Chương 726: 69
Chapter 69:
Then it was over. Ruby's cloak returned to its normal size, now looking completely ragged and worn, holes marring its entire surface. With a tired gasp, Ruby collapsed to her knees, Bara and Ibara clattering against the floor as Ruby planted her hands, holding herself up to keep from falling over completely. Behind her, the flare of white that had surged forth from Jaune's shield faded, leaving him feeling winded, like he'd just run for miles. He doubled over, gasping for breath.
Of the two groups of soldiers they'd rushed to save, not a single scratch was to be found.
Of Cinder...there was no sign. She had vanished from where she'd been crouched, leaving no trace of her behind.
The smoke continued to dissipate, prompting Ruby and Jaune to look up in the direction of the one person they'd made no effort to protect, primarily because he was the one least in need of their protection. Ironwood had been standing, dead-center, and took the full force of the blast, stepping back and raising his right arm in a guard position. When the smoke cleared, Ruby and Jaune were shocked to see the lights from overhead gleaming off of metal surfaces. Ironwood's jacket and pants had been scorched away, revealing that almost his entire right side, from the neck down, was cybernetic.
Stepping forward, Ironwood surveyed the empty room with a cold gaze. Ruby could feel frustration welling up from within him at the loss of their quarry. She was slightly worried that said frustration would soon be turned on her and Jaune. But then Ironwood let out his breath with a sigh, lowering his head with an expression of disappointment, but his anger fading.
Turning, he surveyed the condition of his men, before turning his gaze to Jaune, then Ruby. "It would seem she got away," he said.
"'Fraid so," said Ruby, feeling more than a little disappointed herself, mainly because she thought she'd almost had Cinder on the ropes for a moment, before things had abruptly changed.
Ironwood's expression was stony. Nonetheless, he transferred his revolver to his robotic right hand, and rested his flesh and blood one on Ruby's shoulder. "You've done enough this evening," he said, his tone conveying reassurance, rather than a rebuke. "Get some rest. We'll call you over for a debriefing tomorrow."
"All right," said Ruby tiredly. She tried to get to her feet, but couldn't find the energy to do so.
Sheathing his sword, and returning Crocea Mors to his waist, Jaune lumbered over, cautiously bending down and offering her a hand up, his caution mainly to keep from overbalancing and falling over himself. Fortunately, he had enough strength remaining to pull Ruby back to her feet. Once she was upright, she rejoined her swords, then sheathed Akaibara, her cloak dissolving into scattering petals, leaving her shoulders bare once more. Leaning heavily against Jaune, she allowed him to guide her towards the elevator.
Behind them, Ironwood's troops fanned out, looking for evidence of their culprit. Ironwood was already speaking into his scroll, issuing orders for more men below to search for any sign of Cinder's escape outside the tower. Ruby knew better than to think they would find any. In the moment she'd been focused completely on keeping the soldiers safe, she'd lost all track of Cinder's presence, no matter how distinctive it was. And now that presence had vanished. Cinder was gone.
The elevator doors closed, leaving Ruby and Jaune alone. Ruby noted that the unconscious soldiers from earlier were gone, Ironwood's people having apparently removed them. However, that was a secondary concern. Right now, she was too busy feeling tired. She leaned back against Jaune, taking solace in the sensation of his chest pressed up against her back. Jaune slipped his arms around her front, hugging her to him. Tilting her head back, Ruby smiled contentedly, feeling Jaune gently nuzzle into her hair.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"I'm just glad I made it in time," Jaune said back, his arms tightening around Ruby's waist. "You gave me a scare."
"Sorry..."
"Well, it's you, so I'm not all that surprised," said Jaune wryly, making Ruby squeak and blush.
The elevator doors opened into the lobby, Ruby and Jaune stepping out. There, they noticed more of Ironwood's soldiers, talking to one another in clipped tones. The unconscious ones had been pulled aside, and were being seen to by medics. Now that she had the time, Ruby wished she had the Aura to help. But she was tapped out at the moment. As it was, there was no way she could even walk without Jaune's assistance.
To their relief, none of the soldiers paid them any mind, possibly having received word from above that they weren't to be bothered. Reaching the tower entrance, Ruby surveyed the courtyard dubiously, her eyes looking out towards the line of the student dormitories. It was normally a fairly short walk, but seemed so much longer to her, in her current state. On top of that, she could feel the holes she'd worn through her stockings. Without any Aura left to protect her feet from the rough ground, the trip looked to be even more unpleasant.
Then Jaune bent down to hook one arm behind her knees, before straightening back up, prompting a squeak as he hefted Ruby in his arms.
"I've gotcha," said Jaune, smiling reassuringly at her.
"Are you sure?" asked Ruby.
"Yep," replied Jaune. "I felt a little bit drained at first, but fine now."
