Archive of Our Own ^beta

Welcome to Beacon!

As she had stood there, along with her fellow inductees aboard the large airship, a part of her had wanted to be exited; it wanted to be jumping for joy and giddy and happy and as accomplished as she’s ever been in that moment, but the truth was that she was scared, too – and that even though it had been her dream to go to Beacon eventually , she’d jumped about two grades ahead in a mere blink of an eye, and… there was probably going to be a lot of judgment that came along with it, attention she didn’t want .

And well, it was just new – you know? She’d finally been comfortable, and now, she was leaving everything she had built behind, had to start over…

(Not easy for her. Maybe not easy for anyone – or maybe everyone else was just better at faking it.)

But hey, it hadn’t been all that bad, right?

… Okay, maybe the first day had been an utter shitshow and maybe she’d blown herself up and made some pretty stupid first impression on the people she would eventually call teammates, but you know, other than that, schooling’s been a bit harder but going okay, and she doesn’t think she’s doing the worst job of being a leader, and –

Oh god, she has a girlfriend now. She can’t forget that!

It isn’t something Ruby ever thought would really happen by now (not that she didn’t want it to, of course she had), because… well, the truth is she’s always seen herself as a bit… lacking, in all honesty; she didn’t have her mom or her dad (just her uncle and her sister), she wasn’t all that great at making friends (said sister is how she got her old friends to begin with), and the one thing she was pretty good at (combat) was kind of the thing that got her in trouble and also here in this situation to begin with, which is to say, it’s all kind of a mixed bag.

(Man… it sucked, huh?)

But there had just been something about Nora that really drew her in – made her want to be around her, even if it did feel like too much, at times.

(Maybe it’s because she talks enough for the both of them, and Ruby doesn’t need to fill the air with her dumb ideas.)

And now that they’ve been together for a little bit (a relationship that’s lasted more than a month, can you imagine) – Ruby should take her out on a date, right?

She should take her on a date, right?

Oh, but maybe a simple one – they’re still in school and can’t go far… and she doesn’t have a lot of money.

Maybe…

Maybe a midnight picnic, then?  With things she can easily cook and an old blanket she still had? It’s not like dates always needed to be these big, grand gestures to be nice or meaningful, right? Simple – simple is nice and homely and fun. And Nora’s a pretty simple girl anyway, Ruby could probably just show up naked to her dorm room while her own teammates were out and Nora would go wild for her.

… Great, now she’s tempted! No, no, stick with the picnic…

(Besides, she can leave the real fancy stuff for graduation later.)

You know what happens when your absolutely cute and adorable and great and kind and awesome girlfriend tells you she wants to take you on a date? Do you?!

Why – you say yes, of course!

Why, you say yes, and then you smack your lips all over your girlfriend’s face and hug her real tight and spin off the floor, all while that same absolutely cute and adorable and great and kind and awesome girlfriend laughs awkwardly and tells you she wants to be put down, because she can’t really breathe and you’re totally squeezing her and it’s actually severely uncomfortable, so then you put her down but still do all the things you’re supposed to do when you’re excited because dates are fun and exciting and this might be like your first date ever?!

So, yeah, maybe saying she’s off the wall is a bit... understating it.

She just can’t help it!

(Nora had boys and girls that she liked in the past – boys and girls and sometimes in between and sometimes just their own thing, and enough to even ask them to hang out somewhere, even if it was just for a bite to eat or a coffee or whatever you did on dates.

But it hadn’t ended well – never did, really. Too hyperactive, they said. Just some kid, they said. You tire me out .

It hurts, but she tries not to think about it.)

And gosh, isn’t it all just so romantic ? The thought of a midnight rendezvous with… well, probably not fancy food but maybe cute little sandwiches and cute little cakes and maybe a pot of tea, all while watching the stars twinkle about them, while Nora tells Ruby that the night sky might be pretty but it’ll never be as beautiful as her? Oh, it’ll be just like all those old books and movies with the film stars!

(She can’t mess this up!)

But heck, that means she needs to start thinking about what she’ll wear right now! She’ll need something that doesn’t stain as easily because it’ll be outside, but she still wants it to be cute, and god, what will the weather be like?

They’re not out of spring but not out of summer, so maybe it’ll be colder? Oh, what if it rains? She doesn’t think she has an umbrella! So, she might need a jacket or something and it’s not like she can just bring her armor, that’d be so lame. Something that might keep her warm and dry but still look super cute on her because she really wants to make a good impression…

(And there is that other thing she’s got to worry about, but maybe she should worry about that when she’s got a top situation all figured out.)

As she practically dumps her closet on the floor, she realizes she’s got a lot of digging to do.

So, she waits.

She waits until Yang runs off with her friends at the school; she waits until Blake decides to check out some new titles at the school library; she waits until Weiss figures out there’s a new clothing store and town and decides she just has to check it out. She waits for everyone to finally get out of the dorm, and it isn’t until then when she finally decides to lock herself in their bathroom to get ready for her date.

Right.

Simple, and easy.

(Why is she so nervous?

She can do this – she can do this.)

First’s thing’s first – shower. She washes her hair and cleans her body and wipes down her face, scrubbing until the skin feels almost raw. She makes sure the body wash she picked out smells good and that her skin feels soft and looks nice, even if she dig at it. Second thing – shaving. Her legs, her armpits, and – well, down there.

(Yang offered to help when she’d been a little younger before, when Ruby expressed interest. But she had quickly changed her mind once she realized how much work it was, and she’d been so embarrassed she told Yang to forget the whole thing ever happened. But she still remembers the type of shaving cream Yang recommended if she ever changed her mind again, and snuck a can for herself during a shopping trip earlier this month and honestly, she’s glad. Because it’s making this process a whole lot better.

She didn’t think it’d be so… itchy .)

… And you know, the longer she struggles, the more she realizes this may have actually been a pretty bad idea because it was pretty uncomfortable and she’s sure she’s already nicked herself and it hurts . Halfway through, she just leans her head back against the tile wall, asking herself why she even wanted to do this. To impress Nora? Would Nora even care ?

But then, she can’t just stop halfway , can she? That’s going to look worse than her not shaving at all .

