Diva - Chapter 19

“Does this look good?”

When Oscar held up the small, white paper flower, Ruby plucked it from his hands.  The petals were uneven and the stem a bit lopsided, but otherwise it met the requirements.

“Pretty good!” she concluded, dropping it onto the growing pile.  “Try to make your creases a little sharper and they’ll be perfect.”

“Got it.”

Brow furrowed, he grabbed another square of paper from the stack - this one light purple - and started from the beginning.  Ruby watched his first few folds, searching for anywhere she could offer advice, before returning to the half-finished blue flower in front of her.

Had she arrived at work expecting Cinder to shove a stack of paper into her hands and order her to make flowers?  Not in a million years.  Of all the random tasks she had been assigned, this one ranked high in enjoyment.  For her, at least.  Oscar seemed less enthused by the tedious, repetitive task.

“How are you making them so fast??” he asked when she set the blue flower aside and started another.

“Goes with my artsy side, I guess.”

She shrugged but smiled when he grumbled at the paper in his hands.

“And I’m way gentler with them!” she added, reaching over to save the poor flower before he mangled it.  “They’re delicate,” she reminded him while smoothing out the wrinkles and folding in the last few petals.  “Treat them like you would a…a baby cow or something.”

After laughing at the analogy, he muttered, “This is nothing like rearing a newborn calf…” but handled the next sheet of paper with more care.  Ruby smiled at his progress before glancing around the studio.  Most people were still enjoying breakfast, but some had broken off for their particular stations.  

“Wonder where Velvet is…” Ruby mused, still not seeing their unofficial leader.

“Probably just running late,” Oscar replied before starting another flower.  “Think we’ll finish on time today?” he added, so she chuckled and shook her head.

“Flip a coin - or see how Cardin’s feeling today.”  Oscar lightly huffed at that response, so Ruby set another flower aside and squinted at him.  “Why?  You have plans?”

“Uh, well…I was thinking if we get out early, we could grab dinner or something?  That taco place I told you about should be open.”

“Sounds fun!  I’m sure Velvet will be down.  We haven’t had a PA outing in forever.”  

“Oh, um…right.”  He added another crease to the paper, quietly swore, then unfolded it.  Ruby, meanwhile, glanced at him before spying Velvet - and Coco - outside.

“What timing,” she chuckled to herself as Coco held the door for Velvet.  Velvet responded with a grateful smile before the two of them made their way over to where Ruby and Oscar were working.  Coco said something that made Velvet laugh and lean into Coco’s side, prompting Coco to beam as if she just won the world’s most prestigious hair-and-makeup award.  They looked so much like they were in their own little world that Ruby was surprised when Velvet smiled at her and Oscar.

“Good morning.”  

Leaning back, Ruby simply grinned at Velvet while Oscar replied with a chipper, “Morning!”

“What’re you working on?” Velvet asked, her eyes glancing over the paper flowers and unfolded sheets of paper remaining.

“Cinder told us to make flowers.”  Ruby held up one of the flowers and then dropped it back onto the pile.  “No idea what they’re for.”

“They’re very cute…” Velvet mused, picking one up and spinning the thin stem between her fingers.  Coco’s brow rose at the remark, and she looked at Velvet, then at the flower, before finally Ruby.

“These are right up your alley, huh.”  

The comment left little room for response, so Ruby shrugged and said, “At least I don’t have to get my hands dirty, right?”

The way Coco squinted suggested that she was concocting some type of plan, before nodding to herself and beaming at Velvet.

“Thanks for the company, gorgeous,” she purred before kissing Velvet’s cheek.  Ruby’s brow shot up at the casual display of affection, yet Velvet simply blushed and said, “You’re welcome,” as Coco pulled away.  Coco smiled at Velvet’s blush, then glanced one last time between Ruby and the flowers before striding away.  Velvet wisely avoided eye contact while storing her bag underneath the table.  

“I’ll grab food real quick then help,” she said, gesturing over her shoulder before heading to the breakfast area.  Ruby glanced at Oscar, whose furrowed brow suggested that he didn’t quite understand what was going on, before shooting to her feet and following.

“‘Thanks for the company?’” she repeated while Velvet grabbed a plate.

“For driving to work together.”  Velvet’s accent made the response sound innocent, but Ruby gave her a knowing look.  “Alright,” she caved.  “We had dinner last night and time slipped away from us, so I ended up staying over at her place.  It’s not a huge deal.”

