What Defines Us - Chapter 11 (Patreon)

It was amazing how much could change in a single year - how lives could be built and destroyed, fortunes made and squandered, loves gained and lost - and yet, in the same period of time, some things would remain exactly the same.  It was as if some powerful being decided that certain aspects of the world would reject the concept of time - they would instead be blessed with a strange form of immortality...destined to endure. 

Her life had not been deemed so fortunate: it had been turned on its head, torn apart, and scattered to the wind.  Yet, while she struggled through a year’s worth of adversity, the most mundane of places hadn’t changed one bit.  

Today, she’d managed to convince herself to visit the Vale Galleria - an outdoor shopping center popular amongst the more middle-class of Vale’s residents for its affordable shopping and dining options.  Walking through familiar pathways paved in sand-colored stones, she noted that nothing had changed in the time she’d been away.  There were the same stores, the same restaurants, and the same giant water fountain sitting in the middle of the entire complex, acting as a hub connecting all of the different spokes lined with shops. 

There were the same tables spaced perfectly around the same open seating area, set up in the same pattern.  The same blue and white umbrellas standing open above each table, providing shelter from the sun up above.  The same buzz in the air from the myriad of people out shopping all at once.  If she blinked, she might convince herself that the same people were here - as if they’d never been able to leave and carry on with their own lives.

Everything was the same as the past hundred times she’d been here, which meant that the only thing that had changed was her.  Her life had been shattered into pieces, yet this place carried on completely undisturbed.  The realization was enough to make any person feel the weight of their own insignificance...

These days, the hustle and bustle of crowded spaces was something she avoided at all costs.  Being surrounded by strangers grated harshly on her nerves, while also filling her with an unmistakable anxiety and desire to escape.  This was why she’d chosen to come here in the middle of the workday when it was hopefully less crowded.

However, apparently shopping had no quiet hours.  The din of voices made her want to turn right around and head home, but she was doing everything in her power to ignore the coward inside of her.  After the disaster that was her last visit with Ruby, she needed to accomplish something that would prove she could still do this.  She could stay in Vale.  She could fight off the demons of her past.  She could walk into this memory-filled shopping center and survive.  

It was such an infinitesimal step forward that she knew the previous version of herself would scoff in loathing.  But at least it was something.  She couldn’t hide from the past forever, could she?

Not only had she made it here...not only had she traversed as far as the fountain...but she was also determined to make progress towards another of her lofty goals today.

Glancing towards one of the standing clocks placed at each of the four entrances to the courtyard, she found that she still had plenty of time.  She’d given herself ample padding to ensure she wasn’t late and to plan for any...unexpected delays.  With some free time, her feet drew her closer to the fountain, with its splashes and streams of water serving to drown out much of the noise from shoppers passing by.  The thin jets of water shooting out from the center of the fountain ended too far from the edge for Weiss to reach them, but close enough that she could consider trying.  After glancing into the basin and seeing the shimmering coins lying below, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

How many wishes had been made here?

How many hadn’t come true?

Opening her eyes, she turned away from the fountain and searched the randomly occupied tables surrounding her.  The layout was exactly the same, which meant…yes.  It was still here, and currently unoccupied.  

Of course it was still here.  Just because they’d been gone didn’t mean it would cease to exist.

Striding over to what had been unofficially deemed ‘their’ table, she ran one hand across the back of ‘her’ chair while trying to decide whether or not she wanted to stay.  Should today be the day she finally sat somewhere new?  

Looking away, her eyes scanned the empty spots available in search of a suitable alternative, but found none.  This was the best seat in the entire area.  It had a clear view of all the entrances and exits, while also being far enough away from the fountain that the sound of the water wouldn’t dampen any conversations.

Internally she grappled, one hand placed lightly on the back of the chair as if she might pull it out at any second.  She also might walk away at any second.  

After several more moments of indecision, she sighed and shook her head.  Why must every decision be so difficult?  It was a chair, for Grimm’s sake.

Pulling it out from underneath the table, she sat down before she had time to change her mind.  Once seated she began to feel...better.  She’d made a decision and had seen it through.  Small as it was, she’d willingly chosen to revisit the past and hadn’t been immediately overcome by emotions.  Granted, it was only a chair...

Allowing her eyes to wander over the crowds, she was drawn back to how similar it felt.  The people could very well be different, but to her it looked like the same crowds as every other day she’d been here.  And the more familiar it felt, the more she could feel memories pulling at the corners of her mind, tempting her with a trip down memory lane.

This was a happy place though, filled with happy memories.  

Tilting her head up towards the small section of sun slipping underneath the umbrella, she basked in the warm rays and closed her eyes, letting a soft sigh of contentment slip out.  The sound of voices was soothing, in a way.  Once upon a time she’d enjoyed being surrounded by people going about their own days, with their own lives and stories.  The anonymity provided by being just one of the crowd made her feel...normal.

