Read my note, also anyone wishing for a copy of the original is welcome to PM me. Or as always I can be found with the lovely KryHeart on Ao3 under the username KryHeart_Ardy. Since FF as no tag function I am listing them here. You are forewarned people. However this version WILL but cut to fit the M rating. For the full story again I must point you to Archive of Our Own.
Pairings: Ozpin/Ruby, Qrow Branwen/Ozpin, Ruby Rose/Qrow Branwen, Qrow Branwen/Ozpin/Ruby
Additional Tags: Slow Burn, Culture Study, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Minor Character Death, Sensation Play, Nudity, Oral Sex, Anal Sex, Sex, BDSM, BDSM Lifestyle, Tantra, Whipping, Twisted Tantra, Shibari, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Aged-Up Characters, Piercings, Horror, Blood and Gore.
We All Have to Start Somewhere
Screams and explosions echo'd in Ruby Rose's ears as she twisted and turned in her bed. Grimm swarming up into the city. Huntsmen and Huntress arrive at the entry point, too late to save everyone. She woke up with a start, seeing the ice from Weiss's shield scattered around her, A King Taijitu, slithering forth, swatting away the civilians that didn't flee fast enough. A shout from her sister startled her into action, grimm surrounding every team member, an Ursa towering above her jaws wide open... The crimosette woke with a start, her hands aching from the death grip she held upon her blankets.
Ruby took a deep breath, forced her hands to relax and rolled onto her back the blankets twisting tight like a snake around her. The King Taijitu flashed behind her eyes, red eyes gleaming and she kicked off the sheets as fast as she could. She could still hear the screams, she drew her legs up and curled into a ball covering her ears with her hands. It didn't help. She needed to do something, sitting here in the dark just made it worse. Lightly she hopped out of bed, grabbed Crescent Rose and slipped silently out of her dorm room without her teammates waking.
In her pajamas Ruby crept through the school, the halls were empty and the stone cold under her bare toes. Moonlight shinned in through the windows lighting her way as she roamed. Past the courtyard, auditorium, past Port and Oobleck's classrooms. She heard a slithering behind her and she spun around, her hand on her beloved weapon only to see an empty hall. Silver eyes wide and fearful she turned on her heel and started to run, her bare feet making a pat pat sound on the stone.
Away, away, she needed to get away! She raced down the halls leaving a trail of red rose petals and burst into Goodwitche's training classroom. Crescent Rose was swung open as she came to a stop in the middle of the room. Her chest heaving as she tried to catch her breath, eyes darting around the doorway waiting for a Grimm to appear.
Only nothing did, no snakish King Taijitu, no Beowolf, nothing, just one empty doorway. A minute past and then two, Ruby's breathing slowly eased and she realized how foolish she was being. Her legs gave out as Crescent Rose fell to the floor beside her with a clatter. Ruby covered her face with both hands and cried. There were no Grimm in Beacon, but as soon as her eyes closed she saw a white bone face lunging for her. She jerked her hands away from her face grabbing her scythe as she stumbled back at her feet. The silver eyed teen's heart pounded as her gaze darted around the room.
Nothing, no Grimm, no one, but Ruby could not relax, in her mind she knew she was being paranoid but she just couldn't calm. "I wonder if this is how Qrow feels." She whispered to the cold empty room, when he had nightmares he either came to her or sparred alone. Though she usually put a stop to that pretty quickly. Now however she wondered if it world work, to fight against the monsters in your head. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and started to fight.
A pair of black dress shoes came upon a trail of red rose petals. The owner had to pause at this for no students should be out of bed, most were exhausted after the field missions or defending Vale during the Breach. This did not seem to be the case if the littering of red petals was a good indicator. Pursing his lips he followed the trail of petals, pulling his cane from his pocket and extending it. After all he had to keep up appearances. Silently he walked through the halls the tip of his cane hovering just above the ground, till he found a pair of doors just slightly ajar. With another silent action he opened the door and peered inside.
Ozpin was not surprised to find the resident Silver Eyed Warrior sparring alone. He was surprised to see her eyes squeezed shut and tears leaking from them. Like Uncle like niece it seems, though I suppose that should not surprise me. He copper eyed man walked into the room, shutting the doors evenly behind him and walked around the perimeter watching Ruby as he went. He could see how her arms wavered, the slips of her hands, there was no doubt in his mind that she was exhausted. Crescent Rose wobbled and looked much to big for her. As he walked around to the side of the arena and picked up a blunt steel training sword. Ozpin waited for the right movement where she was mid swing, stepped up and caught the blade of Crescent Rose on the sword and cane and with a smooth fluid yank pulled the weapon from her hands and sent it skittering off the stage.