“Uh-huh.  Right,” Ruby facetiously agreed before throwing her arms to both sides.  “And what about that kiss?”

“She’s…affectionate.”

“She’s affectionate with you.”

At first wrinkling her nose at the claim, Velvet then shook her head and said, “We’re just friends.  And we work together - of course we’re close.”

“Oh my god.”  Ruby laughed when Velvet finally glanced at her.  “You’re just as hopeless as Jaune!”

“What about me?”

Ruby’s eyes widened at the voice behind her and Velvet’s accompanying look of dismay.  Throwing on a bright smile, she spun around to face the boy in question.

“Hey, Jaune!  I was just telling Velvet that…she’s as hopeless as you in turning down bacon.  Just look at that stack.”  

Ruby nodded at the three measly slices of bacon on Velvet’s plate.  Jaune looked at her, then at the plate, before huffing.

“Looking a little light there,” he said while picking up the tongs, grabbing at least ten pieces, and dropping them onto Velvet’s plate.  Then he grabbed a second pile, dropped it directly into his hand, and took a bite off of every piece at once.  “This is how you eat bacon,” he added around that mouthful while Ruby and Velvet stared.

“How’s your heart?” Ruby asked once he gulped down the huge bite. 

“Great!  Why?”

“No reason,” Ruby said, chuckling and shaking her head.  He grinned and gave a thumbs-up before grabbing another pile of bacon and carrying it back to the video tent.  Ruby watched him go with a mixture of fascination and disbelief but, once he was out of earshot, sighed in relief.

“How can he eat like that and still be so thin?” Velvet mused while returning most of the bacon to the tray.

“No idea…my arteries hurt just watching him.”  Ruby pressed a hand to her heart and made a face, which made Velvet softly laugh while getting the rest of her breakfast.  “But admit it,” Ruby eventually added.  “Saying you and Coco are ‘just friends’ is like saying Pyrrha and Jaune are just friends.”

Velvet pursed her lips and thoughtfully considered the situation but, eventually, shook her head.

“I wouldn't be opposed to it…but it could be just one of those flings.”

“‘One of those flings?’”

“It happens all the time on set.  People get together while shooting then separate as soon as the film goes to editing.”

“You think that’s what Coco’s doing?”

“That’s what she’s like,” Velvet admitted before sitting at the nearest empty table.  “She has a different girl every film.”

“But she lights up around you,” Ruby pointed out while sitting across from Velvet.  “So either she should be up on stage, too, or she’s actually trying to woo you.”

Velvet mulled over the comment before shaking her head.  “Either way,” she said while spearing a clump of scrambled eggs.  “I’m fine with how things are now.  It’s…fun.”

Sensing Velvet’s reticence to dive any deeper into those feelings, Ruby let the subject slide.  “Want to grab dinner with Oscar and me tonight?” she asked instead.  “He’s been telling me about this taco place that’s apparently super cheap and super delicious.”

“That sounds fun.  It’s been a while since we had a PA adventure.”

“That’s what I said!”

Ruby’s chuckle trailed off as a limousine stopped outside the studio.  Her attention zeroed in on the vehicle and on the chauffeur who left the driver’s seat in an attempt to open the passenger door.  Weiss opened the door herself, again, leaving poor James to merely hold it while she waved and swept into the studio.  

As usual, she looked impeccable.  Her long, white hair was held back in a perfect braid.  Her light blue skirt, white blouse, and heels were flawlessly styled.  Her blue eyes were vibrant and clear.  An expensive, cream-colored handbag swung from the crook of one arm, and a small pink box was clutched in her hand. 

“Ruby.”

“Yeah?”  

When Velvet started laughing, Ruby blinked and tore her gaze away from Weiss.

“Now who’s oblivious?”

“What?”  When Velvet subtly nodded in Weiss’ direction, Ruby shook her head so fervently that her hair flipped all out of place.  “No way.  She’s just…”

Gorgeous, thoughtful, generous, secretly hilarious, and so much more.  But none of those responses would erase the knowing look in Velvet’s eyes, so Ruby clamped them inside and pushed herself to her feet.

“I gotta - you know.”  She gestured to the cup of coffee on the PA table before hurrying to collect it.  Velvet’s chuckles followed her, but her thoughts were soon devoted to Weiss.

