This was it – this was how Weiss Schnee was going to die.

Not with a fight. Not heroically in battle with her enemies perishing alongside her. No, instead she was going to die in the front yard of Ruby's home with sweat covering every inch of her body.

Bent over, Weiss had her hands on her knees and was struggling not to throw up. The sun was beating down on her like fire and her legs felt like jelly.

It also didn't help that she could hear the muffled snickering of the girl who was trying to end her life so painfully.

Looking, up, beads of sweat dripped from Weiss' forehead and onto the grass below. She glared at Ruby through matted white hair and continued to pant for oxygen.

"You know," she started, her voice weak and raspy. "While I am glad that you're up and moving around so…swiftly – I really don't think it's fair for me to be competing with you in races."

"Aw," Ruby patted her head and while she did her tank top lifted up ever-so-slightly revealing a patch of toned skin. Weiss put her head back down. "I have a magical new hip, Weiss. That's the only reason I won the race."

"Oh good," Weiss sighed before finally standing upright. "That's what was missing from my humiliation – patronization."

Ruby shook her head with a smile. "I wasn't!"

"It's fine, Ruby." Weiss took an offered bottle of cold water and pressed it against her forehead. "I suppose I'm a bit out of shape from being behind a desk for so long."

That was the understatement of the century. She was miserably out of shape. So much wine and fatty dinners coupled with her pathetic exercises at the home gym were nothing compared to the rigorous training she went through while fighting in the war.

"Yeah," Ruby stretched her back and ran a hand up and down her side. "I've missed my workouts since this hip thing. I have a lot of work to do to get back into shape.

Weiss could only remember having seen Ruby's body the last month and see how defined and in shape she was. It took all of her willpower not to shove her onto the ground.

"You're so full of it." Weiss muttered under her breath.

"I'm what?"

Looking up, she was met with wide, confused eyes. "I said you are full of it."

"Full of what?"

"Shit, Ruby. You're full of shit." Weiss always kind of loved how Ruby would react to cursing. As if Weiss had just smacked a small child. "You're in tremendous shape – even after an extensive surgery. I am the one who is literally dying in your front yard."

"Aw Weiss!" Ruby screeched her name in that adorable way she had. "You did fine! My semblance is speed so of course I'm a little faster. I basically cheated."

This time, Weiss did push her. "Will you stop," she grabbed Ruby's shoulder as she stumbled and tousled her hair. "You're faster than me, Rose. Just accept your victory!"

Ruby frowned. "Fine! But you're still fast and super athletic and awesome."

Nobody ever worked harder to make Weiss fell good about herself than Ruby did. "If you say so." Weiss rolled her eyes – hoping the blush she felt didn't color her cheeks too much. "Should we go inside and make some food?"

"Yes please! I am starving!"

"Okay I'll—" her scroll started to buzz before she could finish and Weiss already knew who it was. The same call she'd been getting the last two days and the same one she'd been avoiding all day. "You go and wash up while I take this call and then we'll decide what to eat."

"Okay, at least get in the shade before you melt. You're like…really sweating." Ruby said as she turned and went inside.

Weiss glowered and wiped at her moist forehead before moving up the steps to the porch and ducking into the shade onto the swing.

Pulling out her scroll, she saw Violet's number on the screen and groaned.

She'd been gone too long and she knew it. It was her company and there were things that couldn't be done without her there. For the past two days, Weiss had put off answering her calls because she didn't want to go back. She was happy here and she hadn't felt like this in so long.

Still, a part of her knew she was living a false life out here in Patch. Being around Ruby was great, but eventually Ruby would want to start hunting again and if these workouts were any indication – that life had passed Weiss by years ago. It would take her months and months of rigorous training to even be in shape physically to hunt alongside Ruby. Beyond that, she hadn't held her rapier in just as long and hadn't fought with anything actually trying to kill her since Emerald Sustrai.

No, that life wasn't meant for her anymore. All she had was the Schnee Dust Company and a giant mansion with nobody in it that wasn't paid to be there.

That was her life – perhaps that was her place. She could go back knowing that she'd fixed things with Ruby. Maybe that would be enough. She could even take more time off and come visit. The wedding was this weekend and she'd stay for that, but Weiss knew she had to go back home.

Even if this felt more like home than she'd had in years. It was Ruby's home and she was merely a guest.

Resigning herself to this, Weiss answered her scroll.

"Weiss...I - I can't believe you'd say that to me. After everything we've been through."

