Archive of Our Own

Rosegarden in a Rose Garden

Oscar and Ruby had been dating for a few years now. Oscar asked Ruby if she wanted to go to a rose garden in bloom with him. But there was another question on his mind.

Oscar had planned out the date with Ruby. They were going to a local rose garden that had recently bloomed. They had been dating for a few years now, and they had both graduated from Beacon.

He found the outfit for the trip.

He had a green three-piece suit, but he was only taking the vest for this. There were pockets on the vest, which were originally sewn up, but he opened them (halfway), and in the pockets he carried only what was most needed. For this trip, it would be his itinerary and reservations. 

Below that, he had a white dress shirt. It wasn’t anything too standout for a dress shirt. Perhaps the collar came to longer points than standard, but hey… it gave the shirt some flare.

He found a pair of brown dress pants. They didn’t stand out in any way. He found his most comfortable pair of dress shoes. Even then… There were a thousand thoughts running through his mind. In fact, the more boring parts of getting dressed made the rogue thoughts rise.

After he got the shirt on, he rolled up the sleeves. His tattoo was just visible. He got it after he lost a bet with Ruby. He was just a little irresponsible that day. 

He just needed two more accessories. His red tie, which he tied in a rosebud knot, and his pocket watch. It was a gift from Headmaster Ozpin when he graduated. That one at least was appreciated… unlike that suit. The vest was the only piece he wore. 

But was it too much? 

He checked his scroll to make sure the picnic reservation was still good. It was, but he learned to always double-check long ago. 

He found his favorite belt and wrapped it around him. It was his favorite because of all the attachments. It even had a spot to hold his weapon. He took it, but that was more for comfort. He knew Ruby would have Crescent Rose with her. 

He checked his hair again. It looked good, pulled back like it was. His days of rugged-looking hair were done. And he loved how Ruby complimented his eyes when he wore his hair like this. 

He looked at his different colognes (most were gifts from others. Maybe they were telling him he smelled, but Oscar chose a different interpretation), and tried to think which Ruby always said was her favorite. It was a choice between two. She loved both, but he also noticed she took into consideration what he wore with the smell. He tried to figure out if this outfit was such a situation. 

He called Yang, needing her help to remember.

She answered almost immediately. 

“Hey, Oscar… oh, is today the day?” Yang asked.

“Hello, Yang,” Oscar said. They exchanged pleasantries for about a minute. 

“Alright, so, what’s the question?” Yang asked.

“I got two different colognes, and…” Oscar explained. Yang nodded her head. 

“I think she’ll be good with either. If you want to be a bit cheeky, go with the pine one,” Yang said.

“How do Blake and Sun handle you?” Oscar asked.

“They love my comedic tastes,” Yang said. 

“That’s yet to be determined,” Oscar used the pine Cologne anyway. 

“So… am I the first person you’re visiting after she says yes?” Yang asked.

“She hasn’t yet,” Oscar reminded.

“She will,” Yang said. Oscar didn’t say anything. 

“But… It’s still okay to be nervous,” Yang added.

“Great, you can read my mind,” Oscar said. Yang snorted. 

“Fear me,” Yang said. 

“Just wish me luck,” Oscar said.

“Good luck,” Yang said. 

Oscar finished getting ready.

It was strange, he realized, to be part of this secret. It was a good secret, an amazing one, and it wouldn’t be much of a secret soon, but still… There were fewer than five people who knew what he was going to ask Ruby today. 

This was the most important, Earth-shaking, nerve-killing question. It wasn’t that he was afraid. It wasn’t that he was afraid this would be too early, either. But this was a massive claim. A claim to the world that he loved Ruby Rose, and that he wanted to forever be hers. 

It was a strange thing to ask someone to marry you. 

Oscar found the ring and the box, put both in his pocket, and left his home.

Ruby was getting ready for the date. She didn’t normally get this dressed up, but they were going to the rose garden for a picnic, on a perfect day. She was going to enjoy her date to its fullest. 

She knew exactly what she wanted to wear. Weiss had practically forced her to buy it when they first saw it. She eventually admitted to Weiss that, yes, this was a very cute outfit. 

She got it on and checked the full-body mirror hanging on her door. She wore a peach mandarin top, 3/4th sleeve (as Weiss made sure she knew, with a fervor almost as strong as when she asked Weiss to teach her different coffee blends), beneath an off-white sundress. It was all tied together (heh) with a thin fabric belt (Blake would be proud) and tied in a big bow (Once again, Blake would be proud… probably Weiss too…). 

The best part about this dress…

Ruby grabbed her wallet, scroll, and a few other odds and ends and shoved them into her pockets.

Was the POCKETS! So much space in them! (I only had to bribe Weiss’s seamstress). 

Ruby laughed as she found everything she wanted to possibly carry with her. It could have been a gremlin laugh… if anyone heard it. But no one did. 

After filling her pockets, she found the large sun hat (red, of course) and put it on. She looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. She just needed to put some makeup on and choose a perfume to finish everything. 

She looked at her collection of perfume (she didn’t use them very often, which is how her collection grew so large), and began testing them all. She heard a knocking at her door, which must have been Weiss.

“Come in,” Ruby said. Weiss opened the door and stopped when she saw Ruby. 

“Oh… and where are you going?” Weiss asked.

“Oscar’s taking me to the rose garden,” Ruby said.

