Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Ruby swiped at the shadow with Crescent Rose, the figure fading into black smoke. She rushed away in a flurry of rose petals as she dove into the approaching group of similar shadows, swinging madly to give herself room. She flew up off of one of the shadows, her scythe transforming into its sniper form. She fired at the group, another shadow fading as she was launched away by the ricochet.

When she landed, shadowed creatures immediately circled around her. They were pure black and misty, like the Grimm but more…unnatural. They moved erratically as they circled around her, slowly closing the distance. Ruby could feel her heart rate increasing. Crescent Rose unfolded into scythe form again as she began swinging. She cut through two of the shadows and ducked through the new opening.

Through the darkness of the space around her, she could faintly make out a figure with glowing eyes. She sprinted toward it, slashing apart any shadows in her way. The glowing-eyed figure swung something at her, but Roby moved out of the way and slashed at it.

Only it wasn’t a shadow when she looked back.

It was him.

Oscar.

“No…no no no no no please no,” Ruby said, dropping Crescent Rose and falling to her knees. “Please…please not again…I can’t…” She felt tears stream down her cheeks. She looked up and saw more bodies, all of them similarly slashed and hacked up. Weiss. Blake. Yang. Her uncle Qrow. Team JNR. Her friends. All of them, just…dead.

And one figure stood above the rest of the bodies, smiling at Ruby with her ghastly red eyes and devilish smile.

“Well aren’t you something,” Salem said with that sickeningly maternal malice. “Perhaps you can serve me well after all, if you’re so willing to destroy those who seemed oh so close to you.”

“No…no I…I-I-I wouldn’t! You’re dead! I couldn’t…You did this! I’ll kill you!”

“Oh? Like you did to your friends? Your family? Poor little Oscar?” Ruby couldn’t stand, her knees failed her as she looked down at the boy under her. Her hands were red from the blood seeping through his clothes.

“Ruby…I…I'm...s-sorry,” Oscar croaked out before he went limp in her arms, his now lifeless eyes staring into her very soul.

No.

NO.

“NO!” Ruby screamed as she bolted upright in her bed. She felt sweat beading down from her forehead and her heart on fire. She looked around her too quickly to take anything in. She tried to slow down, but she just couldn’t. She heard a crash, and suddenly there was another person at her side.

“Ruby. Hey, Rubes, slow down. Look at me,” the voice said. Ruby turned to look, a large mane of yellow hair and deep purple eyes meeting her silver ones. She smiled at Ruby and gently hovered over her hand. “Can I?” she asked, to which Ruby quietly nodded. Yang took Ruby’s hand in hers and gently massaged it with her thumb. “It’s alright Ruby. I’m here for you. Deep breaths.”

Yang held out a finger and breathed in, long and deep, urging her sister to do the same. Ruby did so, breathing in, and when Yang put down her finger, breathing out. Breathing in, breathing out. They repeated this for as long as it took for Ruby to get a better grip on where they were.

They were home. 

In Patch. 

And…nobody was hurt.

“There you are,” Yang said kindly, brushing some hair away from Ruby’s face. “Seems like that was some nightmare Sis.”

“Yeah,” Ruby said weakly. Yang’s brow furrowed as she moved positions, sitting on the bed next to Ruby’s legs.

“Ruby…you know you can talk with me, right? I mean really talk to me. Something’s clearly gotten to you so bad you’re having night terrors.” Ruby sighed at Yang’s observation. Because…she was right. She couldn’t hide it from her. She shouldn’t hide it.

“I…I-I saw shadows, and I was fighting them. And then I attacked one and i-it was…i-it was Oscar. And then I saw you, a-and Weiss, and Blake, and Uncle Qrow, and our friends, and then Salem was there and then Oscar grabbed my hand and then-”

“Ruby.”

Ruby stopped, tears obscuring some of her vision as Yang pulled her into a hug. Ruby held onto her sister tightly, putting her in to a tighter hug. She could feel herself beginning to cry again as she did so. Yang was so warm and safe, so much unlike the coldness of her nightmare. 

“Hey, hey, it’s alright. I’m here for you.”

“How pathetic is this, huh?” Ruby cynically commented. “19 years old and I’m crying like a little girl. I’m sorry for w-waking you up.” Yang pulled back and looked Ruby in the eyes hard .

“Listen here Rubes, you are not, and will never be, pathetic. We all have nightmares. We all cry. We all feel scared. You know that better than any of us do. And don’t feel bad, I’ll always be here for you. Just like you’ve always been here for me when I needed you.” She gave Ruby another hug before sitting up. “But that sounds like…a really bad nightmare.”

“Yeah.”

“You said…you had, umm, hurt Oscar.” Ruby sniffled at the comment. “Is there…something that happened? To make that stand out to you?” Ruby’s breath caught in her lungs. She didn’t want to talk about this. Not again. But…

“It was…in the Ever After. Before I…” she went quiet, not wanting to say it. Yang’s expression dropped as she caught on to what her sister was trying to say. “Neo…she made me think…s-she turned into…a-and then after he was on the ground, she made illusions of all of you.”

“Oh, Ruby.”

“I-I’m sorry. I…I c-can’t. It…it hurts to think about.”

“Then…how about we don’t. Not yet anyway,” Yang offered. Ruby looked up at her from where she’d been intensely staring at her clasped hands. “I don’t think either of us are ready to go back to bed, so how about we change the subject to…oh! That party, huh?”

“Huh?”

“You know, our big ‘anniversary for saving the world’ thing! Come on, the gang’s coming over and everything!” Yang had a big smile on her face as her arm went up to emphasize. “I’m still surprised Dad agreed to it though. That’s a lot of people.”

“You know he's over the moon, come on,” Ruby teased, lightly punching her sister’s arm. The two laughed at the idea, their dad weaving around everyone and making them feel at home as everyone’s crowded in the living room. “But…yeah, it’ll be nice. Feels like it’s been a while since we were together.

“I mean kinda? Everyone went back to visit their families for a bit, but it’s only been a month. Besides, it’s not like we don’t all work together anyway.” Ruby had to agree with that.

A lot had happened since Salem’s defeat one year ago.

Team RWBY and their friends had been extremely busy ever since, trying to get the kingdoms of Remnant to stay united and work together to rebuild. But without Ozpin or the relics being among them anymore, it was difficult to rally everyone.

But they were able to do it. Work still needed to be done, of course. Many of the citizens of Atlus that hadn’t settled in new kingdoms chose to reconstruct where they could. Last she had heard, it was going along alright, though a lot of that was due to the power of the maidens. And Beacon Academy’s construction had been going smoothly ever since their battle against Salem.

Jaune had gone back to visit his family, Ren and Nora had found an apartment in Vale to share, Blake had returned to her parents to further the new White Fang’s movement, Weiss and her family were helping to construct the new kingdom of Atlus, Qrow was currently crashing on the couch, and Oscar said he’d be in another apartment not far from Ren and Nora.

Ruby put her dream out of her mind for a while as she thought about him. She had offered to let him stay with her and Yang at their dad’s house while he looked for somewhere, but he insisted, saying he didn’t want to intrude as the family was getting back together again. Ruby understood, but was a little disappointed. She would’ve liked having Oscar as a roommate. They could stay up late playing games, or reading a book, or cuddling on the couch...

“Ohoho, what have we here?” Yang teased. Ruby spluttered, not realizing how her face had heated up. “Seems like someone’s in loooove~”

“Wha-No! No. I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Ruby deflected. However it did little to get Yang off her case.

“Oh really? So if I told you Oscar was coming early and Dad offered him a place to stay? He’s coming over tomorrow”

“W-w-what? Y-You mean Oscar’s g-gonna be…h-here? With us?” Ruby could feel her cheeks heating up more and more, face fighting her hood in color. Yang was cackling with laughter as Ruby reached behind her for a pillow. She threw it at Yang, who fell on the bed but continued laughing. “Yang, come on! Cut it out!”

“Alright alright, but come on Rubes, you have to admit it. I’m pretty sure all of us know you wanna smooch farm boy.” Ruby didn’t answer that. She was more occupied by the idea Yang had shoved in her brain. Oscar and her, under the stars, leaning against a railing, moving closer to one another- “Hello? Ruuuubyyyyyy. Get outta dreamland.” Ruby shook off the idea and pouted.

“Yang come on, I don’t like Oscar. W-Well I do, b-b-but as a friend! Just platonic friends! And he just so happens to be kind of cute and really smart and dammit Yang STOP LAUGHING AT ME!”

“Ruby Rose, my dear sister, tell him. Please. It’s actually kind of sad how much you two have been pining after one another.”

“I swear to gods if that was a pun then you can leave.”

“I’m serious Ruby, I think it would do you both good if you were honest about how you feel. Maybe it’ll help with some…other things.” Yang turned her head down at that. “You know, your nightmares.” Ruby didn’t know how to react. Would it help? Sure she wasn’t keen on telling people about her feelings, even if they were insistent on it. And it wasn’t like her feelings she had were related. Then again, it wasn’t like she told him everything they saw.

“I’ll…think about it. Thanks Yang. Maybe…maybe it will help.” yang smiled at her before looking at the door.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay?”

“I’ll be alright. Promise,” Ruby said with as earnest a smile as she could muster. Yang smiled back and gave Ruby one last hug before she went back to bed. “Goodnight Yang. Love you.”

“Love you too Sis,” Yang said as she returned to her own room down the hall. Ruby let out a sigh of relief and allowed her smile to fall. She flopped down onto her pillow and pulled up her scroll. It was a little after midnight, she doubted anyone was awake, but…

Ruby pulled up her messages and tapped on Oscar’s. They two had been chatting just that day about a video game they wanted to play together the next time they met, which was apparently tomorrow. ‘Dang it Oscar, why couldn’t you have said anything earlier,’ she thought. She sent him a quick text.

RR: See you tomorrow :)

Ruby put her scroll down and returned to sleep, trying to put her nightmare out of her mind. She hadn’t told Yang that wasn’t the first. Or that they’d been getting worse. But…that could wait.

She had other things she could focus on before then.

Chapter Text

‘Come on Ruby, get up. You have stuff to do today,’ Ruby told herself, to little success. She was still laying in bed, trying to wake up. To her lack of surprise, she hadn’t gotten much sleep last night, even after her talk with Yang. Images would keep flashing in her mind of her nightmare, and though she did eventually nod off, it was too late for her to actually get real sleep.

She thought to herself as she lazed around in bed. ‘Maybe I can just…stay here,’ Ruby thought to herself. ‘Just act like I’m still asleep and hope I can get some rest. Yeah, that’ll work.’

It didn’t work.

Half an hour went by and Ruby still couldn’t fall back asleep. The sun was beginning to rise higher and higher as she groaned and threw a pillow over her face. The girl grumbled, not wanting her new worst enemy to annoy her even more through the slightly open curtains. As she slowly got up and trudged to close the curtains, she heard a light knock on the door. 

“Hey Ruby, you up?” Yang asked from the other side of the door. Ruby trudged up slowly and opened it, revealing an already raring to go Yang. Her shades were on her head and her brown leather jacket was slung over her shoulder. “Great! You ready to go?”

“Huh? Go where?” Yang sighed. Ruby was a little caught off guard. Yang didn’t usually wake up this early, at least not recently.

“To go pick up Oscar, duh ,” she said as if it were obvious. Ruby’s eyes widened as she quickly ducked back into her room to check her scroll. There was a new message on it from 2 hours ago.

OP: See you in a bit :)

Of course he was coming early. Of course he was early and didn’t tell her. That boy woke up before the sun did. No matter where on their journey they were, every time she woke up he was already fully dressed and working on something or other. Must have been that cursed farm hand lifestyle he’d been raised on. Stupid Oscar waking up early to get hard at work…

“Hey, Ruby, you wanna stop fantasizing about your boyfriend and get ready?” Yang asked teasingly. Ruby scoffed and spun around to shoot her sister a dirty look, despite the blush obvious on her face. “Deny it all you want, doesn’t change the fact we gotta get going soon.”

“I know, I know,” Ruby grumbled as she dug around for her clothes. “I’ll go get ready.”

“Great! Let me know when you’re ready and we’ll head out.”

“Dad and Uncle Qrow coming with?” Ruby asked, moving towards the bathroom. She closed the door on her sister, but Yang continued talking.

“Nah, Dad’s got some housekeeping stuff and I think Qrow’s busy. Makes it so we can borrow the car at least.” Ruby chuckled a little at that. “Was that a laugh I heard? Now where did little miss grumpy go?” Ruby rolled her eyes at her sister’s teasing.

“She’s just wondering how you convinced Dad to let you borrow the car,” she quipped, Yang feigning offense.

“I’ll have you know my track record is much better now thank you very much. Besides, unless you want Oscar to practically be on top of you, Bumblebee 2.0 isn’t gonna work.” Ruby groaned at the obvious trap of a statement. Yang knew she’d start thinking of the three squeezing onto her motorcycle, even if it was more funny than anything. “Alright I’m done being bullied by you. Get ready and we’ll head out in a bit,” she said as she walked off. Ruby chuckled as she moved in front of the mirror.

She sighed as she looked at her reflection. Her hair was getting a little long and there were pretty prominent bags under her eyes. She groaned at the idea of having to put makeup on to try and hide it. ‘Not worth it,’ she said to herself. She was a huntress, being tired came with the territory, she could just play it off.

After getting dressed and tying her hair into a messy ponytail, she made her way downstairs. She spotted Yang on the couch, watching some kind of news report with their uncle. She waved absently at them.  “Mornin’ pipsqueak,” Qrow called from where he sat. Yang stood and stretched before giving Qrow a fist bump. “You kids have fun.”

“See you later Uncle Qrow,” Yang said. She turned to Ruby and tossed something at her. It hit her in the chest before falling into her hands. “Little something to keep you awake.”

“Thanks Yang,” she said, unwrapping the granola bar and following her sister out. “Bye Uncle Qrow!” Their uncle waved as they walked outside. Their dad was nowhere to be seen, probably somewhere else around their property. “Are we good to go?”

“Should be. So long as you can stay awake long enough to get in the car,” Yang teased. Ruby groaned as she got into the passenger seat. “But hey, maybe Oscar staying for the week will keep you up.”

“I really don’t see why you keep bringing that up,” Ruby complained. “We’re. Just. Friends. Nothing more.” Yang side eyed her suspiciously. Ruby felt her spirits drop at that. Sure, they weren’t together. For all she knew, they were just friends and would remain that way. But…she wanted more. It felt selfish after everything, but she wanted more. She wanted them to be more.

“Ruby, really, I think you should tell him how you feel. And before you say ‘oh he wouldn’t like me like that,’ I can guarantee to you that he does. Oscar thinks the world of you. Always has.”

“I don’t know Sis. I mean…even if I do tell him my feelings, and even if he does feel the same, I don’t know how to do this whole ‘girlfriend’ thing. What if I mess up!? Our friendship would be ruined and he would never want to talk to me again!” Ruby sank down in her seat as Yang pulled onto the road towards the airship port. “I just don’t want to mess up what we already have.”

“Ruby…nobody gets it right the first time around. You remember how me and Blake were before we got together?”

“I remember you two being annoyingly sweet to one another,” she let out from where she was hiding in her hoodie. Yang chuckled lightly at the tease. “But…yeah. And you two seemed to be pretty good after you got together. Like it was natural.”

“It kind of was. We were dating, sure, but we still acted the same. We always loved one another, it was just that we were more…open about it. We were more honest with ourselves and with each other.” Yang smiled at her sister, who had sat up some from where she had been slouching in her seat. “I really doubt you telling Oscar your feelings will seriously change your relationship.”

“If you say so,” Ruby said, though she still didn’t look entirely convinced. Yang thought for a moment before her eyes lit up with an idea.

“Alright, how about this then: what do you and Oscar usually do when you two are together?” she asked. Ruby thought for a moment. Oscar and her hadn’t seen one another in person for a few weeks. He had gone back to Mistral to see his aunt before heading to Vale to assist in the reconstruction of Beacon Academy and moving into an apartment, but before then…

“Well, we would play games together, or watch a movie…sometimes we just sat and talked. We went shopping a couple times when we both had free time. Just…stuff like that. Normal friend stuff.” She knew that the ‘friend’ part was said a bit sadly, but saying he was just her friend hurt her a little.

“All of those also sound like pretty normal date things to me,” Yang proclaimed. Ruby felt herself flush as she reconsidered all of the things she’d just said. “The stuff Blake and I do didn’t change when we got together, just let us enjoy it more. It’s really not that different, you’re just being more honest with yourself and your partner.” Ruby smiled a little as she considered it. She could feel the car slowing down, finally looking out the window to see the parking lot of the port. She and Yang exited as they made their way towards the large building in front of them.

“Thanks Yang,” Ruby said to her sister. “I think…I’ll tell him. Maybe not today, but while he’s with us. Might as well, right?” She laughed a little at the joke, looking at her sister and seeing a warm smile looking back.

“There’s my confident little sister,” Yang said before pulling her into a hug. Ruby returned it in kind. “So…you gonna tell him about the… other thing, too?” Ruby was confused for a moment before it clicked with her. Their talk last night was still fresh in her mind, along with her nightmare. The images flashed in her mind, Ruby cringing and shutting her eyes as she tried to block them out. She felt cold metal touching her hand, looking over and seeing that Yang had grabbed it. “Hey, I’m here, just breathe.”

Ruby took in a long, shaky breath as she tried to calm herself down. Yang was there the whole time, gently massaging her hand. It took a minute, but Ruby got her breathing under control, smiling at her sister. “Sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry about. I…know how it can hurt,” Yang said, looking at her arm. “It took me a while before I could move on from my nightmares too.”

“But you did,” Ruby said, gaining some of her confidence back. Yang was caught off guard by the sudden boost. “Look at you now. You’ve grown so much and overcome so much to get here. We all have. I know you’re here for me Sis, but I’m also your leader. So if you can move forward…I can too.” Yang pulled Ruby into another hug, to which the younger accepted. 