“Hey, look what I got!”

Her eyes flew open and snapped towards the voice, expecting to find the speaker skipping joyfully over to her with some new treasure clasped in both hands.  But it didn’t take more than a quick glance to find that there was no one speaking to her.  Probably just someone nearby with a similar voice…

Regardless, she peered around while closely listening for the person to speak again.  Hearing nothing, she sighed again and settled on people-watching instead of resting her eyes.  

The courtyard was the perfect stopping place for families to grab a bite to eat from any of the various restaurants surrounding them.  It also worked perfectly as a place to rest between shopping adventures, or as a meeting spot to wait for co-workers, family, or friends.  It was this last purpose that brought Weiss here today, braving the crowds and the memories.

Allowing her gaze to drift across blank face after blank face, it was only a few minutes longer before her eyes locked onto a familiar person making their way into the fountain’s courtyard.

It was fascinating how much Blake stood out in a crowd when she wasn’t actively trying to disappear.  And Weiss honestly believed it had nothing to do with the ears.  It was the way Blake walked.  Or the way her eyes observed everything so keenly.  Or it was the incredible aura of intelligence and character that far exceeded anyone she passed.  Whatever it was, and Weiss had never been able to decide exactly what it might be, Blake was easy to pick out of a crowd.

The instant Weiss stood from her seat, Blake’s eyes found her.  With an easy smile, Blake picked her way through the tables and shoppers before reaching Weiss and pulling her in for a quick hug.  The gesture was comforting beyond measure - if only for that brief instant in time.  Of the four of them, Blake was least likely to hand out hugs, so for her to give one to Weiss was...encouraging, to say the least.

“Thanks for coming to meet me,” she said as Blake drew away and took the seat across the table.

“Of course, Weiss.  I’m surprised you wanted to meet here though.”  Weiss’ eyes followed Blake’s hand as it waved at the area around them - a space they’d been to together many times.

“I couldn’t think of anywhere else,” Weiss answered, leaving out the part where this was all part of her fledgling effort to face the past.  “I’m surprised Yang’s not with you though.”

“Yang and I aren’t surgically attached at the hip...yet,” Blake responded with an amused grin, leaning comfortably back in her seat.  “So, what did you need my help with?”

This was it - one of the goals Weiss was determined to see through.  It was probably going to be horribly difficult, but what wasn’t horribly difficult for her these days?  

“I wanted to ask if you’ll help get Yang to speak to me again.  Or at least look like she doesn’t want to punch me all the time.”

From the way Blake’s ears twitched, that request wasn’t what she’d expected.  Weiss understood that it was a lot to ask, but no one knew Yang better.  And no one had more insight into her current thoughts on Weiss’ continued existence.  If the two of them were ever going to be friends again - or even just friendly acquaintances - she needed Blake’s help. 

When Blake leaned forward and placed both elbows on the table, it was clear that she was taking the request seriously.  Her expression remained thoughtful for what felt like an incredibly long time before she finally opened her mouth to speak.

“You two need to talk to each other.”

“I’ve tried.”

“You need to try again,” Blake replied with a serious gaze.  “And really talk.  Be honest.  She’ll yell, but she probably needs that.  You both need to talk everything out.  That’s the only way this will get better.”

Weiss’ brow furrowed at the advice.

“So...let her yell at me?”

If there was anything Weiss loathed, it was being yelled at.  Even if she was completely in the wrong, there was something about having another person shout in her face that made her want to shout back.  Which she normally did.

“You need to explain to her how you felt, Weiss,” Blake continued, her eyes observing Weiss closely.  “Explain why you made the decision to leave - the overwhelming guilt, the fear of rejection, all of the pain that comes with it.  Because, believe me, she doesn’t understand.”

Blake’s own explanation was so spot-on that Weiss stared in surprise.  Her silence only made Blake sigh and drop her gaze to the table.  

“You’re not the first person to run away from their problems...it happens.  We’re not perfect.”

The reply made Weiss frown.  She wanted to be perfect.  That’s what she’d considered herself to be...before she’d gone to Beacon.  

It was one thing to admit her personal failings to Ruby - that was something Weiss would’ve gladly done in the past - but to explain her greatest mistakes to Yang?  To attempt to put into words the extent of the torment thriving in her mind?  To be open and honest and hope that Yang wouldn’t crush the last of Weiss’ resolve?

“I don’t know if I can...” she whispered, drawing Blake’s gaze once more.

“You can still try.  Doesn’t she deserve at least that much?”

Thinking about the question, Weiss’ brow furrowed while she bit at her bottom lip.  After what she’d done, yes, Yang deserved so much more than just an attempted explanation.  But the idea of being that vulnerable with someone other than Ruby made Weiss’ hands tremble in unease.

“What if I try to explain...and she still hates me?”

The genuine worry actually made Blake break into a smile, leveling Weiss with a steady gaze.

