Welcome to the last chapter! This chapter is more like an epilogue than anything else. I hope everyone had a great week filled with White Rose. Again, I don't think I'll participate in the ship weeks again (if I do, it might just be short one shots), but it was a fun experience! I definitely learned how much I can write if I do nothing else!

On the verge of waking up, Weiss already sensed that it would be a great day. She was surrounded in soft blankets that were comfortably cool to the touch, she'd slept wonderfully, and everything smelled like roses - not the woeful roses she found at flower shops, but the single, specific rose she'd received on her 18th birthday.

And the single, specific person that rose belonged to.

"Wake up, sleepyhead!"

The whisper was followed by a giggle as the bed moved, someone resituating themselves atop the covers. Blinking her eyes open, Weiss nearly gasped out loud when she found herself looking into sparkling pools of liquid silver - Ruby leaning over her and staring straight into her eyes.

"Ruby -" Weiss murmured, raising her hand to rub the rest of sleep from her eyes. As soon as she closed her eyes to do so, she felt a pair of soft lips press against hers - a light touch that quickly disappeared with another giggle.

She was certainly awake now.

"You sleep so long!" Ruby commented, moving to the side of the bed and watching Weiss sit up and stretch. "You look like a princess when you sleep, so I really didn't want to wake you up."

"But you're hungry?" Weiss asked, connecting the dots between what Ruby said and what she truly meant.

"Uh, yeah." Embarrassed for only a second, Ruby quickly found another smile. "I've normally eaten breakfast and two snacks by now!"

While Weiss chuckled at the unabashed honesty, Ruby popped out of bed and walked over to the dresser in the hotel suite that was reserved for the indefinite future.

Unsure of how things would progress, Weiss had planned on staying here for a very, very long time. Little did she know that everything would go surprisingly well...and surprisingly fast.

Weiss openly stared while Ruby pulled an outfit from the dresser - making her selection from a collection of new clothing they'd purchased while out shopping together. Ruby hadn't wanted Weiss to buy anything for her...but insistence won out in the end. One of Weiss' favorite hobbies was giving Ruby gifts, after all. What better way to do that than by going to a shopping mall and buying as many new clothes as they could carry?

But, even with the new clothes, Weiss' favorite outfit had to be Ruby's pajamas - a pair of red shorts that showed off long, tan legs and a white tank top that left her shoulders blissfully bare. It was the back of Ruby's left shoulder that drew Weiss' attention at this moment, where a small, icy blue snowflake resided.

Weiss had discovered the tattoo almost immediately, and it made her heart warm with happiness every time she saw it. She'd already explained the significance to Ruby - who'd designed the intricate pattern herself after losing a dare and being forced into getting it done.

In Weiss' mind, these small coincidences cemented even further that they were destined for one another. Not that she needed more proof, but it was nice to find pieces of their original lives strewn around them. A tattoo here, a birthmark there - every universe found a way to connect them back to their beginning.

They were different people - shaped and molded by different lives and upbringings - but there was a single thread stringing through the cosmos that bound them together.

"Ready to meet Yang?"

The question immediately destroyed a good percentage of Weiss' blissfulness, reminding her that today was her scheduled meeting with Yang.

"How about we order room service and stay here all day instead," she suggested, wanting nothing more than to sit on the bed and talk for hours and hours more - just as they'd done the past couple days. In the process, they could postpone meeting Yang and spend more time with each other instead.

Unfortunately, Ruby's response was to giggle and shake her head.

"I'd love to, but I told her I'd be back this morning. If we don't show, she's gonna come looking for me. And do you really want to meet her that way?"

Sighing at the voice of reason (when had Ruby become so reasonable?), Weiss decided that maybe it was time to get up, after all. Slipping out of bed, she stretched as soon as her feet touched the ground, and immediately noticed the sly glance she drew when her nightshirt lifted and revealed a bit of her stomach.

The look sent a shiver of thrill down her spine as she pulled her shirt down and sent Ruby a teasing smile.

"We've certainly had worse first meetings." Weiss remembered all too clearly the times she and Yang had started off on the very wrong foot. But she didn't want to think about those at the moment - not when she was on the cusp of their next 'first' meeting. As much as she didn't believe in 'jinxing' herself, she would love to keep her chances of a positive meeting as high as possible.

"What if we go say 'hello,' then come back here and order as much room service as you can possibly eat?" she suggested, her happiness growing when the offer was met by a big grin.