“Thanks Rubes. Now we better get inside before Oscar starts wondering where we are,” Yang said. However, Ruby just looked happily at the building, drawing the eldest sister’s attention to the port. Approaching the two was a teen about Yang’s height, dragging his luggage behind him. The teen smiled at them, Ruby moving towards him. “Guess we’re a little late.”

“Oscar!” Ruby called as her walk turned into a run, arms outstretched to let him know she was coming. Oscar sturdied himself before opening his arms, accepting the tackle-hug that she gave him. “It’s so good to see you!” He laughed as he set her down, Ruby able to get a good look at him. He was a little taller than her now, but aside from that, he was still pretty close to the same farm hand she’d fallen for found a great friend in!

It’s good to see you too Ruby!” he said happily. He looked at her with a bit more focus now. “Something seems different about you…”

“Yeah, my hair’s been a little long. I might cut it,” she said, thinking about having to tie it up that morning.

“I like it,” Oscar said. “I think it suits you.” Ruby blushed at the compliment, causing Oscar in turn to hide his growing smile and blush behind his hand. “A-Anyway, uhh- OH! Hey Yang!” Ruby giggled at the attempt to change the subject. Yang just laughed as she grabbed the teen and pulled him into a headlock. “Ah, no, not the hair!”

“Too late buddy, you live with us, you go through initiation!” she said, cackling as she gave him a noogie despite his protests. Though it was clear he was laughing alongside her. She let him go, giving him a proper handshake. “Good to see you Oscar. Are you ready?”

“Absolutely,” he said, grabbing his luggage and following the two to the car. Ruby smiled at him again as they piled in, Oscar taking the back seat. “Thanks again for letting me stay for a few days.”

“Hey, it’s no trouble at all,” Yang said, urging Ruby to talk to him. Ruby stumbled on her words a little.

“Y-Yeah! It’s been a while since we’ve seen you, it’ll be good to catch up before the others come over in a few days.” Oscar’s blush was clear to both sisters, but only Yang snickered at it while Ruby felt herself blush in turn. “How’s your aunt?” she said suddenly.

“She’s doing alright. I…really worried her when I left to find you all.”

“Didn’t you tell her what was going on?” Yang asked. He shook his head solemnly.

“Not exactly easy to explain that there’s an old man in your head wanting you to save the world,” he joked. Oscar and Yang laughed a little, but Ruby went silent. The mention of Ozpin…made her think again. Of their final battle. “Ruby? Hey, Ruby,” Oscar said, breaking through her state of mind. She shook it off and looked at him, urging him to continue. “I was asking how you’ve been.”

“Oh, uhh, good! Pretty good! It’s been nice to not have to deal with…everything for a while,” she admitted. The other two that were in the car looked at her worriedly. “I’m alright. Sorry, I just spaced out for a minute there. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night is all.” Neither looked convinced, but they elected to not bring it up. Ruby clearly wasn’t wanting to tell either of them the extent of her feelings right now. “Oh! We’re here!”

The three looked back at the house, smiling as it came into view. They pulled up, Yang and Oscar stepping out as the former eloped with the luggage. Ruby took another minute before exiting, speaking quietly to herself.

“Oscar’s staying with us. It’ll be alright. Nothing bad is going to happen Ruby, just relax. You are a huntress, you can protect him. Nothing will go wrong. Nothing will hurt them. She wouldn’t hurt them.”

Ruby stepped out, unsure if she believed anything she’d just said.

Chapter Text

“Welcome to our humble abode!” Yang called as she opened the door, letting Oscar in. He looked around the modest family home, smiling at the familiar scents and scenery that greeted him.

“It’s…like home,” he said absently. Ruby walked in and closed the door as Yang began laughing a little. “I-I mean it’s like my aunt’s farm! It’s…really nice.” 

“Well get comfy kid, ‘cause you’re gonna be seeing it for a while,” Qrow said as he sat up from the couch to greet the trio. “Good to see you Oscar. You get here alright?” He ruffled Oscar’s hair as he asked that, the teen chuckling at the act.

“Yeah, I did. The airship ride was a little long, but it was alright,” he said. Qrow smiled as he led the three in more. “I guess it was just different, not traveling with anybody this time.”

“Oh yeah, I guess it’s your first solo trip without…” Yang stopped, looking down shamefully. The mood shifted a little at what she had implied. Oscar sighed. He understood what she meant. Ozpin…was gone. They knew he was finally able to rest, not forced to reincarnate anymore and he could be at peace, but it took a toll on them. Oscar most of all, losing who had become somewhat of a mentor to him in the time their souls had been bonded to one another. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bring it up.”

“I-It’s alright,” Oscar managed to get out. “He’s in a better place now. And we need to keep moving, don’t we? I think it’s what Ozpin would have wanted.” Ruby smiled at him. Oscar had matured quite a bit since she’d first met the farm boy. She was proud of how much he had grown since then. “Sorry, umm…so where should I put this?” He gestured to his luggage.

“I’ll show you!” Ruby said, getting knowing looks from her sister and uncle she chose to ignore. “We have a guest room upstairs. I-I’ll show you where it is.” Ruby scooped Oscar up with her semblance and quickly zoomed away.

“Hey, no speeding in the house!” Qrow called, but he made no notion to actually enforce that. He turned to Yang. “Any luck with those two?”

“They’re hopeless,” she said defeatedly. “Tried to make Ruby confess to him, but we’ll have to wait and see how that goes.”

“Yeah, about what I expected.” Qrow stretched as he made his way to the door. “I’m gonna go find your dad, let him know the kid’s here. You make sure they don’t burn the house down.”

“On it.”

“So, this is the guest room,” Ruby said, bursting through the door. Oscar stumbled and all but fell to the ground, his luggage next to him. Ruby saw him laying down, images flashing in her mind, which she tried to shake away. “Oh gods Oscar I am so sorry! Are you alright?”

Oscar shook his head as Ruby pulled him up. “I’m alright. Just…woah. Haven’t done that before. It was…kind of fun.” Ruby sighed in relief before looking at their still joined hands, both pulling away nervously. “S-So anyway…thanks again for letting me stay.”

“I-It’s no trouble at all!” Ruby stammered. Oscar pulled his luggage onto the bed and began taking stuff out. “I’m…kind of glad you’re staying with us.” Oscar stopped what he was doing and looked at her, hazel eyes wide and cheeks flushed a crimson red. “I-I-I mean it’s been a while! Since we’ve seen each other! Yeah, yeah that’s…I missed you.” Ruby stopped there, not trusting her nerves. Oscar chuckled.

“I missed you too,” he said. Ruby smiled as she walked over. I’m sorry if I surprised you about me coming early. I could’ve sworn I mentioned it to Yang last week.” Ruby’s eyes narrowed as she looked to the doorframe. Her sister was there, but she quickly ducked away from where she’d been eavesdropping.

“Yeah, I thought she did too,” Ruby muttered through gritted teeth. Oscar laughed at her frustration. “Oh no, not you too! Why must my misery be so funny to you all.”

“It is a little funny,” he defended. Ruby pouted as she marched to the door. “Hey, no, come on, Ruby.”

“Nuh uh. Not if you’re going to be mean to me.”

“Ruby, you are 19 years old.”

“Yeah, so?”

“Seems a bit childish to walk out at a little teasing.”

“Well quit being a meanie head then.”

“Meanie head?” he snickered. It was small at first, but he kept going to the point it became a full on laugh. Ruby was in awe at him. Even three years after meeting, he still had that boyish charm she’d come to love about him. She rolled her eyes and walked back over, pulling him into a hug. He stopped at the sudden action. 

“It’s good to see you again,” she said quietly. Oscar smiled kindly at her as he returned the hug. “I’ll get out of your hair then. Dinner should be done in a few hours.”

“Anything I can do to help?” Oscar asked as he put his clothes away in a nearby dresser.

“No no, you’re fine. Just relax and we’ll get it taken care of.” The two teens smiled at one another as Ruby headed back down the stairs. “Call if you need anything.”

“I will. And Ruby,” he said, stopping her in her tracks. “It’s really good to see you again.” Ruby felt her cheeks flush as she waved and closed the door. As her hand was still on the knob, she shut her eyes, trying to calm herself. 

‘He was fine. He was fine. You didn’t hurt him. He just fell. He’s fine. He's here,’ she told herself internally over and over. She walked to a nearby wall, propped herself against it, and slid to the floor. She felt lighter than ever as she stared absently at the ceiling.

‘Oh Oscar.’

It wasn’t long before another person came into view. Qrow walked up to Ruby, pointing his head to her side to which she scooted over. Qrow took a seat next to her in the hall. “Hey kiddo. How’re you doing?” he asked. Ruby sighed as attention returned to the door.

“I…I don’t know Uncle Qrow. It’s nice to have him back, and it’s crazy that he’s living with us. But…something about it all.”

“Is it your crush on him?” Ruby groaned, hitting her head against the wall. She took a deep breath.

“Why does everyone need to keep reminding me!” She pulled her knees to her chest as her head came to rest on them. “ No, it’s not me having a crush on him. It’s…about my dreams.”

“Having nightmares again?” he asked. Ruby sighed, nodding her head. She folded her arms on her knees and put her head on them. She felt tears beginning to spring from within her. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Not really,” she mumbled. “But…I probably should, shouldn’t I?”

“Might help,” Qrow said. He smiled at her, but Ruby just stared at the wall in front of her. She took another deep breath, trying to find the right words.

“Do you remember…when we faced Salem? Last year,” she clarified. Qrow let out a sigh as he slumped against the wall.

“Hard to forget,” he said. “Biggest battle humanity’s ever seen. We lost a lot of good people that day. Almost lost everyone. But…you kids managed to pull through. I still have no idea how the hell you did it, but…you did.” Ruby pictured the events Qrow was talking about, knowing them all too well.

“I don’t know either. We saw Salem, she brought the relics together, the Gods returned, and then…the whole world went white. I don’t know if it was them, or if it was my eyes, but the next thing I knew…it was all over.” She took in a shaky breath as it came back to her. “When I came to, everyone else around me was…asleep. But for a second, it looked like…like,” she felt herself sniffle at her memory. She felt an arm go around her shoulder, Qrow pulling her in for a side hug.

“You all w-woke up, but…when everyone came too…Oscar…” Tears streamed freely down her face now, Ruby turning and pulling her uncle into a more genuine hug, which he reciprocated in kind. She heard another pair of footsteps, her sister, shocked to see what was going on, before another pair of arms surrounded her. She wiped her nose with her sleeve as the three separated.
S-Sorry.”

“Hey, Ruby, there’s no need for that,” Yang said kindly, smiling at her sister. “Remember, we’re all here for you. We’re all here. ” The girl smiled at her sister and uncle’s encouragement.

“None of us are going anywhere Ruby. Trust us,” her uncle said.

“Thanks guys,” she said, wiping the rest of her tears away. “I…I’m sorry. It’s been a lot to take in, and I guess with how busy it’s been…I haven’t really given myself time to do that.”

“Well hey, we’ve got all the time in the world to do it now,” Yang said with a smile. “You don’t have to talk about it all with us now, but…when you’re ready, don’t hesitate.” Ruby hugged Yang again. “I’m gonna go help Dad with dinner. I’ll let you and Oscar know when we’re ready.”

“Alright. Sounds good.” She punctuated it with a yawn, getting a laugh out of Yang and Qrow. “I’ll see you guys in a bit.”

“Later pipsqueak,” Qrow said, ruddling her hair a bit to her protest. Ruby retreated to her own room, not noticing the slight jar in the guest door as she watched Yang and Qrow head downstairs.

Oscar didn’t mean to eavesdrop. But he couldn’t help it. Ruby was… special to him, and he hated the idea of her going through this alone. When he was listening though, he could tell something was off. There was something Ruby wasn’t talking about. Something she still kept close to her. And it was clearly eating away at her.

When Yang had called him asking if he could come early, he didn’t think much of it, but now…maybe she thought he could help Ruby? He hoped he could anyway. He couldn’t stand the idea of Ruby bottling everything up and hurting herself.

However, his internal monologue abruptly ended when Ruby moved back to his door, knocking lightly. “Uhh, o-one second!” he said, quickly moving away from where he’d been leaning against the wall. He opened the door for Ruby. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m good,” she lied, eyes still downcast. “I just…wanted to help you out some more. I know I said I’d leave you alone, but-”

“Hey, it’s alright,” he reassured. He guided her in and closed the door. “Are you okay?” Ruby didn’t say anything, just walking over to his bed and sitting on it. Oscar pulled up a chair from the desk nearby. I…I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but…I heard some of the stuff you were saying just now.” Ruby’s eyes looked so sad as she looked up at him. “I-I know, it’s not polite, and I shouldn’t have, and I’m really sorry, but I hope you know I really care about you and-”

“Stop,” she said quietly. Oscar looked down shamefully. “Just…Oscar, I…” she was having a hard time finding the proper words, rubbing her arms from where she sat.

“Ruby, can I…can I give you a hug?” he asked. Ruby looked over at him, small bits of fear and hope swirling around in her silver eyes. “I-If t-that’s okay w-with you.” Ruby didn’t speak, not trusting herself to not burst into tears. Instead, she opened her arms, inviting Oscar over. He moved from his chair and went to the bed, Ruby standing up as he pulled her into a hug. It wasn’t like their reunion hours earlier.

This one felt more…honest. More genuine. More loving.

Ruby felt tears stream down her cheeks, but she remained silent. Right now, she was content being with Oscar, the taller teen just hugging her and proving to her he was still here. He was okay. And, at least for right now, that would do for her. She didn’t want the moment to end, the two standing there for what felt like hours, embracing one another. She wanted to tell him her feelings. Tell him about what she’d seen, why she was so upset and so worried about him. But…the words escaped her.

The pair separated, Ruby helping Oscar with the rest of his things until dinner was ready. They worked in silence, occasional small talk breaking through about what went where or what something was. After a while, the room was all tidied up and everything was put away. “Phew, thanks for helping Ruby. I…really appreciate it.” He rubbed his arm nervously looking to the side.

N-No problem,” she said, also looking away. A-Anything you need, just…let me know!” she said. Oscar gave her a wide smile, one that made Ruby speechless. “Oscar, I-”

“Ruby! Oscar! Dinner’s ready!” Yang called from downstairs. The two turned to her and chuckled at the poor timing.

“Good, I’m starving,” Oscar said, moving to the door. “Come on Ruby, let’s go.” He flashed her one last boyish smile before moving to the kitchen, leaving Ruby stunted and alone with her thoughts.

‘Dammit Yang, I was this close to telling him!’ She grumbled to herself as she followed Oscar downstairs.

Maybe some food would make her feel better about… everything.

Chapter Text

Ruby followed Oscar as the two made their way down the stairs, waving to the other three at the table. Qrow was checking his scroll for something while Yang and her father were bantering.

“All I’m saying is that I should learn how to cook! Come on Dad!”

“Sorry Yang, but after the last time you made food on your own, no can do,” he argued back. Yang rolled her eyes obviously.

“Come ooooon, that was one time! And I was 12!” Tai sighed as he took dinner out of the oven, grabbing a spatula to divide it up.

“Yeah, and you burned half the kitchen. So no, not unless you’re helping someone else cook.”

“Uuuuugh,” Yang groaned, slouching down in her seat next to her uncle. “You never let me do anything.”

“He couldn’t stop you if he tried,” Qrow quipped, not looking up from his scroll. Tai grumbled as Qrow held out a fist to Yang, the girl bumping his fist with her own.

“Who’s side are you on anyway?” Tai asked accusingly, though his smile betrayed his tone. Qrow just shrugged his shoulders as he put his scroll away.

“Maybe they can figure that out.” Qrow had turned to look at the two teens, Oscar waving nervously as Ruby walked past. She smiled as she pulled her dad into a hug.

“Hey Ruby. You doing alright?” he asked her, looking down at his daughter. “Yang said you’ve been having nightmares again.” Ruby internally cursed her sister’s overprotectiveness. Of course she’d told their dad. She couldn’t blame her for that. But she didn’t want to bother their dad with it either.

“It’s…nothing,” she said, her eyes downcast. Tai was about to object before Ruby found an easy escape route. “O-Oh! Right! Dad, this is Oscar! I’m…not sure if you two met?” She was very visibly sweating as she hid behind Oscar, pushing him forward to block her from her dad’s worrying. Oscar held out a hand, shaking a bit.

“H-Hello Mr. Xiao Long. Thank you again for letting me stay for a few days,” he said. Tai took his hand and gave it a shake, ushering Oscar to sit down.

“It’s no problem Oscar. And please, call me Tai.” Oscar smiled as he took a seat next to Ruby. The two smiled at one another, though Ruby was having a hard time allowing hers to reach her eyes like it so often would. “So, what brings you here early anyway? We’re not celebrating for a couple more days.”

“Well, since Jaune is coming back from visiting his family, I figured it would be better if I was out of the way. Gods knows with Ren and Nora already there it’s already pretty crowded.” Tai placed a plate in front of him, some type of casserole if he were to guess. Ruby looked at Oscar in frustration as her dad placed her own plate in front of her.

“Oscar, you would never be in the way. They love you, you’re part of the team,” Ruby reassured him. Oscar looked at her and smiled. Ruby could see Yang and Qrow shooting knowing glances, which she ignored. Once Tai sat down, he looked at the four and began to understand.

“Ooooooh, now I get it,” he said. Yang eyed him wearily while Ruby went beet red under his scrutiny. “You invited Oscar over early because-”

“He’s a really good friend!” Ruby shouted. Tai was taken aback by the sudden outburst, Ruby praying to the gods that her cheeks would stop burning so bright. “Y-Yeah! WE,” she pointed between herself and Yang furiously, “thought it would be nice to see him for a couple days, right Sis?” She said the last part through gritted teeth, hoping Yang would back her up. Her sister, jokester she may be, decided to be nice to her sister for once today.

