Milk and cookies for Ruby, check, tuna for Blake, check, and…

“Curse you Yang.”

Weiss said it under her breath as she dropped the bundle of Ener-Schnees in the cart so Ruby wouldn’t overhear. It was nothing personal against Yang: it was the drinks Weiss hated buying. It felt incredibly vain to be buying a product with her name plastered over the side of it, and felt especially unfair considering she wasn’t even the one who wanted them.

But it was her and Ruby’s week to do the shopping, so she had to be the one to buy them. She doubted Ruby would have overheard anyway, as half the time Weiss turned around she was exploring another aisle, scouring the shelves for anything she could convince her to buy while they were here.

Weiss turned around to check and, sure enough, she was nowhere in sight.

“Great,” she sighed. As much as she wished Ruby would stay stuck to her side like usual, clinging to her arm and keeping her company like she did in the Beacon hallways, her usually tameable girlfriend turned into an entirely different beast at the store. No matter how many times she explained to Ruby that she didn’t have as much of her own money as she thought, Ruby still asked her if she could buy this and that and the other and it stripped her of her patience faster than anything else.

She heard heavy footsteps behind her, quickly getting louder. Ruby sprinted in front of her, jumping on the front of the cart she was pushing with another big grin on her face.

“What is it now Ruby?”

“Weiss! The bakery has more of those strawberry-filled doughnuts with the really sweet glazing and these cute pink sprinkles!”

“No.”

“But, you didn’t even think about it! You didn’t even consider the fact that you like those doughnuts too and would love to share some on a cute date with me. So you should get some.”

“I don’t need to think about it,” Weiss simply said, “because I don’t need you to be any more hyper than you already are. Besides, I’m watching my weight.”

“But it’s strawberry-filled, and strawberries are fruits, and fruits are healthy. Right?”

Weiss continued onward to another aisle, showing Ruby a stone-faced glare when she didn’t hop off the cart and continued staring her down.

“I’m not buying it Ruby.”

“Pleaseee Weiss? Not even for your girlfriend?”

“Nope.”

“Aw, c’mon Weiss! Please?”

Weiss crouched down to heave a package of bottled waters onto the undercarriage of the cart and stood up to find Ruby right next to her.

“Pretty please?”

Weiss walked around her and rolled ever onward.

“I’ll pay you back!”

“With what? You don’t make any money.”

“With my undying love and affection?”

“Maybe if you had even just a little money to show me, I might consider it. Until then, no.”

“Funnily enough Weiss, I actually left my wallet in my other pants back at the dorm!”

“As if there were any money in it.”

Weiss preemptively planned her next rebuttal, but Ruby went silent for some time after that. Finally. Weiss turned out of the aisle, on her way to find coffee.

“I’ll make it up to you-”

“Fine! I’ll buy you one if you can behave Ruby. But please, don’t ask me about anything else unless it’s on sale.”

“Yay! You got it Weiss!”

Weiss refused to look at her as she happily hopped off and hugged her arm, finally beginning to calmly walk next to her. Weiss’ stony stare crumbled into a frustrated frown. She was disappointed that after all this time with Ruby, all the time in the world to build up her resistances to her, she still could be broken down with just a little pleading. Ruby knew it and occasionally abused it, too, which only embarrassed her further.

Ruby almost asked for a bag of her favorite chips but dropped it, seeing that they weren’t on sale. She sighed and squeezed Weiss’ arm.

Weiss knew she wanted practically everything in this aisle: it was lined with sodas and snacks of all kinds. It wasn’t like she wanted to deny Ruby all these things. If she had that kind of money she would buy her all kinds of things, anything she wanted, but she knew that once she gave in and agreed to buy one thing Ruby would abuse her frailty until the cart was full and her card was empty.

Weiss eased her expression as they pulled a U-turn into the next aisle, hoping she wasn’t grimacing.

“Weiss! Pumpkin Pete’s is on sale!”

She fought her immediate urge to say no, as they did need another box. She stopped in front of the wall of boxes as she pulled out her phone to assess the rest of the grocery list to weigh it against the essentials they lacked. She sighed and kept moving.

