Archive of Our Own

"Ugh, I can't believe Valentine's Day snuck up on me like this!" Ruby pressed her forehead against the nearest tree, threatening to bonk the two of them together. Luckily, Blake was there to keep her from doing anything too stupid. "How did I not realize what month it was?! I was so focused on trying to be a good leader, and all of the Grimm attacks, and it just..." She shrugged her shoulders helplessly, pulling her head away to look at Blake. "I've gotta figure out what to do, and fast!"

"I think you're taking this too seriously," Blake responded, arms crossed as she watched Ruby run the gamut of emotional distress. The two of them had only been about halfway through their training when Blake had decided to put a stop to it. Ruby was clearly distracted, and they weren't going to get anything done unless she let out what was going on. It had been easier than she had expected, to be honest: the moment she put a halt to the training and asked Ruby why she was so distracted, everything came out. "This is Weiss we're talking about here. She has the romantic range of an Ursa."

"But she's rich, Blake! And cultured too. She probably has all these expectations of what Valentine's Day should be, and I don't know if I can fulfill them." Sighing, Ruby dropped down onto the grass, leaning against the tree. Truth be told, she'd had feelings for Weiss for quite some time now. It had happened so naturally that she didn't even question it. She just knew that Weiss was the one for her. Now, her being the one for Weiss? That was the tricky part.

"Yes, but have you ever seen her show any ounce of interest in those romantic trappings?" It was hard to believe that she was involved in this conversation. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she had her feet in Weiss's camp on this one. Valentine's Day wasn't that important to her. Even though she had a partner, having one specific day to shower each other in love was superfluous. It did make sense that the two sisters would feel differently, though. They were alike in more ways than one might expect. "Besides, she already likes you. You doing anything for her will be fine."

"Wait, what?!" Ruby shot up like a rocket, staring at Blake with wide, disbelieving eyes. "She likes me?!" Suddenly she was right in front of Blake, grabbing her shoulders with a pleading expression. "Blake, how could she like me?! I'm the weird kid who knocked over all her stuff and stole her leadership role! There's no way! I mean, sure, she's become nicer to me over these last few months, but..." She scratched her head, then started furiously running her fingers through her hair. "For real?! Weiss Schnee likes me?!"

"Do you know any other Weisses?" Blake replied dryly. Though she had grown used to the antics of her teammates over their time together, she still often felt the struggle to best help them. Being a psychiatrist or a sounding board wasn't something she ever grew up being. She could barely understand Yang sometimes, and she loved her. Trying to figure out how to tie together the unnecessary dance Ruby and Weiss were always going through took less shots from Gambol Shroud than she was used to. "Have you really not noticed all the times she's openly stared at you?"

"Well, no..." Ruby tapped her fingers together awkwardly, a hint of pink on her cheeks. "But I've stared at her all the time! I would've noticed if she did too, right?" Blake just stared impassively at her, which told her all she needed to know. "Oh... But, I... We..." She sputtered out multiple attempts at a proper sentence, but kept failing. "Me and Weiss? She likes me? I-I have to do something huge for her, then!"

"You really aren't listening to me." Sighing, Blake rubbed her temples. This was a lot of trouble for a relationship that she was sure would end up highly combustible. Truthfully, she had never understood Ruby's infatuation for Weiss. It had always been patently obvious, but... why? Yes, Weiss had become a nicer, more understanding person over their time as teammates, but she was still a Schnee, no matter how many changes she tried to make. Her and Ruby were just such different people.

"I gotta get started!" Ruby shouted, inadvertently admitting that she wasn't listening. "We'll practice later, okay? I promise! I gotta figure out what to do for Weiss, though! She'll want to date me for sure after this!" In a flash, she was gone, leaving a few rose petals in her wake. Blake just sighed, flicking a petal that was floating down in front of her.

"How are we going to survive these two trying to ask each other out?"

'This is ridiculous!'  Weiss was in the shower, washing off the sweat and grime from her and Yang's intense training session. Standing underneath the shower head, she was stewing from what Yang had told her while they were taking a break. 'She doesn't know anything! I don't have feelings for Ruby!' Yang thought she was so smart, and that she knew everything. Well this time, she was dead wrong. Just because she thought that she had caught Weiss staring at Ruby a few times didn't amount to anything.

