The Winter Challenge - Chapter 14 (Patreon)

And thus, we reach the end.  I hope you enjoyed this story, which was supposed to be really small yet somehow became something more.  I look forward to starting the next one!

** 

How was it possible to feel someone’s presence?  How could her skin tingle from someone’s proximity alone?  Goosebumps even raised on her arms, hopefully unnoticeable to those who weren’t paying close attention.

When Ruby shifted in her seat, uncrossing her legs and leaning towards Weiss in the process, every inch of Weiss buzzed with emotions.  For the life of her, she couldn’t hear a word Professor Port said - not until Ruby moved away and resumed her doodling.  Only then did Weiss exhale the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

Was this seriously what Yang and Blake suffered through for the last few months?  How had they survived?  It felt like her nerves came alive whenever Ruby was nearby, and she couldn’t, for the life of her, figure out how to maintain an ounce of composure under such circumstances.

“Weiss.”

Hearing her name in a hushed whisper, she turned and smiled when she caught Ruby’s gaze.  As usual, Ruby was excited about something - something she shared by sliding her notebook over.

Unsurprisingly, there were no notes on the page.  Instead, there was a beautiful drawing of Myrtenaster, complete with enough detail that Weiss wondered if Ruby sometimes just stared at the weapon to memorize every line.  If not, how could she recreate it so perfectly?

There was one noticeable difference though, which Weiss would have spotted even if Ruby hadn’t drawn arrows towards it.  This version had Weiss’ name engraved in the hilt, reminiscent of Ruby’s fake Christmas gift.  Surprisingly, it looked really nice.  It wasn’t too large or noticeable, and Ruby wrote it in a decorative cursive Weiss hadn’t even known she was capable of.  Above the drawing was a single sentence written in Ruby’s signature scrawl:  ‘I can do it for you, if you want.’  

The unexpected and generous offer had Weiss’ heart fluttering in no time.  While she typically hired trained professionals to work on Myrtenaster, she had every confidence in Ruby’s skill with weapons.  Crescent Rose rivaled Myrtenaster in craftsmanship, after all, which spoke well of the creator.  Besides, it was only an inscription, which Ruby could probably do with one hand.  It also looked nice, and...Weiss liked the idea of Ruby adding something to Myrtenaster that would stay with them forever.

Picking up her pen, she carefully wrote ‘yes, please’ at the top of the page.  She then paused and, before she second-guessed herself, drew a heart at the end of her answer.

It was a heart, not a confession, but her heart raced as she pushed the notebook back to Ruby, who read the response and smiled.  She probably thought nothing of the symbol - Yang used them egregiously, after all - but Weiss felt like she might pass out from putting that tiny bit of her feelings into written form.

When Ruby resumed drawing with renewed focus and determination, Weiss sighed and tried to get her pulse back to a normal level.  Usually, not being able to see Ruby helped.  Turning to her right, however, she discovered that Yang and Blake had just watched the entire interaction.

Blake wore a smug smile that suggested she knew exactly how Weiss felt, while Yang flashed a thumbs up and laughed softly to herself.  

Feeling a blush on her cheeks, Weiss stared towards the front of the room and resisted the urge to bury her face in her hands.  They found it increasingly amusing that she was now a bundle of nerves around Ruby.  Stumbling over her words...saying things that made no sense...in general, making a fool of herself, which entertained them to no end.  Unfortunately, she could do nothing to stop it.

How the mighty had fallen...from skilled matchmaker to bumbling, love-struck idiot in no time.

Winter break ended only a few weeks ago, but it might as well have been several months.  Every day she rediscovered the depths of her feelings for Ruby, and it was...a little torturous.  But she couldn’t stop or deny her feelings.  She already went through a brief period of denial before realizing that Blake was right - she liked Ruby.  A lot.

For the life of her, she couldn’t pinpoint when it happened.  Or how.  Or why.  But what she was thinking, falling for her partner?  They were supposed to be teammates, partners, best friends, but nothing more.  Being more was Blake and Yang’s thing.  They were the ones tripping over each other.  They were the ones who liked each other in that way.