“Yeah, figured he could help out around the house for a bit. He used to be a farmhand before…y’know, everything happened.” There wasn’t really anything specific said, but there wasn’t really anything specific. Their entire journey had been bizarre enough they really could be there all night just talking about what happened.

“You used to be a farmhand?” Tai asked, quick to move the conversation along as he dug into his food. Ruby looked over at the boy, Oscar still blushing a little out of surprise.

“Uh, y-yeah. Before I met everyone, I was a farmhand on my aunt’s farm. That’s…actually where I was before I landed today. I haven’t seen her in a while. It was nice to catch up. I really missed her.” Oscar looked down at his plate, his mind going back to the nice evening he had with his aunt when he returned. He’d had the scolding of several lifetimes, of course, but she clearly missed him. Everyone was looking at him now, smiling at him. “S-Sorry, I didn’t mean to ramble.”

“Hey, it’s alright,” Ruby said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Nothing wrong with being with your family,” Tai continued. “I gotta tell you, I don’t think I’ve ever been so happy to see someone than when I saw these two again.” Ruby laughed a little while Yang shot finger guns at her dad.

“Thank you Mr. Xiao-...Tai. Thank you Tai.” The others returned to their food, Ruby shooting looks at Oscar every so often. He looked…happy. Happy to be with his friends again. She didn’t realize how much she’d missed that smile.

A smile she’d taken away.

‘Stop it Ruby. Don’t think like that,’ she mentally scolded herself. ‘You are going to sit here and have a nice meal with your family and your friend. You need to keep it up for them. For him.’ Ruby scarfed down her meal, every bite being more and more unappetizing. She loved her dad’s cooking, but…why did this hurt so much? Like she could barely get through the meal.

She did get through her food, walking up and placing it in the sink. “I think I’m going to go to bed early,” she said as she exited the room. The others looked at her worriedly but she waved it off. “I didn’t get a whole lot of sleep last night.” She yawned to punctuate her tiredness. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Alright, if you’re sure. Night Ruby,” Tai called.

“Night kid,” Qrow called, stepping outside as he ditched his plate on the table. Yang rolled her eyes as she took his and her own to the sink.

“See ya tomorrow Rubes,” Yang said, moving to the living room.

“Goodnight Ruby,” Oscar said, quietly moving to the sink. 

Ruby’s smile dropped as she moved towards the bathroom. She took a look at herself in the mirror, now noticing how prominent her eyebags were becoming. ‘I thought it was fine. Why do I look so tired?’ she thought to herself. She turned on the faucet and wiped her face, the coldness of the water helping to wake her up. She looked at the mirror again, grumbling to herself.

“What is wrong with you,” she said to herself. “You’re home. You’re free. The boy you like is downstairs, and you can’t say how you feel about him. You can’t even have a meal with your family without your mind returning to her. ” She could feel a tear go down her cheek. “Some leader you turned out to be.” She turned off the faucet and wiped her face with a towel, returning to her room and quickly changing before crawling under the covers.

‘Just…get some rest. Maybe this will all be better tomorrow,’ she thought as she tried to drift off to sleep.

“Hey, Oscar, mind if I talk to you for a minute?” Taiyang asked from the kitchen.

Oscar looked up from where he sat in the living room, a book in his hand he had brought with him from his aunt’s farm. He marked the page and set it down, walking to where the older man had called. Yang was watching something on the TV, leaning her head to listen to the conversation.

“Is everything alright Tai?” Oscar asked. Tai shook his head, asking for the teen to sit down next to him at the table. Oscar did so, his hands nervously in his lap.

“There’s nothing wrong Oscar. At least…I hope there isn’t.” He groaned as he looked away from the teen. “I know how you feel about her.”

“I…beg you pardon?”

“My daughter. Ruby. I know how you two feel about each other,” he clarified. Oscar could feel his cheeks go red as Ruby’s cloak. He began sweating, fidgeting with his fingers as he looked around for an escape route. “I’m not going to hurt you, don’t worry. I’m actually happy for you both.”

“You are?” Oscar asked, his fear and embarrassment turning to genuine curiosity. Taiyang let out a breath as he sat up in his chair better.

“From what the girls and Qrow have told me, you’re a good kid. You’re smart, you’re kind, and you’ve got a good heart. I just…wanted to let you know that I won’t get in the way if you and Ruby want to be together.” Oscar knew his blush had returned, but…he didn’t feel nervous. In fact it felt reassuring to have someone talking to him about this kindly instead of teasing. “And because of that, I…want to ask you a favor.”

“How can I help?” he answered almost immediately. Tai was surprised at the boy’s eagerness. “If it’s about Ruby, I’ll do what I can.” The older man laughed as he clapped Oscar on the shoulder.

“Alright, that’s good. Thank you Oscar. I’m sorry to put this on you given you’re our guest, but I feel like you’d be the best person to handle this.” Oscar felt immense pride in that. He was worried about Ruby, of course. What Tai said meant that Ruby was worrying him. But the fact he trusted Oscar to help her meant so much to him.

“Talking about Ruby?” Yang asked, having moved to the doorway. Tai and Yang had a staring match for but a moment before he invited her to sit down too. “There’s something going on with her. But…she won’t tell me what it is beyond a nightmare.”

“What was it about?” Oscar asked. Yang stiffened. She didn’t want to reveal Ruby’s nightmares to Oscar or her dad, but…if it would help, then there was no reason not to let them in on it.

“It was about our fight…with Salem.”

‘Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless. Useless.’

The word repeated over and over and over in her head as Ruby tossed and turned in bed. ‘Please. Stop. I can’t,’ she pleaded, but the word kept going on and on. Soon it was joined by others.

Failure.

Worthless.

Unneeded.

Burden.

Waste.

Pathetic.

Ruby couldn’t do it. She bolted awake and made a b-line for the bathroom. She turned on the faucet again and let the sound of the running water hitting the sink clear her mind. ‘Don’t focus on the words. Focus on the water.’ But it did no good. The thoughts wouldn’t stop. Ruby looked around for anything to get her mind to shut. up.  

She spotted something in the corner of her eye. A sharp metal blade she had used not long ago, sitting in the shower. With a shaky hand, she picked it up. She flipped it over in her hand over and over. Her mind wouldn’t stop. The demeaning words and insulting language kept assaulting her brain to the point it felt she’d explode. She couldn’t take it anymore. She grabbed the blade and-

“Ruby? Ruby, are you in there?” a voice asked. No no please no anybody but him he can’t see me like this. “May I come in?”

Ruby didn’t answer, just falling to her knees as the razor clattered to the ground in front of her. Her knees ended up squishing her as small as she could be on the side of the tub. A quiet sob escaped her lungs as she stared at the door. Oscar didn’t wait before opening the door, spotting Ruby in a mess on the floor.

“Ruby! Are you…” he looked at what was around him. The water was still running, drained right into the sink with nothing in it. Then he saw the razor on the ground. He froze. Ruby froze. Both just stared at one another, unsure of what to do. “Ruby…you’re not okay, are you?” he asked outright. Ruby didn’t answer, just letting more and more sobs out of her chest. Oscar closed the bathroom door and turned the faucet off, sitting against the door and across from Ruby.

“I-I-I-I’m s-s-sorry,” she cried. “I-I-I k-know I sh-should b-b-be ok-kay, but…I’m n-not.” The tears were coming more freely now. “Oscar…w-what’s w-wrong with m-me?” The teen couldn’t answer, just opening his arms for her. Ruby slowly removed herself from her position and crawled over to him. He held onto her head and cradled it to his chest, his other hand moving her hair away from her face.

“Ruby…it’s okay to not be okay.”

“B-But I-I-I’m s-supposed to be-”

“No,” he outright said. “Just for tonight, don’t be her, alright? Just…be you. Let yourself not be okay. It helps, I promise.” He smiled at her. That smile, that damned boyish smile, broke the flood gates free. Ruby cried freely into his pajama shirt, Oscar just holding her close as she let herself fall apart.

Hours seemed to go by as she just cried and cried until she had no more tears to cry. She looked up, Oscar still looking at her with that same supportive smile he always had around her. She wiped her eyes with her shirt sleeve, sitting up and looking at Oscar properly. “Do you want me to go and get Yang?” he asked. Ruby shook her head. “Your dad? Qrow?” Again, she shook her head.

“I…don’t think I’ll get much sleep tonight either,” she said sheepishly. Her voice was hoarse and quiet, and it was clear she wasn't wanting to talk much after that. Oscar looked away in embarrassment as an idea came to him.

“Do you want…me to sleep with you?” Ruby was now flustered alongside him. “I-I mean, y’know it’s late, and we’re already up, a-and I heard from Jaune that it helps and I want to help you and I-” he stopped as Ruby stood up, offering a hand to him. He took it, the girl leading him out of the bathroom and into her bedroom. She held up the blanket, leading Oscar in. Oscar cautiously crawled under the covers, Ruby quickly following and burying her head in his chest. She didn’t speak, just falling asleep as he wrapped an arm around her.

He considered their position. He was sleeping next to Ruby Rose. The girl he had been in love with since he was 14 years old. But…that didn’t matter right now. Right now, Ruby needed her friend.

And even if that’s all she would need from him, Oscar was glad to deliver.

Chapter Text

Ruby blinked herself awake, trying to take in the scenery around her. She was in her room, snuggled in her bed, but…something was missing. She could feel a spot next to where she laid, still warm from someone occupying the now vacant space.

Then it hit her.

What happened last night…

Oscar had…stayed with her. After he found her…

‘Oh gods no what did I do?!’ she screamed internally, registering what had happened. ‘I tried to…WHY DID I DO THAT!? I’ve never actually… I don’t want to…but I did! I almost did! If not for Oscar, I-’ she stopped, then her eyes focused again on the spot next to her.

She had practically begged Oscar to stay with her after he mentioned sleeping together. She just needed someone with her. She felt warm in his embrace, in the warmth of her bed or the cool of the tiled floor in the bathroom. She had felt vulnerable. Just one more slip and she felt she would shatter into a million tiny pieces and scatter to the wind. But he had held her together. And when she did shatter, he held the pieces until she could put them together on her own. ‘Oh Oscar…I’m so sorry.’

She found a sticky note attached to her dresser, grabbing it and shrinking back into the covers. Oscar had left the note -no surprise given he was already gone with the rising sun- which she folded over in her hand.

“Hey Ruby,” the note read. “Sorry to leave so suddenly. Old habits I guess. Your dad needed some help getting the house in order for the party in a few days and I offered. I made you something downstairs when you wake up, but there’s no rush. Just get some rest, okay? We’ll talk later.” She wanted so desperately to not talk later.

“Your friend, Oscar :)”

Friend.

After last night, that’s probably all he wanted. She had been a mess, nothing but a pile of failed dreams and hopeless sludge last night. But…he had stayed, hadn’t he? As far as Ruby could tell, he only left because her dad wanted some help, and even then Oscar had left her a note so she wouldn’t worry. She wiped the tiredness from her eyes, spotting the time and gasping.

‘10:30?! But…I haven’t gotten up that late in…why?’ Questions piled up in her mind, but at her core she knew the obvious answer. It was because of Oscar. Whenever Yang had been with her after night terrors, she had felt safe. This was no different, except…it was completely different.

With Yang, it felt like she would protect her from whatever harm came their way. With Oscar, it was like he was simply helping her up to stand her own ground. She loved her sister, thought of her as one of her biggest inspirations and the person who practically raised her, but Oscar felt…different.

‘It’s not a contest Ruby,’ she scolded. ‘You can feel safe with your sister and the boy you love. You can do both.’ Her own thoughts got intercepted by a new one. That word…did she? Did she love him? She liked Oscar, sure. She had been crushing on him for a while now. But love…that was something else entirely. 

Wasn’t it?

Ruby groaned, finally dragging herself out of bed. She slumped to her closet and threw on an oversized red hoodie before making her way down the stairs. She looked at the bathroom door, still open from the previous night. She didn’t see the razor on the ground. ‘Good,’ she thought to herself, silver eyes angrily staring at the spot she had sat hours ago.

She finally made her way down the stairs, seeing the living room empty save for a black and white corgi sleeping at the foot. As he saw Ruby, he perked up and strutted over to her, sitting and looking up at her hopefully. 

“Hey Zwei,” she said, kneeling down and petting the dog between his ears. He leaned into the touch, licking her hand in thanks. Ruby smiled at the dog’s antics before he hopped into the kitchen. “Do you smell something boy? What is it?” She followed Zwei into the kitchen, noticing what was in front of her with a smile. 

On the table was a plate covered in tinfoil which, once removed, revealed bacon and eggs arranged into a smiley face, a cup of milk next to it and another note propped against the cup. She grabbed it and read it as she sat down.

“Enjoy! -Oscar” This note was a lot more simple than the other one, but she felt that the meal in front of her spoke for itself. It was still relatively warm, probably Oscar planning ahead with the tinfoil. She grabbed a fork and began digging in. As soon as she felt the food hit her tongue, she felt so much better. It warmed her heart to know her friend had made this for her. Something like this…she could get used to.

Again she considered. She and Oscar…they had been together for so long it felt like they were already so close. A lot of what had happened yesterday felt really intimate already. And as she ate the meal he had cooked for her so early and how he had comforted her last night, she began to accept something she had been turning around in her mind over and over.

She did love him.

“I’m in love with Oscar.”

“About time you figured that out,” a gruff voice came from behind her. Ruby jumped, not noticing her uncle enter the kitchen until he was already making his way to the coffee maker. “If your dad asks, I used my coffee maker.”

“But…you don’t own a coffee maker.”

“Shh…” he shushed her. “What he doesn’t know won’t kill him.” Ruby laughed a little as he got himself another cup of coffee, sitting next to her. “So, I heard you and Oscar spent the night together last night.” Ruby’s cheerful demeanor immediately changed to a more reserved one. She sighed as her head flumped onto the table.

“Yang told you, didn't she?” Ruby asked. Qrow shook his head.

“Actually I saw you. Don’t worry, I didn’t tell anyone,” he assured with his arms up. “If that’s what you two want to do, that’s fine. Just be safe.”

“Uncle Qrow, please, it wasn’t like that,” she said in argument. Qrow let out a sharp exhale before he started staring into his coffee mug.

“I know it wasn’t,” he said. He turned to look directly at her. “I…heard a crash last night.” Ruby’s eyes shot open in fear. “Not exactly a heavy sleeper anymore. So I woke up and heard the water running. By the time I went to check on what was going on, the door was shut and I heard crying.” Ruby looked away shamefully. “Figured it was being taken care of since the door wouldn’t open and I heard two of you, so I tried to head back to sleep. But then I heard the door open, so I went to make sure you kids were alright.

“And I found the razor Ruby.”

Ruby felt herself become sick. Her food had finished already but she wanted to regurgitate it all right now. Her stomach turned in knots as she felt the world narrow. A hand came and touched her shoulder, Qrow anchoring her to the spot as he looked at her.

“Look, I don’t want to assume what was going through my head. But when I peeked into your room and saw you two cuddling, and you crying…I kind of got the idea.” He took another swig of his coffee, Ruby booking downcast at the table to avoid his gaze. “Ruby…why did you want to hurt yourself?”

“I didn’t!” she shouted, tears beginning to surface. “I…I didn’t…my head kept spinning and it wouldn’t shut up, so I thought…I thought…” words stopped coming as she felt herself crying again. Qrow got off his chair and knelt next to hers, pulling her into a reassuring hug. “I-I’m so sorry!”

“Shh. Shh. It’s alright kiddo,” Qrow said, cradling her head as she cried. “Just let it out. It’s okay. I’m not mad, and I’m not disappointed.” The two separated, Ruby wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her hoodie. “I’d be a pretty big hypocrite if I got mad at you for something like that.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, sniffling as she did so. Qrow sighed as he straightened his back.

“You know how my semblance…took an effect on me,” he said. Ruby nodded, thinking back to what he had told her and the rest of RNJR when he reunited with them on the way to Haven a few years ago. “Felt like I couldn’t be around anyone, else they’d get hurt. And they would get hurt anyway. For the longest time it felt like nothing I did would change anything, so…I found something to ease the pain.

“By the time Beacon fell, it felt like I hadn’t been sober in years. It was probably gonna slowly kill me, but I thought it was making the pain go away. But you,” he stopped, looking at her kindly. “You made me see sense Ruby. You helped me get through it and give that up. And I couldn’t be more proud of you for that. So please…talk to me.” He stood up, inviting her to follow him to the couch. Ruby put her plate away and joined him, sitting on the edge and propping her arm on the rest while Qrow sat in the middle.

“This the first time you’ve wanted to…do something like that?” he asked. Ruby didn’t want to speak. She didn’t trust herself, so she just shook her head to tell him no. “Alright,” he said sadly. “Then…how long?”

“Since…I fell. With Yang, and Weiss, and Blake, and Jaune…when we ended up in the Ever After.” Ruby took a deep breath. It hurt. It hurt a lot to talk about that time. A time where she believed the world would be better off without Ruby Rose in it. When she… “I…I felt like I had failed everyone. That they would be better without me. They would be better with someone else. Someone who could actually carry the burdens of being a leader.”

“Ruby…”

“I know, I know, and I know that I’m okay being me. But…sometimes those thoughts come back. Sometimes I’m fine, and then other times it feels like I need to be somebody else. Last night it got…too much and I…” She was breathing heavily, but Qrow just sat with her and let her calm herself down. “I wanted to get them to shut up. I couldn’t handle it. And I almost did. If it hadn’t been for Oscar, I…” She wiped her tears, bundling her legs up to cover herself and holding her knees close to her. “WHat do I do Uncle Qrow? I hate this! I hate feeling like this!”

