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Weiss sat impatiently at the table. She was wearing her best dress, a beautiful gray and blue number that had cost as much as a new car, and that was before the jewelry. She knew that Ruby wouldn't really notice how fancy her outfit was, and she'd probably spit out her drink, ruining it, if Weiss told her what it was worth. Still, she knew she looked good, and it was important to her to look her best for her girlfriend.
Of course, that was over an hour ago. She'd arrived a little early, as she always did, and Ruby would run in a little late, stumbling over excuses, like always. She'd then lecture her dolt, Ruby would look like a kicked puppy, and it would be so cute that she'd forgive her instantly. It was the way things always worked. But today she wasn't just a few minutes late.
Had she been stood up? She knew that everyone who looked at her would assume she was. She was starting to think that she was, even. They'd met on the first day of college three years before, and had started dating almost a year ago, but suddenly all the doubts that she usually kept quiet began to bubble up at the back of her mind.
Did Ruby really care about her? Did she just pretend to put up with Weiss' sometimes… difficult personality, all so that she could laugh at her after eleven months and three days of dating? Even Weiss knew that was ridiculously paranoid, but as the minutes dragged on without a word she began to fret more and more.
Then her phone rang, and after a quick glance at the caller she answered. “Where have you been?”
There was a long silence, and just before she repeated her demand Ruby finally spoke, her voice thick and shaking. “W-Weiss?”
“What is it?” Weiss asked, a different kind of worry overtaking her, her insecurities forgotten at the distressed tone. Ruby never sounded like that, should never sound like that. “What's wrong?”
“It's dad… I'm at the hospital…” Ruby trailed off. “I- I'm not gonna make it tonight. Dad's… he had a heart attack. I'm gonna be here tonight. I'm sorry, I-”
“Don't!” Weiss interrupted, flagging down a waiter. “Don't even think about apologizing! Where are you?”
“The hospital,” Ruby repeated.
Weiss rolled her eyes. “Which one. There are about a dozen in Vale.”
“I- uh, I dunno,” Ruby said. “I rode in the ambulance. I can ask someone…”
“Please do,” Weiss said, flagging down a waiter again, this time adding a glare at his slow pace.
“I'm at Beacon University Hospital,” Ruby finally answered.
Weiss hummed. “Alright, I'll be right there.”
“You don't have to-”
“Of course I do, you dolt!” Weiss snapped. “I'll be there in a few minutes.”
Weiss hadn't met Taiyang Xiao Long, Ruby's father. Even with how long they'd been roommates, then friends, then girlfriends, she'd never actually met any of her family besides her brute of an older sister. Weiss had… problems with her own family, and she'd used every excuse she could think of not to meet Ruby's. Apparently that was about to change, however.
Beacon University Hospital was the biggest in the city, and one of the finest in the world. Like a campus adjacent to the college campus, it was a steel and glass building standing fourteen stories tall, with a half dozen other buildings connected to it by elevated walkways. One of them was an enormous concrete parking garage, which was fortunately fairly empty so late in the evening.
It took almost as long to find her way through the maze of causeways and elevators as it had to drive across the city, but after much longer than she would've liked she finally found her way into the emergency room. It was busy, the wounded and suddenly acutely ill of the city being ferried into the area at all hours. Her eyes quickly found who she was looking for, however, as she saw Ruby slumped on a couch in the corner.
She looked… rough. She was dressed nicely, in a black skirt and red blouse, obviously having gotten ready for their date, and she'd even tamed her black with red highlights hair for the evening. However, her posture was slumped, her face a mask of worry, her silver eyes reddened from crying. She looked lost and afraid, something that Weiss had never seen from her before, and which she never wanted to see from her again. Ruby should never look like that. Ever.
Walking over, she sat next to her on the couch, and Ruby was so lost in her own world that she didn't even notice. She started to lift a hand, but she felt so far away that it didn't seem like she could touch her without permission. “Ruby?”
Ruby blinked a few times, and then looked over. “Weiss?”
Finally she put a hand on her shoulder, and then moved over so that she could slide it around to her other shoulder, wrapping an arm around her girlfriend. “I'm- I'm here.”
