#high school me was uh… NOT someone whose relationship instincts i trust

[starbuck]

no okay but in the last few weeks i’ve met/learned about three different lovely couples happily married for >30 years and the secret for all of them was not meeting/getting married until their 30s when they both already had their individual lives figured out… THAT’S the validation that i’m onto something that i needed

[geminislegacy]

featuring: lizzie saltzman, hope mikaelson, william flynn, landon kirby. tagging: @ofindcmitability​ @chosenlonely​ @frcmashes​ summary: four teenagers go on a double date, then go back to salvatore to get tipsy and play a magical card game. it ends in a foursome. ( yes, actually. ) hizzie & landwil ensue. warnings: nsfw & ugly formatting. 

landon kirby

he can't remember whose idea it had been, but whoever decided the four of them should go on a double date clearly hadn't anticipated the amount of chaos that could unfold. things started out fine; appetizers were ordered, small-talk was made, but somehow star wars gets brought up and suddenly tongs are flying, soup splashes everywhere, and they're kindly being asked to leave. he's still wheezing as they get back to the salvatore school, parking his car in one of the designated spots. it only stalled out once on the way back so he's in decent spirits. he kills the engine, slips the child locks on so no one can escape. he'll salvage this evening if it's the last thing he does. " so that was terrible. " it's blunt, to the point. maybe it would seem a little less funny if he could stop chuckling. " ... but maybe it's not a complete write off. this whole, uh, double date thing. " he clears his throat, drums his hands on the steering wheel. " i think we have monopoly. maybe candyland, but i think that one has pieces missing, so ... "

william flynn

it had been will' s idea. not actually on purpose but rather something accidental brought up and then brought into fruition. he liked hope, loved landon and lizzie. he wanted to get to know hope more, wanted to see how lizzie and landon got along. plus there was also the fact he's never had a outing with friends like this. so yeah he was a bit excited, yes he had some high hopes. he should have not had such high hopes. the night started alright but things... progressed. he hadn't given much thought when landon brought up star wars but lizzie had. tongs went flying and so much soup.... and for the first time in his life will had been asked to leave somewhere. it was kinda thrilling. at least landon was blunt about it. "what's candyland?" he found himself asking. monopoly sounded a bit familiar at least.

hope mikaelson

she thinks it all started with star wars. everything was fine before landon decided to ( endearingly, in her opinion ) bring up star wars. from there, tongs were thrown and soup was spilled. although, the latter was the fault of the fact she thought it was funny to antagonise her boyfriend. she was chewing ice, they were having a friendly argument about a fictional universe, what could go wrong? famous last words that apply, evidently, even to olive garden. they were asked to leave for causing a disturbance, and her boyfriend had shoved breadsticks in her pockets while she chugged down the last of her drink. ( she left the ice, for fear a further fight would break out in the car and kill them all. in her and landon's case, again. ) turning to look at will as her laughter fails to die, " it's a board game. it's basically like snakes and ladders with candy. " that's far from the best, or most accurate description, but it's the one he's getting. turning back to her boyfriend, she suggests, " we could play monopoly. " although, if they were trying to salvage the night, she doesn't think a game famous for ending even the strongest relationships is their best idea.(edited)

lizzie saltzman

this sucks. she can't help but think that it does. the idea was doomed from the start. what good could come out of bringing landon along for anything? a forethought proven to be eerily true later on, when he went on a star wars tangent and flared up lizzie's rage. she might have overreacted ( yes ), but when they got kicked out of the restaurant, it was him she blamed, obviously. now very much sulking ( she's the only one who hasn't laughed one bit ), she makes sure to slam the door of the car on her way out, arms folded over her chest as she takes off toward the school already. " great idea, landon. let's save our bonds from eternal damnation by playing monopoly. " it's a sharp remark, though one that serves its useful purpose. her arm reaches for will's and she intertwines them. it's cold. " luckily for all of you losers, i am a society game expert. josie and i won a packet of enchanted cards at a magical fair once. " and that's when a smile curls her lips.

landon kirby

there are a few questions he wants to ask: first, how will's never heard about candyland ( right, the trauma. don't ask that ) and what exactly a society game is. is it a society game because you play with other people ? is it a brand ? these are questions he has but won't ask, primarily because he thinks he doesn't want to see the look on lizzie's face when he does. while they're civil-ish for the time being, he thinks they're just One Bad Day away from total chaos. he's seen the killing joke, thank you. he has no desire to see that kind of ending. their room is the closest, so he ducks in to grab the game. it's only when he digs it out from under the bed that he blanches; shit. right. he forgot. the only version of monopoly he owns is star wars monopoly. the alarm bells go off in his head and he hastily shoves it back under the bed. " huh. i can't find it. " he straightens, raises a bottle of champagne that was tucked in behind it. he thinks it's his, stolen from the motel when he left. if you can call it stealing, really, when the owner's been MIA for weeks. " so those enchanted cards. " he counters, looking between the rest of them and the booze. " what are the chances you still have those ... ? "(edited)

william flynn

it seemed to always be star wars that set lizzie off. though, funny enough, star wars was what landon seemed to enjoy the most. will saw it right on his face in multiple occasions. he hadn't expected hope to chew ice and he didn't mind it, but then lizzie sent back her fish and it was one thing after another. he just wanted to enjoy his mozzarella sticks in peace. and oddly enough, landon still smelled like those breadsticks. "shoots and ladders... ?" he didn't know that one either, no. he barely knew monopoly. he hadn't seen landon's room before, or hope's too apparently. who knew they shared. briefly he thought of the fact he'd share a room with lizzie one day. he kind of looked forward to that. actually, he looked forward to it a lot. "enchanted cards?" his interest was peeked ( though he did remain holding interest for a board game ). amusement played at his face as lizzie spoke of her expertise. "i wouldn't doubt you." a nod of his head to landon's words, he hoped lizzie still had em. such cards sounded interesting.(edited)

hope mikaelson

it takes one glance at the board game landon is hurriedly shoving their bed to realise what a bad idea it was. " enchanted cards could be fun. " she doesn't have any more tongs to throw at his head but the school is literally filled with deadly weapons. and honestly, even if he'd come back, she doesn't feel like taking that chance today. landon produces a bottle of alcohol, and she doesn't know if that makes things better or worse. ( if anything, for all their sakes, she hopes it's better. ) so begins the trek through to the twins old room, still a little scarred by the fact that she once found lizzie halfway to death in it. ( the floor may be clean but it still makes her feel uneasy. ) somewhere between her fixation on the floor and the search for the long-lost cards, lizzie explains the rules, something about a combination between never have i ever and truth or dare with consequences. ( okay, so it might be for the worst. ) " so, we're basically playing roulette. " with less severe consequences but she thinks the comparison still stands. to her surprise, once they're all sitting down to it, it's actually fun.(edited)

lizzie saltzman

she hopes bottles won't become a recurring theme in her life. ( she thinks as long as she's aware, they won't be. ) hence the slight cringe as landon waves the champagne around. but, at the same time ... these are all people she trusts. yes, even the mop-headed hobbit. underneath his nerdgasmic, stuttering, irritating demeanor, there is a very good person ( hope wouldn't love him otherwise ). so, she decides she wants to have fun. they all deserve it; and she won't be the rain to fall on this parade. a few glasses later and she's already properly ditzy. and laughing even. because, as it turns out, the enchanted cards are fun. it helps them get to know each other better, even if it's little things. and the dares and punishments are just as fun ( except this one time she gets punished by having pepper up her nose for 5 minutes because she skipped on a dare to wear her ugliest clothes for the rest of the night ). it's her turn to pick a card - and she's wheezing as she does this. everything is so ... colorful, and warm, and wonderful. even if the floor feels like it's slippery beneath her and her vision a blur of sensations. " alright, okay, let's see- " a clear of her throat. " never have i ever, uhhh, " a pause, to squint at the text, " ohhhh. kissed someone of the same sex. welp! " she throws her arm in the air and puts down a finger. " been there, done that. no dares for me. yay! "

landon kirby

the more he drinks, the less this game stresses him out. maybe it's the added consequences ( of which, he's never taken well ), or the fact that some of the questions leave him squirming. never have i ever had a sex dream about someone i shouldn't have, for example, leads to a terse whispered comment about ms. frizzle from the magic school bus and no, he does not want to talk about it. so by the time lizzie gets to this particular question, he's a warm kind of tipsy -- his hand having somehow, maybe instinctively, fallen into hope's lap to draw circles on the inside of her thigh. it's comfortable, a word he never thought he'd associate with being in lizzie's presence. it's ... kind of nice. " yay. " he echoes, cracking a smile. " i mean, yay for you. not yay for me. i haven't. " he frowns, motioning for her to hand the card over. better to know what he's in for now, before he has a chance to think too hard on it. he's not in this sinking ship alone; hope and will answer the same. if they go down, they're going together.

