This idea was suggested to me by Moongarm, whom this fic is dedicated to! Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

Winding Down

The blaring of Vale's alarm system had been ringing out for over an hour now.

The wailing sirens had gone off the second the Grimm had breached the walls of the city, and even past the snarling beasts and whirring Airships and other discombobulating sounds of the great battle, those sirens had always been audible in the background.

Only recently had they been cut off, but even so, the sounds still reverberated in Ruby's ears; she was certain she'd be hearing them for weeks to come.

Presently, she had just boarded one of Beacon's Airships, the one that would take them home after a long mission and brutal battle. She sat beside Weiss with Zwei at her feet, and across from them were Blake and Yang. Other students continued boarding, while the teachers and authorities would stay behind to start the town cleanup.

Now that they could all finally sit down and relax for a while on the trip home, Ruby took the opportunity to give her team a quick once-over, and caught Weiss doing the same for her.

"Everybody okay?" Ruby asked.

"Fine," Blake replied.

"That was one heck of a fight," Yang sighed. "I'm just glad they caught Torchwick." She reached her arms up behind her head until her shoulders both popped.

Weiss flinched and scrunched her nose.

"I'll say," she agreed. "I'm just glad everything worked out in the end. It's amazing there weren't any casualties."

"That's because we kicked butt!" Ruby said proudly, puffing up her chest. But her heroic declaration was quickly thwarted by the unmistakable rumble of a hungry stomach.

Weiss and Blake hid chuckles behind their hands while Yang reached forward to poke her sister's stomach with an "aww~!"

"Yaaaang!" Ruby swatted her away. "Meanie!"

"Aw, don't be embarrassed!"

"Shut uuup!" Ruby whined, slouching back into her seat. "Ugh, I'm so hungryyy..."

"I'm sore," Weiss sighed.

"Tired," Blake added.

"I'm ready to celebrate!"

All three of them gave Yang puzzled, incredulous stares as she spoke in a cheerful voice. Yang blinked in confusion, tilting her head to one side as her gaze swept around them all.

"What?"

"Really?" Weiss grunted. "After all of that and still all you can think about is partying?"

"Not partying," Yang corrected. "Celebrating. It's totally different."

"I'm so sure," the heiress muttered.

"It is!" the blonde said matter-of-factly.

Blake interjected before the two of them could start bickering about something so trivial.

"Alright, well either way, just let me sleep when we get back," she requested.

"Aww really?" her partner whined. "You won't even stay up a little to watch a movie or something together?"

"I mean I could try, but no promises..."

As they talked, the ship finally closed its doors and started to take off. Ruby had been quiet for a few moments, and Weiss had assumed she was planning which kind of snack she'd gorge herself on once they got back to Beacon; the heiress made a mental note to keep track so her partner wouldn't make herself sick.

But when their leader spoke again, it surprisingly didn't involve food.

"I got it!" she exclaimed, jumping up from her seat in the process. Blake and Yang cut off their conversation and Weiss jumped before grabbing her partner's sleeve and dragging her back into her seat.

"Ruby, sit down! We're moving now!"

"Huh? Oh yeah, right. Sorry," she said with a sheepish grin. "But like I said, I got it!"

Weiss heaved a sigh and humored her.

"Got what, exactly?"

"An idea for what we can do when we get back!" she beamed. "Okay so I'm hungry, Weiss is sore, Blake is tired, and Yang wants to celebrate right? But why can't we satisfy all of those needs together? First we'll get some food and snacks, and Weiss can take a hot bath or something while we're out. Then, when we come back, we'll change into our pajammies and put a movie on as we eat and that'll be like celebrating a bit for Yang! And by then we should all be tired enough for bed, right? But it shouldn't be too long a wait, Blake, only an hour or two – as long as the movie lasts! Does that sound okay with everyone?"

Even if it hadn't sounded okay with them, none of them would have dared admitting so at the risk of potentially wiping that heartwarming smile off of Ruby's face.

Luckily, none of them had any oppositions anyway.

"Good plan," Weiss nodded.

"That sounds fine," Blake agreed.

