{"Show me how you do that trick; The one that makes me scream" she said; "The one that makes me laugh"}

She'd seen this kind of thing before.

The half-hearted excuses, the late nights away, the secrecy and elusiveness; the signs were all there in plain sight. Weiss Schnee was no fool and no one, not even her girlfriend of eight months, could ever hope to pull the wool over her eyes.

This was the exact scenario that was so overly used on those cliche romance dramas that she sometimes downloaded to her scroll (that no one knew about, of course. Guilty pleasures and all that). However, it was definitely a peculiar thought that Ruby Rose - the one who called her giant metal mass of heavy artillery her "sweetheart" but reserved calling her own girlfriend such nicknames - was a romantic at heart. After all, anytime that Weiss left it up to the weapons fanatic to plan one of their dates, they always ended up doing something outrageous and very un-date-like. One time she had taken them both to some kind of weapons convention, which, although it had been interesting and - dare she say it - fun in it's own way, the early wake up call and rush to board an airship destined for Vacuo put a damper on Weiss' overall mood for that outing.

Ruby's spontaneity was certainly endearing in it's own way and Weiss knew that she truly cared for her partner if this was her line of thought, but there's was a hidden hopeless romantic in the heiress that longed for the more sentimental gestures. She yearned for the gentle caresses and whispered sweet nothings, the intimate candlelit dinners under the starry night sky, the abundance of bouquets presented to her as signs of affection; she dreamed of these things and more, but was careful to never voice those desires with anyone else. She had a reputation to uphold after all and couldn't risk being so soft in their eyes.

But she'd make the exception for Ruby, if only she would just give her the chance!

And with Valentine's Day just around the corner, it seemed she would be presented with it soon enough. Because certainly that was what was behind all these sudden excursions, right? Ruby had been keeping herself rather busy lately outside the dorm the past week under the premise that she had her secrets so well kept. She had claimed that she was "doing maintenance on Crescent Rose" or "training with Pyrrha" or even (and this was the silliest one of all) "doing research in the library", but such weak excuses could not escape Weiss' radar.

It was only obvious the young huntress was planning some sort of big date for Valentine's Day. But to make her efforts seem validated, Weiss kept quiet on her assumptions and only smiled and nodded whenever Ruby dashed from the room, a half-thought out excuse stumbling past her lips. After all, she wasn't about to ruin Ruby's first real attempt at romance by ruining the surprise. So she kept her lips sealed shut, only allowing herself to happily hum at the prospect of the romantic evening in store for them, letting her fantasies run wild.

But now with the big day tomorrow, she could barely contain herself any longer. Her mood being more pleasant these days led to more smiles and giggles, and less snapping and frowns. This dramatic shift had unfortunately, yet not unexpectedly, captured her teammates' attention and had made them slightly wary, if not a little afraid, of her.

But not Ruby, who either remained too oblivious due to her nature or the fact that was so wrapped up in her planning that she hardly gave Weiss a second glance. If there was a downside to this, it was the fact that Ruby seemed to be so caught up with date plans that she hardly had time for her anymore.

But she was sure that if her girlfriend was putting so much effort into it, it would surely be worth the negligence.

She had very high hopes this Valentine's Day and she just knew Ruby was going to come through.

A tap on her shoulder brought her focus back to the cards in her hand, the game board splayed out beyond that topped with various game pieces. Silver eyes scanned the board before glancing back to her cards, reanalyzing them and restrategizing, lips puckered and gears whirring in her head. Her tongue poked out in concentration she looked over her possibilities for her next move, calculating each outcome, their rewards and their consequences, while simultaneously predicting each player's response. Her chances at coming out unscathed were the lowest they'd been right now, her chances at winning even lower. But not one to be easily discouraged, she fought on, determined to be victorious and if not, to go down fighting.

"Uhhh, Rubes?"