" so if you haven't kissed someone of the same sex, " he reads aloud, " ... rectify that immediately or suffer the plague. " he blinks, reads it a second time just to make sure he's understanding it correctly. " uh, i'm betting this is metaphor and not an actual plague. " he says it slowly, uncertain. " not sure it's work the risk though. " he straightens, cheeks flushed ( whether it be from the champagne, or the reality of what this means ) as he clears his throat. " i guess this means, uh, we should probably ... " he makes a wild gesture with his hands, hoping someone else will say what he's struggling to convey.(edited)

william flynn

there is no world in which william flynn didn't partake in alcoholic beverage. it was his bread and butter ( that was the saying right? ). so when landon had the bottle in hand he was by no means rejecting it. " roulette, i know that one." of course he did, of all things, he knew the most dangerous variant. he wondered if any of them would even be surprised by that. he kept his eyes on his fiance as she read out the card ( though he didn't totally understand the rules of the game ). he felt a slight buzz but he was always able to hold his drinks well, so accustomed to them and all. as lizzie read he couldn't help but be interested. past experience was a topic they had yet to breach after all. he chuckled ( a little louder and more full then his usual one, that was the buzz ). "yay." will echoed, a word that sounded weird upon his lips. still, he meant it. good for lizzie. he couldn't say the same applied to himself after all. he had to answer the question too, right? "uh... no. not yet." probably, not ever. given the fact that his ever was set with lizzie saltzman. not that he was against it, he simply was happy with lizzie. "the plague." he repeated dryly. then, landon went on. and will felt for him because what if it WAS the actual fucking plague or some shit? he looked to lizzie ( it didn't need to be spoken out loud because it was obvious the outcome, the only way to avoid the consequences ). a look to determine if she was OKAY with what would possibly be the outcome of this game, that she was alright if he offered landon the only means of escape ( the only means of escape for them ALL technically ).

hope mikaelson

the further the game progresses, the better she feels. sure, it's amusing and ( somewhat ) wholesome teenage fun but she's allowing herself to have it. it's all progress, at least, she hopes. it also might be helpful to her to remember she's always been a lightweight, and that champagne is what made the room spin at fifteen years old. but ... well, irrelevant. ( oh, she's drunk. ) the card comes up, and landon mentions the plague, and her inhibitions lower enough to tip her cup and chime, " yay, " in unison. " but i haven't either. " not for lack of wanting to, but desire has taken a backseat for a long time. she turns to lizzie, and then to landon, and then back to landon. because it seems obvious to her that they aren't going go out and find strangers to kiss ( and because, again, she's drunk ). " i guess it's you and me. " " unless you're still basking in the victory of getting out of this . " she makes a gesture around them, or more specifically, between her and will and landon. as far as she stands, it doesn't have to be anything. good, clean, wholesome fun between hormonal teenagers. what could go wrong? ( so, so many things. )

lizzie saltzman

she doesn't know what to expect out of this question. actually, she's pretty certain she doesn't expect anything ( she's kind of whooing in her little bubble of ditzy joy ). " oh. " for some reason, though, she doesn't expect that. well, she does for will, obviously. but ... oh, well. no point in dwelling on it too much. " we should probably ... what? " she's just poking fun at landon's obvious hesitance. " make use of our numeric advantage and not get infected with the plague? " someone had to say it. her eyes then dart toward hope, pulling a face when she appears to mock lizzie's apparent victory. which means nothing, in hindsight. she's drunk, but not that drunk as to not understand what's going on. her gaze rolls away and now toward will and she reads in his eyes that they're both thinking the same thing; ALL of them are, actually. instead of giving him a reassuring smile, or look, or nod ( as she normally would ), she lifts her hand - and does an OK sign. it feels more ~FUN~. there's agreement on both parties, it seems. " don't worry. i'll save your ass out of this, mikaelson. you're welcome. "

landon kirby

he's glad someone's picked up what he's putting down. it feels ... silly, maybe. he thinks he might be delirious, that the awkward laughter that accompanies his shrug might be a result of said delirium. in truth, he's probably just tipsy; it's happened all of twice, maybe three times — his memory's foggy on that one, so he's not overly familiar with the concept. a quick exchange with hope, silent communication with their eyes ( he knows her, and she him: they're on the same plague-less page ) confirming that — yes, they're doing this. he is ... weirdly nervous. maybe because this is will, his best friend, and maybe partially due to the pressures of knowing eyes are on him. he's suddenly grateful for the mints he'd swiped at the restaurant, having chewed through a handful on the car ride back. he fumbles with where to put his hand for a second, shifting slightly as he steadies it against will's shoulder. he's not sure if he should say something, it's not like there's precedence for this, but decides — fuck it, he'll wing it. he leans in and presses his lips against will's; soft, almost curious ... like wading into the ocean and testing the temperature with your toes. it's nice, he decides. very nice.

william flynn

so hope was the same as him, as was landon, both things were oddly reassuring. it reminded him despite his many setbacks that came from, well, his... past that ultimately some experiences he didn't have... they were normal not to have. something which was appreciated to have knowledge of. lizzie made a joke, a smile hung off his lips at it ( of course he was gonna laugh at her jokes, they were always funny. it was almost remarkable how they always landed so easily. ) lizzie did the OK sign and that meant much of everything. he needed her okay, he needed to make sure this was okay. there was an anxiousness that came about, almost alike when he kissed lizzie the first time but also so utterly different. that had been his first kiss, ever, and it'd been perfect. at least, in his eyes. now this kiss? not his second one, but his second person ever. first boy. only boy he'd ever even consider doing it with, actually. there was no one else that came to mind that he trusted, not a single person. at least, not one that he wasn't related to nor felt like a father to him. landon was a singularity. before he could make a move, landon beat him to it. if lizzie was fireworks then landon was falling snow. not sparks but beauty all the same. soft lips, not intense and passionate but rather safe and warm. his hand slipped up, maybe it was instinct, to touch upon landon's cheek. something to steady him ( because right now, in the midst of all this, how could he remain steady? ).

hope mikaelson

she looks at landon, and he at her, and she realises they agree. they'd rather avoid the plague, if at all possible, and kissing their best friends isn't the worst fate. ( she knows lizzie's pretty, she has eyes. ) she catches her boyfriend lean into will out of the corner of her eye, and she decides that isn't something she particularly wants to see. ( being in agreement and actively watching are different things entirely. ) because she's happy , and she's drunk, and it's lizzie, her next move is easy. all it takes is a few glances over lizzie's face, down to her lips, before she moves forward with a smile still on hers. she decides, remarkably quickly, that she likes it. a lot. lizzie's softer than landon and it makes her forget she's just doing this to avoid the plague. her fingers move to lizzie's neck, inhibitions successfully lowered. it's nice. it makes her feel warmer than just the evidence of alcohol in her bloodstream does. ( she thinks that, in some reviving part of her brain, she's probably kind of always wanted to kiss lizzie. drunk mind, sober thoughts. sue her. )

lizzie saltzman

in normal circumstances, this would have taken a lot more out of her. some fussing, some mussing, and lots of antics that stretch beyond the limit of normality. but, right now ... right now she's just content. that's the word for it. slightly ditzy, slightly less prone to her slight ocd. the one thing that stays: nerves, funnily enough. maybe like this, with all her barriers lowered, she's a lot more aware of her anxieties ( but also very prepared to ignore them ). this is how she hesitates - and doesn't take the first step ( bold moves, saltzman ). but it's lucky, because hope does. and the smile lingering on her face already soothes anything. their lips connect and it's different, and slightly weird, and also safe and comfortable. she feels fingers at the back of her neck and, suddenly, lizzie realizes she's not running away from a dark plague, but kind of ... enjoying this. kind of. an understatement. ( little puberty lizzie saltzman is leaping that hope mikaelson is kissing her. ) they can stop there ( ? ), but ... why? it's an opportunity. might as well make it right ( and since this is hope's first girl kiss, she thinks she wants it memorable ). it's automatic, but her arms move and hands end up by the sides of hope's face - and there's an attempt at a deepening. or, well, how the fanfics put it: some tongue wrestling.

landon kirby

out of the corner of his eye, he detects movement: he thinks hope's the one that moves first, but he doesn't turn his head to look. he's a teenage boy so of course there's appeal to seeing two girls kiss, but he thinks the appeal is significantly less when one of them is your girlfriend. the thought is funny, almost draws a laugh from him -- likely would have, too, if will's hand hadn't come up to brush his cheek. that has him feeling some type of way; like someone's come up from behind him and shoved him full tilt into the water, no easing. it's jarring at first, the flash of emotions - the adjustment, but you adapt. he shifts forward on his knees, a little closer as his hand shifts; it curves against will's neck, fingers tangling in his hair. it's a little awkward, a little uncertainty in his actions, but then his lips part and suddenly the uncertainty is gone. his breath catches slightly, lips pressing a bit more urgently to will's this time. they bump noses when he adjusts the angle but it's a quick recovery; insistent but not demanding. firm but not rough.

william flynn

he heard the sounds behind him, but there's little temptation to see the girl's lip locking. it wasn't jealousy, he trusted lizzie and ( remarkably ) he trusted hope as well. it was rather lack of interest, or to be more accurate, being a bit too consumed with what was going on before his eyes rather then next to him. after all, it wasn't everyday you had your first kiss with a boy, nor with your best friend. he wondered if he moved too fast, if he should have pulled apart with the finish of the kiss ( when did a kiss finish? ) however no. landon shifts and will moved in adjacent. landon's touch upon him wasn't like lizzie, but it didn't mean a bad thing, just something different. thoughts to pull back became lost, rather he felt more swept into the kiss then before. his other hand tucked against landon, a firm grip on him to keep himself upright ( otherwise he might unbalance ). their lips disconnected only for an instant, a memory to breath. and then, he connected them once more.

hope mikaelson

she decides to drown out the sound from across the room early ; almost everything registers deafening to her now, and she doesn't want to lose herself to the rest of her senses. so she decides to lose herself to kissing her best friend instead. ( it's a tug of war she's learning to win. slowly. ) it's different, that's starkly obvious. but it's nice. lizzie's hands shift to the sides of her face and her breath catches. she isn't sure what finds her first. her other hand, pressed palm flat to the floor, moves up to find its way into lizzies hair. if she were any more herself, she probably would have ended this long before she decided she was obsessed with kissing. period. but, honestly, she doesn't care. she briefly backs away, because even if she doesn't ( technically ) need to breathe, she assumes lizzie still does. and then, because the few nagging inches between them are bothering her and her self control is evidently wavering, she presses her lips to hers again. it's a little too hard and a little too fast for the sake of a dare.