So, she continues, until she’s finally done, and can put everything away.

Ruby than dries herself off, washes her teeth, puts on her nicest matching set of panties and bra – because she’s got to be ready for anything – and then proceeds to waste half an hour on an outfit.

It’s so stupid, she sighs, as she slaps her forehead and tells herself she’s overthinking the whole thing – while obviously she’s not trying to look bad, it’ll be dark and slightly cold outside. They probably won’t get to see much of each other – not really – so trying to impress with her simple closet isn’t going to work. And she’s already wasted enough time! What about her basket?! She isn’t going to let her girlfriend starve , is she?! No, she’s not going to do it and she’s just going to pick the next thing out of her closet and be done with the whole thing!

Just worry about the grass stains, Ruby, just worry about the grass stains…

Which brings her to the fact that she’s actually kind of a terrible cook…

It’s not for lack of trying – it just seems like everything she tries to do just goes wrong! Cheesecakes crack or deflate, pastries won’t rise, her breads are sad, and even savory stuff is either super bland or just underdone or even worse, burnt. The most she can make is sandwiches and pancakes, and it’d be kinda dumb to bring pancakes along to a picnic, so… Sandwiches it is!

… Not that she could really afford anything fancy-schmancy right now, even if she could cook – not with what she has planned, if it all goes well – but she still at least tries to make what she has look nice . Not underfilled, not overstuffed, making sure everything stays in its place as she cuts it on a diagonal, keeping her sister’s hand from sticking her fingers in literally goddamn everything cause she’s a pig…

(Community kitchens are hard…)

But, she ends up not being alone in her task.

Blake ends up stopping by to help her, after poking her head around, and Weiss, too – as soon as Ruby mutters that the food is for a date, everyone starts kicking ass to make sure that her picnic basket was utterly stuffed with the best she could offer. Blake ended up finishing the rest of the sandwiches, cutting cleaner than she ever could, and even arranged some fresh fruits for her. And Weiss – Weiss actually knew how to bake something?!

(She confesses she had a sweet tooth when she was younger, and when the family chef wouldn’t oblige her, she just up and decided one day to make them herself. It’d been hard, of course – sneaking around at night, barely over six years old, working with equipment made for people far older than her, trying not to waste a single thing lest she got found out… but it’d been worth it, she said, when she finally did get something right. Though she hadn’t baked in a long while, she still knew how to make something on the fly.

She also threatens Ruby to not let this slip outside of their room and Ruby hurriedly and nervously smiles and nods and promises she won’t say a word! Weiss did help, after all – it’s only fair!

Though, she didn’t really expect it…)

With what little supplies they had lying around, they couldn’t really make cakes or anything fancy – and she was absolutely sure on not bringing pancakes – so, they end up making banana nut muffins with some bananas they had lying around and some leftover nuts Yang found in the pantry that she hadn’t eaten yet. It’d actually been really interesting to see Weiss in her… “element”, even if she kinda yelled at Ruby a lot for “invading” her space. She just wanted to learn for next time, but Weiss told her she’d have better luck going to the moon.

Ouch.

(Well, she guesses she asked for it – and hey, they turned out stellar!)

So, she thanks everyone for their help as she heads out for her date. 

And well, she had to deal with another problem!

Whatever her bottom ended up being, it had to hide any boners she might end up popping during the date.

Because, you know, she has a penis.

And it’s not like she’s ashamed or has issues because of her penis! No, no! It’s more like she’s overheard some really bad stories about other girls who had what she would call some really strong feelings about their date accidentally popping a boner and then having some even more strong, sudden, horrible feelings of the supposed expectation of needing to “take care of it”, so to say. And um, some of these guys she’s heard about…

They weren’t exactly nice about it either.

Nora would never do that to Ruby; she’s a big girl, she can take care of herself if she needs to, and she’ll never expect otherwise. If Ruby offers, then, um, cool! But she’s also trying not to add pressure to the whole “first date” situation. Just because they’ve been dating for a while doesn’t mean Nora should necessarily expect Ruby to “put out”, especially since they haven’t even talked about it! She doesn’t mind waiting for sex, and doesn’t mind waiting until Ruby is more comfortable with it or waiting until she brings it up first.

Especially since she’s – well, she’s bad at it.

And honestly, the less said about it, the better.

(She remembers crying. She remembers feeling humiliated. She remembers the looks after. She remembers all the stupid shit she had to do to avoid that person, how she never got an apology. She remembers hating herself for letting it happen. She shouldn’t have gone into that closet.

But well, there’s nothing left for her to do, right?


Nothing to do but to move on and hope the next time will be better.)

But at the same time, she just can’t help it if she gets excited! Ruby’s such a beautiful girl and Nora is honestly super lucky to have her. And maybe that’s just how she is, always ready from the word ‘go’.

But she also knows Ruby’s enthusiastic consent and participation is important! And if she has to lose her someday – don’t let it be this. Don’t let it be some stupid mistake she should have known better not to do, don’t let it be something she’ll regret forever because she was a rash idiot. Is it too hopeful to want to grow old together? Maybe. Probably is. But she swears – not like this. She’ll be better.

(Oh, and she has to shave of course. In case something happens! And definitely her legs, at least.) 

And finally – after a whole hour – Nora is finished, and she’s settled on a white shirt, a cute pink skirt, a comfy cardigan and some short heeled boots with some socks.

It’s nothing all that fancy – she definitely isn’t overdressed, she thinks – and nothing expensive she’d really hate to lose in case anything happened out there (not that she is expecting to get down and dirty in the mud and the dirt, it’s just a precaution). And she managed to shave her legs without that many nicks and you know, above her dick and pussy, she smells good, she feels good, she brushed out all the tangles and her hair and she sort of feels like she’s just… floating as she stares at herself in front of the mirror? Vibrating, jelly legs? Like she’s just some shaken explosive, ready to blow herself apart!

… Part of it is definitely anxiety! Which is fun!

(It’s not.)

… And yeah, it’s stupid, she knows; Ruby isn’t really a girl with a lot of high expectations, as far as Nora’s known her. She’s silly and kind of dumb and well-meaning (just like her), but a part of her keeps battering with all the possible ways that she might mess it all up somehow and be left utterly alone.