She hushed them, intent on focusing all of her undivided attention on channeling her energy towards the best possible outcome she could make work. Distractions would only detract her from her goal of absolute takeover, something she'd worked too hard for to let slip through her fingers as fickly as grains of sand. She'd -

The four members of Team SSSN winced when Ruby slammed down her cards with a pout. Silver eyes glanced over each of them in turn, questioning and lost before finally she muttered.

"When did I lose?"

The same hand that had tapped her - Sun's - now drummed against the table fearlessly. "Couple turns ago actually. Game's over now. Neptune won...again."

Said bluehead flashed a toothy grin and flexed his muscles. "Reigning World of Remnant champ at your service." He offered a wink at the young huntress, but faltered when her frown grew deeper and her gaze dropped to the tabletop. "Hey what's up Lil' Red? Normally you at least crack a smile at that."

"Yeah," Sage piped up. "You kinda zoned out awhile ago. That was why you were the first to be overcome by Neptune's army."

A hand fell upon her shoulder and when she looked up she saw Sun looking down on her with a comforting smile. "C'mon, Rubes. You know you can tell us."

Ruby heaved a large sigh and leaned back on her chair, teetering on the two back legs with the heels of her boots planted on the ground. In all honesty it was silly and probably not worth worrying about, but it still bugged her because all-in-all, none of it made sense. She looked at Team SSSN gathered around the table, their attention directed towards her. She could tell them, right? They were like...the big brothers she never had or something.

"Okay, okay," she sighed. "It's just...it's been weird these past couple of weeks."

"How so?"

Ruby frowned and pulled at her sleeves, pursing her lips before resigning herself to her fate. "Weiss...she's been really happy lately."

A short pause collected over the group while the boys exchanged glances, only broken when Sun coughed. "Um, isn't that a good thing?"

"It is!" Ruby said hurriedly. "But...I dunno. It's almost...unnerving? I dunno. Like I said it's just, weird." She lifted her face to the high ceiling of the library and exhaled loudly. "I can't figure her out sometimes."

"Well that's what you have us here for!" Sun said proudly, jabbing his bare chest with his thumb.

Ruby perked up, lifting her head and looking over at him. "Do you know why she's so happy then? Has she...has she told you?" She deflated a little at the last question, wondering what it was that her girlfriend could've possibly told him that she couldn't even tell her own girlfriend.

"Well, uh...no. But I'm sure we could figure out what's up with Miss Ice Queen, can't we guys?" There was a collective grunt of agreement and Sun gestured to his teammates with raised eyebrows as if to say "See? What did I tell ya?".

"So what do you think it is?"

At this they all grew silent, eyes rolled upward or cast down in thought as they conjured up possibilities as Weiss' recent pleasant demeanor for the past two weeks.

Sage was the first to speak up. "Maybe she got a really good test grade."

Ruby scoffed. "And isn't bragging about it to everyone as far as Mistral?"

The tattooed teen nodded thoughtfully. "Right."

"What if she made a bet or something where she had to be super nice or else...I dunno had to streak through campus or something?" suggested Neptune.

Her face colored as bright as her namesake, Ruby almost toppled over in her chair, barely collecting herself before ending up in a mass of limbs on the floor. "Neptune!"

"Hey! I'm just throwing ideas out!"

However, it seemed that Neptune's outrageous accusation had sparked something in his best friend's head, who smirked devilishly as he leaned close to a still blushing Ruby. "What if she's being brainwashed?"

Ruby rolled her eyes and shoved him away with one hand. "Oh now you guys are getting ridiculous!"

Scarlet, who until then had been quietly laughing at the spectacular chipped in his two cents between laughing breaths. "Maybe she's been replaced by an alien who's going to take over the entire world!"

"No she's definitely Weiss' twin sister, except instead of being the evil one she's the good one!"

"Nah I think maybe she's plotting to kill poor lil' Rubes in her sleep! Tear her heart right out of her chest!"

"Oh that's gross, Sun!"