"But breakfast first?" Ruby asked.

"Of course."

"Then that sounds fantastic!"

Satisfied with that plan, Weiss walked into the bathroom to get herself ready for the day. If she was meeting Yang this morning, she needed to look as put together as possible. Not that she wanted to look disheveled on any day, but it was especially important to be presentable today. Looking sharp would go a long way towards Yang accepting her as a new person in Ruby's life.

This meant extra attention was given to her hair, making sure it was perfectly styled in just the way she wanted. A light touch of makeup was added while she mentally sorted through the clothing she had with her to put together an outfit. It should be casual, but very chic - the type of trendy fashion Yang normally liked.

Unfortunately, Ruby was...very typically Ruby...and knew very little about what types of clothing Yang liked to wear. Weiss had tried to glean more information over the past few days, but the only bits of knowledge she'd learned were that Yang 'liked fashion magazines' and 'had lots of shoes.' Not exactly enlightening, but she could easily build an outfit based on current trends and hope it fit the bill.

"Oh shoot!"

Walking out of the bathroom and towards the dresser, Weiss found Ruby looking at a crumpled scrap of paper with a frown.

"What is it?"

"I totally forgot I have work today."

The news immediately brought a frown to Weiss' lips as well. Their almost perfect day of talking and spending every second together was going to be ruined by some pesky job?

"Quit."

The word slipped out without a second thought, drawing a look of surprise from Ruby.

"Quit? Like...quit my job?" Ruby asked, her tone implying she was having a harder time believing that suggestion than the whole 'soulmates' thing.

Again, Weiss had gotten ahead of herself, but there was no turning back now.

"Yes," she said, nodding while reaching out to take Ruby's hand in her own. "You don't need to work anymore - I have more than enough money for the both of us, so why don't you quit?"

While Ruby stared - her jaw dropped in shock - Weiss suddenly realized an important part of that decision.

"Unless you like working there," she quickly added, mentally kicking herself for only thinking of her own wishes. "If you like working there, then of course stay as long as you want. Maybe I could work there too. Although I've only been a waitress a couple times before..."

Her words trailed off when Ruby started laughing - the sound so wonderfully joyful it lifted Weiss' heart with little difficulty.

"What's so funny?" she asked, smiling even though normally she would be embarrassed, frustrated, or annoyed that someone was laughing at something she said.

"You are! Being all cute and stuff thinking about being a waitress." Laughing again, Ruby shook her head. "What am I supposed to do if I quit? Stay home and be all soulmate-y?"

'Soulmate-y' wasn't a word, but it was adorable that Ruby was using the term so frequently. Every time the term left Ruby's lips, in whatever form she decided to use, Weiss' heart did flips of happiness in her chest.

"You can do exactly that," Weiss replied, smiling at the idea of domestic Ruby staying home all day - as if that might actually be possible. "Or find something you're passionate about," Weiss added, knowing that was the option most likely to occur.

Biting her lip, Ruby pondered the question for quite some time before flashing another one of those blinding smiles.

"I'll think about it. And we can talk about it later?" When Ruby's expression begged an answer, Weiss readily nodded.

"Of course. We can talk about it later."

Happy with the response, Ruby grinned and shoved her tattered work schedule into the front pocket of the jeans she'd put on while Weiss was in the bathroom.

"Guess we should get going then! Grab food, meet Yang and Blake, then work!"

"I suppose that means we won't be spending our entire day here…" Weiss remarked, mildly disappointed that their perfect plan was ruined by work obligations.

"Nnnope! But you can hang out at the restaurant again? I'll get the chef to make you another tuna salad sandwich!"

Opening a drawer and pulling out the pieces of her carefully selected outfit, Weiss sighed in pretend exasperation.

"I suppose that will have to do..."

Hearing Ruby giggle and hop onto the bed behind her, Weiss smiled and headed back into the restroom to finalize her outfit.

The last few days felt like a dream - a dream she never wanted to wake up from.

After leaving the café, they'd spent the entire day together - exploring Ruby's favorite places, then staying up late into the night talking while sitting on the bed in the hotel suite. The next day, they'd talked more - over breakfast, walking around Vacuo, over lunch, walking around some more, over dinner, then through the night again. Yesterday had been more of the same.

She thought exhaustion would've taken its toll by now, but that was furthest from the truth. The little sleep they'd gotten was some of the most restful sleep she'd ever had, leaving her rested and rejuvenated each morning. Ruby's upbeat energy only added to what Weiss could only describe as a complete revitalization of her spirit.