“Good morning!”  After handing over the cup of coffee, Ruby easily fell into step beside Weiss.  

“Good morning,” Weiss replied, offering the pink box to Ruby as they headed to her room. “I passed that bakery I told you about,” she explained while watching Ruby curiously accept the box, open the lid, and gasp at the assortment of baked goods nestled inside.  

“These are for me??”

“No, I just want you to look at them.”  When Ruby’s expression fell, Weiss laughed and added, “Of course they’re for you.  Try to make them last through the end of the day.”

“A challenge?” Ruby asked before playfully pursing her lips.  “I’ll do my best.  No guarantees though; I have a serious weakness for cookies.  And cakes.  And pretty much anything sweet.”

“I’ve noticed.”

Ruby rushed ahead to open the door for Weiss, earning a bemused look, before following Weiss into the room.  “Thank you,” she said, raising the box while Weiss set her handbag on the table.  “This is really nice of you.”

“Why don’t you try one?  Or several.”

“Testing my resolve already?”  When Weiss shrugged but let a smile slip onto her gorgeous lips, Ruby briefly narrowed her eyes but almost instantly caved.  “Alright, just one,” she acquiesced, setting the box down and flipping open the lid.  Her mouth started watering at the selection of cupcakes, cookies, and brownies covered in frosting, chocolate chips, and sprinkles.  Everything looked delicious, but she settled on an oversized cookie that smelled like a heavenly amount of peanut butter.

“Split this with me.”

She had already broken it in half before Weiss raised a hand to stop her.

“I’m not really one for sweets.”

“Which is why you’re perfect to share with.”  

Before Weiss protested, Ruby split one of the halves in half again and handed the smaller piece to Weiss.  The other piece made it into Ruby’s mouth while Weiss still looked unsure of what she wanted to do.  

“Oh, wow.”  Ruby hummed in delight before taking a large chomp of the rest.  “This is so good.  How have I never tried these before?”

“It’s probably out of the way for you.”

“And expensive?”  Ruby froze as the realization swept over her.  “They’re expensive, right?  Is that why they’re so good?”

“I would say they’re averagely priced,” Weiss replied before giving Ruby what could only be described as a reassuring smile.  “And nothing you should be concerned about.”

“I’ll feel bad if you spent a bunch of money on me.”

“Do you see gold leaf anywhere?”

Ruby’s brow furrowed when she glanced into the box but relaxed at the absence of any gold leaf.  

“So they weren’t that expensive…” 

“Precisely,” Weiss replied.  “The price was trivial.  So please just…enjoy them.”

It was the thought that counted most anyway, but Ruby kept that comment to herself.  She smiled and popped the last big bite into her mouth instead, savoring the peanut buttery goodness before pointing at the piece languishing in Weiss’ hand.

“Your turn,” she said before Weiss tried to pawn it off on her.  Weiss sighed at the small piece of cookie but, eventually, nibbled at the corner.  

Knowing how difficult it was to get Weiss to eat anything - even healthy things - Ruby experienced a strange mixture of guilt and exhilaration watching her eat that miniscule bite.  Ruby’s expression must have given away the monumental occasion because she swallowed the tiny bite, frowned, and asked, “What?”

“Nothing.”  Ruby shook her head, but a traitorous grin slipped onto her lips.  “I just feel like I tainted you or something.”

Weiss’ brow briefly rose, but then she started laughing.

“Please,” she said through her laughter, waving away the thought.  “How could you ever taint me?”

“Hey!  I’m not as innocent as I look!”

“Truly,” Weiss replied, wiping the corner of one eye before clearing her throat and laughing again.  

“I’m not!” 

“Sure,” Weiss said, smiling and waving away the claim.  

“I just seem that way,” Ruby insisted.  “Because, you know, this is work and I have to be professional.”

“I see…how about a test then?”

Before Ruby could ask about this test, Weiss reached up and undid the top button of her blouse.  Blood instantly rushed to her cheeks and the tips of her ears, but she resisted the ungodly strong urge to turn away.  She stared hard into Weiss’ eyes instead, determined to prove that she wasn’t a prude.

Weiss arched a brow, an amused smile slipping onto her lips as she lowered her fingers to the second button.  Ruby’s cheeks threatened to burst into flames, and she would swear that the temperature in the room just shot up thirty degrees, but she held Weiss’ gaze like a drowning swimmer clinging to a life vest.  