The only logical reason Weiss came up with (being logical in this state of mind was exceptionally difficult to do) was that her focus on Yang and Blake’s feelings had clouded her otherwise astute observation of her own emotions.  While so busy trying to get her teammates together, she failed to notice how close she and Ruby had become with hardly any effort.

That was the scariest part - it took no effort on her part.  She didn’t expend a single drop of energy in falling for Ruby.  It just...happened.  

Now, however, she needed to figure out what to do with these feelings.  As much fun as it was to be a bundle of giddy, butterfly-filled energy, there were classes and homework and responsibilities and training...training was probably the hardest part, especially when Ruby wanted to work as partners.

Feeling another bump on her elbow, Weiss turned as Ruby’s notebook slid back into view.  This time, Ruby made Weiss’ point better than she could have herself, courtesy of a series of sketches for what could only be a new combat move she wanted to try.  Even though it was only a sketch, Weiss’ cheeks heated up just thinking about practicing it, which Ruby would want to do soon.  

Had they always touched each other so much?  It seemed like everything they did involved Ruby holding her in some way, especially as they explored the capabilities of Ruby’s semblance.  During their most recent practice, Weiss abruptly (and not at all calmly) requested a break to cool her steaming cheeks and regain control of her emotions.  

At least Blake and Yang hadn’t suffered through hours of having each other’s arms wrapped around each other’s waists in a way that felt so intimate yet was anything but.  Well, for Ruby it was anything but intimate.  For Weiss, those lines blurred as time progressed.

Still, she nodded and smiled before moving the notebook back to Ruby, her silent agreement to try yet another strategy that would have her blushing the entire time.  What else was she going to do - say no? She couldn’t do that without Ruby asking questions or worse - hurting Ruby’s feelings. 

Besides...she didn’t want to say no.  This experience was fun and exhilarating in a way she’d never felt before.  Even though she had no idea what she was doing or what to expect, she couldn’t help wanting more of that feeling.

Feeling someone tap her elbow, she looked over and watched Blake turn her notebook to the side.  At the bottom of the page was a little drawing of Weiss with hearts for eyes and even more hearts floating above her head.  She gave Blake a dirty look for the ‘art,’ but Blake merely smiled and withdrew her notebook so Ruby wouldn’t see.

Blake and Yang were the worst.  Now that they were ‘official,’ they did everything together - including teasing Weiss about her growing crush on Ruby.  They were also, officially, more annoying than Weiss was when she got them together.  

There were two of them.  Two.  Which meant that one of them was always around to witness her make a fool of herself.  Even when she thought they weren’t around, Blake still somehow overheard.  And, even when she double and triple checked that the dynamic duo were on the opposite side of campus, Yang pulled stories out of Ruby with the ease of a baker making cookies.

At least Weiss didn’t need to worry about gaining their approval.  If Yang had any issue with the idea of them...being together...surely she would have said something by now.  Blake hadn’t given any indication that she was opposed to it either.  They had, however, made it fairly obvious that they didn’t expect anything to happen anytime soon.

That made three of them.

“Alright students,” Professor Port said, and the class immediately grew restless and noisy as he barreled through his signoff.  Textbooks flipped shut, bags unzipped, chairs pushed back, and conversations started as soon as he granted them a big, boisterous “Have a great day.”  

With a free afternoon looming in front of them, Weiss took her time collecting her belongings rather than fight the crowd through the door.

“What’re we gonna do now?” Yang asked while standing and stretching her back.  It gave several painful cracks before she smiled and grabbed her bag.  “Back to the room?”

“That sounds nice.”  Blake smiled when Yang reached for her hand and, as usual, the two glued themselves to each other’s sides.  It really wasn’t much of a change from how things were before, except now they realized how much of a couple they were.  That, and they did some strictly couple things when alone (or when they thought they were alone and didn’t bother to confirm whether or not that was true).

“Then food later!” 

Weiss turned and blushed upon finding Ruby standing right beside her.  It felt normal - and she loved it - but now she realized how abnormal it was.  She let Ruby so close because she wanted to be close, but how did Ruby feel?  Why did she stand so near?  Was she used to it because Yang was her sister?  Could it be something more, or was that wishful thinking?

