A little thank you gift for Kino (kinzaibatsu91) who did a bit of an art trade with me! Thank you so much!
Also wishing a very happy birthday to the lovely Emmy~!
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
Claws And Paws
How infuriating.
How unbelievable.
How mortifying.
It had been two weeks since her infiltration of Beacon Academy, and in order to keep in-character, Cinder had been attending the lectures as any sheep of a student would.
Lunchtime had found her at the cafeteria presently, keeping up her appearance as an aloof transfer student with her following of Emerald and Mercury.
Amongst the mass of students, she'd managed to spot a certain red-cloaked girl. It was never hard for Cinder to spot her even in a crowd this big; after all, she was a bit more inclined to look for her, considering the immense interest she had in the girl.
Therefore, with a quick word to Emerald that she'd be back shortly, Cinder had slipped away from the crowded tables and followed the young huntress-in-training out of the cafeteria, curious as to where the girl could be going. Alone.
And that's when it'd happened.
Cinder had been too focused on her target and had failed to take note of the hefty, swinging doors of the cafeteria exit. They'd slammed together on her right hand, instantly breaking off two of her precious nails.
With an enraged sound somewhere between a hiss and a snarl, Cinder unwillingly lost sight of her prey and whipped herself around, clutching her hand. Thankfully, she'd made it out of the boisterous cafeteria and was now alone in a vacant hallway; like this, no one could hear the uttered curses and threats she was spouting.
Had it been anything else – her arm, her ankle, even her hair – she would've been able to dismiss the unsavory pain within seconds.
But there was little that aura could do to comfort the bent kerosine embedded in her fingertips, and she growled under her breath in a rare display of not-so-silent fury. Little jolts of pain traveled up her index and middle fingers for a moment as her other hand clutched the pained one.
Glancing down, she had a look at the damage; the crimson nail of her index finger had been torn clean off by the door, and the middle was just barely hanging on.
With a look of disgust clear on her expression, she brought it to her mouth and clamped sharp, white teeth into it, tearing the nail completely off before letting it drop to the floor.
She must've been losing her touch. Beacon was making her more pathetic by the day, just breathing their rancid air. She was almost ashamed at herself.
But just before she could start to lament this entire day thus far, she was given compensation for all her troubles.
Or, most of them anyway.
A quick patter of footsteps that had been continuous and heading for the guilty doors came to an abrupt halt. Cinder might have groaned had she not already known who it was.
"Um, hey," the timid voice called out. "Are you okay? Did you eat something spoiled and feel sick? I could take you to the nurse if you want."
Cinder couldn't stop herself from smirking, red lips curling up into a devilish smile.
So innocent.
Slowly, as if to give off an air of anticipation, she righted her posture before turning to the girl; her amber eyes crackled with interest and fire, ensuring a thrilling climax when they finally met with hesitant silver.
"No," she crooned. "Nothing like that. I'm feeling better already."
She took a step forward, and though the usual seductive sway of her hips and click of her heels were lost in this dress code, it still made the girl's eyes flash with a bit of alarm. Just a bit. Just enough.
"Oh, um... okay. That's good. I'm glad you're not sick!" She gave a cheerful smile anyway, the apples of her cheeks rosy not unlike the tips of her hair.
Cinder was willing to forgive the loss of her beloved nails if it meant a few minutes alone with her.
"Your concern is very much appreciated," she breathed. "What a kind young girl."
"Well, not really. Weiss reminded me to wash my hands before eating so I ran out to the bathroom and I just happened to be passing by and I saw you so- h-hey, you are hurt!" Her voice rose a pitch in distress.
Cinder needed to fight back a shiver of delight.
The girl went on, eyes trained on the woman's right hand. "The door clipped your nails, didn't it? Oooh, I don't have nice pretty nails like you, but the same thing's happened to my partner a few times and I know it hurts a little, doesn't it? May I?"
Cinder blinked, faintly surprised when the girl went from charmingly adorable rambling to offering assistance. It was incredible, how the little fool would try to make friends with a perfect stranger.
It was a big risk on her part, as not every stranger would be kind to her.
But Cinder had limited time to consider whether or not she would be one of such strangers.