Ruby's eyes snapped open as Crescent Rose was ripped from her hands and they widened in shock taking in who stood before her. "Pro-." Ozpin shook his head and pressed a finger to his lips, he flipped the training sword around and offered the hilt to her. Ruby took it slowly from his long fingers and looked up to him. Copper met silver and Ruby bit her lip, he's not going to send me back to my dorm. She thought and rubbed her eyes, trying to clear the tears away. The red head took a couple steps back and tested the sword in her grip, it was a little bit too big for her but nothing like training with Qrow's scythe.
As she settled with the new weapon, Ozpin rotated his cane with a little spin and settled into his fencing stance. He waited for a long moment as Ruby spun the sword once with each hand and settled into a more open stance, she reminded Ozpin of Qrow though right now though she lacked the cocky tilt of hip. Ozpin let out a long breath and jabbed out once for her head.
There was a brief metal screeching on metal as Ruby deflected the strike stumbling back a step. The platinum haired man pursed his lips and stabbed forward again. Again Ruby deflected stepping out of the way with flawed staggering foot work. This time he watched silently as Ruby looked him up and down, he could see the dark circles under her eyes and doubted this would last long.
Ruby swung in low aiming for his left side, his cane blocked it with ease and the tip slid down to the guard and with a little flick he sent it tumbling to the floor. The spar was so slow Ruby felt like he was making a fool out of her, though as he took a step back giving her space she knew he was letting her set the pace. She grabbed her sword and got ready again, taking a deep breath to center herself just like Qrow had taught her, activated her Aura and fixed her eyes on her opponent.
Ozpin smiled slightly, barely visible and did the same, his green crackling over his skin in opposition to her red Aura. The smile widened just a millimeter more when Ruby shot forward like a bullet out of a gun, or perhaps buck shot out of a pistol would be more appropriate considering who she mimicked so very closely when fighting with a sword. The exchange was quick, furious and very sloppy on Ruby's part, her Aura covering up her exhaustion slightly but not at all aiding in her skill. Ozpin deflected her strikes with ease, sweeping his cane in behind a knee and pulling her leg out from under her.
Ruby fell to the ground with a thump but leaped to her feet changing her grip to hold the sword with both hands and swinging clean across his body. Ozpin nimbly stepped to the side and she gave chase, their weapon's clashing whenever Ozpin saw fit to block her rather then just stepping out of the way. She lunged forward aiming for his head, her eyes could barely track him as he took a small step to the side and hit her square in the shoulder sending her back onto the ground.
The silver eyed teen sniffled when her butt hit the ground painfully but when Ozpin offered his hand, fingers open and welcoming she couldn't help but smile up at him. The moonlight shining in through a row of windows, reflecting upon their weapons and in their eyes. Tentatively Ruby reached up and placed her hand in his. The first thing she noticed was how warm he was, she could feel the calluses of his hand. As his grip closed around her hand she was made aware of how much bigger he was.
Ozpin pulled her to her feet with ease and let her go, then stepped away again raising his cane again. Ruby smiled a tiny smile at him and took a deep breath raising her sword up into a high guard, then shot forward enhanced by her Aura. Around and around they went, the Professor leading his student around the arena. Batting her attacks away and seldom striking out, he did occasionally just to keep her on her toes but not enough to hurt her. Ruby's own exhaustion drained her Aura faster than anything Oz did.
The nightmares clung to her eyes, but focusing on the Headmaster kept them at bay. The silver eyed teen didn't want to stop, she knew as soon as she did they would come back. Qrow was too far away to rescue her from memories, all she had was a kind professor who understood what she needed. The moon climbed high and higher in the sky, the room darkening. Ruby panted holding her sword in a weak grip her eyes closing for long moments before she forced them open at the sight of white skulls and red eyes. She staggered forward raising her sword only for her eyes to close again for a moment longer than she meant.
Behind her eyelids she saw a civilian, he had blue eyes, black hair and his brains splattered all over the wall from where he had hit when a Grimm flicked him away like an ant. The sword fell from her tired fingers and clattered onto the floor as Ruby feel covering her face with her hands and sobbed out. She was so tired so very tired, she couldn't stop the tears, couldn't get the image out of her head.