“I know kiddo,” Qrow said. “I know. I wish I could make those thoughts go away, but they don’t. Best we can do for now is talk to our friends. Helps us get through it, so we don’t have to shoulder the burden alone. Think you can do that for me Ruby?” Ruby looked at her uncle, someone who was once so sad and alone, now hopeful for what was going to come in the changing world and wanting the same for her.

“Okay…okay, yeah I…I’ll do that. I’ll…try to, at least.” Qrow smiled and gave her a hug before he stood up and moved to walk outside. “Thank you Uncle Qrow. I…really appreciate it.”

“Anytime Ruby. It’s the least I could do for you.” Ruby smiled as she looked over to Zwei, who was still at her foot. She gave him another pet as he rubbed against her leg. She turned her attention to the door once again. Almost as soon as Qrow walked out, another person walked in. She could see Oscar stumble in, hands and jeans dirty from working outside, she figured.

“Oh! Hey Ruby! Good to see you’re awake. How are you feeling?” he asked. Ruby sighed as she allowed Zwei to hop into her lap, petting the corgi as she contemplated.

“I’m…doing a little better. Talked to Qrow, and…he said I should talk to you guys too.”

“I think that’s a great idea,” Oscar said. He looked down at himself and nervously laughed. “But I should probably go shower before I sit down. Don’t want your dad to get mad at me for tracking dirt everywhere.” Ruby smiled at the teen.

“Yeah. How about you shower and we can talk in my room,” she offered. Oscar gave her a large smile.

“Sounds good. I’ll be back in a bit!” He waved before leaving to shower. Ruby let her smile fall as she looked down at Zwei.

“What am I going to do buddy?” she asked, hoping for her dog to magically tell her exactly what she needed. “I can’t tell him I…not yet. What kind of person says they love you right after all of this has happened.” Zwei snuggled up closer to her in response. With a sigh, she confessed “No. I…need to figure this out first before I can tell him how I feel about him.” She took a deep breath and let Zwei hop off of her. “How about you go help Dad and Uncle Qrow? I’m…gonna go and talk to Oscar.” With that, Zwei waddled outside to go and find Tai while Ruby went back up to her room. She breathed deeply, trying to steel herself for what she needed to do.

“I…need to tell him. About… everything.”

Chapter Text

Ruby sat nervously on her bed. She glanced over, spotting her folded up weapon sitting by her bedside. Usually she would keep it with the rest of her huntress gear, but with the nightmares…knowing crescent Rose was there helped her sleep a little. It comforted her, having access to it in the event she needed it.

She walked over and grabbed the weapon, admiring it in her hands. She ran her finger along the black and red metal. She smiled as she remembered working on the weapon at late hours, endlessly tinkering with her pride and joy while her dad, uncle, or sister would watch over her. She grabbed the small piece of metal she kept near crescent Rose, turning it over in her hand.

The rose-patterned symbol felt familiar and heavy in her palm. She placed Crescent Rose down, her fingers running over the grooves of the gift. The last gift her mother had given her before her last mission. ‘Oh Mom…I hope I haven’t upset you,’ Ruby thought. ‘I’m sorry I haven’t been myself. I…I know I promised to be more true. But it’s…hard sometimes.’ She took in a shaky breath.

“I love you Mom,” Ruby said aloud, letting a tear escape her eye and drop onto her hand. “I know you’re not here anymore. But…I hope you’re proud of me. Proud that I’m a huntress. Proud that I’ve made friends. Proud that…I’m your daughter. I-I’m…I’m sorry if I’ve disappointed you.” She sniffled, wiping the tears away. Her head perked up when she heard a light knocking on her door. “Come in,” she said, making sure her eyes were dry enough.

“Hey Ruby,” Oscar said as he slipped in. He was only wearing a tank top and jeans, hair still damp from the shower. “How are you doing?”

“I-I’m alright,” she said, her face flushed as she looked away. Oscar had grown quite a bit since the last time she’d seen him. He seemed a lot more muscular. Not bulky, but lean. Lean enough to grab and ‘No! Ruby Rose, get your mind out of the gutter! You know you have something to do!’ She shook it off, scooting over and allowing Oscar to sit next to her. He sat on her bed, carefully moving Crescent Rose to the side. “So…”

“So…”

“You can go first!” “You go first!” the two said at the same time. They looked at one another before breaking out into laughs at the action. 

“Flip a coin?” Oscar offered, the usual way they broke these kinds of stalemates. Ruby took a coin out of the pocket of her hoodie and flipped it, the coin landing heads up in her palm. “Guess it’s your move then.”

“Okay,” Ruby said, sitting upright and breathing heavily. She closed her eyes briefly, just feeling the smooth metal of her mother’s emblem in her hand. Oscar reached out and grabbed her other hand, Ruby opening her eyes and spotting his supportive smile. “So…about last night…Oscar I am so sorry.” He looked at her confused.

“I’m sorry…for worrying you. And Yang. And my dad. And Qrow. And probably our teammates too. And…everyone. I’m sorry I tried to…hurt myself last night. I…I didn’t know it could get that bad.” She took a shaky breath.

“Ruby, what do you mean ‘get that bad?’ Have…have you thought about hurting yourself before?” He looked terrified for her, Ruby shamefully staring at her knees.

“Y-Yeah,” she admitted, trying to suppress a sob. Oscar, however, stayed silent, just looking at her. “Ever since we got back from the Ever After, since we defeated Salem, I…I’ve felt like it was the only way I could anchor myself. The only way I could shut up all of the thoughts that wouldn’t go away. Telling me I’m not good enough. Threatening me that I would be abandoned. Reminding me that I had-” she stopped, peering over at Oscar. 

The teen looked to be on the edge of tears, and he was trying desperately to hide it. Ruby felt her own tears surface and blurring her vision. But she gulped down the lump in her throat, ignoring the cold feeling that caught in her chest, and tried to blink them away.

“Oscar…I need to tell you something. Something more than just what I have been. When I was in the Ever After…when I saw Neo…she…” She stopped her body shaking, pleading for her to stop. This was too much. She needed to stop. She couldn’t do it. But she had to. “She made me think…I had killed you.”

Oscar froze, his eyes trained on Ruby. He could feel her shudder under his gaze, making herself smaller and smaller to try and shrink out of this. “A-And there were others there too. Penny, Pyrrha, Ozpin, Ironwood…so many people we had failed all saying horrible things. Things I felt were true. I didn’t want to go through with it anymore. I didn’t want to be me anymore. Someone who kept making mistakes and getting people hurt. And when Neo made me think I had… killed you, I…” she let out a sob before turning to Oscar. “I…made sure I couldn’t.”

“Ruby, you don’t mean you…” he didn’t finish, leaving it out in the open. He had heard about what happened in the Ever After somewhat. How people could be reborn once they returned to a grand tree in the center of the realm. How they…got there in the first place. “Ruby, I…”

Ruby waited for him to say something, but no words came out. He looked at her hand, spotting her mother’s pendant still being tightly gripped in it. She tracked his eyes, looking down at the metal disk-like object. “Mom would probably be disappointed, wouldn’t she? Disappointed I let my team down. That I even wanted to…end it. What would she say to me now?”

Ruby didn’t get a moment more to debate the topic as Oscar lunged at her, grabbing her and pulling her close into a tight hug. She could feel the teen crying into her shoulder, the action bringing Ruby to tears of her own. She clung to his back, her head finding his shoulder. He was warm and inviting, just letting her cry while he cried.

“Ruby, your mother would be so proud of you,” he said. Ruby let go of him to look at those hazel eyes, filled with nothing but honesty. “I know I’m proud of you. After everything you’ve had to go through? That takes courage and determination I can’t even begin to muster up. We all have our days, and we all have our own demons, but I want you to know…I won’t let you fight them alone.”

“But…what if I need to face them alone? What if I don’t want anyone else to help me? I could hurt you Oscar! I thought I had! So many times it plays over and over again in my head and I just want it to stop. I don’t want anybody else to be hurt because of me!” She held her face in her hands as she sobbed. Oscar pulled her closer to him, Ruby leaning against him as the two sat on the bed together.

“We won’t let you face it alone,” he assured her. Ruby looked at him, a tiny bit of hope in her silver eyes. “You’re our friend. Our leader. Part of our way too big family we couldn’t imagine being without.” He laughed a little at the mention of their extremely large ‘family.’ But…that’s what it was. A family. “We will always be here to help you push forward, and to be ready if you need somebody to share the weight. We love you Ruby.”

‘I love you Ruby,’ he wanted so desperately to say, but…he couldn’t. Not now. Ruby smiled at him, not a forced one to deflect anybody worrying about her. No, this was her smile. A Ruby Rose smile. The most beautiful smile Oscar had ever seen, and one he would move mountains to make sure could see the light of day.

“Oscar…I-I don’t know what to say,” she said. Tears had appeared again, Ruby wondering if they ever left in the first place. He pulled her into another hug, not one of desperation but one of admiration. ‘ When had he gotten so well spoken?’ she thought. He felt so warm, so safe. However, Oscar pulled away. When Ruby searched for an answer, he simply grabbed her hand in his and held it to his chest. “I-I…”

“Ruby, just…feel. I’m here. I’m alive. You haven’t hurt me. You could never do anything like that to me, or to any of our friends.” He smiled at her again, Ruby able to feel his warmth. He was here with her. He was alive. There was no bleeding, no wound she had opened. He was okay. Maybe…she would be too. “Yang told me about your nightmare. Is…that why you’ve been having them? Because you’re scared you’ll hurt us?” Ruby just nodded silently.

“Yeah,” she squeaked out. “Every night, it feels like she’s calling to me, taunting me, threatening to come back and take you all away. A-And I know that it’s selfish and that you all have your own lives, but…I just don’t want to be alone! I don’t want to hurt anybody else! You shouldn’t have to suffer just because of me!” She looked again at her mother’s pendant. “I can’t…I can’t lose you all again.”

“And you won’t. We will always be here for you Ruby. Even if we’re apart, we will always be together, pushing forward. We always have, and we always will.” Ruby’s silver eyes met Oscar’s hazel, in them nothing but warmth, and life, and trust, and so many other things that made her feel…safe. SHe let out a laugh, wiping her last tears away.

“When did you become such a good speaker?” she asked with a hoarse voice, exhausted from crying. Oscar giggled, scratching the back of his head.

“Well…I had someone with me to aspire to.” He was looking directly at her with that, Ruby blushing as the connotation hit her. Oscar’s own blush was spreading rapidly, the two inching closer together. Ruby could almost picture the moments to come. Her and Oscar, alone in her room, inching closer together. Her eyes fluttered shut as his arm rested on her shoulder. Her breathing hitched as her lips were just inches from his. She could almost-

“Hey Ruby, you oka-WOAH!” Tai yelped, noticing the two’s extremely personal position. Oscar quickly lost all of his nerve and backed away, leaving Ruby a flustered mess itching from anticipation. “Well, guess I barked up the wrong pine tree,” he joked.

“DAD! STOP!” Ruby yelled, breaking out of her daze. She grabbed a pillow and threw it at the door, which her father quickly shut to avoid being pelted by it. “Why didn’t you knock!?”

“Sorry, sorry!” He apologized from the other side of the door. He slowly creaked it open, both teens a bit less flustered but Ruby still frustrated. “I just wanted to let you know we had some more arrivals today. Also…I hadn’t seen you all day and wanted to make sure you were okay. Are you okay?” Ruby sighed, looking to Oscar who was obviously trying to escape the awkward situation.

“Honestly…no, I haven’t been okay,” she admitted. Tai walked in and knelt by the bed, Ruby smiling at him. “But…I think I will be.” She pulled him into a hug, Tai hugging her tightly. Oscar just smiled at the display before the two let go of one another. “Sorry if I’ve been worrying you all.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for Ruby,” Tai said. “I’m just glad my little girl is being honest with me.” He stood up and moved to the door. “If you two want, come say hi to our visitors. I guarantee you won’t want to miss this.” Ruby and Oscar looked at one another, trying to guess who it was, but to no avail. They decided to follow Tai down the stairs.

Neither Ruby nor Oscar expected to see who it was at the bottom. Standing in front of the door were six young adults, all dressed in hunter gear and holding weapons and luggage with them. When the two saw them, however, they beamed. Ruby quickly ran down the stairs, tackling one to the ground despite protests.

“Ruby! Let us walk inside at least!” Weiss yelled. Blake, Jaune, Nora, Ren, and Sun all just laughed at their antics. Ruby tried to put aside the almost-but-not-really kiss she had just had with Oscar, choosing instead to get off of Weiss and smile at the group in front of her. “What are you all doing here?! I thought you weren’t gonna get here for another couple days!”

“Well,” Yang said as she closed the door behind the party. “Kind of a funny story about that actually…”

Chapter Text

Several Hours Earlier…

Blake grabbed her carry-on bag as she stepped off of the airship. She double checked everything was with her, including Gambol Shroud on her back, before disembarking. She sighed as the air of Vale hit her face like a refreshing chill. She’d come to really appreciate the climate, most definitely because of who she had met while in it.

As Blake exited the gateway to check in, she spotted the greeting party ahead of her. Sun waved with his big goofy grin. Jaune, Ren, and Nora were there with him, all giving enthusiastic -but comparably less animated- waves. Blake waved back before scanning her ID and leaving the area. “Hey everyone.”

“Blake! So good to see you!” Sun said, grabbing her and pulling her into a hug. Blake just laughed before ditching Sun’s bear hug, the other Faunas just hugging a clone. “Ah man, laaame!”

“You’ll keep falling for it,” Blake pointed out with a smile. “It is good to see you though Sun. And you guys too,” she said to team JNR. “Wait…are the others not coming with?”

“Well, Emerald and Mercury are with Raven last we checked,” Nora said, thinking aloud. “And Weiss said she would be here. Probably just trying to make sure her hair is all ‘prim and proper.’” The five of them laughed at Nora’s comment, all except Ren who silently chuckled.

“Well knowing how Weiss is, I’m sure we’ll be surprised,” Jaune commented, and the rest had to agree. Weiss Schnee was many things, but a woman of consistency she very rarely was allowed to be.

Blake looked around again, searching for something. “I thought Yang would have been here by now,” she thought aloud. Sun side-eyed his friend with a smug, knowing look, which Blake made no attempt to deflect.

“Ah, I’m sure she’s busy. Gotta set up and everything. I mean when we find Weiss that's, what, ten of us under the one roof?” Sun said.

“Eleven, actually,” Ren butt in. “Oscar got there yesterday.”

“Oooooh, our little guy is finally making the moves on our fearless leader?” Nora asked in a sing-song voice, clearly excited for their teammate but not afraid to tease him. “Oh, uhh, other fearless leader. Sorry Jaune. No offense?”

“None taken,” he said. Jaune was excited too. Oscar wasn’t exactly subtle when it came to his feelings for their group’s leader. He was happy for him. “Hopefully they’re doing okay.”

“I think they’ll be alright,” Ren said. “Ruby’s been a lot more open about her feelings, and Oscar’s grown up a lot since we first met him.” The others had to agree with him there. Ever since the group had reunited in Vacuo two years ago and defeated Salem the next year, both of the team’s youngest members had really grown into their own. It was something the rest of the group admired about them.

“Alrighty then! Let’s-” Nora got cut off by the sound of an explosion not far from where they were. The group’s heads all turned to look at the rising smoke coming from the nearby woods. Roaring could be heard through the trees, everyone knowing what that meant.

“Grimm,” Blake muttered, grabbing Gambol Shroud and unfolding it into its gun form. She swung the ribbon attached to her arm and hooked into a tree. “Come on!” She launched herself forward, the others all leaving their bags and bringing out their weapons before following Blake into the forest.

The group charged through the forest, citizens running away from the chaos as the huntsmen and huntresses came closer and closer. Ren, Blake, and Sun jumped through the branches of the many trees in the forest, Jaune and Nora charging through on foot to catch up. Blake was still in the lead, her expression steeled as they finally came to the source of the disturbance.

It was Grimm alright. A lot of Grimm. Packs of Beowolves tore through the streets of the villages, growling as they chased the panicked citizens. Blake looked up and saw a flock of Griffons circling the carnage, swooping in to attack people on occasion. Blake fired Gambol Shroud at one of the descending Griffons, hooking into it and launching herself up. She took the scabbard of her blade, using it to slice one of the Griffon’s wings. As the creature fell, Blake transformed her weapon back to it’s sword form to slice off the head of the beast. She launched off and landed in front of the others, the Griffon dissipating into black dust.

“Alright team, we need a plan,” Jaune said, the others huddling around him. “Blake, Ren, think you can keep those Griffons under control?” Both silently nodded before Ren grabbed Blake’s once more transformed weapon. She swung around, launching Ren into the sky before grabbing a tree with her weapon and following him up. “Nora, Sun, you two with me. Let’s get these people to safety.” Jaune unsheathed Crocea Mors, charging forward as Nora and Sun followed with their own weapons drawn.

A Beowolf roared, calling its fellow monsters to attack the approaching hunters. Jaune charged his shield, launching the leading Beowolf into the rest before kneeling down. Nora hopped onto his shield, launching herself as Magnhild shot her up. She brought the hammer over her head and swung it down, demolishing the Grimm underneath her. Sun clapped his hands, two clones jumping through the decaying Grimm to pummel another Beowolf behind them.

Jaune sliced a Beowolf, knocking it back before coming in again for another swing. He sliced the beast again before launching another wave of energy with his shield. The beast was blacked into dust, obscuring Jaune’s vision as a rogue Griffon dived him and knocked him down. He glared at it as the Griffon screeched at him. He tried to attack with it’s beak, but was knocked away as Sun smacked it with Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang. The nunchucks smacked the Griffon several times, firing along the way, before the beast also dissolved. “I gotcha buddy,” Sun said before pulling Jaune up.

