Cold Touch, Warm Heart

Oscar hadn't been working in the bookstore for very long, but he had been working long enough that he knew someone shouldn't be near as lost as this girl appeared to be. The story was only a good 20 yards across and 30 yards wide, so you should find the section you are searching for eventually before too long. However, Oscar watched the girl make her way in a circle several times before he finally decided to intervene. Or rather, he got ordered to interrupt the shopper with a sharp look from his manager Ozpin.

She had a service dog with her, a cute corgy whose vest seemed almost too big for its wiggly little body. She wore a red hoodie that stood out against her dark hair and pale skin. He couldn't really get a good look at her face though as she seemed to keep looking down. Oscar was glad he had a growth spurt over the last year because otherwise, the girl would have been taller then him even if she would be considered tiny by average heightened people.

The closer Oscar got, the more nervous he felt about intervening. He already hated it when people bothered him with questions while shopping, let alone him bothering someone else who had a service dog. He didn't even know that the dog was a service dog for. What if he tried to talk to her and it attacked his ankles? He liked his ankles! Biting his lower lip he finally was standing beside the girl as her hand trailed over the covers of books but not really looking at them, even though her head was tilted to look at the shelf.

"Excuse me," Oscar said causing the red hooded girl to jump a good two feet in the air. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's Ok," the girl laughed as she turned to look at him. "I'm not used to not hearing people coming, these carpets do a good job at muffling footsteps."

Oscar could feel his jaw actually drop when he got a good look at the girl's face. Her face was soft and delicate but still well defined. She had a cute button nose and lips that were turned into a small smile. Her eyes though were a cloudy grey as if at some point that had been a brilliant silver.

She was blind.

"Yeah, I normally wear my glasses but my sister broke them when she got into a fight with our dad." The stranger said with a smile as she did her best to turn her face away from him. Hiding her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you upset. I didn't even realize I said that out loud. Their really pretty is all." After Oscar's word vomit to try and backtrack his accidental slip of the obvious he felt like he wanted to just curl up in a hole and die. However, she just giggled in response. He was glad she was blind otherwise she could see his blush.

"So, do you need help finding anything?" He asked, ignoring the nagging part of his brain that wanted to know what a blind girl was doing in a bookstore.

"I need help finding the audiobook section. I used to be able to find it but I think you moved some shelves around and now I don't know the layout anymore." He sighed in relief that he hadn't said his other thought out loud but nodded in understanding of why she was at a bookstore.

"Sure thing," Oscar said his voice picking up and standing up straighter. "I can take you there."

"That's a relief," the girl said with a sigh her whole body over animating every action like she was a cartoon character, a cute one, but still a cartoon character.

"So, should I take your hand to lead you there or..." Oscar trailed off as he tried to think about how he would direct her to the section that as a few shelves over.

"You don't have to," she explained with a small wave. "Zwei will follow you to the section."

Zwei, Oscar guessed, was the cute little corgi at the girl's feet who was sitting quietly while his master talking. "He's cute," Oscar commented making the dog wag his tail. "Too bad he's on duty another wise I would pet him."

"Thank you for understanding, most people try to pet him anyway," the girl spoke and a wave of tension left her body. "By the way my name is Ruby."

"Oscar," Oscar returned with a smile. "Now if you and Zwei would follow me I'll take you to the section."

They followed him in silence for a few seconds before coming over to the shelves that housed the audiobooks.

"Is there any specific book you are looking for?" Oscar asked as they reached the section. Normally, he would leave the customer alone at this point to go back to browsing but the audiobooks didn't have covers that he guessed Ruby could see.

"Yes actually," Ruby said as she began feeling the covers and frowning at the lack of raised cardboard. "I was hoping to find the new book by Qrow Branwen."

"The Hummingbirds correct?" Oscar asked as he recalled the title of the best selling author's newest work.

"Yes that's the one," Ruby said nodding at the shelf. How could one girl be so cute?

"Right here," Oscar said as he grabbed the back box with the red lettering and hummingbird outline putting it in Ruby's free hand from the one on Zwei's harness. Her hands were like ice, but her smile was so warm.

"Guess the saying is true," Oscar mumbled to himself.

"Guess it is," Ruby giggled- laughing only harder at Oscar's stuttering. "Your hands are cold too."

Once again Oscar was glad she couldn't see him blushing. "Do you need help checking out?"

"No, I should have it from here, thank you though," Ruby said with a smile and turning to walk away. "Actually there is one thing."

"What is it?" Oscar asked with a blink.

"Can I feel your face. It's how I see."

"Uh, sure," and with his permission, Ruby began feeling his face- cool hands feeling nice against his flushed skin.

"What color are your skin, hair, and eyes?"

"My skin is tanned, and my hair is a deep chestnut, and my eyes are hazel. Why?"

"Helps me get the picture more vivid since I wasn't always blind imagining color isn't hard for me," Ruby said with a shrug before retracting her hands. Oscar tried to ignore the sting he felt in his chest when she pulled them away.

"That makes sense," was the best he could come up with for a response.

"I hope to talk to you again if your working when I come in next," Ruby said with a hopeful smile that made Oscar's chest feel like it was being squeezed.

"I hope so too," Oscar replied and he meant it.

BRK: You have no idea how exited I was when I saw touch was a prompt. I always wanted to write a blind au and now I got to. Happy Rosegarden Week we are halfway done!