lizzie saltzman

somewhere in this room, will and landon are sitting around too. probably caught into their own little CPR session. she knows that, yet at the same doesn't. it's not on her mind; because she's eternally confident in what she and will have, but also because she cannot, for the life of her multitask. she only has space for ONE happening - and she chooses to make that the feeling of hope mikaelson's lips. and it's a very nice feeling. probably because it's hope, who once upon a time was pushing everyone away - and who now is pushing against her ( metaphorically, for now ) in a lip lock. she feels a hand tangled in her hair and it sends some kind of lightning bolt up her spine. when there is break ( that lizzie is thankful for, breathing wise ), she kind of wishes there wasn't. there's some sort of bubble inside of her and it hasn't burst. it probably won't anytime soon either. they're kissing again, suddenly and sort of harder. it's bewildering. somewhat questionable, really. but it's really nice. they're full blown making out now ( not what the card wanted, guys ) and she finds one of her hands traveling to hope's shoulder, clawing at the fabric of her shirt -- subconsciously, of course.

landon kirby

multi-tasking has never been landon's strong suit. he's the kind of person who constantly gets sniped in video games because he's focused on the targets in front of him, his attention unable to divert and check the rest of his surroundings. so to say that he's relatively unaware of what's going on around him would be an understatement. his focus is on will, or more specifically his lips. that being said though, he's tipsy but not drunk; there are dregs of rational thought that pilfer through his consciousness. it's only when he realizes he's curled the fingers of his free hand in the front of will's shirt, half in his lap in a bid to get closer, that he realizes there is a line. there's a line that maybe he shouldn't cross, that maybe they need to re-evaluate before it gets scuffed out completely. .

so he pulls back. he's a little short of breath, a nervous smile on his face as he clears his throat. he doesn't look at the girls; doesn't need to see what, or how, things have gone for them. he reaches for the champagne and takes another drink, practically draining the bottle as he does. a little liquid courage never killed anybody. besides, he's ... curious. a little too curious. ( there's a part of him, a tiny sliver, that thinks this is probably good: healthy. he knows hope is his forever, the love of his life, but they're 19 years old. he's seen skins, okay. he knows people experiment. they try things when they're young, a little stupid, just because. he trusts will -- even trusts lizzie -- so if this is something they all want ... well, maybe there's something to be said about that. ) " what are we doing ? " a question searching for answers as he tugs on his lower lip with his teeth. finally he chances a look at lizzie and hope --- needs to see if they're on the same page ... or at least, the same book.(edited)

william flynn

lizzie saltzman was soul mate. will never gave much thought to attraction to others after her, never need be. yet in this moment... for the first time perhaps ever, he felt it. an attraction to someone who had moppy dark hair rather then flowing blonde. who was a bit shorter rather then the same height. with skin that wasn't soft but warm all the same. it was different then he knew but it wasn't unwelcomed. no, not unwelcomed at all. the way landon pulled him closer... will pushed against the floor below, gaining some leverage and pushing for more. ( he hoped more was okay ). landon pulled back and that nervous smile, while nervous, was oddly assuring. "i'll take one of those." he finds himself speaking as landon reaches for another drink, of course it'd go right through him ( he had a heavy tolerance after all, one that came with so much experience ) still the burn was all too nice upon his throat. landon asked the question and will, despite his own haze that came from fucking hormones and desire--- it was the right question to ask. a question that needed to be asked. "i want.." what did he want? will wasn't even quite sure. so, his eyes fell onto the two girls beside him, hoping to have some guidance dropped to his lap. ( he wanted landon, and he didn't know if that was natural or right or even okay. he didn't know what to do with this ).

hope mikaelson

the periphery awareness of landon and will has long since faded, because lizzie's kissing her harder, and faster, and a little explicitly. ( that, of course, would be the pot calling the kettle black. ) and there isn't a single part of her that wants to complain. lizzie's hand comes to claw at her shoulder, and she leans further into the other girl in response. she's in the process of moving to work her legs around lizzie's waist when her senses don't stop her. ( clearly, they're traitors. like her brain. she's having them both tried for treason when this is over. ) perhaps she's too comfortable with this .... whole arrangement, but she knows that ( drunk or not ) she could only ever do this with someone she trusted. she knows she loves landon, and for the first time her life, she knows he loves her too. she isn't worried about a little harmless ( albeit inappropriate ) making out with her best friend. ( what an odd time for rationality to pull through. ) the only thing that gives her pause is the sound of voices from by them, and she remembers where she is. she uses all of that harrowed tribrid strength behind her to pull herself off lizzie. even if her teeth grazed lizzie's lip before she did so. ( a parting gift, everything's a traitor. )

lizzie saltzman

while she's definitely no stranger to some kissing sessions, including with girls, she can't say she's had the pleasure ( literally ) of mixing the endeavor with the lubricant effects of some alcohol. she's feeling heated, like every movement and gesture does a lot more than what it would do normally. it's the champagne - or maybe it's hope mikaelson, years ago the object of some begrudging affections that lasted a few days. currently, her best friend ... and the one aggressively making out with her. but there's still something left in her brain and senses. she's feeling a wave of uncertainty, maybe even anxiousness, and it successfully blankets the mindless desire. now both hands are on hope's shoulders and she makes an effort to tilt her head backwards ( and away ). they get off each other, but not without the feeling of hope's teeth leaving a lingering mark on her bottom lip ( it stuns her for a moment, makes her feel ... things ). voices are heard and when she whips her head around, she finds landon and will, seemingly looking just as dazed and confused. " uh... " the question is processed a bit too slow and she nervously rubs a hand to the back of her neck. " what... do you want to do? " it's also a question for herself, to be honest. she doesn't look at hope, funnily enough. because she kind of ... thinks she knows what she wants. " because, i mean, it's - it was a first, right? " some aimless hand gestures. " and there are probably others ... " this time, for ALL of them. " so, you know ... " a small pause, then a groan, and she jumps to her feet ( albeit a bit wobbly ) to steal a bottle of champagne and chug some more of it. " ugh, do i have to do all the work here? figure it out yourselves. do what you want. "

spoilers: everyone did what they wanted.

[ HIZZIE TRANSCRIPT. ]

[ LANDWIL TRANSCRIPT. ]

[frenchy-and-the-sea]

POI - Strange Magic

A few days ago, doing our weekly trip to Disney, @colonelcupquake and I discussed a few things about our d&d kids, and about all the ways in which their growing relationship is...growing. This is what spawned from me thinking too much about what that meant.

Set in current game time, while the idiots are helping our resident monk through house arrest. 2,200 words.

If asked, Val wouldn’t have been able to count high enough to number all of the moments that made her miss her parents most.

There had been plenty in the early years - after selling the wagon, and then the horses, every time she had made her own coffee, Gavaar’s heavy silence on a long travel road - but the newer ones didn’t seem to dig any less deeply. Dandelions still made her sigh; the sight of Amon bent over his alchemist’s kit still made her heart clench just a little too hard.

And she knew, so bitterly that it hurt, that at least her father would have known exactly what to do with Rona Greenbottle.

He had left her some notion of it, of course. His telling - and frequent retellings, at a younger Val’s incessent requests - of how he had met her mother carried the notes of romance so thickly that even she couldn’t have missed them. But Cairon Hillcrest had also been one of the lucky sort who hadn’t made himself the company of his lady love for the better part of a year, who didn’t spend a harrowingly frequent amount of that time dragging her into danger, and who had at least had the fucking decency to know more about her than her name, and her strength, and the bright, sunshine sweetness that had captured his attention in the first place.

Val glaced up over the top of the book she was not reading to where Rona was settled on the floor of their collective room, pawing through the pile of satchels around her with the keen slowness of someone who knew exactly what she was looking for. She pulled a tough looking stalk as thick as two fingers from one, and Val watched, enthralled, as she deftly slashed it open and stuffed a coffee bean inside.

Her staring must have been the weighty sort, because after a moment, Rona’s mouth curled into a smile.

“Yes?” she said without looking up. Val instinctively tucked back into her book, feeling a rush of heat up her neck.

“Nothing,” she said automatically. She stole a glance around her book’s edge and found Rona looking back out of the corner of her eye, grinning. The heat on her neck grew warmer. “I just, ah...I was just wondering what you were doing.”

“Just that?” Rona asked, with a pointed raise of an eyebrow. Val huffed.

“Well, I won’t say that I terribly mind the view either.”

Rona hummed in acknowledgment and turned back to her work, but Val noticed with a tiny thrill of delight that her cheeks had a much rosier tinge.

“They’re for spells,” Rona said at least. Her fingers worked carefully, now winding a thin piece of twine studded with apple seeds around a length of thorny vine. “You’ve seen me using them before, haven’t you?”

“Here and again,” said Val, as she set her book aside. No use hiding behind it now; and besides, she had only caught as much of Rona’s casting as the corner of her eye allowed. With her own recent foray into magic, it seemed of dire importance that she actually try to listen.

Not to mention that Rona seemed rather pleased at the attention; she straightened as Val leaned forward, and shifted to face her.

“I decided that I should start prepping some of my components early,” she said, nodding towards the vine clipping that she was turning over in her hands. “I used to do most of these on the fly, but I figure now that I’ve got to try to keep up with you, and Tara, and Amon…”

“Mostly him, I'm sure,” Val said with a wry smile. “I’ve just taken to making sure the red blur is still moving instead of trying to keep track of him.”