“That sounds like a good plan,” Weiss agreed before following her team out of the room.  They had reports and studying to do, but she couldn’t help wondering when Ruby wanted to train next.  She especially wanted to know when they would try out that new combat move.  If she was lucky, just the two of them would work on it before inviting Yang and Blake along.  She’d already suffered enough embarrassment in front of them to last a lifetime, she didn’t need to add to it.

That train of thought disappeared when Ruby brushed against her elbow and her heart skipped a beat.  She silently scolded herself for the reaction, but then Ruby clung to her arm, which resulted in a flurry of butterflies and heart palpitations she had no control over.

“Class wasn’t too bad, right?” Ruby asked as they walked outside, clearly oblivious to the effect her proximity was having on Weiss.

“It was fine,” Weiss whispered, trying to calm her heart while also savoring as much of this moment as possible. 

“Oh!” Ruby continued, squeezing Weiss’ arm with the word before looking behind them.  “Yang!  I just remembered this weekend is Dagger-Con!”

“Oh...right.”  After sharing a look with Blake, Yang put on a, excessively apologetic expression that would have convinced Professor Goodwitch out of dispensing punishment.  “Sorry, Ruby.  I don’t think I can go this year…Blake and I have this...uh -”

“Paper to finish,” Blake jumped in.  “Professor Oobleck expects it first thing Monday morning.”

When Yang gave an innocent smile, Weiss narrowed her eyes.  She knew they didn’t have a paper to turn in Monday morning.  How did she know that?  Because she’d taken it upon herself to keep close tabs of her teammates’ homework so that no one ‘missed’ or ‘forgot’ an assignment.  Right as she was about to point this out, however, Yang caught her gaze and grinned.

“But I’m sure Weiss will go with you!”

Her jaw snapped shut at the suggestion.

“Would you really??”  Still holding onto Weiss’ arm, Ruby turned excited silver eyes her way.  “That’d be so much fun!  Please, Weiss?  Please?”

“O-of course,” Weiss stammered and, when Ruby gave a happy hop at the response, her heart did a full series of loops and twirls in her chest.

“We’ll get to spend the whole day together looking at weapons and more weapons!”

“The entire day?” 

“Yeah!  We’ll get there early - do you wanna get breakfast first? - then spend the morning in the convention hall.  Then we’ll get lunch, and then dinner - it’ll be great!  An entire day of you and me!”

That sounded like heaven, if her heart survived it.  When she looked at Yang, shell-shocked at the turn of events, Yang winked and mouthed ‘you’re welcome’ while Blake looked entirely too pleased about the situation.  Apparently, this was payback for the meddling she did, but she wasn’t sure if she was upset or not.  Yang just ceded an entire day of alone time with Ruby, so...it was hard to be upset.  

“We can look at the new dust tech!” Ruby babbled on while they entered their dorm building.  “And the new weapons for sale - those are always fun.  And the custom stuff.  I always want those things...then we can get lunch at one of the awesome restaurants nearby.  Maybe we can get stuff to-go and take it back with us...”

“Maybe you can kiss too.” 

Blake’s comment was flippant, but Ruby froze and Weiss’ cheeks instantly reached catastrophic levels of heat.

“W-what?” Ruby stammered, but Blake shrugged, looking far too casual for her own good.

“Just an idea.” 

Now that was payback.

Noticing Ruby’s stunned expression, Weiss switched into damage control mode.

“Don’t listen to her,” she said, shooting a glare at Blake’s back while she and Yang walked away.  “She’s just being catty.”

Blake’s ears flicked at the comment, but Ruby quickly recaptured Weiss’ attention.

“I-I know that!”  For a second, that seemed to be the entire response.  Then Ruby blushed and looked away.  “I mean, it’s not like we haven’t before...”

Now it was Weiss’ turn to blush, which she did while turning away and prodding Ruby into their room.  Coco’s dare had never loomed larger than it did right now, when Weiss realized that they had, in fact, kissed before.  On the cheek, but a kiss was a kiss, right? 

Although, what had Coco said…‘You call that a kiss?’  