“Well, you’re going to melt him,” Weiss said. “You think he’s finally going to ask the question?” 

“Weiss,” Ruby said, a blush coming to her cheeks.

“What? You’ve been dating since your first year at Beacon. It’s going to happen sooner or later,” Weiss said.

“We’re still young…” Ruby said. And that was true. They were both twenty-three. But they both started dating right after their sixteenth birthdays. 

“If there is any couple who’s ready, it’s the two of you,” Weiss said.

“Well… I don’t know, but I think we’re probably going to wait a little bit longer…” Ruby said.

“I can’t see a reason…” Weiss sighed. “But, I can’t force you into anything.”

“Thank you,” Ruby said. She stopped for a few seconds and looked in the mirror. “But…”

“Yes?” Weiss asked.

“If… he did ask soon…” Ruby started. 

“I would be very happy for you,” Weiss said. Ruby let out a breath. Weiss patted her on the back.

“Thanks,” Ruby said. 

“Well, Oscar is a romantic at heart, so you’ll have fun,” Weiss said.

“I’m romantic!” Ruby tried to defend herself.

“You can be, but he is,” Weiss said.

Ruby sighed. “I just want today to be nice.”

Weiss’s expression softened. “It will be.”

Ruby smiled a little at that, then looked back at the little line of perfume bottles. “Okay, so, serious question. Which one?”

Weiss moved beside her and looked over the selection like she was evaluating battle plans.

“This one,” Weiss said after only a few seconds, picking up a bottle with elegant glasswork. “It’s lighter. Floral, but not overpowering. It suits the dress, the hat, and the setting. You don’t want to smell like you’re trying to compete with an entire rose garden.”

“Yes, I try not to fight battles I know I’ll lose,” Ruby said.

Ruby applied the perfume.

“Would you like a hand with makeup?” Weiss offered.

“You do it faster than I can,” Ruby said. So Weiss got to work.

A few minutes later, Ruby watched in the mirror as Weiss worked with careful, practiced hands. Just enough to make her eyes stand out a little more, add a soft color to her lips, and smooth and brighten Ruby’s features.

When Weiss was done, Ruby blinked at her reflection.

“Oh,” Ruby said softly.

Weiss folded her arms. “Yes. Oh.”

Ruby turned her head one way, then the other. “I look…”

“Beautiful?” Weiss supplied.

Ruby’s cheeks pinked. “I was going to say nice.”

“You look beautiful,” Weiss repeated firmly.

“Thank you,” Ruby said. 

“Any time,” Weiss said.

“Hey… Weiss, do you think Oscar spent a lot on this? You know… I know he loves taking me places, and I know he spent money on this…”

“Probably,” Weiss said honestly. “At least a little.”

Ruby’s fingers brushed the skirt of her dress. “That’s what I thought.”

“But,” Weiss added before Ruby could spiral too far, “that doesn’t mean he isn’t excited to do it, wants to do it, or thinks you’re a burden by expecting that kind of treatment.”

Ruby looked at her through the mirror. “No, I know he doesn’t. I just…” She exhaled. “Oscar works hard. He always has. I know he likes planning things, and I know he likes doing stuff for me, but sometimes I worry he spends too much trying to make everything perfect.”

“That man knows how to stretch a Lien. The rose garden you’re going to doesn’t cost much to enter or get lunch from. Even if he rented out a picnic spot, I doubt he’s spent more than half a day’s wage on this. I have no idea how you could be there…” Weiss muttered that last part.

“I’m sure it’s possible,” Ruby said. Weiss waved the concern off… which actually helped Ruby. 

“Besides,” Weiss said, “for all you know, he found some brilliant deal three months ago, stacked two discounts, used a coupon, negotiated with three people, and somehow came out ahead.”

Oscar did his best not to pace while he waited for Ruby. He did his very best. His very best was not enough. Every time he turned, he felt the box in his pocket. It was so light… but it felt so heavy. 

He needed to stop this. He needed to make sure he didn’t ruin the surprise with how worried he was. He needed to…

Stop biting his thumb for one…

Oscar pulled his hand away from his mouth and exhaled through his nose.

Right. That.

He clasped both hands behind his back instead, then immediately regretted that too because it made him feel like he was waiting outside the headmaster’s office instead of outside Ruby’s home for a date.

So he dropped them again.

Then folded his arms.

Then unfolded them.

Gods! NOTHING FELT RIGHT! IT FELT LIKE HE COULD EXPLODE RIGHT NOW!

Calm down… take a deep breath. 

You are a fully grown man, not some teenager at the cafe still. 

Oscar went through a mental checklist. The reservation was still there. The picnic arrangement was still in place. The weather was still perfect. The route was still mapped. Everything was ready.

Everything except his nerves.

His fingers ran over the box again. 

He had known for a long time that he wanted to marry Ruby. All of their past experiences came back to his mind. She was the reason he started to believe in himself and his dream of being a hunter. Without her, he never would have gone to Beacon. She helped him when the cafe was attacked. They cooked, snuggled, and danced together before she kissed him.

They stopped a Crime Lord. They worked with superheroes. And that was all before he even entered Beacon!

But despite all of that… this was by far the most terrifying thing he’s had to do. 

He loved Ruby. He loved her more than he ever thought possible. He’d easily take a hit for her, and he has! He let her know every secret, every emotion, every fear.

There was nothing he could hide from her. So… how can he hide this, even for a few hours? 

