Growth
"I don't know how I never realised you've gotten so tall."
Perhaps it was the fact that, as of late, Ruby and Pyrrha hadn't had very much time to spend together. Third year was a busy time for everyone involved as physical assignments became thrice as taxing and exams became enough to make even the sharpest of students stay up until the early hours cramming in preparation, and both girls had been too distracted to really find any time to do much of anything together. Their hours were all planned around working with their partners and their teams, so anybody outside of those critical three that they bunked with tended to be pushed back into any spare time that was left over… of which, naturally, there was very little.
Today was one of those rare days when, somehow, things fell together and suddenly there was time, if only a few hours at best, and Pyrrha hadn't been surprised at all to hear three sharp knocks against JNPR's door and Ruby's glowing smile on the other side immediately asking Pyrrha to spend it with her, if that was okay?
She hadn't needed to think long to know that the answer was yes.
They'd ended up taking a walk, after about five minutes of deciding what to do. They were regularly put through the wringer in spars for class, so sparring together was out. They'd both been reading so much academic material that even the thought of opening a book was enough to make them both feel exhausted, so going to the library was out too. It was Pyrrha who suggested a walk and Ruby was immediately eager, so hand-in-hand they ended up walking about the edges of Beacon, admiring the views of Vale from so far above and watching the sun sink low as evening drew in, bringing with it an early spring chill.
It was then Pyrrha had looked over to Ruby to offer a comment of how pretty the sights were when she realised that the top of Ruby's head was now level with her eyes, if not a little higher. Before, some time back in second year, the girl's head hadn't even reached the smooth curve of her shoulders yet now… the realisation was enough to make what Pyrrha said slip out of her mouth thoughtlessly, emerald eyes having to look Ruby up and down with renewed view.
"Huh? Oh- yeah, uh... yeah!" Ruby seemed a little pleased, rubbing at her cheek as her grip on Pyrrha's hand tightened. "Yang says my Xaio Long genes are finally coming through. These past few months, y'know, I've been like fwp." The sound was joined up Ruby's other hand flying upwards to point at the cloudless sky above, a rueful grin spreading across her face to glint in the sunlight. Pyrrha felt a laugh bubble up and let it, the sound echoing around the empty space on the edge of Beacon as Ruby put her hand back into one pocket of her red hoodie. "Weiss is kinda bitter about it. She's the shortest on the team now by, like, a foot. She keeps asking me how much one person can grow in like two years."
Pyrrha nudged Ruby with one shoulder, mimicking her grin before ruffling hair that required so much more reach than it ever did before. "A lot, apparently."
That was right - Ruby was seventeen now, with all the growth to prove it, and it struck Pyrrha suddenly that this should've been the teenager who came to Beacon, had all the proper entry protocols been followed. She'd seen the new first years come in a few months ago and had watched Ruby greet all her old friends with vigour, telling them excitedly all about how great Beacon was, and what the classes were like, and here's my team and this is my… girlfriend! Pyrrha Nikos! and all sorts more. Pyrrha tried to imagine Ruby coming in with them, lithe and strong and easily a head higher, eyes bright with anticipation and body thrumming with energy, and found her face only heating up in response. She had to confess to herself she probably would've fallen for her from the get-go if that had been the case. Cute girls who were also tall girls who were also extremely proficient with weapons? Yeah, okay, maybe she had a type.
"Pyrrha? You okay?"
The few seconds of silent musing it had taken was enough to have Ruby squirming, leaning forwards to try and catch Pyrrha's eyes. "Helloooo? Something up?"
Pyrrha blinked, and then shook her head. "Oh. Nothing." And then, for no reason at all other than to quell Ruby's concern: "I was thinking, actually, that it must be a little easier for you to kiss me now."
That worked, and Ruby's knitted brows and tight lips changed to a face-and-neck blush that made the scarlet evening sky pale in comparison. Ruby was so easily flustered when Pyrrha was really direct, mumbling out sounds that might've been intended to be words but ended up just being a string of nonsense, and Pyrrha laughed when Ruby reached up to pull her hood over and down to cover her face.
"Pyrrha!" The muffled cry just made her laugh harder, and their hands split just so the (marginally) taller girl could cover her mouth as she tried and failed to make herself stop. When she peered over her shoulder, Ruby was glaring at her from under the brim of her hood, face still terribly red, and it left Pyrrha snorting with laughter until Ruby darted closer in a flourish of petals, a hand whipping out to grab Pyrrha's once more and pull it from her face to make green eyes meet grey.
"Then… then let's see if it is!"
Pyrrha's smile faded as she tried to understand what she meant, humour-addled mind slow to catch up as the words what is? rose in her chest, but then Ruby leaned forwards to close the gap between them.
Oh.
It was easier.
[Author's Note] Suuuuuuuuuuuuper short fic. tol!Ruby is best Ruby.
(EDIT: ty for the heads up that the formatting opted to be super funky for no reason!)