“You came,” Ruby said.
“Of course I did, you dolt,” Weiss said gently.
“You- you didn't want to meet dad,” Ruby said.
“That's not true,” Weiss said guilt churning in her belly.
Ruby gave her a dubious look. “You didn't have to come.”
“Of course I did,” Weiss snapped, before kissing her cheek in apology. “There's nowhere I'd rather be than with you. Even if that means sitting in the ER instead of our date.”
“I'm sorry,” Ruby said.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Weiss insisted.
“But I ruined our date,” Ruby said. “And I know you don't want to meet dad.”
“It's not your fault at all, but I'm going to get mad if you keep acting like this is,” Weiss huffed. “And… I was afraid to meet your father.”
“Why?”
“My father is… my relationship with my family is not good,” Weiss said, deciding to leave it there, and from Ruby's snort she knew that her girlfriend recognized the understatement. “I was afraid of what your family would think of me. I know I can be… difficult, and if he didn't like me… you two are so close…”
“Dad will love you,” Ruby insisted.
“But what if he doesn't?” Weiss asked, her voice small.
Ruby gave her a reassuring smile. “There's no way that's possible. Wanna know how I know?”
“How?”
“Because you're way too lovable,” Ruby said, giving her a soft kiss. After a moment her face fell as she looked at the doors into the rest of the emergency room.
“Have the doctors said anything?” Weiss asked. “What happened?”
Ruby shook her head. “I'd just gotten ready for our date, and I went to say bye. He was… he'd had a heart attack. I called 911 and they sent an ambulance and I went with them but when I got here they took him in and told me to wait here, and I sat down but then I remembered our date so I called you but then I've been sitting here and nothing's happening and I don't know what's wrong and-”
“Shh,” Weiss said, placing a hand over her mouth to stop her babbling. “This is the best hospital in Vale, so I'm sure they're doing everything they can to help him.”
“But what if… what if it's not enough,” Ruby mumbled when Weiss pulled her hand away. “First mom, and if dad…”
“Don't think about that yet,” Weiss said. “I'm the one who's always worried about the worst. You're supposed to be the optimistic one. Just focus on him getting better, and I'll worry about taking care of you if the worst happens, okay?”
“You don't have to take care of me,” Ruby muttered.
“No I don't,” Weiss agreed simply. “But I will, anyway.”
Ruby teared up, and then collapsed into her arms, sobbing quietly. Weiss hugged her as hard as she could, and she felt her own eyes fill with tears. She didn't know Taiyang, but he was important to Ruby, and that made him important to her. More than that, she suddenly wished that she had met him. If he died she would've let her own insecurities keep her from meeting the father of the woman she loved. She would never forgive herself for that weakness if the worst happened.
After a long time Ruby stopped crying, simply resting in her arms, until finally Weiss decided to speak, whispering gently in her ear. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Ruby rasped back.
Weiss gently rubbed her back, sitting in silence for a while, until she felt a rumble from Ruby's stomach. Glancing at the clock she frowned. “You need to eat.”
Ruby shook her head. “I can't leave. What if something happens?”
Weiss scoffed. “First of all, you're obviously hungry, and starving yourself won't help your father. I'm going to take care of you, remember? So that means you need to eat.”
“I thought that was only if the worst happens.”
Weiss pulled back, raising an eyebrow. “You mean this isn't the worst thing that's happened during our relationship so far?”
“I- that's… that's not what that means,” Ruby said.
“Well, if you didn't want it to mean that you should've spoken up earlier,” Weiss said breezily. “Now, I'm going to get you some food from the cafeteria, and when I get back you're going to eat a meal. You don't want your dad to have to worry about you starving yourself when you get to see him, do you?”
“That's not fair,” Ruby grumbled.
“Then you shouldn't have dated someone in business and prelaw,” Weiss said. “I don't do fair.”
For the next two hours Weiss took care of Ruby with the same ruthless precision she normally used to tackle homework. Nothing was left to chance, and no needs were unmet. Ruby was forcefully fed, watered, hugged, and pampered as much as anyone could be while sitting in the emergency room waiting area. Weiss even took over phone duties, repeatedly calling Ruby's sister Yang, her girlfriend Blake, and her uncle Qrow, until finally she managed to get through to them. All three were unfortunately out of Vale, so they wouldn't make it back until tomorrow at the earliest.