“Thanks,” Jaune said, both blondes high fiving before their attention was grabbed by another roar. A Beowolf Alpha launched at the two before it was blasted away. The boys looked at the source, Nora’s weapon having transformed to a grenade launcher that continued its barrage. “Nora, get the alpha! Sun and I will look for civilians!” Nora saluted before she saddled onto her grenade launcher, blasting into the alpha. Her hammer transformed at the last minute, slamming the alpha into a wall right as the head of Magnhild came out.

At the same time, Blake and Ren continued climbing upwards. Griffons dived to attack them, but each new enemy allowed them to climb higher into the flock. Gambol Shroud and Stormflower hooked into each one, letting the huntsman and huntress keep slaying the attacking weapons. “This should be a lot more stressful!” Blake said as she sliced another Griffon in half.

“Don't go jinxing it now!” Ren responded as his blades sunk into the neck of a Griffon. He steered the beast over, crashing it into another before launching away from them. He fired rounds into both Grimm, the creatures dissolving as they were killed. Ren continued falling, however, no Grimm nearby to latch onto. “Blake!” he yelled.

“Hold on!” Blake threw her weapon to him, Ren firing a grappling hook and attaching both blades. Blake used the Griffon she was on as a launching point to boost Ren up, swinging upwards to get him higher. He overtook her in altitude just as another Grimm dived at her. She brought Gambol Shroud back to her, loading a dust cartridge into her weapon. As the Grimm attacked, she left a shadow clone in her place. The fire clone exploded, damaging the Grimm enough to stun it as Blake fired more fire rounds into the beast.

However, Blake’s eyes went wide as she realized she was not falling. She yelled for Ren, who could only look in horror as she fell. Blake felt the world fade before she hit something. Something that was holding her up. She looked down, another creature under her. Only this one was white and glowing. “Well I’ll be damned,” she said, spotting a figure dressed in white falling towards them.

Weiss swiped the air, launching the Grimm away with one powerful dust blast. As the last of the airborne Grimm turned to corrupted ash, she landed gracefully on the back of the Queen Lancer summon. Blake and Weiss looked at one another with smiles. “Once again, I need to come to everyone’s rescue,” she commented. Blake rolled her eyes before spotting Ren.

“Weiss!” she called. Weiss turned and saw Ren free falling. She hopped onto the Queen Lancer proper and dove towards him, her summon’s appendages grabbing onto the huntsman as they descended. Ren looked up at the two women and smiled.

“You’re late,” he said, not bothered at all by her sudden arrival. Weiss huffed in fake frustration as they made their way down. The three dismounted from the summon, Weiss charging it into an attacking Beowolf as it was about to hit Nora. The huntress turned to their aerial attackers and latest arrival with a giant smile.

“About time, Ice Queen!” she mocked playfully. “We need help over here. Trouble just showed up.” The three nodded before following Nora over. They saw Jaune in the town square facing a pair of Beowolf alphas that had just arrived.

Weiss spawned glyphs under herself, skating along them fast enough to jab Myrtenaster right through the arm of one of them. She sliced through it, turning it into ice in the process before swiping it in quick, deadly strikes. The alpha was knocked back, growling at the heiress. The second tried to attack her, but Weiss leaped off the ground onto a floating glyph she then launched off of, striking the other alpha. The other three ran over, seeing Jaune knelt on the ground. They could hear more combat further away, likely Sun fighting off the rest of the Beowolves.

“I’m alright,” he said, breathing heavily. “I just…need a sec…to get my aura back up.” A hand landed on his shoulder, Ren smiling at him.

“I’ve got Jaune. Go help Weiss before something bad happens,” Ren said. As if on cue, a roar erupted from within the forest. Ren looked downcast.

“What was that earlier about jinxes?” Blake smugly asked him. Ren rolled his eyes before pulling Jaune to his feet. “Nora and I got it.” Blake and Nora ran towards the disturbance, transforming their weapons and firing at the two alphas Weiss was dealing with. The volley of grenades and bullets allowed Weiss enough breathing room to strike the ground, ice dust exploding and freezing the two alphas in place. As they struggled, she summoned an Arma Gigas behind her. The large knight swung its huge broadsword, destroying both alphas. 

Sun ran in from where he had been fighting off the last of the Beowolves to see Weiss walk away from the destruction. The two locked eyes before Sun leaped towards her. “Pretty badass,” he commented, seeing the Arma Gigas fade away as it knelt down.

“Why thank you,” Weiss said, smiling at her boyfriend. Sun gave her a goofy smile as she grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him down into a quick kiss. “Come on, let’s go check on Blake and Nora.” Weiss ran off, a dazed Sun just staring as she left. He could hear the other guys laughing a little at his embarrassment.

“Yeah, I know, she’s pretty amazing,” he said. Ren and Jaune just shook their heads in amusement.

Weiss, in the meantime, caught up with the two huntresses. An Ursa Major had come into the fray, swiping at Blake as she leapt backwards. Nora fired grenades at the beast, but it did little to help against its thick skin. Weiss spun the chamber of her rapier, looking at Nora with a knowing look. 

Nora nodded her head before standing ready in front of the Ursa Major. Weiss spun around before firing a bolt of electric dust at Nora. She smiled as the electricity coursed through her veins, the scars on her body glowing bright orange as she swung Magnhild at the Ursa Major. With a mighty crunch, the armor of the beast was demolished, and with it, the last of its protection. Blake went in for the kill, launching off one of Weiss’ glyphs to slice it in two with both of her blades.

“Woohoo! Hell yeah!” Nora celebrated. She held up a hand for Weiss, the other woman rolling her eyes as she high-fived Nora. “Aww, she does have a heart!”

“Hey!” Weiss retorted. Blake just laughed at the display, unaware of the monster right behind her. Another Ursa jumped out of the bushes behind her. But before Blake had a chance to bring out Gambol Shroud, an explosion came from behind the Ursa. It stopped, more explosions ringing out behind it, each one shaking the monster. Eventually, they stopped, and the Grimm fell down in front of Blake. She looked up, spotting long blonde hair and smoking gauntlets walking out of the quickly dissolving remains.

“Sup Blakey,” Yang said with a wink. Blake smiled as she walked up to the other woman. “Think that save means we’re even now?”

“Hardly,” Blake said as she rolled her eyes. “You still owe me at least two more if I remember right.” Before Yang could retort, Blake leaned up and kissed her girlfriend. Yang leaned into it, her arms resting on Blake’s lower back as she deepened the kiss. As they separated, Yang blushed.

“No fair,” she whined. “You know I can’t say anything after that.” Blake’s own blush was obvious as she walked away.

“Why do you think I do it?” she quipped. “Come on, let’s get back to the guys. Hopefully Jaune’s alright by now.” The four women returned to the town square, seeing Jaune, Ren, and Sun standing there. They were surprised to see Yang among the group, everyone pulling her and Weiss into a proper group hug. “It’s good to see you two,” Blake said, breaking up the hug.

“Well I was supposed to get here already, but I had some issues back home that apparently couldn’t wait until I landed.” She held her face in her hand. “I swear Robyn is trying to drive me nuts.”

“Oh you’re fine, no need to worry,” Nora said. Weiss feigned offense. “Besides, enjoy yourself a little! Gods knows we all need to relax a little.”

“At this point fighting whatever Grimm are left is out way of relaxing,” Yang pointed out. Laughter erupted among the group. They all had to agree with Yang there. “Although…we may have one teeny tiny problem on our hands now.”

“Oh?” Ren asked. “What’s that?”

“I’m not sure if Bumblebee can fit all seven of us at once.”

Chapter Text

“Thankfully we were able to get a cab that took us over,” Jaune said as they finished recounting their afternoon. Everybody had moved to the living room, crowding around the coffee table.

“Wow. I had heard Grimm were in the area, but for so many of them in the one place…” Ruby said aloud, causing the others to focus on her when she stopped talking. She was lost in thought, thinking about what her friends had fought. This many Grimm in one place had become rarer and rarer after Salem’s defeat. With the pools drying up across the world, Grimm spawned less and less, allowing for the hunters across the world to dispose of them and feel a lot safer.

“I don’t think it’s anything to worry too much about,” Yang said, pulling Ruby from her worried thoughts. “We can take care of anything that comes our way!” She pumped her fist in the air, the others all enthusiastically agreeing with her. Ruby still looked downcast, considering the possibilities of multiple packs of Grimm coming together. Yang put a hand on her shoulder, smiling at her sister in support. Ruby shook off her fears, not wanting to cause a scene, and instead choosing to focus on their reunited team. “So,” Yang started, changing the subject. “What’s new with all of you? I know someone seems to have been keeping a secret from us.” She turned to Weiss, the others all following suit. Weiss huffed in frustration.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about Yang. I haven’t been keeping anything from you.” Yang raised an eyebrow. Weiss looked around the room, all eyes suspiciously on her. “...am I?”

“Uhh, hello, you and Sun! You never told us you two were together!” Yang exclaimed. Weiss looked utterly confused at her before her eyes went wide and a blush covered her cheeks. Yang could swear she could see Blake smirk as if she knew already. 'Of course she does, Sun probably told her,' she thought.

“I-I didn’t tell you about that? I could have sworn I…ugh, this is embarrassing.” She held her face in her hands, Yang laughing at her embarrassment. The others remained quiet, but it was clear most of them tried to hide their own laughter. Sun came into the room, a cup of coffee in hand he handed to Weiss before plopping down next to her. “Sun, they’re being mean to me.”

“Nah, that’s bullshit. Weiss didn’t tell us you two were dating!” Yang deflected back. Weiss leaned into Sun’s shoulder, pulling his arm over her own and huddling close to him. Ruby, meanwhile, was staring at her best friend with a big smile.

“Weiss, I’m so happy for you!” she called. Weiss looked surprised, staring at Yang for answers, to which she just shrugged.

“Well, umm…thank you Ruby. It’s good to know someone actually cares.” She sent a smug glare at Yang, who shot one back. The two women broke into laughter after a moment, Weiss cuddling closer to Sun who sat back on the couch. “Though I suppose you’re also celebrating your romance life too, no?” Ruby felt her smile wither a little and cheeks flush, rubbing her arm nervously.

“Yeah. Speaking of,” Nora cut in, looking at Oscar. The youngest looked worriedly at her evil expression before she picked him up and threw him over her shoulder. “We need to borrow your boyfriend for a sec Ruby. Be right back!” Nora sped off towards the guest room, Jaune and Ren looking at each other before slowly following their teammate out of the room.

“I didn’t know you and Oscar finally started dating,” Blake said, turning the conversation to Ruby who was red as her cloak. “How did that happen?”

“W-Well, thing is, he and I are, uhh…w-well we’re not actually…umm…” Ruby continued stuttering under the confused looks of Weiss, Blake, and Sun. “So, umm, basically…”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’RE NOT DATING!?” Nora screamed at a terrified and embarrassed Oscar. Ren put a hand on her shoulder, Nora calming a little. She took a deep breath before grabbing Oscar’s shoulders and continuing to violently shake him. “You’ve been in love with her since you met and you still haven’t confessed!?”

“Nora, I think he’s going to be sick,” Jaune said, encouraging her to slow down. Nora grumbled before letting Oscar go, the teen flopping backwards onto the bed. He shook off his dizziness, shakily sitting up on the bed as the other three looked at him. “So…you’re not dating?”

“N-No,” he let out, feeling his cheeks flush a bright red. “I-I was going to! Earlier today, actually, but…it didn’t seem like the time. Ruby’s been…having a rough time lately. She’s been having nightmares. And…I-I don’t want to spring my feelings on her when she’s already dealing with so much.” He looked down nervously at his lap, rubbing his arm. “I actually thought we were going to…a-anyway, it’s not important.” The three looked at him with worry

“Yes, it is,” Nora said, cutting the act and sitting next to him on the bed. She put a hand on his shoulder gently and smiled at him. “Sorry I was making a big deal about it. But Oscar…you’re allowed to tell her how you feel. But we’re not going to make you do anything you’re uncomfortable with.” Oscar smiled at her before being pulled into a hug. Jaune and Ren joined in, the three young adults surrounding the teen in a pleasant warmth.

“Thanks guys. I…I don’t know. I want to tell her how I feel. I really do. In fact we almost-” he stopped, the scene from just an hour ago replaying in his mind. The two alone in Ruby’s room, sitting on her bed, faces just inches apart as they got closer and closer…

“Wait wait wait hold the phone!” Yang said, stopping Ruby from saying any more. “So you and Oscar almost kissed and I MISSED IT?!” Yang slouched on the couch, moping as Blake pulled her head into her lap.

“Yang, come on, stop!” Ruby whined as her red face went into her hands. “I-I-I don’t want to talk about it! Maybe he didn’t even mean to try and kiss me! Maybe he just did it because I was leaning in, o-or-”

“Ruby, calm down,” Blake said. “Just…think about this, alright? Would you have liked to kiss Oscar?” Ruby didn’t answer, just staring at her knees and trying to make herself disappear from the conversation. “Ruby, you can’t hide from this.”

“I told her the same thing, Blake. Didn’t work,” Yang said, looking up at her girlfriend from where her head still laid on her lap. She readjusted to lay on the couch, still using Blake’s lap as a pillow as she looked at her sister. “This is just something that my dear sister is incapable of doing.”

“Yang I swear to the gods-” Ruby was stopped from cursing out her sister by Weiss, who covered her mouth. Ruby gave her a look before licking her hand, Weiss looking at her in disgust as she wiped her hand on her skirt.

“Ugh, come here!” she yelled, grabbing Ruby by the ear and dragging her out of the room. Ruby fought against her grip, but Weiss continued pulling her outside until the front door closed behind them. Sun, Blake, and Yang just stared at the door.

“This is normal, right?” he asked. Blake and Yang just laughed to themselves.

“For them? Absolutely,” Yang explained.

Oscar sighed as he leaned on the back porch, admiring the setting autumn sun. The leaves had changed colors, some even falling down as winter began it’s approach. He smiled, the smell reminding him of the person still on his mind. Everything around him had reminded him of her. He couldn’t help it.

“Room for a few more?” a voice came. Oscar turned, Ren walking out of the door with Jaune and Nora behind him. “Coffee?”

“Thanks,” he said, taking the offered cup to him. He blew on it a little before taking a sip, the others leaning on the banister around him with their own drinks. “Hey, what…do you guys think I should do? A-About Ruby?”

“Well, what do you want to do?” Jaune asked him. Oscar rubbed the back of his neck, his face warming up as he thought about it.

“I don’t know,” he said. “For so long, I thought I would just be… not me. Another one of Oz’s lives. But now, he’s not here anymore. I don’t have to worry about becoming just a shell for someone else, but…I also don’t have the wisdom he had. I’m unsure, and I’m frustrated, and…I feel like I’m lost here. Does she even like me like that?” The deadpanned expressions on everyone’s faces answered his question almost immediately. “Right, stupid question.”

“Oscar, there’s nothing wrong with stupid questions. Love makes you do stupid things,” Ren mentioned, his cheeks flushed. Oscar noticed Nora looking flustered too, laughing with embarrassment. “My point is that it’s okay to not know what to do. Just…do what you think would be best. We’ll be here if you need us, whatever you decide.”

The youngest among them smiled at the kindness from his friends. “Thanks Ren. And…I’m sorry that I keep making you all deal with my troubles.”

“Between you and me, I prefer stuff like this over fighting monsters any day of the week,” Jaune admitted. The other three erupted into laughter, Nora clapping him on the back hard enough to knock him over. “Oof!”

“Sorry Jaune!” Nora exclaimed, quickly picking him up and setting him right again. Jaune sighed as he dusted himself off.

“Why always me?” he asked nobody in particular, causing Nora and Ren to laugh. Oscar, meanwhile, just silently chuckled and shook his head, looking at the slowly dissolving warmth of the sun.

‘Hopefully Ruby’s alright,’ he thought.

“Weiss, let go! Ugh! Quit it!” Ruby continued to complain before being dropped on a bench out front. Weiss sat down next to her, a nasty look on her face. “What’s up with you?!”

“Well for starters, you licked my hand like you’re nine years old,” Weiss pointed out. Ruby nervously laughed as she tried to avoid her best friend’s icy gaze. “And second, you clearly weren’t going to say anything with everybody there. So…here we are.” Ruby looked up, noticing the sun beginning to set over the tree lines. “What’s on your mind Ruby? Because I doubt it’s just about you almost kissing Oscar.”

“It’s…a lot of things,” she admitted. Weiss leaned in, intently listening to what her friend was thinking. “Do you ever think about…our time together? All the things we did, the places we’ve seen, the people we’ve…” A tear leaked out of her eye, Ruby not wanting to admit it but showing it regardless. “The people we’ve lost. Doesn’t it ever get to you? Make you reconsider everything you’ve done? Why you wanted to be a huntress in the first place?”

“I do,” Weiss freely admitted, Ruby looking to her hoping to find some understanding. Weiss just looked at the sunset, mind lost in thought. “In the time since we’ve met, I lost my home, my title, and I almost lost my family forever. Sometimes I think about whether it was my fault for what happened to Atlus. Maybe, if things had gone differently, if we had made different choices…we would be in a different spot.” She let out a deep breath. “But…we’ve made our decisions. And whether we like it or not, we have to live with them.”

“But what if…what if we could have done better? So much has happened, but it feels like we haven’t grown at all. I’m scared, Weiss. What if I’m not ready to move forward? I don’t know what to do.” Ruby could feel her sobs coming, Weiss patting her back and pulling her into a hug. Ruby let it out, crying into her friend’s shoulder. Weiss didn’t complain, though. Ruby separated herself from Weiss, looking at the now open door. Blake and Yang stood there, looking at Ruby’s tearstained face, and quickly took spots with their friends.

“I know you’re scared Ruby. I am too. So is everyone.” Yang and Blake nodded along with Weiss. “But someone I know once taught me that we need to keep moving forward. We remember where we’ve been and who we’ve lost so we can continue to grow.” Ruby could see all of her teammates smiling at her. “You taught me that, once upon a time. And in your own Ruby way, you’ve gotten here.”