“This is Yang we’re talking about, Weiss.  You know as well as I do that if you’re sincere and honest she won’t be able to hold a grudge much longer.”

What Blake said was true.  The Yang Weiss knew from Beacon was terrible at staying mad for any extended period of time, especially when it came to friends or family.  There were second chances, third chances, fourth chances...nearly an endless amount of forgiveness thrived in Yang and Ruby both.  Although that forgiveness likely only applied when someone truly deserved it...

After a moment of silence, Blake continued in a soft voice, as if trying not to hurt Weiss’ feelings with the words she was about to say.

“She doesn’t expect you to stay, you know…”

The revelation brought Weiss back to the conversation in a heartbeat.

“She doesn’t?” 

“No.”  Blake shook her head and smiled sadly.  “She thinks that any day now we’ll wake up and you’ll be gone again.  That’s why she’s not bothering to make amends.  She’s already upset at you for what she thinks you’re going to do next.”

The disclosure left Weiss taken aback and filled with anguish.  It was one thing for her to evaluate her own mental health and question her ability to stay...but it was another for someone who used to be her closest friend to do the same.  If it was true, then she really did need to speak with Yang.  Or, at the very least, find a way to make it clear that she had no intention of leaving again.  Although she’d had no intentions of leaving the first time…

“What about you?” she asked with a heavy heart.  “Do you think I’ll leave again too?”

“I…” Blake closed her mouth and shook her head before finishing her response.  “I hope that she’s wrong.”

With a slow nod Weiss accepted that answer - it was at least honest.  She wished there was some sort of guarantee she could use to prove that it wouldn’t happen again, but she didn’t have any evidence that could even begin to refute that point of view.  If anything, her actions up to now likely suggested the opposite of her true intentions.

Ruby couldn’t see it, but it was now obvious that Blake and Yang could.  They saw the cracks in Weiss’ hastily constructed composure.  Maybe they couldn’t see the extent of the damage, but they knew that not everything was as Weiss made it seem.  Of course they could see right through her facade - they were her teammates and they knew her well.  There was no point in making promises to them that they already knew she might not have the capacity to keep.  

She’d been living behind masks and pretense for so long that to have that ability suddenly taken away was both disconcerting and exposing.  But also, oddly relieving.  It was exhausting trying to keep track of the lies sometimes...

After some silence, Weiss decided that it was time to put that conversation behind them.  Reaching into her bag, she pulled out a thin envelope with the Schnee Dust logo in one corner and slid it across the table to Blake - who accepted it curiously.

“In the meantime, I bought you both tickets to the Achieve Men concert in a few weeks.  I would give them to her myself, but I’m guessing she might rip them up if they came from me directly.”

Raising an eyebrow, Blake opened the envelope to take a peek at the tickets inside.

“You’re going with bribery then?”

“It’s one of the skills Schnees are best at,” Weiss replied with a hint of derision in her voice.  “Well, that and extortion...I didn’t know where she’d want to sit, so I just bought the most expensive ones.”

Pulling out the thin slips of paper, Blake’s brow briefly furrowed while reading, before her eyes widened in surprise.

“Weiss - these are backstage passes!”

“That’s good then?”

Chuckling and shaking her head, Blake carefully slid the tickets back into the envelope and folded over the flap to close it.  “That’s not something she’ll be able to easily decline.  And she definitely won’t be tearing them up.”

Setting the envelope carefully off to the side, Blake leaned forward and rested both of her hands on the table once more, her ears pointing directly to Weiss.

“But how have you been doing, Weiss?  What have you been up to all this time?”

When Blake asked the questions, there wasn’t a single drop of malice or sarcasm in her tone.  She genuinely wanted to know - because she legitimately cared about how Weiss had been.  This was the same girl that Weiss had once griped about having to team with, let alone live with.  The same girl that Weiss had once derided as a criminal...  

Yet there was no one more understanding than Blake.  She could be trusted with secrets...lies...insecurities...

“I’ve been...working.  Working a lot,” Weiss answered truthfully.  There wasn’t really more to her story than that - she’d thrown herself into her work to avoid thinking about the past.  There were also the excursions out into the forests, but Blake didn’t need to know about those at this moment.  “But how have you and Yang been?” she asked, redirecting the conversation and removing the spotlight from herself.  “It seems like nothing’s changed for you two - except for me showing up and ruining things.”

“You haven’t ruined anything,” Blake replied, her tone uncharacteristically stern before her expression softened.  “We’re doing great though.  She’s still everything I need.  And then some.”

The reply made Weiss crack a smile, knowing full well that Yang could be a handful on a good day.  It was always baffling how the two of them had hit it off so well - like they were crafted solely to complement one another.  Somehow, Blake was able to effortlessly handle the abundance of energy and ego, and seamlessly direct it towards productive causes without Yang even realizing what was happening.   

