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Ruby stared at the text on her phone, willing herself to send it.
If anyone had told her this morning that she'd be texting Weiss Schnee to set up a date—drinks, whatever—she would have called them crazy. But here she was, about to do exactly that.
The place is called Kick Off With a Yang. Let’s meet at 8 for our date.
She hesitated. Was date too forward? Should she add a winky face? No, too much. What about a casual "See you then!"? Too impersonal. Before she could spiral further, she squeezed her eyes shut and hit send.
The response was almost immediate.
I’ll meet you at 8 for drinks.
Nothing could stop the ridiculous smile from stretching across her face.
Ruby rifled through her closet, muttering under her breath as she pushed aside her usual hoodies and cargo pants. She had gone to Blake for advice on catching Weiss’s attention, and the faunus had insisted she revamp her wardrobe. Enter: Blouses that, as Yang eloquently put it, "showed just enough to keep things interesting."
Then there were the skirts. At first, Ruby had been hesitant, but after the way Weiss had definitely checked her out earlier today? Yeah… no complaints. Sure, her regular dress pants would have protected her knee from that nasty scrape, but they also wouldn’t have gotten her an inappropriate-for-the-workplace once-over from the COO.
Her blouse was already decided. Weiss had clearly wanted her to wear it again, so no thinking required there. But for her bottom half? That was a battle she wasn’t ready for. Jeans? Skirt? Dress pants? Shorts?
She eyed a pair of lightly ripped denim shorts, but all she saw was denim and doom. Nope. She needed help.
Sighing, she grabbed her phone and called the number that got her into this mess in the first place.
After two rings, the line picked up.
"Meoww?"
Ruby rolled her eyes. "Yang, you're not funny. Give Blake the phone."
Laughter erupted on the other end. "I'd love to, sis, but she's using the litter box right now and-"
"YANG, SHUT UP!"
Ruby barely held back a snort as she heard what was unmistakably a slap and an offended scoff from her sister.
"Sorry about that, Ruby. She stole my phone." Blake’s voice was much closer now, her irritation evident.
"It’s fine," Ruby said, still grinning. "But yeah, I actually do need help. And please don’t freak out, but I have a date to—"
"MY SIS HAS A DATE!?" Yang practically shrieked, far too close to the mic.
"Tell me it’s with Weiss. Please, gods, tell me it’s with Weiss," Blake added, voice hopeful.
Ruby groaned. "Okay, first of all, you two are so dramatic. Second, yes, it’s with Weiss. Tonight. At Yang’s bar. For free drinks, might I add."
"Who said I’d give you free drinks?" Yang shot back.
"Because you're the best big sister ever, and you love me, and want the best for me?" Ruby replied sweetly, knowing exactly how to stroke her ego.
There was a beat of silence before Yang sighed. "Damn it. She’s got me there."
Ruby took that as a victory and pressed on. "Anyway, I need help with my outfit. Weiss asked me to wear the same blouse from work, but I don’t know what to wear for my legs."
"Nothing!" Yang chimed in immediately.
"Short jean shorts," Blake said at the same time.
"Same thing!" Yang cackled.
Ruby wanted to die. "Okay, great, thanks, gotta go, bye!" She hung up before she could regret this entire conversation.
Flopping onto her bed, she let out a long, exhausted sigh. After a moment, she sat back up, eyes narrowing at the denim shorts still lying on the floor.
Well. Blake was usually right about these things. And if it made Weiss look at her the way she had earlier…
With a groan, she grabbed the shorts and started getting ready.
"You’ve got to be kidding me," Weiss muttered under her breath.
Of all the bars in the city, Ruby had to choose this one. The very same bar where her best friend Blake had met the "love of her life", Yang Xiao Long.
Weiss had been here plenty of times before, and unfortunately, that meant she had interacted with Yang more than she would have liked. That insufferable blonde had some kind of built-in radar for annoying her the second she stepped foot inside.