You’re just some annoying kid.

Do you even hear the way you talk?

Nora, no one fucking cares.

(And she takes it all with a grin – because well, what else is she supposed to do?)

But she’s going to stop thinking like that! Because it’s not fair to her or to Ruby or to anyone to let the past weigh down on them so heavily. Things have changed, and they’ll continue to change, and they’ll get better. Heck, just look at her! Once upon a time, Nora didn’t think she’d have much to live for, but now she’s attending a super cool school with a girlfriend! A girlfriend she’s about to go on a super romantic date! Isn’t that worth something?

And of course it is; why wouldn’t it be?

She sighs as she takes a seat on her bed, leaning forward, and resting her head in her hands.

Yeah, there was a lot of pain to get here – there were a lot of missteps along the way. Yeah, she didn’t do everything perfectly, and yeah, she isn’t going to do everything perfectly from now. Yeah, shit sucks! A lot of things suck! But that doesn’t mean it’ll suck forever , it just sucked for right now. Only an idiot believes nothing will ever change – because that’s just not true! Things change! Everything changes! And Nora isn’t an idiot!

Okay, she feels a lot better now and totally ready to tackle this date! And everything is going to go super well and it’ll be the type of date that goes on the date hall of fame from just how hard the date went. Yeah, that’s exactly what’s going to happen and you can’t convince her otherwise!

The clock sounds.

Shit, she’s going to be late!

And so, the day – or night, technically – arrives in all of its plain, cookie-cutter glory.

The world is quiet, blanketed by dark blue; the winds are soft; the air is brisk, but not too chilly, and there’s a bright, full moon hanging above her head with all the stars that twinkle against the night sky, as she holds her picnic basket in her hands and realizes…

Oh, Nora’s… late, huh?

(She was sure she told her the right time, didn’t she? Maybe something happened? Oh, Ruby hopes she didn’t suddenly get cold feet.)

Wanting something to do, Ruby figures she may as well just put her old blanket and picnic basket down and proceed as normal, and not freak out and think the world is ending – Nora’s pretty absent-minded, she shouldn’t be surprised if she’s running a little late, it doesn’t mean she regrets this or her or everything…

She’s just letting her terrible thoughts win if she thinks like that, and she wants to be better about it. She’s a leader now – she’s got to be better. And what kind of girlfriend would she be if she just starts doubting her partner like that?

Nora wouldn’t think Ruby just ran off – so Ruby shouldn’t either –

“Sorry sorry sorry I lost track of time I’m so sorry for being late please forgive me I didn’t mean it!”

And then, her girlfriend suddenly appears, talking a thousand miles per minute, just like she always does, as she ends up face-first in the grass underneath the tree.

… Well, Nora didn’t run off after all!

(Um, but it looks like she did run somewhere…)

“Nora!” Ruby gasps as she bends down. “Did – did you run all the way here?”

The redhead gives a weak thumbs-up.

“You – you didn’t have to!” Ruby laughs breathlessly. “You could have hurt yourself!”

“It’s worth it,” Nora coughs. “Because you’re the prettiest girl in the world and I want to make you happy. Even if I feel like I’m dying.”

“Hold on, I got water, let me grab it.”

… The prettiest girl in the world, though, huh?

Oh, she’s not that pretty – she’s pretty plain, to be honest.

But to hear Nora say that…

It honestly makes her heart jump.

It takes about ten minutes and a bottle of water and some breathing exercises for Nora to feel better again, but it happens, and Ruby’s just glad that everything’s okay. Nora laughs at how she spent too long getting ready and when she looked at the clock she realized she was late and since there wasn’t really a ride to get to their date spot, she just sort of… ran as far as her legs would take her.

“It’s a good thing you had water!” Nora smiles. “I might have died of dehydration!”

“Next time, just walk, okay?” Ruby chuckles. “I don’t mind waiting if it means you get here safely.”

“I’ll just set an alarm next time,” Nora nods to herself. “That way, I’ll definitely know when it’s time to go! And I’ll make it super loud it’ll wake everyone else in the dorm up!”

Oh boy… 

“So… what do we have in the basket?!” Nora asks excitedly, eyes sparkling. “Cakes, sandwiches, muffins, soup?”

“Muffins and sandwiches and some fruit,” Ruby laughs. “I didn’t want to risk anything I could spill – also we couldn’t make cake…”

Nora gasps. “Are the sandwiches the cute little ones you see princesses have on TV?”

“They’re about as cute as we could make them!” Ruby nervously chuckles. “I hope you’re not too disappointed…”

“Oh, what? No no no! I’d love anything you’d make!” Nora nods determinedly, grabbing Ruby’s face with both her hands. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the worst thing in the world, I’ll eat it!”

“I don’t think it’s that bad…?” Ruby says, in the hopes of reassuring herself, if nothing else…

(Also, to maybe get Nora from mushing her face, it kind of hurts...)

Once Nora realizes Ruby’s a bit uncomfortable, she takes it upon herself to open the basket herself – and despite her fairly high expectations (Ruby really couldn’t make anything as fancy as afternoon tea) – her bright eyes still twinkle over the spread, excited to try out the tasty looking sandwiches and the muffins and the sliced fruit, asking how Ruby got the cuts so clean, it’s like a work of art! And Ruby answers honestly, that her team helped her.

“Aww, that’s so sweet!” Nora grins. “I couldn’t get Ren to help me with anything – he’d just go like oh, it’s your date, you figure it out .”

Ruby laughs.

And during all their munching – that they’ve finally started – Nora asks her how she’s liking Beacon so far.

“I like it, but…” She sighs. “I knew it’d be hard, but it’s actually a lot harder than I thought.”

“Yeah, it really isn’t a walk in the park, huh? Too bad there isn’t a park nearby, that would been so cute, going to the park after hours!” Nora giggles.

Ruby chuckles. “Yeah.”

“It’s just – I don’t know, it’s just a lot.” She confesses. “Some days, I feel like I’m struggling to keep my head above water. I love my team and I’m glad my sister is in it and me and Weiss are getting along okay, but… I miss my old school and my old friends and my old life. I don’t regret helping that old man, I really don’t. But I wonder if I really was ready for all this? It doesn’t feel like it.”