“Well, I'd still rather be fast enough that I don’t catch him in this.”

With one swift motion, Rona suddenly wrenched a hand sideways and tugged the vine taught around her palm, so tightly that Val could see the thorns digging little dents into the meat of it. A soft green glow began to pulse from between her fingers, coiling down the length of the vine, and before she could blink, Val suddenly found herself in the center of a mass of woody tendrils creeping over the edge of the bed towards her.

“Don't worry,” said Rona when Val instinctively scrambled back. She waved a hand, and the vines suddenly curled away like a receding wave, and then crumbled to dust. “I don't use those on people I like if I can help it. You know, unless they want me to.”

She winked at that, and grinned, and the heat that had started to fade on Val’s neck suddenly came roaring back to life. She managed to keep her face carefully neutral as she tucked that particular thought away for later perusal.

“So, that’s, uh, that’s how your magic works, is it?” she said after a moment, coughing delicately to disguise the hitch in her voice. “You just sort of stick things together and - ”

“Not quite.” The little laugh in Rona's voice staggered as she cut Val off, just a touch too sharply to be casual. “It’s a little more involved than that, actually.”

Frowning, Val stole a glance down, and the peculiar tightness at the corners of Rona’s smile suddenly brought the memory of the conversation in the mine - with Sarula’s arms still wrapped around Rona’s weary shoulders and a too-casual shrug from Ianry - screaming back like a train car.

“Oh, Rona,” she said softly. Rona didn’t look up, just pursed her lips and stared fixedly at the floor. “Rona, love, you know I don’t think that’s all you do, right? Look, I might be an idiot, but even I know it takes work to pull miracles out of your ass on a regular basis. I just don’t understand the shape of it, hey? And I...” She hesitated. “And I would like to, if you can stand a few more stupid questions.”

Rona said nothing for a long moment, turning the vine absently in one hand. Then she sighed, and wilted like a breath suddenly exhaled.

“I know,” she said softly. “Sorry. Here, come sit with me.”

Val thanked Fharlanghn later for the distinct lack of witnesses to the way she nearly fell over herself getting off of the bed, and Rona, for her part, kindly avoided snickering.

“It’s not miracles so much as knowing what you’re trying to do,” she said once Val had settled across from her, hands folded in her lap like an attentive school child. She twirled the vine in her hand so it arched over her knuckles and held it out, gesturing to the tiny auburn seeds still tangled in twine around its surface. “Seeds are a plant’s life: they’re the first thing it needs to grow. So if I want vines to suddenly start growing out of the ground, and to wrap themselves around someone...”

She slowly threaded the vine back around her palm and made a big show of pulling it taught. Val hummed.

“It’s like a tether, then,” she said, with tentative understanding. “It sort of...makes a path from you to what you’re trying to control, yeah?”

“Exactly,” said Rona, and Val warmed at the brightness in her smile. “The components of a spell are just the vessel that you pour your intent into. That’s what makes magic happen. Not just ‘sticking things together.’”

She shot Val a pointed look, and nudged her playfully with a toe when she winced.

“Well, how was I supposed to know?” Val grumbled, making a big show of huffing and folding her arms. “I don’t even know what I’m doing, much less anyone else. I wasn’t born with magic.”

“I wasn’t either,” said Rona. Val raised an eyebrow. “What? Most people aren’t. Some of us give up everything just to learn.”

The current of heat burning under the last few words was difficult to miss, as was the way Rona’s eyes strayed to the door that Ianry had left through barely ten minutes prior. Val said nothing for a long moment, then slowly shifted closer.

“Everything, huh?” she asked. Rona’s shoulders sagged.

“My family didn’t exactly approve of the whole ‘running off to go play with magic plants’ business,” she said quietly. “And once I decided to go after my mentor…”

She trailed off, shrugging, and Val found that she could only nod. The few words of comfort she had suddenly felt achingly hollow in her ears; how could she even pretend that she understood losing a family that way, which left behind a looming shadow of unknowns that only grew with distance? She thought of her father, and all of the moments she had spent missing him, and she held them tighter still.

Eventually though, after a long muster of silence, Val rolled onto her knees, pushed some of the satchels aside, and shuffled over to where Rona was leaned against the wall. She only hesitated a moment before pressing an arm against hers.

“I don’t think Ianry meant any harm by what he said,” she said finally, “but it wasn’t fair anyway. You’re...you’re amazing Rona, in a hundred more ways than just what you can do with some thread and vines, but because of that, too. You’ve clearly worked your ass off to be as good as you are. You know, occasional misdirected ice knives aside.”

That earned her a chuckle, small but genuine, and Val felt her heart quicken as Rona slid sideways along the wall and rested a shoulder back against hers.

“That probably won’t happen again,” she said, with a thin smile. Val grinned.

“Wouldn’t matter even if it did, love. Accidents happen to all of us. But that doesn’t change the fact that you could set the ground around me on fire, and I’d trust that you’d put it out before anyone got hurt. You’re a damn fine druid Rona, but I admire your dedication to doing right even more.”

“Me?” Rona sat forward with the reddening cheeks and sudden, righteous indignation of someone whose only response to a compliment was to return it. “What about you? I've spent the last few months watching you fling yourself between us and every kind of monster that Cinderfells can dream up. I expect that I’ll spend the next few months doing the same thing. You want to talk to me about dedication? Protecting people is so natural to you, a god came down to help you do it!” She huffed and folded her arms over her chest. “No one has ever thought to ask why I like you, Val. You know why? It's because they haven’t needed to. Knowing you makes the reason plain enough.”

This time, the heat surging upwards bypassed Val’s neck completely and shot straight to her ears, which felt suddenly like they matched Amon’s in their shade.

“Well,” she said, when sense and her full grasp of Common finally returned, “now that’s hardly fair. See, I was under the distinct impression that I was complimenting you.”

Rona’s lips curled into a wry smile, her cheeks their own delightful shade of rose. “Funny how a conversation works, huh?”

They both buckled into a laugh, and whatever coy hesitation had been putting distance between them suddenly vanished like a mist in morning sun. Rona sank further against Val’s arm once she had collected herself, and leaned her head onto her shoulder.

“I should clean all of this up,” she said after a moment, gesturing to the piled satchels around them. “With any luck, we’re not going to be needing to burn a bunch of spells in the next few days anyway.”

“Don’t be so sure,” said Val, grinning. “We have a rather permanent history of getting ourselves into all manner of trouble. In fact, you might even need a whole other bag of…” She paused and grabbed the nearest satchel. “Acorns?”

Rona giggled. “I use those more for making friends with squirrels than for magic, if I’m honest.”

“Of course,” said Val, with a good-natured roll of her eyes as she let the satchel fall. “What I mean is, I still have plenty more stupid questions about magic, and I’m not so terrible at finding useful things in the woods. Mostly Sendran woods, to be fair, and mostly in the south, but I haven’t almost eaten poisonous berries since I was eight, which isn’t horrible when you think about it -”

“I was actually planning on gathering some things to bring Rosie back today,” Rona cut in, pulling away to grin up at her. “If you wanted to come along…?”

Val practically jumped to her feet, snatching her shield from where it was leaned against the bedside and slinging it onto her back. “Please. I’m already sick of this room, this inn and this whole bloody city. Let’s let it fend for itself for a little while, hey?”

“A date, then,” Rona agreed, grinning as she stood and then leaning forward to nudge Val with an elbow. “And maybe I’ll even let you hold the basket.”

[amethyst-noir]

i enjoyed the inclusion of tony sort of... whoring himself in that last fic. would it be possible to write an au more centered around that subject? maybe stephen had to sell himself to get through medical school and sometimes it wasn't consensual? if thats too much i understand! just figured it might help some people who deal with that

[Sunday is now officially my post-it-if-you-have-something-day. People send me prompts, so they obviously want to read the result. Thanks for that; I feel honored.]

Uh, that’s a hard one but it caught my imagination. I won’t write non-con;the aftermath of it is bad enough. (I like sex scenes to be sweet and romanticand/or kinky as hell but always consensual and I’m bad at writing them.) So,this happened. The Stephen/Tony here is “just” friendship (aka themost important foundation for any relationship). There is the potential for itto maybe become more in the far-off future but right now? No. There are other,more important, things to do first.

And if the prompt itself and my note up there don’t make it clear enough: TWfor rape/non-con. It’s not described at all and not spoken about in detailbut it’s there because… well, look above.

Find a Way(to break the fall)

Stephen didn’tthink about it anymore. It had been buried deep beneath all the other shit he’dhad to live through in the last couple of years and it didn’t impact his day today life in any way whatsoever. His nightmares were of dying in a myriad ofways, one more painful than the other, not reliving the ancient past.

It wasn’t as if hewas looking for someone or that someone to be another man; he was too busyliving, learning and protecting.

So it was anunpleasant surprise for both of them when one day Tony grabbed him by the hipsto move him out of the way and Stephen flinched. Hard. He froze on thespot a second after and Tony put up his arms and backed away as if afraid of anattack. Only then he’d noticed that he’d put up his hands in a classicdefensive position, his magic tingling in his fingers to fight off the threat.

“Stephen?”Tony asked, more confused than afraid but a hint of fear lurked in his eyes andvoice. He still had trouble with magic, especially the offensive kind. And tohave a friend threatening him…

Shit. Stephen knew almost immediately why he’d reacted like that, of course. Hestill felt Tony’s hands on his hips, even though it had only lasted for a momentand his grip had been gentle. But suddenly he could feel bruises on his skin,beneath the layers of clothes he wore, and it was as if it had happenedyesterday. All his carefully constructed barriers - broken down in an instantby an innocent touch.

