Work Text:
Ruby was leaning against the bar counter. Staring off at a small table in the dark corner of the bar, watching a patron getting their fortune read.
His mind was preoccupied with thoughts about the fortune teller herself. She wished she was sitting there instead, in front of her enchanting lover. Now thinking about the feeling of her cold hands holding his. Wanting to stare into her eye, the other being covered by her long, cloud-like bangs. And those full, soft lips, he remembered how they felt on his burning skin.
Ruby gnawed on her own bottom lip. He was feeling himself start to burn up. Maybe it was too obvious to any bystander.
Bismuth suddenly, but playfully jabbed his side with her elbow, gesturing to the mug he's been drying for the past five minutes. Ruby jumped from the sudden touch, almost dropping said glass. He jerked his neck in Bismuth's direction with wide, startled eyes. Bismuth chuckled a bit.
"You're red, man," Bismuth said, pointing at her own cheek. Ruby touched his cheek with the back of his hand. Absolutely burning. And he probably looked a lot worse too. "Thinkin' bout your girlfriend out there?" Bismuth added, leaning on the counter.
"Y-Yeah. Sorry, Bis, I'll—" Ruby started to apologise, before Bismuth put a pointer finger in front of her face, cutting her off.
"No, nono, y'know what? It's a Wednesday night, and barely anyone's here. Go have yourself some fun kiddo," Bismuth patted Ruby on the shoulder, giving her a wink, "My treat."
"Wuh- Bismuth you don't—" Too late. She was already on the other side of the bar, "…Have to."
Ruby didn't like when Bismuth went out of her way, doing these favours for her. Making her feel guilty with non-existent debt. He swears one day, he'll make it up to her for everything she's done for him. But for now… If Bismuth says so. Ruby sighed and untied her apron.
—
Sapphire was re-organising her deck, quietly flipping through the cards when the seat in front of her got filled with a warm presence. She looked up to see her girlfriend, face flushed and hands feeling the fuzzy table mat. He gave her a lopsided smile.
"… You think you can do my future?" Ruby asked.
Sapphire laughed a bit, then looked at her tarot cards which she was still shuffling. She placed three different cards on the table, and looked back up at Ruby with a smirk.
"I'll read it, but only if you're ready for me to, darling," she hummed, voice captivatingly smooth. It took Ruby an embarrassingly long moment to respond, and jerkily nodded. Sapphire could tell she was nervous, it was written on all over her face. Or, maybe she was just distracted with something else. Perhaps Sapphire couldn't see how her presence made Ruby lose all sense of her surroundings, or social cues for that matter.
"Very well then," she picked up the first card, analysing and then turned it around giving Ruby a look— The Empress card, but held upside down. Interesting, but not specifically just the card itself. "Oh my," Sapphire whispered.
Ruby furrowed her brows in a twinge of confusion, which Sapphire found extremely adorable. Ruby had absolutely no knowledge on tarot cards, nor their meanings. She was never one to learn about any sort of spirituality. It was more so Sapphire's thing. Why's it upside down anyway?
"Are you going to explain it? Or am I supposed to guess from your reaction that it's just, uhm, bad in general?" That made Sapphire giggle and she apologized.
“Here's something that I normally don't tell patrons, simply be that it's a rare possibility.” That immediately perked up Ruby's curiosity, what could be so rare about this? Ruby nodded along, waiting to hear what Sapphire says. Sapphire placed the card in front of Ruby, the card itself still upside-down.
"When it comes to tarot cards, there's Upright meanings, and then their Reversed meanings. Opposites of each other. And in most cases people get the upright meaning. But you?" Ruby gulped under Sapphire's watching eye, "You're one of those special cases that got a reversed meaning."
Ruby couldn't help but feel a little worried after knowing that. Hopefully it isn't anything bad. "…Well what does it mean?" Ruby questioned as she tapped her fingers on the table, absentmindedly fidgeting.
"Well I shouldn't keep you waiting now should I? The Empress indicates that you have lost too much willpower and strength of your own, because you started placing your concern in others personal affairs or business in an attempt to help said person. And while the Empress's nature is of showering her loved ones with attention and care, you can sometimes end up going overboard by smothering those you care about, or by neglecting your own needs."
