(POV:[F/n])
*Some Days Later*
*pant* *pant* A-are we away from
them?
Yeah...we should be-
What was that!?
What?
You! You killed those people!
What did you expect? They were trying to kill us!
And that why I said "run", but you still stayed and killed them!
Look, I don't know what dream world you live in, but running doesn't help and they weren't gonna just leave us alone.
That doesn't mean you kill them! Doing that makes you no better than them!
WELL MAYBE I'M NOT BETTER THEN THEM!!!
I suddenly woke up breathing heavily as my dream seemed to shake me to my very soul and for a moment as flashing light seemed to flash across my eyes.
That...wasn't my memory... I think as someone suddenly knocks on my door. I sigh as I get up to see who it is and was surprised to be greeted with a rose, a Ruby Rose to be exact,
"Hey, I brought your homework for the week!" She says as she hands me a stack of papers.
"This early?"
"You know it's after three right?"
I then look at my clock and notice it's 3:45 p.m.
"Oh yea, well....thanks," I say as grabbing the papers from her and put them on the desk then walk towards the bathroom.
"Sorry the others didn't show: Blake had to take care of something, Yang had studying of her own to do and Weiss....was being Weiss."
"It's fine," I say splashing cold water on my face, "I'm honestly just happy to have company...which is a weird feeling for me."
"I guess that means we're finally becoming friends." She says excitedly behind me.
"Maybe..." I say not looking up from the sink as I grab a towel.
"So.....how are you holding up in here?"
"Well lets see," I say as I walk into the room wiping water off my face before I continue,"I've basically been grounded to my room under stupid reasons as "you threw the first punch" and "give you time to cool down", and I have to do homework in my room, as if doing it in class wasn't hard. So you tell me?"
Ruby didn't really know what to say as I sat down on my bed, honestly I don't blame her quietness as the whole situation is dumb as they make me stay in my room as "Cardin and the Hyenas" are free to go to class.
"Well, we're all just glad you weren't kicked out." She says sitting next to me.
"To be honest, kicking me out would have been better..."
"You can't really think that right?"
"Ruby, "I say looking at her seriously," do you really think isolating me away from everyone really the best way to solve this?"
"No, but-"
"You're right, it's not. I'm being treated like a criminal instead of a student while Cardin and his team are free to walk around with little to no punishment what so ever."
"Hey," she says putting a hand on my shoulder, "I'm sure Ozpin has his reasons to do this."
"That's just it, I don't know what he reasons are. First, he brings me hear talking about being better, then he has me doing missions that make me do what I used to do, then when something like this happens, I'm locked in my room. I don't get him at all, nor what his intentions are and it aggravates me."
"Well, maybe you're supposed to just guess. Honestly, I have times when I don't know what's going on and it gets hard sometimes, but I just remember that I'm not in this alone. I have my team, I have team JNPR, and I have you and Lana. When I think about that I feel better."
She then gives me a smile that seems too innocent for me to look at directly,
"Geez, you just love trying to make people feel better don't you?"
"Yep," she says smugly, "is it working?"
I then start ruffling her hair, causing her to blush and try to move my hand,
"Yeah, it's working. Thanks Rosie red, "I then pull her close causing her to blush even more, "you know what? As a thank you for making me feel better, I'm gonna do something special just for you."
"Something....special?" She says trying to break free.
"Yep, nothing too big, just a little something to show my appreciation. Think of it as a date."
"A date?!" She says finally breaking free," I...I mean it's not like I haven't thought about it, but this is a little sudden right?"
"Not really. What you never been on a date before?"
"No, I've never been too into dating, I've really been into becoming a huntress."
"Oh, so I'd be your first?" I say teasing her.
"Don't say it like that!" She says getting flustered.
"Sorry Rosie red," I say getting up, "your just so fun to tease sometimes I can't help myself, your cheeks get so red, your stutter when you talk, and then if I keep going you puff out your cheeks."
"I do not!"
"If you say so," I say laughing, "so anyway, what do you say?"
"You're not gonna be teasing me all the time right?"
"Maybe like 45% of the time to keep it fun. Please? I need something to escape from this boredom."
She then looks at me for me a moment before finally saying,
"Alright, I guess it could be fun, but....aren't you still gonna be bored if we stay in your room?"
"Yep, "I say smirking," that's why we're not gonna be in the room."
*Later That Night*
"This seems like a bad idea sneaking around like this," Ruby says as she crouches against a wall as I walk by.
