Disclaimer: I own nothing involved with RWBY, that belongs to Rooster Teeth.
The first week of classes were interesting. That was the best way Ruby knew to sum them up as their final class for the week, Grimm Theory with Port, ended.
"Remember, your reports on the weak points of Boarbatusks, Nevermores, and Griffins are due monday. I will be available if any of you need help or would like to discuss the class. Dismissed." Ruby groaned at Port's reminder. Homework was nothing new to the youngest Beacon attendee, but there was a definite difference Uncle Qrow's definition of homework and Beacon staff's definition. Not a one of them had assigned anything practical, just writings and reviews and, in the case of Tactics, a drawn plan of attack.
Ruby was practically bouncing as she packed away her notes, sketches of the assigned Grimm with their vulnerabilities shaded, and scurried out of the room. It was only noon and Ruby was intent to burn off a little excess energy before she started on the numerous assignments the professors had given them. On Patch she could just wander around the woods and hunt the few Grimm that prowled the area; after encountering Elder Grimm during the initiation, Ruby wasn't about to wander the Emerald Forest alone. One of Beacon's gyms would have to suffice.
Stashing her bag and switching out her clothes in the third floor dorm, Ruby was reminded of another "interesting" aspect of the week. As she left the room Weiss marched past her into the dorm. Ruby raised a hand to greet her partner, working out was always better with other people, but immediately lowered it when she met Weiss' eyes. Neither of them spoke as they passed. Ruby sighed.
For some reason Weiss was convinced Ozpin had made a mistake, that Ruby Rose could not possibly be her leader. She had told their team as much the night before, Ruby had left their dorm and only come back after the heiress was asleep. Yang and Blake, at least Yang said her partner would, had wanted to have a "chat" with the heiress; Ruby had forbid it. Weiss was mad at her, she would handle it. Plus, the last person Yang had had a "chat" with had ended up in Signal's infirmary.
Despite not wanting to hurt Weiss, she wanted her to change. Ruby didn't understand why she was so mad at her. Sure, she hadn't done the best in her classes but it was the first week. Everyone else in the class also had two more years of knowledge to draw on, but that wasn't enough for Weiss. To Weiss Ruby was just an unqualified little kid.
Ruby had built one of the most inherently dangerous weapons in the first year class. There had been a time that even swinging Crescent Rose was a danger to Ruby, she had built the first version when she was nine. Uncle Qrow had guided her through the construction and the end result had been little more than a slightly sharpened scythe blank, but it had been her scythe blank. For months she would return home from training sessions with her arms black and blue, the muscles bruised just from swinging the massive thing. When she was eleven and added the rifle component, her collar bone was shattered the first time she pulled the trigger. A 22mm shell had jammed but been set off, which blew the haft back and split her clavicle into four pieces. She had added the shock dispersing stock while her bone mended, and added the spike after a particularly bad fall on a frozen lake. At thirteen she had practically redesigned the entire thing, rebalancing the haft so the scythe could be gripped lower if need be and adding a falx form for higher speed strikes. Ruby Rose was perfectly adjusted for being knocked down and beaten and failing. What she wasn't used to was trying to impress someone else. Through all of her training and tinkering, Qrow and Yang and her dad had been supportive. Even when Qrow was making her sprint through the snow in shorts and a tank top he still cheered her on, when Taiyang made her run a weapons course for the twentieth time he gave her tips after every run. Yang was always willing to help her. There was no support with Weiss. There was no impressing Weiss. All she did was scream and complain and criticize. Ruby was tired of it, they were supposed to be partners for crying out loud.
Ruby walked into the gym and went to the line of punching bags. She stood before them for a moment, huffed, and walked straight out. Maybe if she got all of her homework done before the last minute Weiss wouldn't yell at her, maybe she could even check it over. That was it; her partner respected work, she would show her she could work. Skipping at her plan, Ruby returned to the dorm.
