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The two of them wandered along the street, not a bit of hurry to nip at their heels. Big scarves were wrapped warmly around their necks, and fresh coffee steamed from the cups in their hands. As they walked, Ruby and Penny talked and laughed, seeming to be without a care in the world. However, beneath the surface, a situation was brewing in Ruby's mind. A thought was growing in power, until it reached a point where she could not ignore it any longer.
"I think I love this girl..."
The thought had been looming in her mind for a while now, but it was only now that she really let herself think about it. At first she had figured it was just a fluke. One of those random sensations that your brain pulled out of nowhere. Just think about it. She couldn't really be in love with Penny. She was just a good friend. Who she saw every day and never got tired of. Who always made her laugh when they were together. Who made her too happy for words just by being there.
"Could I love this girl?"
"Ruby, look!"
She was snapped away from her thoughts suddenly. Penny was looking with rapt interest at a man reclining against a nearby storefront. He was strumming a guitar, playing a song she couldn't identify. Beside him, the guitar case sat open, loose change and the occasional bill scattering its interior.
"Why is he playing music on the street?"
"Oh! Well, he's hoping people will give him money."
Her brow furrowed in thought.
"Hmm... Wouldn't it be more effective to find employment?"
"Well, I guess so, but that can be hard sometimes. Not everyone has such clear cut careers as we do."
Penny seemed to mull this over another moment longer. She then deviated from their path, moving towards the stranger. He looked up at her, and returned her smile with one of his own. Ruby didn't like his smile. Penny presented the small bundle of cash that she had on her person and placed it in the guitar case.
"Thank you ma'am. My next song is just for you."
He gave a wink, and Penny giggled cheerfully. Ruby hated his stupid face.
They stayed a few minutes longer, Penny enjoying her song and Ruby resisting the urge to unsheathe Crescent Rose. The three exchanged waves of farewell. Ruby was impressed with how much malice she managed to put into such a friendly gesture. Her and Penny continued along their way.
"I hope he is able to find what he wants to do." Penny said, her cheeriness unrelenting.
"Yeah. Well he might just be a no good bum." Ruby's disposition was somewhat less flowery.
Penny gave her a quizzical look. She then shrugged.
"Maybe. I'm glad I helped him though. It's up to him to use the chance we give him, but he might not have one without some help."
Ruby moved her gaze from the tips of her boots to Penny's face. It was smiling and bright, not a trace of cynicism to be found.
"Oh god, I really love this girl."
Ruby found it was getting to be a problem. Her and Penny had started the tradition of this walk nearly a month ago. Every day they would meet outside the school and walk around Vale, visiting different roads each day, trying new coffee shops each time in an effort to fight the fall chill. Wherever they went, they always came to the Vale CCT tower. It served as a sort of halfway point, where they could recover their energy before heading back to the school. It was fiery with autumn colors now, freshly fallen leaves drifting in the pools around them.
For the first week, Ruby had a really great time. Penny was wonderful company. She was so nice, and she was smart, and funny too, though sometimes unintentionally. Before long though, it wasn't staying in the walks anymore. She was thinking of Penny back at school. When she was training. When she was studying. Even in the middle of class. It was starting to reach the point where Penny was the only thing she could think about. But it wasn't just Penny. It was the feeling of being with her. It was so peaceful. So right. She wanted to feel like that forever, and she wanted it for Penny too. They could both be happy together. In love.
Oh boy, there was really no two ways about it now. Ruby had to deal with. She was in love with the robot. But it couldn’t be that simple. Penny was her friend, and Ruby couldn't help but feel that she would be putting that in jeopardy with this nonsense. If Penny didn't feel the same way, then they couldn't just ignore this new, awkward element. And now that you mention it, could Penny feel the same way? Ruby was sure she could, but she was no expert on this subject. Penny was a real girl no doubt about it, but she might not feel things the same way other girls might. And there was public opinion to consider. Ruby was sure Penny's father and company only barely tolerated their current get togethers. She hardly thought she was going to get a "Hey! Welcome to the family! Glad to see you cavorting around town with my daughter! Have a cookie!" Ruby hadn't met him, but he didn't sound like the "cookies" kind of guy.
They stood at the center of the circular intersection where four walkways met. Around them the water pools shimmered in the afternoon sun. Penny stooped down to run her hand through the water, distorting their twin reflections with ripples. Ruby thoughts were muddled similarily.
"What if I just told her? That's what you're supposed to do, right? Now seems like a good time."
She couldn't seem to convince herself. It just seemed like too much to ask of herself, not to mention Penny.
"Hey there Penny, you beautiful girl scientifically engineered to be perfect and adorable all the time! Want to get together with me, Ruby Rose, world class screwball, grade A mess up and just-in-general loser?"
No. That wouldn't be fair to her. What if she just said yes out of pity? That would feel awful. And Penny wouldn't even be happy about it. What if she just laughed? She probably wouldn't do that, beings as she is so polite and nice, but she wouldn’t be wrong to!
And then, the moment passed. Penny was back on her feet, and after flashing a smile at Ruby, continued on their path. Ruby couldn't move her feet. She hated things like this. She hated thinking and thinking and never being able to act. When you were on the battlefield, you made a plan and put it into action. Nothing else in her life seemed to work out so beautifully simple. The consequences in a fight were life and death, but this somehow seemed so much more real. More terrifying. What if she didn't like her anymore? What if she hurt her feelings somehow? Ruby didn't think she could bear that. Maybe it would be better to just stay quiet. Day after day. Walking through the city. Week after week. Hearing her laugh. Month after month. Seeing that smile. Year after year after...
"Penny, we could never be together, could we?"
Penny stopped dead in her tracks. The regret was instantaneous and painful, like thumbtacks from the tips of her fingers and toes to the back of her neck. Her teeth clenched hard enough to hurt.
"Ruby, what do you mean?"
"I mean, it's not that I don't like you! I mean, of course I like you, you’re my best friend! I just mean that, I could really like you, in a different way!"
"I'm your best frie...?"
"But we couldn't actually because it would be weird. Not that there's anything wrong with you of course it’s just that we're just friends and I don't know if you would want to be anything more"
"Ruby..."
"and not even just with me but with anyone and I know your father would be upset"
"Ruby."
"and I don't want to mess with your family. I just really want you to be happy, Penny!"
She was stopped short as Penny grabbed her by the arms, eliciting an involuntary squeak. Her grasp was incredibly strong, but gentle. Ruby settled her frantic eyes on Penny's face, and saw a warm smile there, and her eyes looked as though they were about to brims over with tears. Could robots cry? Penny was leaning in close. Would her face feel hard? Metallic? Her smiling lips were shifting. Would it be cold?
She stopped thinking about all that. It didn't really matter now. She leaned forward gently, almost timidly, afraid of breaking this fragile moment. When their lips touched, it wasn't hard. They brushed gently together, almost like velvet. Penny's kiss slid around Ruby's upper lip, enveloping it softly. It wasn't cold. She radiated a gentle heat, that spread all the way to Ruby's toes. The sensation was electric against the chill running down her spine. It wasn't strange at all. In the moment, it felt right, just as it always did. She felt sure now, Penny's strong arms holding her gently. Love wouldn't lie to her, and even now she felt it washing over her in waves, filling her up with thoughts. Thoughts of the future that they could have together. The kind of thoughts that fill your stomach with butterflies that won't let you sleep. But these thoughts were lost. Made silent beneath the roaring of the waves of this singular moment of love. And she would trade every worry and want of the future for this quiet instant. To just stay like this forever, she would trade everything.
The End