And then there was the war going on between his mind and his heart. His mind laid out every detail about the relationship. It said that he had no reason to fear, that he already knew the answer. 

But his heart kept creating scenarios. 

That isn’t my heart. That’s something else entirely.

His fear. 

It brought up every argument they ever had, every mistake he ever made, every time he could have (saying he should have) done something differently.

He stopped pacing when he heard Ruby’s door open. He turned back and waited for her to walk down the stairs to meet him. 

Quickly, he straightened. His eyes flicked to the rose hairpiece he got for her. He ripped it from its spot and returned, hoping she wouldn’t notice. 

His heart seemed to run faster with each step she took. Each click and clack that brought her closer to him, he could swear his heart went faster. 

She finally turned to the last flight of stairs and spun. 

He caught a glimpse of her in her outfit. 

Everything silenced inside of him. Everything about her was perfect. 

He understood why so many tried to depict and describe their loved ones in poems, and so utterly failed to hit the mark. 

When she spotted him, her face brightened. Her smile, her eyes, her aura… Oscar could only absorb them. 

“I can still take your breath away,” Ruby said as she made it down the last steps. 

Oscar knew he was blushing. Ruby let out a chuckle before cupping his face in her hand. He melted at her touch. He kissed her palm with what could only be called devotion. 

“Don’t forget to breathe,” Ruby reminded. 

Oscar hadn’t even realized he had stopped breathing. After he took a breath, she stepped closer to him and kissed him. 

Oscar almost took the ring out there. Almost. 

Ruby pulled back, just a little, and gave Oscar that look he loved so much.

“You are hopeless, you know?” Ruby asked.

“Oh, I know,” Oscar said. 

“You can talk,” Ruby said, before going for another kiss. It was a shorter one. 

“With effort,” Oscar said. 

“Are you ready?” Ruby asked.

“Yes,” Oscar said. 

“Then let’s go,” Ruby said. She held his hand as they went to his car. 

Oscar and Ruby both had cars and drove. But Oscar was better. So, he drove most places. Ruby was his passenger princess (Yang said that once, and it stuck). 

“So… Oscar… quick question,” Ruby started.

“Do you need me to pick something up?” Oscar asked.

“No, I’m all good on that front. I just… You aren’t spending too much, right?” Ruby asked.

“I got a good price on everything,” Oscar said. “And, thank you for caring about that. But my penny pinching days are over.”

“That… wasn’t a pun, right?” Ruby asked.

“Not until you said it,” Oscar said. 

“Ok,” Ruby said. She felt his hand on her thigh. He squeezed and smiled at her.

“Thank you for being so considerate,” Oscar said. 

“You’re welcome,” Ruby said. 

She filled the drive with thoughts about this, a review of that, a jerk she had to deal with on a mission, how Penny and Ciel are doing, and so on.

Oscar smiled, just listening to it all, and adding in where needed. 

It wasn’t a long drive to the rose garden. It lasted longer because Oscar drove a little slower than needed. Ruby knew and didn’t comment. She enjoyed that she could give Oscar a concert in the car. He smiled as she ‘sang’ some songs, and actually sang some songs. 

That song was the song she asked for right before she first kissed him. Thankfully, when the song ended, Oscar had pulled into a parking lot. Not the rose garden. They always kissed when they played ‘Kiss by a Rose’. 

“I love you,” Oscar said after the kiss.

“I love you, too,” Ruby said. 

They were back on the road soon after. 

It wasn’t much longer until they finally got to the rose garden. Oscar turned off his car and reached into his vest pocket. He took out the reservation tickets.

“So, first, lunch. The picnic location is just over there,” Oscar pointed it out. It was just on the outside of the gardens, and the very edge of the roses would be visible. But the best would be out of view.

Ruby looked in the direction he pointed, then back at him with a smile that was already softening into something fond.

“You really did plan this all out,” she said.

Oscar opened his door and stepped out before coming around to hers. “I may have thought about it once or twice.”

Ruby laughed as he opened the passenger-side door for her. “Only once or twice?”

“Maybe more,” Oscar admitted. He offered Ruby his hand, and she took it, smiling at the gesture.

The sunlight caught the red in her hat and the softness of her dress, and with the roses not far beyond them, she looked so perfectly in place that for a second it felt like the whole world had arranged itself around her.

Ruby noticed, of course.

“Admiring me again?” Ruby asked.

“Of course,” Oscar whispered. 

He offered her his arm after locking the car, and Ruby slipped her hand through it without hesitation.

They started toward the picnic area at an easy pace. The path curved gently beside the outer hedges, where rose bushes climbed over trellises in layered blooms of red, white, yellow, and blush pink. Their scent drifted through the afternoon air, sweet without being heavy.

Ruby took a slow breath in. “Okay, wow. This already smells amazing.”

“I’m sure it’s just the roses,” Oscar said.

“Don’t pretend I don’t love how you smell,” Ruby said. She leaned in and smelled him. “Oh, that’s my favorite.” 

“I’m glad I got it right,” Oscar said.

Ruby looked around as they walked, her silver eyes moving over everything with open delight. “You picked a really good day.”

“I had help from the weather,” Oscar said.

“No, no. I’m giving you full credit. This is your victory.”

“I’ll accept that graciously.”

“You should.”