Sure, she noticed the way the blouse’s collar moved when the second button came undone, and she was painfully aware that if she glanced down she would have a clear view of Weiss’ cleavage, but she would not, under any circumstances, look down.  She would be respectful, but she would show that she could totally handle a breathtakingly beautiful girl undressing right in front of her.

The moment Weiss shrugged out of the shirt, revealing smooth shoulders and sharp shoulder blades that Ruby couldn't help but see, she spun away and covered her eyes.

“That’s not fair!” she whined as Weiss laughed.  The joyful sound made her smile - it would probably always make her smile - but she refused to move until the steam stopped coming out of her ears.  Even then, she peeked over to make sure Weiss had covered back up before turning around.  “That’s not being innocent.  That’s just being respectful of your - your privacy!”

“Did I ask you to respect my privacy?” Weiss replied, shocking Ruby into silence.  “And it is innocence,” Weiss insisted before giving Ruby an alluring look.  “Though I’d love to know what you consider sinful…” 

A boatload of salacious images rushed to the forefront of Ruby’s mind, renewing her blush and leaving her gaping for words.

“Oh?”  Weiss arched her brow, her smile unlawfully gleeful.  “Care to share?”

“I, uh -”  Ruby’s eyes flitted around the room, searching for anything to look at that wasn’t Weiss and her unrelenting appeal.  “I’m sure they need us now,” she fibbed, gesturing to the door before picking up the bakery box and hurrying away.

“Ruby, wait.”

Ruby froze with her hand on the handle.  Part of her couldn't remember the last time Weiss used her name like that.  The other part of her really, really wanted to know what Weiss would do next.

She jumped when Weiss’ arms wrapped around her from behind and gently pulled her back into a hug.  Weiss’ cheek and chest pressed against her back, sending her heart galloping like wild horses across an open prairie.  Surely, Weiss could hear it.  Weiss could probably feel it while burrowing against her like that.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of,” Weiss said softly.  “It’s part of what makes you…you.”

The simple comment made Ruby’s heart double in size, growing almost painfully large yet still not enough to hold the overjoyed feelings threatening to burst out.  An adequate response evaded her though.  ‘Thank you’ felt too generic to encapsulate how the remark made her feel, and responding with flattery would probably make Weiss close off.

So Ruby said nothing.  She set one of her hands over Weiss’ instead, her heart thundering in her ears as her fingertips relished Weiss’ soft skin.

No one besides Pyrrha would believe her if she told them about this, but that made the moment all the more extraordinary.  Like befriending a stray cat - or a stray tiger - she felt so proud and grateful that she would have stood there until her legs turned to stone.

But Weiss eventually let go.  She brushed off her hands and avoided eye contact when Ruby turned around and, with whiplash-inducing speed, cleared her throat before leveling Ruby with a neutral gaze. 

“Shall we?” 

When Weiss nodded to the door, Ruby wanted to point out that she also had nothing to be ashamed of.  That those little moments of honesty were more than welcome.  But Ruby let it go for now, nodding and opening the door for her instead.

They hardly made it into the hall before Oscar rushed over.  His harried pace and sudden proximity immediately set Weiss on edge - she took a quick step back, nearly into Ruby, and frowned - but he stuck in place and, without apology, turned to Ruby.

“Ruby, can you help me set up the camera stand?”

“Oh, sure -”

“Is that really a two-person job?” Weiss interrupted, subtly reaching for Ruby’s elbow to prevent her from moving.  

“Uh, not usually…” Ruby admitted. 

“And haven’t you done it before?” Weiss asked, directing the pointed question to Oscar.  

As if her curt tone didn’t make it clear that she was bothered, her icy blue gaze did the trick.  Finally recognizing that he’d poked the bear, Oscar reacted appropriately - mainly, by avoiding eye contact, running a hand through his hair, and mumbling, “Once or twice, yeah…”

“Is ‘once or twice’ not enough for you to learn something so simple?”

“The cameras are really expensive,” Ruby jumped in.  “Cinder threatens to fire us if we get a speck of dust on them.”

Weiss huffed at the excuse as her steely gaze never left Oscar, who started to squirm.

“I probably remember how…” he mumbled.  “I’ll just…be really careful.”