Ruby's hands were back to feeling the fuzzy table mat, staring at Sapphire as she continued, slightly uncomfortable.
"There's plenty more to say, but if I explained every detail in each card we would be here until way after closing. So let's move onto the next card, and you can take what I just said however you please."
Ruby grit his teeth silently, that definitely felt like a personal attack. But he hoped that next one would be… slightly less on the nose, or at least nicer to him! Ruby sat up straight once Sapphire picked up the second card, but her gaze occasionally fell back on the Empress card— Was she really like that? Or, really, how obvious did it come off to others?
Sapphire noticed Ruby's frequent glances on the card: that alone told her how spot on the draw was. But she already noticed a few behaviours from him beforehand. Even so, Sapphire was always right, anyway.
"Are you ready for the next card?" Sapphire held it between her index and middle finger, waving it around to catch Ruby's focus. Ruby once again proceeded to nod, but now more on edge than before.
Sapphire stared at the second card for a good minute, and then a small grin crept on her face. Leading Ruby to think, maybe, this one wouldn't be as bad, and exhaled in a sense of relief.
Sapphire noticed Ruby's now relieved demeanour. Noticing that, due to Sapphire's reaction, Ruby believed the card is good. A rookie mistake all new clients make; basing the card off the readers reaction. Smiling doesn't mean it's good, not quite, it's just interesting. Sapphire smirked though, finding it cute of her.
Sapphire finally turned the card to Ruby, and placed it in front of him— it was the Judgement card. But upside down again. Ruby deflated a bit.
"This card is one of my personal favorites. And, by the way dear, the reason I smiled wasn't because it was good, just that it's very, very, interesting," Sapphire teased, watching Ruby's body language shift from relief to worry in a blink of an eye.
"Oh? Why…?" Ruby faking a bit of confidence, her wavering tone wasn't all that very convincing. How do people constantly get their fortunes read without getting anxious? Sapphire gave Ruby a warm smile, contrasting from her cold features, in an effort to keep his nerves down. Was it working? Hard to say.
"Well now, I shouldn't keep you waiting forever. That would make me an improper fortune teller if I did," Ruby took a deep breath, as Sapphire leaned forward, "You got another reversed meaning, how exciting! Honestly it's so intriguing, getting one is rare enough- but two? Now that's a stroke of luck. Or, maybe, unluck."
Great… Juust great, exactly what Ruby needed. Ruby felt a pit open in his chest, silently gritting his teeth again. Meanwhile, Sapphire was a bit fascinated by how uncommon it happened to be.
"The Judgement card means you judge and doubt yourself too harshly. I mean, it's in the name," Sapphire continued. Ruby could already feel that this card was gonna be right on the nose as well.
"The lost momentum causes you to fall behind in your plans, which can make it difficult to move forward. This could cause you to miss opportunities that were awaiting you. You may not be giving yourself enough time and space to fully think about the matter, nor learn the lessons you need to to be able to progress with awareness. You carry self-loathing and you don't forgive yourself for the mistakes you've once caused, even though these mistakes help us grow."
"What you truly need to is accept yourself first."
Sapphires face drops while she's reading Ruby's fortune. She knows she's not wrong about it, by just the look Ruby has on her face. Sapphire's heart twinged for her a bit though. His insecurities seem to weigh so heavily on his shoulders now, after having them read out loud. Ruby's brows furrowed together in a bit of regret, or maybe the reminder just stung. It pains the fortune teller to see him like this. Maybe she should just finish reading the cards and cheer her up afterwards—
Ruby suddenly stood up, turning to leave.
"You don't have to read the last one," he muttered, pushing his chair in.
"But—"
"No, Sapphy, I don't want you to read anymore, it's fine. Let's just stop here. I gotta go back to work anyway…"
Sapphire paused for a moment, eyes flickering to the cards then her girlfriend. And softly nodded. Watching Ruby walk back over to the bar with her head down.
The fortune teller was alone again. Feeling immensely guilty for upsetting her girlfriend. Internally scolding herself for it. This wasn't the first time someone wanted her to stop mid-fortune, for they couldn't bear hearing such things about themselves out loud. She doesn't blame them. Sometimes it hits you harshly where it really hurts.
