Chapter Text
The visage of Winter in her office, hand gripping the broad door so tightly and firmly it could be confused for paper, with Cinder at her hip both with expressions of feverish embarrassment and malnourished anger was the final thing Weiss and Ruby saw of the pair before the door slammed in front of them. It sent shockwaves through the office at such a bellowing tone some could confuse it for a Grimm awaking in its cave.
While the shockwave of the door may have made a few workers and SDC employees glance around and remove themselves temporarily from their work, for Weiss and Ruby it was as if a boulder had been lifted from their backs with the thundering boom.
“Well,” Ruby began, her hand meeting her brow as she gently slumped against Weiss’ side. “I think that went rather well.” She tried not to show as much relief as she was feeling, it was difficult burdening the concern that their former enemy number one was now in line to be her apparent Sister-In-Law.
Weiss felt similarly, it had taken a mountain to at least welcome Cinder over and come to accept the Maidens’ partnership, though all the worse was found from her sister. “I am just impressed we managed to leave without a lecture.” She heaved for some brief reprieve of a breath. “Especially on door etiquette.” She smarmed, taking the weight of Ruby’s form before gently turning them both down the hall.
“I suppose the shock at being found out made her rethink that then?” The comment brought a light twinge to Weiss’ lips, “I wouldn’t worry too much about this any more Weiss, obviously they couldn’t keep it quiet forever.” Ruby went from leaning on her partner to dragging her arm up her back, gently moving it over her shoulders in something of a comforting motion.
The warmth of Ruby’s touch at least brought out a lengthy sigh from the Schnee, her offhand going to massage her temple before she spoke. “I know, you’re right.” She let her hand drop after a moment. “I just think they should have done it on their own rather than me bungle it out to mother.”
“To be fair they have had their sweet time to say something.” Ruby laughed quietly, ”Winter may be all reserved with your mother still but it’s been years now.” Weiss nodded before Ruby went on. “Y’know I think they moved in together too, so at some point someone was going to see something.”
While Weiss sent a glance to her partner, not knowing of the pair’s living status, she feigned from any further interest. “If they are together enough for Cinder to be visiting her in her office surrounded by people then them living together is hardly something I should be surprised about.”
A tighter but welcome grip at her shoulder preluded a small shake of Weiss from her partner. “There, now you’re getting it.” Ruby smiled. “Honestly, it’s mostly on them at this point.” Weiss made an agreeable noise with a short nod, the air between them calm for a moment. “Where are we, uh, going by the way? The elevator is that way?” Ruby detached from Weiss for a moment, stepping back down the hall with her thumb pointed behind her.
Folding her hands in front of her, Weiss turned with a slight dainty look to her. “I thought to stop by my office here for a moment, collect some things before heading off?”
While Ruby did nod and approach her partner, she squinted lightly as she hummed. “You forgot things? Not unlike you but what?” Weiss was at least amused enough by the insinuation to roll her eyes and turn back down the hall.
“Just some files and folders, plus some supplies and such.” Weiss recounted with a delicate tap to her chin—her doing so in that manner where it was impossible for Ruby to focus on anything besides her gloved hand. “Why? Do you have somewhere you ought to be?”
“I did mention painting to you today, right?” Ruby held her hands behind her as she delicately leaned forward, to the point of looking up at the Schnee. Weiss smirked knowingly, though allowed the red Huntress to continue on as she craned her head sideward for a moment. “But I guess I need to find a spot for that painting Willow brought, hmm?”
Weiss rolled her eyes, “Urgh, don’t remind me.” She huffed. “Because our little home needs a painting of the royalty.” Hand dragging across her face, but when it dropped she spotted Ruby once again sneering at her.
“I mean it does make you look very dashing.” Ruby smirked, “A lot like a princess or knight.” Though that only made Weiss raise a brow, slowing their walk as they reached her office at which point she cocked her hip and more firmly crossed her arms.
“What’s that supposed to mean, am I someone to be sought after then?” Ruby felt her heart skip a beat as she looked at her partner, proud and beautiful. Though Weiss did not stop there, “You know you look every bit the hero in that portrait as well?” She asked rhetorically, moving her hips to one side before moving for the door. “Maybe not knight-like, probably more like a dashing rogue?”
“Oh, so you think I am dashing?” Ruby chuckled as Weiss led the pair of them into her office. Weiss only could roll her eyes as she walked in, removing her scroll as she momentarily scrolled through it—allowing Ruby the moment to catch up. The office was of similar scale to Winter’s, if a little more modern, and with a window which faced out into the cityscape and the harbor beyond. “Well this is definitely the room of a princess.”
Weiss scoffed, her hands tracing over her desk as she picked away at folders and documents. “Sure, perhaps if the princess was a weatherwoman, I can see any storm before they happen off that sea.” She mocked, throwing a hand in presentation behind her before returning to scouring her desk.
“Is that why you’re constantly messaging me about ‘bet it will blizzard tonight’?” Ruby said with a tongue to her cheek and gentle nod, cocking her hip now as she watched Weiss’ movements slow and freeze. The Schnee’s eyes, which had been so focussed on her desk, leaping upward to Ruby’s in a split second. Ruby nodded further, “Good to know.” Before she idly strolled toward the desk as well, the fine metallic thing was far different than her sister’s and the one they had in her home office.
“This thing looks substantial?” She offhandedly commented as Weiss began to pile her selected papers into one of her throw bags. “Metal though? Must have been difficult getting it in here?”