Essentially...she felt better than she had in a very long time.

After putting the finishing touches on her appearance for the day, Weiss stepped out of the bathroom and immediately savored Ruby's expression.

Even if Yang wasn't impressed, Ruby's reaction was more than worth the effort. It started out as pure shock, before morphing into flustered embarrassment combined with a blush - the likely result of thoughts that wandered a bit too far.

"Are you ready?" Weiss asked, her skin tingling when Ruby's eyes roved over her one more time.

"Uh, yup!" Jumping to her feet, Ruby quickly shook any ideas out of her head before joining Weiss by the door. "You, uh, look great, by the way."

The compliment was the cherry on top of this magnificent morning.

"Thank you…" Weiss replied, smiling when Ruby rushed forward to open the door and wave her through.

"After you."

But, instead of leaving the room behind, Weiss stopped in front of Ruby and smiled. It was still difficult to believe this was real - this was actually happening. Years of dreaming about Ruby had ended, only to be replaced by...Ruby.

Rolling up onto the balls of her feet, Weiss pressed a kiss to Ruby's lips - this one light and sweet, but still charged with unreleased energy. When Ruby closed her eyes and leaned into the feeling, that energy surged through Weiss like a tsunami.

But she knew better than to relinquish control at this moment. There would be time to unleash those feelings later on...when they had ample time alone. Right now, unfortunately, they had an older sister to meet.

Breaking away with a sigh, Weiss smiled while watching Ruby's eyes flutter open and a soft blush grow on her cheeks.

"That was really awesome…" Ruby breathed out, drawing out a laugh as Weiss placed another quick kiss to Ruby's lips and finally walked through the door.

Weiss tried not to be a smug person, but it was hard not to be when Ruby issued such breathless compliments for every moment of intimacy they shared. It was quite the ego boost - one she might never grow tired of.

As they made their way down to the lobby of the hotel, Ruby casually reached down to hold Weiss' hand - a small gesture that sent Weiss' heart soaring into the clouds. Ruby's willingness to be intimate so soon was a blessing Weiss would never take for granted - not when she'd spent the past few years pining and craving Ruby's touch, only to be rewarded in droves over the first several days.

"What do you want to eat?" Weiss asked while the elevator doors slid open and released them into the bustling hotel lobby.

"Uh, can we just grab something quick?" Ruby asked, pointing in the direction of the hotel's snack bar. "I'll eat more when I get to work."

"That sounds good."

Even though she had no plans of buying anything for herself, Weiss accompanied Ruby into the small shop - if only so they could continue holding hands. She watched Ruby make selection after selection as they walked through the narrow aisles - picking out a yogurt parfait, several large, freshly-baked cookies, and a glazed donut. The assortment could surely qualify as an entire meal, but probably wouldn't last Ruby until lunchtime.

It didn't bother Weiss in the slightest, and she willingly held the yogurt parfait in her free hand while they left the hotel behind. When they stepped outside, she found that the weather was warm and sunny - another typical day in Vacuo.

"Should we take a cab?" she asked, gesturing towards a line of them waiting to shuttle hotel guests to their destinations.

"Uhh…" Holding a half-eaten cookie in one hand, Ruby spun around to find her bearings in the city.

It was strange for Weiss to be so unfamiliar with a city and landscape, but she greatly enjoyed trusting Ruby to lead them from one location to the next. There were several moments when she was positive Ruby had gotten them lost, only for their destination to pop up out of the blue.

"It's a little far," Ruby answered. "But we can walk -"

Seeing as how Ruby had passed up a 'real' breakfast this morning, Weiss figured they were trying to save time. So, she shook her head and led them towards the first taxi in line.

"I think a taxi sounds nice today," she explained as the driver leapt out of the vehicle to open the door for them. "That way you can finish eating and point out more landmarks as we go."

Fortunately, the explanation was well-received, and Ruby slipped into the backseat with Weiss right behind. Ruby provided the driver with the address - which Weiss made a strong mental note of - before they were on their way.

Quickly ferried through the streets, Weiss watched Ruby polish off the cookies and donut before eating the entire parfait in under a minute. The rapid eating might've been alarming if they'd just met, but it was actually comforting that Ruby still ate as usual.