Weiss glanced at Ruby before immediately looking away.  It was a kiss, but it wasn’t a kiss.  Certainly not on the level Yang and Blake had already graduated to.  Which, from the few instances Weiss accidentally interrupted, were filled with emotions she couldn’t begin to describe.  She also couldn’t imagine what that even felt like.

With another glance at Ruby, her blush grew, and she decided to stare at her desk while emptying the contents of her bag rather than make eye contact with anyone.  Maybe she could imagine, and it gave her more butterflies than she’d ever felt before.  She’d never sought out that type of romance before, but if Ruby wanted to...she certainly wouldn’t be opposed to it.  

Honestly, she needed to get these feelings and desires under control.  The last thing she needed was to fantasize about her partner even more than she already did.  Schoolwork was hard to concentrate on when all she wanted to do was imagine how Ruby’s lips felt instead.

“What do you guys wanna do?” Ruby asked as she sat on the edge of Weiss’ bed.  Blake shrugged at the question, but the way she dragged a book off of the bedstand and scooted back on her bed suggested she already had plans for the evening.

“I have an idea.”  When Yang motioned Ruby back to her feet, she obediently hopped up in preparation for whatever this idea was.  “Why don’t we grab some food and bring it back for our girlfriends?”  

Weiss’ heart stopped beating at the same moment Ruby’s eyes widened.

“G-girlfriends?” Ruby asked with a nervous chuckle and glance at Weiss.  

“I mean partners.”  Setting a hand on Ruby’s shoulder, Yang gave a smooth smile before leading Ruby towards the door.  “They are girls, after all…” 

“Yeah, but -”  When Ruby looked over her shoulder, Weiss forced her best reassuring smile rather than an ‘I’m silently freaking out about the word too’ one.  It seemed to work, because Ruby grinned and hopped through the door with her sister, but not before a chipper “yeah, you’re right” floated back to their ears.

Yang was right?  About which part?  About Blake and Weiss being girls or about...about the girlfriend part?  Most likely the former, but what if it was the latter?  Dammit, Yang.  She used the word so cavalierly, then didn’t even give Weiss the opportunity to hear a decent response.

After setting the last of her notebooks on the desk, she dropped her bag on the floor and sighed.  This situation was ridiculous.  These feelings were ridiculous.  And all of these emotions, which made her say and do things she would never have done before, were ridiculous.

Enough was enough.  She had to do something about this.  Otherwise...who knew what would happen.  It could get worse for all she knew.

“Ok,” she said while spinning towards Blake.  “I can’t take this anymore.”

“Finally breaking?” Blake replied with an amused smile, somehow knowing exactly what Weiss was talking about.  But of course she knew what Weiss was talking about - Ruby was about the only thing she talked about these days.

“This is killing me,” she elaborated.  “Literally killing me.  Everything she does - everything she says - it’s all so...”  Trying to think of the right word, she lifted her hand and scrunched her nose but came up empty.  

“Cute?” Blake offered.  

“Yes!” Weiss breathed out.  “It’s horrible and wonderful at the same time, and if she feels even a tiny bit of this - I...I just need to tell her.  Then she can turn me down, and I’ll get over it.”

When Blake laughed at that comment, Weiss frowned.  “What’s so funny?” 

“You think she’ll turn you down?” 

“Yes.  Why wouldn’t she?” 

“Because she likes you.”

Weiss didn’t even know if that was true, but her heart swooned at the idea of it.  

“You’re making that up,” she replied, although she had no evidence to back her claim.  

“I’m not.”  Blake shook her head when Weiss frowned.  “Seriously, I’m not.  I talked to her a couple days ago, and that’s basically what she said.” 

‘“Basically’ what she said?” 

“It’s Ruby.  You know she’ll never say it how we think she will.”

“Then what did she say?” 

“She said you’re pretty -” One sentence in, and Weiss’ heart fluttered.  “And smart, and funny, and the best partner she could have asked for.  She loves spending time with you, and training with you, and talking to you -” 

“Ok,” Weiss held up a hand before Blake made her heart explode from all the compliments.  She knew Ruby liked being her partner, but...more than that?  Sometimes, she felt like they were already there - like they were that couple who’d been together for years.  There was such a sense of comfort and ease being around each other, like it was meant to be.  Sometimes, she thought Ruby felt it too.  

