Endurance was the key word. Several times Weiss found herself out of breath during the heat of battle while her teammates were still engaging in full force, especially when forced out of her support and artillery role.

Maybe it was due to her life before Beacon. Even as an aspiring warrior, her routine still had several… facilitations? The word seemed right to describe it. Regardless of the euphemism she decided upon, Weiss was certain that her teammates did not spend their time between training sessions on etiquette classes and fancy events, nor had an small army of house workers to ensure their comfort.

So, it was only natural for her to have to catch up with them. After all, the only thing worst than getting killed because of poor physical resilience was slowing the team down and getting everyone killed instead.

The thought made sense to her earlier, but now maybe - only maybe - she was willing to exchange a few lives for a way out of her currently hellish activity.

"Come on Weiss, you're falling behind again!" Ruby chirped ahead of her on the running track.

She had no objections when Ruby suggested a running routine to improve her endurance overtime. Ruby was the fastest of their team and definitely fitter than Weiss when it came to resilience - and everything else, honestly. Even if behind her sister, Crescent Rose was by no means a featherweight weapon like Myrtenaster - but the brunette still struggled with long, sustained activities required for the harsher mission they had to take on the wilds. Activities that Weiss was outright unfit for.

So again, the brunette surprised her with a very detailed training schedule to match exactly with Weiss' needs. It was definitely way lighter than what Ruby could have taken for herself, so knowing that the girl went through such work with Weiss' progress as her main concern brought life a strange feeling at the time.

But whatever that feeling was it was now replaced by a scruciating heat and her constantly decreasing will to live.

"Ruby-" She started among her ragged breaths while trying to keep up with the younger girl on the oval circuit. "can we- take a break?" she managed to say.

"Nope! Five more laps before our pause" She replied while looking over her shoulder.

"Why are you- even running?" Ruby clearly didn't need to train on Weiss relatively slow pace, so for a second it felt like the girl was there just to add to her torment.

"To keep you company aaaand to make sure you won't cheat!" She finished with a giggle and faced back forward. Yes, torment indeed.

As if Weiss was even going to cheat on her training. She was the one who brought light to their need to improve their training routine and she was the one who requested for a way to improve her endurance, so why would her cheat? Just because she was sweating to the point of dehydration and was starting to feel an uncontrollable urge to dive face first into the hard dirt and hope the impact would be enough to dig her a nice grave?

Well, ok. Maybe without Ruby's constant cheering and incentives she would skip a lap or two…

Stepping away from the possibility of cutting her torture short and back into the real world Weiss stared into Ruby's back, trying to mimic anything from the natural runner that could ease her suffering.

Ruby seemed to glide on the track, her every motion transitioning smoothly into the next one. Her short, brunette hair bounced freely with every step and Weiss was starting to understand why she maintained the length with such care. It was certainly more comfortable than her cumbersome ponytail with several loose strands sticking to her neck and back.

Her attention shifted to her long steps as Ruby seemed to effortlessly skip from on foot to the other before allowing her eyes to travel upwards, taking in her partner's toned legs. She had noticed her partner's muscles before - in a completely respectful and casual manner, she should add - but now with her advantageous perspective and the Brunette's short track shorts Weiss could take a good look at part of what defined the girl's speed. Without noticing her own actions she took in every curve, she observed as each muscle expanded between every step and contracted on each impact. Speed was Ruby's semblance, or at least an effect from it, but she never really thought about the raw physical effort that complemented the girl's aura.

Without warning her eyes wandered farther upwards and Weiss found herself staring, but she honestly couldn't stop. To add insult to injury, her track shorts were not only short, but they were also tight. Definitely poor influence for her sister's style, but Weiss wasn't about to complain.

The fabric stretched and held tightly to her form, leaving very little for imagination. Weiss couldn't tell if she was blushing furiously or finally having a heatstroke, but she still couldn't force herself to look away. So gravity did it for her. When one foot caught in the back of the other she found her vision quickly shifting towards the ground and with her defensive Aura down, she hit the dirt hard and at speed.

Hearing the sounds of distress Ruby quickly slipped to a halt and turned to see Weiss finishing her last tumble on the dirt track.

"Weiss!" She cried and flared her semblance to land right beside the girl's lying form. "Weiss, what happened? Are you ok? Are you hurt?" She spoke quickly while examining the heiress. Ruby was unable to contain a gasp when she noticed her forearms and knees, dirty, red and bleeding from sliding on the rough ground.

"Oh dust Weiss you are bleeding oh I'm so sorry here let me help up no no no wait you better sit oh I'm so sorry-"

"Ruby!" Weiss raised her voice snapping the brunette out of her rambling-touchy state. "It's just a few scraps, I won't die from them."

"B-but you are bleeding and-"

Weiss brought her hand up and placed it on Ruby's lips before the girl could begin another talking-spree. It was instantly effective but after a few seconds Weiss became extremely conscious of her lingering touch and quick withdrew her hand.

"Just help me up" she said while trying to suppress yet another wave of heat creeping up her neck.

"O-ok! Do wanna go to the infirmary?" Ruby asked while trying to help Weiss up to her feet.

"Dust no. Let's go back to the dorm, we have a first aid kit there."

Ruby seemed conflicted, but she didn't protest. Instead the brunette quickly moved closer to the older girl and wrapped an arm around her back and up to her side, making Weiss jump away from the sudden proximity.