At least she knew what to wear. A sleeveless black top, fitted but not too tight, tucked into light jeans, and paired with matching dark heels. There was no way she’d wear flats, not when Ruby was taller than her in them. If she wanted to stay somewhat on level with her tonight, the heels were non-negotiable.
She checked the time. 6:36.
With a sigh, she got up from her couch and started getting ready.
As much as she didn’t want to deal with Yang, Ruby was worth it.
Correction: Dealing with Yang would be tolerable.
Right before she left, Weiss received a text from Blake.
'Hey, just a heads up. Yang and I are going to the bar tonight to celebrate a “family achievement.” See you there!'
Weiss stared at the message. A family achievement? She hoped that meant Blake and Yang would be too preoccupied with each other's mouths to bother her tonight.
Ruby had already arrived and texted her, asking if she wanted a booth or a seat at the bar. She requested a booth. Far enough out of sight to avoid Yang's antics but not far enough to tempt fate.
Her heart was pounding harder than usual in her chest. She had been on plenty of dates before, but none of them were Ruby.
No one in the world compared to Ruby Rose- the kind, highly intelligent, insanely talented Ruby Rose. The drop-dead gorgeous, innocently cute, utterly unfair Ruby Rose who, by some stroke of luck, had agreed to go out with her.
The car came to a stop, shaking her out of her thoughts. Now was not the time to lose focus. If she wanted a second date, she had to make sure tonight was perfect.
She straightened her posture, thanked the driver, and stepped out into the cool evening air. Noise spilled from behind the closed doors of the bar. Say what you would about Yang’s personality, but the woman knew how to run a successful business.
Inside, the dim lighting cast everything in warm amber tones, the low hum of conversation blending seamlessly with the upbeat music. Weiss scanned the room, searching for red-tipped hair.
She found Ruby at the bar talking to Blake.
Weiss arched a brow. She had no idea how those two ended up in a conversation together, but she wasn’t about to let Blake do whatever it was she was doing. She made her way over but got stuck behind a gaggle of drunk girls blocking the walkway. With no choice but to wait, she caught part of their conversation.
"Ruby, you are extremely charming even though you're a dunce. You'll win her over in no time."
"You think so?" Ruby sounded hopeful.
Weiss had half a second to feel something ridiculous bloom in her chest before Blake spotted her, and smirked.
"Maybe," the faunus said, then shrugged like she hadn’t just given Ruby whiplash.
Weiss wanted to strangle her.
She shoved past the group in front of her, determined to reach Ruby before Blake buried her in a grave of unnecessary doubt. It took a few nudges, but finally, she was there, totally not taking extra time to notice Ruby’s outfit.
The short jean shorts showed off way more leg than Weiss had thought possible. The rips in the back pocket hinted at- No, no, focus.
She reached for Ruby’s hand, lightly grasping it to get her attention.
The second silver eyes landed on her, a slow, unmistakable smile spread across Ruby’s lips. Weiss felt her own mouth curve instinctively in response.
"Hello, Ruby," she said smoothly, pleased when the younger woman flushed.
"Hey, Weiss," Ruby greeted, her fingers instinctively curling around Weiss’s. The blush on her face darkened as she took a moment to really take in what Weiss was wearing.
Weiss thrived off the reaction. Of course, Blake had to ruin it.
"Hey, Weiss. Heard you have a date with my girlfriend’s little sister. Hence, the family celebration."
Weiss froze. Girlfriend’s. Little. Sister?
Her mind short-circuited. She turned to Ruby, scanning her face for any resemblance to Yang. She saw none.
Then Ruby smiled. That damn smile was the exact one Yang always had when she was about to get yelled at for something dumb. Only this time, Ruby wasn’t getting yelled at. She was just being sheepish because she knew how annoying her sister was.
Weiss wanted to scream. Of course. Of course a catch like Ruby Rose had to be related to Yang Xiao Long. The universe was laughing at her.
