*Gasp* a white rose fic from a freezerburn writer?! I'm trying something new after recently writing about 180 chapters of freezerburn. Hope ya like :D
Big shout out to Shadow Nightblade for helping with the premise! The former title was called 'Patching a Cold' which was a pun courtesy of him. #alltheregret.
"What did the salmon say when it hit the wall?"
From Taiyang's ridiculous question, the team sat around the table in silence.
Ruby internally groaned from what was to come. Weiss stared at the man blankly, already dreading having a conversation with this man. To prepare herself, Blake folded her cat ears on top of her head to spare her the agony. Yang was eager and leaned over the table to hear the finishing line.
"Damn," Taiyang said the joke cheekily.
Multiple groans and a laugh.
Yang proudly held out her fist. Happily, her father fist bumped her.
"Good one!" Yang cheered with a wide grin.
In a monotone voice, Blake deadpanned. "No, it wasn't."
Since the group just ate delicious salmon for dinner, Taiyang found it fitting.
Taiyang never lost that sunny smile. "I'm the pun master."
As if to agree, the little corgi barked. Zwei had been eyeballing the food the entire time and behaved like a good boy. To praise him, Taiyang casually tossed a soft piece of pink salmon down to him. Before the fish hit the ground, it met Zwei's jaws.
"See?" Taiyang said. "Zwei agrees."
From the challenge, Yang's eyebrows rose as she leaned back in her seat. Her arms were crossed like she couldn't believe what her father had just said. "Excuse you?"
While they stared each other down, Weiss sighed.
"Please do not proceed."
At the rate things were going, the inevitable would happen…
Another pun-off.
"Blakey, back me up here!" Yang yelped, looking for some encouragement. "Dad's got nothin' on me!"
The faunus sat there with a frown, contemplating life and how they got here. Just a week ago, she and her team were at Beacon. Now here they were, on an isolated island fondly called Patch.
Currently, the team was on a break from school. Since Blake and Weiss didn't plan to go to their homes, Ruby and Yang invited them to hang out for a week in Patch. Obviously, Blake and Weiss hadn't met their father and wondered what he'd be like. Turns out he was the male version of Yang. Fantastic.
Still, he was a welcoming and hospitable man. This was only the second day of their vacation and Blake and Weiss felt completely at home here. Although things did get hectic with the banter sometimes.
To egg his daughter on, Taiyang said with a smirk. "Let's taco 'bout it."
That earned multiple sighs.
Yang cracked her knuckles and rolled up her sleeves like she was getting ready for a fight. "Alright, I see how it is. Food puns. Bring it."
Since Ruby was the judge of the previous pun-offs, she was eager to see how this would go. Excited, Ruby chimed in and slammed her hands on the table. "It was just brung!" she looked confused and stared at the ceiling. "Brang? Brought?" she then looked to Weiss for approval like a puppy.
"You're such a dunce," was all Weiss said.
Ruby sent her the widest grin. "I know you love me, Weissy!"
She received a huff.
Yang was feeling the intensity of the situation and followed her sister's lead, slamming her hands on the table. As a result, the glass plates shook.
"Eggscuse me?" Yang retorted, never losing that smile. "We're tryin' to have a pun off here!"
Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "Stop. Save us our sanity."
"Whatever," the blonde blatantly egged her on. "I don't give a jam."
Blake agreed with Weiss and scowled. "Someone tape her mouth shut."
"Guys," Taiyang sent them a stern expression, which was quickly lost when he spoke. "Quit waffling around. I pancake it anymore."
Blake and Weiss looked like they wanted to scream at the heavens and heavily groaned. The only reason why Ruby didn't react was that she was numb and immune to these kinds of lame jokes. Meanwhile, Yang had the opposite reaction and gave her father a high-five.
Yang cupped her hands over her mouth. "Boonana!" she booed.
From that, Taiyang smirked, having already thought of a response. "You wanna pizza me!?"
When the faunus realized there was no end in sight, she stood. Her chair creaked on the wooden floor as all eyes landed on her.
"I'm out."
Weiss admired that she was able to do that. It looked like Taiyang didn't mind. Taking comfort in that fact, she joined her teammate and stood. It was a shame. Dinner had been so pleasant until the lame jokes.
"Blakey?" Yang asked in exasperation. "I thought you liked our pun-offs!"
"You thought very wrong," the faunus deadpanned.
Ruby looked up at her partner. "You too, Weiss?"
"Blake and I can handle your family's other antics," Weiss informed. "However, the pun-offs crosses the line."
The faunus nodded in agreement. Together, the pair turned to walk away.
"W-wait, Weiss!" Ruby reached for her, but her partner was out of reach.
Not wanting to be away from her, Ruby followed after her.
The two blondes were left alone at the table.
