Boundless - Ch. 4 (Patreon)
Content
Snow was still falling, but it was lighter now than overnight - when large clumps had fallen in frenzied flurries for hours upon end. By the time morning broke, there were sparse flakes drifting through the air to accompany the thick blanket of white laying over everything in sight.
It was a winter wonderland, and it was just as cold as it was beautiful. The frigid temperature couldn’t keep them inside, however. Not when their daily routine included a morning walk - rain or shine. Or, in this case - rain or snow. A measly foot of snow wasn’t enough to break that routine.
Bundled up in more clothing than she’d worn in quite some time, Weiss held Ruby’s hand as they trekked through the snow in their snow boots. Wearing gloves meant she couldn’t feel the warmth of Ruby’s hand, which was just one unfortunate thing sacrificed to this winter weather in the effort to keep the chill at bay.
The two of them walked where they knew the sidewalk should be, even though everything looked similar when covered in a thick layer of fresh snow.
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“Ruby?”
Pausing the story, Weiss looked over and found a waitress - the one Ruby had helped all afternoon - approaching their table.
“Sorry to interrupt,” she said before smiling hopefully at Ruby. “I know you’re done for the day, but could you help me with one more table?”
Raising one finger, the girl pointed over her shoulder to a new couple who’d just been seated.
“Uhh…” When Ruby glanced at Weiss, Weiss smiled and nodded, silently saying she had no problem waiting.
“Sure, Penny!” Ruby answered with a big grin as she stood up. “Hold that thought,” she directed to Weiss before leading Penny towards the new table.
More than happy to wait, Weiss watched the interaction unfold across the patio of the restaurant. Ruby greeted the couple first, with that grin and bubbly personality getting them to laugh within seconds. Next, she introduced Penny, who swooped in with her pen and paper to take the couple’s drink order. It was a rather smooth arrangement - one that both girls seemed comfortable with.
With Penny happily engaged with the newest diners, Ruby hurried back to the table and took her seat.
“Sorry about that!”
“It’s not a problem at all - really.”
Weiss’ reassurance worked this time, as Ruby smiled and picked up her sandwich - prepared to resume eating.
“So we’re walking in the snow -” she prompted Weiss before taking a bite.
“Yes, we’re walking in the snow,” Weiss repeated, smiling at Ruby’s choice of words before continuing their story.
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“First ones here!” Ruby remarked while they crossed the street and walked into the deserted park. The snow here was pristine and untouched - a fact Ruby took giddy pleasure in as their footprints marked the path they took.
“No one else wanted to wake up this early,” Weiss muttered, each word sending a visible puff of air from her lips.
“It’s not that early! Everyone’s just being lazy cuz it’s a snow day!”
Feeling the nip of a cold gust of wind, Weiss tucked her nose into her scarf while her cheeks burned from the chill. The sun was out, but provided little warmth on a day like today. Not that they needed warmth when they had each other - well, not when they had each other and thick winter jackets.
Walking through the small park - their usual destination on these walks - Weiss watched Ruby pick out a slightly-raised section of snow and step on top of it. It must be the curb of the sidewalk that she’d found - a piece of cement raised several inches off the ground that separated pavement from grassy lawns that were nowhere to be found at the moment.
“Be careful,” Weiss cautioned Ruby while she walked along the curb hidden under the snow.
“I will be!”
Flashing Weiss one of those blinding grins, Ruby then focused her attention on the nearly indistinguishable bump in the snow that marked her path. Still worried that Ruby might slip and fall, Weiss maintained a firm grip on Ruby’s hand as they walked.
“So…” Weiss began, watching Ruby with a weary eye when she wobbled on the curb. “Since classes are canceled, what do you want to do today?”
“Whatever we want! It’s the first day of winter!”
“Ruby, the first day of winter was weeks ago.”
“Oh…” Brow furrowing, Ruby lost the expression a second later when her grin reappeared. “Then today’s the first unofficial day of winter! Cuz we finally got snow.”
When Ruby giggled at the answer, Weiss shook her head and remained quiet. She’d discovered long ago that it’s remarkably difficult to refute something ‘unofficial’ because, by its very definition, there were no fundamental facts to dispute.