"Yeah!" Yang grinned. "That's why you're the leader, sis!" She stood and leaned forward to ruffle her sister's hair, earning her more whines from Ruby and more scoldings from Weiss to "sit down!"

As the ship continued to fly them back to the school, Blake got a bit of a head start with her nap, and the others followed suit, even Yang.

The ride only lasted about ten minutes longer, a frustrating amount of time that was just enough to allow them to slip into a light slumber, but didn't allow them any satisfying rest.

When the ship landed and opened its doors, the sun had sunken behind the horizon, spreading an orange dusk around the school buildings.

Ruby was the first to open her eyes, yawning softly. She roused Weiss, and then the two of them shook Blake and Yang awake. Together, the four of them filed off the Air Ship with Ruby at the front followed by Zwei, and her sister bringing up the rear, making sure to keep Blake and Weiss on their feet and moving forward.

There were slight limps in their gaits, but more from exhaustion rather than wounds they might've sustained. The worst injury Ruby knew of was Weiss' sore side where a Beowulf had swiped her, a blow she'd taken to defend Ruby herself. She kept close to her partner as they headed into the school, making sure to keep an eye on the enervated heiress.

Blake and Yang meandered behind them, and by the time they reached the room, it felt as though they all might collapse right there.

Ruby's fingers fumbled as she typed in the code to unlock the door, and at long last she pushed inside. They shared a collective sigh as they all entered, putting down their weapons first and foremost; they could throw them in their lockers tomorrow.

Zwei scampered to the foot of Weiss' bed and curled up on the floor, snoring even before the door had closed. Weiss and Blake each went to their respective beds and sat down, beginning to untie and unzip their boots, but the sisters remained in the doorway.

"We'll take your orders!" Yang offered. "Ruby and I'll head to the cafeteria real quick to get us some grub!"

"And don't hold back!" Ruby reminded them. "We're celebrating tonight so let's enjoy ourselves!"

Weiss asked for a salad and some fruit.

"And you should have some too," she scolded her leader. "Celebration or not, you can't eat only cookies and brownies tonight."

"I'll get some strawberries, too! Promise!"

Blake asked Yang for some tuna sandwiches and milk, and Yang gave a salute to her.

"You got it, partner!"

With that, the sisters headed out again, closing the door behind them.

In the meantime, Blake could see just how stiff Weiss was, and when she removed her bow, she could hear every little gasp of pain the heiress tried to conceal as she went about the room collecting her nightgown.

Casually, as to not wound her pride, Blake offered to run the bath for her as Weiss gathered her things. The heiress shared a silent, appreciative look with the Faunus girl and offered a smile.

Blake turned on the nozzles in the tub, letting it fill with warm water. By the time there was a sufficient amount of water and she had stopped the flow, Weiss had made her way to the bathroom. She thanked her teammate, and Blake left her, retreating to her bed to pull out the book she was currently reading. She made certain to listen for any sounds of distress from the bathroom, but she heard the water lapping about quietly, and Weiss seemed to have eased herself in without a hitch.

Blake enjoyed the silence and indulged herself in her book for the time being, getting up only briefly to shed her clothes for her sleepwear. After that, she read for a few more minutes before the door opened again, and the rest of her team returned.

Ruby placed hers and Weiss' food down on the table where they often studied and zipped to her drawers to change into her pajamas, sighing blissfully as the rough materials of her sweaty, grimy dress were exchanged for the warm, soft fabrics of her pants and shirt.

Yang handed Blake her food before changing as well and turning on the small television on the side of the room to ready it for a movie.

By then, Weiss had emerged from the bathroom dressed in her nightgown, padding her hair with a towel. The instant Ruby saw her, she jumped up and hurried over to the heiress.

"Weiss, I brought your food! How are you feeling?"

Weiss couldn't help but chuckle slightly, imagining a wagging tail and perked ears on Ruby's person.

"I'm fine. Thank you, Ruby." She smiled and patted Ruby's hair lightly.

Yang turned off the main light before grabbing her food and hurrying to join them.

