Hey! Sorry for the delay. And I'm gonna apologize once more for... Well, read on.

The exam period was reaching its end. Ruby finished her exams three days before Weiss took her last one, so all she was doing those three extra days, other than watch her girlfriend study, was how to make the plan she had for Gia's date go as planned. In the end she decided for a trip to a bar known to be the start of many hook-ups, long and short ones alike.

There was always that lingering doubt in the back of her mind, though. What if Gia has a very bad experience and then thinks I did it on purpose? What if she gets treated badly? There were many 'what ifs' in the plan, but Ruby decided it would be worth it as Gia was not usually a girl to get upset over stuff. It would have to be really bad for her to lose her temper.

When Gia did lose her temper, though, she was scary, even for a friend as good as Ruby was. The way her already super thin lips would almost disappear, and the look she would give to the person who angered her. Ruby shuddered at the mere thought of that look she only witnessed once before, to her luck. Then again, they did only know each other for half a year, so witnessing suck a look once was not actually something to be proud of. Gia said that the way she looked when she was mad was inherited from her mother. Ruby didn't know her mother, and she was glad she didn't if that's how she looked when angry.

Of course, just picking a location was not the hard part of the plan. The hard part would be devising a strategy to meet as much interesting people as possible while straying away from weirdos and other creepy people that usually prowled bars like that. Actually executing the strategy, though, was on a different level entirely. It was one thing to devise a plan, but something completely different to act as perfectly as it was planned on it, as Ruby was well aware.

Like said before, when Ruby wasn't planning the night out, she was observing Weiss and her studying. She noticed another thing she immensely loved about the girl, like how her off-centre ponytail lightly fluttered as she was taking notes and moving her head ever so slightly.

Thinking of the ponytail, Ruby thought if there was ever any meaning to it, like if Weiss actually had a deeper motive behind the hairstyle. From Ruby's experience, a hairstyle rarely didn't reflect at least some of the person's personality. Ruby loved how the usually very adult hairstyle perfectly embraced her slightly playful side.

Once Weiss was done studying, Ruby decided to ask her about it.

"Weiss, I'm sorry if this is too personal, but… Does your ponytail have any deeper meaning?"

The girl looked at Ruby with a slightly puzzled expression. "What do you mean?"

"Like, I was wondering if maybe it wasn't your hairstyle just because you like how it looks. It often isn't, in my experience."

Weiss seemed deep in thought for a minute. "I guess it could be interpreted as my defiance of my family's conservative side. I did, in truth, only start wearing it after I realized I was gay. And I guess the length says something too. As in, I've always had long hair, but never down to my butt. So you could say that it's a silent manifestation of my rebellion against my family. But I'm not too sure on that. It could simply be that I just realized I like the look, and it just so happened that it was right after I discovered my sexuality."

Ruby weighed on the words of her girlfriend for a moment. "I really think it had to do with you rebelling, if it really happened like you're saying it did." After realizing that she insinuated on Weiss lying to her, she quickly added "Not that I think you would lie. Wouldn't do you any good, would it?"

Weiss nodded. "That would be correct. How about your hairstyle?"

"Ehh," Ruby tried to find the words. "My hair doesn't mean anything. I prefer it double-coloured, is all."

"Didn't you say that hairstyles usually have meaning behind them?"

"Well, I meant that unusual hairstyles usually have meaning behind them. I very much love your ponytail, just saying. I think it makes you, well, you."

Weiss blushed at the compliment. "Well," she stretched, "it's getting late, and my exam is the first thing tomorrow morning, so I think I'll catch some sleep. Good night, Ruby. Or are you joining me?" The last sentence was said playfully, almost as if teasing the dark-haired girl.

Ruby smirked. "I thought you were saying you're going to sleep, snowflake."

"Maybe. But maybe I also need someone to hold me until I fall asleep and cuddle in their embrace."

"That," Ruby immediately answered, "I can do." Weiss smiled.

With that, they changed into their sleepwear and joined their bodies in a gentle embrace on the bed, Weiss hugging Ruby's abdomen and her head resting on her chest. Ruby caressed her long hair and kissed the split oh her hair. "I love you, snowflake."

