in order to complete her quest in time.  Honestly though...in three days, she made it further with Ruby than Yang had with Blake.

The memory immediately made her blush.