And Ruby had quickly learned that calling something ‘unofficial’ meant that Weiss couldn’t argue.
“What do you want to do on this unofficial first day of winter then?” Her heart jumped when Ruby teetered and nearly slipped off the curb, but resumed beating when Ruby regained her balance and kept walking forward.
“Hmm...I want to go for a walk with you in the snow!”
Smiling at the response, Weiss nodded. “Done. Anything else?”
After pondering the question, Ruby grinned and hopped off the curb. Stooping over, she collected a pile of snow in her gloves and formed it into a snowball. Tossing it up and down in one gloved hand, she gave Weiss an impish grin.
“Ruby Rose,” Weiss warned. “You better have plans for that snowball that are far away from me.”
“I’d never throw it at you!” Ruby immediately fessed up before smiling once more. “I was actually gonna give it to you.”
Pressing the ball of snow into Weiss’ hands, Ruby then backed away with another happy grin.
“And see if you can hit me with it!”
As soon as the words left her lips, Ruby turned and took off across what was normally a small grassy area of the park. And by ‘took off,’ Weiss meant that Ruby slowly hopped her way through the snowdrifts while trying to make her brilliant escape.
Willing to play Ruby’s impromptu game, Weiss took aim, pulled her arm back, and let the snowball fly. Her aim was good, and the snowball hit Ruby in the back of the shoulder, exploding into cloud of white dust upon impact.
But the blow must have surprised Ruby, because she immediately tripped over her feet and fell face first into the snow.
“Ruby!”
When Ruby didn’t immediately pop back up, Weiss tried to rush over, but her own feet refused to move quickly through the thick snow. Every step she took was like running through molasses, but eventually, she made it to Ruby and knelt by her side. “Are you ok?”
Rolling Ruby over by the shoulder and finding her eyes closed, Weiss panicked.
“Ruby??” she said, her alarm growing while she looked Ruby over to find what was wrong.
Had she hit her head on something when she fell? Maybe there was a rock hidden under the snow?
When Weiss turned around, desperately searching for an answer or someone to help, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist - right before she was flipped onto her back in the snow, squealing in surprise as she fell.
“Gotcha!” Ruby called out, swinging herself on top of Weiss and giggling at her little ploy.
“Ruby!” Weiss shouted, annoyed but mostly relieved she’d only been tricked. She tried to get up, but Ruby was stubbornly sitting on her chest. “Get off of me, you - you miscreant!”
“Miscreant? That’s a new one.” Ruby grinned but didn’t budge an inch. Instead, she looked perfectly content to sit on top of Weiss in the snow - grinning like a cat at some prize she’d ‘won.’
“It’s cold, you realize!” Weiss complained, giving up her fruitless struggles and laying back in the thick cushion of snow.
“Is it? Lemme help.” Still not getting up, Ruby instead scooted down and then laid forward to hug Weiss in the snow. Her short, downy brunette hair fell across Weiss’ chin while she snuggled closer, pressing as close as their bulky winter clothing allowed. “How’s that?”
Adorable was the answer, as it always was when it came to Ruby. In one simple motion, she melted all of Weiss’ annoyance or indignation at having been tricked by a rather clever ruse. Unfortunately, she didn’t melt the snow surrounding Weiss like a very cold blanket.
“It’s still cold.”
Laughing at the answer, Ruby hugged Weiss closer, then rolled them over so that Ruby was laying in the snow instead.
“How’s that?” she asked, looking up at Weiss with joyous silver eyes.
“Better…” Weiss begrudgingly admitted, eliciting yet another laugh from Ruby. She smiled at the sound, unable and unwilling to be anything less than fully happy when the two of them shared moments like these.
“How can I make it better?”
The question was innocent - a genuine desire to make Weiss happy. What Ruby didn’t seem to realize was that she made Weiss happy. No matter what they did or what the circumstances may be, Ruby’s presence made everything brighter...warmer.
If there was one thing that could make Weiss even happier in this moment, it was a kiss.
So she leaned down and kissed Ruby, finding her lips were warm despite the red in her cheeks that suggested otherwise.
