The Rose House
AN: So, this is what I have planned for the holidays. It was going to be a one-shot then some small bits in a separate fic, but I decided to combine them because they were essentially the same base. This is going to be sweet.
Chapter 1: Solstice
Ruby felt so warm in Jaune's embrace. It never mattered how cold their new house got, he was always a source of warmth. It had been a year since Levi attacked them. A year since the only home she had ever truly known was burned down. But Citrine was a year old too.
When Ruby decided to open her eyes, it was still dark. Snow from winter's arrival covered the ground. Ruby stared at Jaune's sleeping face and curled up into it. She diligently grabbed her scroll from behind her. It was six-thirty in the morning. It was the day of the solstice. The following day would be the shortest one all year.
So, Ruby decided to get a quick jump on it. Solstice was a big deal on Remnant. The whole island had been in a festive mood all month. Ruby had done a fair amount of part attending in this time. The best was the one with Weiss last week. But that was mostly because Ruby got to see Eiess and Citrine play for the first time. Jaune was worried that Citrine was going to end up being a bully, the way she overpowered the slightly younger girl.
Ruby wormed her way out of bed and made some coffee for her and Jaune, and some milk for Citrine. She debated on whether to make waffles or pancakes. Sure, they were basically the same thing, but they weren't really.
She decided on pancakes and started making them. She took her coffee and started drinking it and left Jaune's on the table for whenever he decided to wake up. After the third pancake was done she felt familiar hands around her stomach.
"Good morning." Jaune said.
"Good morning." Ruby blushed as he kissed her exposed neck.
"Pancakes." He said. She slapped his hand.
"Wait for Citrine." She said. "We're eating as a family."
"Oh…that's right." He turned her around and kissed her on the lips. "Could be a while." He put his hands on her hips. "Might as well get into something while we wait."
He picked her up and attacked her lips. She yelped at the surprise assault. With a spatula still in hand she curled her arms around his neck. Better judgement on her part won out and she pushed him away.
"Go get Citrine." She ordered.
"But we were just having fun." Jaune whined. Ruby looked at him sternly until he submitted. "Fine." He huffed.
"The day is short but the night is long." She said as he turned his back on her. She pinched his butt for good measure. She just wanted to have a picturesque breakfast with her family.
Citrine was a year old and was already descent at walking. Jaune set her up in a high chair as Ruby made her plate. Ruby sat at the square table in arms reach of both her loves. She had to make childish motor sounds to get Citrine to eat. The kid was having nothing of it today. She was always so fussy in the morning. Ruby wondered if it would be better to let her sleep as much as she wanted.
After breakfast, they opened presents. Most of their presents were opened via the many parties they went to in the last month. Ruby got Jaune some new clothes, some office supplies, and a yellow cape. Jaune got her a necklace, a new book, and some lingerie. Ruby was just glad he decided to give that to her now rather than in front of any of their friends. Even though the evidence was currently teething on a doll, they didn't need to open discussion like that in a public forum.
Ruby got Citrine the most adorable little black dress. Yes, she preferred to dress her daughter in orange like her namesake but it would also be good to diversify the kid's wardrobe. Plus, black went with everything. It was another thing that her and Jaune both wore regularly.
She also gave Citrine a couple new toys. Citrine loved playing with stuffed animals, especially of the cartoon variety. The doll she was currently suckling on was a white Pumpkin Pete her aunt Amery had gotten her. Jaune, and all the Arcs, followed suit to fill Citrine's room with all sorts of trinkets and toys for her. Except Rouge, who had made half the baby's dresser inhabitants.
After opening presents they started watching television and listening to music. Jaune was on lunch duty. So, he made the girls some ham sandwiches. He had to cut Citrine's into little chunks to keep her from choking on it.
Ruby felt a little jealous at how well she behaved at lunch compared to dinner. Of course, it was probably due to being later in the day. Still, why was Jaune the preferred parent?
After they ate they played some games and watched more movies. As the short day drew to a close they bundled up and went out to watch the sunset. Jaune kept Citrine preoccupied with all her new toys. Meanwhile, Ruby made a duck for dinner.
The duck was delicious, as was the wine Ruby had with it. Citrine just drank the bottle of milk as if her life depended on it. She was at least better than the morning. But, with the nature of the meal she left quite the mess. Ruby cleaned her up with a bath. After cleaning Citrine, she decided to get in the bath herself. Citrine was having too much fun in the water and screamed every time Ruby tried taking her out. So, Ruby just stripped down and climbed in.
She was quick to clean but stayed in longer to play boats with the one-year-old. As Citrine got exhausted, Ruby capitalized on her chance to get them both out, dried and changed. Citrine still protested but it was Ruby's turn to have none of it. She talked Citrine down and got her dried. Citrine tried kicking her socks off at every turn but Ruby would just slip them back on.
Ruby sat and watched cartoons while Jaune took his turn in the shower. Citrine was starting to look sleepy. Jaune walked out of the bathroom in his pajama pants and nothing else. Had Ruby been a hormonal teenager and not a slightly less hormonal twenty-something, she would have checked him out. But she'd seen that body basically every day for five years.
"Am I supposed to be impressed?" She said.
"No…" He sat down next to her. Citrine sprawled across both of their laps. "Just reminding you of how good you have it."
"I get enough reminders." She put her head on his shoulder.
"I know, but there's never too many." He said. One hand stroked her hair and the other stroked Citrine's.
"I'm going to get us something to drink." She maneuvered back into the kitchen and pulled out the bottle of wine. She poured them both a glass of wine and returned to a thankful looking Jaune.
"Thank you." He took one of the glasses. Ruby curled up beside him.
"No, thank you…for making this the best Solstice ever."
"It wasn't that great." He said.
"Jaune, Solstice has always been…a mournful time for me. My mother left on her last mission just before Solstice. It's why I never take any missions this time of year. It's just…superstition."
"Well what about all those other Solstice's?" Jaune ghosted a hand up her back causing her to shiver and blush all at once. Five years, five years they've been together and she was still just putty in his hands. But he was so much less on those rarer occasions where she was the one trying. "I seem to remember quite the long night two Solstice's ago."
"Well, last Solstice we had just gotten through all that Vile…Levi…Cipher bull. Before that…" She blushed as she remembered how that particular night went. "Well, this is the first one we can really spend as a family. Not as a married pair." She reasoned.
"I can see that." Jaune admitted. "She's quite the treasure." He said as he looked down at her sleeping form.
"I once had a hole in my heart. No matter what I did nothing filled it. Then one day, the night we first kissed I had a new heart. But it wasn't complete until the day Citrine saw the world."
"I'm honored to be such an important part of your heart." Jaune said.
"Citrine is better." Ruby joked.
"That's still half my space." Jaune argued. "I did half the work and took care of you. Not to mention I'm pretty sure I did all the work that first night." He said with a grin.
"Whatever you say." Ruby rolled her eyes and finished her glass. "Speaking of which, we should get Citrine to bed."
"You read my mind."
AN: I empathize with Citrine. I too am dreadfully tired. As I write this, I just posted the last chapter of RWBYond the Sea. Add that to the coming day being the fifth of six days of ten hour work shifts and you got a recipe for a tired mediaocrity.