"Wait!" Yang yelled after them. "We need judges!"
A bark.
It was then that the father and daughter glanced at the floor, where Zwei was panting. His tongue cutely lolled to the side as he tilted his head.
"Alright," Yang gave in. "I guess you can be the judge."
"Thank goodness we got away from them."
After Weiss said that, her breath was visible in the chilly night.
From the comment, Ruby giggled. "Dad and Yang can be a handful sometimes."
"How have you managed?" Weiss sounded amazed.
Ruby just shrugged. "I got used to it."
"Unbelievable…" Weiss muttered. "That's inhuman."
"You make it sound like it's some superpower," Ruby smiled.
"It might as well be," Weiss agreed. Just then, there was a rather strong breeze that made her shiver. "Remind me why we're out here?"
The red and white pair had been walking outside in the forest for about fifteen minutes. Since it was the fall season, it was chillier than usual. Especially at night. They had to use the shy moonlight to guide them.
"You'll see," Ruby said happily like she was looking forward to it. It was then that she noticed her partner shiver. "Are you cold?"
"N-no," Weiss replied, trying to resist the stutter. She had a jacket on, but that wasn't enough for someone who was naturally cold.
She certainly didn't think they'd be outside for this long. It looked like Ruby was used to it since she grew up in Patch. The leader didn't even have goosebumps.
From the obvious lie, Ruby playfully rolled her eyes. "I gotcha."
She quickly took off her red cape and draped it around her trembling partner.
At first, Weiss protested. "Wait, dolt. Isn't it important to you?"
"Yeah," Ruby admitted. "You're also important to me, silly. I don't want you to be cold."
From the sentimental statement, Weiss was taken aback. Her partner said that so casually that it caused her heartbeat to quicken. She allowed Ruby to finish enveloping her with the soothing material. It felt like a warm blanket and smelled of roses. Truly intoxicating in the best way. Her heart to skip a few more beats, and she was left to wonder why as the warmth engulfed her form.
"Thank you," Weiss said softly with a hint of red on her cheeks.
Ruby sent her a grin. "No problem. Tell me if you get frostbite."
That caused Weiss to almost giggle. "It won't get that bad."
"You're right, I won't let it get that bad."
The two briefly shared smiles before focusing on the path ahead. They walked for a few more minutes, and then a gravestone was in view. It was a shadow in the moonlight. A rose was in the center and below the beautiful flower were the intricate words engraved in cursive:
Summer Rose
Thus Kindly I Scatter
"Is this…" Weiss breathed.
"I wanted you to meet her," Ruby revealed softly.
From the sight, Weiss' lips quivered. "Why...?"
This.
This was only meant for someone special to see. The gravesite of Ruby's mother. The legendary huntress who had fallen in battle. Occasionally, Ruby mentioned Summer. When she spoke of her, she always adorned a twinkle in those silver eyes.
Being right here. Right now- was an honor. A privilege.
Weiss had trouble processing why she was here. How Ruby trusted her so much.
Sensing her thoughts, Ruby grasped her hand. "You're my partner, Weiss. You're an important person in my life. I've been thinking about this for the longest time. It felt weird to not have you meet her."
"Thank you, Ruby," Weiss said from the bottom of her heart. "It means a lot."
"Yeah…" Ruby replied with a faint smile. Silver eyes trailed back to the gravestone.
The partners thought about how far they'd come. In the beginning, Weiss viewed her leader as incompetent. Someone who shouldn't have made it into Beacon, much less be a leader. She couldn't have been more wrong.
Ruby had proven time and time again that she was fully capable of holding her own and even mobilizing her team. She took charge at the drop of a hat, and above all, loved like no one else.
Weiss still didn't understand how someone could be so pure. So perfect.
It was cold, but her hand was warm. The cape around her fluttered and maintained a blob of heat. The aroma of roses wafted in her noses again, and Weiss gently inhaled, trying to savor it.
Slowly, Weiss looked over to stare at Ruby. Her head was dipped and her eyes were closed. She was probably having a moment with her mom. Following her lead, Weiss closed her eyes and dipped her head at her partner's deceased mother.
I wish we could've met, Ms. Rose, Weiss thought. I'll take care of your daughter. You have no need to worry. As long as I'm here, she'll never feel lonely.
"You ready to go?" Ruby suddenly asked.
"Y-yeah," Weiss hastily replied. She didn't say much, but she made her point and truly meant it.
Ruby sent her another soft smile. "Let's get you out of the cold before you turn into an icicle."
"I appreciate you not saying Weissicle."
That earned a chuckle. "I figured you'd want a break from the puns."
"You figured correctly."
With that, the partners began to walk back to the comfort of home. The leaves crunched beneath their feet, and there was another breeze. The whole way, Weiss resisted the urge to shudder.