The picnic space was tucked beneath a white-painted pergola with trailing vines woven over the top, offering just enough shade to keep the sun from becoming too much. A table had been set with a basket already waiting, along with chilled drinks in a bucket and a neat arrangement of flowers in a little glass vase. Beyond it, at the very edge of view, the nearest rows of roses colored the landscape like a painted border.

“It’s not alcohol, right?” Ruby asked.

“Neither one of us likes drinking at all, so no. Though I will admit… it is sparkling apple cider,” Oscar said. “There should also be a water or two there.”

Ruby stepped ahead of him and looked over the table, fingertips briefly touching the back of one of the chairs. “You got flowers too.”

Oscar glanced at the small arrangement. “I figured the rose garden might appreciate me not trying to outdo it.”

“Oh, I’m sure it’s grateful,” Ruby said.

Oscar and Ruby got their seats, and he opened the basket. Sandwiches, fruit, little pastries, a pasta salad Ruby liked, that sort of stuff. 

“Did you make these?” Ruby asked.

“Do you think I made all this, came here with the reservation, handed the basket off, rushed to get you, then brought you here? Because that’s exactly what I did,” Oscar said.

“That is ridiculously sweet.”

Oscar’s ears warmed. “I try.”

“You do more than try,” Ruby said softly. She reached out and grabbed his hand, kissing it, before reaching for a sandwich. 

“That one’s roast chicken with the vegetables you like. That one is mine. I also made a dressing for your sandwich.” Oscar pulled out a small jar for her. Ruby took the little jar from him with a look of complete delight. Ruby unscrewed the lid and smelled it first. Her eyes widened.

“Oscar.”

“That good?”

“I haven’t even tasted it yet, and I already know you’re showing off.”

“That is a very harsh way to describe ‘being prepared.’”

Ruby laughed and drizzled some over the sandwich with care that lasted all of three seconds before hunger won out. She took a bite, chewed once, then closed her eyes.

“Rowan taught you well,” Ruby said. 

“I’m sure he’d like you to think so,” Oscar said.

“You did good,” Ruby said. Oscar opened the apple cider and poured himself and Ruby a glass. 

“I always like what you make. But this...” She took another bite and made a pleased little noise. “This is extra good.”

Oscar sat back a little, his chest warm. “That might be because I was trying harder than usual.”

Ruby smiled over at him, eyes bright and fond. “You don’t have to try hard for me, you know.”

His expression gentled. “I know.”

“You’re really good to me. I want you to know that,” Ruby said. Oscar couldn’t say anything to that, so he leaned in and kissed her hand.

Oscar kept his lips pressed to her hand for longer than usual. He kissed it again. Until he could speak again. He looked up into Ruby’s eyes.

I love you. I love you. Please… be my wife.

Oscar finally got his words working again. 

“Thank you,” was all he was able to say. Ruby brought her free hand to his face. She smiled at him.

“You deserve it,” Ruby said. Her thumb brushed his cheek. Oscar pulled back and grabbed his glass. He raised it, and Ruby soon matched.

“To love?” Oscar asked.

“To love,” Ruby said. 

Oscar and Ruby drank their cider. 

Oscar turned so he could watch Ruby. He was memorizing every detail, painting the image. Ruby smiled and pressed the glass to her lips. 

“I hear pictures last longer,” Ruby joked. 

“My memory will last a lifetime,” Oscar said. 

“You flirt,” Ruby said. 

“Only for you,” Oscar said. 

Ruby tried (and failed) to hide her blush at that. 

They had lunch, chatting between bites. Not about anything too important. The most important thing was talking about the next mission they were going to take (they often took missions together as a duo), and they were talking about whatever came to mind.

It wasn’t long before the food and the cider were gone. Ruby reached into her pockets and pulled out mints for both of them.

“Oh, it has pockets?” Oscar asked, much more for Ruby than for herself, as he knew she always wanted to highlight her dress pockets (she added them to every dress).

“Yeah!” Ruby said. She started pulling out everything she was carrying, which made Oscar laugh by the end. 

“I see why you love that dress,” Oscar said. 

“It’s awesome, I know,” Ruby said.

“So… do you want to check out the rose gardens now?” Oscar asked.

“Oh, I guess so,” Ruby said with a smile. 

They got everything cleaned up, Oscar paid for space, including garbage, and brought the remainder to his car. 

Ruby waited for him with her hands behind her back. Oscar stood back up, locked the door (fumbled once, but got it eventually), and stared at Ruby. 

She stood there waiting for him. Oscar stood there. 

“Oscar…” Ruby said. 

“Ruby,” Oscar said. 

“The tickets,” Ruby said. Oscar blushed and reached into his pocket. He let out a weak laugh and hoped he wasn’t blushing too badly. 

It took a few seconds and swapping to the right pocket, but Oscar was eventually able to pull the tickets out. 

“Eh…. Got ‘em,” Oscar said. 

“Dork,” Ruby said. She took her ticket, then stole a kiss. She held her hand out for Oscar to take. He took it, and they were off.

When they got to the front gates, hand in hand, the ticket puncher saw them. 

“Tickets, please,” they said in that bored monotone voice all service workers obtained. 

Oscar and Ruby handed their tickets to the worker. They were stamped and handed back. 

“Have a nice day.” 

Oscar and Ruby both empathized with him, since the Café taught them what creates that voice.

They stepped into the rose garden. The change was immediate.

Outside, the roses had been beautiful.

Inside, they were overwhelming.