“We’ll always be with you Ruby,” Blake continued. “You’re our leader, our friend, and a part of our family. We will never let you be alone. Even if you’re scared, we can face it together. We’re a team, aren’t we?” Ruby smiled at them all, her heart feeling lighter as her friends spoke to her. “I know I was scared of helping my dad lead the new White Fang movement.”

“I was scared of helping rebuild Atlus,” Weiss added. “We all have had to keep moving forward, and making hard choices, and putting ourselves in scary situations. But we’re never alone.”

“We’re with you until the end of the line Sis,” Yang said. “We’re team RWBY, nothing can stop us when we get down to it. You can feel scared. Weiss is right, we all feel scared too. But…when you’re scared, there’s nothing wrong with reaching out and letting yourself be with other people.” Ruby could feel tears freely flowing down her face, but she didn’t care. Her friends were right here, and for right now, they weren’t going anywhere. But…

“What if I hurt you though?” she asked. “You guys have so much to live up to. Weiss, you’re helping build an entire kingdom! Blake, you're leading a movement to better the world. Yang, I’ve seen the things you’ve been working on with the people displaced by Grimm attacks, and they’re amazing! You’re all doing whatever you can to make the world a better place. And yet I feel so…trapped. 

“The world’s not going to need huntresses someday. All I’ve ever wanted is to help people, to protect them. If I don’t have to be a huntress…how can I protect them? And if people come after you all because of me, then…what’s the point?” Ruby looked down at her lap, the sun disappearing and blanketing the quartet in darkness. However, her worries paused as her friends hugged her tight.

“Ruby, if we were ever worried about that, we would have ditched you a long time ago,” Weiss said, earning a sharp pain in her side from Yang’s elbow. “Hey!” Blake rolled her eyes.

“What I’m sure Weiss means is that we would be with you even if people came after you. And you do help people Ruby, whether or not you’re slaying monsters. You inspired the entire world! That’s no small feat.”

“Yeah Ruby. Plus, you’ve helped all of us so much. Without you pulling us together, I think we’d be a lot poorer in life.” The other two agreed. “And I think it’s only fair if we help you keep moving forward as well.” Ruby wiped away her tears, looking up at the growing night sky. As she saw the appearing stars in the night and the shattered moon high in the sky, for the first time in a while…she felt hopeful. Not just for the world, but for herself as well.

“Thanks guys. I think…I’m going to be okay. If you’re all with me, at least.” Her teammates beamed at me as Ruby stood, leaning on the railing outside the house. She looked back at her friends, opening her arms. “Proper team group hug?”

“Proper team group hug,” the other three said, pulling Ruby into the shared embrace. Ruby smiled as she felt the warmth of her friends and sister surrounding her. Everything was going to be okay, as long as her friends stayed with her.

Now if only she could handle her other problem already…

Chapter Text

Ruby sighed with content as she lay down in her sleeping bag. With all of the sudden new arrivals, she’d offered for Weiss and Sun to room with her.

Though Weiss had insisted otherwise, Ruby pulled out her sleeping bag and offered her friend the bed. Sun was content to lay on the floor though before Weiss -accepting Ruby’s offered bed- dragged him with her. Ruby gagged at the display, but was happy her friend had found someone.

The two laid comfortably on the bed, Weiss smiling as she sunk into Sun’s arms. Sun’s quiet snores were the only sound in the room, Weiss sleeping regardless. The two were peaceful as they drifted off.

Ruby wasn’t so lucky.

It was hours later when Ruby’s mind began returning to nightmares. Twisted visions of things that weren’t there, never happened, and yet they felt so real.

Salem, standing with all four relics above her friends. 

Ruby, a bloodied Crescent Rose in hand, standing in front of her dead friends.

Oscar, bleeding at her feet, his body cold and unmoving.

Ruby jolted awake, breathing heavily and looking around her room. Sun and Weiss were still asleep on the bed, the window closed and her bedroom door shut. Just as she had left it. She felt the ground, the soft carpet grounding her as her rapid breathing slowly dissipated. She felt her heart racing as she crawled out of her sleeping bag, careful not to wake the other two in the room.

Ruby carefully opened the door and snuck out of the room, shivering as the cold of the night started to settle in her skin. She could still feel herself breathing heavily and her heart racing. She eyed the bathroom for a split second before sealing her eyes shut and practically running in the other direction. She didn’t want to do that again, be that close to… that again.

Ruby snuck down the stairs as quickly and silently as she could, grabbing a pair of her untied tennis shoes by the door and her black jacket hanging on the coat rack and stepping outside. She let the cool air of the autumn night hit her as she stepped onto the porch she’d been on mere hours earlier. She sighed as she tried to suppress more tears. ‘I’m so tired of crying. Stop dammit stop!’ she yelled at herself.

“Ruby?” a voice asked. Ruby looked to her right, Jaune walking over to her. He’d thrown a hoodie over his pajamas, clearly wanting some air like she did. “Why are you up? Thought you’d want some rest before the party tomorrow.” Ruby sighed as she turned to face him properly.

“Couldn’t sleep. How about you?”

“Same,” he admitted. He walked over to the bench, Ruby following him. The two friends sat by one another, letting the stars in the night sky illuminate them in the darkness of the outside. “Just been…thinking about stuff.”

“I know the feeling,” Ruby admitted. She looked down at her lap, thumb rubbing over her conjoined hands. “Jaune, do you think…everything will be okay?”

“What do you mean?” he asked. Ruby took a deep breath as she let herself loosen up a little, not sitting rigid on the bench anymore.

“I mean…the world is so different. Not just from when we first met, but…it’s changed so much. Salem’s gone, the relics are gone, Ozpin is gone, the Grimm are going extinct with each passing day…and we’re just here. Everyone’s growing to do new and exciting things, but I feel like I can’t be happy in the same way they are. I don’t know what I want to do from here.

“And I’m so, so tired of feeling like I need to know what to do. I want to be strong, for our friends, for our family, but I’m starting to think I just…can’t. What if they don’t need Ruby Rose anymore? Who is ‘Ruby Rose’ even supposed to be anymore?” She lifted her legs onto the bench and buried herself in them, hands tucked into the pockets of her jacket.

“I can’t really tell you what to do,” Jaune admitted, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and propping his head up to look above them. “But…I don’t think there’s anything wrong with not knowing what you want to do. You can just…be you. The you that feels right. The you that inspired us all to just…be confident in ourselves.” Ruby and Jaune looked at one another. 

“But…Jaune, I don’t know how to just…be me. Being me feels like…being there for other people. I want to help them, to make sure they can achieve their dreams and work together. But everyone feels like they’ve gotten to a point where they don’t really need me anymore.”

“They do need you Ruby. Not because of what you do for them, but because of who you are.” She looked at him with sadness. “You just being yourself is what inspired us all to keep going. Even if…” he paused, looking down at the floor in shame. “Even if we were cruel because of it.” Ruby suddenly understood what he was talking about.

“Jaune, I…you had a dream about the Ever After, didn’t you?” she asked. Jaune chuckled quietly as he sadly smiled at her.

“Yeah…yeah, I did.” His smile dropped. “Ruby, I…I can’t say enough how truly sorry I am for…everything. You didn’t deserve to be treated like that by…any of us. You needed us as much as we needed you, and I’m sorry that we didn’t realize that until…” he went quiet, Ruby putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Jaune, it’s okay. I forgive you. We weren’t exactly the kindest to you either. I’m sorry we dismissed you like that. It…i-it wasn’t right.” Jaune laughed a little, but smiled as he looked back up at the stars.

“I think we’ve both got a lot that’s been on our minds,” he admitted. Ruby agreed, staring up at the stars with him. “Mutual apology?”

“Mutual apology,” Ruby agreed. The two lazily high-fived as they took in the cool night breeze and the glow of the shattered moon. “I still think about them,” Ruby said. Jaune looked over, asking her to continue. “Penny…and Pyrrha. I…I miss them.” She could see tears form in Jaune’s eyes. “Do you…think about them?”

“Yeah. A lot. More than I think I should considering they’re…gone,” he admitted. He sat up, looking down at his hands. “I’ve thought for a long time about what I want. What people want from me. Who I wanted to be. But…I think they helped me learn who I was a lot.” Jaune looked over at Ruby, his friend now at full attention. “I think it’s good that we miss them, and that we think about them. It means they’re still with us, in some way.”

Ruby smiled at him, silently agreeing with what the other leader was saying. “Sorry about bringing down the mood. I…I-I know it’s a touchy subject. For…all of us.”

“Well, no time like the present,” he joked, causing Ruby to laugh a little. “But yeah, I’m…still glad to have met them. And I miss them, but…I’m happy I was able to make  such a great friend…and love such a great person.” That word…it stuck in Ruby’s head, causing her face to flush and her head to turn away. Jaune got a knowing look in his eye. “Thinking about Oscar?”

“Uuuuuuugh!” Ruby groaned, pulling the hood of her jacket over her head. “Don’t remind me! I’ve already had to hear enough about how bad I have it or how I need to just ask him out already!” She grumbled, Jaune laughing at his friend’s misfortune. “What do I do Jaune!? When’s the right time?!”

He calmed down from his laughing fit, just smiling at her frustration. “You…don’t know the right time. It just sort of…happens. Love’s weird Ruby. It took me a long time to realize that.” He stood up, moving to the railing and leaning into the night. “But you’ll find it. I’m sure of it. Who knows, maybe it’ll be tomorrow when the others show up?” Ruby stood up and walked over to him with a small smile.

“Yeah…maybe.” Tomorrow would be…wait…”Wait, what do you mean tomorrow? You said that earlier too. I thought it would still be a couple days.”

“Change of plans I guess,” he shrugged. “I could have sworn Yang got the message and told you.” Ruby thought for a moment until it clicked in her mind. Yang had…not told her?

‘Ugh, of course she didn’t!’ she thought. ‘Probably just wanted to surprise me. She didn’t say Oscar was coming early either! Why would she…’ Ruby thought more about it. She was frustrated, of course, but…she wasn’t mad. Yang had kept a lot of this from her, but she was kind of glad. The last couple days had been a bit of a wake-up call for her. She smiled as she thought more about it.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to stress you out,” he apologized.

“No! It’s alright, don’t worry! Just…annoyed with my sister. Kinda wished she told me, but…I guess it’s not so bad.” She sighed as she moved back to the door. “If they’re coming tomorrow I guess…we should probably get some sleep.”

“Yeah, probably for the best,” Jaune agreed, quietly following him inside. Jaune went back upstairs as Ruby left her shoes by the door. She was about to leave her coat and head up too when she heard something coming from the kitchen. She stopped, wide eyes staring at the door to it. She quietly snuck towards it, opening the door just enough to peer inside and see what it was.

Oscar was in the kitchen, a bottle of water in his hand as he sat at the table. She could see him yawn, the teen clearly still tired from being up at the dead of night. Not that Ruby had any place to criticize him for it. What was this, the third time she hadn’t been able to sleep in a row? It was starting to get annoying how much she-

“Hello?” Oscar asked, noticing the slightly opened door. “Who is it? Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake anybody up.” Ruby slowly opened the door, stepping inside and closing it to not let much more light into the living room. “Ruby? What are you doing up? It’s 2 in the morning.” Oscar’s long yawn was proof enough of the late night.

“Long story,” she said plainly, taking a seat next to him. Both flushed as Ruby sat next to him, their hands close together laying on the table. “You?”

“I couldn’t sleep. I…had a lot on my mind,” he stuttered out. He looked away from Ruby, staring at the glass of water in his other hand. “Figured some water would help, but…I don’t know.” Ruby moved her hand, grasping his and rubbing it slowly with her thumb.

“Hey,” she said, Oscar drawing his attention back to her. “I know this is rich coming from me the past few days, but…there’s nothing wrong with talking about it,” she said. She felt herself relax a little at saying that. As the words left her mouth, she felt…happy. Like saying it out loud made it sink in so much more. Oscar smiled at her, the color of his hazel eyes seeming to brighten.

“Yeah, I…I-I know,” he said. “It’s just…ugh, it’s stupid.”

“No it’s not.”

“I…ugh, it’s embarrassing,” he said, hand on his face as he groaned. His face was bright red, avoiding her poignantly. “Ruby…can I ask you something? A-And promise you won’t laugh.”

Ruby smiled at him, his hand still in hers. “I promise,” she said. Oscar turned to her again, an earnest smile on his face despite his obvious nervousness.

“Okay. I-I didn’t know how to say this before, but…Ruby, how do you feel about…me?” Ruby stared blankly at him. Her brain had shut off. Oscar squirmed a little, expecting a harsh statement or a laugh or something. But Ruby didn’t say anything, her mind still blank. “R-Ruby?”

“Oscar, you…you are one of the most kind-hearted, loyal, brave, intelligent, and courageous people I have ever met,” Ruby finally said. She felt her cheeks heat up quickly. Oscar, meanwhile, looked at her with absolute shock. Ruby, however, breathed in deeply as she continued. 

“Before you say that’s not true, believe me, it is. You’ve helped everybody so much, even when they may not have accepted you. You’ve done everything despite the fact you were forced into a role outside your control. But you didn’t run from it. You made the most out of every single thing you did and stuck with it.” She smiled at the teen, whose red face still showed no sign of any emotion other than surprise.

“W-Well, I…I-I don’t know what to say,” he finally squeaked out, looking down at his lap. Ruby felt her confidence begin to sway after the declaration, her own face blushing profusely. “Thank you Ruby. You’re…I-I didn’t know you thought so highly of me.”

“Of course I do,” she said. “I…I-It’s one of the things I…”

‘Say it! Say it! Say it! Say it!’ she heard screaming in her head. She wanted to say it. She wanted so bad to tell him how she felt. This was it. This was the moment. She was sure of it. Oscar sat there, waiting for her to continue, but she felt the words catching in her throat. Instead, her arm moved away from his hand, moving to his face. Oscar stopped, breath shaky, as Ruby’s other hand went to his shoulder. Neither spoke, not sure where they wanted to go.

“R-Ruby, I…a-are you sure? W-What if-” Oscar wasn’t able to say anything else, Ruby closing the distance and crashed her lips into his own. Her eyes squeezed shut as she kissed him, Oscar’s breathing stopping as she tried to deepen their kiss. She quickly let go of him, looking at his very red and very stunned face. They stared at one another, not a word dare being uttered as they tried to do anything in response. “I-I…Ruby? Y-You-”

“Oh my gods I’m so sorry I’m so sorry I don’t know what came over me oh no please don’t be mad,” she was talking at a million miles an hour, nothing coming through coherently. “I-I need to go really tired it’s getting late I should go goodnight Oscar see you tomorrow!” With that, she ran off in a flurry of rose petals, disappearing as she tried to get as far away from Oscar as possible.

“Ruby, wait!” he yelled, but it was no good. By the time he got out of his chair and ran towards her, Ruby was long gone and had retreated to her room. She shut the door behind her, breathing heavy while her heart raced a million miles a minute. Her hand came up to her chest and tried to calm herself down. Her mind kept repeating the moment over and over, the girl shrinking to lean against her bedroom door.

She kissed Oscar.

She had kissed Oscar Pine.

And then she ran away from him.

She wanted to scream, wanted to vent all of her frustrations into the void, but she couldn’t get the words out. Her friends were sleeping. 'Shup up shut up shut up!' she thought to herself, trying to be quiet but wanting to explode so badly. She wanted to cry, but tears weren’t coming. She wasn’t sad, she was furious.  

He had done so much to support her as a friend, and that was what she did!? Kiss him out of the blue at 2 AM and then run back to her room?! She crawled to her sleeping bag, calming down enough to actually hear herself think, and scream into her pillow.

“Gods I’m such an idiot!”

Chapter Text

“Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh.”

“How long has Ruby been like this?” Blake asked. It had been several hours since Ruby’s impulsive kiss with Oscar. When Weiss woke up, the girl was groaning into her pillow as she lay defeated on the ground. She’d called Blake and Yang over, the three girls all looking at their leader face-down on top of her sleeping bag.

“Hours,” Weiss said, her head in her hand in annoyance. “When I woke up, she was just like this. I’m guessing it’s been a while.” Blake and Weiss looked sadly at Ruby. Yang, on the other hand, stretched before pulling Ruby up and moving her to sit on the bed. The youngest of the four still had a pillow in her arms, hugging it to her chest.

“Alright Rubes, what’s going on with-” Yang stopped, noticing Ruby’s tear-stained and sleep-deprived face. She sniffled before throwing her head back into the pillow. “Sis, what happened to you? You look like you got hit by a bus.”

“Maybe she did,” Weiss commented. “I did hear her come in rather suddenly last night. I just figured she was getting some fresh air, but now…” The three turned back to Ruby, who still wasn’t looking at any of them. The morning light shone on her, casting a large shadow on the ground in front of them. She trembled, the action amplified by the warped shadow on the ground.

“Ruby, what happened last night?” Yang asked. She gently held her sister’s head, lifting it up so she could look at her team. Ruby still looked like she would pass out any minute. She sighed, looking down to avoid their worried gaze. “Talk to us.”

“I-I…I had another nightmare,” Ruby admitted, shutting her eyes. “I needed some air, so I went outside for a bit. Jaune was there, and we talked a little. It…helped me feel a lot better about some stuff.” The other girls smiled at Ruby’s own mouth curving upwards before promptly turning back down. “When I went inside, I saw Oscar in the kitchen. We got to talking and-”

“And he did this? Oh that little shit’s gonna have some explaining to do,” Yang yelled, about to storm off before Blake put a hand on her shoulder.

“Yang, stop. Let her finish.” Yang sighed, her arm going back down as she turned to look at Ruby. The girl looked at her sister with terrified eyes.

“Sorry, sorry,” Yang said. She knelt down and took Ruby’s hand in her own. “I’m sorry Ruby. I…I’m just worried about you.”