Her gaze fluttered down at the last card. Unflipped. Sapphire couldn't help but reach over and see what it would've been.
The Lovers card.
She couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the irony. From where Ruby was sitting, it would've been just a normal draw. That would've told her to embrace the harmony and connection in her life, for it will lead to growth.
Sapphire hoped that maybe it also meant they would be able to marry her, one day. But… maybe she was just being too wishful. Sapphire looked back up to the bar. Watching Ruby work quietly with a melancholic expression painted on her face. Part of her wanted to go up there and apologise, asking if there was anything she could do to make him feel better.
But a bunch of late-night patrons had started filing in. Sapphire supposed it'd be better to wait until the bar just closed. Or talk on the way home.
—
"I gotta head to over Pearl's can you go ahead and close up for me? Thanks Ruby!" Bismuth said without letting Ruby reply, tossing Ruby the keys and hurriedly pulling her coat on. Ruby just narrowly catched it as Bismuth rushed out.
"Whuh—" Ruby stood as the door shut. Staring dumbfounded at Bismuths truck pulling out of the lot and driving away through the window. Ruby turned his head over to the mostly empty bar now. Ruby found Sapphires gaze and shrugged. Sapphire shrugged back. "… Well… You good with… Uhm, waiting for me? Or— No, your parents will probably—"
Sapphire was suddenly at the counter. Ruby jumped a bit. "No! I mean. No, I'll wait. Who cares about what my parents think if I come back a little late?"
"Sapph, I don't want to get you in trouble again."
Sapphire's cold hand found Ruby's on the counter. Fingers coming to entangle themselves in Ruby's own. "That doesn't matter. I just want to be here with you right now," Sapphire murmured. She watched as a warm blush spread across Ruby's face. Ruby couldn't help but chuckle a bit at the cheesiness.
"If— If you say so… Wait for me in the break room, I'll come get you when I'm done," Ruby took Sapphires entangled hand up to her lips, kissing her knuckles gently. Sapphire giggled, ever the charmer.
The break room smelt of whiskey, and some other sort of sweet scent Sapphire couldn't seem to pinpoint.
Frequent glances made at the slowly ticking clock, telling her that 2 AM was approaching. The fortune teller was reading a magazine on the lounge's old, tattered couch. She found it wedged in between the old cushions. How interesting they have this here, she thought.
Ruby had now entered the room, turning to hang her apron on one of the hangers. "Sapphy, I finished cleaning and closing up. We can head out now." Ruby turned her head to look at Sapphire now, noticing the magazine in her hands— So that's where that went. But more importantly… Oh shit.
Sapphire looked up with a smug expression, teasing, "Hey darling, come look at this." Ruby instantly gulped, and huddled over. She sat down, then Sapphire turned the page she was reading to Ruby— It was one of those magazines, and Sapphire had it on the spiciest page possible…
"Why do you have this kind of magazine at work?" Sapphire closed it, and then placed it on the coffee table.
"How the heck should I know? We, uh, just keep whatever the patrons leave out there. In case they ever want it back y'know, I dunno if—" Ruby suddenly felt a hand grab her thigh, a firmly placed hand. Their eyes met but Ruby immediately averted her gaze, both parties were intensely blushing.
"You know... Ruby, I'm sorry for upsetting you. With the cards. So let me make it up to you. Please."
Sapphire put her other hand on Ruby's cheek, turning her head to face her. Face burning as hot as the sun.
"Please, babe?"
"C-Can't it wait till were home?" He murmured, subconsciously leaning into the touch. Honestly, Ruby needed it as much as Sapphire. But in here? Seriously? Also she really didn't want to accidentally make a mess in here… "And… Sapph it's fine I was just—"
Sapphire suddenly kissed Ruby to show her how much she couldn't wait. Ruby grunted but leaned into the kiss, their tongues intertwining. Sapphire felt a set of burning hands against her waist, bringing her closer. Ruby felt herself getting pushed down onto the cushions.
The night was extremely long, as those two shared a burning passion like no other tonight.