Paths curved out in soft winding lines beneath trellises and arches, with rose bushes gathered in great blooming walls on either side. Reds so rich they almost looked velvet. Pale creams and whites that seemed to glow in the sunlight. Soft pinks, golds, coral, deep magentas. Some blooms were still tight and elegant, others opened wide and lush, heavy with petals. The scent was fuller here, too, not overpowering, but everywhere.

“Oh my gods,” Ruby said.

“You like it?” Oscar asked.

“I LOVE it,” Ruby said. Ruby turned in a slow circle, her skirt shifting around her knees, the brim of her red hat catching the light.

“Good,” Oscar said.

Ruby squeezed his hand and started leading them forward now, excitement overtaking any attempt at pretending to be calm. “Come on. Come on, I want to see everything.”

He let her pull him along, smiling helplessly.

There were signs set along the paths marking different sections: tea roses, climbing roses, heirloom roses, and rare hybrids. Ruby read each one with far more interest than Oscar had expected, though maybe he should not have been surprised. Ruby always gave herself fully to anything she liked. And right now, apparently, she liked roses.

She stopped at a bush of deep crimson blooms and leaned in just a little to admire them.

“Stop and smell the roses indeed,” Ruby said. She cupped one in her hand so delicately. Her smile made Oscar melt. She sniffed the rose. 

Please… marry me.

Ruby glanced over at him. “You’re still staring at me more than the flowers.”

Oscar, caught, did not even bother denying it. “I brought the person I actually wanted to see.”

Her blush came back immediately, warm and bright against her cheeks. “You can’t just keep saying stuff like that.”

“I can,” Oscar said.

Ruby rolled her eyes, but her smile never vanished.

“You are in a really good mood today,” Ruby said. 

“Of course I am,” Oscar said. But there was still that secret that was building up. 

“Thank you,” Ruby said, putting a hand on his chest. Her face changed when she noticed his heart going faster than normal. 

“Nervous?” Ruby asked.

“Well, I have this really pretty girl who I really want to kiss right in front of me…” Oscar was interrupted by a kiss.

“Like that?” Ruby asked after pulling back.

“Uh… I wasn’t looking. Can you do that again?” Oscar said.

Ruby laughed, bright and breathless, the sound almost as sweet as the roses around them.

“Oh, were you not paying attention?” she asked.

Oscar gave her his most solemn expression. “I’m afraid not. I was distracted.”

“By what?”

“You.”

Ruby’s blush deepened, though the smug little curve of her mouth said she was enjoying this far too much.

“Well,” she said, stepping in closer again, “I guess I can help you out.”

She kissed him a second time.

“Better?” she asked.

Oscar opened his eyes slowly. “Much.”

“Good.”

Though she made no move to step away. Neither did he.

For a second, they just stood there beneath the trellis, roses blooming around them and sunlight shifting through the leaves overhead, both smiling a little too much to hide it.

Ruby’s fingers, still resting against his chest, spread slightly over the fabric of his vest.

“Your heart’s still going fast,” she said softly.

“Just need to reboot. Don’t worry,” Oscar said.

“Wow. I have such an effect on you,” Ruby said. Her thumb brushed lightly over his chest again, small soothing motions that she probably didn’t even realize she was making.

“Love you,” Oscar said. 

“I love you, too,” Ruby said. 

“There’s more to see,” Oscar said. 

“Then let’s keep going,” Ruby said. 

Ruby and Oscar still walked holding hands.

“Do you see this?” Ruby asked. She pointed out an exhibit of the emblem of the Kingdom of Vale. They even dyed the roses so that it matched the colors of the kingdom.

Oscar was genuinely impressed with the exhibit. There was a little electronic plaque that told the story of the artists who made this exhibit, and the methods they used. 

“Oh, that is just so cool,” Ruby said. 

“I can see why the ticket prices were normally so high,” Oscar said.

“Oh?” Ruby asked.

“I got a good discount,” Oscar said. 

“For?” Ruby asked. 

“Stopping a bad guy. One of the owners of this whole thing was getting robbed. I took down the bad guy, and boom, two tickets magically appeared in my hand,” Oscar said. 

“Devious,” Ruby said.

“I’m pretty sure that’s the opposite of devious,” Oscar said.

They kept walking and found arches that separated them from the section they were in from the next section. And the arches were covered in roses. Each arch had a different color rose on it. 

“They really went all out,” Ruby whispered to Oscar. 

“They did,” Oscar said as they went under the first arch. It was a rainbow of roses. Ruby stopped under the red (which was the first) arch. 

“Something up?” Oscar asked.

“Nothing… we’re just under my color,” Ruby said. Oscar looked up.

“So we are,” Oscar said. He looked back down, and Ruby stole a kiss. He understood the game. 

They took a few steps, and when they were under the green arch, Oscar turned. He should have done a quick peck, but he was feeling very romantic today. He grabbed her and dipped her before he kissed her. 

He pulled her up after a few seconds, and she giggled into him.

“Trying to one-up me?” Ruby asked.

“No. I could never,” Oscar said. 

“You’re not talking down on yourself, are you? You know how mad that gets me,” Ruby said.

“No, I’m not, I swear. I’m trying to match you. Very different,” Oscar said. Ruby watched his face for a few more seconds before smiling again.

“Good. Because no one gets to say anything to put down the man I love. I will beat anyone up who does,” Ruby said.