Weiss kissed what was immediately below her, in that case, it was Ruby's left breast. "I love you too, rosebud."

Weiss woke up and started getting ready. Or at least she would, but she heard and felt her girlfriend stir behind her.

"Ruby, you know you can sleep in," she gently told her. Ruby, however, was her usual ball of energy.

"I want to give you a proper sending off," she replied with her sleepy voice. Which was not all that much different from her normal voice, as Weiss noted already in the past. It seemed as if Ruby was never really tired and Weiss didn't have the slightest idea as to why.

Knowing that Ruby would not be swayed, Weiss smiled and gave her a quick peck on the cheek before disappearing into the bathroom to get ready. She went about her daily washing routine, starting with combing her very long hair until it was practically perfectly straight. She thanked God or whoever was up above that she was blessed with naturally straight hair, especially since she decided to leave it as long as it was.

After straightening her hair and getting rid of any small imperfection they were hiding, it was time to tie it up in her signature side ponytail. At first, that operation made her waste at least five minutes, but she has since trained her hands and it only took her a minute then.

Finally, it was time for her to brush her teeth. She put the perfect amount of toothpaste on the toothbrush, a remnant of her past that demanded her to be perfect at all times without fail, and started brushing. As she was brushing with one hand, she masterfully started applying the foundation on her face, a skill she learned in high school when waking up late was unfortunately very common for her and she had to take care of herself quickly in the mornings or risk going out the house unprepared, and, perhaps worst of all, not perfect.

After finishing that and her makeup, she walked out to find Ruby on the edge of the bed. Weiss smiled at her when she thought how shy she was when she first met her, and how something she was about to do right then would never cross her mind, even if she found her attractive from the moment they met. But since they were a couple, and a very naughty one at that, she simply threw off her nightgown, revealing to Ruby that she was sleeping without a bra, in panties only. After that, she walked towards her wardrobe and took out one of her favourite dresses, pure white skirt and the vest in the same colour, black buttons and red highlights around her neck.

After she dressed, she was ready to go, but she felt a force holding her across the waist and the press of lips on her right shoulder.

"Go kick their asses and show them who's boss, snowflake!"

Weiss smiled at those words, but she still couldn't leave the room, what with Ruby holding onto her and not showing any signs of letting go. Weiss spoke assertively, but without malice.

"I can't go with you clinging onto me, you dolt."

"But I don't want to let go," Ruby whined.

"Are you sure you don't have other work to do?"

"Right," Ruby replied, slightly mumbling, "sleep."

"Exactly. You can cling to me when I come back, deal?"

Ruby grumbled. "I guess. Anyway, go show them that my girlfriend's dancing is not to underestimate!"

With that, she finally let go of Weiss, who smiled and left the room.

As she was walking towards the school building, Weiss couldn't help but smile at the thought of her usually hyperactive girlfriend. That smile refused to leave her face and it still lingered, even as she reached the classroom in which they were supposed to do the oral exam and sat down next to already waiting Blake. After quickly catching up on the, admittedly not much, stuff that happened since they last saw each other, all that remained for Weiss was to wait until her name was called.

Ruby had an appointment with Gia. Well, not so much an appointment, but more of a meeting and trial of clothes for Gia to wear that night in hopes of appearing interesting, fun, and, most of all, available.

The blonde was beside herself. Ruby had never seen her less than composed, except maybe when she told her about feeling lonely. It was a completely new sight for her. Her usually calm green eyes were jumping from one place to the other, her beautiful blonde hair was messy to say the least and something just felt a bit off about her. As if she wasn't sleeping lately. When Ruby asked her about it, Gia just shrugged and continued to worry. Ruby couldn't take it anymore, however weird that sounded coming from her of all people, but her hyperactivity was not of the good kind, as far as Ruby was concerned.

"Gia Goodwitch! Will you please calm your beautiful, voluptuous tits for a second so I can see what kind of clothes you have?"