Since Weiss was usually opposed to physical contact, Ruby tried to keep some distance. Although, that proved to be challenging. Ruby was a natural cuddle bug, so physical contact came naturally to her. Still, she wanted to respect her partner's boundaries. Hopefully, her cape would keep her warm enough.
Eventually, their hands had separated during the walk. Weiss elected to clutch the cape around her instead.
"What do you think they're doing?" Ruby asked, curious. "I'm pretty sure Blake wanted a movie night."
"That sounds fun. Yang's no doubt being a brute," Weiss said like it was obvious. "And Blake's probably doing her best to put up with that."
"I feel like that's the basis of their relationship," Ruby pointed out.
"I think that just comes from interacting with Yang," Weiss replied.
Together, they shared a few laughs. When they calmed down, there was another breeze. Only the sounds of leaves crunching reached their ears with the occasional rustle of the trees.
"Hey, Ruby?" Weiss asked.
"Yeeeees, my dear partner?" Ruby drawled.
"Did your mother like cookies as much as you do?" Weiss asked, solemn. She wasn't poking fun at her. It was more of a genuine question of curiosity.
Ruby took a moment to ponder. "Mom made me cookies all the time. She ate some whenever she was baking them, but I always wolfed most of them down."
"I see," Weiss said with a tiny smile. "So she's responsible for your little obsession."
"Why does everyone think I have a problem?"
On cue, a cookie dropped onto the cold grass. The plop noise rang out as the pair stood there in silence. It didn't take long for Weiss to shoot her a knowing look.
"Stupid lady pockets…" Ruby mumbled as she knelt to pick up the treat.
"Ew no, leave it you dolt," Weiss said in disgust as she lowered her leader's hand. "Let some animal have it."
"Ugh fine," Ruby admitted defeat. She didn't like wasting a perfectly good cookie. Although now that one was soggy. "Why must you make me suffer?"
Weiss quirked an eyebrow. "You're the one with random cookies in your pockets. I can't imagine how many crumbs are in there."
Ruby just shrugged. "You get used to it."
"That's not something you should get used to."
Jokingly, Ruby replied. "Look at me. I'm Weiss. I only eat salad and nothing actually yummy."
Weiss crossed her arms. "I don't have to take this."
That earned a tiny giggle.
From her laugh, Weiss smiled. "Do you want to- agh!"
Suddenly, something hit Weiss from behind. It felt like a boulder slammed into her at full force, which rattled her skull. Somehow, she missed several trees along the way and hazily heard the frantic call of her name. The collision was so powerful that Weiss flew backward and careened into a nearby pond with a resounding splash.
Under the water, Weiss heard a few gunshots pierce the air above.
Now numb all over, Weiss dragged herself out of the freezing water. She slowly shook her head to gain her bearings as her vision blurred. The only thing she registered was how cold she was and the gross mud as a few more shots rang out.
Uncontrollably, Weiss violently shivered. The adrenaline alone is what got her to her feet despite her not being able to feel her legs.
"R-Ruby!"
"I'm good!" Ruby reassured.
It was so relieving to hear her partner's voice. This compelled the leader to finish the fight. Two beowolves encircled Ruby while the black mass in front of Weiss withered away. That beowolf must've been shot when it tried to chase after her.
To help her partner, Weiss summoned a glyph to veer her out of the way of what would be a lethal swipe.
Ruby was expecting that and used the glyph to her advantage. Like an executioner, Ruby decapitated both grimm in one rapid swing. It was mesmerizing to watch under the moonlight. The red blurred because she spun so fast. For a moment, it looked like Ruby was a knight in shining red armor.
It didn't take long for Ruby to dart over to her freezing friend.
"Are you okay?!" Ruby frantically asked.
A high-pitched sneeze.
"Oh no," Ruby said. "That's not good."
"S-s-sorry I g-got your cape wet," Weiss' teeth chattered as she gripped the red cloak.
It was soaked and draped around her form. Before, it entrapped the heat. Now, it was dead weight and served to make her colder.
"That hardly matters. It can be fixed in a dryer," Ruby replied knowingly. "You, on the other hand, need to get back home now."
"I-I wouldn't b-be opposed to that."
Rapidly, Ruby leaned down and scooped her partner in a bridal carry. This elicited a surprised squeal.
"W-what're you doing?!"
"Getting back faster," Ruby said as she looked down at her. "Hold on."
Knowing this was the best plan, Weiss wrapped her hands around her neck. In the frigid night, Ruby was warm.
So warm...
Ruby to the rescue! Expect another chapter next week. Shadow Nightblade titled this fic ADIHH because of the pond! Thought it was cuuuuuute.
Stay dandy,
~Toto