There was much more to it than that, as Yang’s own outlook and mentality somehow meshed perfectly with Blake’s, even though they were starkly different.  It was like blending oil with water and expecting neither to yield to the other, but, instead, each gave way and a more perfect combination appeared. 

“I’m honestly surprised you two aren’t married yet,” Weiss commented offhandedly.  It was meant to be lighthearted, but she instantly knew that it wasn’t from the way Blake’s eyes fell to the table and her hands clasped together.

“I don’t think...she wants to go down that road right now...”

Heart plunging through her chest, Weiss couldn’t feel more horrible for bringing the topic up.  How insensitive could she be?

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean -”

“Don’t be sorry, Weiss,” Blake cut her off with a small smile.  “You have nothing to apologize for.  If I wasn’t completely happy, I would say something to her.  But things are great the way they are.  Maybe once Ruby gets back on her feet…”  As Blake’s sentence drifted off, her eyes temporarily unfocused before quickly snapping back to Weiss as if the thought hadn’t wandered away.

“It’s just not the right time.”

Not the right time…

Everyone accepted that the pair would be married one day, but obstacles seemed to delay them at every turn.  In this case, that obstacle had been Weiss and the responsibilities she’d unceremoniously dumped into their laps.

“You two have made quite the name for yourselves, from what I’ve heard,” Weiss said instead, trying to steer the conversation to a better subject.  In her absence, she’d tried not to hear too much about her teammates, but news inevitably floated by her ears when she walked through the halls at work.  Thankfully, Blake grinned at the words and let the previous topic fall behind them.

“You know Yang - she wants to be the best and be known as the best.”

“I used to know her, yes,” Weiss replied, dropping her gaze to the tabletop.  “But so much has changed.”

“Less has changed than you might think.  It probably just feels like a lot right now.”

Blake could say that again, Weiss thought while letting out a sigh.  It was overwhelming on a good day - like swimming into wave after wave and getting pummeled into the water every single time.  By the time she came up for air, she was crushed by another one.

But, if there was good news to be celebrated, it was that she was able to sit at this table and have a somewhat normal conversation with one of her closest friends.  There were still sore spots and landmines lurking at the end of every sentence, but her internal coward wasn’t ringing the alarms of anxiety, forcing her to contemplate escape.

“Thank you, Blake.  For being willing to talk.”

Her sincere gratitude was met by a steady expression from across the table.

“You’re still our teammate, Weiss.  And you’re still my friend.  I want to help and, selfishly, I want things to go back to how they were.”

Sighing again, Weiss shook her head at the admission.  “I don’t think that that can ever happen.  Not after everything…”

“We’ve all made mistakes.  Yang just wants Ruby to be happy.  If she didn’t think you could make Ruby happy, do you honestly think you would’ve made it through the front door?”

A small smile slipped out in response to Blake’s reply, which was spoken with a large degree of truth.

“Plus...and she’ll never admit this...but she wants to give you another chance.  I know deep down she does.  I can see it in how much she’s fighting with herself.”

“She doesn’t have to give me anything, I can earn it - I plan on earning another chance,” Weiss replied resolutely.  The determination surprised herself, and made Blake smile.

“That’s good enough for me,” she said, finally leaning back in her chair.  “But you still haven’t asked me what I thought you wanted to know today.”

“What’s that?” Weiss asked, tilting her head in curiosity of what she was failing to consider.

“Ruby,” Blake answered, her smile falling into a pleased smirk.  “Don’t you want to know what she thinks of you?”

The mere mention of Ruby’s name set loose butterflies in Weiss’ chest.  Add in the realization that Blake could offer insights that Weiss would never be able to gather on her own...

“What does she think?” she asked breathlessly, oblivious to how much she needed that answer until now.  “Have you talked to her?”

“Yes, I have.  And she wants to be your friend,” Blake replied, eyes twinkling with something between amusement and happiness.  “It might be too early to say, but I think she likes you a lot.  She kind of...lights up when you’re around.  It’s something I haven’t seen from her since...before.”

There were a plethora of reasons why that might be - many of them revolving around the reality that Ruby just liked people in general - but Weiss wanted to believe that there was something special about her, that maybe Ruby liked her more than normal people.  

A smile slipped out and there was nothing she could do to stop it.  The idea that Ruby might like her...it felt like their first year at Beacon all over again.

As if on cue, she heard a burst of familiar laughter drift across the courtyard to her.  Immediately dropping Blake’s gaze and scanning the crowds, she found a bob of brown hair to the left that looked exactly like Ruby’s.  The vision made Weiss’ pulse skyrocket and her palms grow sweaty.  Not right now, she groaned to herself.  Why right now?  She’d been dealing with her memories just fine…

Before she could force her eyes back to Blake, the crowd thinned enough for her to see that her mind wasn’t playing tricks on her - it was Ruby.  And Yang.  Both girls were walking over to their table, with Ruby bouncing happily by Yang’s side.