Seeing as how they'd only been together for a few days - and significant milestones had already been reached - Weiss' impatience had paid off. (Telling Ruby the truth right away was an act of utmost impatience, as much as Weiss tried to convince herself otherwise.) Ultimately, it was probably a bad thing that her impatience was rewarded so handily, as she now had good reason to consider telling Ruby earlier than expected in the future.

"We're here!"

Looking out the window when Ruby pointed, Weiss discovered a row of relatively nondescript apartment buildings sliding by.

"It's the brown one," Ruby added as the taxi came to a smooth stop across the street.

Eyes fixed upon the light brown building looming through the window, Weiss quickly paid the taxi driver before exiting the vehicle and waiting on the sidewalk for Ruby to join her. Looking up at the building - which wasn't intimidating in any outward fashion - Weiss' heart still sped up.

Acknowledging the surge of emotions rushing through her system, she silently scolded herself for being nervous. There was no reason to be nervous. Ruby was acclimating to the situation almost alarmingly well, having little problem accepting any of the stories Weiss told. Additionally, Yang and Blake were two of Weiss' closest friends - she was excited to see them again...but also nervous that they might not like her as they had in the past.

And, though she would never admit this out loud, she always felt a little bit like she was walking into the lion's den whenever meeting Yang for the first time as Ruby's...significant other.

"Ready?" Ruby asked, taking Weiss' hand and leading them across the street without waiting for an answer.

"I suppose…"

Hopping up the steps, Ruby held the door open for Weiss once again, but when Weiss attempted to walk through, an arm shot out to block her path.

"Woah woah! You've gotta pay the toll!"

Surprise rapidly morphed into amusement, as Weiss watched Ruby waggle her brow to make the situation clearer than it already was.

"Is that how this works?" Weiss asked, tilting her head and smiling while she waited for Ruby's answer.

"Yup! It's the new rule - I open the door, I get a kiss." Ruby grinned at her genius plan, before her eyes widened. "Unless you don't want to! Don't feel like you have to -"

Weiss silenced Ruby's stammers with a kiss, savoring their momentary closeness before pulling away with a smile.

"Was that sufficient?" she asked, nodding playfully towards the open doorway.

"Uh...y-yeah!" Dropping her arm, Ruby motioned Weiss through. "After you!"

Smirking at the flustered response, Weiss walked into the lobby of the apartment building and looked around while waiting for Ruby. It was a standard entryway - not rundown, but not extravagant either. The paint was a bit faded, the mailboxes had long ago lost their metallic luster, and the tile on the floor held a clear path everyone followed.

"Are you nervous?" Ruby asked, re-taking Weiss' hand and leading them along that worn-down path as they approached a stairwell at the far end of the lobby.

Under ordinary circumstances, Weiss would never answer that question honestly. But when it came to Ruby...very little was ordinary.

"A bit," she admitted.

"But you've met Yang before," Ruby pointed out.

"And Blake, but different versions of them."

Blake and Yang were as destined for each other as Weiss and Ruby were, but Weiss wasn't sure if the two knew about it or not. If they did, they'd never mentioned anything of the sort.

"Don't worry, they're really nice!"

Ruby's assurance only partially worked as they climbed the stairs and exited the staircase on the third floor. Ruby was right that Yang and Blake were nice people, but she was severely underestimating their behavior when it came to protecting her from harm.

Being a stranger in their eyes, Weiss knew she was about to be thoroughly vetted by one of the most protective siblings to ever exist, along with that sibling's extra sharp, extra intuitive partner.

"They're gonna love you," Ruby added, stopping in front of an apartment door with a gold number '8' in the center before turning around to flash Weiss a wide smile. "I mean, how could they not when -" The sentence abruptly cut off, and Ruby flushed while reaching blindly for the door knob. "They'll just love you," she finished.

The unfinished sentence peaked Weiss' interest, but she was forced to leave that thought behind when Ruby opened the door and walked into the apartment beyond.

"Hey Ruby! Welcome back!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Weiss took a deep breath and summoned as much courage as possible before following Ruby inside.

She hardly noticed the decor of the apartment before spotting the two girls who were nearly as important to her as Ruby. Yang and Blake were standing by a small island in the kitchen, appearing to have been in conversation before Ruby's entrance. Both slid off the barstools as Ruby ran over, with Yang reaching out just in time to wrap Ruby in a big hug.

"Hey Yang!" Ruby said, her excitement upon seeing her sister after only a few days apart delightfully refreshing. The hug hardly ended before Yang's eyes caught sight of Weiss and locked onto her - with Blake's gaze close behind.