“That sounds like a better idea than wasting someone’s time.  Unless there’s another reason you want her help.”

When Oscar glanced at Ruby and opened his mouth as if he might actually respond, Ruby quickly shook her head.  Thankfully, he heeded the warning.  After snapping his mouth shut, he scurried off to set up the camera stand on his own.

“Wow,” Ruby said once he was gone, shaking her head at the vintage Weiss she just witnessed.

“You’re coddling him.”

“I call it ‘helping,’” Ruby replied, but Weiss sighed.

“He needs to figure it out on his own.  If he can’t, he’s not cut out for this job.”

“Ah, yes.  The Weiss Schnee approach to onboarding: throw them in the fire and hope they’re fireproof.”

“It works.”

“How often has it worked, exactly?”

Weiss held Ruby’s gaze for a long second before saying, “Once.”  The response made Ruby blink in surprise, but then Weiss squared her shoulders and nodded to the other side of the room, where Oscar had already succeeded in setting up the stand and was helping one of the cameramen fit a camera into place.

Weiss didn’t openly gloat, but her smile sure was smug as she walked away, her head held high and a triumphant sway in her hips.  Ruby watched her with no small amount of fascination before giving Oscar a thumbs-up.  He beamed before paying attention to whatever the cameraman asked him to do next.  

Ruby would have offered to help, but she hardly moved before Cinder impatiently beckoned her over.  She glanced at the box of baked goods in her hands, then at the PA table where she wanted to store them, but ultimately hurried over to avoid a scolding.

“Yeah?” she asked as soon as she was within earshot.

“Effects needs you to -”

“Sorry, Cin,” Coco interrupted, wrapping a hand around Ruby’s elbow and tugging her away.  “I need to borrow her for a few minutes.”

“‘Cin?’” Ruby whispered, dismayed that someone was brave enough to give Cinder a nickname and live to tell the tale.  And Coco was not only brave enough to give Cinder a nickname, but also brave enough to cut her off mid-sentence and steal a helper out from beneath her nose. 

Glancing over her shoulder, Ruby grimaced at Cinder’s stormy scowl.  “She’s not going to be happy later…” she mumbled while Coco led her past the hair and makeup station, where Pyrrha and Weiss already sat, to the rows of extravagant clothes lined up against the wall.  Ruby wasn’t here often, but she recognized some of Weiss’ more memorable outfits hanging nearby.

“What’s up?” she asked when Coco finally released her elbow.

“I need your help with something.”  Ruby’s brow rose at the way Coco glanced from side to side before leaning closer.  “I’ll pay you to make a hundred of those paper flowers.  Red and white ones.”

“What?”  Ruby laughed at the request until she realized that Coco was serious.  “But…why do you need that many?”

“For Velvet.”  Behind her sunglasses, Coco rolled her eyes at how obvious that answer should have been.  “Can you do it?”

“Uh, sure?  They’re pretty easy.  I’d just have to get the paper…”

“How long?”

“A week, maybe?”

“Perfect.  You do that and I’ll plan everything else.”

As Coco turned so that she had a perfect view of Velvet working on the stage, Ruby opened her mouth, then closed it, then decided that she had to say something.

“Uh, so it’s none of my business, but I just thought you should know…she kind of thinks you’re looking for a fling.”  Coco’s brow rose over her sunglasses, but Ruby nodded and added, “So if you’re serious, maybe find a way to show her that?”

Coco stared for so long that Ruby worried that she had severely overstepped.  But then Coco smiled and patted her shoulder.

“You’ve really come into your own, haven’t you?”

“I don’t know what you mean…” Ruby said while Coco chuckled and gently pushed her toward the stage.  

“Thanks for the help.  And don’t forget those flowers.”

As Coco peered over her sunglasses, Ruby gave a lackluster thumbs-up before heading to the stage.  Had she not passed Weiss on the way, she might have dwelled on Coco’s remark.  Instead, she smiled and waved, earning a muted head tilt and a hint of a smile that sent her mood soaring like an eagle catching the most incredible column of wind.