Maybe all that was missing was one of them being open and honest with the other.  Maybe this was more similar to Blake and Yang than she wanted to believe.  Maybe they were only missing that last step, which was the hardest yet most crucial to take.

“I need to tell her,” she decided.  And, with her decision firm and final, she felt the same determination as she did when approaching a big test or performance.  That was, until she thought about how much she liked Ruby and, in a sense, needed Ruby in her life.  That realization took a needle to her courage and sent her back to one of the people she trusted most.  

“Will you help me?” 

“Seriously?” Blake asked while raising her brow.  “You’re asking me for help?” 

“Yes.”

“I think you need to talk to Yang.”

“But Yang’s not here right now.”

After thinking about the response for a long time, Blake sighed and waved one hand.

“Fine...then let’s...practice, or something.” 

Practice sounded like a great idea.  Weiss could figure out exactly what to say, memorize it, and tell Ruby.  Then most likely be rejected, and hurt, and upset, but eventually get over it and move on.

But what if Ruby liked her too?  What would she do then?  She had no idea how to be in a relationship.  All she knew was that after spending so long trying to get Blake and Yang together, and cursing them for being irrevocable boneheads, she couldn’t be a hypocrite by doing the same things they did.

“Ok.”  She was going to do this, but first she took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh.  “I guess I’ll...pretend you’re Ruby.”

“Sure.”  

Blake was basically the anti-Ruby, but Weiss could pretend.  Or she could pretend the bed was Ruby - that might be easier.  

“Ok,” she repeated one more time before telling herself to get on with it.  “Ruby -” she grimaced at how awkward it was to call Blake by Ruby’s name but carried on anyway.  “I need to tell you something.”

“Ok…”  

Blake’s semi-bored drawl was not at all how Ruby would respond, but Weiss ignored it and continued.

“It’s important,” she added, knowing that she needed to use the word ‘important’ to gain Ruby’s full attention.  “It’s about...us.”

‘Us’ was a two-letter word - why did it make her heart flutter?

“What about us?” Blake asked, still lacking over half of Ruby’s baseline energy.  But now, Weiss didn’t know where to go.  Where should she begin?

“W-well, I wanted to say that...I think our relationship has changed…”  When Blake’s brow raised, Weiss waved her hands.  “Nevermind - forget that,” she said before starting over.  “I wanted to tell you that...I’ve been feeling...different recently.”

“Different how?” Blake asked.  “In a bad way?  Are you mad at me?”

“Dammit,” Weiss muttered before shaking her head.  “Ok, not that either.  How about...how about - we’ve been spending a lot of time together recently, and...it’s made me realize that…”

That what?  That she liked Ruby to the moon and back?  That she internally squealed like a hopeless schoolgirl at every cute thing Ruby did, which was everything?  That her heart just about jumped out of her chest every time Ruby so much as touched her?

“I think you need to go simpler,” Blake suggested.  “Just come right out and say it, then explain why.”

Just say it?  Weiss could do that.  Probably.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out in a long exhale, she focused on Blake and on what she wanted to say.  

“Ruby, I...like you.  I-in a...more than friend type of way...”

“I like you in a more than friend way too,” Blake replied.  “You know why?  Because we’re partners.”  When Weiss sighed and slumped in her seat, Blake shook her head.  “Maybe you’re not ready for this.”

“I am!” Weiss insisted, even though this practice implied otherwise.  “I’m ready - I can tell her.  I want to tell her.  Besides, I don’t think I’ll survive much longer with you and Yang constantly forcing us together.” When Blake smirked at their see-through ploy, Weiss rolled her eyes.  “Yes, you’ve been so sneaky about it too,” she added before thinking about Ruby and sighing once more.  “It’s just...hard.” 

“You act like I don’t understand.”

“No, I know you do,” Weiss said while frowning towards Ruby’s bed.  “I just...never expected this to happen, so I wasn’t prepared.  And I don’t like feeling unprepared.”