Considering the incredible reserves of Aura Jaune possessed, Ruby wasn't so surprised. Even if fending off Cinder's explosions had left a serious dent in them, Jaune was probably still a long ways from being tapped out. With a contented sigh, Ruby rested her head against his shoulder.
No more words needing to be spoken, they set out, Ruby nearly falling asleep in Jaune's arms.
"Did you have a good time?" asked Weiss, escorting Ashley back to her family's quarters.
"It was wonderful!" Ashley exclaimed, beaming at Weiss. "I can't thank you enough for taking me."
Weiss smiled, her cheeks coloring a bit. Even though they'd left the ballroom behind, the pair continued to keep their arms linked, as though afraid to let go. Weiss couldn't even say for certain what about Ashley appealed to her so much. She was a civilian, without anything remarkable to really lay claim to. Even her admission into a relatively exclusive school in Vale was practically beneath mundane to someone of Weiss' status. There was virtually no comparison between the fairly high-level school Ashley had been admitted to and the ludicrously exclusive schools Weiss could have attended in Atlas, had she not been completely homeschooled. And yet...there was something, something that made it so that Weiss didn't want to pull away, didn't want this wonderful night to end.
Going with Ashley was far beyond a mere consolation for not being able to go with Neptune. If anything, Weiss felt she was happier with Ashley than she ever would have been with Neptune, so she didn't know what to make of the fluttering feeling in her chest at the contact between their arms, at the closeness of their bodies.
They reached the entrance to the faculty quarters, Weiss escorting Ashley through its hallways to the door of the suite she shared with her parents. There, Ashley turned so that they were facing each other, reaching out to take Weiss' hands in her own. For a moment, they stared at each other, neither sure of what to do.
Then, abruptly, Ashley leaned forward to capture Weiss' lips with a kiss. Weiss' eyes widened in surprise at the contact, then fluttered, then slowly closed, Weiss leaning back into the kiss, her hands tightening their grip on Ashley's own.
The sensation sent excitement rushing through Weiss' body, making her tingle from top to bottom, goosebumps spreading over her skin with a shiver. This feeling, it was wonderful, intoxicating...wrong.
They pulled away slowly...reluctantly...their cheeks flushed, their hearts thudding inside their chests, their breathing speeding up. The look in Ashley's eyes indicated she wanted to continue, to bring their lips together again. Weiss felt a similar impulse well up within her. But reality reared its ugly head within the depths of her rational mind, and quashed the impulse against all her reluctance.
"Ashley..." said Weiss, her nervousness spreading to her voice. "We...w-we can't..."
"Wha-what do you mean?" asked Ashley, stepping back nervously, letting go of Weiss' hands. Her blush deepened and she quickly brought her palms to her face. "Oh God! Don't tell me I just kissed a straight girl again."
In spite of herself, Weiss couldn't quite keep a giggle down at the memory of Ashley being awkwardly turned down by Ruby. Clamping down on her mirth, she tried to keep a reassuring smile on her face. "That's...not it," she said. "I'm a bit more, uh..."
"You're bi?" Ashley asked to clarify.
Weiss nodded.
"Then why?" asked Ashley plaintively, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.
Fighting back tears herself, Weiss turned away, forcing her gaze to the wall across the hall from them. "This is just a bad idea," she said. "I'm sorry...but we...we wouldn't work out."
"Because you're a Schnee?" Ashley guessed.
"Yes," breathed Weiss, slumping slightly, her head and shoulders drooping.
"I...I guess that makes sense," said Ashley, a melancholy warble making its way into her voice. "Y-you're a different class of person, after all."
"That's not it!" said Weiss hurriedly, quickly turning back to Ashley. "I'm not too good for you," she said. "You're a wonderful person, Ashley, and I'd feel privileged to be with you."
"Then why?" asked Ashley.
"It's just..." Weiss sighed. "M-my father. If he found out about us..."
"You'd be in trouble," guessed Ashley.
"That's putting it mildly," said Weiss, looking back up. "Please understand. If it was just about his anger and displeasure, I wouldn't give a damn. But...but...he'd..." She paused, her mind searching for a way to put this that didn't make it sound completely selfish. In the end, all she could do was be frank. "He'd disinherit me. I wouldn't be able to take over the company."
True to Weiss' expectations, Ashley's expression fell. "Oh..." she said. "I guess it was silly of me to think I mattered more than that."
"That's not it!" protested Weiss, gripping Ashley's forearms. "I need to take over the company. What my father's done, the things he's gotten away with, he has to be stopped, and I'm the one to do it. But I can't do anything if I get disinherited. I won't be able to help any of the faunus he's exploited. I'd just be leaving them to their fate."
"Does it have to be you?" asked Ashley.
"Yes," said Weiss sadly. "Winter has already been disinherited. And, if Father does the same to me, then Whitley will get the company, and there's no way he would want to change anything. He's just like Father. If anything, he might be worse."
