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Ruby fidgeted restlessly as the chilly autumn breeze whistled around her. She was bad at waiting. Why wait when you can just, do something! It was worse than ever today, because this would be her first time seeing Penny since their last fateful encounter. Since that little thing, impossibly sweet as a moment, but all twisted up and confusing as a memory. She was standing in the same spot at the same time as any of their other walks, but today the whole world seemed different. It was like her brain was blurring everything into a fog, but when the world broke through to her distracted mind, it was all sharp and crisp and so loud that it hurt. It was only the difference of a few words and a little kiss, and now her whole world was falling apart. What would she say? How would it be different now? She started to wonder if love was worth it.
"Salutations, Ruby!"
She turned to see Penny approaching her. She was bundled warmly beneath her coat and scarf. In her hands were two steaming coffees, and beneath her arm, an unused scarf, scarlet in color. Of all this, the thing that felt warmest to Ruby was the glowing smile peering over all the folds and bundles. She then remembered why love was worth it.
"Hi, Penny." Ruby replied sheepishly.
"I'm sorry I didn't wait for you. It was just so cold today that I thought I should find us drinks right away."
"Oh, that's okay. You made the right call."
"Wonderful! I also brought an extra scarf for you, in case you forgot yours."
"Thanks Penny. I do forget mine a lot."
"Not a problem at all, Ruby. I'm happy to help a friend in need!"
"A friend, huh?" Ruby wondered. "Maybe nothing's really different at all."
A large part of her felt relief at the idea, but the tiny part of her that was heartbroken was all she could think about. They proceeded along their walk as usual. Ruby was uncharacteristically quiet, causing Penny some concern. She took it upon herself to take up the slack in the regard, making sure to point out interesting sights or inquire about fun looking shops. Ruby responded dutifully, but Penny could recognize it as a token effort. At last she stopped.
"Ruby, are you well? You don't seem to be yourself."
Ruby snapped out of her distracted state for a moment, surprised by the inquiry. She gave Penny a weak smile.
"Oh, it's nothing Penny. I'm just fine."
Even as she said it, she was drifting visibly back down into the dumps.
"No, Ruby."
"Wha?"
"You're not okay. I can tell there is something wrong. You’re my friend. I want you to tell me if something is bothering you."
Ruby's mouth opened to argue, but the words froze in her mouth before melting into a defeated sigh.
"Well, you see... Is that all we are now? Friends?"
"What do you mean?"
"It's just that... after last time... I dunno, I thought maybe we were, like, more than that. But maybe I was just confused. I just don't really know how..."
She was interrupted by Penny's hand gently sliding around her face. Even in the brisk air, they radiated warmth.
"Ruby. You're my friend. You're my best friend in the whole world. But you're more than just that."
She leaned forward, planting a gentle kiss on Ruby's brow.
"I love you, and that's something you should never worry yourself about."
Ruby wasn't worried anymore. However, she had gone stiff as a board and red as a barn. Penny could have pushed her to the ground with one finger. After a short bout of sputtering, she finally managed to respond.
"Thanks Penny. I love you too. Sorry I make everything so complicated."
"Not at all! That's what friends are for. To help each other understand things."
"Yeah. That's what friends are for."
The rest of the walk proceeded with high spirits, all the concerns of the past swept away by the tender moments of the present. When at last their meandering path found it's reluctant end, they both knew it was time to part ways, but could hardly bring themselves to do it.
"I don't want to wait a week to see you again, Penny."
"Agreed. We should meet again before then."
Ruby nearly inhaled her scarf in an excited gasp.
"What if we went on a date!"
"That sounds lovely! Where should we go?"
Ruby furrowed her brow in intense concentration. Her eyes began to widen with realization. She had an opportunity here. If she could give Penny the best date ever, she could make up for being such a pain. It was the perfect plan.
"Penny, leave it to me. Tomorrow evening, meet me here. I'll have everything ready!"
"Oh! Well that sounds lovely! I look forward to seeing you then, Ruby!"
They shared their final goodbyes and went their separate ways, Ruby already beginning to plot for the best date ever.
Back at Beacon, her scheming only intensified. Certain her teammates, primarily her nosy sister, were fast asleep, she secured herself beneath the shelter of her bed sheets. By the glow of a flashlight held between her cheek and shoulder, she began to write her plans.
"Alright, let's see. What are some things Penny likes? Well, there's walks and coffee, but we always do that. She likes making new friends! But then again, three is a crowd. This should be just us. Gosh, I don't know much about what makes her tick at all. She's just so happy all the time. How am I supposed to work with that!"
