81

Black Rose Blooms SilverCyberQueen_Jolyne

Chapter 81

Fun fact: Ruby and Penny haven't actually had their first "real" kiss yet

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"What do you think, wishing star?" Penny asked brightly, spinning around as she stepped out of the dressing room with a flurry of green and black and fluttering fabric. She was- she was dressed in an adorable black skirt with green apron-like sections overtop attached to the V-shaped belt emblazoned with a power symbol. Said skirt also had a crinoline underlayer that swooshed around and poofed out the fabric in an utterly angelic way. Around her waist sat a modest black corset for support, with straps going over her shoulders and providing contrast to the puffy, cream colored, ribbed blouse that Penny also sported. Halfway down her arms, the sleeves of her blouse gave way into wide, black fabric also filled with loose, fluffy material and matching her armored boots- green circuit lines on both adding a distinctly technological flair to the entire ensemble. Black gloves covered Penny's hands, and as Ruby's gaze lifted up, she took notice of the hooded green cloak with red trim that Penny wore, pinned in place with a bone white cat mask with green eyes and red markings just like hers- and, even further up, Penny finished off the ensemble with facial markings mimicking Yang and Cinder's, as well as a brand new bow in pink and maroon.

She was beautiful, breathtaking, and about a million other words that Ruby couldn't quite describe beyond that. She… sparkled like a jewel. She shone like the sun. 

Ruby was desperately in love and feeling every ounce of it as her mouth went dry, the grimm matter in her body writhed with emotion, and she couldn't help but to take a step forward and hug her girlfriend for everything she had.

"Oh! I think that means you like it!" Penny giggled, returning the hug as best as she could and nuzzling into Ruby's hair, the puppy girl in her arms whining and squeezing harder as she did her best to show Penny every last bit of love she had in her heart, unable to really think about anything else other than just how amazing her girlfriend was. "I'm so glad!"

She paused, then tilted her head as she thought about the last few outfits she'd tried… and how Ruby had reacted to each and every one almost the exact same way. "Though… this is the fifth time now that we have done this. I'm not sure which outfit is the best, in this case. What do you think, Ruby?"

"They're all the best when you wear them," Ruby immediately answered, nuzzling against Penny's neck and luxuriating in the softness of Penny's new cape as she mumbled out her reply. "But I think this one is the best because you're wearing it now~"

"Aww… that is very sweet. I think I like this one the most as well!" Penny cheered a bit, the two of them swaying back and forth gently as they hugged there in the store for a short while, up until the point that Penny took a step back, gently untangling Ruby from herself so she could go pay for her outfit.

Minutes later, Penny and Ruby walked out of the store with Ruby trailing along in a daze as her entire body shifted around subtly beneath her cloak- and thank goodness Patch was quiet most of the time, because she was having a really hard time not just letting her mass openly start changing her clothes because she wanted to match Penny better. Honestly, it was really hard for Ruby to not just walk around more or less hanging off of her girlfriend because she'd gotten so used to pressing up against Penny during their time at Beacon that it was just… so much more natural to be with her like that.

They held hands as they walked, Ruby bumping her shoulder against Penny's and leaning over just enough to rest her head and hang onto her girlfriend's arm like a lifeline, chattering about anything and everything and nothing at all.

"So over there's the ice cream shop and there's the bakery that Yang really likes and then there's the bakery that I really like cuz they do a lot of stuff with chocolate and there's the chocolate store Yang doesn't let me go in and over there is the candy shop and over there we got a really nice restaurant that does seafood and then there's the pet store that doubles as a livestock handling service cuz they're the only place on Patch that has the inventory to handle incoming and outgoing herds and that's why they have their own dock and then there's the school for little civilian kids and gosh they're so small! I never actually went to a prep school for kids, y'know, but I always had to pass by it when dad brought me to Signal and when I was attending Signal for a year and oh yeah Signal Academy's just up there! I graduated early so I don't really remember a lot of it but I remember a lot of places- like where Dad still works!" Ruby gushed, pointing out the sights and sounds of Patch- the fishermen bringing in their catches, the butcher shop that she sometimes bought fresh, raw, bloody meat from, the school for civilian kids that didn't go into Signal when they were ten, the small vehicle store that, really, was just an import warehouse that sourced its farm vehicles and such from Vale proper, the one Valeburger (that she could see Weiss in, as well as Blake and Yang) on the island, the bank, the bars that Uncle Qrow used to go to before he went sober a few years ago, so on and so forth.

