Rum Like Roses (Patreon)

I feel like we don't really need a pick-me-up after this episode, but I have this one and one more so might as well post them.  Like the previous two, this is basically a oneshot related to the first two only in that there's been drinking happening.  It's also fairly mature.  Enjoy!

***

“Thanks for staying,” Weiss said, sending Yang a grateful smile as finally walked outside.

“Don’t worry about it.  Happy to help out.”

“I still appreciate it.  It made us late -”

“Yeah, but Blake and Ruby are already there.  It’s not like they’re waiting by themselves or something.”

Accepting the response and Yang’s sincere smile, Weiss sighed and felt some of the stress leave her shoulders.  After a grueling week at work, it was finally time to relax and enjoy some quality time with three of her favorite people in the world.  And what better way to usher in the weekend than by sharing a few drinks at one of their favorite spots?  Good music and even better company - it sounded like heaven.

“I still feel bad for making them wait,” she admitted, but Yang set a hand on her shoulder while they turned the corner and hurried to their destination.

“They’re fine.”  Yang briefly paused at an intersection, looked both directions, and crossed before the signal turned green.  She knew Weiss hated it when she did that, yet did it anyway, probably because she thought it was funny when Weiss got agitated.

“Besides,” Yang added, grinning when Weiss grumbled.  “It gave them time to talk about how much they love us.”

Weiss rolled her eyes, but the thought of Ruby gushing about her sent butterflies fluttering through her chest.  She never thought she could love someone the way she loved Ruby, but she wouldn’t question the feeling anymore.  She would readily admit that going home to Ruby was the best part of the day - as was going to sleep with Ruby, waking up with Ruby, and any time they spent together in between.

Five years into their relationship, she was reasonably confident that Ruby felt the same.  But she certainly wouldn’t be opposed to Ruby gushing about it to Blake a little.  Maybe she should set up lunch with Blake and see if she could learn anything specific Ruby mentioned...Blake was normally willing to spill that information as long as Weiss had something to offer in return.

“I’m sure Blake has a lot to say about you, too,” Weiss replied, fishing for a bargaining chip or two.

“God, I hope so.  I love when she talks about me - even if she doesn’t have anything good to say, at least I know I’m on her mind.”  After walking for several seconds in silence, Yang smiled at Weiss.  “That’s all we want, right?  For them to think about us?”

Yang couldn’t be more right, but no way would Weiss phrase it like that.

“I agree,” she said instead, leaving out how much she loved the idea of being on Ruby’s mind.  Like right now - what if Ruby was thinking about her right now?  And not thinking about her as in wondering where she was, but thinking about her as in...thinking she was pretty, perhaps?  Thinking she was a good or even great person to be with?  The thought alone was enough to raise goosebumps on her arms while her heart sang.

“I can’t wait to see her,” she admitted, sighing softly.  Although, it technically wasn’t much of an admission.  Over the course of their time together, she had made it abundantly clear that she missed Ruby whenever they were apart.  Today was no exception.

“We’ll see them soon.”  When Yang pointed at the small, neighborhood bar they frequented whenever the four of them got together, Weiss’ excitement and anticipation increased.  The faded red awning and matching door had seen better days, but lively music and happy voices slipped from inside.  Knowing Ruby was nearby only quickened Weiss’ pace, which Yang matched with her own enthusiasm to see Blake.

With her longer stride, Yang reached the door first, but she held it open and motioned Weiss through.

“Thank you,” Weiss mumbled while heading in.  It took several seconds for her eyes to adjust to the light and her ears to grow accustomed to the noise level but, fortunately, the bar was lively but not yet raucous - the perfect evening to enjoy a couple of drinks before heading home.

As soon as her eyes adjusted, she searched for Ruby, knowing the girl was here somewhere.  Probably  closest to the food...

“There they are,” Yang said, nodding to a booth across from the bar.  Through the large, open doorway, Weiss found Blake and Ruby laughing about something.  That wasn’t unusual given Ruby’s propensity to laugh early and often - one of the first things Weiss had fallen in love with - but Blake’s unfettered participation was a little out of the ordinary.

“Let’s see what they’re up to.”  Yang led the way across the bar with Weiss close behind, picking their way through several other patrons to get there.  “Hey guys!” Yang greeted their partners as they walked up to the table, drawing two sets of eyes their way.

As soon as Ruby and Blake looked at them, Weiss understood the situation.

“Weiss!”  Eyes brightening like the sun, Ruby leaped out of her seat and crashed into Weiss for a hug, nearly knocking them both to the floor in the process.  Weiss hadn’t needed the close proximity to know that Ruby was drunk, but the lingering smell of alcohol on Ruby’s breath proved her assumption.

“You made it!” Ruby added, holding Weiss’ shoulders even after pulling away - whether that was to maintain contact or simply to hold herself steady, Weiss had no idea.  “I’m so glad you’re here.  I haven’t seen you in like...like...hours.”

Finding something particularly amusing about that statement, Ruby started giggling.  Blake, meanwhile, walked up to Yang and ran one hand through her hair.

“Hey gorgeous,” she purred, and Yang beamed.

“Hey beautiful.  Looks like you got started without us.”

Yang motioned to the table, where several empty glasses had been pushed toward the wall.  Based on Ruby and Blake’s current states, the glasses hadn’t been filled with water.

“Ruby wanted to play a game -”

“Yeah!” Ruby interjected.  “Super fun game.  We had to finish a drink every ten minutes you were late!”

Based on her radiant smile, Ruby was thrilled by this ‘super fun’ game.  Weiss, however, shared a surprised look with Yang before reaching out to provide Ruby some support - and not the emotional kind.

“Who’s idea was this?”  Her gaze immediately slid to Blake, who loved creating challenges where Ruby was the ultimate loser.

“Mine!” Ruby replied proudly.  “And I don’t wanna brag, but…”  Leaning forward, she cupped a hand over her mouth and loudly whispered, “I think I won.”

“She started with the hard stuff,” Blake explained, shaking her head.  “I knew better.”