Ruby looked completely devastated and Weiss knew that as soon as she said it, Ruby would react this way. "You said you wanted the truth."

Putting her drink down, Ruby ran a hand through her hair and stared at Weiss across the kitchen table. "I didn't realize the truth would be my partner betraying me."

"You're being dramatic!" Weiss rolled her eyes and stabbed a carrot with her fork. "You know as well as I do that it was never your style."

"I got better!" Ruby countered indignantly.

Still, Weiss knew the truth. "You did, but Ruby there's no way you could beat Velvet Scarlatina in a hand to hand fight."

"Oh and you think you could?"

Weiss could only shrug. "Certainly not now, but during the war I think I could hold my own. I did train for three months with Blake and Yang while you were off gallivanting across Menagerie with your uncle."

"I was on a personal journey of discovery!"

Weiss barked with laughter. "You two idiots were looking for Grimm Dragons in the mountains!"

"And we found one!" Weiss offered a blank expression. "We found the…remains of one." Weiss clicked her tongue. "Fine, we found a museum with an old guy who said he'd seen one, but it was a fun trip and we did manage to save a small village from a herd of Nevermore!"

"Yes well, while you were off doing that – I was busy learning how to deliver ready made knuckle sandwiches." Weiss dusted her fist off on her collar with a certainly smug look on her face.

Removing her napkin from her lap, Ruby pushed her chair back with a screech across the hardwood floor and stood up. "You think you can beat me in a fight?"

The logical part of Weiss' mind was telling her that this was heading down a very bad path. Yet, the playful part of her, the one that Ruby could bring out better than anyone else in Remnant, was stirring like mad.

"Ruby Rose, I think we both know that in my prime, I could take you down in three moves. Even with Crescent Rose."

Those silver eyes went wide with disbelief. Ruby moved quickly, stalking over to where Weiss was sitting. For a moment, Weiss was ready to be tackled or worse. Instead, Ruby stopped and picked up Weiss' cup of water and sniffed it.

"Thought for a second you might have snuck some of my harder stuff in there! Talking crazy like that – we both know you were never fast enough to keep up with me." She winked for good measure and Weiss wasn't about to go down without a fight.

Standing up, Weiss shrugged and picked up her glass – finishing off the water even as a small amount dribbled down her chin. "I'm sorry, I wouldn't want to beat up an old lady with a fragile hip." For good measure, Weiss patted Ruby's side where the new metal hip was and smirked.

Even though they both knew that her new hip was twice as durable as her old one.

Before she even turned around, Weiss knew it was coming.

With her back to Ruby, a pair of arms were suddenly around her waist and lifting her into the air.

Weiss let out a delightful squeal as she started kicking at the air and fighting to escape.

Ruby lifted her with such ease and Weiss practically melted at the strong arms suddenly all around her. She grabbed onto Ruby's firm forearms, trying (weakly) to pry them off, but to no avail.

A moment later, she was haphazardly dumped onto the couch and rolled onto her back to see Ruby leaning over her. She looked as boastful as she did beautiful and Weiss wanted to stare at her forever and also wipe that look off her face. She chose the latter and decided to see if she could still muster up a little of that old magic.

Concentrating all of her energy, Weiss waved her hand upward and in an instant, a glyph formed behind Ruby and smacked her right in the back. Suddenly, red hair was tumbling towards Weiss over the back of the couch and Ruby landed in her lap with a delighted squeal.

"Weiss!" She laughed. "I didn't know you could still do that!"

I didn't either. Was what Weiss wanted to say. However, words were failing her at an alarming rate because Ruby Rose was now lying on top of her.

The bodies were pressed together and Weiss could feel every bit of Ruby's firm muscles and soft curves.

Ruby lifted herself up just a bit and smiled down at Weiss – going so far as to reach up and tuck her red tipped hair behind her ear.

Weiss wanted to cry at how badly she wanted to kiss this beautiful girl.

If she did…what might happen? Would Ruby yell at her? Run from her? Be angry at her for taking advantage?

Taking advantage of what exactly? Ruby being on top of her? Ruby picking her up and playing around with her? Was Ruby flirting?

There were too many questions and as Weiss sat here with Ruby on her lap the harder it was to sort them all out. All she wanted to do was kiss her – like she had a thousand times before. The rational part of her mind told her that even if Ruby was disgusted or angered by the kiss, she was healthy enough now that she didn't need Weiss to take care of her. So it wasn't a risk of Ruby's well being.