Her friend's impeccable disposition was causing Ruby distress. How were you supposed to give someone the best day ever if they were so happy every day?
"Okay, let's think general. What are some things everybody likes? Food. Everyone loves food! I just have to find out her favorites. Some nice food at a romantic location should be just the thing. But I need something to sweeten the deal. Music! Everyone loves music too! This is easy! Just food, scenery, and music. Best girlfriend points guaranteed! I'll line everything up. Just need a couple questions answered..."
At home, Penny had retired to her room. The long and exciting day had taken it's toll on her, and she looked forward to some rest. She began shifting into low power mode, shutting down her non-essential functions so she could recharge and de-clutter her mind. Just as she was winding down, her scroll gave a chirp. Powering back to life, she retrieved it. The screen informed her that Ruby Rose was calling.
"Hello?"
"Penny! Hi! It's me, Ruby."
"Hello, Ruby. How are you?"
"Great! I'm great. I hope I didn't wake you up..."
"No, not exactly... Was there something you wanted to talk about?"
"Oh yeah! What are your favorite foods?"
"My favorite foods? I've never considered. Let me think a moment."
Penny gathered her thoughts. She had never thought to put food in a hierarchy before. She could distinguish tastes just like anyone else, but she didn't really put value on one taste over another. Everything just tasted... different. Thinking that way, she could make no leeway on deciding what food she preferred. At this point she could nearly hear Ruby fidgeting, even through her scroll. She devised an alternate way to pick favorites.
"Mangos. I like mangos."
"Really?"
"Oh yes. I remember a time that my father brought some home with him. That was the first time I tried eating anything. It was wonderful!"
"Huh. Mangos. Well that’s fine and all, but there's got to be something bigger! Something special that you never get to have."
"Never get to have..."
Penny pondered over this. It was a somewhat confusing notion. If it was something she never had, she couldn't very well apply nostalgia to it.
Then it hit her. She had seen it in a window advertisement at a little shop down by the harbor.
"The Coconut Supreme Tower Cake."
The sign had said it was the best cake in the world. If anything could make her understand the difference between tastes, it was this,
"From Jamie's down by the harbor?"
"Yes." Penny said with a grim determination. "It's my favorite."
She was going to eat this cake, and all the secrets of taste would be revealed to her. It was decided.
"Well okay! That's what I'm talking about! Okay, Penny! I'll see you tomorrow!"
"See you tomorrow, Ru..."
"AHH!!! Penny no no wait! I forgot to ask. What's your favorite view in the city?"
Now this was a notion Penny understood perfectly. She hadn't been in Vale long, but she had explored much of the city. She kept finding places that were just magnificent. The CCT tower, the historical district, even Beacon when she visited. However, her favorite place of all was somewhere else.
"Persimmon Way."
"Never heard of it. What is that, a road?"
"Oh yes. There is the most lovely gazebo there that looks out over the city and the water. Just thinking about it makes me feel so... serene."
"Huh. Sounds nice."
"Ruby, why are you asking me all this?"
"Oh, no reason, Penny. Well gotta go night!"
And with that she was gone, leaving Penny a little confused, and a little excited.
They met the next day at the usual place, Ruby fidgeting anxiously until Penny arrived. Once they were together, Ruby excitedly took Penny by the hand and led her to their first destination. Over the scroll, Penny had failed to mention the Persimmon Way was an old cobblestone road that ran up one of the steepest hills in the city, the top of which they reached rather slowly. In spite of her anxiousness, Ruby seemed to already be exhausted for some reason. Once they reached the top, Penny excitedly guided Ruby to the gazebo that overlooked the water.
"Here it is, Ruby. Isn't it just lovely?"
"Yeah..." Ruby said distantly, too pleasantly distracted by Penny's glowing enjoyment to find any for herself.
Penny took in the view a moment longer, enjoying the breeze that came with the elevation. She then turned to speak to Ruby, and found that she was no longer by her side. Looking around, she suddenly found that Ruby was piling something into her arms. It was mangos. A lot of them. She looked up to see Ruby, seeming quite proud, standing beside an old man with a food cart full of them.
"Oh? What's this?"
"Just for you! You said you like mangos, so I got you all the mangos! All of them." Ruby said, shifting suddenly from cheerful to grim towards the end.
8 hours earlier
"All you have to do is move your cart to the top of Persimmon Way for one evening. I promise I will definitely buy a bunch. Plus, you'll probably get a ton of foot traffic. Even more than around here!"
Ruby's attempts to sway the old shopkeeper were met with adamant head shakes and grunts. It didn't help that, in fact, she knew absolutely nothing about Persimmon Way, nor the logistics of operating a mango cart there. Ruby was getting frustrated.