"I-I guess that would be important," said Ashley, now feeling like she was the one being unreasonably selfish, for wanting to take away Weiss' chance to help the faunus oppressed by the SDC.
"Th-there's more than that," said Weiss. "If we had a relationship, if word got out, then..." Weiss shuddered. "You have no idea of the scandal, the humiliation. In Atlas, in those circles, it would be a travesty."
"You're afraid of their reaction?" asked Ashley incredulously.
"It's not them I'm afraid of," said Weiss insistently, "it's Father. He won't tolerate anything that could be damaging to the company's image. Ashley, you don't understand; all the things you've heard about him, they don't do him justice. My father is a monster! And if he thinks that something is a threat to his image, or the company's image, then he will do anything to make it go away.
"His first resort will be to throw money at it, to use bribes. If that doesn't work, he'll resort to blackmail and extortion. If that isn't feasible, then he'll use more direct methods. The next time, it won't be a mob of faunus extremists, led and mismanaged by a manchild with a grudge. It'll be a team of SDC troubleshooters with no compunctions about holding back."
A shudder of fear ran down Ashley's spine.
Weiss sniffed hard. "I can't...I can't put you at risk of that. I don't have the power to protect you from Father, and we can't keep you locked up at Beacon forever. That's why...that's why..." Weiss sobbed, tears spilling down her face. "I'm sorry!"
Unable to resist, Ashley hugged Weiss tightly. Despite her own reluctance, Weiss' arms almost automatically rose up to return the embrace, the two of them clinging to each other. Pulling away, Weiss looked into Ashley's eyes, the other girl shedding tears as well. Against her reservations, against the rational voice within her screaming for her to stop, to not let this go an inch further, Weiss found herself drawn in by the look in Ashley's eyes. Their lips came together once more, the pair clinging to each other with an intensity that bordered on desperation.
When they pulled away, Ashley was still smiling. "E-even with what you said," she stammered, "even if it's selfish...I still...I still want to try."
Weiss sniffed, a reluctant smile making its way to her face, her heart kicking her head to the side. "So do I," she admitted. "B-but...we'd have to keep it secret. Your family and my friends are one thing, but we can't let anyone else find out about it. Your life could be at stake."
"I...I know," said Ashley, looking away, feeling guilt well up within her, not for Weiss, but for the risk this put her parents in too. Once again, they would be under threat, simply by virtue of being related to her.
Weiss' hands went up to Ashley's cheeks, pulling their heads together. This time, Weiss rested her forehead against Ashley's. "We need to be careful," she said.
"And what about tonight?" asked Ashley. "All those people saw us together at the dance."
Weiss shook her head. "Friends dance together all the time," she said. "It won't be a big deal. If Father hears about that, well..." Weiss paused for a second. "It's hurtful to say it, but we'll just say you're a charity case."
"A charity case?" asked Ashley, feeling a bit miffed, despite knowing that wasn't how Weiss really felt.
Weiss nodded. "You went through a rough spot, because you were targeted by the White Fang. I took you to the dance as an act of kindness, to help you feel better." An uncharacteristically crooked smile spread across her face. "Father might actually love that; the heiress to the SDC, comforting and escorting an innocent faunus, marked for death by the White Fang. That's the kind of positive press that he'd pay money for."
The idea prompted a giggle from Ashley. "When you put it like that, it certainly sounds like a good idea."
Weiss turned a wry smile on her new, secret, girlfriend. "And...it'll make it a bit easier for us to...do things...together," she said.
"R-right," said Ashley. "So then..."
"Y-yeah," said Weiss.
There was another pause, then they leaned in again, exchanging one last kiss. Pulling away, Weiss smiled and wiped her tears. "I guess this is goodnight," she said.
"R-right," said Ashley reluctantly.
After another moment's hesitation, they let go of each other. Weiss took a reluctant step backwards. Just as hesitantly and awkwardly, Ashley opened the door, then shuffled inside her family's room. The door closed, leaving Weiss alone in the hall, staring at it. For a moment, Weiss stood there silently, unable to will herself to move. Then she turned around, her movements jerky and unsteady, before marching down the hall.
Just a few steps into her walk, Weiss paused, then turned towards the wall. Leaning towards it, she held herself up with one hand her head drooping, a tired sigh issuing forth from her lips. I am such an idiot, she berated herself harshly.
By the time they arrived at their room, Ruby felt well enough that she could stand on her own. Jaune set her down, before turning away to set Crocea Mors aside. He'd get it back into its locker later, when said locker was returned to the locker room. Setting the sword on his desk, Jaune was about to pull off his suit jacket, when he felt a light tug on his sleeve. Turning around, Jaune was surprised to see Ruby looking at him.
"Jaune..." said Ruby nervously, looking nervous...and ashamed, "...I'm sorry."
"Huh?" Jaune blinked in confusion, drawing back slightly. "Sorry for what?"
"You were having such a good time," said Ruby, looking down. "But then, I saw that woman and..."