Perhaps just her own if she was rejected.

Before Weiss could make any move, a soft jingle played through the living room and Ruby's eyes lit up. "Oh! I bet that's Yang! I told her to call before their flight! I can't believe they're coming back here to do the wedding again – she must really want to get married in Patch, right?"

The entire time Ruby spoke, she climbed off Weiss and the couch and left Weiss nearly trembling with desire.

Ruby answered her scroll with a cheerful hello, still on high from the earlier roughhousing. Meanwhile, Weiss was sat on the couch with shaky hands and a lump in her throat. She was not going to cry – not over the fact that she had one opportunity to kiss Ruby and she let it slip through her fingers.

No, she couldn't do it and she knew it. The wedding was happening in three days and Weiss had already told Violet she was coming back to Atlas – though she hadn't specified a time to give herself more options. Perhaps even that one miracle option that she would be asked to stay here.

Unfortunately, the sinking reality was that this was not where she belonged. She had promised Ruby that she would keep in touch – that they would remain in contact and the worst part was how happy Ruby seemed to be with that. It wasn't the same as what Weiss felt – it wasn't what Weiss had wanted when she told Ruby she would be leaving. She wanted Ruby to be sad and to tell her to stay. Instead, Ruby nodded and said she understood but she was glad that they'd fixed their friendship.

Friendship.

It didn't matter that they shared the bond of being partners and the history they'd both been through during the war. Yes, that was special and it carried a weight that no other relationship in Weiss' life would ever touch.

That just didn't matter because it wasn't enough. She wanted to be with Ruby every single day, in every way, for the rest of her life. She didn't want to leave the warmth of this silly little cabin and the laughter of her the girl she loved to return to an empty mansion and a lifeless job.

As Ruby continued to animatedly chat with her sister, Weiss picked up her own scroll on the coffee table and pulled up the message chain with Violet. It was a lot of Violet telling her various things that needed tending too and a few quick returns from Weiss telling her it could wait until after the wedding.

"Nah, I'm doing way better! Nearly killed poor Weiss on my run today, but she hung in there." Ruby gave her a wink and Weiss swore a knife dug into her chest. Still, she smiled as best she could and Ruby moved into the kitchen to continue her conversation.

Weiss quickly typed out a message to Violet.

Day after the wedding I will be returning. Schedule as many meetings as you can, we'll get started on moving forward with the impending mergers and things will go back to normal.

She stared at her message as Ruby said her goodbyes and let her finger hang over the send button. This would be the confirmation of her exit from Patch – one she'd told herself was inevitable but grew scarier with each passing day.

It wasn't just Ruby that kept Weiss from going back. It was the absolute disgust she felt and stepping into that mansion again. She had woken up from more than a few nightmares that she was back there and this time in Patch was a dream. Just a passing fancy she'd had that was some false escape from the actual reality.

Atlas was a future with no real happiness for her. There she had riches and power and a path set for her in gold.

This life, the one she'd been playing pretend in for the last few months was chaotic and directionless. She had no real job here, she had no real home and no purpose.

Yet, Patch had felt more like home in the last twelve weeks than Atlas had felt in the last six years.

"I'll give it a little longer, but as soon as the docs say I'm good to go I'm going to take more missions, Yang. I miss it."

There it was. Weiss knew that was inescapable. Ruby Rose was a huntress and nothing would deter her from that. It was a life they all led once, one that the rest of them had given up. Except Ruby – and if today had proven anything, it was that Weiss was years removed from it. She couldn't fight with Ruby. She couldn't hunt and travel and live that life. Not anymore.

That was Ruby's life. A life that didn't have any room for her in it.

Weiss knew she had to send that message – even as her finger shook over the button.

"Hey!" Ruby's voice was suddenly in her ear and Weiss bounced as Ruby landed on the couch beside her – scroll falling out of Weiss' hand onto the floor.

"Ruby!" Weiss scolded. "You scared me half to death!"

Ruby winced. "Sorry," she smiled to mend the wound, as she always did. "Yang says hello and is going to send you workout videos to help get you in shape."

Weiss rolled her eyes and picked up her scroll from the floor. "I don't need workout videos. I take care of myself just fine."

"Hey I'm not arguing; you still look great. Just not like wartime Weiss."

"Wartime Weiss also ate like a boarbatusk and once ripped the back of a combat jacket in half."