And Blake? Blake didn’t even warn her. Didn’t have the decency to tell her ahead of time. No, she had waited until the last second just to watch her suffer.
Weiss clenched her jaw. Strangling her would not be enough. She would burn her books.
Still, she forced herself to play it cool. "I've known Yang for a little while now. I always assumed she was an only child. You know, with how insufferable she is."
Ruby laughed, waving Blake off as she led Weiss toward their booth on the opposite end of the bar. Weiss felt instant relief as the distance between her and Blake grew.
Sitting across from Ruby, she watched the way her knee bounced, fingers drumming nervously against the table as she shot her an awkward yet endearing smile.
Weiss had a feeling she was going to eat her up tonight.
Ruby hadn’t known exactly what to expect from tonight, but this certainly wasn’t it.
She had assumed they’d have a few drinks, bond over their shared disdain for Whitley, and maybe—just maybe—talk about the way Weiss had been looking at her in the elevator earlier. The same way she was looking at her now.
But Weiss had different plans. She had gone on the offense, trying to figure Ruby out, calling her highly intriguing in that smooth, assessing tone.
And then there was the champagne.
Weiss had ordered a whole bottle, insisting that if Blake and Yang were celebrating for them, they ought to have their own celebration. Now, two glasses in, Weiss was giving her that slow, unrestrained once-over, and Ruby felt those ice-blue eyes like a brand on her skin.
Weiss was doing everything in her power to impress her. And damn, was it working. Ruby had never been so drawn to someone before, but Weiss seemed determined to beat her own record with every topic they discussed.
“So, I spoke to someone in the engineering department during my lunch break,” Weiss said suddenly, pulling Ruby out of her totally-not-inappropriate thoughts about the older woman’s bare arms.
Ruby straightened, trying to appear engaged despite definitely not having been paying attention. Weiss’s knowing smile told her she wasn’t fooling anyone.
“This isn’t public knowledge yet,” Weiss continued, swirling her glass in one hand, “but the SDC is working on new innovations for same-day progressive deliveries. They need specialized machinery to make it happen, but so far, no one’s managed to propose a solution that’s remotely within budget.”
Ruby sat up a little straighter. She had no idea that Weiss had noticed how interested she was in the actual work the company did—let alone that she had gone out of her way to think about her when discussing an internal project.
Weiss took another sip of champagne, watching her reaction with something soft in her expression before she continued.
“I mentioned how you managed to fix the elevator with those shabby excuses for tools, and they were impressed. This Saturday, if you’re willing to come in on your day off, they want you to review the project files and see if you can come up with a solution.”
Ruby blinked.
The words registered, but processing them was another matter entirely. She had spent four years at Atlas University on a full-ride scholarship, had graduated top of her class in engineering—only to end up as a secretary, wondering if she had completely wasted her potential.
And now Weiss was giving her the opportunity she had been struggling to find for herself. She didn’t even get the chance to thank her before Weiss leaned forward slightly, a pleased smile curling at the corners of her lips.
“And that’s not all,” she added, watching Ruby’s reaction closely. “If you do well, they’ll bring you in for a six-week paid training program—one week with each of the specialized teams, so you can see where you fit best. I told them I’d extend the offer, but ultimately, it’s up to you to reach out and make it happen.”
Ruby could have kissed her. Right then and there. Weiss Schnee had just hand-delivered her a second chance at the career she thought she had lost. Ruby swallowed against the knot in her throat, overwhelmed by emotions she couldn’t quite name.
“Weiss…” she started, slowly, carefully, as if searching for words that didn’t exist. “That’s… more than I could ever ask for. I don’t even know what to say.” She took a shaky breath and settled for the only words that felt remotely adequate. “Thank you.”
Weiss’s soft smile made her heart stutter. “You’re welcome,” she murmured, and that was enough to make Ruby feel like her chest might burst.
Before she could overthink it, Ruby reached across the table, wrapping her fingers around Weiss’s hand in a gentle squeeze.