"That's what you're apologizing for?" asked Jaune. Stepping forward, Jaune rested his hands on Ruby's shoulders. "Ruby, that's the last thing you need to apologize for."
"But I-" Ruby began to protest.
"Ruby, you're a Huntress," said Jaune firmly. "Well...maybe not officially...but you're definitely one at heart. You can't ignore a situation, just because of some silly social event. I don't know what that woman was up to, but it's obvious that she was trouble. And I'd be stupid to get angry, just because you were the one who tried to stop her." He chuckled. "If I was bothered by that, do you think I would've gone through the trouble of getting your sword?"
Ruby figured that he would, even if he was bothered. Jaune was just that kind and helpful a person. But she found herself smiling, nonetheless.
"Ruby, that dedication, that determination..." Jaune moved his right hand to gently cup her chin and raise her face, so that her eyes met his. "...those are the things I admire most about you. I could never hate you for that. Even if it miffs me a little that that lady spoiled our moment, I can't not like you, no matter how many times something like that crops up."
"R-really?" gasped Ruby, her eyes going wide, her cheeks reddening.
Jaune let out a weak chuckle, feeling his own cheeks heat up. Well...no point in beating around the bush now. "Ruby...I can't really deny it. I'm crazy for you."
Ruby gasped even more loudly, the vivid red of her cheeks matching the color of her dress.
Letting go of Ruby's chin, Jaune averted his eyes now, having to draw upon all his courage to say what came next. "I really liked dancing with you, Ruby. And...well...I guess I want to do more than just go to a dance with you. I...well...I..." He sighed. He couldn't think of a way to ask this that didn't sound awkward. Of course, maybe that was just a sign of how awkward he was. "Ruby, I...I'd like to be more than just friends, more than partners. W-would you be...my...my girlfriend?"
The sudden and powerful intake of breath from Ruby was more than Jaune had been expecting. And he definitely hadn't been expecting Ruby to suddenly surge forward, throwing her arms around his shoulders, and hugging him tightly, he certainly couldn't complain about it either. Reflexively, Jaune's arms circled Ruby's waist, holding her tight, as his ears rang from her shouts.
"Yes!" exclaimed Ruby. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! I'd love to be your girlfriend!"
Jaune rocked backward from the impact of Ruby's deceptively small form against him. All he could do was hold on with all his might. Once he recovered his balance, Jaune found himself staring into Ruby's eyes once again, marveling at their magnificent color. Ruby was staring back at him, just as transfixed. Slowly, their faces began to drift towards one another.
This time, there were no interruptions.
Their lips connected. The touch was light, tentative at first. Pulling away, Jaune and Ruby stared at each other again. Then, unable to help themselves, their lips came back together. This time, they pressed into the kiss. Jaune marveled at the softness of Ruby's lips, as he massaged them against his own. His hold on her tightened, pulling Ruby's body flush against his front, while Ruby's hands drifted up to his hair, pulling him in even tighter.
For several moments, the only sound in the dorm room was the gentle smacking of their lips parting, after coming together, over and over again. One of Jaune's hands drifted up Ruby's back, his fingers lightly tracing her spine, before reaching her shoulder, and gripping it tight, while his other drifted lower, pulling Ruby in more so that she was bent back slightly in Jaune's arms.
Pulling away from each other, Jaune realized that he was feeling hot, feverish even. Just one taste, and he was already addicted. He wanted to hold Ruby tighter, to feel more of her...Uh oh, he thought, feeling a certain part of him responding to the idea. "Uh...R-Ruby...I think, maybe...um..."
"That's enough for tonight?" guessed Ruby, feeling more than a little excited herself, particularly two sections of her body.
"Y-yeah...We wouldn't want to...uh...get...you know..."
"Frisky?" guessed Ruby, raising an eyebrow, a wry smile appearing on her face. Seeing Jaune flush, she giggled. "I know."
"Y-you do?" asked Jaune.
Ruby's expression flashed from amused to deadpan in a heartbeat. "Jaune, my big sister-er-my other big sister-is a healer...who knows almost everything about human and faunus physiology. Trust me, no one can give The Talk quite like Sasame-nee can."
"O-oh," said Jaune.
Ruby exhaled through her nostrils in an amused sigh, and then leaned forward again. This time, she wasn't bringing her face to Jaune's, instead tucking her head up against his shoulder, under the crook of his neck, allowing Jaune to rest his chin over her head. For now, they simply held each other. The fever from earlier subsided, and the two of them sank into the milder warmth of the comfort they found in each other's arms.
Through that contact, Jaune felt Ruby's body beginning to tremble. At first, he wondered if it was excitement or nerves. But then, looking down, he saw her legs quivering, struggling to keep her up. "Ruby, I think it's time for bed," he said.