Of course, in the end, her curiosity as to what the girl was planning to do was far too great to surmount.
Without a word, Cinder held out her right hand, lips pursed, expression unreadable save for a look of mild interest in her eyes.
Ruby lifted both hands up to cradle the transfer student's. This was the girl she could've sworn seemed familiar, but she just couldn't put her finger on it...
However, literally speaking, she put her fingers to work, massaging the bases of the older girl's nails where they met the skin.
"Whenever Weiss breaks a nail, I'll do this for her. She says it helps with the pain." She pressed the pads of her thumbs along the length of the other girl's long, slender fingers, rubbing little circles in hopes to fend off the prickles of pain. Her eyes were focused intently on her task.
The same could be said for Cinder.
She observed every visible inch of the girl, the way she chewed her lip when she concentrated, the way she'd lighten or increase the pressure on her fingers, the little notes of uncertainty in her tone.
Cinder absorbed those things, tongue sliding along her lips briefly as she took in the scent of roses. The pain in her fingers had long-since subsided, but she allowed the girl to continue her treatment for as long as she pleased.
The din of the cafeteria was subdued by the heavy doors behind her, and the empty hallway they stood in presently was quiet. When she listened hard enough, Cinder could just make out the girl's breathing, mostly steady, but she didn't miss the nervous little lapses every once in a while.
When her eyes flicked down to their mingling hands, she couldn't help but notice just how long her remaining nails were. Sharp, red, and hard, like a wolf's bloody claws balanced on the soft, plump, pink pads of a puppy's paws.
Cinder admitted to herself it was a bit of a struggle to keep from leaning forward and allowing her fangs to take a little taste.
Only when Ruby's own fingers started to ache a bit did she finally release the other's hand.
"There. Sorry I couldn't do much, but I hoped that helped!"
Her silver eyes were still bright and nervous, her smile fading slightly in uncertainty as she waited for a verdict of some sort. She was like a servant awaiting the assessment of her queen.
And though Cinder longed to see the dread in the girl's eyes and the little wince she'd likely give if Cinder were to give a disappointed response, she decided to save that for another time, when she could enjoy it more thoroughly.
"Much better," she purred instead.
Approval. And when Ruby realized that was her response, her eyes sparkled fully to life, her smile rising high on her lips to reveal a toothy grin.
"Really? That's great! I'm so glad I could help you out a bit!"
She was absolutely beaming, like a puppy who had been praised by her master.
While this response was to die for, Cinder felt the need to reward her.
She'd been debating a pat to the girl's head and a slight, tugging ruffle of her hair, but in the end she settled on something a bit more self-indulgent.
She reached down with her right hand – the one still warm from Ruby's touch – and grasped the girl's wrist. With a slight tug, she pulled her forward, and at the same time Cinder leaned down.
Red lips pressed to a redder cheek, lingering for a brief moment as the younger girl's breath hitched. Cinder felt her freeze, her body going tense, but she herself didn't pull away until she was certain she'd left a mark. It was just the crimson outline of her lips, though she did have to entertain the image of what it might look like if she'd used her teeth and bitten-
"U-Uhm..." Ruby took a step back, clearly flustered.
Cinder replied to her discomfort with feigned innocence.
"Oh, pardon me. That's simply how we show gratitude back home in Haven. Think nothing of it."
She said as much, but silently she encouraged the memory of that kiss to keep the girl awake at night and fidgeting in her seat during classes for weeks to come.
Ruby was still dumbfounded, but she swallowed and gave a slight nod.
"Oh, okay. You're welcome!" Another smile, perhaps a bit forced this time.
Cinder lifted her two broken nails to her lips and kissed them before reaching out, running them along the underside of the girl's chin. She bore her gaze into Ruby's compromised one and spoke in a throaty whisper.
"I'll see you around."
With that, Cinder sauntered back to the cafeteria and disappeared inside, leaving Ruby with the dilemma of having to dart back to the restroom and wash off her cheek.
A/N: Sorry it was a lame idea ;u; I'm not certain I'll ever be able to write Cinder well. I wanted to do a bit of Kino's style with dorky Cinder, too.
Please review!