A/N: My apologies to everyone who has followed me. I know I've not updated in a long time, and I'm not gonna sit here and make up excuses. It's my fault. I'm busy with school and everything else with life at the moment, but I still feel like I could squeeze out something at least if I weren't such an idiot. Don't believe me? My bro YARN (or You are right...NOT) is in a similar position, but she's still managed to update his stories. I honestly give him enough credit for that.
Anyway, this was pretty much my own personal form of therapy for an issue currently in my life. Don't try guessing (or do, I've barely done anything to veil what the issue was when I wrote this).
Just enjoy some long overdue writing that took me getting out of a depressive stump to get out. I actually feel disappointed in myself typing that.
Nora sat by herself in her and Ren's apartment, getting out her guitar. Jaune had taught her during their time at Beacon how to play, and she'd really grown to enjoy it. Although a lot of people would say Nora was a very unreserved individual, there were a few feelings she kept a secret to even Ren that she could only really get out by playing.
"Never knew a time, when you weren't by my side..." Nora sung quietly to herself, the notes coming slow and deep. "The one thing I could always count on...Always there for me, you've been my family..." Nora's voice grew quieter with every word, until she was whispering the lines under her breath. "Even when all other hope was gone."
She stopped playing, taking a deep breath as she wiped at her eyes, preventing the bits of moisture slipping past the wall she put up inside from becoming tears. She sniffled, putting the pick back to the strings.
"I couldn't quite tell myself in you felt the same..." Nora said quietly, blinking as she sniffled again. A drop of warmness fell on her hand, but she kept playing, even as more continued to silently fall. "But you saw someone else, the way I saw you. The blonde brawler and the lotus flower, floating in the embrace of one another. She sipped on your nector of kindness, and it gave new life." The notes began to get louder and they sped up. "Enough to have an outstretched hand, enough to take the lead! Enough to leave me in the dark, a sloth fallen from the tree! I want to yell and scream and claw! The queen wishes to have your head!" Nora practically yelled, before suddenly shifting back to a much slower rhythm. "But I could never do that to you...for every stumble, there's two outstretched hands. Yellow and green light that illuminates the abyss as it lifts me up..."
Nora stopped as she heard a car pulling up in the driveway, laughter coming from it she recognized instantly. She quickly put away the guitar, promptly looking in the mirror to make sure she didn't look out of the ordinary, before cursing her red, puffy eyes and reddened cheeks. She splashed some cold water on her face, enjoying the coolness of it for a moment, before wiping dry on a nearby towel. "Can't even tell." She tried to say cheerfully, doing her best to slip into a happier state of mind in the few minutes she had before they'd finish making their way up the stairs. She slipped on her headphones and pulled out a copy of her favorite magazine, flipping to the last few pages as she settled in on the couch.
"Oh, hey guys." She smiled at them as Ren and Yang walked in, setting her magazine down and taking her headphones off. "How was your date?"
"We had a great time." Ren smiled.
"You sound like we didn't just have an amazing time!" Yang laughed, wrapping her arm around his neck.
Nora always found her eyes lingering for a moment longer than they should on that arm, not because it was a yellow and made of metal, but because of the name engraved in green on the back of the hand.
"Fine, an amazing time." Ren chuckled as he grinned a bit.
"Did he do anything special?" Nora giggled at the display.
"Sadly, only being himself." Yang smirked. "Lucky him that's all I want." She tilted his chin up, kissing his lips.
"Yang, not in front of others…" Ren blushed and groaned, but kissed back regardless.
"You're gonna have to kiss me in front of a lot of people someday. I think Nora's a good stepping stone." Yang said playfully as she pulled away, blushing a little herself. "Besides, you're a better kisser than you admit."
"You're far too good for your own sake." Ren smiled. The whole sweet/depressing scene was interrupted though as an alarm went off. Yang frowned, sighing as she pulled out her scroll, tapping it to turn off the invasive noise.
"I gotta go." She held his hand, rubbing her thumb along the back.
"You can't stay a bit longer?"
"I'll never make it for my mission if I don't leave now." She hugged him, squeezing him tighter for a moment as she gave him a peck on the cheek.
"A few days suddenly seems a lot longer." He said as he hugged back.
"I'll be thinking about you." She slowly let go.
"I love you." Ren kissed her nose, making her smile.
"I love you too." She kissed him again, much deeper this time as she pressed on the back of his head, their eyes closed as their lips continued to move and press against each other.
"That's to hold you over." Yang winked as she pulled away, leaving Ren in a bit of daze as he tried to catch his breath. "I'll be back before you know it." She gave him a wave as she closed the door behind her, making sure to blow him one final kiss.
Nora couldn't help but wish the entire time she were in Yang's position at that point in time. Did she have to get her arm cut off just to get Ren's attention like that? Her thoughts were interrupted though as Ren sat down on the couch next her, taking a deep breath.
"She's gonna be the death of me." He smiled, making her smile back between the pang of pain in her chest.
"You really care about her, don't you?" She said, opening back up her magazine so she didn't have to look at him. He nodded.
"It's funny how things can work out." Ren looked at her, making her busy her nose in magazine all the more. "Since I'm free for the next couple days, is there anything you wanted to do? I know you loved the last time we went to the zoo." She smiled, putting the magazine down.
"Yeah, but it was more fun before security made me climb off the lion. Treating me like a little girl."
"They treated you like someone who was about to break their lion." Ren laughed a bit. "Is there anywhere you'd like to go that won't result in us being escorted out?" Nora looked out the window. The sun had almost finished setting, much of the sky filled with darkness staved off only by that small bit of light left.
"Let's just hang out here tomorrow; enjoy each other's company. After all, Yang will only be gone for so long."
What did you think? What is your opinion on this short little oneshot?