“What -?” Weiss asked, at a complete loss for words at the unexpected development.  

“Yang asked me where I was going,” Blake explained apologetically, not even turning in her chair to know what was causing Weiss’ sudden consternation.  “We might not be attached at the hip, but we don’t lie to each other.  I told her I was coming to meet you, so she and Ruby did a little shopping and then wanted to see you.  Well, Ruby wanted to see you.”

The words hardly registered in Weiss’ mind as her eyes remained trained on Ruby, heart beating quickly.  Ruby was talking animatedly to Yang about something while swinging a plastic bag in full circles around one wrist.  There was a hop in her step that was so familiar it made Weiss want to run over and jump into Ruby’s arms for a hug.

This wasn’t her Ruby though.  This was the ghost Weiss needed to summon a great deal of courage in order to face.

“But I’m not…” she began, as panic bubbled in her veins.

“Ready?” Blake finished for her before chuckling.  “Weiss, when have you ever needed to be ready to see Ruby?”

“I - since -” she stammered before snapping her mouth shut.

Since she’d left.  She needed to mentally prepare herself for Ruby’s vitality and for the potential memories forever attached to Ruby’s slender frame.  She hadn’t done that today.  She hadn’t thought that Ruby would be here.  Right now.  Walking over to her.

For a brief instant, Weiss considered standing and abruptly leaving in order to escape the impending interaction, but then Ruby’s eyes found hers and lit up in excitement.  With a big smile and sparkling eyes, Ruby left her older sister’s side in favor of racing the remaining distance to the table.

If there had been any possibility of Weiss walking away, it was destroyed by the smile aimed her way.

“Hey Weiss!”

“Ruby -” she replied while her heart did a barrel roll in her chest.  When Ruby practically crashed into one of the empty chairs at the table, a small laugh of amusement even slipped out.  

Her eyes drifted above Ruby to Yang, who merely nodded in acknowledgement before leaning down to give Blake a kiss between the ears.  Yang then slid comfortably into the chair beside Blake, eyes never leaving her partner in one of those displays of devotion Yang was prone to making.  For her part, Blake never turned away, accepting Yang’s affection freely and uninhibitedly.  

The entire interaction lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough to make Weiss wonder if Blake ever felt guilty sometimes...for what had happened to Yang’s arm.  Because to an outside observer, it was impossible to tell that anything bad had ever befallen them.  They simply looked...in love.

When Yang leaned forward for a kiss, Weiss politely turned away and moved her full attention to Ruby.

“What did you buy?” she asked, glancing curiously at the plastic bag that had been plopped down on top of the table.  

“Oh!  Lots of great stuff!” Ruby replied before pulling out random pieces of hardware - wires, sections of metal, and several small tubes of paint.  To the untrained eye it would look like junk, but Ruby treated each and every item like an invaluable treasure.  

Another laugh nearly slipped out when Weiss realized that she’d been half expecting Ruby to have gotten new clothes.  Of course, Ruby had never been that type of girl.  And, apparently, still wasn’t that type of girl.

“They’re the last things I need to finish up my glove!” Ruby explained, picking up a thin plastic bag containing a few lengths of nearly microscopic wire and holding it up so Weiss could see.

“It’s that close to being finished?” she asked.  It seemed like Ruby had only just begun working on the pet project, but these last tidbits appeared to be the finishing touches on any new contraption. 

“Yup!  I just needed these wires to loop together the transistors and the glue to hold down the wires.  There’s never enough glue, it seems,” Ruby muttered to herself before turning shimmering silver eyes back to Weiss.  “Then there are these very specific hinges - we just had them custom made!  Look how small they are!”

The hinges Ruby held up were indeed very small.  

“May I see this glove when you’re done with it?” Weiss asked while obligingly accepting the tiny hinge when it was passed over for her inspection.  From the way Ruby beamed at the request, it was exactly the question she’d hoped for.

“Of course!  I’d love to show you!  I think it could be really awesome.  I hope…”  Ruby bit her lip for a brief second until the momentary insecurity passed by.  She then glanced quickly to the left and right before turning back to Weiss with an expectant expression set in place. 

The familiar gaze made Weiss’ heart instantly beat faster.  It was an expression that Weiss had come to adore and dread at the same time.  It was the one that meant Ruby was about to get whatever she asked for next.  And she’d used it on some pretty extravagant wishes in the past...

“Weiss…” Ruby began, her voice low enough that Yang couldn’t overhear from the other side of the table.  Weiss leaned closer in anticipation of whatever the request would be.  Whatever she could do that would make Ruby happy, she was willing to do it.

“Do you...want to get some ice cream?”

Weiss nearly let out an audible sigh of relief at the easily fulfilled wish.  

“Absolutely,” she answered, mustering a smile before following Ruby’s lead standing up.