"Your the one sneaking, plus everyone has gone to there rooms and is asleep so sneaking isn't really necessary."
"Yea I know, but...it's funnier."
I hold back my laughter as she pouts.
"If it makes you feel better, you still looked cool doing."
"It does." She says cheering up.
I then stopped in front of our destination.
"Here we are."
"Um," she says confused as she looked at me, "this is the doors...to the lunchroom."
"Yep, "I say as I check the door to find it locked, "watch for me would you?" I say not waiting for her to respond as I pull a bobby pin from my hair and pick the lock.
"Wait what are you doing?!" Ruby whispers rather loudly, "I thought you said sneaking wasn't necessary?!"
"Yea the sneaking part, but apparently since they locked the door, some lock picking is needed."
"Look I Don't know what you have planned for us, but I don't think-"
"Got it," I say as the door opens as I walk in.
"How do you know how to do that?" She asks as she follows behind me cautiously as we make our way to the kitchen.
"If I say I learned from the back of a cereal box would you believe me?"
"No."
"Good," I say smiling as I continue.
"That still doesn't answer anything."
"True, but that's just a part of my charm, leaving you to wonder." I say as we finally make it into the kitchen turning on the lights," and here we are."
"So the something special involves...cooking?"
"Ding ding ding! We have a winner!" I say a little too loud, but tone it down as I continue, "I remember you guys saying how you wanted to taste my cooking so I decide that you will be the first to try it."
"Awesome, but was it really necessary to break into the school lunchroom to do it."
I think about what she said for a moment before finally saying,
"Yes, yes it was," she was about to say something, but stops giving me the opportunity to ask, "so I'm thinking something sweet, what about you?"
"Something sweet?" she says getting excited," like cookies?"
"Nope, cookies are kinda played out, I'm thinking Crepes or something."
"Crepes?"
"Wait, you've never had Crepes?" I say surprised.
"Um, no?" She says not knowing how to respond to the expression on my face.
"That's it, we're definitely making Crepes."
"We?"
"Uh yeah, "I say grabbing ingredients,
"that's the special part. We're both gonna cook and have fun...hey what's your favorite fruit?"
"Strawberries, why?" She says.
"Cause we're gonna need strawberries, I'm gonna check the school fridges. Oh and Ruby, "I say as I look at her eating a random bad of chocolate chips as she notices me and puts the bag behind her back innocently,"...wash your hands."
After a moment of searching, I managed to find some strawberries and came back to see Ruby with an apron and chef hat.
"Ready to go! Washed my hands and everything see!" She then showed me here somewhat dried hands.
"Great, let me put this down, wash my hands, and we can get started."
After washing my hands, me and Ruby got to work making the Crepes, it honestly wasn't too bad besides the frequent stops between parts where she wanted to eat some of the ingredients, luckily I managed to finish them with the ones she didn't eat.
"Not bad," I say as I look at our work.
The Crepes then flat pancake was cooked perfectly and wrapped around the strawberry filling as whip cream and strawberry slices on top and it seems I'm not the only one admiring it.
"Wow, it looks good!"
"Yep, "I say a little smugly," like mom used to say, showmanship is apart of the cooking as well."
"Your parents say a lot."
"Yeah they used to," a slight pause goes as either of us don't know what to say, "anyway, I'm bringing down the mood so let's eat and be cheerful!"
"Yea!" Ruby says as we both grab a fork and take a bite.
"It's so good!" Ruby says with pure joy on her face as she's practically halfway done.
"Jeez it isn't going anywhere you know," I say teasing causing her to stop.
"Uh yeah, sorry..."
"No no, I'm glad you enjoy it so much. It makes it worth it." I say as I take a bite of mine.
"So what are they like?"
"Who?" I ask as I take another bite.
"Your parents." She says smiling.
"Oh them...." I go quiet as she she looks at me.
"If you Don't wanna say anything, you don't have to. I know you have this lone wolf thing I just-"
"No it's fine," I say thinking, "let's see, my dad is a big bear of a guy who's surprisingly nimble for his height as size, he taught me how to fight. His personality is mostly that of a teddy bear, but he can be fierce when he needs to be and always has a saying for ANYTHING, simple dad type stuff."
"My mom is kinda out there, she doesn't say much, but reacts more and has a more playful and nurturing personality. She's the one that taught me my aura manipulation as well as how to cook and stuff. Dad was always working a lot so it was always me and her at the house, dancing, cooking, even sewing and that kind of stuff. I do love them both, but at times they were too overprotective, especially mom to almost the point of suffocation. You know mom's though right?"