Ruby was quick to respond, one glove pushing Weiss’ hair out of the way while she returned the kiss in full. Gone were the days when she was hesitant or unsure about any type of physical intimacy - now, she pulled Weiss closer and deepened the kiss, expressing emotions that could never be put into words.
But Weiss felt and understood them - and did her best to express a fraction of her own love and devotion through fervent, greedy kisses.
It was only when she felt far too warm and their kisses felt far too passionate that she pulled away, looking into Ruby’s eyes while the cawing of a nearby crow made it abundantly clear they were still outside - in a public place, no less.
Her breathing was heavy - sending billows of visible air out into the world - and she was now remarkably warm. If anything, it was too hot at the moment.
Clearing her throat, she looked down at Ruby - who looked up at her with one of those expressions of pure joy she never grew tired of seeing. And in this moment she thought to herself that...she didn’t want to keep her secret from Ruby any longer.
She knew that Ruby loved her, and she loved Ruby in return. The only reasons she’d had to wait - for them to grow closer and a bit older - had already fallen by the wayside. So what was she waiting for? Why continue to leave Ruby in the dark?
“That’s better,” Weiss whispered, leaning down and pressing one last kiss to Ruby’s lips before standing and reaching down to pull Ruby to her feet. “But come on, let’s get up before we both catch a cold.”
Ruby playfully grumbled, but accepted Weiss’ hand and quickly popped up. Once standing, she stepped close and gently brushed snow from Weiss’ shoulders before straightening her scarf, ending the actions with a smile that warmed Weiss’ heart through and through.
It was little moments like these that made Weiss feel incredibly loved and treasured - a feeling only Ruby was able to create.
“How about we head home and make some hot chocolate?” Weiss suggested, knowing she had a great idea when Ruby’s smile went from radiant to blinding in a heartbeat.
“That sounds awesome! And tea for you?”
“You know me well,” Weiss replied, reaching out for Ruby’s hand as they turned and headed back the way they came. But they hadn’t made it more than a few steps before Ruby looked over her shoulder and giggled.
“What do you think people will think of that?” she asked, nudging Weiss’ shoulder and gesturing behind them. Turning around, Weiss blushed when she saw the patch of trampled snow that looked exactly like what had happened there.
“They’ll think someone was rolling around in the snow,” she answered plainly, the response making Ruby laugh as they left the park behind.
“I’m surprised you actually hit me!” Ruby remarked, swinging their joined hands while they walked. “Thought for sure it’d go sailing over my head or something.”
Weiss scoffed at the comment. “l have far better aim than that.”
“But I’m super quick!”
Ruby made a few rapid motions with her feet, but the helpless snow shuffling did little to prove her point.
“You’re unbelievable,” Weiss said in lieu of pointing out to Ruby just how slow the snow made her.
“That’s why you love me!”
Weiss’ heart gave an embarrassing jolt in her chest at the word - the same reaction it had every time she heard Ruby say it.
“l do,” she replied, squeezing Ruby’s hand. “Even though you’re a real dolt sometimes.”
She used the word playfully and was rewarded with another giggle that lifted her heart with love.
“A dolt you can’t live without! I know you missed me a ton while I was still in Vale.”
Under Ruby’s watchful gaze, Weiss thought about denying it for denial’s sake. But what was the point? She had missed Ruby - more than Ruby might ever understand.
“I did,” Weiss admitted. “I missed you every single day.”
The answer made Ruby really happy, as she smiled and kicked her boots through the snow.
“I missed you a lot, too...but now we're at the same school and get to see each other all the time!”
“That’s true,” Weiss agreed, sharing a smile with Ruby while their apartment building came into view.
They hadn’t had the best timing in this life, as Weiss learned around their intertwined destinies after moving away for college, with Ruby still finishing high school in Vale.
Weiss wanted to move back right away, but her father wouldn’t allow it. She’d seriously considered disobeying him and evoking his wrath, but instead found that Ruby was more than willing to wait two years to be together again.