While Weiss and Pyrrha prepared for their scene, Ruby delivered her pink box of baked goods to the PA table and then rushed off to see what else needed to be done.  The answer was, apparently, a bit of everything.  The lighting team needed help setting up the key lights, then the special effects team needed an extra pair of hands rigging up a strange contraption that would make it ‘rain’ on the small cafe tables placed ‘outside.’  Once the stage was set, Cinder wanted more paper flowers - enough to fill a large glass jar with a thick glass lid - which took Ruby and Oscar the better part of the morning to finish.

She enjoyed the mindless work far more than Oscar.  While he grumbled and quietly cursed the mounting number of papercuts, she silently folded and folded and folded while watching rehearsals lead into filming.  

Despite the number of lights she had helped set up, the overall atmosphere remained dreary compared to their typical work.  The ‘rain’ fell from rods running above the set onto the fake cobblestone floor below.  Weiss and Pyrrha remained miraculously dry though, protected by the dark blue umbrella covering the table.

Several extras sat and pretended to talk at the nearby tables, but the cameras focused on Weiss and Pyrrha’s conversation.  The microphones practically occupied the other seats at the table in order to capture their quiet words perfectly.  Ruby couldn't hear what was said, but it looked serious and emotional.

During the short breaks between takes, she snuck one or two more baked goods from the pink box beside her.  Everything tasted extraordinary, but the red velvet cupcake was so delicious that she would have eaten the wrapper if Oscar hadn’t been around to witness.  

Usually, she would offer to share, but she wrote off the idea.  Weiss got them for her, after all, and it felt a little rude to regift such a precious present.  If she wanted to share, she would go to the bakery herself and buy some for everyone.  And buy more of those cupcakes for herself with the money Coco paid her for making a bunch of paper flowers.

The flowers, it turned out, played a starring role in the next scene.  After breaking for lunch - Weiss said she didn’t want anything, but Ruby brought her a salad anyway - the cobblestone cafe morphed into a lab-like room that repurposed the cafe’s tables and chairs as cute little workstations.  The glass jar filled with paper flowers sat on one of those tables, and it was around that table that Pyrrha and Weiss held another clandestine conversation.

All afternoon, Ruby watched Weiss light a match but wave it out before ending the scene.  Once Ozpin gave his blessing, Ruby understood why.  In the final take of the day, Weiss lit the match and dropped it into the jar, igniting the paper.  Pyrrha vocalized the surge of disbelief that Ruby and Oscar felt deep in their papercut-covered hearts, yet Weiss quipped about how the flowers represented nothing before exiting the scene.  The camera then moved very, very close to the jar in order to capture every bit of Ruby and Oscar’s hard work going up in literal flames. 

Once the paper had been reduced to ashes, Ozpin called it a day.  Ruby glanced at the clock and chuckled when she discovered that they were ending early - a result only possible without Cardin’s presence.

“We’re on for tacos, right?” Oscar asked when they were finally allowed to speak again.

“Absolutely!”  Ruby jumped to her feet, but her gaze followed Weiss to her room.  “Just have to clean up first.”

‘Cleaning up’ had several different connotations on set.  Either they literally cleaned up a mess involving anything from spilled coffee to spilled paint, or they cleaned off the set to make room for the next day’s scene.  Thankfully, there was no spilled paint today, so the three of them only needed to carry various props off of the stage while the rest of the crew headed home.

Coco stopped for a quick, intimate conversation with Velvet, which included an adoring squeeze of Velvet’s hand, before leaving.  Pyrrha graced them all with a genuine smile and friendly wave on her way out.  Ruby’s gaze kept flitting to Weiss’ door after that, waiting for their superstar to appear and disappear like she’d never been there to begin with.

As the studio steadily emptied, Ruby frowned each time she glanced at Weiss’ door.  Weiss typically didn’t linger…unless it was raining, but the skies were clear and the roads were dry.

Just when Ruby thought that she should make sure everything was alright, the door opened.  Her heart skipped when Weiss appeared, but confusion joined a host of other emotions when she noticed that Weiss didn’t have her handbag and wasn’t headed straight for the exit.  Her gaze locked onto Ruby, sending a flurry of butterflies through Ruby’s chest, as she walked directly to the stage instead.

As Weiss grew closer, subtle differences caught Ruby’s attention.  Her brow had a slight pinch in it - not deep enough to suggest annoyance but not shallow enough to be nothing.  Her strides were quick - not angry but not lackadaisical either.  And her gaze never strayed from Ruby, boring through her as if reading her genetic code.