“Not really, easier to pay people to bring it in here than use Gigas like at home.” She snarked slightly in reply, making Ruby nod her head away from her partner.
Bringing her attention back to it though, Ruby put her hand flat on the metal. Cold to the touch, enough so that it permitted through the leather of her gloves and even stretched to her chest. Ruby grunted gently before removing her hand, consoling it gently in the other. “Is it comfortable?”
Weiss slowed her movement for a moment, then sent a slight look at Ruby. “Well, it’s experimental.” She stammered a cough before waving a hand over the sheen of the desk. “It has an Ice Dust crystal-core in it which pushes the frost through the top layer of the desk, it keeps both high-powered computers like this one cold while also keeping the user..” Weiss struggled for a moment to find the right word, Ruby’s watch over her making it worse as she did so. “Stay awake?”
“So you’ve just been coming into the office for how many years and sitting at a desk which is freezing you slowly?” Ruby shook her head with a small amount of a scoff. “Weiss, you know how that sound’s right?”
“It’s efficient!” Responding with an exasperated tone, “It keeps me alert and awake while I’m here.” Which while Weiss thought such was a defining argument, she only watched as Ruby dragged her hand up to her brow and creased the bride of her nose. “And if I put my forehead against it I can get rid of the migraines which some of these people give me with their nonsense, it’s really a win win for everyone.”
“Weiss, when we get home, we’re going to take a nap.” Ruby said with an ambivalent sort of laugh, shaking her head and letting her hand drop from her nose with a rag doll. “You can’t just stimulate yourself to be awake all of the time, I’ve been wondering why you haven’t been taking coffee with you to the office and this is why?” She huffed, reaching over and taking the mostly full bag from Weiss with a gentle tug. “Is there anything else here which you need?”
Weiss, her mouth a tight embarrassment of a line in the moment, glanced around her office a moment before rushing off to the side of her desk. A drawer slid open with a speedy movement of her hand, from which she pulled out a framed picture of the pair of them in Vacuo.
Ruby watched as she placed it delicately into the bag, staring down at it for a moment before her eyes flicked to the Schnee. “You know that doesn’t get you out of our nap now right?”
For a moment it looked like Weiss thought it would, but with Ruby’s words her form slackened as she rounded the table. “I just need to answer a few messages.” She tried to argue.
“You have until we get home, because I have a feeling we are going to have to make up for years of you cold blasting sleep out of you.” Ruby grumbled a laugh, her hand snaking around Weiss’ shoulders and pulling her in close.
“Can we get coffee on the way back?” Weiss quietly asked, in this turn using her own form of dog eyes in retribution for Ruby’s unauthorized use before.
For her credit, Ruby hung on for a longer moment than Weiss had, staring her partner’s perfect blue eyes down—though when Weiss folded her hands together beneath her chin it was over. “Ugh, yeah.”
To which Weiss summoned forth her smile, pumping a hand lightly with a cheer. “Yes, and I am getting the caramel one.” She said with pride, making Ruby once more massage her eyes.
“Dang it, now you’ve made me want one.” Joining in with her partner’s snickering before taking a step to the doorway. “Fine, fine, but we are still napping I swear.” Pointing blankly at the proud Weiss, who stood in the doorway still beaming with pride.
“Yes, well, you say that like it is a horrible thing to get to sleep with the Ruby Rose.” Weiss held her hands to her hips as Ruby emerged into the hallway with her, smearing that knowing form of a smile across her lips and face which made Ruby blush, adding all the needed emphasis she could manage. “My darling strong Huntress partner who cares for me, oh woe,” Then adding to her tone with an exaggerated defeated moping, which Ruby merely smirked at. “Oh woe is me, I must retire to a bed with her and her caring embrace.” Then dipping out of such with a sideward glance and self-satisfied smirk, “Give me a break.”
“You should have gone into acting instead of singing.” Ruby laughed, though Weiss’ eyes flared for a moment. “Seriously, you could have given Yang a run for her money as someone who could be alone in bed.” Ruby flexed her hand in the open air as if reading a billboard.
In quick response Weiss rolled her eyes. “Ah yes, because if you slept on the couch I totally wouldn’t follow after you.” She shook her head, “And like Blake would dream about sleeping without her personal heater.”
“Bleh, don’t refer to them like that.” Ruby stuck her tongue out with a shake of her head. “Or I am gonna start referring to Cinder and Winter that way.” A threat which made Weiss stumble for a beat as Ruby laughed.
Weiss struggled for a moment, her hand going to her chest in a horrific display of panic. “Do you enjoy making me have heart attacks?” Slumping now against Ruby’s side in a show of rigorous drama. “It was worse enough hearing them and their pet names, I thought I was going to expunge myself then and there.” Shaking slightly in addition.
“Well we could swing back around and have some follow up questions.” Ruby suggested, pointing down the hall towards Winter’s office where they had first met the intersection of paths. “Maybe invite Snowflake and Ashes over for dinner, we could even put that painting over the dinner table.”
“Truly you are a woman of innovative and amazing ideas.” Weiss said with another sneer and shake of her head, a using her thumb and index finger to massage her brow.
“I did marry you.” Ruby responded in her sing-song tone, kneeling over slightly and pressing a kiss into Weiss’ temple, bringing a new sting of redness to Weiss’ ear.
The Schnee whispered with a new speed to her step, “Ruby… My subordinates.” An evident pout forming on the Schnee as she hurried them through the main section of the floor, coworkers and employees once again silently muttering to themselves about the end of the day and the show and tell of their boss and her faithful Huntress companion.