“Oh, don’t say that!” Nora tells her, pulling her into her arms. “Life just happens and not everything goes okay and yeah, maybe you’ll never feel ready but that doesn’t mean you aren’t! You’re doing such a cool job, Ruby! Just believe in yourself, okay?”

Ruby nods. “Okay.”

“And hey, I’m really glad we got to go on a date,” Nora smiles. “I’m really happy to finally spend time with you! Even if it’s just a picnic, it doesn’t matter. Because I get to be with you.”

(Ruby ends up kissing her after that. She just has to!)

… And you know what? Much to Ruby’s surprise, they ended up eating everything her and her team had stowed away in the basket!

She hadn’t really known if Nora would have liked the little she was able to make, or if she would even have the appetite (Ruby’s own stomach seemed to be doing flips while waiting for her), and despite having ate before she got her (she couldn’t help snacking), she really is shocked when she reaches for one last muffin, only to find all of it just long gone. Nora even makes a show of it, turning it upside down and shaking it, asking her if she really didn’t pack anymore of those delicious sandwiches. Ruby laughs as she shakes her head no and apologies – she didn’t think they’d eat everything so quickly!

“Oh, but of course we would,” Nora giggles. “It was all so tasty! You should cook again sometime – maybe I could even help! It’d be like another super cute date!”

“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea,” Ruby nervously chuckles. “We might get kicked out of my dorm…”

“We can just use mine! I’ll tell Ren to shove it!” Nora laughs, setting the basket down. “No one’s going to get in our way!”

“Well, I need to learn how to cook first, you know?” Ruby sighs, lying down on her back. “I’m historically like, the worst .”

“Oh, it can’t be that bad!” Nora says, joining her. “How many kitchens have you burnt down anyway?”

“You – you burnt down a whole kitchen?” Ruby gasps.

“At least three!” Nora giggles. “That’s why I wasn’t allowed back until like, five years back. And even then, nothing like… complicated. I lost track of time and burn stuff a lot. I try setting alarms and keep an eye on the clock but I just get distracted by every little thing and end up wasting food anyways, you know?”

“I just can’t get anything right,” she sighs. “Like, I’ll read the directions perfectly, or think I’m reading it perfectly and boom – disaster.”

“You think they know something they’re not telling us?” Nora asks her. “Like there’s some hidden secret but they’re not going to tell us because we have to ‘figure it out’? I ate that. Tell us so I can do better! Why should I get excluded?”

“That’s actually a really good point,” Ruby nods. “Maybe there are things we aren’t being told.”

But secretly, she wonders…

She wonders if Nora is talking about something else – something else that cuts a lot deeper.

She’d ask, but her girlfriend is already on another tangent, eagerly pointing at the sky and noticing all the constellations she can point out, and it feels silly to backtrack. Whatever may be bugging Nora, she’s sure she’ll find out eventually – when Nora wants to tell her. Plus, their date is supposed to be fun, right?

So, Ruby listens and points out stars she can see and stories her sister told her when they were little, all while Nora laughs along.

But eventually, all good things have to come to an end – or well, at least this part of the date has to come to an end if they’re going to make it in time…

Because Ruby does have plans, and she might not make it in time if they don’t start cleaning up right away, so she tells Nora she’s really got somewhere to be and Nora is obviously super curious about it (as always) but Ruby stops her before she asks too many questions by simply asking her to help her clean up after the picnic, and she’ll tell her everything!

It’s a good deal, right? The cleaning goes by faster and if the cleaning goes by faster, they can get to the next stage faster and maybe even really get this show on the road!

(Of course, she isn’t quite sure if Nora will agree just yet – she really doesn’t want to be stuck in a hotel room alone.)

But maybe the answer being Nora’s motivation to clean might have been too much, because suddenly, she’s turned into a demon, getting rid of all the dust and the grass blades and muffin grumbles from the blanket, folding it neatly, stacking paper plates carefully inside, sticking the bottles in after and shutting the lid with such a quiet finality that Ruby didn’t even think she moved an inch.

Was there a lot to clean up?

Well, no , she guesses, but – wow, who knew Nora was so good at picking and folding such a large blanket?

“All done!” Nora cheerfully chimes, holding the basket in her hands, showing it off.

“Wow, how did you learn to clean so fast?” Ruby asks, amazed.

“Oh, after the third kitchen fire!” Nora smiles. “Ren said I had to make up for my mistakes, so I basically had to clean his room and do his laundry for like, months. I only got out of it when I mixed up my stuff with his and dyed all his stuff pink. It wasn’t on promise, I just wasn’t looking! But he thought it was revenge, so he took over his own stuff from there on.”

“… And I still get stumped by the laundry machine,” Ruby sighs. “I couldn’t imagine cleaning my sister’s stuff for that long.”

“Once you get used to it, it’s not that bad!” Nora chimes. “It’s just like, really really boring so you should listen to music or watch a show to make the time go by faster! That’s what I did and I got through so many things, you have no idea!”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Ruby chuckles.

“So where do you have to go? I cleaned up! Where’s my reward?!” Nora asks excitedly, and Ruby swallows.

Okay.

She can do this…

(She thinks.)

“Um, could you give me a minute? I’m suddenly not feeling well… “Ruby nervously laughs. “Maybe it’s something I ate. Um, just give me a few minutes and I’ll tell you, okay?”

“Okay, I can wait!”

Oh, thank god.

… She’s definitely going to need a minute to do this.

And with several deep breaths, Ruby decides that it’s now or never, and that you miss all the shots you don’t take and that she can do this! She can do this!

So, as cutesy as she can – or, well, what she thought came across as cutesy, she was kind of really bad at flirting – she smiles, putting her hands behind her back and sort of circling Nora, asking her if she wouldn’t mind continuing the date… somewhere else, now that everything was all cleaned up and they were ready to go! She giggles and tells her that she’d really like to spend the rest of the night together, but she really doesn’t want to go back to the dorm. And with her best puppy dog eyes and fluttering lashes, she does her best to convince her to say yes, even as her own stomach is making her feel like she’ll throw up.