Still, Weiss did everything in her power to remain close with Ruby - phone calls nearly every night, messages during class, flights back whenever possible - and they’d made it through the two years in flying colors. As soon as Ruby was accepted to the same university, Weiss asked if she would forgo student housing so they could live together. Without knowing about their eternal connection, it should’ve been a huge step, yet Ruby willingly accepted.
Unfortunately, there was one person in Ruby’s life who was unwilling to allow her little sister to move in with Weiss alone right after high school.
Fortunately, Yang was nice to have around, mostly. There were times when she was grating or overbearing, but for the most part she was a less abrasive version of some of her other selves. Weiss was still hopeful Yang would eventually move out, but the living situation wasn’t bad as it currently was. They’d spent a number of years sharing apartments, houses, even dorm rooms together - this was no different.
“Think it’ll snow more tonight?” Ruby asked, glancing towards the snow-covered streets before pulling open the door to their apartment building and holding it for Weiss to walk through.
“I think we’ll get a little more today, but not much.”
When Ruby let out a soft “hmm” and followed Weiss inside, she tried to figure out if Ruby was disappointed in the news.
“It was fun to be the first ones out,” Ruby commented while they headed up a flight of stairs to the second story. “Putting our own mark on the world, you know? How often do we get to do something like that?”
Blessed with her knowledge, Weiss knew that that happened more often than not, and in ways that left a much larger mark on the world than a set of fresh footprints.
“Next time it snows, we’ll get up early again,” she replied, giving Ruby a grateful smile when she opened the door to their apartment and gestured Weiss through first.
Walking inside, she was surprised by the sight greeting them just inside the door.
“Hey guys!” Yang said, pulling on a pair of gloves to complete the full winter outfit she was wearing. “How is it out there?”
“Cold!” Ruby surmised in a single word, but with an accompanying shiver that made Weiss smile. “You’re up early!”
“Yeah, heading to the library to work on a paper.” Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, Yang missed the look of shock Weiss and Ruby shared.
“The library??” Ruby’s tone held an appropriate amount of disbelief, seeing as how Yang only set foot in a library if she needed to use the restroom. “But classes were canceled!”
“Yeah, but the library’s still open, and I’ve got a paper to work on. Don’t wanna fall behind!”
Yang grinned at them, and Weiss couldn’t help but smirk when she realized what was actually going on.
“How was your date last night?” she asked.
Yang’s grin turned into a huge, dopey smile at the question - which was all the answer they needed.
“It was really great,” Yang answered, downplaying how she truly felt (although her smile gave it away). “She offered to help me out with this paper, so I’m gonna go meet up with her. Then maybe we’ll grab lunch or something after.”
Yang shrugged as if it was no big deal, but she was positively glowing at the moment. Glancing to the side, Weiss saw that Ruby was beginning to reflect that glow - beaming in delight that her sister was clearly so happy.
“How will she help you if she goes to a different school?” Weiss asked while Yang pulled on a pair of boots.
“She had a similar class last year. Plus, she’s just really, really smart.”
“That sounds nice of her.”
“Yeah, she’s super nice. Really smart, really funny, and just...a really great person.” As Yang’s eyes drifted off, thinking about the girl who’d already captured her heart, Weiss smiled.
“Well, have fun,” Weiss replied, snapping Yang out of her daydream and back to their apartment. And Yang returned Weiss’ words with a genuine smile - no teasing in sight.
“Thanks, Weiss. I’ll see you guys later!” Hurrying out, Yang made a slight detour to rustle Ruby’s hair before leaving the apartment behind.
The second the door closed, Ruby let out a small squeal of happiness - the excitement from seeing Yang’s smile bursting from her in that cute little noise.
“I’m so happy they’re seeing each other again!” she said, bouncing several steps forward and spinning around to give Weiss a grin. “l hope this one turns out better than the last one.”
“l think it will, Ruby. I have a good feeling about this one.”
All Weiss needed was a name to know that Yang had finally found the person she was meant to be with.
“I hope you’re right!” Ruby replied, unzipping her jacket and pulling her arms out of the sleeves. “Do you remember her name? Guess I should’ve tried to remember it...”
“It’s Blake,” Weiss answered, smiling as she said the name, looking forward to adding Blake to their lives once again. “Blake Belladonna.”