Weiss froze.
For the first time all night, the COO looked genuinely surprised, eyes flickering down to where their hands met before her expression melted into something playful. She tightened her grip, holding Ruby’s hand firmly in her own.
“I also asked the engineers how an elevator could break down like that in the first place,” she said casually, but there was a knowing glint in her eyes. “Do you know what they told me?”
Ruby gulped. Whitley had handed her a stack of folders earlier in the day with the explicit instructions to bring them to every floor, but keep the doors open so no one else could use the elevator.
She cleared her throat. “Uh… overuse?”
Weiss arched a perfect brow. “Overuse.”
Ruby groaned, leaning forward onto the table to bury her face in her arms. She had singlehandedly wrecked the Schnee Dust Company’s elevator system.
But then Weiss squeezed her hand again. She wasn’t letting go.
Ruby peeked up at her, putting on the biggest, most innocent grin she could manage.
“At least I fixed it.”
Weiss rolled her eyes, but the smile she tried to fight back still found its way through.
Weiss had no clue what she was doing.
She had spent the first half of the night carefully complimenting Ruby—telling her how good she looked, how talented she was, keeping the conversation light with talk about work. It got Ruby to respond, but not in the way Weiss wanted. She was engaging, but not fully.
So Weiss had taken a gamble. She pulled out the offer from the engineering department.
If there was one thing she had learned about Ruby, it was that she was endlessly curious about how things worked.
She had seen it in the way Ruby’s gaze lingered on a man with a prosthetic leg when he walked into the bar, silver eyes tracking the mechanics of the limb like she was studying it. She had heard it in the soft murmurs she made while watching a group of friends play darts, quietly critiquing their technique, noting how they should be throwing them. Even something as simple as the specialty drink menu on the table had caught her attention, muttering to herself about how Yang really needed a better design.
But nothing compared to how she reacted when Weiss mentioned the opportunity to finally put her engineering degree to use.
It was as if a switch had flipped. Ruby lit up—eyes bright, voice animated, excited. And gods, it made Weiss’s heart race. She had hit the exact spot that pulled Ruby in, and for the first time all night, the younger woman was speaking to her in a way that was real. Unfiltered.
And Weiss loved it.
She sat back, listening with rapt attention as Ruby talked about her time in college—her late nights experimenting in labs, the things she and her dad built together in the backyard, the top-secret pranks she had played on Whitley. Weiss had actually laughed when Ruby admitted she had engineered his stapler to only work in a very specific way so that he would have no choice but to ask her for help.
Weiss soaked in every second of it. Learning about Ruby, truly learning about her, felt good. More than good. It felt… right. Like peeling back layers of something precious.
What didn’t feel good was the fact that their conversation had finally died down, and Weiss could now feel Yang’s eyes burning into her from across the room.
Finding out Ruby and Yang were half-sisters had thrown her. The realization had made her reconsider every interaction she had ever had with the infuriating blonde. It had also left her with a pressing question: How would Yang react to her dating Ruby?
Would she approve? Encourage the relationship? Would she become overprotective and warn Weiss to treat Ruby right? Or worse, would she disapprove entirely and do everything in her power to scare her away?
Weiss truly, desperately hoped for the first option. Because at this point, the idea of not having Ruby in her life was unbearable.
Ruby had just finished a story about one of Whitley’s more ridiculous outbursts in the office when she caught sight of Blake and Yang approaching their booth. Weiss let out a barely concealed sigh, but Ruby only laughed.
"Look who decided to finally show up," Ruby teased, changing seats to be next to Weiss so the couple could sit next to each other. Blake eyes her from across the table, offering Weiss a knowing smirk.
"We wanted to let you two have some time alone," Blake said, crossing her arms. "But Yang insisted we at least check in."
"Check in?" Weiss scoffed, raising a perfectly shaped brow. "Or make sure I hadn’t stolen your sister away?"