Having a very good feel for her own body's condition, Ruby was hard-pressed to disagree. "Yeah," she said disappointedly, releasing her hold on Jaune. They parted, Jaune resting his hands on her shoulders again.
"Go ahead and get ready," said Jaune. "You're the one who did the heavy lifting tonight."
Ruby nodded, pulling Akaibara out of her sash, and resting it on its rack once more. Taking her pajamas into the bathroom, Ruby went through the process of getting ready for bed, including a rather lengthy shower to wash away the sweat and soot from the fight against the fire-wielding woman. By the time she'd finished, her body was feeling heavy and leaden. Emerging from the bathroom in her pajamas, Ruby gladly allowed Jaune to take his turn.
When Jaune had finished and emerged, clad in his onesie, he was surprised to see that Ruby hadn't crawled beneath the covers of her bed, but was instead sitting on the side of his bed. "Ruby...?"
Ruby looked up at him with a plaintive expression. "Jaune...I know we've only just started," she said, sounding nervous, "but...tonight...can we...can we...uh...?"
Jaune looked down into her eyes, and found himself facing a plaintive expression that was practically a weapon every bit as dangerous as her sword, in its own way. He couldn't bring himself to say no to a look like that. "Sure," he said, before taking on a serious look. "But I'm telling you now, if-God forbid-Yang finds us like this, I'm depending on you to protect me."
"Sure," said Ruby.
"You're also going to be getting the brunt of whatever lecture Weiss subjects us to, when she sees us," he added.
Ruby giggled at that. "Okay," she said. Then she held out her arms to him.
Jaune sighed, and pulled Ruby up, so that he could pull back the covers on his bed. After turning out the lights, he got in first, then held the covers up as Ruby crawled in after him. After some shifting around to get situated, Jaune wrapped his arms around Ruby and pulled her up against him. Ruby tucked her head in under his chin, and rested it against his shoulder with a happy sigh, hugging him back in return. Secure in the incredible comfort of their embrace, the pair of them drifted off to sleep almost immediately.
Pyrrha hummed happily as she made her way down the hallway. Tonight had been a grand experience. She and Dove had spent most of the evening dancing away. Just the realization that someone was willing to be with her like that was intoxicating. She hadn't wanted the evening to end. Sadly, it ultimately had to, Pyrrha escorting Dove back to his dorm room, then seeing him off with a polite kiss to the cheek.
Hilariously, upon arrival at CRDL's room, they had looked in to see the other three members of Dove's team down for the count, collapsed across their beds, so completely exhausted that they hadn't even bothered to remove their suits. Apparently, Yang had exhausted all three of them, even when they had taken turns dancing with her, which Pyrrha suspected had been Yang's intention the whole time...perhaps as punishment for the boys' earlier behavior and attitude, if only a playful kind.
It had been a wonderful experience, and Pyrrha had more than enjoyed Dove's company. She wasn't sure if they would ever be anything more than friends, but she was willing to find out, which was far more than she could have ever said about any potential relationships in the past.
Arriving at the door to RASP's room, Pyrrha was surprised to see Weiss approaching from the other direction. She knew that Weiss and Ashley had left before she and Dove had. She supposed that the extra distance between the faculty quarters and the dorms explained why they'd reached their room at nearly the same time. Pyrrha smiled at her partner and friend. But that smile quickly faltered when she saw the red beneath Weiss' eyes, and the tear tracks left in her mascara. "Weiss...is everything okay?"
Weiss looked up at Pyrrha, and smiled brightly. But that only made Pyrrha frown. A master of the polite smile, Pyrrha could recognize a mask when she saw one. Weiss' mask cracked almost immediately. It looked as though Weiss wanted to pretend everything was fine. But couldn't find it in herself to do so.
"N-no," said Weiss, looking at the wall, and sniffing hard.
"What happened?" asked Pyrrha. "Is Ashley all right?"
"She...she's all right," Weiss replied, looking up again. "B-but, when we got back, things got...we got..."
"Did Ashley try to hook up with you?" asked Pyrrha, remembering how that had gone with Ruby.
"Y-yes," replied Weiss, her body shuddering.
"And you turned her down?" guessed Pyrrha. That would certainly explain why Weiss was upset. She and Ashley had clearly been having a good time together, so it would hurt to let Ashley down a second time, after Ruby.
"Worse," said Weiss, her voice dropping down to a whisper. "I...I said yes."
"Huh?" Pyrrha canted her head, staring incredulously at Weiss. "But...but that's wonderful, Weiss! Why would you be upset about that?"
"Because it's boneheaded and stupid!" snapped Weiss, looking up at Pyrrha. "If Father were to find out that I'm in a relationship with a faunus, I can say goodbye to my inheritance, and any chance to save my family's name. Worse, Ashley and her family would be put at risk all over again! But...but I...I..."
"But it felt too right," said Pyrrha, stepping closer and pulling Weiss into a hug. "Even if your head told you it was stupid, your heart wouldn't allow you to stay away. It's all right."