“I-It’s alright Yang. I…I-It was my fault anyway.” The others shot her questioning looks. “When we were talking, I…I said a lot of stuff about him. Stuff I like about him. And then…I don’t know how, but we got close and…I-I…

“I kissed him.” She looked up, waiting for the ridicule and teasing bound to come. However, her teammates were just staring at her in utter shock. They stayed like that for a minute more, Ruby in suspense as to what they would say, but they didn’t. Instead, they all moved to sit on the bed with her, Yang’s hand on her shoulder while Weiss took her hand in her own.

“Well, that doesn’t sound bad at all. But why are you so sad? You wanted to kiss him, right?” Weiss asked. Ruby sunk into herself in shame. “Ruby?”

“I-I…after I k-kissed him, I…I ran away!” she yelled out, making the others flinch. “I just kissed him and ran back into my room! Who even does that?!” She flopped her head back into the pillow sitting on her knees, back to moaning about it as the others gave each other looks. Ruby cried into her pillow more, sniffling loudly even as her voice was muffled. “He’s never going to talk to me again.”

“Hey, no no no, don’t talk like that,” Yang softly said, giving her sister a side hug as Ruby leaned into her. “I’m sure Oscar wants to talk to you. You guys have been through so much, what’s one little kiss going to do to stop that?” Ruby looked up at Yang with her eyes filled with tears. “Uhh…w-what I mean is, umm…l-look, how about we just go and talk to him! Before the rest of the guests arrive for the party tonight!”

“No thanks,” Ruby said quietly, barely audible to her friends. “I think I just…want to be alone for a while.” The others tried to protest, but Ruby just turned away and fell onto her bed. She hugged her pillow tighter, trying to disappear from her own decisions. Yang sighed as she stood up, ushering the other girls to do the same. They wanted to object, but one red-eyed glare from Yang made them reconsider.

“Let us know if you need anything Ruby,” Blake said, giving her head a little pat before she and Weiss followed Yang out of the room. Once the door was shut, Yang let out a frustrated breath. She turned to look at the other two. “Well, now what?”

“I…I don’t know,” Yang said, pinching the bridge of her nose with her hand. “I don’t think there’s anything we can do to help her. This one’s all Ruby.”

“Surely there’s something we can do to fit it at the very least!” Weiss argued. “Maybe if we can grab Oscar, we can have him explain his feelings.”

“We don’t want to pressure him. Or Ruby,” Blake retorted. “Yang’s right. If they really need us, then we’ll help without a second thought. But this is something Ruby needs to do on her own because she wants to, not because we want her to. We can’t force her to talk to Oscar” Weiss grumbled, crossing her arms as she huffed in frustration.

“I hate it when you’re right,” she complained. “Okay, fine, I won’t mess with it. This is Ruby’s relationship, we shouldn’t be interfering.”

“Thank you Weiss,” Yang said. “We can check on her a little later. For right now though, I’m sure Nora and the boys would appreciate some extra help getting the place ready.” She led the rest of the team down the stairs. 

Weiss leaned in towards Blake and quietly whispered “Ruby confessed, so does this mean I lose?”

“Yup. 500 lien.” Blake looked smug as she went ahead to catch up with Yang, Weiss grumbling as she made a mental note to not place any more bets.

“I still can’t believe she kissed you!”

“Nora, please, ” Oscar moaned, groaning as he set up another fold-out table outside. There were several tables set up, ready to accommodate any extra arrivals that had been invited. Oscar had told his team about last night that morning, and Nora had been asking him questions nearly non-stop since. “It probably didn’t mean anything anyway.”

“Not mean anything?! Oscar! She kissed you! She likes you!” Oscar still couldn’t believe it himself. Ruby had kissed him. Ruby Rose, the girl he was practically infatuated with and followed all around the world, had kissed him! And then right after, she ran away. He hadn’t seen her all day, Yang telling them that she wanted to rest some more. He didn’t fully believe it, but he didn’t want to bother her.

“You’re worried about her, aren’t you?” Nora asked, toning down her excitement as she set up more chairs. Oscar rubbed his arm nervously. He couldn’t help it. His mind kept flashing back to her panicked expression before she bolted upstairs and left him to himself, stunned in the dead of night and the feeling of her lips on his fresh in his brain.

“Y-Yeah,” he stuttered out. “She hasn’t talked to any of us in hours. I just want to make sure she’s alright.” He sighed as he went to grab a chair. “I just…I hate leaving her alone like this.” Nora walked over, putting a hand on his shoulder and smiling at him.

“Sometimes people need to figure stuff out on their own,” she said. She ushered the teen to sit down as she took a chair next to him and sat nearby. “Ruby will talk to us when she’s ready, but I think she just wants to figure it out for herself for right now. That’s what I needed to do.” She looked up at the clouds and smiled. “Ren and I took a break for a while there. I needed to figure some stuff out for myself. Figure out who I was, y’know?” She smiled at Oscar, the teen silent as his friend told her story. 

“And when we got together for real, it felt…right. Not like we were each other’s missing piece, but that we were two people who wanted to be together.” Oscar noticed Ren walking towards them, the man in question leaning down and giving Nora a peck on the cheek as he grabbed his own chair. “You and Ruby are your own people. It sucks, but sometimes we just need to deal with these things on our own, and be there for each other when we can’t.”

“Nora’s right,” Ren said, Oscar turning to him. “You’ll be there for Ruby when she’s ready, but you can’t solve her problems for her.” Oscar sighed as he smiled at his friends.

“Thanks guys. I…I think I just needed someone to tell me that. It still sucks that I can’t do anything to help her.”

“Ah well, I wouldn’t be surprised if it was right around the corner,” Nora encouraged. The three’s attention was caught as the front door opened, Jaune and Taiyang stepping out with food and drinks to set on the tables.

“Team meeting?” Jaune asked, setting a case of drinks down.

“Not really, just a little pep talk is all,” Oscar answered.

“Ruby?”

“Yup.”

“What’s going on with Ruby?” Taiyang asked, sliding into JNOR’s conversation with worry. Oscar rubbed the back of his neck, suppressing his nerves as his crush’s dad looked to him for answers.

“W-Well, I-” Oscar stopped as the five heard a strange noise. A red and black portal opened near the front of the house. Though it had been a while since they’d seen it, they all knew what that meant.

Out of the portal stepped three people: two young adults followed by an older woman in black and red. Emerald and Mercury smiled as they walked over to the others, Emerald ruffling Oscar’s hair while Mercury chose to lean on one of the nearby tables. Tai, on the other hand, was caught looking at the dark-haired woman suspiciously.

“Raven,” he said, arms crossed as he looked her over. Raven smiled at him, clearly forced to hide some of her anxiety at showing up at the home.

“It’s good to see you Tai,” she said, putting her sword in its scabbard and the portal disappearing as she held out a hand. Tai waited a moment, Raven reconsidering her actions, before the man gave her hand a firm shake.

“Good to see you too,” he said, pulling her into a hug. Raven stalled for a moment before reciprocating. The two separated not long after, a loud call alerting them to an approaching Qrow. He flew down to meet them, transforming back to a human as he hit the ground. “Well well, where have you been?”

“Scouting the area. Those kids running into that many Grimm’s got me thinking.” He turned to Raven, nodding to her silently. “Good to see you keeping good on your word.”

“Well, I think it’s about time I practice what I preach,” she admitted. The three adults smiled at one another, proud to be on somewhat good terms again. Ever since they had defeated Salem, Raven had promised to be more present in the lives of her family. It had taken time, but the family was slowly coming back together.

Tai looked back to the house, noticing his daughter’s window covered by the blinds. He sighed, turning back to his team. “Sorry, but I have to run. Ruby’s been in her room all day. I want to make sure she’s alright.” The Branwen twins nodded, pushing him to go as they made small talk.

Ruby still sulked in her room, staring at the ceiling. She had gotten ready for the day at least. She was in warm clothes, had showered, and everything else she needed to, but she didn’t want to actually go out. Her mind kept going back to Oscar. His expression after she had kissed him. That look of pure admiration and love, and Ruby had ruined all of it in the span of five seconds when she left him alone.

A knock came from her door. “Ruby? You okay in there?” her dad asked. Ruby was too tired to push him away.

“Come in,” she said, her dad opening the door carefully and walking over to her. Ruby still stared at the ceiling though. “Hey Dad.”

“Hey Ruby.” He sat down on her bed, a hand near hers so he could take it if he needed to. “How are you feeling?”

“Bad,” she admitted. She stopped for a moment, thinking of how to proceed, but her dad just smiled at her. It was reassuring. It let her feel like she should keep going. “I…I kissed Oscar last night. And right after, I ran back to my room. I didn’t answer him, I just said I was sorry and then went back here.” She looked at her dad, Tai just sadly smiling at her. He wasn’t sad about what she had said. He was just worried. 

“Ruby…do you love Oscar?” Ruby shot right up, looking at her dad in embarrassment. “Hey, I’m just asking!” He held his hands up in defense. Ruby sighed, moving to sit next to him.

“Y-Yeah…yeah, I do,” she said. And it felt so good to finally say it. She did love Oscar. She had for a while now. “But…after what I did, he probably doesn’t feel the same.”

“I don’t think so,” he said. Ruby looked at him for answers. “I haven’t talked to him a lot, but I think it’s pretty clear that he loves you too. I seriously donut one messy kiss is going to make him stop liking you.” He laughed, looking down at his hands. “Your mom was a lot like you actually.” Ruby paused, her breath catching in her throat. She could feel her emotions turning in her heart at the mention of her mom.

“W-What do you mean?” she asked. Tai smiled as his hands moved to the bed. He leaned back, supporting himself up with his arms. 

“When me and your mom got together, we were both nervous as hell,” he laughed. “Before we started dating, she kissed me and then ran off, just like you did. I found her hours later, burning off some energy by demolishing Grimm. Apparently an Ursa Major getting obliterated helped her calm down.” Ruby and her dad laughed at the idea. “Not that I can blame her. It’s a good stress relief.”

Ruby still smiled, looking to a photo she kept on her nightstand. It was of her, her team, team JNOR, and their allies a few weeks after defeating Salem. They all had been healing their wounds, everyone happy to be with each other. She looked at Oscar in particular. He was confident and full of joy. Not confidence that was given to him by Ozpin, confidence he had gotten all on his own. Because he was his own person. And she couldn’t be more proud of that.

“My point is that you guys should just…talk about it. I won’t make you do anything, it’s your relationship, but I think it would help. Just…think about it, alright?” As he stood up and moved to the door, Ruby quickly stood and pulled him into a hug. Tai stalled for a moment before hugging her back. “There’s my girl.”

“Thanks Dad,” she said quietly. She smiled up at him as she let him go. “I think…I think I’ll talk to him. If nothing else then at least to clear things up.” He looked at his daughter with pride as he opened the door, Ruby leading them out. Ruby took deep breaths as she focused.

‘Don’t think about what he might say. Just go with it. Just say how you feel,’ she told herself. ‘You can’t hide from it forever.’

Chapter Text

The cool fall air hit Ruby with a familiar and comforting feeling of peace once she stepped outside. The girl sighed, taking it all in. The sun was beginning to set on their little celebration party, with more and more of their allies showing up that could spare their time away from their duties. It was one night, the world will survive.

She spotted several of her old teachers from Beacon Academy talking with her Uncle and Raven. Ruby didn’t expect Raven to still be here, but…it was nice. Her parents’ team that had so long ago split because of the choices they’d made had been brought together, and they were all making strides in keeping it that way.

A few huntsmen, huntresses, and hunters the group had made friends with were also around. Members of teams they had gone to school with were speaking with one another. Not everyone had arrives, of course. Many had responsibilities they needed to attend to, but they had sent their well wishes from across the world. Ruby was still glad so many of her friends, peers, and allies had made it. She waved kindly to those she passed as she met up with the growing group of her friends talking to one another. Weiss spotted her first, smiling as she told the others to look her way.

“Ruby!” they said, standing from their chairs and moving to hug her. Ruby smiled as she hugged them back to the best of her ability. Once they all moved away, she finally got a good look at their smiling faces. “How are you doing?” Yang asked, a hand on her shoulder.

“I’ve been better, but…I’m okay,” she admitted. She rubbed her arm, calming her own nerves. “Dad came up and we talked. It helped me a lot,” she said to Yang. Yang gave her another hug before stepping away. She sighed before looking back at Ruby.

“Sorry to leave ya Sis, but…there’s something I gotta do,” she said. Ruby looked to where Yang was facing, nodding in understanding. 

Weiss and Blake grabbed her next, hugging her sides. “You had us worried there Ruby,” Blake said. She ruffled her friend’s hair.

“As if. Maybe you were freaking out, bit I was perfectly fine,” Weiss retorted. Ruby and Blake looked at one another before they erupted into laughter. “What?!”

“Weiss, you kept walking back and forth for an hour after we left her room,” Blake reminded her. Weiss spluttered, her face going red in embarrassment as she looked away.

“W-Well I- ugh, fine! Yes, I was worried. But I’m happy you’re feeling better Ruby,” she said. The girl tried to hide the rest of her embarrassment. Ruby just laughed at the antics.

“Hey, you don’t have to worry Weiss. Knowing that you guys all want me to be okay means a lot.” She pulled Weiss into another hug, Weiss sighing and hugging back. Blake’s ear perked up as she looked to Yang and Raven’s conversation. “Oh boy…”

“I’m just…gonna make sure everything’s alright,” she said. Yang and Raven didn’t look like they were fighting, but knowing the two of them, there was always a possibility. Weiss, meanwhile, saw Sun waving to her. He was with the rest of his team, chatting away. Ruby noticed her cheeks flush red at her boyfriend’s cheesy grin.

“Go ahead,” Ruby urged. Weiss looked unsure for a moment, but Ruby urged her on. “Really Weiss, I’m alright. I appreciate it, but you need to have some fun too. Go make gross kissy face with Sun or whatever.” Weiss rolled her eyes affectionately before walking away.

“Thank you, I think I will,” she snipped back, but she still waved to her best friend. Ruby laughed as she saw Weiss lean up and kiss Sun. Her mind turned to-

‘No. Stop. You’ll get there. But you need to talk first.’ Ruby sighed, finally noticing something about her friends still talking to each other.

Oscar wasn’t there.

She looked around nervously, trying to see him, but the teen wasn’t among the partygoers. She fiddled with her hands nervously. The others seemed to notice, Jaune coming up and putting a hand on her shoulder. It grounded Ruby back to reality. “You okay?” he asked.

“Y-Yeah, I’m alright. Just wondering where Oscar is,” she said. Jaune looked around, also seeming to notice that the youngest among them was missing. 

“I’m…not really sure,” he said. He turned to an approaching Ren and Nora. “Hey, have you guys seen Oscar?”

“He went for a walk not long ago to find some firewood,” Ren said. Ruby looked behind the two, her eyes locking on the trail that went around the side of the house. “He went along that trail if you’re looking for him.”

“Thanks Ren,” she said. She walked over and gave the two a quick hug before moving towards the path. Emerald and Mercury were talking with one another as Ruby moved past them, simply giving them a polite wave.

“Break a leg Ruby,” Emerald teased.

“Just hope it isn’t mine this time,” Mercury quipped. Ruby nearly turned back around for the comment if not for Emerald slugging him in the arm. “Ow! Hey, I was kidding!”

“Sure you were,” Emerald said as she rolled your eyes. “Just ignore him. I’m sure you’ll find Oscar pretty quickly,” she said to Ruby. The girl smiled at her, noticing Mercury still rubbing his arm. Emerald shot him a look.

“Okay, fine, good luck finding your boyfriend or whatever,” he groaned. Emerald sighed as Ruby’s cheeks flushed, choosing to instead use the energy to run down the path. Before she left, however, she gave the house one more once-over. She sighed before sprinting into the house. She made it to her room and looked around, quickly grabbing the object she was after.

Crescent Rose.

She grabbed her folded weapon and clipped it to her belt. It wasn’t her full combat gear, but it was enough to where she would be ready if any Grimm happened to be nearby. She looked to her nightstand, once more observing the picture of her friends. She smiled, her eyes focusing on Oscar. She smiled before she quickly ran out of the room, out the door, and into the trees nearby to look for Oscar.

“Where is he?”

Ruby had been walking along the path for roughly ten minutes, eyeing the area to try and find Oscar. The sun was setting, so her visibility in the dense trees was getting worse and worse. She was starting to get a little worried. Sure, he was a trained warrior now, but she still wanted him to be okay.

Ruby took out Crescent Rose, the weapon unfolding into a rifle. Ruby kept her finger just above the trigger in case anything happened. She heard a rustling sound nearby and, out of instinct, lifted the weapon to face it. She couldn’t see anything, however. ‘Probably just an animal,’ she reasoned in her head. She continued down the path, eyeing each odd shape with suspicion.

She saw a larger clearing up ahead, slowing down and carefully approaching. She was starting to realize where she was now. Cliffs were nearby, all around her home that dropped down into a deeper level of the forest. The clearing was still a good hundred yards from those cliffs, but it was in the area. That was when Ruby heard something.

Roaring.

She sped in the direction of the roar, Crescent Rose unfolding into its scythe form. Ruby saw a black shape moving in the shadows, chasing something much smaller than itself. Ruby’s semblance deactivated and she swung the weapon, hooking the creature’s head in the scythe’s blade. Ruby pulled the trigger, firing a bolt and using the momentum to take the creature’s head clean off.

She then noticed ragged breathing from behind her. She turned, spotting the object of her search standing in front of her.

“Oscar…”

Oscar was breathing heavily, clearly out of breath. The Long Memory wasn’t on his person, instead holding a large ax in his hands. The blade looked damaged, likely from the large Grimm that had just been chasing him. His clothes look a little torn and his boots were muddy. “Oscar, are you alright? What happened?”