Yang gasped dramatically. "You wound me, Ice Queen. I totally trust you." She paused. "Mostly."
Ruby rolled her eyes and nudged her sister. "We’re fine, Yang. Actually, we’re having a great time."
Weiss caught the way Blake’s eyes flickered between them before a small smile formed on her lips. The faunus leaned in close to Yang, whispering something Weiss couldn’t hear. Yang groaned.
"Fine, fine," the blonde grumbled, standing. "Blake says we should give you lovebirds some alone time. And since I do run this place, I guess I can go find something else to do."
"Generous of you," Weiss quipped, though the warmth in her voice betrayed her amusement.
Blake stood as well, flashing Weiss a quick look before guiding Yang away. Weiss would thank her later. Maybe not burn her books and just follow through on the strangling.
Finally alone again, Weiss exhaled and scooted closer to Ruby, her knee brushing against the younger woman’s. Taking her chance, she leaned in and rested her head lightly on Ruby’s shoulder, sighing contentedly.
"I’m really glad we did this," Weiss murmured. "I was nervous at first, but…" She lifted her head slightly, catching Ruby’s eyes. "This makes me happy."
Ruby softened, her fingers twitching slightly before she finally let herself rest her hand against Weiss’s. "Yeah?"
Weiss nodded, squeezing gently. "Yeah."
A slow smile spread across Ruby’s face. "Me too. I… really like you, Weiss. I’m glad we finally got drinks tonight."
Weiss tilted her head playfully. "So… does that mean our date went well?"
Ruby chuckled, shaking her head at Weiss’s persistence. "I guess it did."
Their laughter faded into something quieter, something heavier. There was a shift in the air, an unspoken understanding passing between them. Ruby's breath hitched slightly as Weiss's gaze flickered from her eyes to her lips.
And then, as if drawn together by an unseen force, they met in a kiss.
It was slow, deep, and impossibly gentle. Weiss’s lips were soft against Ruby’s, their movements unhurried, savoring the moment. Ruby’s hand found Weiss’s cheek, her thumb tracing along pale skin as she leaned in, losing herself in the warmth of it.
When they finally pulled apart, Weiss’s lips curled into a dreamy smile. "So… second date?"
Ruby swallowed hard, still catching her breath. "Yeah," she breathed. "Definitely."
Weiss grinned, leaning in again, pressing a softer, shorter kiss to Ruby’s lips before murmuring, "Do you want to come back to my place?"
Ruby barely had time to part her lips to say yes before-
"Ohhh no you don’t!"
Yang’s voice cut through the moment like a record scratch. Both women jolted apart, Ruby’s face instantly heating.
"I think Ruby is gonna take a rain check on that," Yang said smugly, crossing her arms. "But hey, I’ll let her walk you to your car like a good date should."
Ruby groaned, dropping her head into her hands. "You suck."
"Love you too, sis."
All Weiss could do was sigh.
Despite her lingering embarrassment, Ruby did walk Weiss to her car, their fingers brushing as they neared the sleek vehicle. The night air was cool against Ruby’s skin, but the warmth radiating between them made it easy to ignore.
Weiss turned to face her, a soft look in her ice-blue eyes. "Tonight was perfect."
"Yeah," Ruby agreed, stepping closer. "It really was."
Weiss leaned in for one last kiss, slow and lingering, her fingers curling around Ruby’s hand. When they pulled away, Weiss’s voice was quiet but certain. "I’ll text you."
"You better," Ruby teased, watching as Weiss slipped into her car and drove away.
When Ruby finally made it back to her apartment, she collapsed onto her couch, staring at the ceiling with a dreamy sigh. She felt like she was floating—grinning like an idiot as she replayed the night over in her head.
Meanwhile, Weiss stepped into her own apartment, letting out a satisfied sigh as she leaned against the door. She touched her lips, a smirk forming as she thought about Ruby.
Tonight had been perfect.
And Weiss was going to make damn sure that their next date was even better.