“Blake…” Ruby repeated, trying out the name before nodding. “I hope she’s nice. I wanna see Yang this happy all the time.”
“I do too, Ruby.”
In this world, Yang put her heart on the line far too early and often. Unfortunately, this meant that she was normally the one getting crushed by people who didn't deserve her trust. Weiss had done her best to dissuade Yang from seeing anyone whose initials weren’t B.B., but with only moderate success.
Thankfully, the worrying ended now. With Blake in the picture, Yang’s heart was in good hands.
Unfortunately, Ruby’s brow was still furrowed while she mulled over the situation, still concerned about her older sister. She didn’t know what Weiss knew...and this was just another reason why Ruby should know - so she could stop worrying, too.
Removing her gloves, then unraveling her scarf, Weiss watched Ruby hang her jacket by the door before placing her hat on the shelf directly above ‘her’ coat hook. Her cheeks were still adorably pink from the cold, and her hair was all kinds of disheveled from wearing the hat, but she looked as cute as ever.
And she looked even cuter when she bounced over to Weiss with a grin.
“May I take your coat, milady?” she asked, bowing her head and extending one hand to gesture for Weiss’ jacket.
“You may indeed,” Weiss replied, shrugging out of her jacket and handing it to Ruby, who grinned as she walked over to hang it next to her own. While Ruby did that, Weiss stepped out of her boots and left them by the door. The snow was already melting off the bottoms and creating a puddle on the floor, but they’d clean that up later.
One unexpected benefit of Blake’s appearance was that they now had the day to themselves, with no place to be and - as far as Weiss was concerned - no desire to step into the frigid air again.
“I’ll make you hot chocolate?” she offered, stepping towards the kitchen but pausing when Ruby’s brow furrowed and she shook her head.
“Naw, not right now. I wanna show you something first!”
Brightening, Ruby waved Weiss after her as she hopped into the living room. Curious about what could possibly be more important than hot chocolate after a walk in the snow, Weiss followed Ruby and stopped when they were both standing in front of the sofa.
Ruby was grinning about something, but there was nothing new here. It was the same living room it had always been - a sofa, a television, a bookshelf along one wall holding more movies than books…
“What is it?” Weiss asked, glancing around one more time in an attempt to spot whatever it was Ruby wanted to show her. When Ruby waved towards the TV, Weiss’ eyes snapped that direction in search of whatever she was missing.
“Ruby -?”
No sooner had the word left her mouth did two strong arms wrap around her waist and pull her off her feet. Again, she yelped in surprise - finding herself suddenly falling - but the fall abruptly ended when she landed on top of Ruby on the sofa.
That’s when she heard the giggles - lots of them coming from the girl still holding her close.
“Ruby!” she exclaimed, her heart thundering in her chest while Ruby continued to giggle. “What’s with you doing that today?”
“You’re so cuteeeee,” was Ruby’s answer as she burrowed into Weiss’ neck, rustling through her hair and sending tingles of thrill down her spine.
That wasn’t really an answer, but Weiss only capable of a partial pout at the moment. Even so, Ruby sensed it without even being able to see.
“Do you want me to stop?”
Seeing as how Ruby’s arms were still wrapped around her while they lay on the sofa together, that was a question Weiss could easily answer.
“...no.”
“Good! Cuz I don’t wanna!”
Playfully rolling her eyes at the answer, Weiss resituated - pulling her legs onto the sofa and snuggling into Ruby’s side, while Ruby moved her arms to wrap one around Weiss’ shoulder and pull her close. Reaching up, Weiss dragged the blanket off the back of the sofa and draped it over them.
With the snowflakes lightly drifting outside, the blanket warming her cold feet after their walk, and Ruby pressed close, Weiss was quickly drifting into heaven.
Fumbling with the remote control, Ruby switched on the TV but turned the volume down until the voices were hardly distinguishable. It wasn’t for entertainment at the moment, but she liked having background noise - quiet spaces drove her a little crazy, with her hyper side showing up early and often.