The girls sat in their respective partner pairs on the two bottom beds as they ate, gradually winding down. Weiss made Ruby spread out several napkins to ensure she wouldn't get a single crumb on the blankets; the young leader had brought back a small container of strawberries and an entire packet of cookies, and Weiss knew she could eat everything without a hassle.

The movie began, a simple romantic comedy; luckily, Yang had decided a celebration party didn't entail the horror genre.

The blonde cuddled beside her partner as Blake munched at her tuna sandwich.

Weiss monitored Ruby's cookie consumption, telling her she could only eat one cookie for every strawberry. Ruby ate the fruit first and then began on her fourteen cookies all at once, making a soft request to Blake if she'd share a bit of her milk, to which the Faunus girl nodded.

The four girls ate at their leisure, an easygoing atmosphere having settled about the room. They'd had a few "movie nights" before, but every one had been on a weekend night, with promises of classes and more assignments just one or two days later.

But tonight there was no such pressure hanging in the backs of their minds – they could enjoy every moment to the fullest. This was their reward for vigorous hard work.

They all finished eating within the first half hour of the movie and put their garbage in the waste bin between the beds. Each of them leaned lazily back against the pillows of the beds, sliding under the covers beside their respective partners.

Blake, who'd requested sleep, did her best to keep her eyelids open, yawning repeatedly as she shifted sideways to rest her head on Yang's shoulder. The blonde slipped a hand around her waist, sliding closer to her under the covers, feeling the flicker of soft fur against the side of her neck.

She rubbed her hand idly up and down Blake's side, and within moments, a gentle purr rose into the air. Yang chuckled as she felt the little vibrations at her side, and Blake hugged her stomach loosely, golden eyes trained hazily on the television, though not really watching.

Ruby smiled all the while as she watched the movie, licking her lips several times to catch the last of the sugary crumbs. But soon, she began to notice how frequently Weiss kept shifting about, moving her arms and legs only a few seconds after settling down. She grunted in frustration, clearly struggling to get comfortable.

That was when Ruby's brilliant mind sparked an idea.

"Weiss!" she whispered. "Lay down!"

"Excuse me? The film's not even half over yet! Now I'm engrossed."

"C'mon, trust me!"

Weiss muttered something under her breath before slowly sliding down onto her back, but Ruby stopped her.

"No, no! Lay on your tummy!"

Weiss rolled her eyes but obeyed nonetheless. She gathered her slightly-damp hair over one shoulder as she stretched forward and carefully laid herself down, making little grunts as her joints ached. Ruby passed her a pillow to cushion her face and chest, and Weiss gratefully accepted.

When she'd finally stilled herself, she turned her head to look back at her leader.

"So what was the point of this?" she asked, wincing at a pain in her neck.

"This!"

Ruby lifted herself up onto her knees and slid up next to the heiress' hip. She placed both hands firmly on Weiss' back and pressed down.

Instantly, the heiress let out a sound somewhere between a squeak and a moan, earning a snicker from Yang.

"R-Ruby!" Weiss hissed. "What are you-"

"A masaaaaage!" Ruby sang, kneading her hands and making her partner squeak again. "Just relax, Weiss! Watch the movie!"

"Easier said than done..." Weiss muttered. She could hardly keep her eyes open anymore, and Ruby had only been massaging her for all of four seconds.

The youngest girl chuckled lightly as she leaned a bit of her weight onto her palms, rubbing them in circles all up and down Weiss' back and sides. The heiress gave up trying to stay focused on the movie and instead settled for burying her face in the pillow in an effort to stifle whatever embarrassing sounds that were slipping free.

Ruby kept chuckling at every little sound her partner made, cooing at Weiss as she pressed in her knuckles.

It wasn't long before she felt Weiss' stiff shoulders go lax, and the heiress let out a long sigh, mumbles of thanks to her leader tumbling past her lips. Ruby hummed happily to herself, smiling all the while as she watched the movie and continued spoiling her partner.

It was no longer than five minutes before she heard her sister call over to her softly.

"Uh, Ruby?"

Yang caught her eye and nodded downward. Ruby followed her gaze and realized Weiss was out cold. Ruby chuckled and slid her hands away, back into her own lap.

"Guess I did a good job, huh?" she said proudly.