“We’re gonna get some ice cream!” Ruby pronounced, drawing Blake and Yang’s attention away from each other.  “Do you want anything?”

“No thanks,” Yang replied at the same time Blake shook her head ‘no.’  

“Ok, but you can’t steal any of mine then!” Ruby quipped at her sister before waving Weiss away from the table.  “Have you ever been to this place?” Ruby asked while they wove their way through the tables and shoppers towards the ice cream parlor lining the courtyard.

“Once or twice before,” Weiss fudged, trying to temper the swell of heartbreak that Ruby even had to ask.  This had been their favorite ice cream shop in all of Vale - and they’d tried them all.  Literally.  That had been one of Ruby’s outlandish wishes that Weiss made sure came true.

“It’s so good!” Ruby remarked with a happy hop to express just how excited she was about the impending sugar rush.  “Definitely my favorite place in town.”

Even though Weiss was still disappointed, the comment managed to make her smile.  That was one more thing that hadn’t changed.

When they reached the door, Ruby pulled it open and held it for Weiss.  The moment she walked inside the smell of sugar inundated her.  Combined with the warm lights and cheerful buzz of lively conversations occurring all around them, it was like stepping into a time capsule.  As with the rest of the mall, this shop hadn’t felt the effects of time.  It looked the same, sounded the same, smelled the same -

She jumped when someone touched her hand, then mentally scolded herself when she realized Ruby had only mistakenly brushed against her by accident while joining her inside.  The pull of another lifetime was fading away though, this time allowing Weiss to concentrate on trailing Ruby towards the front counter.

“Do you know what you’re going to have?” Weiss asked curiously.

“Heck yes!” Ruby replied while stepping up in preparation to order.  The older gentleman behind the counter was immediately recognizable - he’d owned the shop for the past twenty or so years.

“Ruby Rose!” he greeted her with a wide grin.  “Guessing you’d like a Ruby’s Special?”

“You know it!” Ruby replied with another hop of excitement than made him laugh joyfully before turning towards Weiss.

“And you -”  His eyes widened and he did a small double-take when he saw Weiss standing behind Ruby.  Trying not to make it into a huge episode, Weiss gave him a nod of recognition that he returned with a warm smile.  “And for you, Miss?” he asked in a gentler tone.  “The usual, as well?”

A quick glance towards Ruby assured Weiss that the girl was too busy staring inside the case of ice cream to have caught his question.  With a small smile, she gave him a single nod.

“Yes, please.”

With another beaming smile, the man set off to create their ice cream masterpieces.  Well, Ruby’s was much more of a masterpiece than Weiss’ was.

“What brought you here today?” he asked while scooping multiple flavors into a giant boat that would be Ruby’s.  “Reach another milestone or two?”

“Naw, just out shopping with Yang!  Got some new part stuff.”

“The doohickeys and geewhillickers?”

“Hey, you’re learning!” Ruby answered with a laugh that he shared.  “You’ll be building your own weapon in no time!”

“The only thing I’ll be building,” he replied, setting one Ruby’s Special on the counter for her to take.  “Is a monument celebrating ice cream.”

Ruby let out an ‘ooooh’ of glee while accepting her ice cream, which was a work of art - and that was a term that Weiss didn’t use lightly.  From the different colors of ice cream, to the purposefully placed toppings, to the delicately crafted tuft of whipped cream on top, he put a level of care into his creation that was worthy of museum consideration.

A moment later he passed Weiss her own order - a much more subdued cup containing only one flavor and a swirl of caramel dressing on top.  Upon closer inspection, she smiled when she found that the swirl was actually a very intricate ‘W.’  

“I’ll pay,” she quickly interjected when she noticed Ruby digging around in her pockets.

“Are you sure?” 

“Yes, I’d like to buy your ice cream,” Weiss responded with what she hoped was a convincing smile.  It must have worked, because Ruby looked hesitant for only a moment before grinning.

“Ok, but only if I get to pay next time!”

“Deal,” Weiss agreed with a nod.  “You want to get some napkins?”

After nodding again, Ruby shot off to the counter holding both napkins and spoons for them to use.

“Haven’t seen you around here in a while,” the man commented while ringing up their order and taking Weiss’ card as payment.

“I’ve been...away,” she answered halfheartedly.

When he nodded at something over her shoulder, she turned to find Ruby kneeling on the floor talking eagerly with a small child, pointing to each of the different flavors in her ice cream.  

“She’s a fighter, that one,” he said, shaking his head slowly in respect.  “It was an inspiration watching her come back to life after what happened.  And she never lost her smile.”

Feeling their attention, Ruby turned towards them, smiled, and waved.  Weiss smiled in return before turning to accept her card, but when he handed it to her he held on a little longer than expected, drawing her gaze up to his in confusion.

“It’s good to see you back here too,” he said kindly before letting go and carrying his full attention to the next customer in line.  For a few seconds, Weiss stared at his back in surprise before finally turning away.