As the guys continued to joke and laugh, Ruby came to realize that they were of no help after all and that she'd have better luck elsewhere. She jumped from her chair, ignoring the rest of the crazy theories they were spewing as she stomped out of the library, hoping to find her answer from someone a bit more mature and sensible.

She's not sure why she went to Yang.

Sure she loved her sister, more than anything actually. Yang had always been there for her, through thick and thin, better or for worse, good times and bad, sickness and health, all that bladdy blah. They'd always been together, closer than any other blood sisters they knew and even closer than most people they knew. They had a special bond that couldn't be broken or compromised by or for anything and it was this stability that helped Ruby get over her late mother and through most of her childhood.

However, as much as she adored Yang and really looked up to her sometimes, there was always one topic she avoided any and all help on, which was, none other than, dating. She had learned early on in the game that Yang's way of going about things was not something that suited her, something the blonde brawler had immediately understood and respectably backed off. Sometimes she just contain herself though, like the way that she had "nudged" Ruby to ask out Weiss (locked them in a stuffy closet with Weiss screaming and pounding on the door and Ruby curled up in a corner wondering how long it would take them to suffocate in the confined space). Or how one day Ruby mentioned that she hadn't made a move to kiss Weiss yet and she started receiving strange and abundant shipments of mints and lip balm.

But she knew that Yang would always be there for her, no matter what, and that if it had really bothered Ruby, she wouldn't have done the things she had (excluding the closet scenario).

So now she sat next to Yang, munching on a bag of oddly shaped hard candies while Yang herself sipped on a colorful pink drink which she refused to disclose where she had gotten it. They were currently seated on a bench outside the main building of the school campus, watching the occasional student run across the lawn or a pair of students walking down the sidewalk leisurely, arms linked together. It was still bright out, the sun high in the sky - noon. The chilly wind blew through the barren trees, kicking up the dead leaves from the dry and brittle brown grass, spinning them in circles and sending them in loops before letting them fall gracefully back to earth only to later repeat the dance.

"So..." Yang said, after slurping down the rest of her drink. "I assume you're here about Weiss?"

Ruby blinked, stunned, and nodded slowly. "Yeah, but...how'd you -"

Yang laughed and tossed her plastic cup behind her carelessly, yet when Ruby inclined her head back she saw that it landed neatly in the trash bin placed behind them. "'Bout time!"

"I...wuh?"

The blonde stretched her arms above her head before draping them across the back of the bench. "You wanna know what's got her in such a cheerful mood lately, am I right?"

The brunette nodded winced when a rather harsh wind blew smack into her face, throwing her short hair into every direction. Once it had calmed down she opened her mouth to speak, but Yang had beat her to it.

"Ya know, she's convinced herself you're secretly planning some kind of huge date for the both of ya." At Ruby's confused expression, she inclined her head exasperatingly, raising a single eyebrow. "Ya knoooooow, for the big V?" A more confused expression. "Jeez, Sis! Valentine's Day!"

The words didn't register at first and Yang was almost worried that she still hadn't gotten through to the metalbrain huntress. But something eventually clicked and sparked behind those silver eyes which suddenly widened in recognition and then even wider with panic.

"Oh no! I forgot!"

Yang nodded sympathetically. "Figured ya did. Weiss seemed convinced that whenever you said you were going to go work on Crescent Rose, you were really making plans for some romantic date."

Ruby looked at Yang incredulously, mouth open and brow furrowed as if she had been slapped. "Why would I lie about working on Crescent Rose?!"

"And all those research trips to the library..."

At this the young huntress scratched the back of her head. "I figured she'd be mad if I told her I was going to play board games with the guys."

Again Yang nodded. "Figures." She snaked the arm behind Ruby's head down to the bag of hard candies and grabbed a handful before snapping it back to her body, shoving the entire handful in her mouth at once. Ruby shouted in protest and tried clawing open Yang's mouth to retrieve the candies but Yang fell over onto her side out of reach her arm keeping the younger girl out of reach.