(… Is this even working?)

… She actually doesn’t know, because Nora keeps looking away and….

Backing…

Off…

Oh.

Um.

Cool.

(No, not cool – but what else was she supposed to think?)

It’s Ruby’s first time… asking for anything… sexual from anyone in her entire life – she’d like some other boys and girls enough to want to kiss them, but never enough to actually ask them to hang out or go on a date or do… stuff underneath the table. Things never even got that far, because most of the time, she was just seen as the lone weirdo with a loud sister. And like, it’s not Yang didn’t try to set her up with… someone , but it never ended well. She was just… really awkward! And it bit her in the butt every single goddamn time.

Just like it’s biting her now!

Nora can’t even look at her!

Congrats, you ruined it!

“Hey, um – “ Ruby starts, before closing her mouth and taking a breath, trying again. “If – if you’re uncomfortable, we can just walk back to the dorm? Or we can just walk back… alone, if you want that…? I didn’t mean to be… too forward, I just thought – “

“That’s not it,” Nora squeaks out. “I’m sorry! That’s not it!”

“Then – what is it – oh .”

Nora’s face is completely red, as Ruby looks down and notices a very… noticeable tent in her skirt. And if she looks hard enough, she thinks there’s even a wet spot somewhere. It’s very faint, but she thinks it’s there, and… whoa. She didn’t think her words would have that much of a reaction, because again, terrible at flirting, but – shit, it worked! They might actually get somewhere!

If not for Nora looking horribly uncomfortable, and dropping to the ground, keeping the picnic basket in front of her crotch to hide her boner.

… That probably wasn’t great!

At all!

… Had she been too forward, after all? Did Nora not want this? Did Nora not want… her in that way? Did… something in the past?

Oh man, she’s not sure how she’ll be able to handle a big can of worms…

But okay, she’s a leader. She can handle this.

At even the slightest hint of sexual activity, Nora gets a tent in her skirt.

And all she could think to do was just to sink into the ground, put the picnic basket in front of her dick to hide it, and let the shame wash over her, because this is exactly what she wanted to avoid, and look what ended up happening.

And it’s not like she doesn’t want to! She really wouldn’t mind if Ruby really wants, she’ll want whatever she wants – but Ruby wasn’t being all that clear! Nora thinks she might have been flirting with her, but what if she just wanted to go somewhere private to just be away from their teammates? What if she just wanted cuddles or another late-night snack? What if she wanted literally anything else and Nora ruined it?

“Nora?”

Nora looks up, her stomach doing funny things inside her. Oh god. Please don’t throw up.

“Are you okay?”

“Um – yes…?”

The look on Ruby’s face tells her she doesn’t believe her, but doesn’t know how to broach the subject.

(She doesn’t blame her. She isn’t really handling this the best either…

She really is just some annoying kid, huh?)

“Um, Nora, please – listen okay?” Ruby stammers a little, as she places a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I – I really don’t mind that you got… excited down there, because I was sort of hoping that maybe we could… do something about it. I thought maybe that meant if you were up to it, but if you aren’t – I’m really sorry if it felt like I was pushing you. I swear, I didn’t mean to. We can just walk back and forget about this part, if you want?”

Nora wants to cry, as she lets the picnic basket fall, and hugs her really tight.

“I’m sorry,” she cries out into her shoulder. “It’s – it’s not that I don’t want to, I just didn’t want to feel like I was pressuring you! I heard so many bad stories about stuff like this happening and people being awful about it and I didn’t want you to think I was that way, too. I didn’t want to make you feel bad. It’s – it’s my first date, and I didn’t want to ruin it!”

“Nora…” Ruby laughs breathlessly, brushing hair away from her face.

“Yeah?” Nora snuffles.

“… It’s my first date, too,” she smiles. “So… what if we mess it up and do dumb stuff? Life happens, right? And that doesn’t mean we won’t have dates in the future to make up for it, yeah? I – I’m sorry I wasn’t clear with what I wanted. I promise I’m not mad.”

She sniffles again. “You really mean it?”

Ruby nods. “Of course! I’m your girlfriend! I know you don’t mean to hurt me or make me feel bad. Let’s just chalk this up to inexperience and call it a day, huh?”

“Can – can we stay like this a little longer?” Nora whispers. “I just really want to keep hugging you right now.”

“Of course we can,” Ruby nods. “Just tell me when your legs are ready.”

“Okay,” Nora says.

The hug was nice.

Like really, really nice.

Super nice, even!

And it helped her really calm down, because… yeah, she freaked the fuck out back there, and that wasn’t really cool.

(She tries to keep what Ruby told her in mind – that this was both their first dates, and they were bound to mess up someone, that life just happens! And that’ll be okay, because that doesn’t mean it’ll be messed up forever.

She ended up using her own words against her!

She’s actually super happy about that.)

Oh, and when Nora finds out mere moments later that Ruby booked a whole hotel room for the last part of their date (if things went well, a very sheepish Ruby is quick to add), Nora’s over the moon!

She’s over the moon, because Ruby actually thought of them going out to a nice hotel room to have private time together and wasn’t going to risk the dorm? Like, if she really wanted to, they could have worked something between them at the school, sure, but Ruby actually reserved a nice hotel room, saved up money for it, made sure it was the best she could get, made sure they’d be comfortable – oh, if the midnight picnic wasn’t romantic enough!

Oh, and there’s a bit of mystery to it too, isn’t there? While they aren’t strangers – they could pretend they were – this is how some of the stories start, right? Two people meeting in a hotel room, both alone, both getting up to things, leaving the other wanting for more as they leave by the first light, spending days and months and years chasing for one last kiss – if she wasn’t already excited to the max, she’s about to shoot off into space!

(Though, she at least tries to control herself – she holds Ruby’s hand, trying to keep her heart rate down by squeezing, only to end up hurting Ruby a little by squeezing too hard. She apologizes; she doesn’t mean to, it just feels like… she’ll explode.

Take deep breaths then, okay?

Okay .)