“Fine Ruby. But only one box!”

Ruby didn’t let go of her immediately. Weiss curiously glanced at her but she was looking at the floor, still clinging to her, her shoulders suddenly dropping as she pulled away.

“Sweet, thanks Weiss!” Finally Ruby left her side to survey all the different flavors. “I’ll, uh, catch up with you later!”

Weiss heard her murmuring “Now, which one to get…” as she left her behind and grabbed more coffee.

“That was certainly strange… oh well. Next on the list: cinnamon-swirl bread, on the next aisle over. And then… What?” Weiss squinted at her Scroll.

Canned bread? And next after that was pickled bread.

Yang. Weiss really wouldn’t have minded shopping if it weren’t for this silly game that Yang and her sister liked to play, because instead of Ruby having to deal with it Weiss was the one stuck playing instead. Whenever one pair went shopping, the other sister would throw two outlandish items in a random place on the list, one of which could be found in whatever store they happened to be going to and the other was only made up.

Weiss frowned at the list, her intuition guiding her toward canned bread but not fully doubting the existence of pickled bread either. She cursed Yang’s name again as she went down the aisle, scanning each side for either of the fabled goods. She sighed again and examined her Scroll just to be sure she read it correctly.

Canned bread. Pickled bread.

Maybe canned bread was with all the canned goods?

Weiss left opposite of the side she entered and rolled three rows down, examining every single can there before finally discovering it top of the highest shelf at at the other end. She hopped up to reach it and spun it around in her hand. It was heavier than she expected.

“Wow. They actually have it. Canned bread.” Sixty-two cents? That sounded like a bargain. Weiss threw it in the cart and happily erased it from both her list and her thoughts, and tucked her Scroll neatly back into her purse.

She started moving again, wondering which section of the store her list would bring her to next. Above the clanky humming of her own wagon she heard the whirring of shopping cart wheels racing against the tile floor and looked up just in time to see a red blur in another shopping cart fly by.

The moment she recognized the source and how long she had forgotten about Ruby she heard a tremendous commotion and boxes tumbling and thudding against the floor. Weiss ran out pulling her cart behind her to find her irresponsible, immature, reckless dolt of a girlfriend Ruby Rose standing sadly on the cart she was riding that sat motionless next to a pile of doughnuts and the boxes they used to be packaged in. Somehow most of them stayed closed; Weiss was just thankful the entire table hadn’t been spoiled. She rushed over and started lifting the sealed boxes back onto the table, refusing to look at Ruby, silently demanding her to start picking up the boxes next to her. Even though the glazing stuck to all parts of the doughnuts that spilled Weiss still picked them up by their sides to get as little of it on her hands as possible, and with Ruby stacked the boxes back up in separate clean and spoiled piles.

Just as they finished a male employee emerged onto the scene. Weiss profusely apologized to him and explained that the boxes on the table were all fine but the ones stacked next to it fell out onto the floor. He thanked her and she helped him ferry them back to another room, then took a deep breath as she walked back to the cart.

She frowned at Ruby, who silently stared at the floor.

“Ruby?”

“Yes?” She timidly met Weiss’s harsh look.

“What in the world were you doing going so fast on a cart like that?” Weiss drew out her words, squeezing every ounce of frustration into them as she could. Ruby winced at her tone and shied away from her when she crossed her arms.

“Well, I finally decided which cereal I wanted, and I started looking for you but couldn’t find you, and I was tired of walking around so I got a cart and started rolling around. It had a really janky wheel and I may have accidentally started going too fast… I’m sorry Weiss.”

“You could have just called me, you know?”

Ruby nodded.

“You swear it was an accident?”

She nodded again.

Weiss exhaled from her nose. She pulled Ruby’s hand out from behind her back and led her, cereal box in hand, to their cart and Ruby dropped it off on top. Weiss began pushing along again but noticed her hands sticking to the bar.

“Great, now my hands are all sticky too… I’m going to go wash up. You should too Ruby.”