“Sorry, I’msorry. I’ve just…” He didn’t even try to explain further, just turnedaround and vanished as soon as the portal had formed.

*

The same night hisnightmares gained a new flavor - old and new elements mixing together to form anew kind of torment that was worse than ever before. Worse than the dreamsabout the accident; far more devastating than the dreams about dying in thedark dimension or the ones about his fight against Thanos. There he had beenable to do something, to fight, be active, resist, despite his handsbeing almost useless. He hadn’t been a victim by choice without any power.Helpless and desperate. The only thing that came close was the sensation oflosing himself and fading away into nothing.

Now, all thecombined trauma gave him a whole new appreciation of the term “nightterror” that went so far that he started to research ways for forgoingsleep altogether. Unfortunately, escaping into his astral form while his bodyrested wasn’t a long-term solution. Okay for a couple of days - or even weeksif necessary - but it put too much stress on his body and the toll would onlyget higher and higher the longer he used this escape.

Plus, there wasTony. The man who had backed off considerably since Stephen’s flight and whosepresence was sorely missed. Tony, who could be an emotional idiot but was morethan perceptive enough to see that something was off and by now was probablyworried sick that he had done something wrong.

Their friendshiphad started off strong and had only gotten stronger in the months since Thanos’defeat. Playful banter had become more, the flirting too and… oh. There it was,the reason for his reaction to Tony’s innocent touch.

Stephen felt sostupid he could have hit himself. Instead, he forced himself to look away from hisbook and at his resting body. In sleep it looked innocent, only the stillshaking hands betraying that something was not quite right with it. It hadbrought him some much pain and misery over the years but it still didn’tdeserve the treatment he put it through now. He deserved better. He puthis book aside with very slow and precise movements, took a deep breath and triedto force away the images from his youth that wanted to destroy his hard-wonpeace. He pushed away the memories of strangers with cruel hands and too muchstrength and tried to imagine what he wanted instead.

Himself, curled upin bed, Tony behind him, holding him loosely, both of them relaxed in theirsleep. No nightmares, just peace. For both of them.

I want this.

With a sickfeeling in his stomach he went back into his body, knowing that this littlefantasy would probably never play out. Others would.

The nightmare of athousand needles piercing his flesh everywhere, while Ebony Maw had his waywith him woke him a short while later.

He awoke in tears,his hands on fire, and with the knowledge that he owed it to himself to dosomething, anything to make it stop.

*

He tried themystic arts and the other Masters, of course. Made his farewells to a disappointedand wondering Tony and vanished to Kamar-Taj. Tried to lose himself in researchand training but also visited the healers. Meditated, tried to find peace withhis choices back then. Told himself over and over again that it wasn’t hisfault, that it was time to move on. It did help, a little, but not enough.

You need therapy. The voice of Doctor Strange, MD, became louder with every passing day.Stephen knew it was the truth, but still he resisted. He was stronger thanthat. He’d gotten over it on his own before, he could do it again. Andyou’ve it done so well the first time, his inner doctor mocked him. Stephenbegan to hate the logical, rational part of himself but finally concededdefeat.

*

“Stephen!You’re back!” Tony came nearer, his hands spread out wide. “Greetingsfrom this earthly realm, oh Master of the Mystic Arts! Welcome back on thisplane of existence!”

Stephen just hadto smile at the sheer joy in Tony’s voice and roll his eyes at the words, butthe smile dropped when Tony came to a standstill before they could embrace. Hisarms were still open. He’s waiting for me to make the next step, Stephenrealized and suddenly wanted to cry. Instead, he forced the smile back onto hisface and stepped into the embrace of his friend. Tony obviously suspected whathad set him off weeks ago because while he held Stephen in a tight embrace hewas very careful to keep his hands high up on Stephen’s back.

After a moment ofinternal fight Stephen just gave up and let himself collapse into the hold,trusting Tony to catch him.

Tony, of course,did, without a word. Except a soft: “I’ve missed you.”

*

“How did youknow?”, he asked about an hour later. He held a hot cup of tea in hishands to keep them as steady as possible and force his mind to be in thepresent.

Tony gave him alook as if he was earth’s biggest idiot. “I touch you on the hips and yourfirst instinct is to raise a defensive shield? I might not get people, as I’mreminded over and over again, but know that kind of reaction.” He lookedaway and played with his own cup of coffee. “I’m sorry. I’ve never saidthat, didn’t I? You never did give any indication that my touch wouldn’t bewelcome or I would never have…”

Why? How? Didsomebody hurt you or was it someone you love? Every protectiveinstinct he possessed reared up and demanded to know the answers, to extractrevenge. “I didn’t,” he said instead. “It didn’t occur to mesince it’s not something I’ve thought about… in a long time. It happened when Iwas a student, barely in my twenties. Practically three lifetimes away. It tookme as much by surprise as you.”

“Stephen.”Tony put his coffee down and focused all of his attention on him. It was likebeing in the focus of the sun itself, wonderful and terrifying in equalmeasures. “You don’t have to explain anything.”

“But what ifI want to?” The words had slipped out before he thought about theconsequences. He had played with the idea after he’d concluded that therapymight work for him but he couldn’t imagine talking to a stranger. He neededsomeone he already trusted, who already knew about his crazy life and hisexperiences in the last few years. He had thought about approaching Wong but asclose as their friendship was he just couldn’t imagine talking about… thatwith him. Or any of the other masters. The thought of speaking about this toChristine, the only other friend he hadn’t managed to alienate, was just asunappealing. Surprisingly, or maybe not, he could imagine to do so with TonyStark. Most people might not believe it but the man could be a great listenerwho had brilliant insights. “Forget it,” he said a moment later.There was no way he was putting even more pressure on Tony, he had already morethan enough demons of his own.

“Forgetit?” Tony echoed. “Seriously? You listened to me rave and rant aboutpretty much everything under the sun and then you want to deny me the chance ofdoing the same for you?” He suddenly looked a lot more vulnerable, as ifremembering something unpleasant. As always when he was uncomfortable withsomething he was rubbing his left shoulder. “I’m here, I’m free for thenext, oh, four to five days, longer if necessary.” He leaned back on thecouch, folded his hands into his lap and stared at Stephen. “You talking,me talking, just staring at each other thinking about how pretty we are… it’syour choice.”

Not everything waslost when Tony was still low-key flirting with him and it served as a reminderthat Tony didn’t suddenly see him in a completely different light. Stephenclosed his eyes, relieved. He carefully put his tea aside and stared at hisshaking hands.

“Whatevergruesome scenario you might have conjured up it wasn’t like that,” hebegan and grimaced immediately. “It wasn’t some brutal assault orsomething. It was by my own choice.”

“It was yourchoice that you were raped? Bullshit!” Tony sat up and startedpacing the room. Stephen got dizzy by just watching him. Then the full extentof the words hit him and the shook his head.

“It wasn’trape”, he said very quietly. “Coercion at worst. It was my choice. Ineeded the money and it was the quickest and easiest way.” He swallowed,feeling sick again. He forced himself to summon his tea just to have somethingin his hands again. He didn’t drink. “My choice,” he repeated.

Tony just lookedat him. If that’s what you need to tell yourself to get through this so beit, he seemed to think. “Easy is something else. If it really had beenyour choice you wouldn’t have flinched when I touched you.” Suddenly Tonywas kneeling before him and looking up. “But this is me, being pushyagain. Sorry. Backing down now.” He leaned back a little, presentinghimself to Stephen as if to say I’m not a threat, just look at me, beinghere. Surprisingly it worked. He was able to take a deep breath again andcould feel the oncoming panic attack recede a little bit. “Thank you fortelling me. I’ll be more careful in the future when I touch you.”

When, not if. Noteverything was irrevocably changed, Tony wasn’t disgusted and there was stillhope. One day he would ask Tony when and where he’d gone to therapy. He was fartoo good in getting people to get to calm down and knew when to back off -there was no way in hell the world-famous weapons dealer from eleven years agobecame the man he was today without some serious help. Professional, highlypaid, help from whose work Stephen now profited by proxy. He didn’t feel badabout it. He probably couldn’t even afford the help he really needed and thisreasons for not seeking it out still stood.

Tony was stillwaiting for an answer. Stephen stared at his hands and refused to look up.“I would like that,” he finally admitted, pushing against the wave offear that tried to claw its way up to the surface. He was safe now and morethan capable of defending himself should somebody try to take advantage of himever again. On the edge of his vision he could see Tony come nearer.

“Likethis?” he asked as he took the cup away from him. Instead he put hissteady hands over Stephen’s shaking ones as if he could still their tremblingby touch alone. The only feeling it caused was one of safety and warmth. “I’mhere, Stephen. Anytime you need to talk, just call me.”

Stephen smiled,touched by the gesture. “Thank you.”

It was a start. A rathergood one, considering everything. The rest would come in time.

=/\=

[mikotyzini]

Boundless - Ch. 7 (Trust)

Introduction Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6

This is essentially our end of the story - the last day of white rose week, tomorrow, will be our epilogue.

It started out as a pretty normal day.  She slept through her alarm (by accident). She rushed getting ready for work and forgot to put on socks (thankfully, Penny always brought an extra pair).  She waited tables and brought other people food while silently starving (or loudly starving, when her stomach decided to speak up).

It started out as a pretty normal day, but then the prettiest girl in the world showed up.  

On a regular day, that alone was enough to make things more interesting, but the new level of crazy didn't stop there. Not only was this girl prettier than anyone Ruby had ever seen before - including on TV or in movies - with the clearest blue eyes and the whitest white hair, but she had some...well...interesting things to say.