“Hey!” Yang whined.  “What’re you saying?  You bet on me being late?”

After giving Yang an unamused look, Blake reached up and gently stroked Yang’s cheek.

“I’m saying...you’re not very punctual, but you’re always sexy.”

Just like that, Yang’s arms went around Blake’s waist while Blake moved forward for a kiss.  Their lips met in a greedy kiss that would make anyone think they were separated for years not hours.  And it soon became obvious that they wouldn’t separate anytime soon, so Weiss turned back to Ruby.

“How are you feeling?” she asked, holding Ruby’s hand while silver eyes focused and unfocused on a variety of distractions.

“Fine!  Totally fine.”

“Are you sure?  Should I get you some water?”

It sounded like a good idea to Weiss, but Ruby emphatically shook her head.

“But you just got here!  I’m fine, really.”

Ruby drew an ‘x’ across her heart before giggling - the sound making Weiss smile effortlessly.  On any given day, Ruby was an endless delight to be around.  Quick to smile and even quicker to laugh, she was exactly the type of person Weiss needed in her life.  Along with the cheerfulness, however, Ruby had grown into a beautiful, mature young woman.  She had maintained her exuberance but also gained the ability to set Weiss’ heart on fire just by batting those gorgeous silver eyes.

“If you say so,” Weiss relented, knowing that Ruby would say something if she felt anything other than fine.  That was the rule, after all.

Accepting that everything was alright for now, Weiss leaned forward for a kiss.  She only managed a kiss on the cheek, however, because Ruby got distracted at the last second and turned toward the person walking past them.

“Wow...check out that dude’s hair!”

Weiss gently shushed Ruby when she made the comment way louder than necessary and pointed, but the boy overhead.  He glanced over his shoulder and winked, making Weiss roll her eyes, before heading over to the bar with his bright green mohawk.

“Oh!” Ruby suddenly exclaimed, making Weiss flinch in surprise.  “I’ll get you something to drink!”

“You don’t have to -”

“No, no - I do!”  Excited about the idea, Ruby hopped between her feet and gestured to the bar.  “That’s what a good girlfriend would do, so I gotta do it.”

Weiss had told Ruby over a million times by now that she was a fantastic girlfriend, but she still insisted upon making small, chivalrous gestures like this.  And, secretly, Weiss enjoyed feeling spoiled every once in a while.

“Ok,” she acquiesced and was immediately rewarded by a blinding smile before Ruby rushed to the bar.

At least, Ruby tried to rush to the bar.  Lacking balance, however, she tripped over her feet and sprawled onto the floor.

“Ruby!  Are you ok??” Weiss rushed over to help, but Ruby was already popping back to her feet and giving a thumbs up.

“I’m fine!  Peachy!  I’ll get you that drink.  Maybe a peach something?”

Before Weiss could protest, Ruby raced away and joined the fray of people waiting to order.  Hearing laughter, Weiss glanced over and spotted a boy who evidently found Ruby’s little fall especially humorous.  When Weiss caught his gaze, she squared her shoulders and leveled him with a scowl.

“Laugh at her again and I’ll bury you.”

“Woah there, Weiss.”  Apparently done with Blake’s lips for now, Yang gently grabbed Weiss by the arm and pulled her away.  “Let’s not threaten the customers.”

“He laughed at Ruby.”

“Ruby just face-planted - I laughed too.”

When Yang chuckled at the memory, Weiss slid into the booth across from her and glowered.

“Shouldn’t you be a little more protective of your sister?”

“That’s the great part about having you around,” Yang replied while wrapping an arm around Blake’s shoulders.  “You’re about ten times more protective than I ever was.”

“You slammed a guy’s head through a wall because he called her ‘simple.’”

“Mmm...that’s right.  You did put someone’s head through a wall…”

Hearing Blake’s tone, and seeing the way she looked at Yang through lidded eyes, Weiss shook her head.

“Please, Blake.  Don’t make this so easy for her.”

When Blake shrugged and casually walked her fingers up Yang’s arm, Weiss sighed.  Yang, meanwhile, grinned like she just stuck a hanger in her mouth.

“Don’t be jealous, Weiss,” she managed to say while Blake’s hand conspicuously disappeared underneath the table.  “Just because Ruby’s impossible for you to crack.”

“That’s so far from the truth -”

“Here you go!”

The table shook when Ruby tripped and crashed into the side, but she managed not to spill the drinks in her hands.  The glasses on the table, however, rattled and nearly tipped over.  Nearly.  They would have been fine, but Blake tried to catch them and, with her nonexistent reflexes and coordination, knocked several over.

“My bad,” Ruby apologized while setting her cups down - one filled with water, the other filled with...maraschino cherries.  Yang laughed at the assortment while Blake snuggled into her side, content to forget the unfortunate ‘knocking over glasses’ incident while Weiss picked them up.

“So…he wouldn’t give me a drink,” Ruby explained before anyone asked.

“Why not?”

“Because I didn’t have any money.”  Ruby slid into the booth and reached toward the side of the table - her hand brushing across Weiss’ chest in the process - and grabbed her wallet.  Giving them a sheepish smile while putting it back into her pocket, she added, “But he gave me these instead!”  She then nudged the two cups closer to Weiss, smiled, and said, “I hope you like them.”

Few things were as heart-melting as Ruby presenting a gift, which she did with sincerity and generosity that few could match.  Even though the cherries were too sweet for Weiss’ liking, she felt like she just received something she had always wanted.  Which she had, in a way, but it was the person giving the gift rather than the gift itself.

“Thank you,” she replied, smiling and pulling the cups closer.  “But I don’t think I can eat all of these by myself.  Can you help me?”

Ruby didn’t need more encouragement to reclaim the cup of cherries, probably because she had hoped to snag some of the sweet delicacies all along.  Weiss, meanwhile, watched with growing interest as Ruby giddily popped one into her mouth and rolled it around with her tongue before finally biting into it.

“Wow, look at her go at those cherries...” Yang muttered after the first two were effectively toyed with.  Blake laughed at the comment, her eyes sliding from Ruby back to Yang.