"But it's not," Weiss protested, even as she leaned into the embrace and hugged Pyrrha back. "I'm putting Ashley at risk like this. I can't protect her from Father...not by myself."
"Who said you'd be doing it by yourself?" asked Pyrrha, prompting Weiss to pull back enough that their gazes to meet. Pyrrha firmed her expression, taking on a look of stern determination. "Weiss, right here, you have seven people who are willing to stand with you and help you. You know Ruby would fight off the entire Atlesian military to protect Ashley, right?"
Weiss sniffled and nodded, unable to keep a ragged giggle from rising up in her throat.
"We won't let you face your Father alone," Pyrrha promised her. "We'll do whatever we can to help you. So don't give up on your own happiness so easily."
"I...I'll try," Weiss conceded.
"Good," said Pyrrha, raising her hands and using her thumbs to wipe away Weiss' tears. "That's enough for tonight. We need to get some rest. Our mission starts Monday...and it's going to be a doozy."
"You're right," said Weiss.
They opened the door to a dark dorm room. That wasn't a surprise. If Ruby and Jaune had come back earlier, and gone to bed, then of course the lights would be out. Weiss carefully made her way over to one of the desks, and turned on the lamp to its lowest level, giving off just enough light for her and Pyrrha to see by, but not enough that it would disturb the two sleepers, hopefully.
Immediately, they realized that something was off. The covers on Ruby's bed were undisturbed, but the lump beneath Jaune's covers indicated that he had come back, at least. But it made Weiss and Pyrrha wonder where Ruby had gone...until Pyrrha leaned over and realized that Jaune wasn't the only one in his bed.
Unable to help herself, Pyrrha found her face breaking into a happy and amused smile as he saw Jaune and Ruby, fast asleep, clearly holding each other tight beneath the covers, the pair of them out cold, not having even twitched at the sound or light from Weiss and Pyrrha's arrival.
"At least something good happened for somebody," Pyrrha whispered in an aside to Weiss.
For her part, Weiss frowned imperiously, and started forward, her high-class upbringing coming to the fore. However, she stopped when Pyrrha grabbed her gently, but firmly, by the shoulder.
"Don't wake them," Pyrrha said, still keeping her voice down. "Let them have this, for tonight at least."
Weiss looked at Pyrrha, then down at the cuddling pair, taking in the blissfully peaceful expression on Ruby's face. Slowly, she exhaled in a resigned sigh. "Fine," she conceded.
While Weiss went to use the shower, Pyrrha got out her scroll and snapped a picture of the sleeping couple, resolving to send it to Yang, sometime tomorrow, when Ruby would be awake enough to defend Jaune from the initial surge of her older sister's overprotective instincts. Once Yang got over that, Pyrrha was sure that she would find the sight just as cute as Pyrrha herself did. On top of that, Sasame would probably want to see it too. And it would be something that they would be able to tease the newly-minted couple with for weeks to come.
All told, it had definitely been a good night.
Even after getting safely back to her room, Cinder hadn't found the energy to change out of her infiltration outfit. Instead, she'd collapsed onto her bed, leaning back against the wall, her breath coming in slow pants. Her hair was ragged and matted with sweat.
After escaping from Beacon Tower, the plan had been to rendezvous with Mercury and Emerald at the dance, the other two providing the alibi Cinder needed to ensure that no one suspected she had been anywhere but the ballroom that night.
But now, there was no way Cinder could put on an appearance in the ballroom, not looking like she'd been through a full marathon. She'd equipped her outfit to transform into her formal dress. But there was nothing she could have done about how ragged and worn she currently looked. People would have undoubtedly noticed and, even with Emerald and Mercury vouching for her, would have had a hard time believing that she'd only been dancing that evening.
That girl... thought Cinder, biting at her thumbnail, ...I'm sure of it. She's one of them, a Maiden. There's another Maiden here, at Beacon Academy.
It was the only way Cinder could explain it. Ruby Rose had done an admirable job of clinging to her cover. But, once she'd gotten a proper weapon into her hands, she'd relinquished enough of her restraint to play her hand. Cinder had seen it clearly enough, the awesome power of nature itself unleashed, a power that had allowed her to cleave through one of the strongest attacks Cinder had ever used. There's no other explanation.
Knowing that, Cinder's path was clear. We need to secure her...somehow. The question was how and when. In her present situation, Ruby would always be under someone's eye. She wouldn't be missing for long, before Ozpin bent all his resources towards looking for her, assuming there was a way to take her, while she was on campus to begin with. It certainly wouldn't be an easy task. If anything, Cinder thought that Ruby might have been more dangerous than the Fall Maiden had been. Still, with the proper plan...
The door to her room opened with a click. Cinder looked up to see Emerald and Mercury file in, the pair of them looking confused.
"We missed you at the dance," Mercury pointed out.
"Something came up," said Cinder.
