Rebuilding.
Summary: After 10 years, the War is almost over. It's time they look up into the future. After-the-War-AU.
Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth and the departed Monty Oum, may the gods bless his soul.
Chapter 02: Waking up.
[?]
He awoke with a cold sweat, gasping for air as if breaking from a harrowing dive.
And promptly found himself in a hospital gown, stripped of his armor. He snapped upright, his hand scrambled to the direction of Crocea Mors, but found nothing there.
Crapcrapcrap crap.
His eyes scanned the room around him, quickly analysing the situation. His vision was still a bit blurry and unfocused, his body numb and somehow sore at the same time but he was in a hospital room. He didn't recognize this place tho. Not Glenn's, it smelled of roses and disinfectants, not the stench of red oxidized iron stilling in puddles. The room was also far too quiet, almost silent if not for the low humming of the air-conditioner and the steady, peaceful breathing sound of somebody sitting by his right side, fast asleep.
"Ruby?"
Her silver eyes snapped open immediately, a habit ingrained deep into any veteran soldier or hunter. Turning to him, she blinked in surprise before an embarrassed shade of red crept up her cheeks.
"Finally waking up, huh?" She smiled apologetically.
He shot her an unamused stare.
"Sorry."
"Where are we?" He asked, his memories coming back. Good grief, to get KO'ed like that so easily...
"Vale." She idly said as she straightened out her clothes. She was wearing a white form-fitting button-up shirt, interweaved with Gravity dust for increased acrobatic ability; over it was a scarlet multi-pocket leather jacket that was further reinforced with Metal dust and embroidered on it's backside her insignia. She still wore a combat skirt as usual tho, with a pair of slightly tattered stockings and sturdy knee-high boots. Her uncle's red coat was draped over the armchair, next to a folded Crescent Rose and a simple rucksack.
"Wha? Where exactly am I?" He was a bit taken back by that answer.
"Vale, I told you." She turned around, pulling the window blinds up. His eyes was glared by the sudden influx of light, but then he saw the silhoute of the Beacon tower being reconstructed in the distance - along with dozens of construction cranes.
It was Vale.
His eyes twitched, switching between the window frame and the awkwardly smilling Rose several times. His mind stuck between a simple 'What.' and 'How.'
In the end, he simply settled with something a bit more emergent. "...How long was I out?"
"'Till now?"
He nodded. She pulled out her scroll and checked.
"Long enough, I guess. You was well asleep for... more than a day."
"What?!" His eyebrows shot up into his hairline at this information. He immediately tried to get down from the bed only for - cramps! "Ach!"
"Pfft!" She bit her lower lip, struggling to hold back an amused giggle at his demise.
"It's not time to joke Ruby, seriously," He said while forcing his legs to stretch out. Ouch, cramps worth a whole day in bed. "I still need to-"
"No no mister, you aren't going back so soon!" She stopped laughing immediately, her hands gently pushing him back down. "Not after you have had a proper rest."
"I just did! For an entire day!" He protested, sitting right back up.
"Not. Enough." She pushed him back down.
He sat back up.
She pushed him back down.
He sat up.
She pushed him down.
Again. And again. And again.
They said nothing as they stared. Well, more like a stern look from Ruby, one he responded with his own puppy dog eyes.
She gave him a look that said 'Do you really think that would work on me?'
'It's worth a try...' He deflated under her stare. She did it many times to him before, always worked. His eyes drooped down, exasperated. 'Any reason you are doing this?'
'What?' She scowled jokingly, her hands over her heart faking being hurt 'Other than helping out an old friend?'
'By knocking me out cold?' He raised an eyebrow at this.
'Well, it's your fault to let me do it like that so easily.' She quipped a grin, but then her smile fell and her eyes took on a serious glint as she spoke aloud "But seriously... What the heck Jaune?! Going on missions with less than 1% aura? Were you trying to kill yourself?!"
"Of-" he tried to protest but shrunk back under her bristling gaze as she stood up.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was when Cardin had to send me a letter -cause, hello, Vacuo!- saying that you were forgoing sleep, rest, and eat again! And then, as soon as I came back, I was told that you were dragging your half-dead ass out on another S-plus type mission! S. Plus. Type. Jaune!"
"I know, I know, 'kay! I pushed myself a little bit too hard..."
"'A bit' my ass!" She quipped.
"Well... maybe more than a little bit."
"But it is not an excuse to go and do something idiotic like that!" She growled lowly "At least lay down and have a little nap once in a while!"