That was the crux of the issue, wasn’t it?  If she’d known this would happen, she could have prepared for it.  She could have planned exactly what she wanted to do and laid the groundwork to make sure Ruby liked her too.  Instead, she found herself knee-deep in a massive crush with no idea how Ruby felt in return.  It was a vulnerable position to be in, and she didn’t like that - nor did she know how to get herself out of it without hurting herself or Ruby.

“You can’t prepare yourself for something like this,” Blake replied, drawing Weiss’ gaze to her kind, patient smile.  “You can’t guard yourself against it, or swear you’ll never let it happen to you.  Sometimes...we find someone and everything just...clicks.  You can fight it all you want, but why?”

In a few sentences, Blake said more than Weiss would have expected.  Of course, ever since she and Yang became an official couple, she’d been more open and honest about her feelings than she was before.  Whether that was Yang’s effect or a conscious effort to change, Weiss didn’t know.  Regardless of the cause, it was a good change - a healthy one - and Blake seemed to know that too.

Was Ruby the same for Weiss?  A source of positive change - a drive to make her a better person?  She thought so, and that was only one of the reasons she liked Ruby so much.

“Ok.”  Straightening in her seat, she briefly organized her thoughts before pressing forward with renewed determination.  “Ruby, I like you - more than friends, more than partners.  I like you...like how Yang likes Blake.”

Blake blushed at the analogy, but Weiss knew she had to use it.  Ruby would understand that, as she’d witnessed firsthand exactly how much Yang liked Blake.  She’d also witnessed exactly what types of...couple-y actions...that heightened version of ‘like’ entailed.

“I think she’ll get that,” Blake agreed, and Weiss nodded as some more nerves appeared.  Now that she had an idea of what to say, she knew what Blake would ask next, and she didn’t know the answer.

“When will you tell her?”

It wasn’t long ago that she swore to be upfront if she ever found herself in Blake or Yang’s position.  She would communicate her feelings as soon as she realized them.  She wouldn’t let the opportunity go to waste.  She would do better.  

As it turned out, the situation was harder than it looked.  The last thing she wanted to do was say something too soon and push Ruby away or worse, ruin what they had.  Remaining close friends would be more than enough for her.  But at the same time, it wasn’t enough at all.

At this point, Ruby deserved to know.  Whatever their relationship was, whatever their chances were of being something more...waiting longer probably wouldn’t have much of an impact.  Which meant Weiss shouldn’t wait.

“Well…” she began, but jumped when the door burst open and slammed against the wall.  Shocked by the entrance, she stared as Ruby raced into the room.

“Ruby!  What are you doing?  What’s wrong??” 

“You can’t go out with him!”  When Ruby grabbed Weiss’ hands, she felt an all-too-familiar jolt in her heart.  This time, however, that feeling was combined with more than a little confusion. 

“I...what?” 

“Yang said you have a date with Neptune!” Ruby explained, which only confused Weiss further.  “And you can’t go out with him because...because you shouldn’t!  You’re way too good for him - plus, I - I like you!”

‘Shocked’ couldn’t begin to describe how Weiss felt right now.  From an unknown and unheard-of date with Neptune to...a confession?  How?  Why?  What the hell happened when Ruby and Yang went to grab food?  

“...what?” she asked again, and shot a glance at Blake only to confirm the girl was just as surprised as she was.

“I, uh, you know...like you...” Ruby replied, losing her confidence by the second.  “And thought you should know that before...uh, nevermind!” 

Ruby nearly disappeared out the door, but Weiss grabbed her hand and held her in place.

“Wait.”

Again, Weiss felt unprepared.  Even though she practiced what to say, the situation remained out of her control.  But...of course it did.  It was Ruby, and Ruby had her own way of doing things.  Whenever she thought she knew exactly what to expect, Ruby surprised her - but she liked a good surprise every once in a while.

“You like me?”

The way Ruby shuffled her feet and blushed was more than enough of an answer, and Weiss’ heart burst into thousands of butterflies.

“Uh...I do...but like, don’t worry if, like, you don’t feel the same...”