“Remind you of something?”

“Reminds me of something,” Weiss cut in, ending their flirtations when Yang wrinkled her nose.

“Reminds you of what?”

When Ruby looked around the table, still swirling a cherry stem around in her mouth, Weiss reached over and patted her leg.

“Reminds me of how adorable you are.  Are you enjoying them?”

“Mhmm!”

Determined to prove that point, Ruby plucked another cherry from the cup and stuck it in her mouth.  Instead of biting it off the stem, however, she insisted on rolling it around with her tongue while giving Weiss a playful, intent gaze that lit a fire in the pit of her stomach.

This type of behavior was, unfortunately, everything Weiss had come to expect from inebriated Ruby.  The action wasn’t supposed to be provocative…yet it was, and Ruby had no clue.  In her mind, she was simply having a good time eating cherries while hanging out.  To Weiss...

“Jesus, Ruby.  Just eat the damn thing.”  Yang reached across the table and snatched the cup of cherries so that Ruby wouldn’t eat any more.

“Hey!” Ruby whined, finally finishing the cherry and discarding the stem on the table.  “Those are for Weiss!”

“Pretty sure she’s fine with me having them.”

“I’m fine with you having them.”

No sooner had Blake said the words did she grab a cherry, stick it in her mouth, and pull Yang in for a kiss.  The cherry quickly passed from Blake to Yang, who rolled it around in her mouth before passing it right back -

And then Weiss stopped watching.  She didn’t want to know what the two ultimately ended up doing with it.

“Ugh,” Ruby griped.  “They make everything sexual, don’t they?”

Scoffing at the irony, Weiss shook her head and grabbed the cherries from Yang’s hand.  Against her better judgment, she returned them to Ruby, knowing she was in for more sexual torture but also that Ruby wanted them.

Sure enough, Ruby made a soft, delighted sound before plucking another from the cup.  This one, just like the last, was spun and twirled and worked over again and again and again.  It was as if Ruby wanted to show off just how skillfully she could use her tongue, but Weiss didn’t need the reminder.  She was very much aware of how skilled Ruby was, in more than just that regard.

“You know…” Weiss said, lowering her voice and scooting closer.  “We could take those home with us…”

One might hope that Ruby would put two-and-two together.  Instead, she looked at Weiss like a cherry-eating deer in headlights.

“But...there’s only a few left.”

Sensing that the mood was lost, Weiss gave up that line of conversation with a smile.

“Right.  Of course,” she said, leaning in for a kiss only for Ruby to pop another cherry in her mouth.  So Weiss opted for another kiss on the cheek while, across the booth, Blake and Yang continued searching for each other’s tonsils.  That or they were searching for the cherry, which had somehow disappeared in the time she hadn’t been paying attention.

Ok, she had to make another attempt to get Ruby home.  Otherwise, this was so unfair.

“Ruby…”  Resting her hand on Ruby’s thigh, Weiss leaned close enough to whisper - making sure to lightly brush her lips against Ruby’s ear while sliding her hand purposefully upward.  “Why don’t we go home so we can...spend some time together in private?”

Any hopes Weiss had about Ruby catching on were dashed when Ruby turned to her with a sweet, innocent expression - the type of expression that made Weiss feel almost guilty for the things she wanted to do to Ruby right now.

“We can’t leave yet…Blake signed us up for trivia night!”

Any guilt Weiss had was immediately replaced by confusion, which quickly gave way to disbelief.

“Are you serious?”

“Yeah!  The winners get one of the cool bar T-shirts.”

“I’ll buy you a shirt -”

“But that’s not the same as winning it.”  When Ruby stuck out her bottom lip, Weiss sighed and shook her head.

“Fine…” she grumbled.  “When does it start?”

“Soon, I think - just waiting for everyone to get ready.”  When Ruby pointed at a chalkboard hanging beside the bar, Weiss noticed there were only two names written underneath ‘Trivia Night.’

“You’re the only two who signed up?”

“Yup!  It’s you and me versus Blake and Yang!”

“But -”

“I’ll ask when it starts.  Be right back!”

Ruby jumped up, yelped when she slammed her knees into the table, then raced over to the bar.  Weiss, meanwhile, put her head in her hands and groaned.  If she had known this was going to happen, she could have mentally prepared herself.  Or at least set the stage before Ruby became blindingly pure.  Now, she was stuck trying to convince a saint into bed with her - something she had only successfully done in the privacy of their own home.

Meaning she needed to get Ruby home.  Then she could...unpurify her…

The moment Blake unglued herself from Yang’s lips and excused herself to go to the restroom, Weiss sensed her opportunity to fix the wrongs being done to her.

“Yang,” she said, interrupting Yang’s very obvious staring at Blake’s ass.  “You don’t seriously want to stay and do this trivia thing, do you?”

“I don’t mind.”  Yang shrugged before grinning.  “Why?  You wanna forfeit?”

“No,” Weiss replied, scoffing at the mere suggestion.  “I’m suggesting that we both decide to go home because we have...better things to do.”

Weiss’ gaze latched onto Ruby, watching her wait patiently for her turn to speak with the bartender.

“Please stop looking at my sister like that.”

Blinking, Weiss tore her eyes away from Ruby and attempted a blank expression.

“Like what?”

“Like she’s some meal at a restaurant!”

“Maybe you should focus on Blake instead,” Weiss replied, hoping to entice Yang with that thought.

“Please.  We both know what Blake and me are doing regardless of when we leave.  Can’t say the same for you and Captain Oblivious over there.”

“Don’t worry about us.  If I can get her home, I’ll -”

“Don’t, under any circumstance, finish that sentence.”  When Yang pointedly shook her head, Weiss sighed and kept those thoughts to herself.

“I’m just saying…” she began as she tried a more reasonable, less revealing route.  “That we could both call it an early night and have more fun at home.”

Even though Yang wrinkled her nose, she considered the request seriously enough to give Weiss hope.