Basically, the most beautiful girl in the world said that she and Ruby were actually soulmates destined to be together through every single universe in existence.

Seriously, Ruby couldn’t make this stuff up.  She had an active imagination, but there was no way she could come up with stories as intricate and detailed as the ones Weiss told.  Everyone wearing compasses that pointed to their soulmate?  Being a queen with some crazy wind element power?  Growing up in an orphanage?  It sounded too crazy to be true, but it was also too crazy not to be true, right?

Now, the prettiest girl in the entire world - with the clearest blue eyes, whitest white hair, gorgeous smile and heart-stopping laugh - was waiting for Ruby to respond to the stories she’d just heard.

Did she believe it?  Was Weiss telling the truth?  Were they soulmates in this life and all others?  Or was this just some big, elaborate joke that one of her friends thought would be funny?

Clearing her throat one more time, Ruby struggled to grasp onto a single thread of thought in her mind, which was pretty difficult to do when hundreds of thoughts were flying in every direction. Eventually, she stumbled over a temporary solution to this problem.

“Uh...can you hold on a second?” she asked, already scooting out of her chair by the time Weiss smiled - again, that really patient and pretty smile.

“Of course.”

“Great.  I’ll be right back.”  About to rush away from the table, Ruby abruptly stopped and turned back when she realized she should take her empty plate to the kitchen.  “I’ll get this,” she mumbled, grabbing the plate and hurrying across the patio, weaving through tables while her heart beat loudly in her chest.

Walking into the interior of the restaurant, she made a beeline for the large, swinging door leading into the kitchen.  Backing into it, she was greeted by the hectic bustle of servers rushing to and fro while the chefs clanged pots and pans around on the stoves.  Dumping her plate into the wash bin near the exit, she then dodged around one of the servers hurrying out with a plate of steaming food in each hand.

Surrounded by the familiar chaos, Ruby let out a sigh. Now that she was away from Weiss, maybe she could think straight.  When she was at the table, it was really hard to think about anything other than Weiss...maybe because she was so pretty.  It was like having lunch with a supermodel.

“Hi Ruby!”

Turning towards the chipper voice, Ruby smiled as Penny walked into the kitchen and lowered a stack of dirty plates into the washer.

“Hey, Penny.”

“Who’s that girl you’re sitting with?  She’s pretty!”

“Oh, uh, she’s uh -”

What was the appropriate answer to that question? Maybe-soulmate?  Person she’d just met?  World’s best storyteller?

“She’s a friend,” Ruby settled upon. Thankfully, Penny accepted the response with a grin before her attention was drawn to two plates of food placed on the warming rack and the soft bell that let them know another order was ready.

“It looks like you two are great friends!” Penny commented before heading over to pick up the two plates and take them to their table.

The remark was weird, because how could Ruby and Weiss look like good friends?  They’d just met!  They’d talked for only like...well, it had been a few hours by this point.

Double-checking the clock hung above the kitchen door, Ruby frowned.

Had it really been that long?  It didn’t feel like that much time had passed.  Maybe that’s why they say ‘time flies when you’re having fun’ - only in this case it was ‘time flies when listening to stories about yourself from other universes from the supermodel claiming to be your soulmate.’

Shaking her head, Ruby flagged down one of the chefs in the kitchen.

“Can I make a quick call?” she asked, pointing towards the restaurant’s only phone.  When he nodded in the midst of his work, she grabbed the phone and ducked inside the walk-in freezer, letting the door fall shut behind her.

They weren’t allowed in here often, but it was the best place to have a private conversation…mostly because no one wanted to come in here since it was frickin’ freezing.  But she would deal with the cold because she needed a little bit of advice on what to do now, and when she needed advice there was one person she always called.

When the phone suddenly rang in her hands, she nearly jumped out of her shoes in surprise.  Taking another full ring to collect herself and get her heart restarted, she accepted the call and lifted the phone to her ear.

“Stella’s - how can I help you?”

“Hi!  I was wondering how late you’re open today?” the voice on the other end of the line asked.

“Oh, uh...eleven.”

“Great.  Thank you!”

“No problem - hope you can stop by!” Ruby answered, using the line she’d memorized after way too many awkward sign offs.  

Ending the call, she stared at the phone and took a deep breath to steady her frazzled nerves.  When that didn’t work at all, she dialed the number she knew by heart and held the phone up to her ear.

“Please be home, please be home,” she muttered to herself while it rang, her words sending icy clouds into the air.  On the third ring, her heart jumped when the call connected.

“Hello?”

“Yang, it’s me,” she said, her words falling out in a rush.  She didn’t know why she was rushing, but it suddenly felt like she was in a hurry. Did she want to get back to Weiss that quickly?

“Hey Ruby!  Weren’t you supposed to be done with work already?”

“Yeah, but I...I got held up.”  

“Ah, got it.  So, what’s up?”

Her mind scrambled, Ruby searched for a good way to ask her question.  Come right out and ask?  Or beat around several bushes, lay down some smokescreens, and eventually get to the point?

“Do you believe in destiny?” she blurted out - her dumb, stupid mouth making the decision for her.  

“Uh, what?”

Taking a deep breath, Ruby tried to slow down her words so that Yang could understand what she was asking.

“I mean, like...do you think you and Blake were destined for each other?  Like you were supposed to meet and fall in love?”

“Oh...well...yeah, I’d like to think so.”

If what Weiss said was true, that answer might be more correct than Yang thought.

“What if Blake just walked up to you and said that?” Ruby asked.  “Like...before you even knew each other - what if she walked up and said you were destined to be together?”

Yang laughed at the hypothetical scenario, which was...basically exactly what Ruby had just experienced.

“Uh, you've seen how hot she is, right?” Yang said with another chuckle.  “I would've been stoked that she thought we were soulmates or whatever.”

“So if the person is hot enough, you’d believe them?”

It that was the case, then Ruby had no reason not to believe Weiss...

“l mean, within reason,” Yang added.  “I also had a gut feeling she was a sweetheart after she watched those adorable kittens for so long.”

“Right.  The kittens.”

Having heard this story several times before - how Yang stumbled across Blake standing outside a pet store, watching the kittens in the front window play - Ruby tried to figure out what it meant in terms of her current predicament.  

Yang had watched Blake like a creeper - Ruby had watched Weiss walk up to the hostess, somewhat like a creeper.  Yang then asked Blake out on a date - Weiss then said they were destined to be together across the universes.

But...did that mean Ruby was Yang or Blake in this situation?  Or neither, because this wasn’t at all the same?

“How did you know though?” she pressed.  “How did you know you weren’t just...blinded by how pretty she is?”

If anything was going to be Ruby’s downfall, it was that.  Weiss was too pretty.  She made Ruby’s heart do these crazy flips and turns, and when she talked Ruby wanted to hang onto every word.  And when she laughed...Ruby could die happily every time.  

But that was normal, right?

“It’s just this feeling,” Yang tried to explain. “Like...you know there’s something special about them even though you don’t know them.  And you want to be around them even though you just met. Does that make sense?”

Thinking about the explanation, Ruby nodded (even though Yang couldn’t see her).  It did make sense, in a way.  When she saw Weiss speaking to the hostess, her first thought was that an angel had just walked into their lives.  An actual angel.

“So basically you’re saying...trust your instincts?” Ruby asked.

“Exactly.  Wait - why are you asking?  Did you meet someone??”

“Just curious!  Gotta go - talk later!”  Before Yang could protest, Ruby hung up the call and blew a puff of air through her lips.

Ok, so...Yang believed in soulmates.

Of course Yang believed in soulmates - she was basically one of the characters from those mushy romance novels Blake read. How many times had she professed her love for Blake in high school and college?  How many times had she gone out of her way to find the most ridiculous and public ways to let Blake and everyone else know that they were in love?

Seriously, for the last four years of school, Ruby was known as ‘that girl whose sister is in love with that other girl.’

Still, Yang was the best person Ruby knew for relationship advice.  Yang had way more experience (although was it really experience if she’d only ever dated one girl?), plus...well, she’d convinced Blake to stick around this long!

And Yang believed that soulmates could happen - that it was possible for two people to be destined for one another.  

The last question was...what did Ruby think?

Thankfully, it wasn’t every day that the most beautiful girl on the planet showed up to say she was looking for Ruby because they were soulmates across every dimension.  Although, if that did happen every day, maybe Ruby would be used to dealing with the situation by now. Instead, she was trying to figure out what she thought while keeping the most beautiful girl on the planet waiting.

She understood Yang’s comment about knowing someone was special even though they’d just met.  Weiss was definitely special, and Ruby could totally understand a girl like Weiss being blessed with some awesome superpower that gave her the memories of multiple universes.  

Ruby just wasn’t sure if she believed that she was the other part of the equation. Her.  Ruby Rose.  The one wearing Penny’s green-and-white striped socks because she’d forgotten her own. The one that people in school called weird, and the one that waited tables because she wasn’t sure what else to do with her life.  She really hadn’t done anything to deserve someone like Weiss.  

Ok, so she didn’t know how she felt right now, but there was one thing she was sure about - she was going to go back to the table and talk to Weiss some more.

Leaving the walk-in freezer behind for the blissfully warm air of the kitchen, she put the phone back on its cradle and waved towards the chefs.

“Thank you!” she said, sending them a grateful smile before heading out of the kitchen.

In the inner portion of the restaurant, she navigated through occupied tables before reaching the door leading outside. She was about to open it, but changed her mind at the last second.  Instead of pushing it open, she moved off to one side so she could sneak a glance at Weiss unnoticed.