“Even me?” Oscar asked. She gently tugged at his vest. 

“Especially you,” Ruby said. 

“I’d deserve it,” Oscar said. “But… It has been a long time since I struggled with that.”

“Good,” Ruby said. “Hmm. I like that tie. Did it take you a while to make that knot?”

“Not anymore. I know how to make it,” Oscar said. 

“You do love roses,” Ruby said as she fixed his tie. 

“I do,” Oscar said. 

After Ruby fixed his tie, they kept moving. 

The next exhibit recreated a piece of art. Ruby gushed about it, recognizing the piece. It was from her favorite style of art, Fauvism, and she was filled with pure joy from explaining everything while searching up on her scroll other examples of the style.

He felt the box in his pocket. It felt like it grew in weight with every heartbeat. Every second was a second closer to the moment. 

Ruby showed him more art. He loved her passion for it and saw the piece she was talking about.

“I love it so much, like, look at it!” Ruby said. 

“It’s beautiful,” Oscar said. And it was… but he was staring at Ruby.

“Hey, I’m serious. This style is so amazing,” Ruby said. 

“And whoever grew those roses had a very tough job,” Oscar said. 

“Yeah, it’s very impressive,” Ruby said.

They moved into the next exhibit. Then the next. Each showed mastery over Botany and Art. 

Even the gazebo was covered in roses. They were moving closer and closer to the center of the garden. That was where the most beautiful exhibit was. That was where Oscar planned to propose to Ruby. 

“So… what’s at the center? I know it’s got to be something big. Is it like… a statue made out of roses?” Ruby asked. 

“Something like that,” he said. “Do you want it to be a surprise?” 

“Do I?”

“You absolutely do.” Oscar squeezed her hand and kept walking

The path ahead curved gently inward, the arches giving way to a broader open space framed by rose walls and climbing trellises. There was the entrance to the center, but Oscar stopped. Ruby looked back at him.

“Ruby, you trust me,” Oscar said. It could have been a question, but both knew it was a fact.

“Of course,” Ruby said.

“I want to… lead you into the center. So… can I cover your eyes as we go?” Oscar asked.

“To make it a surprise?” Ruby asked.

“Exactly,” Oscar said. Ruby smiled almost immediately.

“Yes,” she said.

“Just yes?” Oscar asked.

“I trust you with my life,” Ruby said. It warmed him. 

“Thank you,” Oscar said.

“So… hands over my eyes, or did you bring a blind fold?” Ruby asked.

“No blind folds,” Oscar said. “And just one last check, you’re okay with this?”

“I am,” Ruby said. “Though if I walk into a fountain, I’m blaming you forever.”

“You won’t walk into a fountain.”

“That is exactly what someone leading me toward a fountain would say.”

Oscar laughed, the sound softer than before because nerves had started winding tighter again beneath everything else. “I promise I won’t let you run into anything.”

“I know,” Ruby said. Oscar moved behind her. He hesitated because these were the last few ordinary seconds before everything changed. Then he gently raised his hands and covered her eyes.

Ruby let out a tiny laugh. Her hands came up automatically, not to pull his away, but just to rest lightly over his wrists.

“Okay,” she said. “I’m blind.”

“Good,” Oscar said. “Take a small step forward.”

She did. He moved with her, guiding her slowly down the path and into the center of the garden. His heart was beating even faster now, but he loved this moment.

“One more,” he murmured.

Ruby obeyed easily. “This is very dramatic.”

“I’m aware.”

“I support it.”

That made him laugh under his breath, and Ruby smiled beneath his hands. 

The path underfoot changed slightly, gravel giving way to smoother stone. The fountain in the center was close now; he could hear the soft spill of water. The scent of the roses felt even fuller here, the heart of the garden wrapped around them.

“Tiny step here,” Oscar whispered. Ruby followed.

“You’re a good pair of eyes,” Ruby whispered back. 

“I’m trying.”

“You’re succeeding.”

Gods, he loved her.

“Two more steps,” he said.

Ruby followed his guidance without hesitation. The amount of trust she had in him… Gods, she was perfect. 

Finally, he stopped them near the center overlook he had chosen, where the fountain, roses, and open courtyard would all unfold around her at once.

“Okay,” he said, voice quieter now.

Ruby’s fingers tightened slightly over his wrists. “Okay?”

He took one slow breath.

“This is the part where you don’t move for just a second.”

“I can do that,” Ruby said.

He slowly took his hands away from her eyes. She still had them closed. He couldn’t help himself and kissed her cheek. 

“You sap,” Ruby said with a massive smile.

His hands were away from her eyes. He reached into his pocket and held the box. 

“Open your eyes now,” Oscar said.

When Ruby opened her eyes, it was as if she was teleported into her best dreams. The center of the garden spread before her in full: the fountain spilling silver in the sun, the roses in their layered rings of white to pink to crimson, the pale climbing blooms overhead, the whole heart of the garden open and beautiful and bright.

There was even a heart made of all the different kinds and colors of roses that they’ve seen throughout the exhibit. The great heart had been built on a wrought-iron frame nearly as tall as Oscar, maybe a little taller, and wide enough that two or three people could have stood inside its curve shoulder to shoulder. But the metal beneath was completely invisible because of the roses.