Penny listened to it all with wide eyed wonder, looking around and making awed noises as Ruby pointed out all sorts of things that she'd never even come close to before- even when she'd made the trip (alongside several minders and technicians that she maybe should have spent less time avoiding) to Vale to get a good handle on her future competition during the Vytal festival, she'd never managed to get a good look at most of the shops and sights in Vale. None of the dirtier parts or anything outside of the commercial district. Though- she was at least familiar with Duskway, being that it was one of the biggest grocery store chains in three and a half kingdoms. Three and a half because there were no recorded Duskway locations in Vacuo, but there were five in Kuo Kuana alone, along with the many locations strewn across Vale, Mistral, and Atlas (as well as Mantle). 

She'd never been to a butcher's shop, though, and wasn't actually sure if any existed in Atlas proper, though she was sure there were some in Mantle. Either way, Penny continued to make appropriate oohing and aahing noises as Ruby regained some confidence in herself and slowly stopped becoming a blushing mess every time she looked at Penny's new outfit, leading her girlfriend along on a merry ride through Patch and pointing out everything that she knew of and could recognize as they went through, all up until they came to a stop next to the fields at the edge of the main settlement (there were smaller ones around the island, but Ruby didn't go to those much or at all. Emerald and Mercury lived in one of those not too far from her home) full of various crops including corn, peas, soy beans, wheat, rice, so on and so forth. 

"Aaand here's the fields! There's one other place I wanted to show you but it's like on the other side of the town and we'd have to go back track for it, but that's pretty much every important place on this side of Patch!" Ruby grinned, waving at the fields and vaguely greeting the farmers out there with a more excited general wave- some of whom waved back, most of whom didn't because they were busy and had better things to do at that moment. Oh well. 

Penny giggled, staying silent for a moment as she squeezed Ruby's hand, the two of them taking a seat on one of the benches nearby- there was a bus stop that ran through, for people that didn't have the stamina to walk across the entire island without getting tired, but they weren't planning on taking the bus either since Ruby had stored Penny's clothes beneath her cloak and inside her body. Penny would have happily held onto her own items, but Ruby insisted on carrying them for her if she couldn't pay for anything. 

After a moment of getting situated, where Penny sat down first and Ruby clambered all but gracelessly into her lap (she really was so uncoordinated for being one of the finest scythe wielders in the world, along with one of the fastest runners in the world, but Penny found it endearing all the same) and settled in with a lovely, warm hug that set Penny's processors ablaze with love and happiness… Penny smiled, returning the hug and kissing Ruby gently on the cheek- an action that was immediately mirrored by Ruby, who nuzzled into her shoulder and burrowed in beneath the fabric of her hood and cape to get at what little bare skin was currently available in that area.

"Mmm…" Penny shuddered a little as Ruby kissed at her shoulders, planting delicate little pecks that left no marks but for the faintest sensation of warmth as she went along- she almost didn't want to stop Ruby, but now was as perfect a time as any, and she gently, slowly pushed Ruby back for just a moment before recovering her emotions and composure so she could start speaking again. "There is… I think, one more very important place in this part of Patch, Ruby."

Ruby blinked, tilting her head and blushing as Penny's voice dropped to a huskier, more intimate tone. "And… w-what's that, firefly?"

Penny smiled, soft and half lidded as she held Ruby by the shoulders and brought their faces closer together, burning red staring into glittering green and vice versa for a moment as the afternoon sun cast everything in a halo of almost ethereal light- shining around Penny and making her seem more angelic than normal.

"The most important place of all, wishing star. Right here… right now… with you… and me."

Their lips met, joining them together with their first, true kiss.

And it was magical .

[I don't know how I managed to do it but somehow I've created an instant serotonin button with this drawing]