“Excuse me,” she whispered, moving past one of the diners and crouching down by an empty table to pretend she was tying her shoes. But she wasn’t tying her shoes. Instead, she looked through the window and found Weiss sitting at the same table outside.

She was still there.  

One of these times, Ruby was positive that Weiss would disappear - that the prank would end, and Weiss would disappear, never to be seen or heard from again.  Ruby’s heart ached at the thought, but it must be true, right?  There was no way an angel would stick around forever - no one was that patient.

At least, that’s what Ruby thought, but Weiss seemed to have no interest in leaving.  Instead, she looked perfectly content to sit and wait for Ruby to return.

While Weiss waited, she looked almost...serene. That was the right word.  She was calm, relaxed, not at all freaked out by the idea of having Ruby as a soulmate.  Instead, she took a sip of water and watched tourists pass on the sidewalk.  She vaguely smiled at a dog that walked by.  She didn't seem crazy or like she'd just escaped from prison.  If anything, she was really sweet and kind, and she made Ruby feel...special.

Untying her laces and then slowly tying them again (while trying to watch Weiss at the same time), Ruby suddenly had a thought that jumped right out and smacked her in the face.  

If Weiss’ curse was to remember all these other lives and seek Ruby out over and over again, maybe Ruby’s curse was to blindly trust that a relative stranger was her soulmate.

Although, was it really a curse when a beautiful, smart, funny, kind person like Weiss said that she was Ruby’s soulmate?  That she had loved Ruby over millions of universes and had sought her out just to love her again?  And the only thing she needed to do was accept that maybe it was surprising and unexpected, but it could actually be true?

That didn’t sound like a curse.  That sounded like a blessing - like Ruby did something really good in that first life of hers to deserve someone like Weiss seeking her out over and over again.

So, maybe this was just part of the deal. Weiss did the searching, Ruby did the accepting.  

Really, her side of this was pretty easy - it was her job to trust an angel.  That wasn’t hard to do.  Angels were super trustworthy beings!  Plus, deep down she wanted to believe that everything Weiss said was true.  Maybe that made her selfish - because she wanted to believe she was a queen at some point in time - but she’d be an idiot to let Weiss walk away.

Taking a deep breath and finishing with her laces, she stood and made her way to the door.  Pulling it open and heading out into the late afternoon sun, she rubbed her hands together in an attempt to lower her nerves.

When she’d seen Weiss talking to the hostess, Ruby’s heart had done this huge jump in her chest - the first of many that had happened since then.  It was a sensation she’d never felt before, except on roller coasters and when an elevator started moving before she was ready for it.  But for her heart to start flipping over another person...she knew she had it bad.

As Ruby wove through the tables outside, Weiss almost instantly caught sight of her and followed her path through the maze of seats.  With the space falling away in between them, Ruby noticed how Weiss straightened in her seat while her eyes lit up with unmistakable happiness.

And that happiness was for Ruby.  Weiss was happy to see her.

The excitement filling her chest right now made it feel like she could levitate right off the ground, like she might float away from the restaurant and up into the sky with nothing holding her down.

Instead of floating away, she wasn’t paying attention to where she was walking and tripped over the back of someone’s chair, nearly falling to the ground in the process.

“Sorry!” she yelped, catching her balance and reaching out as if she might’ve hurt the person sitting in the chair. Fortunately, they waved one hand and said, “Don’t worry about it” before going back to their meal as of nothing had happened.

Glancing up, Ruby confirmed that Weiss just witnessed the entire ordeal.  Because of course she had.  Sure, Ruby was lucky enough to have a gorgeous, universe-remembering soulmate, but she wasn’t lucky enough to have her most embarrassing moments missed by that same gorgeous, universe-remembering soulmate.  Maybe it was a package deal.  In which case...yeah, Ruby would still agree to that.

Still, her cheeks burned as she scurried back to Weiss’ table and sat down before she embarrassed herself further.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she said, trying to keep the conversation away from what just happened.

“That’s alright,” Weiss replied before nodding towards Ruby’s foot.  “Are you ok?”

“Oh, that?” Making a soft ‘psh’ sound, Ruby waved one hand.  “I’ve survived worse!”

Her foot was kind of throbbing from slamming into the leg of the chair, but that should go away soon.  Her ego took the brunt of the damage, like usual.

“I just wanted to make a quick call,” Ruby explained, even though Weiss hadn’t asked about her most recent absence.  

And the explanation wasn’t at all shocking to Weiss.  Instead, she nodded as if it was what she’d expected.

“Yang?” she asked, nodding again when Ruby did the same.

“Yeah, I just...wanted to check in with her…”

“And now that you have?”

They’d ended up right where they started - with Weiss waiting for Ruby to respond to the very large elephant on the patio.

“How did you even find me?” Ruby asked instead of addressing her feelings head on, trying to delay the answer.  “Do you put out wanted ads or something?”

When Weiss laughed at the joke, Ruby’s heart did another flip in her chest.

“I’ll admit to doing that once or twice in the past. But I have a few strategies - it depends on the life I’m living, really.  I’ll search on my own if I’m capable and have the resources.  If the world is too...fragmented...I’ll hire private investigators to help.”

“You hire investigators to find me??” Ruby asked, her eyes widening at the disclosure while Weiss nodded.  

“How do you think I found you this time?” Weiss replied, her eyes sparkling as she gave Ruby a playful smile.

The smile made Ruby blush.  And the question made her blush.  And the way Weiss was looking at her made her blush even more.

“I...just thought you walked up here…” Ruby stammered, gesturing towards the entrance of the restaurant while Weiss shook her head.

“I’ve been looking for you, Ruby,” she said, leveling Ruby with blue eyes that were too clear to be real.  “For years.”

Ruby felt her jaw fall open at the words, but she couldn’t find a way to respond.  Years?  Weiss had searched for years?  All that time, Ruby was right here - oblivious to Weiss’ existence, going to work and trying to figure out what life meant.

“It took longer than I thought it would to find you,” Weiss explained, taking Ruby’s silence as a cue to elaborate.  “I hired an entire team of investigators, hoping they’d find you quickly.  Instead, they found your graduation information and then...nothing.  I don’t know how you and Yang kept such a low profile for so long, but the lack of technology in this world certainly didn’t help. It was impossible to find any useful information without actually searching through written records...”

“Oh, sorry.  Guess we kinda stay out of trouble...”

“It’s nothing to apologize for,” Weiss replied, quickly losing the furrow in her brow and finding a smile once more.  “I’m happy that eventually you turned up - in Vacuo, of all places.”

“What’s wrong with Vacuo??” Ruby asked, looking around like there was some visible problem she could find.  Weiss shrugged but maintained her smile.

“There’s nothing wrong with it.  It’s just...not usually somewhere we live, that’s all.”

Ruby had already nodded at the comment before realizing what Weiss was actually saying.

They didn’t often live in Vacuo.  They - as in, the two of them together.  Her and Weiss.  Weiss and her.  Living together, in the same place.

Cheeks flushing, Ruby looked at the table to escape Weiss’ way-too-powerful gaze.  If they were soulmates, that meant they’d been in love, which meant they’d lived together and...been together.

Looking up, Ruby’s eyes went directly to Weiss’ lips and then flitted away again, hoping she hadn’t just completely given away her thoughts with that glance.  Any moment now, her cheeks would burst into flames - that’s how bad she was blushing.

Turning to the side in hopes something would drag her mind away from the thought of kissing Weiss, Ruby watched one of her managers arrive for work.  The moment she saw him, something clicked together in her head - something that hadn’t made sense until right now.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, gratefully accepting the change in topic.  “That explains the weird guy who was here!”

Weiss tilted her head at the comment.  “What weird guy?”

“This guy!” Ruby replied, her mouth moving faster than her brain connected the dots.  “This strange guy!  I was like...really confused when he was here, but now it makes sense!”  

Sensing that Weiss was now the one confused, Ruby waved her hands and paused so she could straighten out her thoughts.  

“Last week this guy stopped in,” she said, doing her best to speak slowly while her mind moved a million miles per second. “He asked to sit in my section, then only ordered a water.  I thought it was weird, but whatever - he can order whatever he wants!  But when I brought him the water, he looked at me and said, ‘You’re Ruby Rose, correct?’  And I said, ‘Uh, yeah.’  Then he smiled and said, ‘Can I take your picture?’  Which was so weird!  But like...we’re supposed to be nice and helpful, right? So I said sure and he took my photo, then drank his water and left.”

“That sounds like Jeremy...” Weiss mused, shaking her head and giving Ruby an apologetic smile.  “I’m sorry if he made you uncomfortable.”

“Oh, no that’s fine!  I just remembered because I told my manager about it afterward, and he said if that guy comes back to let him know.”  Thinking about the entire situation now that she knew what the weird guy was doing, Ruby sat back and laughed.  “It makes a lot of sense now.”

“l was thrilled when he said he found you,” Weiss added, her gaze drifting off while another of those adorable smiles appeared.  “l made arrangements to come here right away.”

“So you just jumped on a plane to Vacuo?” Ruby asked.  She was mostly joking, but Weiss’ answer was an affirmative nod.

“Essentially.  I canceled all of my meetings, reserved a hotel suite for the foreseeable future, and scheduled a flight.”

Weiss said the words so simply...like it didn’t bother her in the slightest to turn her world upside down and fly all the way over here for Ruby.  Not only that, but it sounded like she was planning to stick around - ‘for the foreseeable future.’  Why would she do that if she wasn’t positive that what she said was true?

She wouldn’t.  At least, Ruby didn't think so.

“Well, uh, I appreciate that…” Ruby mumbled, blushing again when Weiss smiled.

