Ruby Rose sat in the easy chair in her apartment living room, quietly recollecting as she held a photograph. It was from six years ago. She and Yang were making goofy faces at the camera, while Weiss and Blake shared a look in the background.
"I'm taking Violet to bed." Blake's voice broke Ruby out of the trance, and she looked up to see her wife walking up, sleeping daughter hoisted onto her shoulder. "She's all tuckered out."
Ruby gave a warm smile, and stood up to give each a smooch between their kitty ears.
"I'll join you in a bit." She said.
Blake looked down and spied the photo Ruby had tried to casually hide along her side.
"Still thinking about them?" Blake asked, nuzzling into Ruby's shoulder.
"Yeah." Ruby replied, shooting a glance back to the photo. "I miss Yang. I miss Weiss, too."
"If they wanted us in their lives," Blake began, her voice carrying a great deal of sadness, "they'd respond to our messages once in a while."
"I know…" Ruby sighed. "Just, we were so close. I know they must be having a lot of fun on their grand adventures, and I'm not going to pretend I'm not a little jealous of that, but… would it really hurt either of them to at least write once in a while?"
Blake looked up and shook her head.
"It wouldn't be hard for them," she said, "but they don't want to. I know she's your sister, but, we're all adults now and… they made their choice, and we made ours."
Ruby let out a slightly more indignant sigh.
"We're happy, right?" Blake continued. "I hope they are too, but if they don't want to be involved in our happiness, what can we do?"
"We are happy." Ruby's smile stretched from ear to ear. "I love you, Blake."
Ruby kissed Blake, softly and tenderly, trying to convey that love through her lips.
"I know." Blake said, hint of a smile forming.
Though she never said it, Ruby was sure Blake loved her too. She was just really bad about talking about things, or voicing her concerns, so this was a thing they did. Ruby didn't really mind, since, even if Blake wouldn't say it, she did a great job of showing it.
Still, she wished one day Blake would find a way to put it into words. She'd stopped holding out hope, considering last month they'd celebrated their fifth anniversary and next month they'd celebrate their daughter's fifth birthday, but if some day, years or decades from now, Blake would finally say those three words, it would make Ruby very happy.
But she didn't need her to.
It didn't hurt.
Not that much, at least.
"Don't stay up too late." Blake said, tossling Ruby's hair with her free hand. "You know you scheduled a sparring demonstration for your students tomorrow. With Pyrrha. And I know how you hate to lose."
Ruby let out a little chuckle.
"I won't. Good night you two!" Ruby gave each of them another smooch between the ears before she allowed them to leave.
Then she was alone again, with little more than a ticking clock to break the silence. She ventured another glance down at the photo.
It was taken the day they left, back when they were all much closer. Yang promised to send back plenty of pictures and stories, a promise that lasted no more than three days. Yang and Weiss were going off to explore the world, and have some adventure before Weiss would be forced into taking over the SDC. They were a huntress power couple, two of the strongest fighters in all of Remnant, and they were in love. Ruby and Blake had their own responsibilities, though. Ruby had just accepted a position as a professor at Beacon, despite having only just graduated, and Blake… well, Blake had had too much excitement for one lifetime. She'd chosen the relative peace and quiet of Vale. To this day, Ruby still didn't know much about Blake's past before Beacon, but it didn't make her love her wife any less.
She remembered how, after the photo, she'd given Yang a fist-bump with their matching metal arms, and how Yang had scooped Weiss into a bridal carry as they boarded the airship. She remembered how that had all made them laugh with such childlike glee. She remembered the ring burning a hole in her pocket, the one she'd waited another two months to present to Blake. The one she should have talked to her sister about before she left.
They were all so happy back then.
But it was the last time she'd spoken to her sister, or her former partner.
And only days before the last time she'd heard from either of them.
If it weren't for Winter, she wouldn't even be sure the two were still alive.
Her reminiscing was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. A strange, metallic knock, as if someone was beating on it with their weapon.
She checked her pocket watch: 9:37pm. Who on Remnant would be knocking at this hour? She clenched a fist, prepared her Aura, and popped open the door of her weapon locker, so that Crescent Rose would be within arm's reach. Sure, she also had an SMG hidden inside of her silver left arm, but with the sorts of enemies Ruby had made over the years, she could never be too safe.
A look through the peephole revealed only empty hallway. Perhaps they'd left?
As she began to step away from the door, she heard knocking again, this time from the bottom of the door. Blake had popped her head out of the bedroom, and was giving Ruby a very confused look. Ruby gave her a shrug, then turned again, before carefully opening the door.
There was a mess of golden hair in a puddle lying in the middle of the hallway. It smelled familiar. It smelled like her uncle Qrow. It smelled like Alcohol.
"Y-Yang?" Ruby stammered.
"Hhhheya Rubes." The puddle slurred, gesturing with a metal, yellow hand. "Can I crash on yyyour couch or sooomething?"
Ruby sighed and shot a glance back to Blake, who had undoubtedly heard the whole exchange. Blake answered with an uneasy shrug, and Ruby kneeled down to pick her sister off the floor. She threw Yang's arm over her shoulder and began to stand up.
"What happened to you?" Ruby asked as she began to shuffle her sister towards the couch. "Where's Weiss?"
"Lllllotsa stuff, Rubyroo." Yang chuckled to herself. "Heh. Rrrrubyrrrroooo!"
"Yang." Ruby said demandingly, unceremoniously letting her sister down on the couch.
"Weeeeee'll talk about in the morning." Yang said with a dismissive wave of her hand, slumping into the couch. "Y'got any booze?"
"Yang, I am not going to give you any alcohol." Ruby said in a hushed shout. "I haven't seen you this drunk since…"
She didn't bother to finish. Yang had already passed out. With a sigh, she went into the kitchen took the three bottles of wine and the pack of beer they had and locked them in her weapons locker, because right now, those seemed more dangerous to Yang than Crescent Rose would be.
As she walked back down the hallway, she opened the door to Violet's room just a crack, to make sure she was still asleep, then continued over to Blake, who was still hanging onto the bedroom door frame. She shot Blake a pleading look, which was met with a shake of the head. Blake's face was clouded with a mix of emotions, and Ruby suspected her own was, too.
"Speak of the devil…" Blake whispered. It was a very sad whisper.
Ruby nodded, pulled Blake into a hug, then took her hand and led her to bed for what would be a very restless night for both of them.