Okay, so maybe she was finding herself more respectful towards Ruby in recent times. Despite her original hang-ups, Ruby had proven herself to be a competent leader. While she didn't have the leadership style Weiss would have, it did seem to work for her. All four of them had become some kind of family, as odd as that may sound. Sure, she and Ruby were closer than she was with Blake or Yang, but that was just because they were partners. It was only natural that they would be more comfortable with each other.

She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to shake the words that Yang had said out of her brain, but she couldn't. That obnoxious woman was now making her revisit her prior interactions with Ruby in a new light, and she didn't like what she was coming to realize. She couldn't stop thinking of Ruby now: the way she led the team, the way she threw herself into everything she did, the way her eyes shined when she smiled-

'Stop it!'  she scolded herself, stepping out of the way of the water. This entire concept was ridiculous, and she was being ridiculous for even entertaining it. Ruby was her partner on their team, and that was all. There was nothing going on between them in terms of romance. They didn't like each other like Yang thought they did. Besides, there was no way someone like Ruby would like someone like her. Especially after all the times she had treated Ruby so poorly in the past.

Wait, what was she saying? Was she feeling guilty? Sure, she had been a bit hard to handle in the past, but she had definitely improved since them. She had told Ruby early on that she would be the best teammate Ruby ever had, and she felt that she had lived up to her side of the bargain. There was no reason to feel any sort of negativity towards how she acted in the past.

Then why did she feel like it didn't make any sense for Ruby to like her? She placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heart beating faster just from the thought of her team leader. That made her frown, wondering just what in the world was going on. Yang couldn't possibly have a point. She didn't like Ruby, right? At least, not like Yang was saying she did. Sure, she liked her as a partner, and as a friend, but more than that? Blasphemous.

And yet, now all she was thinking about was Ruby. She was the only thing on her mind. Maybe, just maybe she'd had a few stray thoughts about Ruby. Just a few, mind you! It wasn't wrong to think of other people, even if it wasn't something to be expected of her. She was too much of an aloof princess to be thinking of other people, especially in ways that would make her blush from embarrassment. Which was why she absolutely was not thinking of someone as cute as Ruby-

Oh, who was she kidding? Shutting her eyes, she slid down onto the shower floor, hiding her head on her knees as the water kept falling around her. It was a terrible thing to admit, but... Yang was right, dammit! She did like Ruby! More than was appropriate, and more than she should. How long had she held such feelings for Ruby? She honestly wasn't sure, as she'd been so adamant on denying the truth that her mind had completely wiped out any exact dates. All she knew was that it had been a problem for longer than she cared to admit.

The truth was, she held back on those feelings for a bigger reason than having Yang tease her endlessly for them. She had come to realize just how wonderful and innocent of a soul Ruby was. Of course, that might have been because she made it into Beacon two years early, but she knew that it was more than that. She just lived her entire life with an incredible amount of optimism: more than Weiss had ever seen in her life. The way she had taken Weiss on as a partner and dealt with all of her crap for so long was impressive, to say the least. She knew for a fact that she didn't have so much patience. How many times had she lost her temper with Ruby and said something she didn't mean? Too many times to count. In all of those moments, never once had Ruby raised her voice at her or admonished her in return. She had patience well beyond her years, and cared so much more than could possibly fit inside her body.

To think of herself having something resembling a romantic relationship with Ruby was laughable, but not because of the reasons she would say out loud. Not for any of the reasons she would think of either, when she was trying to strong-arm her brain into ignoring the truth. In reality, she didn't deserve Ruby. How could someone who had been so rude to Ruby turn around and say she deserved her? It was a laughable concept. Honestly, there were so many problems with her thinking that she could be in a relationship with Ruby that it made her laugh out loud. That laughter was lost in the sea of tears that were falling from her eyes, however.