“Ruby…it’s good to…see you…” he said through ragged breathing. He fell to his knees, dropping the ax on the ground. Ruby was quickly by his side, holding his arms and urging him to look up at her, but he wouldn’t. “Was trying to…get firewood…and then I heard a…a Grimm and…”

“Save your strength,” Ruby said, looking around them. There didn’t seem to be any Grimm coming towards them, but she could never be too sure. She looked back at Oscar. He was still looking visibly tired. His aura had clearly broken and he could barely stand, let alone fight any more. 

He was hurt. The Grimm had hurt him. If she had been a little faster, if she had just been outside with the rest, if she had just…just told him about how she felt-”

“Ruby…” Oscar whispered. Her attention was pulled to the teen in front of her. “Hey, you…you don’t need to worry, alright. I’ll be okay. Just…give me a minute.”

“No Oscar. It’s not alright,” Ruby said, standing up and walking more towards the center of the clearing. Oscar looked at her as she did so. Concern was clear on his bruised face. “You keep getting hurt. Whenever I’m not there, you get hurt. Whenever I am there, you get hurt. I’m so tired of you getting hurt. I’m tired of you getting hurt because of me!” She knew she was yelling now. She didn’t care.

“Ruby-”

“Because of me, you keep getting hurt. You lost sleep the other night because of me! You got your feelings hurt because of me! I don’t want you to get hurt anymore because of me!”

Ruby’s yelling was cut off as loud stomping could be heard. A tree was pushed roughly aside as two Ursa entered the clearing. Ruby growled at them, her eyes shining, silencing their growling. “SHUT UP!” she screamed, her eyes flashing a brilliant white light before the world returned to normal. The monsters had been completely destroyed, dissipating to ash, while Ruby was left with a burning sensation in her eyes. She felt her knees shaking, ragged breathing not dissimilar to Oscar’s as she tried to bottle up her anger. But it did no good.

Ruby grabbed Crescent Rose and walked over to the black dust that was once the Grimm. She swung her scythe over her head and brought it down. She lifted it again, and smashed into the dust again.

And again.

And again.

And again.

She could feel her tears flying from her silver eyes. It didn’t matter. She was furious. She kept hitting the remnants of the Grimm over and over again until there was nothing left. Her knees buckled from underneath her, falling to the ground, Crescent Rose embedded into the ground beneath her. She could barely breathe. Anger and frustration and fatigue all boiled inside her, wanting to release but they wouldn’t come out. She turned to Oscar, looking for some assurance he was okay, but she found none. 

He looked terrified. Oscar was inching towards her, but it was like she was a wild animal, the way he looked at her. There was concern, but Ruby couldn’t see it, only the fear. Whether it was for her or because of her, it didn’t matter. She had done this. Ruby stood up and backed away from him. He tried to reach out to her, but she jumped back. Tears pricked in her eyes as she looked away. ‘ It couldn’t be too far. I…I need to…’

And so Ruby ran from Oscar. To the one place she felt she could be right now.

“Ruby, wait!” Oscar called. Ruby didn’t hear him though. Even if she had, she didn’t stop. She couldn’t do this. That look in his eyes… she had done that.

She needed to get away.

Chapter Text

“Ruby, wait!”

But she didn’t hear him, and even if she did, she looked far too unsure to stay. In a flurry of petals, Ruby was gone, leaving a trail of red roses in her wake, and Oscar could do nothing but watch. He tried to stand, but he just fell down again. He crawled over to where Crescent Rose still dug into the ground. He grabbed it, remembering where the lever was from what Ruby had told him, and folded the weapon up after pulling it from the ground. It landed on him as he fell on his back.

“Ruby…I’m sorry.” Oscar’s whole body hurt. He’d taken out a few Grimm with the ax, but there were far too many and he was left unprepared. His aura had been depleted for a while. He was too tired to move and he felt a small trickle of blood go down his head. He knew he was bruised. Maybe too bruised. His entire body felt like it had been stabbed all over.

He stared at the moon, left alone with his thoughts. The moon shone on him, illuminating the space around him. The cool of the night was starting to dissipate. His aura was regenerating, he could feel, the familiar warmth of his energy returning. He struggled to stand. His legs still felt like jelly, so sitting up was as good as he could get before he could go after Ruby.

Should he? Yes, yes he should. Oscar slapped himself for even considering leaving Ruby alone. She had looked so…angry when she fought the Grimm. She’d eviscerated them in just one look. When the two had talked the other day and she had told him about her nightmares, she looked so sad and tired, but this? She was terrified. And furious.

He finally was able to stand, holding Crescent Rose close to him. He couldn’t let it just sit there. He felt some comfort from holding it. Like a piece of Ruby was still with him until he could return the weapon to its owner. When he found her again.

Oscar turned to where Ruby had come from, hearing the roar of an engine approaching. He stepped to the side, grabbing the ax he’d dropped to the ground. He knew that engine, however, and the blonde figure sitting on the vehicle it came from.

Yang’s motorcycle finally came into view, skidding to a stop as she looked around. She flipped down the kickstand of her bike when she saw Oscar, pulling him into a small hug. “Thank gods you‘re alright. When Ruby didn’t call back I got worried. What…” she looked around. “Where’s Ruby?”

“She ran off,” he said, pointing in the direction of the rose petals that flowed from her semblance. “We got attacked by Grimm, and she got…she got really angry. When she saw me again, she just…ran off.” Yang noticed Crescent Rose in Oscar’s hand, her expression turning quickly to one of fear.

“Go back to the others. I’ll go find her,” she said, hopping back on Bumblebee in a hurry. However, Oscar stood his ground.

“NO!” Oscar yelled, startling Yang. She put a foot down to support herself, watching as Oscar placed Crescent Rose on his back. “I…I need to see her. I want to help. Please, Yang,” he pleaded. Yang looked unsure, but Oscar wouldn’t back down. She sighed before gesturing behind her. Oscar quickly hopped on before Yang revved the engine.

“Hang on!” she said. Oscar wrapped his arms tightly around her, the two speeding off in the direction Ruby had run in.

Ruby fell to her knees, looking over the cliffside. The wind picked up, hitting her entire being with chilling cold, no aura to protect her. She had no idea how long she had run after her aura had broken. She didn’t care.

Grimm had followed her, of course, her emotions running into overdrive drawing them out. Her eyes had destroyed all of them, her rage building with each one she destroyed, and it was tiring. Her eyes burned. Her head hurt. Her heart felt like it was in pieces. Ruby looked up, seeing the object she had been seeking out. She couldn’t muster the strength to look at the gravestone properly.

The gravestone of her mother.

She was such a failure. Everything hurt, every one hurt, all because of her. Oscar got hurt again because, what, she was sulking in her room about kissing him? SHe felt pathetic, laughing weakly as she looked up at her mother. She tried to stand, but fell back down, laughing to herself as tears came into her eyes. “I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry,” she said.

But the grave didn’t respond. Of course it didn’t. Her mother was dead. She had seen that herself when she and the others had fought Salem. Visions of her mother flashed in her mind, Ruby falling to the ground. Her eyes were sealed shut as she tired to get them out of her head. Her mom’s dead face looking back at her.

It wasn't real of course. Salem had just used visions to mess with their heads. But it felt real. Real enough to where she could still feel the cold, unfeeling aura the experience had given off. She looked up, sitting on her knees, and looking up to the moon that shone overhead. She couldn’t help her ugly sobs releasing, crying into the night as she let her burning eyes release. Her cheeks were wet with her tears and her throat burned from crying.

‘Why can’t I just move on?! Why can’t I move forward! I thought I was getting better! I thought I could tell everybody that I was okay, tell him how I feel, but no! Why!?’ She glared at the sky. “WHY!? What did I ever do to you!? Huh?!” She begged her body to stop, to give her a break, but it wouldn’t.

But then…she heard something. An engine. Tires. Crunching rocks. Voices.

The yellow and black motorcycle skidded to a stop a few yards away from her, Yang and Oscar hopping off it. They hesitated by the bike. Ruby couldn’t tell what they were saying to one another, but Yang stayed by her bike as Oscar came up to her.

He didn’t say anything as Ruby looked up at him. She noticed her weapon was folded up on his back. She hadn’t even realized she’d left it behind until she saw it. Oscar fell to his own knees, sitting there in front of her.

“Ruby…” he said. He looked down as he tried to form his words. Ruby turned to look at him. Her sobbing was done, but she still felt tears trickle down her now red cheeks. Whether it was the cold or the crying that did it she didn’t know. Nor did she care.

“Oscar, I…I-I’m s-so sorry. I-I was o-out of control a-and angry and you shouldn’t have seen that and-” Oscar stopped her by pulling her into a tight, desperate hug. Ruby stalled before she hugged him back. Her head found his shoulder as she sunk into his embrace. She felt his own head rest on her shoulder, almost in her hood.

He spoke softly as he looked her in the eyes. “Ruby, you have nothing to apologize for. I understand that…what just happened probably brought back some bad memories. But I’m okay. I’m here, remember? And I am never leaving your side. Not if I can help it.” He smiled at her, one of reassurance that we was here to stay, and it comforted Ruby.

“B-But after w-what I’ve done, I…”

“You deserve just as much love as anybody else Ruby. The past is the past. Whatever happened in it, we need to keep it in our hearts, but not let it overwhelm us. You taught me once that we need to keep moving forward towards a brighter tomorrow. I think it’s time to start following that yourself.” He reached behind him, Crescent Rose being presented to its rightful owner, as Ruby saw the reflection in the red and black metal.

“I can’t…I…what if I can’t move forward?”

“You can. And you will. Because you’re Ruby Rose.” Ruby took the weapon in her hands. “And as far as I’m concerned, the Ruby Rose I'm sitting in front of is still the most courageous, strong-willed, determined, loyal, and beautiful person I’ve ever had the chance to meet.” She could tell his cheeks were flushed at that last part. He’s called her… beautiful. Even as she was sitting on her knees, balling her eyes out and questioning everything, and yet he still thought she was beautiful. She wiped her face with her sleeve before standing up. 

Once she and Oscar were stood up properly and facing one another, they felt at peace. Ruby put her weapon away as she and him stared at one another. She felt her cheeks flush as she noticed the small details of his face. The scars on his neck were exposed, but he didn’t seem bothered, and neither was she. They were a part of Oscar that she loved. One of many.

“Ruby…a-about last night…I-I know it might not be the best time, but I just wanted to let you know that i-if you don’t want to think about it, we can pretend we didn’t-”

“Oscar,” she said, cutting off the teen’s incoherent and embarrassed rambling. He was nervous, but so was she. However, she was tired of just letting everything pass her by. Right now, one of her demons was staring her in the face, daring her to back down. Warmth spread throughout her entire being as she took up the challenge.

“Y-Yes?” Oscar asked.

“Shut up.”

With that, she grabbed onto his torn jacket, brought him down to her level as she went up to his, and kissed him on the lips. Her eyes shut, focusing entirely on the feeling of her lips on his. Oscar stalled for a moment before he leaned into it. Ruby’s arms moved around to the back of his neck as his own found her lower back.

The teens pressed into one another, trying to keep the feeling of the kiss going as long as they could. Ruby felt her energy return in full force. She wanted to scream at the heavens, tell everyone who would listen, do something to release how giddy she felt in this moment. She was actually kissing Oscar.  

The two finally separated their faces from one another when they couldn’t breathe any more. They still held onto one another though, staring into each other. Their faces were red and their breathing was unsteady and deep. However, the two couldn’t feel more happy.

“You…have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that,” Oscar said. He laughed, causing Ruby to laugh along with him. “Ruby, I…I don’t know what to say.”

“I think I do,” she said, smiling wider than she had in weeks. “I love you, Oscar Pine. I’ve loved you for a while now. And I’m sorry it took me so long to finally tell you.” Oscar hugged her closer to him. Ruby could barely touch the ground now, on her tip toes to actually meet his face. 

“I-I…I love you too,” he said. They kissed again, this one not as passionate but just as filled with love and admiration for one another as the last one. The moon was shining on them, green and red muted by the darkness of the night, creating a beautiful scene as they stood on the cliff side. The world fizzled out around them, Ruby and Oscar only focused on each other as they kissed.

They finally let go of one another, looking lovingly at one another. “If I’m honest,” Oscar said, rubbing the back of his head, “I’ve…kind of been crushing on you since we met.” Ruby blushed and giggled at the confession, leaving Oscar a similarly red spluttering mess. “H-Hey! Come on!”

“I’m sorry, it’s just,” Ruby said between giggles, “I’ve…liked you for a while too. Since we left Haven probably.” Oscar smiled at her. She didn’t care if he liked her first, because to her, that didn’t matter. All that mattered was Oscar.

And Yang, who shot the pair a loud whistle to encourage them.

“Y-YANG!” Ruby yelled, embarrassed at her sister’s intrusion into their ‘private’ moment. Yang just laughed as she pulled the two into a big hug. “Ugh, get off! Sis! Whyyyyy?!”

“I’m so happy for you two!” she said, swinging them back and forth in her arms. When she finally let them go, Oscar nearly fell down while Ruby shook her dizzy head. “My little sister has a boyfriend!” Yang pulled Ruby into another hug, but this one was different. It was loving, but not extreme. Not a hug of excitement, but one of relief.

“Ruby, I…I’m so glad you’re okay.” She held her sister’s head to her chest. Ruby could feel tears hit her hair. Yang was crying. “I saw Oscar, and then Crescent Rose, and I thought…I thought…” Yang tried to hold back sobs as she reassured Ruby she was there. That the two of them were together. Ruby felt her own eyes tear up as she hugged Yang back in relief. She knew exactly what Yang meant. What happened in the Ever After…she didn’t want to think about it. But…she had to. She wanted to move on. She was so tired of crying, so tired of being lost, but she could finally see a light.

“Yang…thank you. I’m here. I’m here Sis. I’m not leaving. I’m still here with you.” Yang looked down at her sister, who smiled a small smile. “I’m not going anywhere.” The sisters cried and hugged once again, desperately clinging to one another to reassure the other they were here. Ruby finally let go, looking at Yang with confidence. “We’re going to be okay. I promise.” She didn’t know if Yang believed her when she said that, but Ruby believed it.

She turned properly to the other person with them. The remnant of her role model, sitting on the cliff, overlooking everything. She knelt down and pressed her head to the gravestone.

“I love you mom,” she quietly said. She felt more tears surface, touching onto her mother’s grave, before she stood. She urged Oscar to come forward, Yang pushing him towards Ruby. He looked nervous, but Ruby grabbed his hand. Their fingers interlocked as she rubbed a thumb over his hand. “Mom, I know this is a bit sudden, but…

“I want you to meet someone.”

Yang’s motorcycle broke through the tree lines as the three pulled up to the house. The three were struggling to balance on it, laughing as Oscar kept nearly slipping off the seat, but every time he would Ruby pulled him closer to her. Everyone came up to them in relief as Ruby and Oscar dismounted. Yang moved to put Bumblebee back as the two teens were swarmed by their friends.

“We’re so glad you’re okay,” Weiss said, unabashedly hugging her two friends. The others laughed a little at the display. Inside, though, they all agreed with her. She let them go before trying to save face, coughing into her hand. “W-Well I knew you would be okay, of course.”

“Sure you did,” Blake said. Weiss pouted as she moved to Blake.

“Well you’re the one who begged Yang to go and look.”

“No, I’m pretty sure that was you.”

“There’s no way.”

“Alright alright, that’s enough,” Ruby said, stomping out the brewing argument. “What’s important is that we’re okay.” She took Oscar’s hand again as he leaned closer to her. “Well, as ‘okay’ as we can be.

“Wait, does that mean you’re…” Nora’s words left as Ruby boldly snuggled closer to Oscar. She silently nodded at her friend. She felt giddy telling them about it, even silently. Nora squealed loudly, however Ren held her back. “Wha-Ren! Let me congratulate them! Come on!”

“Let’s give them some time to themselves for a minute,” he offered. Nora grumbled but agreed with him. “We’ll talk to you guys in a bit.”

The others one by one left the two teens alone. Ruby swore she saw Weiss begrudgingly hang Blake a stack of lien. ‘Wonder what that’s about,’ she thought. However, the thought quickly went away. She spotted her dad and uncle looking at her. Her dad looked relieved as Qrow patted his back. Qrow just waved at them in acknowledgement before he took her dad to the side.

“So…” Oscar brought her attention to him. Ruby looked at him expectantly, holding both of his hands in hers. “What…do we do now?”

“I don’t know,” she said, looking away, trying to find an answer. But…there wasn’t one. Her mind couldn’t find one answer on where she could go next. The world was so different, so…calm. But she knew that whatever came next, she wanted to face it head on. She was tired of being scared, being stuck in the past, terrified to talk to her friends.

But now…everything seemed okay. She was going to be okay. Not right now, but she wasn’t going to stop now. Not when she had somebody she wanted to hold close to her.

“I don’t know Oscar,” she finally said. “But…I think that’s okay. We can find out…together.” Oscar smiled at her before pulling her in for another kiss. Ruby smiled as she cupped his cheek, kissing him back. As they separated, however, they heard something.

A flash appeared for a second and the sound of a scroll’s camera going off interrupted the moment. Ruby shot a glance to the corner of the house, where Weiss, Blake, Yang, Jaune, Nora, Ren, Sun, Emerald, and Mercury all looked at them. Blake was holding her scroll, smiling stupidly as she watched them interact. Ruby felt her face heat up.

“GUYS!”

They all broke out into laughter, even Oscar, and Ruby couldn’t stay mad at them. It was part of the deal, she figured. She couldn’t be too bothered though. Not when she was with the people she loved most. Even if they were apart, they couldn’t get rid of one another, even if they wanted to. When she looked at her friends, her family, her boyfriend …everything seemed okay.

Ruby smiled as she leaned into Oscar, and for the first time in a while, she felt completely and utterly safe. She didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but that was alright. Because she had everyone with her. She had support, she had community, she had love.  

‘Everything’s going to be okay.’