Once she had successfully swallowed all the candies, she said, "I think you have bigger problems than stolen candies, Rubes."

"Bigger problems than you stealing my sweets?"

"Yeah," Yang laughed. "Like the fact that Weiss is expecting some super big romantic date and you have nothing planned." Ruby went limp against Yang's hand, slinking back to rest agaisnt the back of the bench and allowing the blonde to sit up. Once she had, she threw an arm around her little sister's shoulders who had began murmuring to herself quietly.

"Oh man she's going to be so mad. Maybe I still have time to make a reservation somewhere and maybe still be able to find a decent enough dress. The stores are probably going to be packed though but it might still be manageable I mean, I have time right? And I know some restaurants make you reserve weeks in advance but, like, there's gotta be someone who's got some open slots. I can call a few tomorrow and see - " She abruptly stopped in her ranting when Yang had begun shaking next to her, tears of laughter in her eyes. Ruby frowned and flicked her forehead which didn't seem to even register with the blonde. "What's so funny?" she shouted.

"Ruby! Oh, Rubes! Valentine's Day...it's today!"

There was a brief pause, a blank look settling over Ruby's face as Yang watched the gears turn and crank as she processed this new information, analyzing the sentence in her head and applying it to her current situation. Only seconds later did all color wash out from her face, leaving behind a transparency in her features that identified one as a corpse or one of the undead; her eyes were large and round in alarm and realization, a deathly fear clouding over them as her bottom lip trembled, gaping. Her hands found their way shakily to her hair, grasping at her short strands and sometimes pulling, sometimes just running through.

And then came the impending outburst.

"IT'S TODAY!"

Yang sat back up when Ruby leaped from the bench as if it had burned her, pacing back and forth in front of it, the bag of hard candies left forgotten behind her. Yang took this opportunity to seize them and dig in as Ruby began to murmur to herself under her breath, getting loud with each inhale and more frantic with each turn.

"She's going to kill me...How could I forget...Stupid holiday...No time...going to do..."

After emptying the rest of the contents of the bag into her stomach, Yang balled it up, tossing it back in the same manner as she had previously with her cup. Once this was done she stood up, putting herself directly in Ruby's pathway who, so caught up in her worries, failed to notice and bumped into her. Seizing her shoulders and shaking her a little, the brunette's attention was drawn back to the blonde in front of her, fearful and panicked. Yang smiled.

"Lucky for you, Sis, I knew this would happen." Ruby pulled a face that said "So why didn't you warn me?" but Yang ignored it. "Sooooooo...I already made reservations for you." At this she presented a piece of paper with a flourish that only Yang could pull off, dangling it in front of Ruby like a piece of meat in front of a starving man. "Some fancy schmancy restaurant, tonight at 8, dress formally." Desperate hands snatched the paper from her, almost ripping it in her haste, before clutching it to her chest and lifting her face to the heavens, lips moving in some silent prayer. Yang stepped back and smiled with her hands on her hips and when Ruby looked at her again there was no room for anything but pure relief and gratitude.

"Yang have I ever told you how much I love you?"

"You couldn't fail mention it some more."

"Like seriously you saved my butt I thought I was going to have to change my name and go into witness protection."

"Oh c'mon, Ruby. Weiss isn't that scary. She's only like...four feet tall."

Pocketing the piece of paper in her skirt, Ruby shook her head and laughed. "Don't let her hear you say that. She'll skin you for sure."

Yang waved her hand dismissively, knowing that she could take Weiss in a fight any day and couldn't care less about any threats sent her way. "Yeah, yeah, okay. I'll lay off on the princess for this o' so special night." She smiled and placed a hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Also, I already ordered a dress for you to wear tonight. It's hanging in your closet now. Make sure you tell Weiss to get all dolled up and pretty for tonight, but go ahead and play it up as a surprise. After all, this is supposedly all your idea. Gotta act like it." Ruby nodded, taking mental notes.