She stayed in the shower crying for longer than she intended. It was unusual for her to zone out like she had, but when she returned to reality, she was momentarily confused about where she was. When she realized that the shower was still running, she stood up to turn it off. Then she just stood there, staring at the floor with an empty expression while water dripped off her body and down the drain.

For the first time in her life, she needed to talk to Yang. She needed advice from Yang. Admitting what she was going to admit was going to be embarrassing: worse, it would be terrifying. However, if she wanted to stop the crazy thoughts that were swirling around her head in that moment, she knew Yang was the only person she could talk to. Stepping out of the shower she wrapped a towel around her body and her hair, tightening them up before walking slowly into the dorm room.

"Wow, even for you that was a long shower," Yang remarked, looking up from her scroll. However, her teasing petered off when she saw Weiss standing there in a towel with a dejected look on her face. "Hey, uh, you alright?" She expected Weiss to say that she was, and that she needed to mind her own business. When she gave her head a slight shake, that was when Yang knew something was wrong.

Immediately she was on her feet, heading over to put an arm around Weiss's shoulder. "Hey, hey, what's wrong, Weiss?" She guided Weiss over to Ruby's bed, where the two of them sat down next to each other. While waiting for Weiss to respond, she gently rubbed her shoulders, trying to make her feel more comfortable. This was Weiss she was dealing with. Something major was obviously going on for her to be in such a state in front of other people.

"You were right," Weiss whispered, unable to look Yang in the eye. "I like Ruby. I've tried so hard to not think about those feelings, and they suddenly ate me up inside while I was taking my shower." She clutched her towel to her body, feeling tears threatening to come out again. The last thing she wanted to do in that moment was cry in front of someone, even if she was spilling her secrets to them. "It's terrible, Yang..."

"How is that terrible?" Yang blinked in confusion, wondering what the hell Weiss was talking about. Hearing that Weiss did have feelings for her sister was great! She had been right, and since she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Ruby felt the same, her job as Cupid was going to be super easy. "That's great! Think about it: it's Valentine's Day soon. That'll be the perfect day for you to confess your feelings to Ruby. She's going to be so happy!"

"I doubt it," she scoffed, shaking her head sadly. "After the way I've treated her, there's no way she would feel the same about me."

"What are you talking about? Of course she likes you!" Yang was being thrown for a loop. No, several loops, like one of those roller coaster-building simulators she played on the school computer as a kid. Hearing the complete lack of confidence in Weiss's voice was foreign to her. It was like someone else was talking, and using Weiss like a ventriloquist dummy.

"I didn't say she didn't. I'm saying she won't feel the same about me as I do about her." Weiss shrugged off Yang's arm, standing up to head back to the bathroom. "She likes me as a friend and as a teammate. That's all I can expect from her, and I should be able to respect that." As she was walking away, Yang just watched her in complete disbelief. She suddenly jumped up and ran after Weiss, grabbing the bathroom door before she could lock herself in.

"Woah, woah, hold up! You really think Ruby doesn't like you like that?"

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it."

"That's debatable, but anyway, you're wrong. Ruby does like you. She likes you a whole lot. Honestly, the two of you are the last to know that you like each other." It was a wonder either of those girls were as smart as they were. When it came to picking up on romantic cues from their literal team partner, they sure were dumb. Being Cupid wasn't as easy as she imagined. She needed a long vacation after Valentine's Day. 

"Did you not hear anything that I said? There is nothing about me that she could possibly be interested in. You've been around me long enough to know how difficult I am, haven't you?" She was huffy enough that she somehow avoided the embarrassment of admitting that she was a difficult person to get along with. Ironically, she was being difficult about being difficult. That was just the way a Schnee worked.

"Well, yes. You are the most difficult person I've ever met." She laughed at how Weiss glared at her, as if she hadn't been the one to bring up the topic. "It doesn't matter what I think, though. I'm not the one trying to get with you. That's all Rubes, and she is definitely into you. I promise you, if you ask her out on Valentine's Day, she'll say yes. That's a Yang Xiao Long promise, and those are ironclad, my lady."