Ozpin sat down beside her, stretching his legs out reaching out he rubbed up and down her back. Poor tiny thing, fighting Grimm is one thing, failing to protect those in the way is quite another. Up and down, he rubbed hoping that would be enough to help the young woman. Ruby turned to him seeking the warmth of another human being. Ozpin froze when she crawled over snuggling into his side and grabbed his coat with both hands clenching it tight as she pressed her face to his chest and sobbed into it. His vest and shirt quickly growing wet, softly he started to stroke her back again but she only continued to cry.
Ozpin leaned back on an arm as he petted her back, he looked down at her the black and red hair was messy from her pillow and sparing. He could feel how hot she was from under his hand, considering that she was only wearing her black tank top of fuzzy pajama pants it worried him. Oz worried his lip debating what to do, "Miss Rose," he called softly. "you need to return to your dorm and your sister." He wondered if Yang could help her, he felt Ruby shake her head and press a cheek firming into his chest.
Ozpin sighed softly, listening to her cry removed what will he had to move her on his own. He wasn't sure what to do but looking at her his mind cycled back to Qrow, the only other scythe wielder he knew. She was so like her uncle, "Hmm." Oz hummed softly wondering just how alike his right hand in the world and she was. On that thought he stopped petting her and very carefully and respectfully he wrapped an arm around her in a hug. Ozpin felt her relax all at once as if a weight had been taken off her shoulders, as if the slight pressure around upper middle of her back was exactly what she needed.
Ruby breathed deeply, he smelt clean and of pine, despite the exercise. Her tears dried as her hands relaxed, his chest was firm just like Qrow's even if he wore to many layers. The professor held her in the same spot though, that respectful distance from her hips, his hand resting on her arm. The silver eyed teen blinked a few times sleepily and shifted over crawling into his lap her grip on his coat relaxing as she settled. Ozpin felt her ease into him and the death grip on his coat fade, a minute later he felt her breathing even out and knew she was asleep.
Ozpin could feel her cool swiftly and pursed his lips worried again. She was going to get a cold, it was fall and already the air was cooling. Carefully he pulled his coat out from under her and let her go quickly pulling it off. As soon as his arm moved Ruby grabbed at him again this time his vest falling victim to her fierce if wearily grip. Oz wrapped his coat around her as quickly as he could and returned his arm to it's place hugging her gently to his chest. The silver eyed teen settled again, too exhausted to keep holding his vest.
Now what? Ozpin wondered, had it been Qrow he would have just carried him off to his bed for him to sleep off the sorrow. He doubted he could do the same with Ruby, with a sigh he went with option two, which was take her back to Yang. Carefully he pulled her fully onto his lap and wrapped his other arm her lower back and gathered her legs up so he could hold her behind her knees. He shifted to use his other arm to brace himself then surged to his feet holding her tight to him.
Ruby didn't even mumble as he gathered up their weapons, putting his in his pocket and carrying the collapsed Crescent Rose with the other. Ozpin looked down at her slightly amazed that she hadn't woken from the shuffling. Her weight was nothing that said she was so small he could hold her easily with one arm. He started out the way he had came, pushing the door open with his hip and set off down the hall. While he walked Ruby nuzzled his chest, curling up more and snuggling in tight, her hands gathering up his vest again.
Ozpin quickly came upon the door to team RWBY's dorm, not that he was rushing more concerned about keeping his tiny precious bundle happy then with speed. He ended up lightly rapping the tip of Crescent Rose against the door as his hands were full to knock. It took a minute and a few more knocks before he heard Weiss whine. "Yang get the door." A minute later Yang Xaio Long opened her eyes to one of the most adorable sights she'd seen since Qrow's last visit.
With her sleep addled brain Yang couldn't help the. "D'awww." That slipped from her lips as she looked lovely upon her sister, wrapped up in Professor Ozpin's coat and utterly out cold. Even in her sleep she held onto his vest and nuzzled with with a tiny purr. She looked over to Blake who as blinking sleepily over at them. "Pass me my Scroll, I've got to get a picture of this for Qrow."
Blush tinted Ozpin's cheeks, though he could think of worse people to have see this. "Really Miss Xaio Long? If you could take her please." He tried to offer Ruby to Yang but the little red head hands tightened on her vest and Yang stepped away catching her Scroll when Blake tossed it to her.
Yang turned it on and a minute later took a picture, Ozpin's expression firmly set but not unhappy. She tossed her Scroll back at Blake and reached up put an arm around Ruby's shoulders and another under her knees same as Ozpin. However as Oz let go and Yang pulled Ruby away the little woman's hands tightened on Oz's vest. She mumbled a cute but loud "No!" in her sleep and nuzzled his chest, curling up tighter.