"Listen, I have a date tonight, and nothing is going to stop me from making it perfect. If Penny wants to eat mangos on top of Persimmon Way, then goshdangit she's gonna. I'll pay rental. I'll push the cart myself. I'll carry you there!"
Nearly a half hour of climbing the steepest street in Vale while pushing a large cart full of mango's and an old man who now had all of her money really reminded Ruby of the value of thinking before you speak.
The Present
"Would you believe me if I told you this is the only mango vendor in the city, because you should probably trust me on this."
She did not seem to be joking.
"Oh, well, this is very nice Ruby. Thank you."
"Yup, your favorite snack and your favorite view in the city. No problem at all for Ruby Rose. Pretty nifty, huh?"
Ruby's expression was self satisfaction bordering on smugness. She crossed her legs and balanced against the stall with one arm, in a pose she imagined must look terribly cool. For a moment of panic, Ruby was certain she felt the earth rolling out from under her feet. She was relieved when she realized it was only the stall rolling out from under her arm. She recovered her footing, just in time to see the cart gaining speed as it rolled down the hill and towards it's owner, who was pursuing dropped merchandise. Then the panic returned.
"Oh geez!" Ruby cried as she bolted after it.
Penny stared in confusion, arms still brimming over with tropical fruit.
The shopkeeper hardly had time to turn before the cart collided with him, knocking him into the air and onto his product. Covered in mango juice and full of terror, he locked eyes with Ruby.
"What have I done..." She lamented.
Ruby had to act fast. She leapt onto the back of the cart, unintentionally boosting it's speed further.
"Pennnnyyyy!!!"
Penny could only watch as her girlfriend hurtled down the steepest street in the city astride a cart full of mangos. She realized that something must be done. She looked around frantically to find a solution for her overabundance of fruit. Finding none, she simply dropped them onto the ground in exasperation and began sprinting after Ruby.
Ruby was considering her options, which seemed to be lessening as the bottom of the hill rushed closer by the second. Even from here she could see a tall brick wall encircling a park was their inevitable destination. Ruby let her feet drop to the road, digging her heels into it in hopes of slowing them down. Her feet were knocked back with terrible force the moment they hit the ground. Ruby found it was now impossible to return them to the cart. Her feet dangled uselessly in the air, her hands keeping only a tenuous grip. She then had a brilliant idea. She let go with one hand, using it to unsheathe Crescent Rose. In an explosion of stone and sparks, she slammed it into the ground behind them. It continued to carve a trail of destruction as they rolled. They were slowing, but Ruby already knew it would not be enough. The wall was coming up fast.
It was then that Penny leapt over top of her, landing squarely in front of the cart's path. She could probably stop the cart by hand without flinching, but the sudden brake would now doubt shatter it into a thousand pieces, sending it's unfortunate passengers flying. Ruby could see her back slide open as she summoned her swords. Ruby became confused, concerned, and more than a little excited. Before the cart struck her, Penny hopped into the air, planting her feet squarely onto the vertical surface of the cart's front end. The momentum held her firmly in place as she directed her swords into the walls of storefronts on either side of the road. The road's end was no more than fifty feet away now. Penny pulled as tightly as she could on all of her lines. The cart groaned slowly to a halt, leaving only inches between hard brick and the tip of Penny's nose.
"Omigosh! Penny! Are you okay!"
"Just fine Ruby!" Penny responded cheerfully as she hopped down from the front of the cart, brushing the dust and debris from herself.
"Oh, thank god!" Ruby said, sighing in relief.
She turned her attention to the hill they had just descended, wincing as she saw the winding trail of obliterated roadway she had left behind.
"Well, that could have been worse I guess."
She had hardly finished the sentence when a half dozen storefronts collapsed on themselves, damaged from the structural strain caused by Penny's maneuver.
"Oh shoot..."
Sirens wailed in the distance.
"Umm, Penny, it's time to go!"
She took Penny, who was exchanging a friendly wave with the cart owner, by the wrist and bolted them both away from the scene of the crime. This day was not turning out the way Ruby had hoped, but this was just the first step. She still had more up her sleeve.
"Okay, mangos are out. Just wasn't happening. But don’t worry Penny! The day's just getting started! You're gonna have a great time!"
"Oh, thank you Ruby! I am having a wonderful time!"
"No! Not yet you aren't! This way!"
And with that she dragged a somewhat confused and concerned Penny onwards to their next stop.