Weiss was not in their dorm. No, Weiss was actively avoiding the dorm. It wasn't much of an issue, she had gotten to change into her combat clothes for Port's demonstration that day. Even Myrtenaster was strapped to her hip. She had what she needed for an emergency. She had what she needed for class, her books were stashed in her gear locker along with her uniform. Did she have what she need though?
Really, that depended upon who answered. If Weiss answered she would say yes. A week in and she was top of the class; every assignment edited to perfection, every in class question answered clearly and concisely, every demonstration carried through with nary a misstep. If Ruby answered she would say yes and stutter through until she could escape. Her team leader seemed hellbent on being accepted, on making everyone happy. Her efforts were generally annoying to the heiress, though she did find Ruby adorable when she stuttered and pressed her fingers together trying to think up an answer. She would never admit that bit. If Port answered, as he had felt compelled to after class ended and Ruby practically sprinted away, he would say no.
"I really liked your story today professor." The professor had turned and smiled at her.
"Of course you did, child. You have the blood of a true Huntress in you."
"You think so?" Weiss caught herself, a Schnee does not seek approval from anyone. "I mean, thank you. Can we talk for a moment professor?"
"Dear girl, confess to me your strife!" Port practically jumped at the invitation. Weiss jumped at the sudden outburst.
"I-I" a Schnee does not stutter, "think Ozpin made a mistake in choosing Ruby as our leader and-" Weiss refused to glare as the professor interrupted her.
"I've believed in Professor Ozpin for many years, and the man's never once led me astray!" The large professor clasped his hands. "If he has put his faith in Ms. Rose, it is not without good reason"
"She doesn't have the discipline or skill I do, we got lucky in the forest." Weiss balked at Port's chuckle.
"It was she who split your group, it was she who began your synchronized assault. It was not luck that allowed you to defeat the Grimm but an unusual display of attunement. So instead of fretting about what you feel your team lacks, savor what you know you have. Hone your skills, perfect every technique, and be, not the best leader, but the best person you can be."
Though his denouncement had been much kinder than Yang's the night before, they both basically summed up the issue as Weiss being "a jealous little shit". Of course she had lied through her teeth and argued against him. A Schnee was not corrected. She shook her head, her father's edicts had a habit of popping up when they weren't wanted.
With a sigh Weiss opened the door to the roof and glanced between the main clock tower and the spire atop the dorms. She walked over to the spire and began to climb; hands and feet finding sturdy holds like old friends, she stood at the summit in moments.
Calm settled over her as she sat on the ledge, high and isolated places had always had that effect on her. In the Schnee estate the roof and long-sealed chimneys were the only places safe from her father's informants, safe from his control. Sure, she was punished every time the drones couldn't find her and eventually father had barred her windows but the peace had been worth it. The high places were a home within her house. On that logic the Schnee foundry in Atlas was more of a home than the Schnee estate.
She had always felt more comfortable on the factory floor, scurrying along catwalks and peeking around corners. The stark offices her sister and father found so fitting were woefully dull to the heiress. On the floor there was juicy gossip and rough workers and actual action, processing dust was a noisy and dangerous process. In the offices there was quiet chatter and too many people terrified of the peon above them, convinced that Stier Schnee could hear every word anyone in the building said. The office drones would have licked her boots clean if she asked. Those weren't the type of people Weiss wanted to be around. The floor workers were not her people either, they had been terrified of her. Weiss hadn't just snuck around because her father would have a fit if anyone caught her, though that had been a strong motivator; the workers would scatter if they saw her or do their best to blend into their station if running wasn't an option. The worst part to Weiss wasn't just that they feared her but that it was because of Winter. Her elder sister had apparently made a habit of patrolling the foundry floor and firing anyone she felt like, on the spot. She had ruined over a dozen lives before their father caught on, at which point she was promoted for "making the floor more efficient". Winter and Father weren't her people. Who were her people? Weiss didn't know.
You are not your family, echoed through her head as she swung her feet. The glare she had given Ruby as she passed their dorm said otherwise. Treating her partner, who was personally invited to Beacon by the headmaster, like a misbehaving toddler said otherwise. The hypocrisy was not lost on Weiss. Still, she couldn't just let it go. Port's talk had helped but it had not erased the issue. Years of conditioning did not fade with a sentence. Knowing you were wrong and admitting it were to very different things.