“I’ll go,” she said, meeting Weiss’ gaze.  “If you forfeit.”

Yang knew that Weiss would never forfeit.  She had never forfeited anything in her life, and she certainly wasn’t going to start with some stupid bar contest just so she could get laid.

“Dammit, Yang!” she complained instead.  “You know it’s been a long week.”

“Then get a drink!  Play some pool!  Stop lusting after my sister.”

“That’s like asking you to stop lusting after Blake,” Weiss grumbled, frowning at her cup of water before taking a sip.

“Pretty sure Blake’s the one lusting after me right now.”  When Yang winked, Weiss rolled her eyes and looked up as Blake returned to the table.

“Who’s lusting after who?” Blake asked, sliding into the booth and sitting on Yang’s lap instead of using the perfectly spacious seat available to her.  But if she took the seat, she wouldn’t be wrapped in Yang’s arms and running her hand through Yang’s hair right now.

“Weiss is lusting after Ruby,” Yang replied with a grin that only grew when Blake scoffed.

“She’s not the only one.”

For a split second, the bar froze and time stood still as that comment sank in.

“What did you just say?” Weiss asked.  Even without an answer, her skin burned at the idea of -

“Some guy at the bar.”  More concerned with Yang than anything else, Blake waved behind her and shrugged.  “He looked really into Ruby.”

Weiss heard her jaw snap shut and felt anger flood through her veins like water from a broken dam.

“I’ll be right back,” she said, pushing herself to her feet.

“Oh, damn.  Someone’s about to die.”

Ignoring Yang’s comment, Weiss stalked over to the bar and searched for Ruby, who was easy to find.  So was the drunk boy leaning far too close to her while smiling and laughing at some joke.  One of his hands rested on the bartop, but that hand inched closer and closer to Ruby’s elbow - and if he touched her, Weiss would have to cut his arm right off.

“Excuse me,” she said, brushing past the boy to stand between him and Ruby.  “Ruby,” she said as Ruby saw her and lit up.

“Hey, Weiss!  I made a new friend!”  Ruby gestured to the boy, who Weiss looked up and down with a frown.

“Nice to meet you,” she said before turning away and blocking more of him from Ruby’s view.  “Did you find out when trivia starts?”

The moment Ruby’s smile fell, Weiss felt bad about even asking.

“I forgot...I was going to ask, but then I got distracted.”

When Ruby gestured to the boy, Weiss’ annoyance doubled.  Hitting on her girlfriend and prolonging the time until they could go home?  He committed two sins without realizing it.

“Trivia?” the boy piped up, clearly not reading the situation correctly.  “I like trivia.  Maybe you and me can be on the same team.”  When he slid closer to Ruby and winked, Weiss’ blood reached its boiling point.  “I’m sure we’d make a great pair, if you know what I mean.”

When he leered at Ruby with that look in his eyes, Weiss decided that she had had enough.

“Excuse me,” she repeated, tapping his shoulder and pointedly standing in front of Ruby.  “We need to speak for a second.”  He didn’t seem to understand what she was saying, but when she stepped forward, he stepped back in kind.

“One,” she said, lowering her voice so Ruby wouldn’t overhear.  “She doesn’t know what you mean because she’s not interested in you.  Two, she’ll never be interested in you because she’s with me.  And three, if you ever look at her like that again, you’re going to the emergency room with a hole in your foot.  I wore heels for a reason.”

Jabbing a finger at her shoes, Weiss gave him a stern glare while his eyes widened.  If he wanted to test her, he could.  She hadn’t stomped on anyone’s foot in a long time, and she’d been dying to put this new pair of heels to the test.

When she felt a tug on her sleeve, however, she backed down and turned to Ruby, who looked far too morose for her liking.

“Ruby, what’s wrong?”  Forgetting about the insolent male, Weiss turned her full attention to Ruby.  “Are you ok?” she added, setting her hand on Ruby’s elbow.

“Yeah, I’m fine.  I’m just...kinda hungry.”

“Then let’s get you some food.”  Smiling and sliding her hand into Ruby’s, she led them over to place an order with the bartender, but not without sending one more glare to the young man who was suddenly in a hurry to get away.

How dare he flirt with Ruby.  Sure, she was gorgeous, funny, smart, kind, and all-around adorable - everyone should want her - but she was taken.

“What do you want?” Weiss asked while they approached the large chalkboard menu advertising everything from chicken wings to salads.

“A pizza!”

“An entire pizza?”

Ruby’s shy smile voiced her desire to have an entire pizza for herself.

“I’ll share if you want some…”

While Weiss didn’t want any pizza, she was still grateful for Ruby’s generous smile.

“Thank you,” she said, kissing Ruby’s cheek.  “I’m not very hungry, but let’s get you one.”  When Ruby brightened at the thought of food, Weiss stepped forward to place their order with the bartender.

“Hey, what can I get you?” he asked, setting his hands on the bartop and leaning closer so he could hear her.

“One pepperoni pizza.”

“Sorry, kitchen’s closed.”  He gestured over his shoulder to a sign that said the kitchen closed thirty minutes ago.

“Awww…” Ruby whined, looking down and patting her flat stomach.  “But I’m hungry…”

“He’s only kidding, Ruby,” Weiss whispered, squeezing Ruby’s hand for reassurance.  “Why don’t you wait with Yang and Blake while I pay?”

“Ok!”  With that problem ‘solved,’ Ruby hopped back to their booth while Weiss turned to the bartender.

“Alright - how much for you to re-open the kitchen?”

At first, he laughed.  Then he looked confused when Weiss pulled out her wallet.

“Wait.  You’re serious?”

“Yes.  How much?  A thousand Lien?”

“You’d pay a thousand Lien for a pepperoni pizza?”

“Yes.”

He stared at her, not seeming to understand that she was madly in love with Ruby which meant she would do anything to make Ruby happy.  If that meant paying a hundred times the usual price for a mediocre pizza, then so be it.  As long as Ruby enjoyed it, the price was worth it.

When he stared at her for a little too long, however, she sighed and pulled out her card.