Weiss was used to the soft noise by now, and she even found that a little background noise was nice if it was quiet enough. Right now, she could still hear the sound of Ruby’s heartbeat over the television, so the noise level was perfect.
In the pseudo-silence, Ruby sighed in content and absentmindedly played with Weiss’ hair. And Weiss secretly loved it when Ruby played with her hair - only Ruby though.
Weiss was like Yang in some ways, especially when it came to not wanting others to touch her hair. She spent quite a bit of time and effort in the morning making it look nice - why would she be ok with someone willfully messing it up? Of course, she spent the time and effort in order to look nice for Ruby, so if anyone was free to undo all of that work, it was Ruby.
Leaning into Ruby’s side, hearing and feeling her heart beating, Weiss was at peace. There was no other way to describe it - this all-encompassing calm that washed over her like a warm ray of sunshine. She could fall asleep like this. She had fallen asleep like this.
But it was in this moment of mutual harmony that she knew - now was the time to tell Ruby.
“Ruby?” she asked, hearing a soft “Hmm?” in response. Reaching over and holding Ruby’s other hand in her own, she took a deep breath and asked the question that had been on her mind for weeks now.
“Do you believe in soulmates?”
“Like how you and me are meant to be?” Ruby giggled at her little rhyme, which made Weiss smile in turn.
“Yes, exactly like that. Do you believe that we’re meant to be together because the universe decided it?”
She held her breath while waiting for an answer - thankfully, with Ruby an answer was never far away.
“Hmm…I guess I do! I know it’s always been so easy to be with you - like as soon as I met you, I just knew we were supposed to be together!”
Weiss appreciated the sentiment, even though she wasn’t easy to be with at that time. The two of them met before she turned eighteen and...well, suffice to say that she wasn’t always the kindest to Ruby.
Ruby, however, was a glutton for punishment. No matter how many times Weiss made her disdain known, Ruby kept coming back - and eventually wormed her way into Weiss’ heart. It was nothing more than begrudging acknowledgement at first, then reluctant acceptance, and eventually confounded admission that her feelings might mean more than she ever let on.
Then she turned eighteen, and...well, she’s been making up for those early years ever since.
“Can I tell you something?” she asked, sitting up and immediately regretting leaving the warmth of Ruby’s side. Sensing the seriousness of the question, Ruby also sat up and watched Weiss with intent eyes.
“Yeah, of course! You can tell me anything.”
Truer words had never been spoken, as Weiss knew that she could tell Ruby absolutely anything and Ruby would still love her. That didn’t keep the nerves at bay, however, because this was a rather big admission to make.
“What if I told you that we are destined to be together?” Weiss asked, reaching out to hold Ruby’s hand for support. “What if we’re meant to be together in every universe, no matter when or where that happens?”
“That sounds really awesome!”
The quick agreement gave Weiss more than enough assurance to continue.
“And what if I told you that I could remember those universes? All of those lives we spent together?”
This concept took Ruby longer to absorb, as she pursed her lips and mulled the confession over in her head.
“Are you joking?” she asked, giving Weiss a look that requested an honest reply. Weiss shook her head and squeezed Ruby’s hand, maintaining as much seriousness as possible so Ruby wouldn’t think this was some elaborate prank.
“I’m not joking, Ruby. I can’t explain how it works, but please believe that it’s true.”
Her words were more beseeching that she’d intended, but she didn’t care - she was far too focused on the way Ruby’s mouth was hanging slightly open while processing the new information.
“You remember all of them?”
“I do,” Weiss replied with a nod. “When I turned eighteen, I...I remembered all of these other realities that we lived in. So many of them, Ruby. More than I could ever dream of.”
She watched Ruby’s eyes closely, reading the emotions that flitted through them. There was confusion, then concern, but then Ruby laughed - not a ‘you’re crazy’ type of laugh, but a genuinely excited laugh.
“That’s so awesome!” she said, squeezing Weiss’ hand while her eyes sparkled with joy. “I mean, is your brain super stuffed then? That seems like a lot to fit in your head at once!”
When Ruby reached up and gently tapped Weiss on the head, she sighed in relief.