"Any problems?" asked Mercury.
"Everything went smoothly enough," said Cinder, a smile finding its way onto her face. "The job is done."
"Are you all right?" asked Emerald, worried by how ragged Cinder looked.
"Better than all right," cooed Cinder. "I've confirmed the identity of our dear Rose. There's no doubt in my mind now. She's one of them."
Emerald and Mercury exchanged bemused looks. "But Beacon already has the Fall Maiden," said Emerald. "Why would one of the others be here?"
"That should be one of the things we'll want to find out," said Cinder. "Fortunately, we now have the means to start looking."
Jaune hummed softly as he awakened. As he did, he slowly became conscious of a weight up against him, his arms wrapped around something soft and pleasant, which was also pressed up against his side. His chin was nestled up against something silky and smooth, with a faintly floral scent. As he began to stir, he could sense movement from the weight beside him.
Oh...right...Ruby... Jaune's memory, faulty first thing in the morning, was beginning to dredge up the details of last night: the dance, the woman, the fight, his confession, their kiss...
Looking down, Jaune's blue eyes slowly opened, finding a pair of silver ones staring back as Ruby looked up at him. Their cheeks were both pink as they stared at each other. Finally, after a long moment, the corners of Ruby's mouth curled up in a lazy smile. "'Morning," she said.
"'Morning," agreed Jaune, smiling back, as something clicked in the background.
The sight of Ruby's face, with such a sleepy, yet happy expression, caused overflowing affection to well up from within Jaune. Before he could even think to stop himself, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers in a gentle kiss. Ruby hummed in delight, and returned the gesture, their arms tightening their hold on each other, while their legs tangled together beneath the blankets. They pulled back away from each other, another click sounding as their lips parted.
"I guess it's time to get up," said Ruby.
"It's Sunday," Jaune pointed out. "We don't have to get up yet."
Ruby giggled giddily, loving the idea of spending more of the morning cuddling with Jaune. However, she knew it wasn't to be. For all she knew, it would only be a matter of moments before she'd be called to see Ozpin and Ironwood about the events of the previous night.
Unfortunately, there were other concerns to address first, as a polite, yet insistent, "Ahem," sounded from behind them.
Ruby and Jaune froze, their eyes going wide as they realized that they were not alone. Swallowing nervously, Jaune pulled his head back, and looked up, while Ruby turned hers around to do the same. Their mortification was combined with a complete lack of surprise as they saw Weiss and Pyrrha there, perched on the edge of Pyrrha's bed, watching the other pair. Both girls were still in their nightgowns, and their expressions, as they took in the tender scene playing out before them, were a study in contrasts.
Weiss' expression was a stony, barely a step down from outright disapproval, not quite frowning, but definitely not smiling. Next to her, Pyrrha smiled...dangerously. It was hard to imagine Pyrrha Nikos, of all people, looking like the cat that just ate the canary, but she pulled the look off with impressive aplomb. And, seeing the scroll in her hand, it wasn't hard to imagine why she looked so pleased with herself, Jaune and Ruby realizing just what those clicks earlier had been.
"Uh..." grunted Jaune.
"Finally awake, I see," said Weiss, speaking in a cool tone.
"Um..." squeaked Ruby, her cheeks heating up to the point she thought they would burst into flame.
Pyrrha giggled at the deer-in-the-headlights look the couple was giving her and Weiss.
"Well then, now that you're finally conscious, I believe we need to have a talk," said Weiss firmly.
Ruby squeaked again, then dove beneath the blankets, pulling them up over her head. Jaune looked down in amused consternation. "Hey! Don't leave me alone with them!"
"Ruby Rose, you can't hide from this," declared Weiss imperiously. "Come out of that bed, right now!"
"Never!" came the muffled cry from beneath the blanket.
"I could always send these pictures to Yang," suggested Pyrrha, beaming with dangerous innocence. "I'm sure that she'd love to see how happy the two of you are."
"Noooooo!" wailed Ruby.
"Yeah...I'd like to keep my teeth intact," added Jaune uneasily.
"Then come out," demanded Weiss.
After a long pause, Ruby's voice returned with a muffled, "Fine." A moment's squirming later, she popped her head out from beneath the covers, drawing another bout of laughter from Pyrrha at the tangled state of her hair and the petulant look on her face.
"Good," said Weiss. "Now...out. I assume you're at least wearing your pajamas."
"Yeah," grumbled Ruby, crawling out from beneath the blankets to sit on the edge of the bed, Jaune joining her.
"Good," said Weiss with a huff, folding her arms across her chest. "Now, since it's apparent that the two of you are more than just partners right now, I believe it's important that we establish some ground rules."
"All right," said Ruby, sighing resignedly.
"First things first, you two did leave the dance rather early last night," noted Weiss, remembering that she'd lost track of them at least three hours before the dance officially wound down for the night. "I am hoping that it wasn't because the two of you chose to be intimate with each other, while we weren't in the room."