A suddenly playful smirk was on Ruby's face. "That's cause Wartime Weiss was buff." Ruby then squeezed Weiss' biceps and nodded. "You've still got it a little."

Weiss ripped her arm away and stood up. "Don't do that." She said and turned her back to Ruby. Suddenly the thought of Ruby touching her made everything hurt.

"I—I'm sorry," Ruby stood up behind her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, just tired." She lied. "We did a lot today; I think I'm going to call it a night."

"Oh," through the reflection of the window in front of her, Weiss could see Ruby reach out to touch her shoulder, only to stop just before and pull her hand away. "I was actually thinking…I'm pretty good now. If you want, I could take the couch and you could use my bed down here. Has to be better than the air mattress thing, right?"

It was a kind gesture. Not that Weiss was surprised – kind was who Ruby Rose was. That was the girl she fell in love with.

Which was why she had to be strong. "I'd rather sleep upstairs." She turned back, knowing it would do her no good to mean to Ruby. She did want to maintain the friendship, after all. "You may feel good, but your hip still needs the comfort of a proper mattress. Let's not get greedy."

Ruby frowned and Weiss hated it. "Are you sure? It's still kind of early. We could watch a movie or something?"

"I'm really tired, Ruby." She was exhausted. "We have a busy day tomorrow with Blake and Yang coming and all of that…it's just…tomorrow, all right?"

Ruby stood still for a moment that felt longer to Weiss than it probably was. Eventually, she nodded and then in the same breath, Weiss was suddenly wrapped up in a very warm hug.

She stood frozen in place for a moment, unsure of what was happening. Then Ruby whispered in her hear.

"Thank you, Weiss. For…all of this. For staying with me and taking care of me and helping me keep this life I have. I…I owe you a lot."

Closing her eyes, Weiss felt the heat burning as she wrapped her arms around Ruby's shoulders. "That's what best friends do." Ruby laughed softly against her ear.

Some part of Weiss felt like this moment was the one true moment she'd have to let Ruby go. It needed to have a moment – an acceptance. She might not be able to love Ruby the way she wanted to, the way she always would.

That didn't mean she had to lose Ruby – who would always be her first, best and most important friend.

Taking a step towards her, Weiss rose up to her tiptoes and pulled Ruby's head down just enough to kiss her forehead. She let her lips linger, closing her eyes and feeling the tears build in her eyes. When she broke away, Ruby was looking at her both confused and concerned. "I love you, Ruby."

I love you enough to be okay with not being in your life everyday. So long as your life is everything you want it to be. That will be enough for me.

"I—I love you too, Weiss." Ruby tried her best to smile, but she was clearly shaken by Weiss' sudden show of emotion. It wasn't a confession and Weiss had made sure it didn't come off as such. She was simply telling her best friend, her partner, that she loved her.

"Good," she nodded and took a step back. "Now, I'm going to go to bed and you should think about it as well. We'll get in another run before we go pick up the rest of team RWBY tomorrow, okay?"

Ruby nodded slowly, watching Weiss as she went up the stairs. "G'night, Weiss." She said finally and Weiss smiled down at her.

"Sleep well," she said before ascending the stairs and ducking into the room. She didn't want to close the door, not entirely because that would draw attention. She had made a habit of keeping the door open when Ruby was less capable of taking care of herself, but to shut it now would be too much. She'd already made a scene with the kiss.

That didn't stop the tears from slowly trickling down her cheeks as she readied herself to go to bed. Though she knew sleep would most likely not come for a while, she could play the part well enough to make Ruby believe she was okay.

She washed her face and brushed her teeth and changed clothes. She fired up the little machine she'd purchased to fill her mattress with air and if she had it her way this would be one of the last nights she spent on it.

Moving to the dresser, Weiss slowly took off her apple pendant necklace and went to lay it down. Only this time it slipped from her fingers and fell into a slightly open drawer.

Sighing, Weiss pulled the top drawer open just enough to reach inside. As she did, her fingers grasped a piece of paper and she pulled it out along with her necklace.

It was folded up quite nicely, a bit worn down and dusty to the touch. It had clearly been in there a while.

Curiosity suddenly took over and Weiss was fairly certain it was a bill or some kind of record from one of Ruby's hunts. If it was anything that looked private, she'd put it away immediately.

Unfolding the paper, she was met with nine familiar words in terribly familiar handwriting.

WEISS ASKED YOU TO MARRY HER! YOU SAID YES!

"She kept it."

Much faster update this time! Thoughts?