Making it through that moment, she always wondered what she was nervous about. Even if Ruby was disbelieving of the information at first, she always believed in time - but maybe it was time that Weiss was scared of losing, loathe to miss a single moment they could spend in each others’ arms.
“It does get a little confusing at times,” she admitted, smiling in relief when Ruby grinned back at her.
“So glad you’ve got the memories instead of me. No way I could keep that straight.”
“You’d do just fine. I have every bit of confidence in your mind.”
Briefly scrunching up her face at the words, Ruby then laughed and shook her head. “So that means this is actually like...the seven thousandth time we’ve been together?”
Weiss laughed at the number, relieved that Ruby was taking the knowledge with hardly a falter in her smile.
“I’ve never tried to count, but there’s been a lot.”
“Seven thousand sounds like a good place to start,” Ruby replied, adding in a nod while she leaned back against the sofa. “Man...seven thousand lives together...and you remember them all. That’s so cool.”
When Ruby’s eyes unfocused in thought, Weiss smiled and inched closer.
“Thank you, Ruby,” she said, meaning the words as much as her heart could express.
“Thank you for telling me,” Ruby replied with one of those quirky smiles Weiss adored.
Ruby didn’t have to believe her. Ruby didn’t have to believe something that Weiss couldn’t even prove was true. Yet Ruby always believed - sometimes in her own time, but she always believed Weiss in the end. She always believed in Weiss.
Leaning forward, Weiss pressed a kiss to Ruby’s lips before pulling away and smiling.
“You’re incredible, you know,” she whispered, reaching up and tenderly tucking several strands of hair behind Ruby’s ear. They stubbornly fell out of place again, but...they often did that.
“You’re the incredible one!”
Of course that was Ruby’s response - not that Weiss minded. She loved being the one who Ruby thought so highly of.
Pulling her feet back onto the sofa, Weiss leaned into Ruby as Ruby made room for them to resume their snuggling. This time it was Ruby who pulled the blanket over Weiss, taking care to tuck in the edges so no cold air slipped underneath.
“So you remember when you turn eighteen?” Ruby asked, wrapping her arm around Weiss and leaning down to press a kiss to her hair.
“Yes. I found a rose on my pillow on my birthday. When I picked it up...I remembered everything.”
“But you liked me even before that!”
Pulling Ruby’s hand down to hold in front of her, Weiss smiled at the comment.
“That’s right, I did. Guess I don’t need to have those memories to know you’re special.”
Hearing a happy “Mhmm” from above her, Weiss snuggled in even more.
“So...why’d you decide to tell me now?” Ruby asked while her fingers ran through Weiss’ hair - the feeling very nearly lulling her to sleep.
“Because you’re being so cute today,” she replied, smiling when Ruby let out a playful huff.
“I mean, I figured, but why else?”
“I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time now,” Weiss admitted. “I felt like it was time you knew, and I didn’t want to keep it a secret anymore.”
Ruby made another soft cooing sound at the response, agreeing with Weiss’ words before they lapsed into comfortable silence. Weiss could tell that Ruby was still thinking over the information she’d just learned - dissecting and digesting it in her own way. After her initial analysis was complete, she would have questions, but until then...
“And I had something to tell you,” Weiss added.
“Like secrets from other universes?”
“I’m not allowed to share the secrets.” When Ruby’s hand abruptly stopped its soothing path through her hair, Weiss quickly added, “Kidding. I’m just kidding.”
Ruby laughed at the joke while her hand resumed playing with Weiss’ hair.
“I thought you were gonna say there are crazy rules about sharing secrets or something!”
“No...no rules. I can tell you anything.”
“And everything?”
Weiss smiled at the question, which was exactly what she’d hoped to hear. She wanted to share everything with Ruby. Or, at the very least, as much as she was able to share within this lifetime.
“I’ll tell you as much as I possibly can,” she replied. “But the first thing is rather relevant. You know the girl Yang is seeing today - Blake?”
“Yeah?”
“Well, she’s very special.”
“Meaning…?”
“Meaning, she ends up with Yang in every life I can remember.”
When Ruby’s hands paused again, Weiss craned her neck to find Ruby’s eyes widened in shock.