"Uh, are you lost?"

"Weiss Schnee," Weiss quickly replied, stepping forward and extending her hand for a formal greeting. "It's nice to finally meet you, Yang. I've heard so much about you."

Yang shook Weiss' hand in shock, her eyes flitting back to Ruby every few seconds.

"Yeah...nice to meet you too…" Dropping Weiss' hand, Yang looked at Blake, silently asking questions no one else could hear.

"Blake Belladonna," Blake said, reaching out for her own handshake when it became clear Yang was too surprised to initiate a proper introduction.

"Nice to meet you, Blake," Weiss replied with a smile, ducking her head in greeting and closely watching Blake's more reserved response - a soft, genuine greeting that lacked some of her usual suspicion.

"Ruby?" Yang asked, finally turned away from Weiss. "This is the girl you were talking about?"

"Yup! My soulmate!"

When Ruby beamed at her, Weiss' heart soared.

Somehow, they'd bypassed 'friends,' 'girlfriends,' or any other relationship term, and skipped right to soulmates. She couldn't be happier about Ruby's free use of the term - because it was correct, and it made her feel incredibly special.

However, it was a rather weighty word - one that made Yang and Blake share another look.

"Soulmate?" Yang repeated, giving Weiss another once-over as if trying to match her with the term.

"Yup! She came all the way from Atlas to find me!" Ruby added, sharing the knowledge almost giddily.

From Yang's expression, Weiss couldn't tell if the blunt honesty was doing more harm than good. But just as Weiss had told Ruby right away, Yang was hearing the news right away - hopefully with similar results in acceptance.

"Uh, ok. So you're from Atlas...what do you do?" Yang finally asked, clearly making conversation with the intent of gathering as much information as possible.

"I work at my family's company."

"That sounds pretty cool. Any place we might've heard of?"

Of course Yang asked for specifics. She would probably also make several calls to make sure Weiss was actually employed as she said she was. However, the company name should save the hassle.

"You probably have. It's called Schnee Global."

Blake immediately perked up at the name.

"Schnee Global? Isn't that one of the largest defense companies in the world?"

And of course Blake knew of the company already - Weiss wouldn't expect anything less.

"We have many competitors that are also quite large," Weiss answered, attempting to downplay the comment. However, Yang already looked concerned by the knowledge that Weiss' family was immeasurably wealthy. She knew coming into this conversation that money would be an issue - their difference in wealth often made it hard for Yang to believe in Weiss' earnesty.

Thankfully, Ruby wasn't at all taken aback. She was happily curious, just as she'd been the past few days.

As always, Ruby's willingness to accept Weiss as she was - no matter who she might be - caused her heart to drum loudly with love.

"So...your family owns one of the largest companies in the world," Yang stated, disbelief in her eyes and voice.

There were a lot of ways Weiss could respond to that statement. She could use a slew of responses that downplayed the company's size, or she could bypass answering fully. However, seeing as how she'd already downplayed the first answer, she knew her only option was to be honest.

"Yes," she said with a nod. "But my family's company is only a small portion of who I am."

The words had minimal effect - but still worked to some degree, lowering Yang's concern a fraction and removing Weiss' growing worry that the conversation would quickly turn sideways. Instead, Yang glanced at Blake, and Blake immediately spurred into motion.

"Hey Ruby, can you help me take the trash downstairs?" she asked, gesturing to two bags that were already tied up and waiting to be carried out. From the look of it, Blake could easily carry both herself, but then that wouldn't accomplish the clear goal of getting Ruby out of the apartment.

It was nice to see that Yang and Blake still had their silent communication locked down.

"Uh, yeah sure!" Ruby agreed with a smile. "I'll be right back," she told Weiss before hopping over and grabbing one of the bags. Blake and Ruby then left the apartment together, with Ruby throwing another smile Weiss' way before the door closed between them.

Left alone with Yang, Weiss could already feel what was coming next.

"Soulmates?" Yang led with, crossing her arms over her chest and eyeing Weiss suspiciously. "Is this a joke? Make her believe that you're soulmates, then laugh when she actually falls for you?"

The mere thought playing such a cruel trick with Ruby's heart made Weiss frown and shake her head.

"I'm not playing a joke," she replied firmly, making sure to meet Yang's eyes.

"You sure about that? Because one of the richest girls in the world showing up claiming to be Ruby's soulmate sounds a little fishy to me."

