Raven woke all at once, as she always did, her brief trip to the warm dark replaced with sharp light and a scan for anything that might harm her. She instinctively reached for her sword...
...and her hand found nothing, as it always had for the past four years at Beacon. Their room was quiet except for birdsong coming in through an open window. The morning air was cool but not cold, and there were no Grimm here, no magistrates, nothing to fear.
Just the warmth of the blankets and Summer, curled up next to her.
She slid out of the narrow bed, doing her best to leave the other woman undisturbed. Moving to the middle of the room, she stretched silently, and began her morning routine. Summer was still asleep when she returned from the showers, snoring softly. She stood in front of the room's full-length mirror, putting on her combat uniform: tunic and skirt, boots and gauntlets, the greatsword at her side. She reached up to tie her hair behind her and...
"Still the best hair in the world! Nothing else even comes close." Warm arms briefly encircled her, and she felt the pressure of a face against her back before Summer was suddenly in front of her, hogging the mirror and fussing with her bangs.
"You're the reason I've kept my hair this short, you know," she sighed. "When your partner has a mane that looks like that, there's just no point in competing. So the only option I have left is to go super cutesy; don't you feel bad for what you've done to me?"
Raven blushed. "I've told you before, this is just how women in my family wear it. It's nothing special..."
Summer blew a raspberry, and finished squirming in to her own combat dress. "'Nothing special,'" she mocked, her chirp of a voice dropping down to mimic Raven's. "Four years here, I still have to tell you over and over how completely amazing you are. Raven Branwen, first member of her tribe to attend Beacon Academy! Brother of the fabulous Qrow! Beloved of the godlike Adonis that is Tai! Partner of me! Powerhouse member of STRQ, the greatest team this school has ever seen! Say cheese!"
Raven's expression didn't even have a chance to shift out of bemusement before Summer was posed next to her, fully dressed, holding her weapon in one hand and a small camera in the other, snapping a quick photo of the two of them in the mirror.
"Oooh, good one!" Summer observed, looking at the camera's small rear display before tossing it over to Raven. Raven took a moment herself to appreciate the picture: Summer with her head cocked, lips pouting, hood framing her head perfectly, backed up to the taller Raven who couldn't help but seem imperious and imposing in comparison. It was a good summary of their partnership, Raven thought - complete opposites who came together to make a pleasing whole.
"Here, you need your strength and the guys are waiting for us downstairs." Summer suddenly threw a protein bar towards Raven, followed by a water bottle; only years of honed Huntress reflexes stopped them from hitting her in the face. She trailed Summer out into the hall, where women from other teams were starting to slowly stumble out of their rooms.
"Did you hear they're going to make the dorm rooms co-ed next year?" Summer asked, heading down the stairs. "Like, everybody from the same team in the same room, no worrying about boys or girls or anything. Wow! Can you imagine the orgies we would have had?"
Raven coughed up some of the water she'd been drinking, but avoided an outright spit-take. Summer laughed, reversed her direction down the stairs and hugged Raven again, burying her head in the taller woman's abdomen before continuing down. "Kidding! Kidding! I know, the twin thing, and you Branwens are total prudes on top of that. You've barely even let Tai kiss you, and you guys have been together for years!"
"It's..." Raven struggled to keep her place in Summer's nonstop monologue. "It's just not how we do things..."
"I know." Summer stopped again just before the building entrance; they could hear Taiyang and Qrow goofing around on the lawn just outside, but weren't in eyesight of them yet. "I know, propriety, and honor, and everything else. I'm just teasing. And I want you to know..." Her voice quieted down, and she reached out to take Raven's hands in both of hers. "I'm glad you've made room for... us... these past four years. I know I don't fit into the Branwen way of thinking, like, at all, but you and I, it's been so important to me and I'm going to miss it so much when it's over..."
"Summer..." Raven swallowed. "I... it's..."
Summer brought Raven's hands to her mouth and kissed them, then looked up at her, and laughed. "It's not like we're never gonna see each other again, though! Tai and I have been talking about that, you know, and we've got some ideas to tell you about tonight. We've just got to get through this one last thing first!" She jumped up and down, twice, in excitement. "It's gonna be epic!"
Summer reached out, hesitantly, toward Summer, but she was already out the door, sprinting out across the lawn screaming "Qroooooow!" before hurling herself at the man, knocking him down and giving him a long, firm kiss on the cheek.
"Argh, Summer, get off, you're messing up my hair..." Qrow was on his feet almost immediately, Summer having been scoped up by Tai and tossed high in the air, repeatedly, while she squealed in delight. Qrow smoothed back his hair and straightened his clothes, but smiled as he did it; Tai placed a still-giggling Summer on the ground and put an arm around Raven's waist as she stood next to him.
"You guys ready?" he asked, as they formed a circle facing inward.
"Yep!"
"Definitely."
Raven merely nodded, looking Tai square in the eyes; he nodded, smiled, and pulled out his flip phone.
"Professor Ozpin, we're on our way."
As one, the team turned and started walking towards the airfield. As they moved, underclassman pointed and whispered to each other, while other fourth-year teams yelled out recognition and encouragement. Summer bounced ahead, waving and yelling back, while Qrow smirked and looked straight ahead, not deigning to make eye contact with anyone.
"So... after this is over, tonight, I was thinking the four of us could go out to dinner..." Tai began, before Raven cut him off with a shake of her head.
"Summer said something about that, but let's keep ourselves focused on the test."
"Sure, but... come on, it's us! Whatever Ozpin's got planned for our final exam, it's nothing we can't handle. We should look forward to what we're gonna do once we get our Huntsman licenses and..."
Her sword was out, the point resting on his cheek, before he could twitch.
"Focused. On. The. Test."
He stood still, calm, and waited for her to sheath the blade before following her as she strode ahead.
"There are easier ways to let me know you're frustrated, y'know."
She snorted with laughter, but kept moving forward towards Ozpin, leaning on his cane, and the waiting helicopter beyond.