“If you don’t believe me, just run the card.”

After staring for another second, he chuckled and took her card.

“Guess the kitchen’s open,” he said, abundantly amused by the offer.  “Want anything else?”

“No.”  While shaking her head, Weiss paused and reconsidered.  “Actually - add the largest order of fries you can make.”

“You got it.”  After running her card, he returned it with her absurdly high receipt.  “We’ll bring it over when it’s ready.”

“Table service for a thousand Lien?”

Her question was rhetorical, but he laughed and nodded.

“Hey, it’s the least we can do.”

“Well, thank you.”  Putting her card and wallet away, she willingly left the crowded bar behind.  Dropping a thousand Lien for pizza and some fries wasn’t exactly sound financial planning, but if it meant she didn’t have to wait at the bar for it to be ready, maybe the money was worth it.  That, and Ruby wouldn’t be hungry for much longer.

Although, now that she thought about it...if Ruby was hungry, she might be more amenable to leaving the bar in search of food.  Then Weiss could suggest they pick up food and go home.

But no.  No matter how much Weiss wanted to get Ruby into bed, she wouldn’t do so by letting Ruby stay hungry.  That, to her, was unforgivable.  She would figure out another way...

Making it back to the booth, she found that Ruby had finished off the cherries and was now playing with the empty cup.  Sitting across from her, Blake whispered in Yang’s ear while Yang listened very intently with a growing blush on her cheeks.  Basically, business as usual for the couple who believed in excessive displays of PDA - and that was before one of them started drinking.

Weiss wasn’t jealous or anything, but she kind of wished that Ruby maintained some semblance of a libido after drinking.  Or, even if she didn’t, she could at least remember that Weiss still had one...

“It’ll be here shortly,” she said when Ruby gave her an expectant look that only meant one thing - food.  Mollified by the answer, Ruby smiled and snuggled into Weiss’ side for the wait.  Ruby pressing against her did little to stem the swell of desire in her chest, but she would take what she could get.  Plus, Ruby was soft, warm, and smelled heavenly.  She was all those things without her clothes too, but...that would have to wait until later.

“What do you think Blake’s saying?” Ruby whispered into Weiss’ ear, bringing a soft blush to Weiss’ cheeks from the slightly tickling, slightly arousing feeling.  What she wouldn’t give for Ruby to whisper and nibble at her ear like Blake was doing to Yang right now…

“Weiss?” Ruby added when Weiss didn’t answer fast enough.

“Oh, she’s...probably complaining about how many pairs of shoes Yang has.”

Ruby giggled at their long-running tease about Yang’s closet full of shoes that Blake never complained about.  Neither of them understood how it didn’t bother Blake to have an entire closet dedicated to shoes, but they came up with all kinds of reasons why she might be ok with it.  Most of those reasons involved Yang making an array of promises from ‘no puns on the weekends’ to doing whatever Blake wanted, whenever she wanted.

“I think you’re right,” Ruby whispered back, settling into Weiss’ side and leaning her head on Weiss’ shoulder.  She then rested her hand on Weiss’ thigh, and Weiss held her breath while hyper-focusing on the sensation.

If she could telepathically communicate with Ruby, she was right now.  Please move your hand, she willed the girl.  If Ruby moved her hand even an inch upward, Weiss would drag her out of there.  Just an inch would convince her that Ruby might be feeling the same fire that she was.  Before anything happened, however, one of the bartenders appeared at their table with a pizza in one hand and a basket of fries in the other.

“Here you go.”  After setting the food on the table, he pulled a stack of plates and napkins from his apron and dropped them in front of Yang.  “Enjoy.”

With the arrival of food, Ruby clapped in delight.  Weiss, meanwhile, sighed and silently wondered which deity she angered.  She thought she was a relatively decent person, mostly due to Ruby’s positive influence, but apparently someone wanted to teach her a lesson.

If that lesson was keeping her hands off of Ruby, she didn’t intend to learn it anytime soon.  So, while Ruby pulled two slices of pizza onto a plate before adding a big handful of fries, Weiss wrapped her arms around Ruby’s waist and snuggled closer.

“Mmm...thanks, Weiss,” Ruby said, pecking Weiss on the cheek before digging in.

“She’s making sure you have plenty of energy for tonight,” Yang added, winking when Weiss glared at her.

“Energy for what?”

“For the whole lot of nothing you’ll be doing, of course!”

Yang had this tone that, whenever she used it, always made Ruby giggle.  It didn’t matter what she said - if she used that voice, Ruby giggled.  It was adorable or infuriating, depending on what Yang used it for.

In this instance, it was on the infuriating side.  Weiss already knew Ruby was oblivious to her desires - she didn’t need Yang to point it out to her.  Besides, she was convincing Ruby into bed if it was the last thing she did, but Yang probably didn’t want to hear that.

“You should eat, too.”  Sliding a slice of pizza onto a plate, Blake pushed it in front of Yang and nodded to it.

“Oh?  Do I need energy for something too?”

“Yes,” Blake replied, her expression and tone blunt enough that Yang laughed and pulled the plate closer.

“Yes, ma’am.”

With Yang taking a bite of pizza, blissful silence fell over the table.  Weiss took that opportunity to hold Ruby closer, knowing that she was allowed to cling as long as Ruby could still eat at the same time.  And, while Ruby moved on to her second piece, Weiss sighed into Ruby’s neck and let one hand drop to Ruby’s thigh.

If Ruby wasn’t picking up on Weiss’ desires, maybe Weiss needed to be a little more obvious.  Maybe she needed to be a little more...like Blake and Yang.

Shooting a glance across the table, where Blake watched Yang eat with a hungry glint in her eyes, Weiss wanted to dismiss such a crazy idea.  Then again...her methods clearly weren’t getting her anywhere - or anything.  Maybe she needed to try something new, even if it embarrassed her just to think about.

But she had to try something.

Leaning closer, she pressed her lips to Ruby’s ear and whispered, “Ruby -”

“Hmm?” Ruby replied distractedly, most of her attention still on her food.