She keeps it together at the receptionist’s desk, fortunately, folding her hands over her skirt and pulling her cardigan down to try to hide the raging boner that has unfortunately come back with a vengeance, all while remembering that old trick one of the older kids taught her when they found her looking away during conversation – if you can’t look at someone in the eye, just look at something behind them. That way, it’ll look like you’re looking at them, and you won’t get yelled at for not paying attention.

(They’d been one of the nicer kids, and she’s glad she remembered their advice, because the lady at the desk doesn’t bat an eye at her, all while Ruby does the talking for her.)

Once they’re given the key and they’re inside the room and Ruby locks the door, though?

All bets are off, really, and they don’t even make it to the bed.

They don’t even make it to the bed, and she’s not sorry about it.

The first few minutes feel like heaven.

Nora isn’t sure who kissed who first – if it was Nora who had kissed Ruby first or if it had been Ruby who kissed her first, but either way, someone kissed someone else, and then their bodies are pushed against the wall, and their lips are all over each other’s, hungry like dogs.

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter, she muses, as her fingers find their way to the back of Ruby’s dress to zip it down, to unclasp her bra and to set breast and skin free – but it’s a bit of a funny thought, she supposes. Ruby’s own hands are on her, pulling at her cardigan and at her shirt and at her skirt and at her skin. They’re just some tangle of limbs, barely indistinguishable from one another, unclear of when one body ends or when the other begins.

And while they’d definitely kissed before – enough to not bump into each other’s noses or clash with each other’s teeth – there’s always been a bit of an… innocence, to it, maybe? They were more kisses that little kids give to each other, trying to mimic adults; chaste and fluttery and ephemeral, all with blushing red cheeks and giggles.

But now, it’s darker, it’s wilder, it’s savage, there’s a hunger, there’s a desperation, a want for more – more than they could ever possibly give, or ever possibly take. She expects to wake up with bruises, and in the moment, she finds she doesn’t mind at all.

With a coquettish smile, Ruby takes her by the hand and leads her to the couch, where – just like out of a magic trick – she produces a small bottle of lube and lays down, ushering Nora closer to her as she pours some out to rub all over her dick. Nora holds her breath as her girlfriend does so, tensing. She doesn’t mean to stiffen much – she’s just… afraid , but Ruby’s smile helps calm her down, at least a little.

Ruby lays on her back on the couch before adding some lube to her own parts, making sure she was ready. She keeps her legs spread, as Nora awkwardly maneuvers between her, suddenly starting to regret Ruby’s choosing of the couch as she finds little room – but hey, if Ruby doesn’t want to move, it’s fine, she can make it work!

And after a little bit of maneuvering – and Ruby being very kind and very patient with her, which she’ll never be grateful enough, she’s serious – finally, she penetrates her.

Nora’s slick dick enters Ruby’s hot pussy, and while Nora had heard stories – too many to count, some boys were just maybe a bit too comfortable with sharing sexual history – nothing they ever said could really compare to the actual moment, you know? The way Ruby’s wraps around her – both her arms and her cunt, the way she gasped when she entered, the way it just feels , knowing they’re the most connected they’ll ever be –

And then, the feeling is promptly ruined as she feels something come out of her, and notices that it’s… cum.

It’s cum.

Nora… came.

She had one job.

She had one job, and it was to just have sex with her beautiful, loving girlfriend, and she’s just fucking ruined it.

Nora didn’t even enter all the way through – she’s barely half an inch in, and she came inside all over Ruby without even a single thrust. The very thing she was afraid of ended up coming true.

And honestly? This is probably one of the single most embarrassing moments of her life. Like, for once, Nora finally sort of had it together! She’s going to this really amazing school, she’s got her brother with her, she’s made new friends, she’s managed to get a girlfriend, and she’s even managed to date said girlfriend to the point that she wanted to do cute stuff, like go on romantic dates and have sex! And she fucking ruins it.

She buries her head in Ruby’s shoulders, not wanting to look at her.

Because if Nora looks at Ruby, Ruby is looking at her, and Ruby gets a front seat show to every little goddamn mistake and emotion and shame on her face, and Nora just couldn’t handle the pity she knows Ruby is going to give her. She’s not going to be able to handle how softly she knows Ruby is going to speak to her, while she feels like she’s falling apart.

(She’s fourteen, and she’s in a dark closet.

All the kids have been largely left alone, due to an emergency one of their caretakers had – as such, there’s only really one left behind, an old crone, to watch over a group of mostly young teens at this point, with a few older kids.

The eldest among them wanted to play a game – something, something, like maybe minutes, and um… heaven? And always eager to try to get along, Nora says she wants to play. So, she gets paired up with a boy her age.

She doesn’t even remember his face anymore – darkish hair and darkish glasses and darkish eyes, with a darkish attitude. Kind of quiet. Total opposite of her, really. Loved sports. She remembers that.

In the dark, they clumsily fondle each other, unsure of when the other starts or when the other begins. She was too shy; he was honestly too rough with each other. They barely kissed; he seemed more interested in biting, instead. She didn’t like it.

And as his hands had traveled south, fingers had grabbed at her crotch. And when his fingers touched her that way in that spot, she ended up making a weird noise – like a sneeze, almost – and well, came into her pants instantly. He immediately figured out what it was – he was a boy, after all. He leaves, laughing. The closet door opens, letting in this sheer blinding light.

Along with this loud chorus of laughter, as laid bare by the ceiling fan light above the living room, it was clear to everyone what had happened.

There’d been a wet patch in front of her pants, after all.)

“Nora?”

(And there it was, the full story of Nora’s first time, or at least, the closest thing she has to it.

What a sad, sordid tale, right? It’ll haunt her for years to come.

Just like this.)

“Nora, please. Talk to me,” Ruby’s voice breaks, just as softly as her arms that wrap around her, pressing her body to her chest, where she can feel her heart beat for her. “… We don't have to keep doing this if you’re comfortable. We can just stop and take a shower and watch a movie and go to bed, okay? But please – just say something, won’t you?”

“I didn’t want this to happen,” Nora sniffles. “I feel like I’m just some failure.”

“But you’re not!” Ruby reassures her. “It’s our first time doing something like this together, right? So, what if things go wrong? That doesn’t mean things can’t go right next time. And it doesn’t mean we can’t do anything else either! So, don’t feel bad, okay? I don’t think any less of you!”