Jaune blushed, but Ruby huffed. "No, we didn't have sex," she confirmed.
"Good," said Weiss. "That had better remain the case for the foreseeable future. Just in case I was not clear enough, you two are not to engage in any such...relations."
"We weren't planning on it," said Ruby, Jaune nodding stiffly and nervously beside her.
"Yes, well...I've often heard that something like that can end up being quite spontaneous," said Weiss, nodding to herself. "Therefore, we shall make it clear that you are planning to not do that."
"Weiss...that's a little far," Pyrrha pointed out. "They only just got together last night."
"And look at them now," Weiss retorted. "They're already sharing a bed.
"It would be one thing if the two of them were on separate teams, where they'd normally be staying in separate rooms. But they're on the same team, in the same room. They're partners too. Because of that, they have to deal with extra temptation. Someone has to set some boundaries."
Weiss returned her gaze to Ruby and Jaune. "Now then, let me make this clear. I get the feeling the two of you will do well together. However, you need to exercise some restraint. So...you will only be allowed to sleep in the same bed on weekend evenings. No...canoodling...on weeknights. Is that understood?"
"We understand," said Ruby, surprisingly firmly.
Weiss sighed. "Very well then. At this point, that's all I can ask. This is a shared space, after all, so you need to be mindful that you two are not the only people using this room."
"We know, Weiss," said Ruby, Jaune nodding next to her.
"Now then...as far as the issue of sex is concerned, I'm assuming you've had some education," said Weiss.
Ruby nodded. "Like I told Jaune, my sister is a healer. Sasame-nee taught me everything I need to know."
"And, even though we made it clear that sex is not going to happen in the foreseeable future, I'm aware that...accidents...do happen." Weiss took a deep breath. "So...on the issue of protection..."
"I'm covered," said Ruby, eliciting surprised looks from everyone else in the room.
"Y-you are?" gasped Pyrrha.
"Healer-sister, remember," Ruby reminded them with a smirk. "Sasame-nee gave me a...treatment. It's a hundred-percent effective." She blushed and looked down. "It also helps with...other...problems."
"Oh..." said Weiss, all three other members of RASP understanding. Jaune might have been a boy, but he'd lived with eight other girls for most of his life, so he'd had more experience with feminine issues than most other males would consider healthy.
"Yeah...Sasame-nee is gonna have to undo it, if I want to have kids," said Ruby. "But we definitely don't have to worry about that for a while."
"True," agreed Pyrrha. "In any case, Weiss'...remonstrations...aside, we're both very happy for both of you."
"Thank you," said Jaune.
"We'll also be willing to help Ruby run interference, once Yang finds out," added Pyrrha, drawing a strangled grunt from Jaune.
"Thanks," said Ruby, giggling at Jaune's nervousness.
Over on her desk, Ruby's scroll buzzed. Getting up, Ruby picked up her scroll and checked it. "I have to go," she said.
"What is it?" asked Pyrrha.
"Is it Ironwood?" asked Jaune.
"Yeah," said Ruby, already gathering her clothes together.
"Wait! What?" Weiss lurched to her feet. "Why would Ironwood be messaging you now?"
"Does it have to do with our mission?" asked Pyrrha.
"Uh...not really," said Jaune.
"You can tell them," explained Ruby, disappearing into the bathroom.
"Right..." said Jaune, meeting the worried looks of Weiss and Pyrrha. "So, things got a little busy last night..."
By the time Jaune had wrapped up his explanation of what had happened, and fielded the inevitable questions, Ruby had bounced out of the bathroom and out the door. Weiss and Pyrrha took their turns getting dressed next. Afterwards, they both headed out to enjoy their last day of rest before their mission began on Monday.
For her part, Weiss wasn't sure what to do, feeling strangely aimless. She supposed she could go visit Ashley and her family, maybe take Ashley out to do something. Considering what had happened just the previous evening, Weiss enjoyed the idea of it, yet also balked at it, worried about people drawing conclusions, should they see her and Ashley spending time together.
Still, at the very least, she could spend some time with Ashley, maybe make sure her parents were aware of the situation, and were all right with it. While Elowen might have warmed up to her, Weiss knew that Ashley's mother had initially viewed her with suspicion, and Weiss wanted to be sure that she was all right with a Schnee dating her daughter.
Sadly, Weiss' plans were interrupted by the sound of her scroll. Pulling it out, Weiss saw the ID of the caller contacting her...and paled.
Her first impulse was to ignore it. Perhaps he would assume that she was busy, and give up. However, she knew that putting it off was likely to only make it more unpleasant, once she finally got around to answering it. Reluctantly, she answered the call.
"Hello, Father," she said.
"Weiss," Jacques Schnee's voice replied, clipped and terse, "good of you to finally speak with me. It would seem that we have some important matters to talk about."
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