Weiss needed to be blunt.  Blunt enough that even the pure, unsoiled soul beside her would understand.  Because she knew that Ruby did understand when she hadn’t been drinking.  She definitely wasn’t the innocent girl she had been when they met, that was for sure.  And she wasn’t the unsullied girl Yang liked to believe she was, that was for damn sure.

“When you’re done with that…” Weiss whispered, her cheeks preemptively heating up.  “I think we should go home…”

“So soon?”  Ruby pulled away with a look that was part confusion and part disappointment.

“Yes,” Weiss replied, leaning closer and lowering her voice so the other half of the table wouldn’t overhear what she was about to say.  “Because I want to…”

With Ruby watching closely, Weiss blanked.  What did she want to do?  More like, what did she want to do first?  Her mind raced through the possibilities - each one fueling the heat growing in her veins.  She had to answer soon, while she still had Ruby’s attention, so she said the first thing that came to mind.

“Because I’m actually pretty hungry, too.”

Under ordinary circumstances, Ruby should get it.  She would get it.  At least, Weiss was decently confident that she would.  But these were no ordinary circumstances.

“Oh, I’m sorry!”  Ruby picked up her half-eaten slice of pizza and offered it to Weiss.  “Want a bite?”

Shooting a glance across the table and finding Blake and Yang still otherwise occupied, Weiss cleared her throat and shook her head.

“I don’t mean that type of hungry…”  Weiss didn’t know if she could be more explicit outside of the privacy of their home, but that should be enough.  Ruby should get it.  And, for a split second, it looked like realization would dawn in Ruby’s eyes.  But someone walked up to their table then, and any inkling of understanding disappeared when Ruby turned toward them.

“Are you the ones who signed up for trivia?” the boy asked before gesturing at the board.

“Oh, yeah!  That’s us!”

Hearing Ruby’s excitement, Weiss sighed and sank back in her seat.

This was torture.  If someone wanted to pry her for information, this was the way to do it.  What did they want?  She would give it to them.  Account numbers, passcodes, security clearance - they could name it, and she would surrender it if only Ruby would understand that the longer she remained oblivious, the more Weiss wanted her.

“Just you four?” the boy replied before shrugging and pulling over a chair.  “Cool.  We’ll just do it here then.  You have your teams?”

When he looked around the table, Ruby nodded, Weiss sighed, Yang grinned, and Blake glowered at him for interrupting whatever she had been doing.  But this could very well be the last part of their night, so Weiss needed to hurry it along.

Her breath then caught in her throat when Ruby set a hand on her thigh.  That ever-present ache roared to life and grew stronger when Ruby started drawing small circles on Weiss’ inner thigh.  It was so teasing, so tantalizing, that Weiss’ eyes fluttered as she struggled to hold onto her composure.  But god if they were at home right now...she would have no problem showing Ruby exactly what to do with that hand.

“How many questions?” she asked, and he looked at the paper in his hand before saying, “Ten.”

That wasn’t too many.  She could survive ten questions.  Although if Ruby kept casually touching her like this, maybe not.

“Let’s start.”  She nodded for him to ask the first question and prepared to rattle off an answer as fast as possible.  Ruby was serving as ample distraction, but she could still think - kind of...

“Alright, question one - name one of the actresses who starred in The Dust Chronicles.”

Weiss opened her mouth, but no words came out.  She hadn’t even heard of that movie, let alone knew any of the actresses.

“Skyler Redd,” Yang replied with a confident grin.

“Oh yeah...” Blake said, turning towards Yang.  “You look like her only hotter.”

“You know just what to say, don’t you?”

“Pretty sure I know just what to do, too…” Blake purred while batting her eyes.  Yang wasted no time kissing her, and Weiss rolled her eyes.  She couldn’t tell if she was more annoyed or jealous by their very public displays of affection.  Would she care as much if Ruby would give her anything?  Seriously, just one long, deep, passionate kiss would do.

Ruby, however, stared at Yang and Blake for a second before giggling.

“Yang’ll get every question right if Blake kisses her after,” she commented, completely unaware that Weiss would do the same.

Leaning forward, she settled for another kiss on Ruby’s cheek before motioning for their quiz-giver to continue.  Her desire to end this sooner rather than later grew with each circle Ruby traced onto her leg, and there was only so far she could scoot forward to get Ruby closer to where she wanted to be touched.

“Next question?” she asked with impatience and maybe just a bit of frustration in her tone.

“Uh…”  His gaze flitted back to Yang and Blake, but Weiss shook her head.

“If we wait for them, we’ll be here all night.”

“Alright,” he replied with a chuckle before reading the next question.  “What recent novel spent six months on the most-read list?”

Ruby’s brow furrowed, but Weiss’ mind raced through book titles.  She should know this one - she read often.  But which one was popular over the last six months?

“Oh, uh...Sunflower!” Yang replied before Weiss even came up with a title.

“How do you know that?” she demanded.  “Did you even read it?”

“Nope!”

“It’s ok, Weiss,” Ruby whispered in Weiss’ ear, sending shivers down her spine that met up with the tendrils of heat elicited by Ruby’s still-tracing finger.  “We’ll get the next one.”

“Ruby…” Weiss whined.  But Ruby just grinned at her, and Yang smirked.  And everyone, by this point, knew Weiss’ wants more than Ruby did.

“That’s right,” their moderator replied before looking at the page for the next question.  Before he said anything, however, Blake slid off Yang’s lap and stood up.

“I need to use the restroom.  Pause for a minute?”  Without waiting for an answer, Blake headed to the back of the bar, and the boy looked after her before shrugging and pulling out his phone.  But Weiss sensed an opportunity.

“Me too,” she added before hurrying after Blake.  She noticed the look Yang sent her, but she followed Blake with a newfound determination to end this night sooner rather than later.  She needed to get Ruby home now so that she could explain...a lot of things.

Blake was the key.  And in this state, she should be easier to persuade than usual.