That seemed to work as Gia's look stopped wandering everywhere but instead concentrated on Ruby. It wasn't a very friendly look she could tell, but she had to burst into laughter nonetheless. That of course made for a slight bit more frustrated Gia.

"What? Am I not allowed to be nervous about my potential first date ever?"

Ruby just laughed harder. "Oh god, Gia! I bet even Weiss wouldn't be able to hold back her laughter if she saw you right now."

"Ruby, stop it this instant!" There was something about her tone that made Ruby obey immediately.

The smaller girl was looking at Gia, as if to decide the best course for further action. In the end, she decided for a bit of a bold approach and walked towards her.

"Listen, hun," she started, speaking in a somewhat low voice, "you worry too much about this. Sure, first dates are scary. The difference between the first date and what is about to happen tonight, though, is that you're not necessarily searching for romance. You're simply searching for physical attraction. First dates happen later on, when you two exchange numbers. Today, only two things matter." With that, she put her hands on Gia's shoulders. "First thing, do not worry if you appear a dummy. Most people actually find it endearing. Second," she let go of her shoulders, "just make sure to smile a lot to show them your beautiful face, and don't forget to shake and flaunt these," she ended, playfully fondling her boobs and smacking her ass.

Gia blushed, but was not angry anymore. Ruby considered it a mission accomplished. "You really think I have a beautiful face?"

"Gia, I only know one person with a prettier face, and I'm dating that person." Ruby was kind of glad that Gia decided not to comment on her fondling. "Now, shall we find you a getup?"

The blonde nodded and the girls started rummaging through Gia's wardrobe to find something appropriate for the night. That proved to be quite the project, as the blonde was not one to try and look pretty, but was more inclined to look comfortable. And comfortable, much to Ruby's dismay, rarely ever meant pretty.

After ten minutes of extensive search, Ruby was left with a selection of three pairs of jeans, one of which was a tight fit pair while the other two were a bit loose, but Ruby took them out just in case, a single purple skirt that went down to Gia's knees, two pairs of stockings to go with the skirt, two pairs of tights that looked like something one would barely even wear at home, and seven different tops, most white or green.

Looking at the clothes scattered across the bed, the two girls tried to mix and match different combinations. After trying out many different combinations, Ruby settled for tight fit jeans and a simple white button-up blouse. However, there was still one thing missing. The blouse was pretty thin and it was January.

"Do you have any jackets that go with this?"

"Umm…" Gia pulled out a black leather jacket and a white coat made of wool. The coat went down just past her butt while the jacket ended just above her waistline. For Ruby, the choice of the coat was obvious.

"Take the coat. Not only does it fit with two colours maximum, but it also looks good and since you have tight fit jeans under it, it hides your ass, making you intriguing. Sure, mostly for men, but don't underestimate a lesbian's preference for ass. Since you're not opposed to same-sex stuff, it should be done quickly."

Gia nodded and in that moment, Ruby's phone buzzed with a received message.

"It's from Weiss. She's done with her exam. I promised to go to lunch with her. But that's still an hour from now. Let us take care of your makeup now."

"W-Wait… Do I absolutely have to wear makeup?"

"Honey, don't worry. When I'm done with you, you will look as if you have no makeup at all. Trust me."

After a nervous nod, Ruby sat Gia down at the table with a mirror. "Watch and learn," were Ruby 's only words before she started applying the foundation on her face.

It didn't take her too long to apply the foundation, even when applying it to someone else for the first time.

"Did you see how I did it? Make sure to always buy this exact colour, it's best for your complexion," she showed her the small box with the colour number. "Now you need some shading." Ruby picked up another box and started making streaks along Gia's cheeks and jawline.

After about ten minutes, Ruby was done. "What do you say?"

Gia gently touched her face, barely believing it was her own. "Ruby, this… It is just like if I had no makeup on, yet it's making me look better."

Ruby beamed with pride. "Told you."

Gia was not an impulsive girl. Yet, in that moment she practically tackled Ruby into a hug. "Thank you, thank you, thank you! You're the best! Absolute best!"