Anyone else might have braced for impact, but Ruby froze and searched for more clues to reveal themselves.  That became especially true when Weiss stopped at the front of the stage and motioned to her.

“I need to talk to you.  Now, please.”

Weiss returned to her room without a response, leaving Ruby flabbergasted in her wake.  After glancing around, noticing Oscar and Velvet’s varying degrees of concern, Ruby gestured after her and hurried off the stage.

With no idea what was bothering Weiss, Ruby approached the room caught between a sense of impending doom and growing worry.  After a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

Releasing the breath in one long exhale, she gingerly stepped into the room.

“Close it.”  

Weiss nodded to the door, so Ruby quietly closed it behind her.  It hardly snapped shut before Weiss shoved her phone into Ruby’s hands - an action so unexpected that Ruby nearly dropped it.  Fortunately, she managed to hang on and looked at Weiss for further instruction.  

“Read it,” Weiss said, this time nodding to the phone.

Using Weiss’ phone at all seemed like a crime punishable by death, so Ruby held Weiss’ gaze long enough for Weiss to clarify if this was a joke or trick.  When Weiss merely stood there, arms crossed, she finally looked down.  As soon as she read the title of the article on the screen, she understood Weiss’ demeanor. 

‘Klein Sieben, long-time butler to Weiss Schnee, diagnosed with cancer.’

“I didn’t -”  Ruby read the first two sentences before shaking her head.  “I didn’t tell anyone, I swear.  I didn’t even tell my sister.”

Her throat tightened as Weiss studied her, saying nothing yet somehow expressing plenty of emotions.  The longer the silence lasted, the more she feared that Weiss wouldn't believe her, ruining whatever relationship they had managed to build.  

Then Weiss sighed and took her phone from Ruby’s hands.

“I know you didn’t.”

Ruby opened her mouth to defend herself but paused when the words sank in.

“You…do?”

“You don’t have to sound so surprised.”  Weiss sat on the sofa and stared at the phone in her lap.  “I can’t be the only one his wife told.  It was only a matter of time before someone made the connection.”

When Weiss fell silent, Ruby glanced around the room before sitting beside her.  And, after a great deal of hesitation, she set a hand on Weiss’ knee.  Weiss didn’t move away, so she scooted closer.

“I’m sorry.  It probably doesn’t feel great for everyone to know you’re sad.”

“It’s not me I’m worried about,” Weiss forcefully replied, finally meeting Ruby’s gaze.  “It’s Klein.  The last thing he needs right now is to be part of some media circus.  He needs to focus on beating this, not…not being hounded by reporters.  But that’s the one thing I can’t give him, no matter how hard I try.”

When Weiss covered her eyes with one hand, looking pained beyond belief, Ruby only waited two seconds before wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“He’s lucky to have someone like you who cares about him so much.  And I’m sure he’ll be fine.  He helped raise you, right?  Handling the media must be a piece of cake.”

Her heart soared at Weiss’ soft scoff.

“Are you saying I’m difficult?”

Spotting Weiss’ half-hidden smile, Ruby shook her head and said, “Of course not!  You’re super easy to work with.  Every day’s like a walk in the park.  Sunshine and rainbows.  I’m sure everyone else would agree with me, too.”

Weiss finally smiled, and then she did the unthinkable: gently squeezed Ruby’s leg.

“Thank you,” she said, not noticing the way Ruby froze.  “And you’re right.  Klein’s the master of handling everything.  This shouldn’t be any different.”

“R-right.”  Ruby’s eyes flitted to Weiss’ hand on her leg but, hoping not to draw attention to it, she smiled when Weiss turned to her.  “He sounds awesome.  I bet he’s got some great stories about you.”

“Oh, god.”  Weiss laughed this time, her eyes sparkling, and Ruby’s heart plotted a jailbreak from her chest.  “Remind me never to let you two in the same room.” 

“Why not??  We’d have a lot to talk about.”

“I’m sure you would.  I’d have to go into hiding though.”

“Can you even do that when everyone recognizes you?”

Weiss pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes at the question.  “True,” she eventually said.  “So I guess you and Klein shouldn’t meet.”

“But if we do meet, I’m taking notes on all the cute, sassy things Little Weiss did.”