"I'm sure they are." Weiss rolled her eyes, still holding doubts about Yang's words. However, it did give her enough doubt towards her own doubt to make her wonder if she should take that advice. Maybe she should actually do something for Ruby for Valentine's Day. There was a first time for everything, after all. If she got rejected, though? If Yang was wrong? She would be laughed out of Beacon. "Can I go dry off or what?"

"Sure, sure," Yang laughed, stepping aside to let Weiss into the bathroom. "Think about it, Weiss!" Weiss just rolled her eyes and shut the door, making sure to lock it before she set about getting fully dried off. Now she couldn't stop thinking about what Yang had said. Ruby liked her? As in, she really liked her? That seemed too incredulous to believe, and yet Yang had said it without a hint of teasing. It was one of those moments where she was being serious, and it made Weiss question if her doubts were wrong. Maybe Ruby actually did like her. If she did, then wouldn't she be a fool for not at least attempting to ask her out?

What if Yang was wrong, though? Or at least, what if she was overstating things? If she tried this on Valentine's Day of all days, and she was rejected, she would never live it down. Even if only Ruby and herself knew the truth, she'd be driven to insanity thinking about how mortifying her life had become. Yang had seemed so sure, though... Augh, this was so confusing! Why did romance even exist? 

She leaned against the sink, staring at her reflection and sighing deeply. This was going to take some figuring out, and she didn't have much time to do it.

'I can't believe I'm doing this.'  Weiss was walking towards the dorms, trying to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. It was Valentine's Day, and she had finished up one last practice of her glyphs. She had come up with this grand plan to show Ruby just how much she meant to her, and she had gone out of her way to make sure everything would go off without a hitch. That didn't make her any less nervous, though.

'I can't believe I'm doing this!'  Ruby was jogging out of the dorms, too excited to take things at a regular pace. She had come up with this great idea for how to ask Weiss to be her valentine, and it felt romantic while still having her own personal charm. Her entire being was vibrating with excitement over what could happen and nervousness over being rejected. Blake had convinced her that her feelings were mutual, though, so she was ready to go for broke that day.

As it turned out, the two of them were inadvertently heading right for each other. They saw each other across the courtyard, both of them stopping with wide eyes. The two of them stood in place, as if waiting for the other to make a move. Eventually, they just decided that it was pointless to wait, which meant they ended up walking towards each other again at the same time.

"Ruby," Weiss greeted courteously, feeling her drive to speak her mind falling apart. Staring into those wide, bright silver eyes, she felt like she could see everything she admired about Ruby on display, and it was blinding. It made her feel as if all of her faults were being exposed, proving that there was no way she could ever deserve someone like her.

"Hey Weiss," Ruby responded awkwardly, scratching her head. "I, uh..." She swallowed nervously, attempting to shake herself out of those feelings. "I wanted to show you something, if you weren't too busy. I mean, if you are, that's okay. I can show you another time. Even though it's Valentine's Day, and it's kinda a Valentine's Day thing..." She just kept rambling and rambling, but Weiss was focused on Ruby's mentioning that she wanted to show her something for Valentine's Day. Could it really be true?

"Ruby, if there's something you wanted to give to me for Valentine's Day, wouldn't it be best to not wait until Valentine's Day is over?" She found herself smirking slightly when she saw realization cross Ruby's face. "Besides, I... I also have something that I wanted to show you." Now the smirk was gone, and she was feeling just as awkward as Ruby.

"Is it for Valentine's Day?" There was so much hope in Ruby's voice. Weiss could only nod, her vocal chords deciding they didn't want to work anymore. That made Ruby's eyes light up, and her entire demeanor changed. "Oh, oh goodness, oh, okay, okay! Well, can I show you mine first? I promise it's worthwhile! I mean, I hope it's worthwhile. You can tell me if you don't like it. It's okay if you don't-"

"Ruby, you're rambling again." Somehow, it actually made her feel better to hear Ruby going off the rails. At least she wasn't the only one struggling to get the right words out. "Yes, you can show me whatever it is you have." There was a worry that, if Ruby's gift was so much better than her own, she would be outstaged before getting to show what she had. Though, if she went first, and then Ruby blew her out of the water afterwards, she'd still be in the same boat.