“You promise?” Nora asks softly, lifting her head.

“I promise,” Ruby smiles as she nods, and kisses her lips. “Besides – didn’t you notice? You’re still hard.”

“I’m – my dick is still hard?” Nora repeats, flabbergasted.

“Yeah!” Ruby grins. “Take it out, and you’ll see! I don’t think your fingers could feel me that easily…”

Not wanting to doubt Ruby – but also not being able to take her at her word – Nora takes out her dick from Ruby’s pussy, her cum slowly starting to leak onto the fabric cushions. And as she holds it in her hands, she finds that Ruby is right – her dick isn’t soft, it’s still hard! And she hasn’t come again, which means –

Which means there’s still a chance for them to do things! Their date hasn’t been ruined after all!

“Oh, Ruby,” Nora almost cries out. “I’m sorry for freaking out back there. Can you forgive me?”

“If you fuck me,” Ruby says with a sly grin, pushing her hips forward to rub her pussy lips with Nora’s dick, “I might consider it.”

…. Oh, man . She’s so ready for this.

With her confidence restored, Ruby lays back down on the couch as Nora grabs Ruby’s hips and thrusts into her again – this time, all the way in. Ruby groans as she wraps her arms around Nora again, pulling her closer to kiss her lips again, as Nora thrusts again, shifting Ruby’s thighs onto her own.

Because of the lube, entering her hadn’t been that hard – not that she had gotten very far to begin with – but her early climax may be a blessing in disguise, because it means Ruby’s all nice and warm and ooey-gooey down there, and that means it’s easier to slip in and out with relative easy. It’s Ruby’s first time, after all – she can’t be too rough with her, unless she wants to hurt her, and unlike that boy in the closet, she’s not interested in that at all.

There’s a visceral reaction to how it sounds, too – how squishy and wet it feels, how all their juices just slosh around. It’s honestly all a little bit dirty, but she likes it – and she thinks Ruby likes it, too.

After countless minutes of sheer, utter ecstasy, of lips and teeth biting into flesh, of kisses to tear the other apart, of their bodies joining together again and again (she could get lost in her), Ruby asks her… to stop.

And of course, Nora does so immediately! In her lustful haze, she’s just a little surprised… and maybe a bit confused.

“I’m getting kind of sore,” Ruby laments. “Maybe fucking on the couch wasn’t the best idea.”

Nora nods because… yeah, it kind of wasn’t.

“Still,” She grins, getting up and pulling away. “I want to try something. Can you lay on your back for me?”

Nora nods again – she can do that!

(And Ruby even gives her a few pillows, too – so she can be comfortable!)

“So, what are you going to do?” Nora asks excitedly, her dick throbbing in the brisk air.

“I’m going to ride you,” Ruby says confidently, her hands on her hips.

“R – ride me? Like a horse?” Nora squeaks.

“I guess it’s called cowgirl for a reason, right?” Ruby laughs. “I can’t let you do all the work. It’ll be fun! Just… give me a sec, this is my first time actually doing something like this…”

The couch really does end up being a poor choice – there’s really not a lot of space, so Ruby loses her footing at least more than once trying to position herself above her dick. Nora does her best to guide her and keep her steady from where she is, holding her hips tight so that Ruby has something to lean on. And eventually, they figure out the magic formula, and Ruby slowly sinks herself down on Nora’s cock.

“Mmm,” she softly moans. “I – I can really feel you now… I like it.”

And Nora also likes it – especially the view.

It slowly dawns on her that, in this moment, she’s gotten her first real look at Ruby naked. She caught glimpses of it in the hallway, took peeks of her breasts as she took off her bra, obviously saw a full view when she first thrusted into her, but well, everything happened and she got really well acquainted with her shoulder instead.

But now?

Now she gets a real good look at her.

She gets a real good look at how her breasts hang on her chest, how her breath moves them, how flushed her skin is, how wisps of her hair fall delicately on her shoulders. And as she looks down, she notices something else, too – how bare the skin of her mound was, soft to the touch as Ruby moans and holds her wrist, wanting her to rub a little harder. There’s – there’s little nicks, little red spots that aren’t just from them fucking.

Ruby shaved for her.

Ruby shaved for her, knowing how much she really wasn’t that much of a fan and how she’d never had a nerve to do it. And she did it for their first date, just like she’d done all this.

Honestly, it could really make a girl cry many different tears!

“You’re so beautiful,” Nora tells her. “I could eat you right up!”

“Maybe we can try that next,” Ruby laughs.

It’s really awkward – at first.

By Ruby’s own admission, this isn’t something she’s really done before – hasn’t done anything sexual with anyone else, really – so, she’s a bit unused to the movements. And Nora can’t really explain it to her, because when Nora thrusted into Ruby, it just felt like – like instinct . Like she was doing what she was meant to be doing all along. Ruby’s doing something else, but that’s okay! Because Nora’s here to hold her if she falls, and if they mess it up, it’s all okay!

Because it won’t stay messed up forever, right? They’ll have another shot to make things right.

(And no matter what Ruby does, she feels oh so good to her.)

But after a few minutes, Ruby really gets going. She leans down, finding her rhythm, and rides her like the cowgirl she’s meant to be (if that’s how you call it). And as Ruby moves her pussy up and down on her cock, with her breasts so tantalizing close, Nora can’t help but to pull Ruby a little closer, to place a nipple in her mouth and to start sucking, all while Ruby’s hand take hold of her sides and gasps.

Gently, she pulls, as her other hand kneads Ruby’s other breast between her fingers, mimicking what she’d read in certain books. With one hand still keeping her steady, Ruby’s other hand goes to her cunt, to rub her clit while Nora’s tongue swirls around the areola and sucks on the hard, pink little bud while Ruby moans, telling her to go faster, that she’s so close, that she wants more and –

It happens.

Ruby comes first, squirting all over Nora’s stomach and the gasps in between her legs, cum dripping down onto the floor and onto the fabric and onto literally everything else. Her pussy squeezes, and Nora cums too, so much more than when she accidentally came too early into Ruby’s cunt. This time, cum practically pours into Ruby, filling her up to the brim, until her stomach bulges with all the cum she’s filled her with, as it also leaks and pours from her cum, onto the floor, onto the fabric, onto literally everything.