Weiss rolled her eyes while Ruby beamed, her heart feeling impossibly full.  Eventually, Weiss’ hand softly slid off of Ruby’s leg, releasing another wave of butterflies.  Ruby tapped her hands together and glanced at the clock, but Weiss drew a breath before she commented on the time. 

“Glynda gave me some bad news today.”

“More bad news?”

“Yes, well - this involves you.”  Ruby grimaced at the revelation, but Weiss quickly shook her head.  “Don’t worry.  You aren’t getting fired or anything.  Though you might wish you were...”

“Are they making me work with Cardin again?” Ruby asked, only to realize it was a bad idea when Weiss’ eyes darkened.

“I’d never let them do that,” she replied with such acidity that Ruby raised her hands in defeat.  Regardless, it took an extra second before Weiss exhaled and shook her head.  “But no, not that either.”  Another pause, then she took a breath before saying, “I know this is your first time working on a film, but the fact that we’ve stayed on schedule is nothing short of a miracle.”

“That’s great though?”

“It is great,” Weiss agreed.  “And a testament to your work as well as everyone else’s.  But because we’re on schedule, the studio decided to push up the release date.  They want the film out during the holiday window now.”

“But that’s only like six months away…and doesn’t editing take forever?”

“It does, so they’re leaving the editing time alone.  They shortened our shoot days instead.”  Weiss held Ruby’s gaze without a drop of sarcasm.  “Are you ready to work harder and faster than you already were?” she asked.  “And forget having weekends or time to see your family, friends, or work on your art.”

“Isn’t that great news?  Fewer days with Cardin.”

“Yes, fewer days with Cardin, but also fewer days with everyone else.  Pyrrha and…”  

Weiss finished the sentence by lightly waving one hand, but Ruby hoped Weiss meant her, too.  She wanted Weiss to mean her, too.  Absent an admission though, she didn’t want to assume that she was more than just the assistant.  

Instead, she patted both hands on her knees, grinned, and said, “I’m ready if you are.  I’ll sleep here if I have to.  Well, not here here, but you know - here in the studio somewhere.  In props, probably, since they have all the furniture…”

The longer Ruby rambled, the brighter Weiss’ expression became.  Before long, a smile appeared and a short laugh slipped through her lips.

“It might not be so bad then,” she eventually said, her smile enchanting Ruby with ease.

If there was a better feeling than lifting Weiss’ spirits, Ruby had yet to discover it.  The fact that she even could - that her rambling jokes or dumb mannerisms somehow helped - seemed impossible.  Yet there they were, sitting together, the atmosphere between them light and carefree.  She would have stayed there forever if she hadn’t glanced at the clock.

“Shoot.”  Remembering her evening plans, she sighed and gave Weiss an apologetic smile.  “I should probably go…Oscar, Velvet, and I are checking out some taco place tonight.”

“Oh.  I see.”

“But maybe I can send you some photos or something?” Ruby offered.  Fortunately, Weiss’ smile returned.

“Sure.  I’d like that.”

“Alright, then…you’ll hear from me soon.”

When Ruby got to her feet, Weiss stood with her and, in a moment that practically nailed her feet to the floor, grabbed her hand.  Weiss then rolled onto the balls of her feet and pressed a soft, tender kiss to Ruby’s cheek.

“Have fun,” she whispered before dropping back down to her heels and releasing Ruby’s hand.

“Y-yeah, you too.”  Ruby’s cheek burned where Weiss’ lips just were.  Wanting to hold Weiss’ gaze for every second possible, she backed up to the door only to yelp when her hand slammed into the handle.  Amusement instantly sparked in Weiss’ eyes, but Ruby opened the door, added a quick, “See you tomorrow,” and hurried out.

Weiss’ soft laughter followed her, adding to her growing blush and uncontainable joy.  By the time she met Oscar and Velvet by the front doors, she was grinning like a fool.

“Ready to eat some tacos?” she asked.  Oscar’s brow furrowed at her zeal, but Velvet’s knowing smile implied a deeper understanding of what was going on.

Ruby ignored both looks and headed outside, where the cool evening breeze worked wonders against her superheated cheeks.  She glanced over her shoulder while walking to the tram stop with her coworkers, earning another skipped heartbeat and several more butterflies to go along with her persistent blush.

No one would ever believe what happened, but she didn’t care.  She knew it happened.  She may not know exactly why, but that didn’t make it any less incredible, wonderful, and fully deserving of the skip in her step.