The sun was glowing dimly, prepared to dip beneath the horizon. With the first event cut short, Ruby was ahead of schedule, but somehow she felt like she was running out of time. She rushed them off to Jamie's. It was a crummy little shop down by the water, but it offered the Coconut Supreme Tower Cake that was Penny's supposed favorite. Ruby couldn't imagine anything from Jamie's being favorite materiel, much less "world's best" as the advertisement described. But, if this was what Penny wanted, then gosh darn it was what she was going to get.
"Here we are, Penny!" Ruby said, holding the door for her.
"Thank you, Ruby."
Inside, Ruby guided her to a little table in the back corner, on which sat a solitary red rose and a dozen lit candles. Ruby used every move she knew. She pulled out Penny's chair for her, put her napkin in her lap (which is apparently a thing people do for some reason), and refrained form reenacting battles with forks and butter knives. Best behavior, that was the key.
After a few minutes, they were approached by a gruff, bearded server.
"What can I get for you ladies?"
"We'll be skipping straight to desert." Ruby declared with confidence. "The Coconut Supreme Tower Cake please."
"Alright. That'll take a minute. Get comfortable."
He lumbered off towards the kitchen. Ruby noticed how nice Penny looked in the glow of the candles. "The really intense... burning... wow maybe I used too many candles..."
"This is very lovely, Ruby. Thank you for bringing me here."
"But that's not all, Penny. I promised you an amazing date, and your going to get it!"
"Oh, I am having a great time!"
"Nonsense!!! But I can fix that! With something that everybody loves... Music!"
"Music?"
Right on time, a half dozen men wearing leather and dark eyeliner entered the restaurant. Spotting Ruby, they made their way to the table the girls were sitting at. As they approached, Ruby jumped to her feet, spreading her arms in her best "Ta-dah!" pose as she gestured towards them.
"Oh... my." It was the best Penny could do.
"I found these guys earlier today and they totally rock! Now you get dinner and a show!"
"Oh... Well thank you, Ruby."
"No thanks required, my dearest Penny." Ruby said with an overblown bow, producing a rose from her within her cape and placing it in Penny's hands. "Alright, guys! Do your stuff!"
"You heard her guys. Let's rock."
At their leader's command, they raised their instruments, and proceeded to play the loudest, most intense sound Ruby had ever experienced. Every light in the building began to flicker, and Ruby jumped out of her chair. Penny sat still as a stone, eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights.
"Guys! No! I said a love song! Remember?" Ruby tried to shout above a cacophony.
"This is a love song!" Their lead replied, barely audible.
"It doesn't sound like it! It's so... intense!"
"It's about the pain and fury of a destructive relationship that no one is willing to end!"
"That's sound horrible! Why would I want a song like that?!"
"You raise a really good point!"
"Can't you play something nicer?!"
"No! We literally don't know how to rock any less hard!"
"Oh, c'mon!"
"What?"
Ruby's words were lost in the drowning noise. She urged them to stop, but they paid her no heed. Customers were flooding out of the building. The manager, old Jamie himself, had appeared, and he was yelling. Ruby had no clue what he was saying, but she could sure tell he was yelling. She jumped to her feet and started to shuffle through the crowded room in an effort to silence the overzealous performers. She could stop one at a time, but by the time she reached the next, the last would start up again. She gave up the futile effort and ran back to Penny.
"Don't worry! I can fix this!" She shouted, handing Penny another rose.
"Where are you getting all these roses?!"
"I don't know! I just kinda, have them around!"
Just then, the front door burst open, and two familiar faces came rushing in.
"Junior detectives!" cried Sun, raising his badge. "We're on the search for a pair of vandals from Persimmon Way."
"Give them up and this will be real easy." added Neptune, displaying his own badge.
The band refused to relent, as did the manager, and now the wannabe cops joined in on the wall of incoherent and angry sound. There was no hope.
"Umm, Ruby..." Penny's concerned voice called.
Ruby looked back to see every one of her candles overturned. The table at which Penny was sitting was literally on fire.
And then she snapped. Ruby took in as big a breath as she could and began yelling at the top of her lungs. She rushed over to the table, lifted it above her head and threw it out the nearest window. She drew Crescent Rose and bisected every instrument in the room, as well as several pieces of furniture, taking a fresh breath in the process. Still screaming, she ran up to the manager and put the most forceful "Shh!" finger she could manage up to his face. He stopped more due to confusion than compliance. By this time, the Sun and Neptune had also stopped, confused themselves, so she simply screamed at them for her own satisfaction, until finally the last of her breath gave out with a squeaky wheeze. Feeling suddenly very light headed, she staggered backwards, struggling to maintain balance. She had nearly recovered, when her heel caught against a severed chair leg, sending her sprawling backwards into an innocent bystander before hitting the ground. She landed with splat, a sound that confused her when compared to the thumps she had become used to in her experiences with falling. She got back up to her feet, and with slowly dawning horror, turned to see the remains of the cake she had flattened, and the startled server from whose hands she had knocked it.