"I understand the optics aren't great," Weiss admitted. "But what could I possibly gain from doing that?"

"I dunno, maybe you really like breaking people's hearts?"

Giving Yang a look, Weiss shook her head.

"I know we just met, but please give me some credit as a decent human being."

Surprisingly, Yang didn't argue that point. Instead, she sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Sorry, I'm sure you're a nice person. She's just...my little sister, you know? I don't want someone messing around with her just because they can."

Her nerves from a few minutes ago long gone, Weiss smiled at the sweet remark. While they might not 'know' each other yet, she could already tell that she and Yang would get along - and it was a wonderful feeling to have her best friend back in her life.

"Yang...I've been searching for Ruby for years. I would never hurt her like that. I know it sounds crazy, but she is my soulmate. You don't have to believe me, but at least believe that I do."

The words came from the bottom of her heart, and Weiss could see the immediate impact they had when Yang uncrossed her arms and dropped them to her sides.

"Are you crazy then?" she asked, and Weiss smiled.

"I don't think so. But if I am crazy, I'm crazy for Ruby."

This time Yang actually chuckled at the answer, the sound like music to Weiss' ears as they survived their first conversation together.

"I always figured she'd drive some poor girl crazy. Just figured it'd be from how hyper she is."

"Oh believe me, that will drive me plenty crazy too."

This time Yang laughed, and Weiss felt free enough to join in with a soft chuckle at the expense of Ruby's hyperactivity. With that joyful sound, the tension in the room lifted completely.

"Well alright," Yang said. "As long as she's happy, I guess we're cool. I have to say though - if you mess with her heart, there's a price to pay. And you might be one of the richest people in the world, but you're not gonna be able to pay it."

How many versions of that threat had Weiss received by now? Too many to count. Some were thinly veiled, others were quite overt, and several were detailed enough to make her squirm. Fortunately, she'd never paid that price because she'd never done anything to hurt Ruby - and she never would.

After all their lives together, Yang's threats had taken on a different significance. From alarming, annoying, or amusing, Yang's protectiveness was now appreciated. Weiss was grateful that Yang was keeping Ruby safe - that while Weiss scoured the globe on her massive search, Yang made sure Ruby was protected.

"I won't hurt her," Weiss replied, pouring certainty into the words. "I -"

'Love her' almost slipped out, but she grabbed ahold of the term and pulled it back at the last second. 'Soulmate' had already been thrown out into the world - did she really want to add 'love' to that mix? Maybe not for the first meeting...

"I only want to make her happy," she concluded. The words weren't a lie - it was her life goal to make Ruby happy. Along with that mission came undying love and affection, which Yang would see over time.

"That's all I want for her, too." In the midst of a nod, Yang paused and looked at Weiss carefully, her eyes slightly narrowed in thought. "Have we met before?" she finally asked. "Did we have a class together or something?"

The response was an even more encouraging sign of good things to come, and Weiss couldn't help but smile.

"I've never lived in Vacuo. At least, not in this life."

Staring for a little longer, Yang eventually shook her head.

"It just...feels like maybe we've met before," she muttered before smiling. "But ok, I just wanted to talk to you. I know you guys just met, but given the...circumstances...I needed to make sure you weren't messing with her."

"I'm not. Really."

This time, it felt like Yang fully accepted the words.

"Good! Because I've got a lot of other things to worry about right now -"

When Yang's gaze drifted towards the door, Weiss followed the look and nodded.

"That's right. Ruby mentioned that you have...big plans...soon."

When Yang shook her head and laughed, Weiss smiled in turn.

"I'm surprised she hasn't gone and told Blake yet." Grabbing her bag off the countertop, Yang gave it a meaningful pat. "I'm asking tonight at dinner, if I can find the nerve."

Hearing voices in the hall, Yang quickly lowered the bag and watched Blake and Ruby walk back inside.

"No way that would happen!" Ruby was in the midst of saying, waving her hands at the same time. "I could totally catch them without breaking anything!"

The moment Weiss saw Ruby, a feeling of disbelief swept across her once again.

This was real. Ruby was here. Yang was here. Blake was here. They were finally back together - their own little family.

"I think you're underestimating how fragile they are…" Blake replied, appearing abundantly amused by the conversation.

"Maybe you're underestimating how soft my hands are!" was Ruby's response before she grinned at Weiss. "Don't you think I could catch eggs without breaking them?"

Blinking once at the unexpected question, Weiss quickly came up with an answer regardless of how silly it might be.