"What are you doing?" She asked in high-pitched tone while trying to hide yet another a blush. Honestly, she should just give up on it and blame the sun.

"I'm helping you walk back" She answered, taking another step towards Weiss.

"I can walk just fine without a crutch Ruby, thank you."

"But-"

"Let's just go. I really need to clean this."

Weiss didn't wait for an answer before starting her painful walk back to their dorm. Maybe she actually could use some help to get back, but she wasn't about to let herself be paraded through the halls like a crippled woman. Her bleeding wounds did attract some attention on the corridors, but her straight posture a quick steep made they seem much more like 'battle wounds' or anything else that was a little less embarrassing than tripping on her own feet.

But besides the unwanted attention, what was really bothering her was how quiet Ruby remained the whole way.

As they made into the empty room Weiss sat on her on bed while Ruby darted into the bathroom, hopefully to retrieve the first aid box. The healing capabilities of a fully activated Aura were nearly divine, capable even of sealing what would be mortal wounds for most regular people, but it could only do so if the would was clear of obstructions. Weiss carried about half the dirt from the track on her burning injuries.

As quickly as she entered, Ruby left the bathroom with a white box in hands and knelt down right in front of Weiss, still without uttering a word. She placed the box on the ground beside her and quietly started to sort the materials she would need. Weiss normally appreciated silent efficiency, but coming from her constantly energetic and talkative partner it just felt… Well, wrong.

"Hey…" She started and stopped as the first stings from the wet cotton ball against her wounded skin registered. She must have made a face as Ruby's expression seemed even more worried than before.

"Sorry Weiss! It's gonna… It's gonna hurt a bit…" She trailed off while diverting her gaze.

"It's ok, but what is wrong with you?" She started lightly, but the question sounded a bit harsher than intended and Ruby seemed to retract from it.

"I-it's nothing Weiss, really. I'm just concentrated." Ruby said while immediately returning to her task, sending more flames through her wounded skin.

"No it's not. You have been quiet the whole way from the track. What is the problem?" She wouldn't just let it go.

Instead of answering Ruby just let her head hang, what brought a sore taste up Weiss' throat.

"Ruby…" She tried again, softly.

"i'm just… Sorry for this Weiss…" She said, nearly in a whipper.

Weiss blinked a couple times while processing.

"Sorry for what? It's not like me tripping on my own feet like and idiot could be your fault"

"But it kinda is!" Ruby said loudly, snapping her eyes back onto Weiss' own. "You asked for a break and I kept forcing you to go on!"

"First, you didn't force me into anything. It was my choice to step into that track and my choice to reach our predefined number of laps. Second, keeping each other motivated is part of the reason we are training together isn't it?"

Her words seemed to strike sense into Ruby as her expression fell into a pensive - and thankfully lighter - one, so Weiss pressed her advantage.

"I'm sure I could have reached our goal and I absolutely intend to do so next time. I just… I got distracted and that happened." When Ruby's eyes meet hers once again, she continued. "But if it makes you feel any better I forgive you, even though there is nothing to forgive"

Weiss made great progress with her social skills since joining Beacon and being forced to live with two sister with zero regard for personal boundaries, but trying so hard to care for someone else's feelings still felt out of character for her. However, the smile Ruby offered in return brushed all doubts aside.

"You seem to be doing a lot of that lately." Ruby said while returning to her task with a much improved mood. "Getting distracted, I mean. Wanna talk about it?"

The question was innocent, but made Weiss think. Ruby was right, but Weiss couldn't pinpoint the exact reason for her recent slips in attention. The sights from the track right before her accident immediately returned to her head and Weiss felt her face starting to heat up uncontrollably for the hundredth time today.

The happenings from earlier and from previous days started to form a pattern on her head but Weiss immediately pushed those thoughts aside once she noticed where they were leading.

"No!" She half-screamed, which made Ruby interrupt her ministrations "I-I mean. It's nothing! i'm just worried with our new workload that is all."

"But we don't even have that many things to do yet, the semester just started." She asked, making a face as if the girl was trying to remember if she had forgotten any assignments.

"Well maybe you don't, but I like to stay ahead of schedule." She said on her usual dismissive tone.

"Deadlines are still faaaarway Weiss, don't worry so much" Ruby said while running her hands on Weiss' thigh and calf just above and below the knee and giving light squeezes, making Weiss completely frozen "Does this hurt?"

She suddenly snapped and jolted backwards on top of her bed, probably redder than her partner's cloak. "Wh-wh-what are you doing?"

"I'm just checking for lesions. Did I hurt you?" She asked while leaning closer.

"No. No. It doesn't hurt, it just stings, now hurry up and get it done so I can take a proper shower!"

Of all responses Ruby simply giggled at her reaction, which made Weiss blush deepen even further.

"Okay!" She said simply before instructing Weiss back into her previous position and tending to her other leg.

The rest of treatment occurred in relative silence, safe for the occasional low humming from Ruby, but Weiss' blush didn't subsided as she was now impossibly aware of every soft, caring touch from Ruby.

She was going to need a very cold shower after this.

Hello guys, long time away hm? These last two month were simply crazy and I had no time anything else but work, really. This chapter was in the making for quite sometime and only now I found the time to finish and edit it. I hope you will all enjoy it!

As always, please review and let me know what you think, I LOVE hearing from you guys!

Hugs,

Scribe Assistant