“Ready?” she asked Ruby, who nodded and led the way out of the shop.  

The lack of sugar in the air outside could easily be classified as a smell in itself.  Lost in thought, Weiss hardly noticed the crowds while mindlessly following Ruby back to their table.

It hurt that even an outsider had been there to watch Ruby recover...

“You must come here often,” Weiss said, fighting to keep the pain and resentment out of her voice.

“Yang would bring me as a reward for reaching physical therapy goals,” Ruby explained.  “The owner’s so nice.  He always gives me extra toppings!”

“That’s...very kind of him,” Weiss replied, feeling a spike of gratitude in her heart upon hearing that he gave Ruby special treatment.  

That feeling evaporated when they reached the table.  Watching Weiss closely, Yang was now holding the envelope containing the concert tickets and tapping it slowly against the side of her arm.  Opening her mouth to say something, Yang abruptly closed it, then opened it again.

“Thanks for the tickets, Weiss,” she said, the words coming out in such a rush it felt like she nearly didn’t want to say them at all.

“You’re welcome.”  Dipping her head, Weiss attempted a smile.  She understood that such a trivial gift wouldn’t change anything immediately, but she wanted to make a gesture that would show she was at least trying to improve this situation.  Not only for Ruby, but for everyone.

Pulling out her chair and sitting down at the table, out of the corner of her eye Weiss caught Blake reaching over to squeeze Yang’s hand.

“Weiss, you gotta try some of mine!” Ruby said, promptly removing the entire tuft of whipped cream and downing it in one bite.

“Well…”

“Please??” Ruby followed up the request with big silver eyes.  “Just one bite?”

It was a scientific fact that there was no possible way to say ‘no’ to those eyes.  Not when it was such a harmless request that would still make Ruby exceptionally happy…

Nodding her head, Weiss expected Ruby to slide the bowl over, but instead Ruby swiped her spoon across several flavors before holding it out for Weiss to try.  For a moment, she just stared at the spoon Ruby was extending across the table.

Did she...want Weiss to take the ice cream off of the spoon while she was still holding it?  

The answer was clearly ‘yes’ from the way Ruby wiggled the spoon up and down encouragingly.

Cheeks heating up, Weiss first straightened her posture and glanced around before quickly leaning forward and taking the ice cream off of Ruby’s spoon.  The action made Ruby grin with happiness while Weiss was a mere few seconds away from dying of embarrassment.

“How is it?”

“Very sweet,” she answered truthfully.  “But the combination of flavors is surprisingly good.”

“Yeah, I don’t know how they all go together, but they do!” Ruby replied before looking down at Weiss’ cup.  “What flavor did you get?”

“Vanilla almond.”

“Is it any good?”

The question very nearly made Weiss laugh out loud.  Combined with Ruby’s gaze, it was abundantly obvious that an entirely different question was being asked.  

“Would you like some?” she asked, sliding the bowl towards Ruby.

“No, no, that’s not how it works!” Ruby instantly replied, waving her hands and backing away from the bowl like it was on fire.  “You gotta feed it to me too!”

Weiss’ mouth dropped in shock while Ruby watched expectantly, her eyes glinting joyfully.

Was she being serious?

If it was a joke, she should have laughed by now.  Instead, she continued to watch Weiss eagerly for an answer.

“S-sure…” she stammered.  Carefully collecting a scoop of ice cream onto her spoon, she extended it across the table, willing her arm not to shake.  Her entire face was burning and growing even hotter when Blake and Yang decided that now was the perfect time to tune into Weiss and Ruby’s interaction - both of them with a mixture of entertained smugness readable in their expressions.

Without a second thought, Ruby chomped forward and removed the entire scoop in one pull, savoring it for an instant before licking her lips and smiling.

“That one’s good too!” she surmised before setting in on her own dessert again.  “Man, they don’t have any bad flavors!”

Weiss’ cheeks were on fire - hot enough that she wouldn’t be surprised if steam started flowing off of her any second now.  Feeding another person was a very...familiar...action to take.  It wasn’t typically done amongst friends, at least not that she was aware of.  

The smirk Yang sent across the table only solidified the fact that Ruby had just gotten Weiss to engage in a public display of affection.  Was that just Ruby being friendly?  Weiss understood that Ruby could be socially awkward on the best of days, but she couldn't possibly believe that that was merely a friendly gesture...could she?

A sharp pang of jealousy ran through Weiss’ chest when her mind conjured an image of some other girl feeding Ruby ice cream.  

“Oh!  Now you gotta try this flavor!” Ruby called out, extending another spoonful across the table and waiting patiently for Weiss to have it.

One of these times she was going to burst into flames from the embarrassment.  Leaning forward and taking the spoon in her mouth, it thankfully wasn’t this time.  Although it did feel like she was getting awfully close to the sun.