The room was very quiet now. And very still. Standing there at the epicenter of the debris was Ruby. Her breathing was heavy, and her face barely holding back against the oncoming flow of tears.
"It... It'll... This'll be okay... I can... Oh!"
Her eyes overflowing with tears, she burst through the crowd, retreating into the cold autumn night. It took a moment for Penny to realize the situation. She wasn't sure what was happening, but Ruby was upset, and that was reason enough to be concerned.
"Ruby! Wait!" Penny cried, rushing after her.
"Yeah, get back here!" Cried the manager. "That kid owes me big!"
The rest of the crowd started to join in the call, unanimously upset over Ruby's tendency towards destruction of property. Penny turned sharply, eyes burning, her freckled nose was wrinkled into the most disapproving scowl she could manage. It was like being threatened by a kitten, but something in those eyes managed to convince them. Everyone dropped their campaign of vengeance, choosing instead to grumble and groan as they gathered up the pieces of their possessions. Sun and Neptune decided to let the perps of the hook this time, considering they were friends. They patted one another on the back, congratulating themselves on the excellent police work.
Penny stumbled out the doors after Ruby, and looking around, found that she was out of sight. Penny began to worry. Ruby had been so worked up all day. What was making her so upset? Was it something she did? She did have only a limited understanding on certain aspects of social interactions. Had she done something to make Ruby sad? At this, Penny had a terrible feeling of confused guilt well up inside her. She needed to find Ruby, and figure this out. She ran to give chase. Ruby couldn't have gone far. She would check everywhere they had been today, and Beacon too. Anywhere that Ruby could have gone... But then something caught her eye. A singular rose petal, almost purple against the dark night sky, drifted past her nose on a gentle breeze. Penny looked to the source, and surely enough, a gently drifting trail could be seen marching away from a sad, lonely girl, dangling her feet over the edge of the dock, above the inky black sea. This wasn't the frantic, nervous Ruby that she had seen all day. This Ruby was quiet and broken. And in that moment, Penny understood. Ruby always fought for things. She worked hard and achieved her goals in order to earn victory. It was part of her nature, and because of that, she thought she needed to win her love. She tried so hard to make today something special for Penny, but the truth was, she was already loved. A sadness touched Penny, but it was a bittersweet sadness. This was something that she knew how to fix.
Penny walked to a coffee stand on the street and ordered a pair of warm drinks. She carried them to the edge of the dock, sitting down beside her friend, who was hidden beneath her frosting stained hood. She placed the drinks between them and looked out at the sea as all the stars in heaven glittered across it's surface. Ruby shifted her feet onto the dock, resting her elbows on her knees, and burying her face in her arms. Penny gave a contented sigh.
"I liked when the old shopkeeper's stall rolled down the street. That was fun!"
Ruby didn't offer so much as glance from beneath her hood.
"The cake was funny as well. It was even my favorite type."
"And you didn't even get to have any." Said Ruby's muffled voice.
Penny ran a finger along Ruby's cape, gathering up a generous serving. Upon tasting it, she was disappointed to find that it was not in fact the best thing she had ever eaten, but she kept this to herself.
"Now I did. It's delicious!"
Ruby shuffled her feet into a position that was more advantageous for sulking.
"But you know my favorite part of all?"
Penny paused, refusing to finish the thought. Finally, Ruby glanced one eye out from beneath her hood.
"What?"
Got her...
"Being with you, of course!"
"But everything went so horribly. We didn't get to do anything you liked."
"Ruby, the only thing I came here for is you."
Ruby at last withdrew from her hooded retreat, revealing a face of confusion.
"But, why? I ruined everything."
Penny giggled in spite of herself.
"Because I love you, silly."
And with that, she gave Ruby a kiss on the cheek. It was quick, but it was enough to turn her red as her cape, which she buried herself beneath once more, muffling a squeal. Once more, Penny couldn't help but laugh. Ruby reemerged once more, hair rustled and messy.
"I love you too, Penny."
Penny smiled and lifted Ruby's drink to her. They both drank and warmed themselves, looking out at the reflected night's sky.
"I liked the runaway cart too." Ruby admitted sheepishly.
Now they both laughed, and all night they could hardly stop laughing, sitting at the edge of the dock until the morning sun set the glittering bay ablaze, content with nothing more than the company of one another.
The End