The outer edge of the heart was shaped in deep, rich red roses, velvety and lush, each bloom opened to a slightly different degree, so the whole border had texture. Some petals were almost black in their shadows, while others caught the sun and glowed ruby-bright. Woven just inside that dark red outline were smaller sprays of blush and shell-pink roses, giving it a kind of living depth.

Ruby stopped and stared at the tapestry in the middle.

Cream roses opened beside pale gold blooms. Coral and peach curled between clouds of white petals. Magenta and pink twisted together in clustered sprays. Here and there, climbing roses had been guided through the arrangement so that thinner, more delicate blossoms spilled across the fuller hybrid blooms, letting the whole thing feel layered.

Rose petals had fallen into the fountain and were elegantly following the flow of the water. But the bottom wasn’t clogged because of the random bursts of water from the bottom. 

Even the sounds of the place faded. They weren’t in Vale here, for there were no city sounds that could penetrate. The sounds of the wider garden softened at the edges, leaving only birdsong, the hush of water, and the rustle of leaves stirring overhead.

Ruby stood utterly still as she took it in.

Her eyes moved from the fountain to the layered circles of roses, then up to the towering heart of blooms. The sunlight caught the silver in her gaze until it seemed like she might be lit from within.

Her lips parted, but for a second, no words came.

Her mouth hung open, and then she was finally able to form thoughts and words again.

“Oh my gods,” Ruby said.

She took one tiny step forward, as though drawn.

The red border of the heart caught behind her in the distance, the white roses nearest the fountain glowing in the corner of her vision, the whole display opening around her like the garden had saved its own heart for last.

“It’s…” Ruby breathed and stopped.

She couldn’t properly describe the sight. 

Every exhibit they had passed suddenly made sense now. The dyed crest of Vale. The rose-covered arches in shifting colors. The floral recreation of paintings. They, and all the others, showed a different skill, a different kind of beauty, a different way roses could be shaped into meaning.

This took everything from before and brought it together. 

“Oscar!” Ruby said, then spun around. “Look at thi-”

Oscar was on one knee, extending out to her a small black box with a ring sitting in velvet.

Ruby stopped so suddenly that it was like the whole world had done the same. Her breath vanished. Her heart stopped. She genuinely gasped. Her eyes, already wide from the garden’s beauty, somehow widened further.

Her hands covered her mouth, as if to keep that rogue breath in. 

Oscar looked up at her like she was the only thing in creation. His smile was massive. His eyes… they were so tender, so soft, so… full. Red began to fill the margins. His free hand trembled just slightly. Not enough to shake the box, but enough that Ruby saw it. Enough that she felt the force of what this moment cost him, how much love and fear and hope were all bound up together in the man before her.

She wasn’t sure he was breathing. She was sure she wasn’t. 

Everything that wasn’t this moment faded away as unimportant. She felt like she wanted to puke, in a good way. She tried to think about how Oscar must be feeling. 

“Hi,” he said, because apparently, the most important moment of his life still could not stop him from being Oscar.

A laugh broke out of Ruby, wet and shocked and instantly tangled with tears. She took a breath, barely able to be called that; it was so shaky. 

“Oh my gods,” she said again, softer this time, like a prayer.

Oscar swallowed. His voice shook on the first word and steadied only because he forced it to.

“I…” Oscar started. He had to swallow. His mouth was barely working. Oscar let out a tiny, breathless laugh that sounded almost disbelieving, like he could not quite believe this was real either.

“I had a plan,” he said.

Ruby felt her first tears falling down her hands. 

“I had this whole speech ready. I practiced it. A lot. I knew what I wanted to say, and when I wanted to say it, and I was going to do this properly,” Oscar started. “But… I’ve completely forgotten it.”

Ruby let out a laugh, which could have been mistaken for a choking noise. 

“Ruby Rose,” he said, and the way he said her full name made her knees feel weak. “I love you.”

He had to swallow again. 

“If I puke, please excuse me,” Oscar said. Ruby could only shake her head.

“I love you so much that there’s not a part of my life that doesn’t have you in it anymore,” He said, getting more power over his words. “I don’t want there to be a part of my life without you, either. Not the way I think. Not the way I plan. Not the way I dream about the future. I want to always stay by your side.”

Tears started falling down his cheeks. Ruby’s shoulders trembled. She still had not moved. She still couldn’t move.

“We met by chance. You wanted a job, and you walked into the cafe. All these years, I know I must be the luckiest man ever to have met you. Even luckier to have loved you,” Oscar stopped, needed another breather. 

“You were there before Beacon,” he said. “Before I really believed in myself. Before I thought I could become any of this. You believed in me before I fully knew how to believe in me. You changed my life, Ruby.”

Ruby shook her head a tiny bit, crying too hard now to stop it.

“I love everything about you,” he said. “I love your heart. I love how deeply you care. I love how excited you get about the things you love, how you throw your whole self into them. I love singing with you in the car. I love taking missions with you. I love cooking with you, waking up with you, falling asleep with you, hearing you ramble when you’ve got too many thoughts and not enough time to say them all.”

Ruby wiped her tears away with her sleeve. It wasn’t ladylike, but Oscar couldn’t find a single damn to give. 

“I love your kindness. I love your strength. I love your stubbornness, even when it drives me insane. I love the way you make ordinary days feel like something worth keeping forever.” He swallowed again. “I love being yours.”

“I love so much about you. I love your family. I love how quickly they accepted me. I love that your parents interrupted our first kiss and didn’t make it weird. I love how Yang sees me as a brother. I love your team. I love how you lead them! You’re my hero. I followed your example with my own team.” Oscar continued. He couldn’t stop now. 