Weiss pushed the cart with just her fingertips, trying to coat it in as little glaze as possible on the way to the restrooms. She remained acutely aware of Ruby silently staying by her side, but as they walked on Weiss grew intensely uncomfortable with her sulking. Weiss parked the cart outside and held the door for Ruby, partially so she didn’t coat the door handle and partially to let her know she wasn’t angry. She was annoyed, but watching Ruby mope inside and stare at her hands while she washed them quickly made Weiss turn her mood around. She hated seeing Ruby like this. The only thing she hated more was herself when she was responsible for it.

Weiss had made a conscious effort to be less stringent with Ruby since the day they started going out, so it pained her when she had to scold Ruby and it always spoiled her mood long after. Although both of them meant well, Weiss also knew that neither of them were perfect: sometimes Ruby forgot to apologize and sometimes Weiss forgot to forgive her, which she presently realized had slipped her mind while she occupied herself with cleaning everything up.

“Sorry Ruby,” Weiss said while washing the glaze off of her hands.

“Why are you sorry Weiss? I’m the one who crashed into the stand and made a mess of everything.”

“I didn’t accept your apology before, so I’m accepting it now.”

“So you’re not mad at me?”

“I’m mad about how incredibly embarrassing that was, but other than, not at all Ruby.”

“Sorry Weiss-”

“But stop apologizing already Ruby. It’s not a big deal. You said it was an accident and the cart had a bad wheel, and if that’s true then I can’t be mad at you anyway.” Weiss ripped paper towels out of the dispenser and dried her hands off.

“Really? Oh, okay then…”

“But you are going to make it up to me later.”

“Sure Weiss. That’s only fair. What are you going to have me do?” Ruby asked with a curious glance while drying her hands.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’ll make you do all the shopping next time.”

Weiss balled the paper and threw it away, then pushed open the door and held it for Ruby who groaned at her suggestion.

“Ugh… I hate doing the shopping!”

“I know. That’s why I do it,” Weiss said as she started pushing the cart, “because if you’re in control of our money you’ll try to buy out the entire bakery instead of getting what we actually need.”

“You know me well Weiss!”

“Actually, you’re right. I do know you well; on second thought I won’t make you do the shopping. That would only end disastrously.”

“Psh, I can read from a list Weiss. Let me see it! What else do we need to get?”

“I know you can read a list, the real question is if you can adhere to it. And we only have one thing to get, which I will do on my own while you get us in line at one of the registers.” Weiss stepped away from the cart and let Ruby take over, but as she began walking off her hand was yanked back.

“Are you saying that because you’re still upset with me Weiss?”

“No, Ruby. I promise. I’m just trying to save time so we can be back sooner and spend more time together. So cheer up, okay? I don’t want to see you sulking anymore when I get back.”

Weiss squeezed her hand, and was relieved to see her smile back. She nodded and started pushing off toward the front of the store.

“Ruby! Wait!” Ruby pulled the buggy to a halt and whirled around. “Please, don’t start riding over there.”

She rolled her eyes and saluted, then rushed off again.

That was more like it, Weiss thought. She headed to the opposite corner of the store, cutting through an aisle on the way.

The only things on Weiss’s mind on the way there were how bad she felt for upsetting Ruby, how much better she would feel when this last item raised her spirits, and how much this was cutting into her funds. At least there was no one already in line.

“Hello, I would like two of these doughnuts, please,” Weiss said while pointing to the middle shelf in the display. They were packaged together into a small box, and Weiss handed over her card. She tucked it back into her wallet and took the box in her hands, thanking the cashier and taking the same path back to Ruby. As she passed each line she glanced down it for Ruby, and found her peeking over the shelves of the line she was in while waiting for her.

Weiss lifted the box to her chest to hide it as she approached and quickly put it at the front of the groceries Ruby had already loaded before she saw. She turned and caught her already glancing at the candies lined up next to them, not even paying attention to how swiftly she dashed in front of her.

She sighed again, which drew the redhead’s attention. Ruby returned a guilty grin that Weiss had missed seeing. She smiled back and pulled her over and hooked their arms together again, pecking her on the cheek.

“What am I going to do with you Ruby?”

“Is cuddling not enough to make it up to you?”