"I'll say." Yang tightened her arm around Blake, and the girl whimpered slightly. Yang realized she too was on her way to dreamland. The Faunus girl's purr had dwindled to nothing more than a faint, choppy rumble, and Yang too found herself yawning like a lioness. "Hey, um, sis?" she mumbled. "Whaddaya say we hit the hay?"

"Mm..." Ruby rubbed her knuckles over her eyes. "That sounds good..."

But before she could even make a move, she heard a small sound from Weiss.

"Ruby..." she mumbled, though her eyes were still closed. "Brush..."

Yang slapped her free hand to her mouth to conceal her cackle as Ruby's cheeks puffed out.

"Geez," Yang whispered. "Even in her sleep Weiss is houndin' ya about hygiene! Better not make her mad."

"Yeah, yeah..."

Grumbling to herself, Ruby slid off the bed and retreated to the bathroom to wash her face and then brush her teeth with her strawberry-flavored toothpaste.

In the meantime, Yang reached for the remote and stopped the movie, turning off the television altogether. With great care as to not rouse her partner, she reached behind her with her free hand and laid the pillows down while still maintaining her hold on Blake.

At last, she laid the girl gently down beside her, pulling the blankets up over their shoulders. Blake was tucked into her chest, remnants of little purrs still slipping past her lips. Yang propped herself on her elbow for a moment and simply smiled, watching her ears flicking slighty as she slept.

"Welp..." she murmured. "Sleep was the only thing you asked for. You deserve it, Blake."

When Ruby finished up in the bathroom and turned off the light, Yang looked across the room to her, slivers of moonlight through the curtains guiding her gaze. She met her sister's eyes and called over to her in a soft voice.

"G'night, Ruby. You did a really incredible job today, and on this entire mission. I'm so proud of you."

She could imagine her little sister blushing and hiding her face.

"Thanks..." She heard the smile in Ruby's voice. "Night, Yang! We can all sleep in tomorrow!"

"I hear that!"

With a chuckle, the blonde laid herself down beside Blake, wrapping the Faunus girl in her arms and curling around her beneath the blankets, releasing a long sigh. It was only moments before the steady purrs and warmth enveloped her and led her into slumber.

Ruby reached Weiss' bed, far too tired to climb up to her own and not about to leave her partner like she was. Ruby pulled down the covers before slowly taking the girl's pillow from beneath her and putting it back at the headboard.

Then, she went to work slipping her arms beneath Weiss, taking great care in turning her over, hoping she wouldn't wake her. Ruby maneuvered herself in the dark, bringing the heiress back around to rest her head on her pillow. She skirted the edge of the bed and slipped in on the other side, pulling the blankets up over the both of them.

Ruby rolled onto her side, cuddling into Weiss and slipping an arm across her stomach, squeezing her gently. She laid her head on Weiss' shoulder and sighed happily.

"Night, Weiss~" she whispered.

She wasn't sure if Weiss was fully asleep or just mostly, but she heard her partner mumble a response.

"Goodnight..."

Ruby giggled to herself, closing her eyes at long last.

Stillness and silence were all that remained now, the only sounds being Weiss' gentle breaths. When Ruby focused hard enough, she could just make out her heartbeat as well.

Her mind flashed back to the previous days of their mission, the discovery at Mountain Glenn, and the ensuing Grimm battle. Considering all she and her team had been through in the past few days – a substantial amount, for a team of freshmen – she knew they deserved this good night's sleep more than anything. And tomorrow too, would be a lazy, relaxing day of rest and recovery.

But just before she slept, Ruby made sure to send out a thought, a sort of prayer of thanks that they were all okay and had made it through together. As huntresses-in-training, there would certainly come times when missions would result in painful injuries, nagging questions, and sleepless nights.

But there was something that could be said for savoring the moment and the peace it promised.

That night, team RWBY slept soundly, deeply, and warmly, their minds unplagued by nightmares or discomfort.

Nights like these were rare, and in the profession they'd chosen, vital, and gladly welcomed.

A/N: Just a little "after the battle" idea :3 I hope you enjoyed!

Please review!