Just when she was starting to work herself up to bullying Ruby into taking a nap the woman at the desk called her name. “Ruby Rose?”
Ruby jumped up, and Weiss grabbed her hand, keeping her from sprinting through the ER. “This is Ruby Rose,” Weiss said when her girlfriend hesitated to actually speak. “How is Mr. Xiao Long?”
“He's able to see visitors now,” the woman said. “He can have two guests at once. Room 23.”
“Thank you,” Weiss said while Ruby simply nodded. The woman opened the electronic doors, and Weiss led the way down the hall looking for Room 23. “He can have visitors. That's a good sign.”
Ruby nodded, although she didn't look convinced. Finally they reached Room 23, and once again Ruby hesitated. Weiss kissed her cheek, and that seemed to give her enough courage to open the door with a shaking hand.
Taiyang looked younger than Weiss had imagined, with a thick head of bright blond hair and tan skin. He obviously look good care of himself, his well defined muscles visible under the hospital gown. Despite the many wires and tubes connected to his body his blue eyes were wide open, and a cheerful grin was on his face.“
Rubadoob!” he called upon seeing her. “There you are!”
“Dad!” Ruby shouted, running in, before hesitating when she came close. He just smiled and nodded, and she leaned down and hugged him.
After a few moments he looked over at Weiss, studying her carefully. “And who's this beautiful young lady?”
Ruby pulled back, smiling as she waved Weiss closer. “This is Weiss.”
“Ah, the mysterious Weiss,” Taiyang said. “It's nice to meet you. I heard you've been taking good care of my little girl.”
Weiss curtsied nervously, a quavering smile on her face. “It's an honor to meet you, sir.”
He made a face. “Save the 'sirs' for fancy people. Just call me Tai.”
“Of- of course,” Weiss said, even though she doubted she'd be able to say it.
“Dad… are you okay?” Ruby finally asked.
He chuckled slightly. “Well… apparently I shouldn't be eating quite so much cured meats from now on. But the doctors said it was just an itty bitty heart attack.”
Ruby's lip quivered. “Really?”
“Really, Ruby,” he said. “I'm gonna need to take some medicines, and take better care with my menus. But I'll be around to give you away to this young lady someday, alright?”
Ruby blushed, but her lip quivered, and she hugged him again, crying in relief. Weiss had more doubts about how 'itty bitty' a heart attack could be, but a shared glance between Tai and her told them both that they'd be keeping just how serious it all was from Ruby.
Weiss had never met Tai before that night, but she was suddenly felt a bond with him. Walking over she put a hand on Ruby's shoulder and offered him her most confident smile. “I'll take good care of her.”
“Good,” he said. “I'm going be around for quite a while longer, but knowing my little girl is in good hands makes me happy.”
“I'm right here,” Ruby mumbled petulantly.
“Yes, dear,” Weiss said, kissing the top of her head.
Ruby just grumbled while Tai grinned at the interaction. Weiss smiled back shyly, suddenly sorry that she'd taken so long to meet him. Hopefully he would make a full recovery and be around for many, many years to come, since she wanted to get to know him. Someday she might be able to call him 'dad', and finally have someone in her life worthy of the title.
“So I noticed you pulled out all the stops getting ready for your date tonight,” Tai said. “If I was twenty years younger and you weren't dating my daughter I'd be asking you out on a date right now.”
“Dad!” Ruby objected.
“Wait, it's getting pretty late, have you eaten anything Ruby?”
“Weiss made me eat in the waiting room,” Ruby muttered.
Tai grinned. “Already taking good care of her. Rich, beautiful, and attentive. Ruby, if you don't marry her I'm gonna have to disown you.”
“Dad!”
Weiss giggled, unable to repress a smile as Tai continued to tease his daughter. After so many hours of worry it felt good to laugh. Weiss didn't need to go to an expensive restaurant to spend an evening with Ruby. Even if it meant hospital beds and tears there was nowhere in the world she'd rather be than at her girlfriend's side.