"Hey, hey! Don't press your face on anything, you'll ruin it!"

"Right. Right." Gia pulled back, looking once more in the mirror to make sure she didn't smudge everything. "Thank you, Ruby. You really are amazing."

"It's the least I can do for a friend. Now, if you plan on trying the makeup yourself in the evening, you can go wash it off. If you don't, though, it'd be better if you watch it. Oh, and one more thing: before you come out in the evening, make sure to apply this lipstick evenly. You will look like a femme fatale, I promise you. There won't be a single straight man or gay woman in there that won't notice you."

Gia nodded and didn't say anything.

"Anyway," Ruby said, "I'll go meet up with Weiss now. See you later, hot stuff! Oh, and for shoes… Just take a pair that covers you up to like, halfway up to the knee. You know, with snow and all."

"Bye," was the solitary word out of Gia's mouth.

The evening came and Weiss was getting ready. Ruby, as always, was already all set and ready to go, but Weiss would always take an extra minute to get ready and look immaculate. While it made her feel a bit bad that she was always keeping Ruby waiting when they went out, deep down inside, the feeling that someone was waiting for her was something that warmed her up even in the coldest days.

She knew Ruby was watching her from behind as she was looking herself in the mirror and applying the finishing touches. And she was looking at Ruby too, from the corner of her eyes. Ruby didn't seem to notice, but the white-haired girl was drinking Ruby's pretty, casual-clad figure right in.

Finally, Weiss was done and the duo could go out to meet Gia. Weiss took her standard spot, taking Ruby's arm and slightly pressed her head on the shoulder of that arm while they walked down into the garden. Gia was already waiting for them by the fountain near the centre of the campus.

Weiss was told that Ruby helped her prepare and look as good as possible, but it still caught her off guard when she saw how beautiful they actually made Gia. That was not to say that Weiss thought she was ugly, far from that. Gia was a pretty girl all by herself, but she was usually way too casual about her looks. Ruby made sure to bring out the beautiful woman that resided deep inside of her, and Weiss could not help but stand there with a seemingly dislocated jaw.

Ruby noticed that Weiss' mouth had been opened wide, or at least Weiss thought so, as she felt a hand help her close her mouth.

"Only I get to see that, Weiss," Ruby winked at her and Weiss blushed visibly, even through the makeup.

"Y-You look stunning, Gia," Weiss managed to say, finally. "Ruby, this must be your best work."

"Thanks, hun," Ruby replied with a peck on the cheek. "Gia, how do you feel?"

"I'm… Not used to looking like this, but I guess I can manage for one night."

"Wrong answer. You should have said 'I feel like a million pounds!' But I'll allow it for today since it's your first time like this. Shall we?"

The trio started walking towards the club. Weiss looked at the sky. At least the weather is great today. Clear sky, makes for no hassle getting back. The other two were chit-chatting about something that had to do with architecture or something else that Weiss didn't understand.

Before long, they were at the club and had to show their ID to prove their age. Immediately after, they had to relinquish their coats to the wardrobe and then Ruby expertly guided them to the bar and ordered drinks for all three.

The next half an hour was spent looking around while sipping their drinks. The music was a bit too loud for Weiss' taste, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. It didn't affect her looking around in any way, so she was able to tune it out a bit.

Weiss noticed Ruby looking around like a predator choosing its prey. Which, when she thought of it, was a pretty accurate representation of what they were doing. She tried to mimic her girlfriend in hopes of getting a bit more information about people, but she realized it didn't help her in the slightest.

When they finished their drinks, Ruby gathered them in a triangle and discussed the battle plan.

"Okay, so: Gia, you stay here. If someone walks up to you, just be nice. Unless they're a sleazy bastard. In that case, walk away to somewhere where that person isn't going to be. Weiss, you go around that way and try to find some singles for her, and I'll go the other way doing the same. After 15 minutes, if we don't find anyone, we regroup and take the other way, meaning me going Weiss' way and she mine. Got it?"