“I love you.” 

It was the ultimate truth, but barely scratched the surface. 

“I want all of it with you,” he said. “The missions. The quiet mornings. The bad days and the good ones. The stupid arguments, the laughter, the songs in the car, whatever home looks like for us, wherever life takes us next. I want all the years. I want all of you. For as long as you’ll have me.”

His thumb brushed once over the ring box. He reached up and took the ring out. 

“Ruby Rose,” he said, voice trembling again despite all his effort, “will you marry me?”

She stepped forward. She brought her hand out. It was shaking.

“Yes,” Ruby said. 

Oscar slipped the ring on her finger. As soon as it was on, he looked up. 

Ruby tackled him to the ground. 

“Yes,” she said again, louder this time. “Oscar, yes. Yes, of course I’ll marry you.”

Oscar hit the grass with a startled sound that turned into a laugh before he even fully landed.

Ruby was on top of him instantly, crying and laughing and kissing him with absolutely no concern for dignity, poise, or the fact that they were now engaged in the middle of a public garden.

He did not care either.

“Yes,” Ruby said again against his mouth, against his cheek, against anywhere she could reach between laughter and tears. “Yes, yes, yes.”

Oscar’s hands slid up her back, one settling between her shoulders, the other cradling the back of her head as he kissed her back with the same desperate joy.

When she finally pulled back enough for them both to breathe, they were both a mess.

Ruby’s mascara had survived, …mostly, but her cheeks were wet and flushed, her smile so huge it looked almost painful. Oscar knew his hair was ruined, his face was wet, and there was definitely grass in his suit somewhere.

Neither of them cared.

Ruby cupped his face in both hands, her ring flashing in the sunlight.

“Oscar Pine,” she said, voice breaking around the words, “you absolute, sneaky, romantic menace.”

“I try,” Oscar said. Ruby went down and kissed him again.

The secret was out. The passion that Oscar had been building up all day was finally being let out. He was giving Ruby every ounce of passion he had in him. He was giving her his everything, gladly. 

Ruby pulled back. She sat on top of him, holding his vest with both fists.

“Wait… how did you know my ring size?” Ruby asked.

“Well… I burrowed one, or tried to. Turns out it was an old ring from Cinder, so no help there. Then, I got it put back, but got caught by Yang…” 

“YANG KNOWS YOU WERE GOING TO ASK?!” Ruby asked calmly.

“So do our parents. That’s who I’ve told. I told Yang she could tell Blake, but not Sun. He cracks under pressure way too easily,” Oscar said.

“You… you… I love you,” Ruby said, before going in for another kiss. 

When she pulled back from that kiss, she just stared into his eyes.

“Hello… fiancé,” Ruby said. Oscar smiled as he listened to her. Music to his ears.

“Hello, fiancée,” he said.

Ruby made a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a squeal and immediately dropped her forehead to his for a second, like the words had hit her too hard to stay upright from.

“How are we going to tell everyone?” Ruby asked. Oscar held her and closed his eyes, just letting the moment breathe.

“Later. In… five minutes,” Oscar said. “I just want to spend some time like this.”

Ruby’s whole expression softened.

The bright, overwhelmed delight was still there, still glowing in every inch of her face, but it gentled around the edges into something quieter and deeper.

“Okay,” she whispered.

She lowered herself until she was on his chest. Her arms were around him. His arms were around her. Ruby and Oscar just… existed for a few minutes. Ruby couldn’t help herself and started kissing him again. He kissed back. It was a slow, loving kiss. 

Oscar let out a slow breath and kept his eyes closed for a moment longer, forehead resting against hers. He could feel her smile when she looked at him. Could feel the little tremble that still lived in her from all the crying and laughing and sheer force of joy.

Her ring pressed cool and new against the back of his neck, where her hand rested. He was going to remember that sensation forever.

Ruby brushed her nose lightly against his. “Five minutes?”

Oscar smiled without opening his eyes. “At least.”

“I can do five minutes,” she murmured.

“Good.”

“Maybe six.”

Oscar opened his eyes at that, smiling. “Now you’re spoiling me.”

“I’m allowed,” Ruby said, with simple confidence. “I’m your fiancée.”

Oscar let the word take shape in him.

Oscar had no idea how long they had been lying there. But it was long enough that the sounds of other people started to come closer to them. This was still a public place. 

“It’s time to get up,” Oscar said. 

“You hear them too?” Ruby asked. 

“Unfortunately,” Oscar said.

“So… we have a lot we need to start figuring out,” Ruby said. 

“We do,” Oscar said. Ruby got up first and helped Oscar up.

“Oh… you have grass stains…” Ruby started. 

“I couldn’t care less,” Oscar said. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. The ring was right there. 

“So… do we go to Yang first or…?” Ruby asked.

“There’s only two options. Either we go to Yang’s, or I take you back home with Weiss,” Oscar said.

“Yang first,” Ruby said. 

And soon, they were leaving the rose garden, hand in hand. Moving into this next, amazing step in their life. 

Author’s Notes: They are officially engaged now. And the date in the garden is probably the best one yet. 

So, this is many years after Lattes and Lemonade. This is part of that story, as are most of my other RG pieces. But this is only loosely connected.

Thank you for reading

-DragonZlayerx12