"Okay! Well then, uh... I need you to hold onto my hand." Weiss stared at her skeptically, which she seemed to have expected. "I know it's weird, but I need to use my semblance, and it'll only work if both of us are moving together." She held out her hand, looking Weiss right in the eyes. "Do you trust me?" Well, when she put it like that, how was she supposed to say otherwise?

"Of course I trust you." Rolling her eyes, she grabbed Ruby's hand and held on tight. "You owe me a new wardrobe if I throw up." Ruby giggled, both of them knowing that Weiss wouldn't follow through on that threat. Squeezing Weiss's hand, Ruby gave her one last reassuring look before activating her semblance.

Suddenly, the world was passing them by like someone had smashed the fast forward button. Everything in the courtyard was a blur, flying around so fast that Weiss was forced to close her eyes. She kept them closed even after the world stopped spinning, which meant that Ruby had to gently tap her shoulder before she would open them again.

When she opened her eyes, they immediately widened. Floating in the air above them was a heart, created out of red and white petals. As the petals slowly floated down to the ground, she looked over at Ruby. She was practically bursting at the seams, trying to see whether or not Weiss actually liked it. 

"Ruby, I..." She was fascinated by the white petals dancing along with Ruby's normal red petals. Was that why she needed her: to get those specific petals? "It's beautiful..." She was in awe of what Ruby had created. Her semblance had always been useful, but she hadn't expected to see it be used for something so artistic. It was making her heart thump loudly.

"Really? I'm glad you think so!" There was a blush on Ruby's face, which was a rare sight to see. Normally she was fine with anything she did, even if it embarrassed her. "I wanted to do something special for you, but I didn't know what to get you. I mean, you're rich and all, and you can have anything you want! This was my best idea for something that you might not have." She tapped her foot on the ground, looking at Weiss hopefully.

"I assure you that I don't need anything special." She shook her head fondly, turning to watch the petals continue to fall. They hit the ground and started drifting away on the breeze. "You're right, though: I am rich, and I can get anything I want, so... it's nice to receive something that only you can give me." She started to blush, but she felt compelled to keep speaking. "It's actually not important to me what it is that you give me. It's just... important that it comes from you."

"Oh, well then, I guess that was a pretty good gift, then." Ruby giggled, blushing deeper. "I was hoping you'd like it, and that it'd make you want to be my Valentine." Something Weiss had come to notice about Ruby was that when she was bored or nervous, she would fidget in place. The more she would fidget, the more bored or nervous she was. At that moment, she was shaking so much, it looked like she was about to disappear in a blur. "I-If you want to, of course!"

It was hard to believe what she was hearing. After all those days suffering through her insecurities, wondering if Ruby really would want to be with someone like her, it turned out she wasn't the only one in such a mood. Not only did Ruby want to be her Valentine, but she was nervous about her saying no. Out of all the ridiculous thoughts... She couldn't believe how it had come to this.

"Unbelievable..." When she noticed Ruby was staring at her, she shook her head and prepared to put her own plan into action. "Ruby, rather than answering that, I think it would be better if I showed you what I wanted to give you. Is that alright?" Ruby nodded, suddenly mute. It was cute in a way. "Alright, please stand back." Doing as she was told, Ruby gave her room to work. She pulled out Myrtenaster and started her summoning.

A glyph formed beneath her as she stuck her sword into it. Ruby watched with wide eyes as an icy knight appeared in front of her, holding what appeared to be a bouquet of flowers. The knight bent down on one knee, offering the flowers to her. She took them, stunned into silence. They were cool to the touch, but she didn't mind. All she could do was continue staring at the icy flowers in her hands.

"Woah... That's incredible!" She was positively beaming, smiling brightly around the knight at Weiss. "That was awesome, Weiss! I didn't know you could summon this kinda thing!" She put the flowers up to her nose and sniffed them. They smelled like ice. "I thought you could only summon things that you defeated."

"That's true..." She started to sweat internally, deciding it was best to not mention how she had demolished an entire garden of flowers the day before in order to get that summon to work. "B-But anyway, I wasn't sure what to get you either. I wanted to give you something that was special, but I've never done this kind of thing before." If she wasn't careful, she was going to start rambling like Ruby did. "I hope you appreciate the effort." Wait, that sounded rude. "That didn't come out like I meant it to..."