Yang giggled, so it was one of those death hold snuggles, she only ever did those to Qrow. "You should keep her, unless you want her to rip that vest." Yang withdrew her arms forcing Ozpin to hold Ruby again.
"I don't follow." Ozpin admitted, he was moderately surprised Ruby hadn't awoken, but then this was the accumulation of days of fighting at Mount Glenn and the Breach. Not to mention sparing till she literally dropped just so she could sleep.
"She does this to Qrow when he's been gone for a long time. My sister is a little snuggle bug and until she wakes up nothing short of a pry bar will get her to let go." Yang reached up and petted through Ruby's hair smoothing it down. "So you are stuck with her till she does, you should be honoured that she lumps you in with Qrow." Yang smiled very slightly at the Xaio Longs best kept secret.
"I can't keep her, that would be entirely inappropriate. Why is she doing this?" Ozpin paled at the suggestion, he needed to sleep too and there was no way he could take her with him. Though he wasn't sure how he was going to get his vest off with her holding into it so tightly.
"Ruby is a fast bonder, take Penny. They're best friends and they've only talked for like ten minutes. She needed snuggles you were in range and she obviously likes you. So what Qrow does when she gets like this, is takes her to bed and sleeps it off with her." Yang smiled a little more when her sister started to softly purr at the pets. "There is no force that can pry my sister off and I won't let you drop her as that would be cruel. I mean look at that little face, could you wake that up?"
Ozpin couldn't help but do as he was told and his heart turned into mushy fluffy goo. Ruby was still fast asleep, holding tight to his vest and utterly peaceful. "No." He said only just resisting cooing at her, instead saying it with a soft sigh.
"I thought so, so go take her to wherever you sleep kick off your shoes and be prepared to be snuggled to death, or till she wakes up. If I wake up first I'll come and get her." Yang stretched, yawned and took Crescent Rose from Ozpin.
"There is an apartment building about thirty minutes walk from here. It has all of the staff names listened beside an intercom." Ozpin adjusted his hold and let out a resigned sigh.
"Sounds good see you in the morning." Yang shut the door as Ozpin stepped back and nodded a farewell.
Again he set off through the halls of Beacon, he didn't like the idea of taking a student home but she was adorable. Then there was the matter of her connection to Qrow, that made him feel a little less guilty about this. As he understood it this was a habit of hers and considering how long it took to get her to drop, he wasn't about to shatter that. The moon was on a decline by the time he got to his flat, pushing the key into the door and maneuvered the two of them carefully through it. He tucked his key back into his pocket and softly shut the door behind him.
The flat was completely dark but he knew his way around it like the back of his hand. He kicked his shoes off and left his keys in a dish by the door. His bedroom and bed were large but again it was too dark to see anything and he wasn't going to disturb her but turning on a light. As quietly as he could he sat on the side of his bed and in a fluid motion, turned and laid down. He set his glasses on the bedside table, reached up and moved his pillow under his bed better and let out a long sigh.
With a feather light touch he checked her over, her legs and feet were sticking out from under his coat so he tucked it tighter around her and reach over pull his blankets over them. After wrapping them tight around her legs she grumbled and he felt tears start to dampen his vest again. Thinking of nothing else he could do he rested his arms over in her a hug and felt her calm again. Ozpin looked up to the ceiling and uttered quietly. "Well, this is not how I expected this night to go." He looked down and had to smile, she was just to cute to be cross with. "But I do not mind the company, after all we both seem to be missing someone." Ozpin closed his eyes and swiftly fell asleep holding Ruby in his embrace, not a single nightmare bothered her for the rest of the night.
Ruby woke up slowly, her eyes sore and she was still exhausted. Her hands were tired as well, she closed her eyes again snuggled against her pillow. She dozed for several long minutes before she realized her pillow was moving. Which wasn't that odd, Qrow made an excellent pillow, she took a deep breath and noticed a distinct lack of whisky or other alcohol scent. However the scent of pine was the same, confused she lifted her head very wearily and in a low dawn light saw silver hair instead of black.
She froze like a deer in headlights, her mind quickly remembering the sparing from the night before. Then her nightmares getting the better of her, the hug and… she blushed bright red. I can't believe I fell asleep on my Headmaster! I must of done that death grip thing Qrow pretends to complain about, there is no way he would have brought me here otherwise. Even as she started to panic Oz's hand started to stroke up and down her back, she looked up to him again found he was still asleep. Biting her lip she settled back down putting her head back on his clothed chest. Up and down his hand went a few more times before resting on her shoulder, clearly he was too far into sleep to keep any action up for long.