“It might be, if you let me cuddle on you for once instead of the other way around. For now you can help me put these groceries up,” Weiss said as she picked up the divider bar and set it behind the goods belonging to the customer in front of them.

Ruby picked up their things and handed them to Weiss who ferried them onto the belt. Cinnamon bread, Ener-Schnees, tuna, milk, cookies, coffee… Weiss held out her hand for the next item but it never came. She turned around to find Ruby closely examining a can in her hands.

“Canned bread?! That’s what Yang’s item was?”

“It’s absurd, I know. Well, hand it over already Ruby.”

She did as instructed, clearly flabbergasted, and reached in for the next item. “I had no idea that was actually a thing! I saw it in a cartoon once but I thought it was fake.”

“Trust me, I thought it was fake when I saw it on the list. It was between that and pickled bread.”

Weiss turned to accept the next item but the cart was empty. Ruby gave a thumbs up and they patiently waited together for the line to continue.

After checking out Ruby bounced along with Weiss as she pushed the cart outside. She hopped onto the frontal bar for a free ride across the parking lot, with the benefit of being able to admire the way her hair somehow glowed brighter in the sunlight. Weiss caught her staring and smiled, adoring her gleaming grin.

Ruby’s bumpy ride rolled to a halt and she hopped off. Weiss unlocked the trunk and asked Ruby to start loading bags in while she took the bag with the doughnuts to the front seat. She returned to assist Ruby, and together they finished in seconds.

“Ruby, why don’t you put the cart away while I start the air conditioning?”

“Gotcha! Be right back!” She whirled the cart around and, after looking both ways, sped across the lane.

Weiss took her seat and cranked the AC as promised. She opened the box on the armrest between the seats, adjusting the edges so that it sat perfectly in the center. In the mirror she could see Ruby already on her way back and quickly grabbed the wheel before she saw.

Seconds later the door clicked and Ruby hopped in next to her. She strapped her seatbelt on and after a full five seconds of not moving anywhere, finally glanced over at Weiss. The doughnuts caught her eyes on the way, and she confusedly and - to the heiress’ bewilderment - sadly, looked between them and Weiss.

“I told you I would buy one for you, didn’t I?”

“Well, I mean yeah, if I behaved. But I didn’t, so why’d you get them for me?”

”You said it was an accident, and I believe you. I shouldn’t get so worked up about silly things like that anyway, so let that doughnut be the thing you owe me for instead. Just try not to get the icing all over the seat. And just so we’re clear, I didn’t get ‘them’ for you. One is for me.”

“Well… about that being an accident. After you agreed to buy the doughnuts I felt really, really bad, so I purposely went to run around on the cart to misbehave so you wouldn’t have to buy them for me. I honestly didn’t mean to hit anything though, that was an accident! The cart had a janky wheel like I said and-”

“Ruby. I appreciate the thought, but frankly, I don’t care. I already bought them, so enjoy them, okay?”

“I’ll go return them if you want me to Weiss,” Ruby tried, still eager to make it up to her.

“I just want you to be happy Ruby. That’s why I bought them for you. So pick whichever one you want.”

Ruby’s stare lingered for a moment, wanting Weiss to let her return them still, but gazed down at them anyway.

“Well, why don’t you pick which one you bought, since you paid for them Weiss?”

“They’re for you, so you get to pick.”

“But I… I want this one,” Ruby said while picking the slightly smaller one. She interrupted herself when she realized she was trying to goad Weiss into something she didn’t want to do again.

Weiss noticed how she left the bigger one for her and smiled.

“Thanks Ruby.”

“No, thank you Weiss. But are you really okay with having the bigger one? I thought you were watching your weight, not to mention your wallet,” Ruby remarked with a smile.

“Are you kidding? Those doughnuts are worth the weight, trust me. And your love is worth more than all the money in the world Ruby.”

Weiss smiled at her as she looked in her mirrors and over her shoulder to start backing out, and caught Ruby with strawberry filling on her lips and a big section already chomped out of the doughnut. Weiss shook her head and started driving, still dwelling on what she wanted to do with her when they got back.

“What am I going to do with you Ruby?”