"It's okay, Weiss," Ruby giggled, stepping past the knight to stand in front of Weiss. "I really like the flowers, but I like that they came from you more." She couldn't stop staring at Weiss, which let her see that Weiss couldn't either. That was what gave her the confidence to say what she wanted to say. "So, does that mean you want to be my Valentine, Weiss?"

"Yes. I would love nothing more than to be your Valentine." Smiling, Weiss let her summon dissipate. The knight disappeared, as well as the flowers in Ruby's hands. However, the cool feeling still remained tingling on her skin. Both of their gifts had disappeared on the wind, but the sights remained imprinted on their memories. "If you will be my Valentine as well."

"Yes!" Ruby grabbed Weiss and pulled her into a tight hug, surprising her when she lifted her off the ground. "Yes yes yes! I want to be your Valentine, Weiss!" She started to spin Weiss around, having a deceptive amount of strength in those arms. That's what happened when she lugged around a heavy metal scythe as a weapon.

"Ruby! Put me down this instant!" She was finally put down after another couple of spins, and she made sure to glower at Ruby for that. However, she couldn't stay mad at her for too long. After all, they were officially Valentines. That was something she hadn't believed could ever be true just that morning. 

"So, now that we're Valentines... what do we do?" Still nervous despite their current status as Valentines, Ruby was bouncing from foot to foot, as if she was trying to get some quick cardio in while they spoke.

"We don't have to do anything. Isn't it just enough that we're together?" Weiss smoothed down her skirt, rolling her eyes at Ruby's wild behavior. "Besides, I don't think either of us know what we're supposed to do now that we've told each other how we feel."

"Well, I can think of one thing." Ruby smiled, suddenly looking very shy. It didn't suit her at all. "Maybe, now that we're Valentines and all, we could maybe... kiss?" They both blushed one after the other, with Ruby realizing what she had just asked and Weiss realizing what had been asked of her.

"I suppose that would be a good way of consummating us being Valentines." She couldn't stop blushing, not wanting to admit that she really just wanted to kiss Ruby, regardless of what day it was. Her lips looked so inviting... "If you're going to kiss me, then hurry up and do it."

"Yes ma'am!" Ruby put her hands on Weiss's shoulders and kissed her, not even thinking about what she was doing. Of course, Weiss was overthinking things, and she didn't reciprocate at first. All she could do was think of the fact that Ruby's lips were on hers. She was actually kissing Ruby. They were Valentines, Ruby liked her, and she was kissing her. This couldn't be real, could it?

It felt real, though. There was no doubt that the soft, pliable lips pressed against her own were Ruby's. That was when she finally kissed her back, letting her hands fall to Ruby's hips as they both got lost in each other's lips. They didn't pull away until they both were losing their breath. Gasping for air, they looked in each other's eyes, neither of them able to deny the truth in their gazes. They both really did like each other, and there wasn't a need to worry anymore. At least, not about starting a relationship, anyway.

"So, shall we go back to the dorm, Valentine?" Ruby giggled, loving the way that sounded on the tip of her tongue. It made her feel a tingling sensation on her lips, and she wanted to say it again and again. So of course, she did. "Valentine. Valentine..."

"Yes yes, I think we get the picture." Weiss cut her off, blushing somewhat. She was smiling, though, happy to hear those words coming from Ruby's mouth. It made everything feel more real. If there had been any doubts about what she was to Ruby, they were gone in that moment. Ruby wanted to be her Valentine, and she found herself believing her a hundred percent. "Yes, let's return to the dorm, Valentine."

"Eeee!" Squealing excitedly, Ruby took Weiss's hand and headed back towards the dorms. Rolling her eyes fondly, Weiss followed her, holding onto her hand the entire way. Neither of them felt like letting go, even if some of their fellow hunters and huntresses saw them. It would be quite the gossip, they were sure, but in that moment, neither of them cared. Today was Valentine's Day, and that meant it was just about the two of them. What other people thought didn't matter.