From where she lay she could see the walls were done in dark auburn and he had a bookshelf of dark red filled to the brim with books. I wonder if he'll let me look at them. She mused before pulling his coat up around her chin as sleep claim her again.
When next she woke it was because her pillow was doing a very subtle but cute squirm. Ruby stretched upon the warm body below her and it froze, then sat up and yawned, rubbing her eyes again. Ozpin had been uncomfortable with a student sleeping upon him but at that sight his brain side tracked into cute, cute, cute and he no longer had the heart to move her. The silver eyed teen looked down at him and blushed. "Uhh. Good morning?" She asked, unsure of what else to say or how to processed getting off of him.
Ozpin cleared his throat and drew the blankets off of them. "Good morning." It seemed the thing to say, he was pretty sure it was the best thing to say. At that cue very carefully trying to touch as little of him as possible Ruby climbed off of him, his coat slipping as she did. She grabbed it pulling it tight around her, remembering she was only wearing her pajamas. The ground was cool and carpeted under her feet, she pulled the coat tighter around her as she glanced around not sure at all what to do.
The copper eyed man sat up and put his glasses on, before standing and brushing down his clothes. He'd need to change but he'd do that later when she was gone, he looked down at the small women and gestured toward his door with a hand. "Your sister said she would be around in the morning to collect you."
Ruby took the hint and started toward the open door and out into the hall. The rest of his flat was painted the same colour as his bedroom with the same dark red furniture. Only now she would see he accented the reds with emerald greens. "You talked to Yang?" She asked picking her away over to a dark red leather sofa and sitting down on the corner.
"Yes, I tried handing you to her last night but you refused to be moved." Ozpin ran a hand through his hair trying to tidy his bed head as best as he could. His gaze roamed around his flat, from the bookshelves that covered the walls to the tv, coffee table and couch with the tiny red haired woman perched upon the edge of a seat.
Ruby blushed and shrank into his coat pulling it up sightly so it covered the bottoms of her cheeks. "I am so sorry sir." She mumbled hiding as best she could behind the collar of the coat.
Ozpin waved a hand dismissively, in hindsight he didn't really mind. She hadn't been the only one to enjoy dreamless sleep last night, he felt better then he had since Qrow's last visit. "You were overtired in the extreme, all is forgiven."
That did not ease Ruby's mind, she picked up her feet and curled up into his coat. "Still it was a very immature thing for me to do and I am sorry."
A smile pulled for a instant at the Headmaster's lips. It had been adorable but he wasn't about to tell her that, she was already blushing in the same colour as his walls. "Well we both know it will not happen again, don't dwell on it Miss Rose. I am not upset, you've had an extremely busy and trying last few days. A lapse in decormoun is by far not the worse thing you could have done."
A knock at the door saved Ruby from answering, as Ozpin opened it Yang appeared. A smile the size of the sun upon her lips, she held up Ruby's boots. "Excuse me sir have you seen a teeny tiny woman about five nothing, silver eyes, red hair, utterly adorable when she is over tired?"
Ozpin couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him as he opened the door and stepped aside letting Yang in. "Well I don't know Miss Xiao Long, but I have a young woman impersonating a tomato on my couch."
Yang burst out laughing and walked into the room to find her poor mortified sister, blushing very very brightly. She zipped over and pulled Ruby into a bone crushing hug. "You were SOOO cute last night, going all 'You're home Qrow!' on Ozpin. I got a picture!"
The copper eyed man had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep a straight face and Ruby tried to disappear into his coat. "Yang." Ruby whined and hid her face in Yang's hair as if it would shield her from further embarrassment.
Yang put Ruby down and gave the crimsonette her boots. "Come on I'm hungry, the sooner we get you back and dressed the sooner we can go for breakfast." Yang set her hands on her hips smiling at her little sister.
Ruby shoved her feet into the boots without a word, Ozpin's coat still draped around her shoulders. With proper wear on her feet she stood up and offered the coat to Ozpin, blushing and looking away from him. Oz shook his head and gestured a little 'no', "Keep it, you need it more then I right now and I have others." Ozpin watched as she pulled it back on holding it together at the chest level he heard a softly muttered. "Thank you sir."
"Come on sis, before you turn any redder." Yang led her sister by the shoulders out of the flat and turned to Ozpin as Ruby hid behind her. "Thank you for looking after her Sir."
Ozpin inclined his head with a slight smile. "Think nothing of it."
That did not make Ruby feel any better but she mumbled another quiet. "Thank you." Sticking to Yang like glue as they departed from the Professors flat.