(She also feels her cumming in her pussy too, her own empty hole rhythmically pulsating around nothing. It’s not as intense as Ruby’s, but still, it feels nice.)

And as Ruby lays herself down on Nora’s chest, her cock still in her pussy, plugging up whatever’s left from what she’s pumped into her, she laughs as she must take stock of the damage. Nora can’t really see much of it – not when her sight is full of her – but from what she can feel, it’s probably pretty bad.

“They’re going to hate us,” Ruby chuckles. “I bet we totally ruined their couch.”

“… At least we’re not the first?” Nora shrugs. “I mean, we can’t be. So, who knows how many times the couch has been fucked on anyways.”

“Yeah, you’re right – not sure if I can show myself again, though,” she laughs again, brushing her bangs out of her face. “… Hey, do you wanna take a bath together? I don’t want to go back to the dorms smelling like sex…”

“Of course!” Nora nods.

Even though the couch may have not been the best place for their first time – or even big enough for any time, really – Nora is excited to report that upon first entering the bathroom, she is so not disappointed.

Clean, white tiles meet their sore ankles and feet, tile that matches against the back of a spacious bathtub with a window that would definitely let in the morning let – thankfully, with the curtain drawn, for now – and nice wood tones to bring a real homely feel to the space, and flowers on the sink countertop. Several kinds, from what she can guess, red, yellow, white, pink, even blue – as Ruby starts up the water to fill up the tub. There’s even free body wash and shampoo, sleek white bottles she pulls out from behind a cabinet window. Seems like the scent is lilac and periwinkle. Smells nice!

“Water’s ready!” Ruby calls out, as Nora takes the bottles and a lone cloth with her.

Thankfully, the bathtub is really as spacious as it looks, and they’re both able to fit quite comfortably – one on either end – as Nora is quick to starter lathering and making as many bubbles as possible, while Ruby is just trying to get clean and wash her hair of any of the sweat she’s built up – which ends up meaning she scrubs Nora down too, lamenting that she’s not ‘doing it right’. Nora huffs, because she totally is! This is how she’s bathed herself for years – and it’s not like her brother can check for her! Not that she wants him too anyways! He’d probably just scold her being too ‘rambunctious’ the whole time.

Eventually – admittingly after a lot of fussing – they both get clean, and enjoy the last of the warm water that they have, as Ruby wades over to her side and lays on her back, her head settling against Nora’s shoulder. They stay like that for a little while, as Nora peeks behind the curtain, and watches the starlight cascade on her, how the few neon lights in the town flash brilliantly, like little beacons of their own.

The quiet makes her feel… vulnerable. It makes her feel a bit alone, even if Ruby is right next to her.

Something in her wants to tell her. Just wants to get rid of the pain of keeping it all on her own.

And…

Maybe she should.

“… The first time someone touched me, it was a boy in a dark closet,” Nora mutters off-handedly. “It was some kind of game. And I came in my pants, just… instantly. I was made fun of for weeks.”

“Nora?” Ruby whispers, looking at her.

“That’s – that’s why I got so upset,” she confesses. “I knew you weren’t going to laugh at me. I knew. But  I just – I just felt like I was fourteen in that dark closet again, waiting for the light to shine down on me and show everyone what I’d done. I felt like I disappointed you. I’m sorry.”

“But you didn’t,” Ruby whispers. “You could never. You did great, and if you need to say it until I’m blue in the face, I’ll do it.”

“I know,” Nora smiles softly. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Ruby smiles back, kissing her gently.

She didn’t even know how to describe it, really.

But she guesses, for a really long time… it was like she was still fourteen, still stuck in that dark closet alone with just herself and all her terrible feelings, just rotting away in the quiet, a light peeking out from underneath the door, but one she never dared to get close to, in case she… got hurt again.

But now, it was like she finally pushed the door wide open, let all the light spill into her eyes, and when she adjusted… Ruby was there, instead of childhood demons, and she was there to give her a hug.

Honestly, there probably won’t ever be enough words or enough ways to show her grateful. But that’s okay – as long as she gets to be here, she thinks that’ll be enough.

After the water gets cold and they cuddle some more, Ruby decides it’s about time they get going, because she’d rather not turn into a raisin. Nora agrees, liking her digits how they are, and watches as Ruby drains the tub, while she grabs the complimentary bathrobes to wrap themselves in. After that – and after making sure they tied on good, because Nora doesn’t want any temptations (for now) – they go to cuddle on the bed, as Ruby grabs the TV remote and asks her if there’s any movie she wants to watch before they have to go. Nora nods, and they end up watching one from when she was a kid but could never finish, for one reason or another.

(You know, it ends up being a lot better than she remembered – oh, and that music sequence near the end? Glorious! And it even ends on a happy ending – true love’s kiss.

Ah, so nice.)

“… It’s too bad we’ll have to leave in the morning,” Ruby mumbles as the end credits play, to some music style Nora doesn’t think she’s heard before. “I’d love to stay in here longer – ugh, I just know everyone’s going to ask me a million questions.”

“All good things have to come to an end, right?” Nora shrugs. “I had a lot of fun, by the way. With you and with… everything,” she giggles. “We should do this again sometime! Though, maybe not the hotel room since you said you didn’t think you could show your face after the couch.”

(And yeah, they really did a number on that thing. It’s going to need so much cleaning.)

“Maybe if we wait a while,” Ruby mutters. “And book a different room number…  maybe we could come again.”

“Oh?” Nora squeaks, raising an eyebrow.

“There’s a lot of things we can’t really do at the dorm,” Ruby sighs, before smiling and looking at her. “Things I’d really like to try out… like you eating my pussy.”

Oh, there goes her dick again!

“And maybe we could work on your stamina!” Ruby laughs. “You know, do stuff that isn’t going all the way… maybe that’ll help. I’m sure you’re looking forward to it,” she grins, her fingertips dancing on the bulge in her bathrobe.

Oh, yeah.

She’s definitely looking forward to it.