Now Weiss couldn’t stop smiling - at how relieved she was that she wouldn’t be rejected, and at how cute Ruby was now that she was embarrassed.  A glance confirmed that both Yang and Blake were watching closely - not exactly the most private moment to have this conversation but, surprisingly, she didn’t mind much.  They already knew how she felt, which was probably the only reason why they stayed.  They knew her answer and...maybe their presence was support, in a way.  A subtle reminder that they did know, and wanted her to see this through.

“Ruby,” she said while squeezing Ruby’s hand and taking a deep breath.  “I like you too.”

Saying the words aloud was equal parts relieving and terrifying, but she focused on the relief while waiting for Ruby’s response.

“You...do?”

“I do.”

“But like...more than friends?” Ruby clarified, and Weiss glanced at Blake before laughing.

“Yes, more than friends - more than partners too,” she added before Ruby beat her to it.  And when Ruby smiled, Weiss felt a smile of her own appear.

“Like...how Yang likes Blake?” Ruby asked, and Weiss’ smile grew while noticing the little fist pump Yang did off to the side.

“Exactly like that.”

“You’re serious??”  Ruby was excited now, and that feeling quickly spread to Weiss as well.

“Yes.”  She couldn’t believe she was saying this to Ruby, of all people.  She couldn’t believe Ruby liked her too, but...apparently, she should.  

Now, she wondered - were they as obvious as Blake and Yang were?  Did she even care?  Her cheeks hurt from smiling right now, but she’d never expected something like this to happen.  Not for someone like her, who was difficult to deal with on the best of days.  Having close friends - and best friends - already felt like a dream come true.  Having a...more than friend...was something she’d never dared hope for.

“Now you can kiss,” Blake interjected after they smiled at each other for too long.  But Weiss’ cheeks warmed at the thought, and she looked away when she noticed Ruby blushing too.

“Oh yeah, they’re not there yet,” Yang replied with a chuckle.  

“They really aren’t.” 

“Yangggg…” Ruby whined while Yang walked over and poked Weiss in the side.

“Come on, Weiss,” Yang teased.  “Isn’t this what you wanted?” 

Weiss took one look at Ruby and, upon seeing the blush on Ruby’s cheeks, turned away.  She did.  At least, she wanted to try, but not with her teammates in the room.

“Maybe she needs permission,” Yang whispered to Ruby - loudly.  “You’ve gotta give her permission, Ruby.”

“Yanggg…”

When Yang laughed, way too amused by the situation at hand, Weiss grabbed one of the shut up cards from her desk and flipped it over to the girl.  For some reason, that only made Yang more amused, as she snatched the card from the air and mimed zipping her lips.  After ‘tossing’ Weiss the key, Yang reached for Blake’s hand and whispered, “worked like a charm...looks like you lost.”

“I wouldn’t stoop so low,” Blake replied, which made Yang laugh.

“You literally tried the same thing last week.  You just chose the wrong horse in this race.”  

The two grabbed their scrolls to leave, but Weiss’ cheeks burned at the memory of Ruby’s fake date with Jaune.  She nearly put the poor boy through a wall before realizing it was a trick.  

“Have fun,” Blake told them before leading Yang out of the room, which increased the temperature of Weiss’ blush.  Yang only added to the heat when she bumped into Ruby on the way, forcing her to step into Weiss before hurriedly backing away.

“Sorry,” Ruby mumbled, but Weiss shook her head at the apology.  Once the door closed and silence returned to the room, Ruby cleared her throat and met Weiss’ gaze.

“So, uh, are you sure?”

To Weiss, the question seemed silly.  Was she sure?  How could she not be?  What was the other explanation for these feelings that refused to go away?

To Ruby, however, it might not be as clear - and that was partially Weiss’ fault.  For as much as she told herself she would communicate, she wasn’t as good at it as she hoped.

“I’m sure.”  It still made her nervous to admit that out loud, but she was determined to put these words out there for Ruby to hear.  “You’re funny and kind and wonderful, and I really love...being around you.”  

With every word Weiss said, Ruby’s smile grew, and that put an unexpectedly powerful and encouraging feeling in her heart.  It made her want to say more - to make it even clearer how and why she liked Ruby the way she did.  Ruby deserved to know and, if she was open to hearing it, Weiss wanted to tell her.