“I was more than happy to do it.  I’ve -”

When the sentence cut off, Ruby watched while Weiss lightly blushed, looking suddenly bashful as she thought about the words before speaking them out loud.

“I’ve missed you…” she finally said, never turning away from Ruby’s gaze.  Hearing the words, Ruby’s heart burst into a joyful song and dance that bounced all over her chest.  

And suddenly, she knew.  

Maybe she didn’t completely believe it at the moment - that they were soulmates and destined to be together across the universes - but she wanted to believe.  More than that, she was willing to make every effort to believe it was true.

Because she liked Weiss.  Like liked her.  As soon as they started talking, Ruby knew she was something special.  Ruby wanted to spend more time getting to know each other, and if that meant accepting that they were already soulmates, then so be it.  This was actually better, because now Ruby could fall totally head over heels in love and (hopefully) Weiss wouldn’t be bothered.  

Ruby had never been in love before, but she imagined it started out a lot like this.

“So...we’re supposed to be soulmates…” she finally said, nervously drawing one finger in circles on the table while Weiss smiled at her.

“Yes.”

Again, Weiss’ answer was certain.  There was no hesitation.  No pause.  She was convinced it was true.

“I...don’t really get what that means?” Ruby asked. “Like, do we go off and fight crime together or something?”

Weiss laughed at the suggestion but still nodded.

“If that’s what you want to do, then sure.  I was thinking something a little less...risky.”

“Like what?”

When Weiss smiled - that smile Ruby could never get enough of - Ruby felt happiness budding in her chest.  Whatever Weiss suggested next, Ruby was ready to say ‘yes’ - that much, she knew.  

“I’d like to take you out on a date,” Weiss said. “If you trust me.”

Trust was easy for Ruby - sometimes so easy it got her in trouble.  In this case, Weiss was asking for a whole lot of trust, but did Ruby have any reason not to give it?  What was the worst that could happen?  Even if they weren’t actually soulmates, Ruby loved talking to Weiss and loved listening to all these stories about herself that she couldn’t remember.

But it could be true.  They could be soulmates.  That would explain why Ruby felt so strongly for Weiss from the very beginning of this conversation.  That would explain why Ruby could almost see and feel the stories while Weiss told them.  Maybe Weiss was just a crazy good storyteller, but they didn’t feel like regular stories.  They felt like...long lost memories.

“Ok, that sounds like fun!” Ruby replied, nodding her head as unmistakable excitement built in her chest.

“Really?” Weiss asked, her smile growing.

“Yeah!  Wait, is that surprising?”

Weiss shook her head and laughed, the reaction filling Ruby’s heart with delight.

“It’s wonderfully surprising.  l thought I’d have to do much more to convince you.”

The fact that Weiss was willing to spend more time convincing Ruby was all the convincing she needed.  

“I mean, I don’t know if I completely believe it yet,” Ruby added, not wanting Weiss to get the wrong impression.  “But I want to.  And I’m willing to trust you.”

The response made Weiss even happier, if that was possible.  And it made Ruby blush, feeling a little overwhelmed by the sudden rush of excited emotions surging through her.

She couldn’t wait to learn more - about previous versions of herself, about previous lives they shared, and about Weiss. She was most excited to learn about Weiss, and hopefully learn how to be the soulmate someone like Weiss deserved.

“So, uh...I’m off work,” Ruby said, trying to dispel the heat building in her cheeks.  “Want to go now?”

“I’m ready when you are.”  

Nodding once, Weiss stood up and Ruby scrambled to follow.  Of course, in the midst of her scramble her knee knocked into the bottom of the table and knocked over both glasses, spilling water all over the table.

“Oh - shoot!”  Righting the glasses as fast as possible, Ruby watched water drip onto the ground before looking around in search of something to clean it up. “I’ll be right back,” she told Weiss before rushing over to small server station sitting outside.  Grabbing a stack of napkins, she hurried back and quickly mopped up the mess she’d just made.

“I can help -” Weiss offered, but Ruby shook her head and knelt down to dry water off the ground so no one would slip.

“I got it!” she said, wiping up the rest of the mess before popping back to her feet.  Collecting her pile of wet napkins and the two glasses, she carried everything over to the server’s station.  Throwing away the napkins and setting the glasses off to the side (someone else would take them in later), she rushed back to Weiss and let out a big sigh of relief.

“Sorry about that!” she said with a grin.  “I’m ready now!”

For a brief moment, they just stared at each other, with Ruby’s cheeks growing steadily hotter under Weiss’ unwavering gaze. Weiss was still the prettiest girl Ruby had ever seen, and she couldn’t believe they were about to go on a date. After the date, maybe they could spend more time talking, and then...maybe they could, like, kiss goodnight or something.

Not that Ruby wanted to presume or anything! It was just a wish that she totally wouldn’t mind coming true.

When Weiss suddenly chuckled - as if she’d just read Ruby’s mind - Ruby’s cheeks found a new shade of embarrassment in no time.

“You’re cute,” Weiss commented, succeeding in deepening Ruby’s blush as they walked away from the table.  But they’d only taken a single step before Weiss paused.

“Oh, I never paid,” she remarked, looking around for the bill while Ruby tried to wave the comment away.

“Naw, don’t worry about it.”  Unfortunately, the look Weiss gave Ruby said that she needed to explain exactly why it was acceptable to leave without paying.  

“I-I mean, I totally got it for you,” she admitted, understanding now that her cheeks would be this red forever.

She never covered meals for diners other than her sister, but she’d never served someone so pretty before.  The second she saw Weiss sitting at the table alone, Ruby knew she was about to make a fool of herself in front of a beautiful girl.  Wasn’t it only fair that she give the pretty girl a free lunch in exchange for watching Ruby fumble through her job?

“When did you decide to do that?” Weiss asked.

“As soon as I took your order,” Ruby said, and Weiss laughed - this pure, unbridled laughter that made Ruby’s heart dance excitedly in her chest.

“Well that’s another pleasant surprise,” Weiss commented while leading them towards the exit of the restaurant.  As they walked, she turned to the side and gave Ruby smile.  “But that doesn’t surprise me - you’ve always been full of surprises.”

Weiss certainly knew how to make Ruby blush, which she did again while they headed toward the exit.

“Have you been to Vacuo before?” she asked as they left the café behind, walking down the warm Vacuo sidewalk together.

“Many times,” Weiss answered.  “But only once in this universe, and that was for work so I didn’t have time to explore.”

“Does that mean you need a tour?”

When Weiss looked over with a smile, Ruby’s heart skipped with joy.  

They hadn’t known each other very long (in this life, at least), but she already loved the way Weiss looked at her.  Was it possible to fall in love with the way someone looked at you?  If it was, that was totally happening to Ruby right now.

“Are you offering to give me one?” Weiss asked in return, a hint of playfulness in her tone.

“It’s the least I could do!” Hopping a step ahead, Ruby turned around and walked backward while grinning.  “l mean, you did travel across the galaxy to find me...”

The joke was successful - making Weiss laugh and shake her head.  

“You realize Atlas isn’t that far, right?” she teased.  “l took a plane here, not a spaceship?”

“Well that’s less fun.”  When Ruby pretended to pout, Weiss laughed again.

“You’re right, Ruby.  I took a spaceship here from the moon.  It was quite the trip, actually.”

It was Ruby’s turn to laugh, overjoyed that Weiss was willing to play along with the silly joke - that made her even cooler than before.

“Anywhere you want to see?” Ruby asked, waving down the street.  They were walking towards the main tourist attractions, so there would be tons to look at.

“Whatever you suggest,” was Weiss’ response.  “I’d love to see your favorite places though.”

“Really?”  When Ruby glanced to the side, she found that Weiss was serious - she actually wanted to go to all of Ruby’s favorite places.

In that case, Ruby had a favorite ice cream place, two favorite bakeries, a favorite restaurant for basically any type of food, a favorite shop for buying parts, and much more!  

Hopping on her toes in excitement, she beamed and pointed them in the right direction.

“Then we’ve gotta go this way!” she said, reaching out for Weiss’ hand.  

As soon as she realized what she was doing, she dropped her arm and blushed.

“Uh, I mean, it’s not very far,” she added, trying to save the day on that embarrassing moment.  But, instead of letting slip up pass, Weiss reached out and took Ruby’s hand in her own.  The gesture immediately set Ruby’s heart ablaze, while Weiss’ loving smile added to the growing warmth spreading through her.

A few days ago, she was just a waitress. Today, she was a crime-fighting, universe-stomping superhero!  Or...she was still just a waitress, but she was a waitress with a universe-stomping soulmate in her life.  And it was...really, really awesome.

“Do you have any good stories about Yang?” she asked while they walked towards their first destination - the best bakery in all of Vacuo.  Intertwining their fingers - causing Ruby’s heart to flutter in the process - Weiss laughed.  

“You know your sister...she’s always making something exciting happen.”

“That’s a yes, then!”

Smiling, Weiss nodded.  “That is a yes - would you like to hear another story?”

“Yeah, of course!”

By this point, Weiss didn’t even need to ask - Ruby wanted to hear every single story there was.  Holding hands and walking down the sidewalk together, Ruby listened while Weiss launched into another story from a life far from here.

It was weird to think that Weiss remembered all these lives that Ruby had no memory of, but she loved hearing the stories. She loved the way Weiss told them. And she loved the idea that maybe it sounded unbelievable, fake, or too good to be true, but maybe it was still possible - if someone was willing to believe.

Ruby was willing to believe the unbelievable, and maybe that was one of the reasons they were meant to be together. Hopefully, just one of many reasons.