"Also," Yang grinned here bringing Ruby in closer for a one-armed hug. "As thanks for me saving your ass from your girlfriend's wrath, there's something I want ya to do for me, lil Sis."

Now the young huntress seemed wary, squirming a bit in Yang's grip. "And that is...?"

She leaned in close as if she were telling a secret. "Me and Blake get the room to ourselves tonight. The whooooooole night."

Ruby turned beet red and ducked her head down and Yang laughed on, drawing a bit of attention from passers by.

The chill crisp of night brought with it gentle breezes, pushing back their hair and dancing with the strands playfully as they shivered and huddled to each other for warmth. The streets were nearly empty; they had reached a part of town where not many frequented, especially on such cold nights as these. Instead many were on dates with their prospective lovers or were spending nights in with friends or family. Both girls envied those for the warmth they currently possessed, dressed in nothing but thin gowns and overcoats that protected them from the chill but did almost nothing against the wind. But they were content in each other's company, strolling down the sidewalk, bellies full with food and laughter, mouths stretched out into smiles, and fingers interlaced in a handhold. Their mirth was enough to ward away most of the chill, and soon enough they hardly paid mind to it, lost in their jokes and stories, in their small talk and debates as the half moon above them watched over in approval if indicated by the brightness that it radiated. When particularly strong gusts of wind whipped their hair into a frenzy and their dresses fluttered with a snapping sound, they would squeal and huddle closer, laughing and smiling without a single care, more delighted than distressed over the harsh weather conditions.

What might have normally been a brief walk to the airship back to Beacon took them nearly an hour, delays caused by gusts of wind, of stops to catch their breath from their tear-filled laughs, and the moments they paused to share a kiss in the shadows of an overhang, or in plain sight underneath a street lamp, hands interlaced and chests pressed together. But they reached their destination eventually, and both girls sighed in utter relief as they stepped into the warm bubble of the airship that would take them back to their dorm.

Yet as they sat together on the airship, all laughter and talking had ceased, where Weiss had instead decidedly to comfortably lay against Ruby's shoulder in silence. It was in this silence that the young girl's guilt caught up to her and her stomach twisted in knots. She couldn't lie to her. She just couldn't.

But she couldn't quite tell her either.

So the ride back was completely silent, too short for Ruby's liking. As Weiss pulled her off the airship by the wrist with a yawn, saying how she couldn't wait to collapse onto her bed, Ruby hesitated slightly. It was enough for Weiss to notice, who stopped abruptly and looked behind her questioningly, head tilted just so so that her snow white locks spilled over her pale shoulders (now bare where her coat had slipped off during the warm airship ride) and pink lips forming around some muffled words that Ruby failed to hear in her daze.

And with that she made a decision.

She leaned in and pressed a firm kiss to her girlfriend's lips before reversing their position by grabbing Weiss' wrist. She pulled away with what she hoped was a mischievous smile, relishing in the pink that dusted over the heiress' face and the breathlessness to her own voice. "Follow me."

And so they went to the Emerald Forest, kicking up their heels and giggling the whole way there.

"I didn't plan our date, you know."

Weiss stood behind her now, leaning against a tree trunk, arms crossed. Her glossed lips (now smudged) were pursed and she nodded her head. "I figured as much, honestly."

Ruby reached back to rub the back of her neck. "Honestly I forgot today was even Valentine's Day. So, uh...sorry."

Weiss only nodded again. "The reservations...?"

"Yang."

"Funny. I had put my money on Blake."

The silence between them grew awkward, at least awkward on Ruby's half, and suddenly she found herself regretting her decision. But she'd follow through to the end, because if there was thing a Rose didn't do, it was half-ass things.

She reached a hand up to one of the low hanging branches and plucked a leaf from it, twirling it between her thumb and forefinger. "Do you know where we are?"

Weiss quirked a single eyebrow and frowned. "Emerald Forest, of course."