"But I don't have the time to!" he protested...
"And that's why we are making you some Jaune." ...and promptly regretted it when she took out a envelope from one of her jacket's many pockets and handed it to him.
He stared at it. The thing seemed to emit an aura of dread and ill-foreboding, on it the red seal of the Council. He gulped, a sinking feeling coiling in his gut.
"Read it."
He nervously tore it open, taking the letter inside out. Unfolding it, he could see the carefully written name and signature of Councillor Weiss Schnee at the bottom of the letter. His eyes widened in horror.
"To Commander Jaune Arc of the RCF." He read outloud, a cursing mantra began to play in his head. "With your outstanding performance and exceptional contributions in the last 7 years to Remnant, the Council is extremely regretted to hear that your health has been deteriorating..." his eyes glanced at Ruby's fearfully, in which she only gave a 'keep reading' nod. "As a reward, the Council had deemed it approriate that you are to be temporarily relieved of duty, put on a paid vacation and assigned a caretaker until your health has sufficently recovered. Ruby, what's the meaning of this?!"
"It means you are not going back to the frontline, not until I say you can, that's what!" She grinned victoriously, a definitely wicked edge to her lips.
"B-but... Ruby?!"
"No 'but's Jaune." She said. Her arms folded with finality, like a teacher scolding a student.
His mouth hung open, then closed, then open again.
Her eyes narrowed.
He slumped down in defeat.
.
.
.
A few seconds later, he broke into a chuckle which then evolved into a laughing fit. A second later, her facade followed his own as she too couldn't take it, joining in laughing over the sheer ridiculousness of the situation, almost doubling over.
After their laugher died down, Jaune's gaze dropped to the hospital sheets momentarily, yet a gleam in his eyes was reminiscent and dear in nature. It only now struck him how much he actually missed little moments like this. Being carefree like they once were, before all of this.
"Seeing that you agree with me now..." recomposing herself, she wiped off a stray droplet of tear from her silver eyes. "Better get you something to wear then, cause we are heading downtown. It ain't a break if you stay in bed all day, ya know?"
He looked down at his lime hospital gown.
"Sent your gears to Ol'man Shopkeep's. Almost scared him out of his mind with the state they were in." She nodded, answering his unsaid question.
"Uh... so do I have anything to wear now?" He asked, a bit worried. All he had was his combat set, several BDUs and a suit he only used when he had to deal with the Dust-damned Council.
"Well, gimme a minute." She idly wondered, turning to the rucksack next to her. "I remember putting them somewhere aound here..."
"Wouldn't my BDUs be just fine?"
"Jaune, you are on a vacation, not in for even more work! Liven up a little!" She gave him a disapproving scowl, before continueing digging into the sack. He nervously watched on, inching back only to be stopped by the bed's frame.
"Ah, here they are!" She cheerfully said, pulling something out.
He would have done a spit-take had he got something in his mouth. He didn't, so it simply hung open, his eyes almost bulging out in shock at the display of a rainbow-striped shirt and a pair of brown denims.
"I picked 'em up on the way here at Oscar's!" She defended herself "I raided your drawers, but all I came up with was a bunch of lousy under shirts and briefs. It's not my fault your selection of clothings is worse than mine."
"..." Damn you Cardin.
"Com'on, they aren't that bad." She rolled her eyes "and besides, only thing else I've got is my pajamas."
Grumbling, he snatched the cursed article of clothings from her hands. To be honest, he was half-tempted to take the pajamas.
His feet touched the cold floor.
"Hehe." she chuckled, her hand pointing at an unassuming door in the corner "Go suit up, the bathroom is over there."
He nodded, walking to the door she pointed. His muscles tensed before opening the door, his combat instincts kicking in. He bit his lips, scolding himself. This wasn't Glenn.
Before he stepped inside, however, he turned back to her. "And Ruby?"
"Yeah Jaune?"
"Thanks. I really appreciated it." A small smile came to his lips, but warm and sincere.
"It's nothing Jaune." She smiled back. As he closed the door behind him, he almost missed her quiet whisper.
"And thank you too."
A/N: So, this is chapter 2. A bit short, a small chat and all that. Don't worry tho! Next off they are heading to Vale... and oooooh... let's see how the city has changed, shall we?
And thanks, Sandiiitos! Cheerios! ;)
Ps: as my summer had just ended yesterday (three hooras to the Viet school system!) my updates will be a bit slowed. That and next chapter will be much longer.