That was Weiss’ hope as she waited for Blake to emerge from one of the stalls and head over to the sink.  She picked a faucet to wash her hands too - because it was never a bad idea to wash one’s hands in a place like this - and glanced at Blake out of the corner of her eye.

“Surprised you two haven’t taken off already,” she commented, trying to keep her tone light and casual while running her hands under the water.

“I know what you’re trying to do, Weiss.”

“I’m just saying...she’s probably going to get every question right.”

Weiss glanced over and saw pride and attraction flicker through Blake’s eyes.  Even though Blake knew what Weiss was doing, she was falling for it.  God bless alcohol.

“She will.  Then we’ll win, and I’ll go home and...reward her.”

“Why wait, though?” Weiss asked while drying her hands.  “You already know you’re going to win.  If you go home now, that’s just extra time you’ll have to...celebrate.”

Deep in thought, Blake turned off the faucet and slowly dried her hands.  She was considering it, which meant Weiss needed to push one more time - this time on her ego.

“Unless you’re worried about having too much time and, you know…getting tired or something.”

As expected, Blake scoffed.

“Clearly, you don’t know us well.”

“You never know…” Weiss hummed, playing up her disbelief while searching for Blake’s pride.  “It is pretty early.  Starting now might be...a lot.”

It was an unspoken challenge, and Blake immediately latched onto it.

“Maybe it’s too early for you and Ruby,” she quipped, her eyes flashing with desire and determination as she strode out of the room.  On any other day, Weiss might have been insulted.  Today, she followed Blake back into the bar and hoped that it worked.

As soon as Blake made it back to the booth, she grabbed Yang by the hand and pulled her out of her seat.

“We’re leaving.”

“What?  But -”

“I have better plans for you,” Blake said while leading Yang away.  “I hope you aren’t tired.”

“Oh - damn.  Ok.”  Smile fully restored, Yang waved over her shoulder before being whisked away for a night that Weiss would probably have to hear about next week.

But it worked.  They left, meaning Weiss was one step closer to taking Ruby home.

“Guess they forfeited.”  Returning to her seat beside Ruby, she pecked Ruby’s cheek before smiling at their moderator.  “Does that mean we win by default?”

He looked miffed at what just happened, but he also looked like he didn’t care much for trivia, to begin with.  “Sure,” he replied before dropping a folded t-shirt on the table.  “Congrats.”

Uninterested in their reaction, he went back to work while Ruby grabbed the shirt and held it up.

“So awesome!” she gushed before checking the size.  “We won this, Weiss!  Well, you did all the work.”

“We won it together,” Weiss corrected, more than willing to share any credit with Ruby.  Technically, neither of them won anything - they hadn’t answered a single question.

“I’m gonna wear it now!”  When Ruby grabbed the hem of her shirt and started pulling it over her head, Weiss quickly grabbed her hand.

“Let’s wait until we get home,” she said with a smile that eased the confusion from Ruby’s eyes.

Fortunately, Ruby let go of her shirt, saving Weiss from having to murder anyone who dared look while Ruby swapped shirts in the middle of the bar.  Also, it saved Weiss from causing an indecent scene when Ruby bared too much skin for her to resist.  With how she felt at the moment, she wouldn’t care if they were in public if Ruby took her shirt off.

“Can we go home now?” Weiss asked one more time.  “So that you can try on your new shirt?”

Somehow, the mystical bar shirt worked.  That or because the trivia ended, or Blake and Yang left, meant Ruby had no other reasons to stay.  So, in a symbol that the tides were finally turning in Weiss’ favor, she nodded.

Weiss wasted no time scooting out of the booth and taking Ruby’s hand to help her up.  She still stumbled and nearly fell, but Weiss managed to catch her before that happened - again.

“Let’s get you home…” Weiss murmured before leading Ruby to the door with much smaller, slower steps than necessary.  As much as she was in a rush, Ruby was in no state to move faster than a walk.  On a good day, her legs tangled themselves out of nowhere.  Throw in the effects of alcohol and…

“Careful,” Weiss whispered, putting her hand on Ruby’s hip when Ruby nearly tripped over the door frame.

“It’s nice out!”  Unperturbed by each near-fall, Ruby smiled and waved in the direction of their home.  “Wanna walk?”

“How about we take a taxi?” Weiss asked while leading them to the edge of the sidewalk.  She made sure to give Ruby a choice even though she wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.  She’d waited long enough - she wanted to get Ruby home so she could…try on that new shirt.

“Taking a taxi will be faster, huh.”

“Exactly.”

“But -”

Weiss was already reaching for the door when Ruby expressed hesitation.  So, instead of opening it, she threw on a patient smile and turned around.

“But what?”

“But walking would be nice, right?  We can talk!”

When Ruby smiled, Weiss sighed and gave in.  She didn’t point out that Ruby could hardly keep herself upright as it was.  Or that walking would take longer and probably make her tired by the time they got home, causing her to pass out rather than do any of the things Weiss wanted.  Ultimately, if Ruby wanted to walk, that’s what they would do.

“Sure.  We’ll walk.”

Weiss turned away from the taxi, but Ruby didn’t follow her.

“Is there a reason you don’t want to walk?” Ruby asked instead.  Somehow, she had picked up that Weiss wanted to take a taxi but couldn’t pick up any of the other things Weiss had wanted since arriving at the bar.

“I just...want to get home sooner rather than later,” she answered, and Ruby started to nod before suddenly freezing.

“Oh.”  Ruby looked at Weiss, whose cheeks warmed as Ruby read her intentions.  Which were definitely not pure.  “Oh,” Ruby repeated.  “I get it.  I’m so sorry!  That was really inconsiderate - I know you’ve had a long week and probably just want to go home and sleep.”

Weiss was in the midst of nodding when Ruby abruptly veered in the wrong direction.

“No, Ruby -”

“And you told me so many times how ready you were for the weekend…” Ruby continued with an apologetic expression.  “I’m sorry!  Let’s go home and get some sleep.”