“I like being around you more than anyone else,” she added, and felt her heart grow in turn.  “That’s why I’ve wanted to tell you too.  You just...beat me to it.”

One day, she would explain how she literally just practiced what she wanted to say - that she was right on the cusp of telling Ruby too.  But...those were stories for later.

“Yeah…”  After shuffling closer, Ruby hesitantly reached out and touched Weiss’ hand.  The simple touch, which they usually did multiple times a day, had so much more significance now.  Still, Weiss smiled and intertwined her fingers with Ruby’s, even though doing so made it feel like her heart might explode.  

“We were walking to the cafeteria, and Yang said you had a date with Neptune,” Ruby explained.  “And I was really sad.  When I told her why, she told me to tell you right away, so...that’s what I did.”

From the sound of it, Weiss owed Yang a bit of gratitude.  Yang and Blake both, for helping her sort through her feelings while being not at all subtle about their help and ultimate goal.  Even though they weren’t sneaky about it, she appreciated the help in the end. 

“Well, no, I don’t have a date with Neptune,” she said to clear that up.  “And I would never date him.  Not when I...like you.”

That was still surreal to say, but felt even better with each subsequent issuance.  From the size of Ruby’s smile, she felt the same way about hearing it.

“But what do we do now?” This was the part Weiss had feared - the part where she had no idea what to do or what it meant to be in a relationship.  Those nerves disappeared, however, when Ruby shrugged and smiled.

“I dunno.  I don’t think we have to do anything special.  We just...spend time together.”

It was that easy, wasn’t it?  That’s how Weiss stumbled into these feelings, to begin with - because it was that easy.  Maybe she and Ruby had no idea what they were doing, but she knew they could spend days together without ever running out of things to say.  She knew she’d rather spend time with Ruby than anyone else in Remnant.  And now...they could experience everything with no feelings barred to them.

“How about we try out that new combat move you designed?”  Sensing Ruby’s confusion, Weiss motioned with her elbow towards Ruby’s notebooks.  The moment Ruby caught on, her blush reappeared, but she still smiled.

“That sounds like fun!”

While Ruby rushed over to her bed to gather her notebook, Weiss took a deep breath and wondered when her heart would slow to a normal speed.  When Ruby retook her hand, however, she realized it wouldn’t be anytime soon.

“Ready?” Ruby asked, and waited for Weiss’ nod before leading them towards the training rooms.  

Everything was the same, except it wasn’t.  They often held hands, but now they were holding hands.  Not as friends, not as partners, but as more than that.

It would take some getting used to.

“How long have you known?” Weiss asked while they walked down the hall, feeling awkward by more comfortable with each step.

“I think I figured it out over winter break.”  When Weiss raised her brow, Ruby smiled and nodded.  “We got to spend so much time together, I realized that I liked you a lot.  And not the same type of like as I feel for Jaune or anyone else.”  After a brief pause to think about that realization, Ruby shook her head and turned Weiss’ way.  “What about you?  How long have you known?”

“About the same time,” Weiss answered with a smile.  Another round of butterflies fluttered through her chest when Ruby squeezed her hand, but this time she embraced them rather than will them away.

The irony of the situation wasn’t lost on her, however.  By spending the entirety of winter break trying to get Blake and Yang together, she unwittingly put herself in the position to spend more time with Ruby.  Doing so unlocked the feelings she’d never expected to find, but now wouldn’t trade for anything in the world.

If anything, observing Blake and Yang’s blossoming feelings had helped Weiss deal with her own.  And, not to be forgotten, she finally understood the true importance of The Winter Challenge.  While the individual events were pointless to their progression as huntresses, the overarching lesson was one she would always remember:  If they wanted to become a better team, they had to work on the bonds between them just as much as their combat strategies.  By doing so, they grew closer as teammates, friends, and partners, which made them better, stronger huntresses in turn.

In the case of her team, they grew so much closer that she was confident they would be the best team at Beacon in no time.  But first, she had to learn how to look at Ruby without blushing...