The two girls nodded and just like that, Weiss went on a hunt. She took it slowly, given that the club was not really large and there weren't that many people either. She had to admit that she was pretty bad at guessing a good match for someone not herself, even if her task was simply to find a cute and at least seemingly interesting person.

Apparently she looked rather lost.

"Hello there, pretty one. Looking for someone?"

Much to her surprise, the voice was not male, but rather female. She turned around to notice two people, a man and a woman, sitting at a table. She was dressed in a simple one piece red dress that was tightly hugging her rather sizeable curves. On the dress, yellow flames were embroidered. The woman's hair was rich, dark and pretty long, hugging her face and shoulders like they were not separate from them. Weiss sensed some sort of a mysterious aura about the woman. She was drinking what seemed like red wine.

Next to her, a man with neck-length orange hair was sitting, dressed in a white trench coat and black pants. From the slight curvature of his mouth Weiss guessed he liked to smoke cigars. He was also holding a cane on his lap, and Weiss thought he looked sort of like the pimps in those movies with prostitutes.

When Weiss didn't answer the question, the woman spoke again. "Sweetie? You look like a deer in the headlights. Are you looking for someone?"

"Y-Yes," Weiss stammered.

"Someone specific or…"

"N-Not really."

"Then come here, sit with us. We won't bite."

Weiss noticed a hint of a devious smile on the woman's face when she said that. The man seemed to not mind what his partner was doing and was instead looking around for something, at least that's what it appeared as. Reluctantly but surely, Weiss was drawn towards the table by some higher force and sat down next to the woman.

"You're a very pretty one, you know that? The name is Cinder, by the way. And this is my husband Roman." Cinder pointed a finger at her husband.

"Weiss," she answered.

"What a lovely name." There was something in this woman's voice that Weiss couldn't quite place or know what to think about. "So, who are you looking for?"

"Well," Weiss tried to compose herself. "I'm basically looking for someone for a friend of mine."

"Not for yourself?" That tone. What's so unsettling about it?

"I'm fine." You should have said you're not alone.

"Are you sure? Me and Roman here sure wouldn't mind some company." Before Weiss realized, the woman's face was inches away from hers. Weiss squealed at the intrusion of her personal space, but the woman was undeterred and she closed the distance, helping herself by bringing Weiss closer with one hand.

For a moment, Weiss didn't know what happened. She quickly realized that the woman was kissing her. That she was cheating on Ruby. She wanted to move away, to break the kiss, but the woman was holding onto her with an unexpected strength. And then she heard a voice that nearly broke her heart right there and then. A voice that sounded as broken as her heart must have been in that moment. It was too late.

"Weiss?"

The pure heartbreak, betrayal, resignation in her voice… Ruby demonstrated a perfect play of those emotions, all in that one single word.

She saw Weiss tear away from the woman that was kissing her, but nothing more as her eyes began to water.

So Ruby ran. To find Gia and to run away from the betrayal. The stunning blonde was not hard to find, she was, in the end, the only person that attracted a lot of attention in the club. Other than that one thing, Ruby thought. She ran to Gia, grabbed her by the hand and pulled her with her.

"Ruby, what's going on? Where's Weiss?"

"Shut up. We need to go. Now." Ruby spoke through tears and Gia didn't want to argue with the look of defeat in Ruby.

When they collected their coats and got out of the club, Gia saw Weiss was not there.

"Ruby, what happened to Weiss?"

"Just come with me!" Ruby was barely able to talk through all the tears. She started running, leaving Gia no time to ask more questions or anything other than running after a clearly distressed girl.

After a while, Gia caught up with Ruby and grabbed her by the hand. "Ruby, please! Tell me what's wrong! You're scaring me!"

Ruby just looked at her, tears running down her face, and didn't say a word. Then she threw her hands around Gia and crushed their lips together. Gia didn't know how to react, not like she had much time to do so. Almost as quickly as the kiss was initiated, it was broken and Gia looked down to see an even sadder Ruby looking at her and shaking her head.

"Sorry. Sorry. I have to go. Sorry."

Ruby again started running, not looking back, not even a little.

Please don't kill me.

Until next time!