Weiss nearly shook her head but stopped herself at the last second.  Should she correct the error now, or should she use the opportunity to get them home and fix the misunderstanding then?  Ultimately, she had much more confidence in her ability to convince Ruby of...pretty much anything...at home.

“So...we can take a taxi then?” she asked.  When Ruby nodded, Weiss decided to take her chances.  Get Ruby home as fast as possible, then make her intentions more obvious.

Wasting no time, she opened the door of the cab, let Ruby climb in first, and quickly followed.  “Corner of Elm and Third,” she told the driver while shutting the door.  With a quick nod, the driver directed the car away from the curb, and they were off.

“Taxis are fun, right?”  Somehow proving her point, Ruby scooted across the backseat and cuddled into Weiss’ side.  It was cute and adorable - then she nuzzled into Weiss’ hair before resting her lips right on Weiss’ ear.  Every exhale sent a tingle down Weiss’ spine.

“Yes,” she breathed out, clenching her legs together and praying the cab driver couldn’t read her thoughts.  “They can be fun.”

“I like taking taxis with you,” Ruby replied, the breathy words making Weiss’ eyes flutter as desire burned through her.

“I agree…”  She wanted to kiss Ruby now - like right now - but they were nearly home.  Just a couple more blocks, with a couple of long red lights thrown in…

“Thank god,” she said as soon as the cab stopped.  After paying the driver, she dragged Ruby up the steps to their comfortably sized townhome and unlocked the door with her free hand.  The moment they stepped inside, she locked the door and dropped her bag on the table in the entryway.

“Let’s get you to sleep!” Ruby said while leading Weiss upstairs, but Weiss followed without any intention of sleeping.

This was their space, where they could say or do whatever they wanted.  And Weiss planned on doing exactly that - beginning with the girl walking in front of her.  She had finally gotten Ruby home, and Ruby didn’t seem very tired, so now it was Weiss’ turn to have a little fun.

As soon as the bedroom door shut behind them, Weiss reached out and caught Ruby’s hand.

“Actually…”  Letting the word trail off, she smiled and pulled Ruby back to her.  Her skin tingled with anticipation, and she knew - beyond a shadow of a doubt - that she would get what she wanted now that they were here.

“Actually what?” Ruby asked, still not catching on to the direction their evening had taken.

“Actually...I’m not very tired anymore.”

“You aren’t?”

“You wanted to try on your new shirt, remember?”  Weiss motioned the folded t-shirt she had carried home and smiled at Ruby.  “Let me help you with that.”

When her offer wasn’t declined, Weiss slid her hands under Ruby’s shirt and lifted - making sure to run her hands up Ruby’s stomach, ribs, and chest, before pulling the shirt free.  Feeling Ruby’s soft, warm skin sent sparks of excitement through Weiss’ veins - a feeling that only increased when she looked at the half-clothed girl standing in front of her.

This was more like it.

As a content sigh slipped through her lips, Weiss took a moment to appreciate the sight.  Ruby’s collarbone, across her chest, down her ribs and her toned stomach...every inch of skin begged for the kisses Weiss silently promised.  Before the night was done, she will have tasted every bit - she knew that without a doubt.

When Ruby reached for the new shirt, however, Weiss stopped her.

“Why don’t we try that on in the morning?” she asked, lacing their fingers together instead.

“But -”

“Ruby Rose,” she interrupted, smiling and shaking her head at how dense Ruby could be.  “Do you have any idea how bad I want you right now?”

There it was - out in the open for Ruby to finally catch on.

At first, she blinked.  She tilted her head and squinted.  Then realization dawned.

“Oh -”

That was all the answer Weiss needed to step forward, set her hands on Ruby’s cheeks, and draw her into a kiss.  Her heart and body rejoiced the instant their lips touched, and her desire released itself in a flood when Ruby immediately returned the kiss.

Ruby finally understood, and she eagerly pressed against Weiss while deepening the kiss.  It was a little sloppy, and her breath still smelled of alcohol, but Weiss couldn’t care less.  Not with their tongues clashing together.  Not with her hands running across Ruby’s stomach and back and every inch of skin she could find.

Without breaking away from Ruby’s lips, Weiss stepped forward and Ruby stepped back to match.  Weiss then took another step, and another, slowly moving Ruby over to the bed before pushing her on top of it.  Watching Ruby scoot backwards up to the pillows, still shirtless, sent another surge of desire through Weiss’ chest, and she wasted no time climbing on top of Ruby and resuming those kisses.  This time, starting at Ruby’s collarbone before trailing up her neck to her ear.

“You’re such an oblivious tease,” Weiss whispered, nipping Ruby’s ear in playful annoyance.  Ruby’s slight gasp put a smile on Weiss’ lips, and she wasted no time nipping Ruby’s ear again before pressing deep kisses to Ruby’s neck.

“S-sorry…” Ruby got out, her hands roving under Weiss’ shirt in search of more skin.  “You could’ve said something.”

Laughing at the response, Weiss leaned back and shook her head.  “You think I didn’t?” she asked, smiling as Ruby’s brow furrowed.

Whether or not Ruby remembered Weiss’ hints, she quickly gave up and motioned Weiss back to her.  Now she was the impatient one - and Weiss would never complain about that.

Returning to her goal of covering Ruby in kisses, Weiss started at Ruby’s neck before continuing downward, all while her hands clumsily searched for the buttons on Ruby’s pants.  Part of her considered taking her time.  She should linger around Ruby’s chest and make her really want it - a little payback for how Weiss felt all night.

That thought was discarded the moment Ruby let out a soft moan that built Weiss’ ache to an almost unbearable degree.  Forget making Ruby wait - Weiss was going to give Ruby everything, immediately, if only so Ruby would do the same for her.

When Ruby laughed, however, Weiss paused and glanced up to see what was so funny.

“That’s what you meant when you said you were hungry,” Ruby said, her eyes sparkling as Weiss huffed and went back to trailing kisses across Ruby’s stomach.  “I really am oblivious…” Ruby muttered, making Weiss smile as she moved even lower.

She was moving fast, but they had all night.  And she planned to use every minute of it.