At this point, Ruby goes quiet and as I look over she looks sad as she says,
"Mine...passed away when I was young."
"Oh...i'm sorry I...I didn't mean-"
"It's okay," she stops me trying to smile as she waves me off, "I mean it's sad, but you never truly get rid of the pain, you just learn to live with it right?" she then looks back at her plate, "I miss her, but I feel better knowing when I have my dad, Yang, Uncle Qrow, and my friends like you....you know, even if you don't really consider us as friends, though we all still consider you friends...even Jaune thinks of you as a friend too even after...."
As she trails off I sigh.
"So guess you guys know about mine and Jaune's talk?"
"Well...Nora never told us what happened, but said Jaune came back mad."
I remember the argument. I had confronted Jaune about what I heard about him faking his transcripts and being forced to do stuff for Winchester. I got Lana and them to send him to me with homework, I decided to tell him I knew and tried to help, but he got defensive and asked why I even cared causing us to have a falling out.
"Well, I guess that's what I get for trying to help."
"Well, maybe if you open up more to him he could understand." She said trying to be supportive about it.
"Ruby, "I asked her," do you guys know why I don't open up to people and try to keep my distance from others?"
"Um...to look cool?"
I laugh a little as she says this,
"It's because all my friends are dead, "This remark weighs heavy in the room as she doesn't know what to sat as I continue, "you guys think I enjoy being alone? No, but I've made choices and enemies that cause everyone close around me to get hurt or even die."
"But, that's that past right? I mean maybe-"
"That's not how the world works Ruby," I say interrupting, "it doesn't just...forget your sins and lets you walk. You may think that you're safe and you're okay, but you can NEVER truly be free of what you've done and in the end instead if you being the one to pay, it's those you truly care about that suffer the most."
At this point, I notice I've bent my fork from gripping it too hard and jump a little as I feel Ruby's hand touch my shoulder.
"Look...I can't say I understand what you've been through, or what your feeling, but I think you're being too hard on yourself. You're putting their deaths on yourself when you weren't the one who did it."
"Maybe, but it was my actions that led to there death."
"No, it was the actions of the bad people who hurt them, you did nothing wrong and even if you're choices were the cause of it, I'm sure the last thing they want is for you to keep this grief with you forever because they know you would never wanna harm them."
"..not all of them..." I whisper to myself to where Ruby can't hear, but I thought about her words for a moment and smiled.
"I...thanks Rosie red." Was all I could manage as I looked at her and smiled.
"N-no problem," she says blushing, "glad I could help, but just know you're not alone anymore B.B."
"Thanks...I'll remember that."
After that, we take another bite of our Crepes and stop as we look at each other,
"It's cold," I say.
"Mine too." She says and starts snickering causing me to do the same until we both begin to laugh.
After cleaning and a couple more stories about my our parents, we snuck back out and I walked her to her room, the walk was quiet, but nice as we got to her door.
"Thanks again for the food and the talk." She says smiling.
"My pleasure, I enjoyed myself a lot. When this whole "grounding" thing is over, we should all hang out."
"Definitely, well goodnight." She says about to open her door.
"Hey, Rosie red?" I say stopping her.
"Yea, "Ruby says turning around, "what's wro-"
Without warning, I hug her causing her to yelp a little bit.
"I-I....w-w-what's-"
"Just...thank you, "I say as I hug her, "I don't know if it will truly help me, but your words...made me feel better and maybe...maybe that's enough right now."
After I said this, I could feel her loosen up as she hugged me back.
"Well, I'm glad," She says as we stop and look into each other's silver eyes, her face redder then I've ever seen, and her cheeks kinda puffed causing me to chuckle a little,
"Your cheeks are uh, puffing," I say causing her to quickly open the door,
"g-goodnight." She then quickly closing the door.
As I was about to leave a silver flash goes across my eyes again as I hear a voice:
You're wrong! You are better than them, but you choose to stoop to there level. You are a great man and can still be a greater man...you're a warrior, a king, and my love...
The silver light then stops causing me to look around and realize I'm back into my room.
I quickly go to the bathroom and look into the mirror at my eyes. I look to see if theirs anything wrong and see nothing, but the opposite as my eyes seem to be more reflective and the silver was more eye-popping then normal.
"What the heck is going on?"