"Depends on if they're cooked or not, and how fast they're thrown," she said, smiling when Ruby bobbed her head in acceptance of the answer. It was only after the moment passed that Weiss realized Yang had watched the tiny piece of conversation with a smile - evidently pleased with how it had played out.

"Ok kiddo," she said, reaching out and rustling Ruby's hair. "Blake and I are heading out - I'm guessing you won't be home tonight either?" Sending Ruby a questioning glance, Yang chuckled when Ruby enthusiastically shook her head. "Figures. Alright, well maybe the four of us can have dinner sometime?"

"That sounds like a great idea," Blake said while Weiss nodded her agreement. "Maybe tonight?"

When Yang's eyes widened, Weiss quickly replied, "Oh, I don't think tonight will work because Ruby's working, but how about tomorrow?"

With a relieved smile, Yang willingly agreed.

"That sounds good. Let's plan on meeting here around five, then we'll walk someplace?" An agreement was made in nods, and Yang smiled while reaching out for Blake's hand. "Great. You two have fun!"

Walking towards the door, Yang sent Weiss a silent 'thank you' as she passed, which Weiss responded to with a nod and 'good luck' of her own. Not that Yang needed luck...Blake never said 'no.'

After the apartment door closed, Weiss turned to Ruby and smiled - it was impossible not to smile when she found Ruby standing so close.

"Yang grilled you, didn't she?" were the first words out of Ruby's mouth.

"Only a little bit." Seeing Ruby's concern grow, Weiss rushed forward. "Don't worry, she was very sweet. I think we could actually be great friends."

Like magic, Ruby's face lit up with a joy at the idea of Weiss and Yang becoming friends.

"Really? You think so?"

"I do."

When Weiss nodded, Ruby grinned and glanced around the apartment - a healthy amalgamation of Blake's books, Yang's various clothes and entertainment choices, and Ruby's clutter of random odds and ends.

"So...what kind of soulmate stuff can we do?" she asked, bringing her pure silver eyes back to Weiss.

"'Soulmate stuff?'" Weiss repeated, growing of newfound appreciation for any term with the word 'soulmate' in it.

"Yeah! Like...I dunno...do we do special things?"

"Spending time together is special," Weiss replied, realizing that it was a horribly cheesy response but using it anyway. Reaching out, she took both of Ruby's hands in her own. "Whatever we do, it will be special because we're together."

"So going to work can be special?" Ruby teased, swinging their joined arms lightly.

"Yes. Which means we should probably get going, shouldn't we?"

"I guess…" Ruby attempted a pout, but the expression lasted only a second before her eyes lit up once more. "Oh! Can we order dessert from room service?"

Sensing where the conversation was going, Weiss playfully narrowed her eyes.

"Yes…"

"Then we can order ice cream and stay up talking again?"

Pretending to sigh in exasperation, she smiled when Ruby giggled at the sound.

"I suppose…" Weiss replied while internally rejoicing at the suggestion. It was exactly what she'd wished for this morning, with just a bit of work mixed in. Not that she minded sitting at the restaurant watching Ruby work for a few hours...that would be fun, as well.

"New plan," Ruby said, bouncing on her toes as she said the words. "Work, then we head back to the hotel and spend the rest of the day eating ice cream while telling stories!"

"That sounds like an amazing plan."

Squealing in happiness, Ruby leaned forward and kissed Weiss right on the lips - the motion so unexpected Weiss hardly closed her eyes before the feeling disappeared.

"You're the best, Weiss! I'm so glad you found me!"

Hearing the words, Weiss couldn't possibly be happier than right at this moment. Smiling, she reached up and brushed several strands of hair behind Ruby's ear - only for them to fall right back out of place.

"I'm happy I found you, too," she whispered before kissing Ruby. A real kiss this time - one that lingered and grew into the purest expression of love as they melded together.

There was much about Ruby that was new - and much that was similar - but this feeling was always the same. Ruby's lips moving against her own, a hand weaving through her hair while another clutched at her side and the smell of roses surrounded her. This was one of those moments Weiss could easily fall into and never come out of.

To her, it didn't feel like they'd been together for only a few days. It felt like they'd picked up right where they'd left off in their past life, which itself was an extension of the life before that, which was an extension of the life before that...continuing on ad infinitum.

Maybe they'd followed the laws of the universe in their first life together, but now…their love was truly boundless. It would continue through this universe and the next, with no end in sight.