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying??” Ruby asked, her excitement already bubbling forth. Meeting Ruby’s eyes, Weiss managed a serious expression and nodded.
“Yes. Yang finally found the one.”
Hooting in glee, Ruby abruptly jumped off the couch and did several hops in front of the TV.
“Are you serious?” she asked after her legs came to a stop, pointing both hands at Weiss.
“I’m serious.”
Weiss laughed when Ruby did another little dance of happiness before rushing back to the sofa and grabbing Weiss’ hands.
“Then we can totally mess with her, right?” Ruby asked, her eyes begging for a ‘yes.’ And after the number of jokes, pranks, and teases Weiss had suffered through their lives at the hands of Yang Xiao Long...maybe it was time to get a little even.
“Yes, we can,” Weiss answered, smiling when Ruby squealed with happiness. She was giddy now, and rightfully so, but Weiss reached out and beckoned her back to the sofa.
Thankfully, Ruby gladly sat down and pulled Weiss into another hug. She was bursting with energy, but still willing to snuggle together - which was all Weiss wanted to do today. Well, that, and discuss the other lives they’d shared.
“Ok, important question - which one of these universes was I the most awesome in?”
Laughing at the typical Ruby question, Weiss snuggled closer, pressing into Ruby’s side to soak up as much warmth as possible.
“You’re equally awesome in all of them.” Without looking up, she knew Ruby was pouting at the answer so she added, “But in one of them, you were a queen.”
Ruby laughed, her chest rising and falling while Weiss listened to the sound with a smile.
“When you say we’re together in every universe...does that mean like, together forever?”
“Yes, it does.”
There was a short pause, and before Weiss could question what was going through Ruby’s mind at the moment, Ruby spoke again.
“So...does that mean that you’ll be with me forever?”
Sitting up at the question, Weiss swiveled around to look into Ruby’s eyes, finding hesitant, hopeful silver staring back at her. She hadn’t expected the conversation to lead them here right away, but she had no problem giving this answer. It was a commitment...and she was willing to make it.
“Yes,” she replied. “I want to be with you forever. If you’ll have me.”
She knew the answer from Ruby’s radiant smile - one filled with so much love and affection that Weiss’ own heart swelled from happiness.
“That’s what I’ve always wanted!”
Smiling, Weiss stretched up and gave Ruby a quick kiss before pulling away.
“Me too,” she answered, sinking into Ruby’s embrace while all-encompassing peace and contentedness washed over her.
What a perfect start to a perfect day.
------
There was silence at the table after the story ended - the only sounds coming from conversations happening around them.
The memory left Weiss with a warm glow spreading through her chest and a smile on her lips. She loved recalling these blissful moments from lives that were gone, but not lost. She loved that she could share them with Ruby...even if Ruby was unsure if they were true or not.
“Wow,” Ruby finally said, sitting back in her chair and looking rather stunned. “I was super chill about that! Like, I took the news like a champ.”
“Yes, you did.”
That was one of the easiest and quickest versions of this conversation they’d had. It started and ended like a gentle breeze, barely enough to register as a bump in their relationship.
“Jeez…” Frowning slightly, Ruby shook her head and gave Weiss an apologetic look. “Sorry I’m struggling so much this time.”
“Ruby,” Weiss replied, shaking her head. “You have nothing to apologize for. Remember, we’d been dating for several years by that point. I don’t expect it to happen that way every time - it doesn’t happen that way every time.”
“Still...it sounds really cute!”
“It was. But every life we have is different.” Pausing for a moment, Weiss only continued when she had Ruby’s full attention once more. “I love that they’re always different, Ruby. I love that you react in new ways every time. It would be rather boring to have the same conversation over and over again, but with you...it’s never boring.”
Drumming her fingers on the table, Ruby wore a thoughtful expression while mulling over Weiss’ words and the most recent story. But then her fingers abruptly stopped, and her eyes widened in surprise.
“Wait, did you say I was a queen in one of these lives??”
Delighted that Ruby had latched onto that little tidbit, Weiss smiled and nodded.
“Would you like me to tell you about it?” she offered, receiving a blinding beam in response.
“Heck yeah!”