The brunette shook her head and walked over to Weiss, smiling as she continued to twirl the leaf between her fingers. "C'mon, Weiss. There's more to it than that. Think back a bit. I know it's been a few years but..."

The heiress turned her head now, taking in her surroundings. Nothing here looked particularly familiar and there wasn't anything that necessarily stood out. They'd been on countless missions here, so many she could hardly count. They had been trained to know this forest forwards and backwards, each and every inch of ground, all the nooks and cranies that lay underneath the underbrush; she could walk through this entire place with a blindfold on and hands tied together, so while she knew their location, she failed to recognize any significance this certain spot must've held.

She shook her head and pressed her fingertips to her lips. "Ruby Rose, just what are you playing at?"

Ruby stopped twirling the leaf in her hand now, standing directly in front of her. She wasn't much taller than Weiss, especially when they had first come to Beacon, but being the younger of two by two years gave her more time to grow, allowing her to raise a couple of inches above her. It wasn't something that pleased her, but more often than not Ruby wore flat-footed boots and Weiss stuck to her wedges, making up for most of their height difference. However, tonight they were both in heels, and Ruby was able to look down on her. Not much, but enough to annoy the heiress.

"It was here," she shook the leaf a little before sticking the stem of it in her hair, tucked behind her ear, "that we made eye contact and became partners." She took her hand away from the leaf and Weiss reached up to pull it out and scold Ruby for playing tricks on her, but instead of the rough cells of a tree leaf her fingers found the velvet petals of a rose. Her ice blue eyes looked up in wonder and confusion and before she could inquire how Ruby had pulled such a trick, her lips were engulfed with Ruby's chilled ones, and any questions she had died in her throat.

As their lips moved together the chill left them, starting from there and moving throughout the rest of their bodies, inch by inch, cell by cell, until it seemed their were entirely impervious to the cold night. Fabric shifted between them as they moved closer to each other, soon being the only barrier between them as the lips caressed the other's and their hands roamed over skin, bunched up fabric, clawed through hair. They could feel each other's every moment through their own nerves; the heartbeats between them synchronized into one, keeping pace with the squirming bodies desperate for more touches, more kisses, more closeness. The rough bark scraped against Weiss' back which Ruby felt by way of Weiss' nails raking down her own, and the night wind chilled Ruby's ears, which Weiss felt by way of the breaths Ruby blew on her own during the breaks of their kissing.

They truly could've stayed there forever and not have been truly satisfied. So caught up in their tryst they began to be unable to discern where one began and the other ended, whose hands were touching where, whose lips were skimming whose collarbone, which lips had whispered the other's name so sweetly in the other's ear.

And as they calmed and pulled away, still pressed together but eyes gazing into each other's, Weiss realized something important that changed her view of Ruby forever.

Ruby Rose was no hopeless romantic, at least not the same kind she was. But Ruby was sentimental in her own way, looking at the tiny details instead of the much larger picture, something Weiss herself tended to overlook in the rush of life or heat of the moment. It was what made her a great leader. It was what made her a fantastic friend. It was what made her a wonderful lover.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Neither could remember who pulled the other for another kiss, but in the end it wouldn't matter. With the moon shining down on them, secluded away in the silent forest, the same spot where their journey had originally begun, they only had eyes, ears, and breaths for each other. Nothing else mattered, so long as they were here in each other's embrace, chests filled to the brim with adoration and affection, throats bubbling with mirth, lips swollen and smiling with kisses.

There was nothing else Weiss had ever wanted more.

"Oh yeah and, Weiss? I promised Blake and Yang the dorm tonight. So we have to find somewhere else to sleep."

And now, a warm bed.

A/N: I almost had this done in time! I'm only a few minutes off! And it's still Valentine's Day for some people! Therefore, this counts!

Here's something fluffy...for a change.

Unless you caught the heart joke xD

I'm now playing a game of "How many heart jokes can Ash shove into her fics?"