“Mm...good, also sweet,” she replied, wiping one corner of her mouth with a napkin as Ruby happily accepted the verdict on this new flavor.

Ruby wouldn’t do this with just anyone, right?  It was almost...well, it was flirtatious.  Or was Weiss reading into it too much?  There was no way she’d ever do this with anyone other than Ruby - she’d never done it with Ruby previously!  And how many times had they been here eating ice cream together?

“On second thought, maybe I do want some ice cream,” Yang said with a grin, unable to remain quiet any longer.  Laughing at the insinuation, Blake stood up and reached for Yang’s hand.  As the two of them walked away, Weiss glanced across the table and watched Ruby eat her ice cream while her left hand fiddled with that red stress ball.  Something about the sight made Weiss’ heart ache even more painfully than the slight glint of the silver ring hanging on a chain around her neck.

What if Ruby knew? 

What if Weiss told her that everything she’d gone through - the pain, the rehabilitation, the countless pills and lost hours of sleep - had all been Weiss’ fault?  What if Weiss told her that while she’d been suffering, Weiss had been across the world trying to forget that she even existed?  

Instead of sticking around to help fix her mistakes, Weiss had run from them.  She’d avoided taking responsibility for her actions.  And, through all of that, Ruby still wore their promise around her neck - the promise Weiss had already broken.

What would Ruby think of Weiss then?

“Hey, Weiss?” Ruby suddenly asked, breaking her out of her thoughts.  Not yet finished with her ice cream, Ruby was swirling the spoon around the bottom, mixing together the remaining flavors in a manner that looked thoughtless rather than intentional.

“Yes?”

The sight in front of Weiss was rather new - an unsure Ruby who seemed to have something on her mind.

“I was just wondering…” Ruby began, still swirling the spoon clockwise in the bowl.  “Like...if you wanted to...maybe I could have your number?”

The question was so unexpected Weiss’ eyes widened in surprise.  Fortunately, she was able to quickly snap out of it and provide an answer.

“O-of course you can.”

The response made Ruby beam so cheerfully, Weiss couldn’t help smiling in return.

“Really??  I won’t bother you too much, I swear!  I just thought maybe it’d be nice to have someone to talk to who isn’t Blake or Yang -”

“Absolutely,” Weiss replied, pulling a pen and scrap of paper out of her bag and writing her information down on it.  “You could never bother me though.”

After Weiss slid the paper across the table, Ruby picked it up and looked at the numbers as if they were valued treasures.

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that!” she remarked with a grin before setting in on the end of her ice cream with gusto.  Foregoing the spoon, she lifted the entire bowl and drained it like the milk left at the end of a bowl of cereal - if Ruby would ever finish the milk at the end of a bowl of cereal…

“Hey kiddo!”

Both of them turned towards the voice, finding Yang and Blake returning to their table but not sitting back down.

“How do you feel about taking that on the road?  We’ve got a couple more errands to run before heading home.”

“Already finished!” Ruby replied proudly, shoving the empty bowl towards the middle of the table.

“Jeez...who taught you to vacuum sugar like that?”  Yang took a quick bite of her own ice cream before pointing the empty spoon towards Ruby.  “Then you’re ready to go?”

"Sure!” Ruby answered before hastily collecting the empty cup and her bag of hardware.  The piece of paper with Weiss’ number on it was then carefully folded up and slipped into her front pocket.  “I’ll talk to you soon?” she directed to Weiss.

“Whenever you want,” Weiss replied, trying not to be too blatantly obvious that she would love for Ruby to call or message any time.  With another grin, Ruby joined her sister and Blake beside the table to walk back the way they’d come.

“Are you staying?” Blake asked before they left.  Nodding, Weiss leaned back in her seat.

“I have a few more errands to do too,” she fibbed.  “Beginning with finishing this off.”  Holding up her remaining ice cream, she was pleased to find that no one was going to press her further on the matter.

“We’ll see you later then.”  Blake’s reply was much less a question than it was a formal statement - and Weiss appreciated it as such.  

The three girls then set off together, with Ruby turning around at the fountain and waving one last time.  While Weiss watched them walk away, her heart continued beating loudly in both happiness and uncertainty.

It was incredible to think that she’d almost run from their most recent interaction.  Now it was difficult to remember why she panicked upon being surprised with Ruby’s presence.  It was almost as if Weiss continued to forget how easy it was to be with Ruby.  There hadn’t been any lingering uncomfortableness from the way Weiss had run out last, not that she should have expected any with Ruby’s propensity to accept awkwardness.

But...Ruby asked for Weiss’ number.  That hadn’t even happened at Beacon since they were on the same team and therefore sharing information had been deemed necessary.  But Ruby had asked.  So cutely, at that.  

Replaying the moment in her mind, Weiss smiled while swirling the spoon through her own melted ice cream.  So much had changed...but the way Ruby made her feel had remained the same.