Still, you are not your family was repeated in her head. Honor the vow or be a good little heiress? She almost laughed at the choice. Whether she admitted it or not she felt bad for how she had treated Ruby. She wanted to make it up to her, but how? With a sigh Weiss settled against the spire, tiles warm on her back. She would think of something.
Ruby huffed and flopped onto her back. Paper swirled around her from the sudden movement, sketches of a nevermore and a griffin floating by her head. She sighed as half her notes slipped off the edge, sailing free from her suspended bed.
That had been one of the highlights of the week, jury rigging bunk beds and decorating the dorm. It had been one of the only times Weiss smiled at her all week, all four of them had added their own touches to the room. Yang pasted posters all over her section, practically repainting the upper right wall neon. Blake had filled the bookcase with what seemed to be her own personal library, although Ruby had noticed that she kept a few thin books under her bed or pillow despite there still being space for them. Weiss had even put up a fancy painting for them all to enjoy. Would Weiss be happier if we fancified the rest of the room?
Ruby shook her head. Why did she care? Why did her heart flutter whenever Weiss didn't glare at her? She didn't know, and that wasn't the problem at hand. The problem at hand was significantly more mind numbing. Ruby rolled back over before tossing her pen off the edge of the bed. She groaned into her note book. She was out the door before she knew where she was headed.
After a moment of thought Ruby decided to keep it that way, she had nowhere to go. Finding Blake was next to impossible, she was like a shadow. Plus, she hid her ears all the time so Ruby couldn't just look for someone with cat ears to find her faster. Weiss was still pissed off if her earlier scowl was a hint. Yang was off with her other friends, it turned out a few Signal graduates were scattered in the first and second years. It was a shame Ruby didn't know any of them, not to any meaningful degree at least. She had barely even talked to her own yearmates, let alone those a year or two above her. So, Ruby Rose wandered the halls of Beacon alone and lonely.
"Your tie is crooked." Ruby started at the voice, blinking and trying to figure out where she had wandered. Ozpin stood on a balcony before her, in the shade of his personal tower. She had managed to wander half way across the school. The fading sunlight supported her guess. Ruby didn't bother to adjust the bolo.
"Everything going well?" Ozpin stared through her.
"Wei-I...I don't think I should be the leader. I think you made a mistake."
Ozpin took a step closer, Ruby looked at the ground. Dull steel eyes studying dull stone.
"Ruby. I've made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on this planet. But at this moment I would not consider your appointment as leader to be one of them. Do you really think I'm wrong?" His brown eyes twinkled.
"No...I just want us to work together. We did great in the forest! It was like we all just belonged together, but...just here, nothing goes right." It was true. Weiss just yelled and glared at every mistake. Blake breezed through her coursework and Yang knew how to do just enough to pass; Ruby had tried to copy their effortlessness but ended up falling flat. They all knew people or had things to do after class. They always looked like they knew what they were doing. Why wasn't being like them as easy as fighting in the forest?
"Being a team leader isn't just a title you carry into battle, but a badge you wear constantly. If you are not always performing at your absolute best, then what reason do you give others to follow you?" Ozpin put his hand on her shoulder.
Ruby looked at her feet and mumbled in response.
"You've been burdened with a daunting responsibility, Ruby. I advise you take some time to think about how you will uphold it." Ozpin turned and glanced at Ruby over his shoulder.
He grinned and sipped his coffee as her eyes brightened just a shade. Sleeping sterling eyes shining up at him.
"Thank you headmaster." Ruby was gone before Ozpin could think of responding.
"Anytime Ms. Rose, anytime." I'll solve your petty squabbles for now. You will need this peace later. Ozpin took another sip of coffee and adjusted his glasses. A sliver of silver flashed over the lenses as he made his way back to the tower.
That night Weiss awoke to a sliver of light on the floor. Blinking sleep from her eyes, she saw it was past four in the morning. It wasn't sunlight. It wasn't from the hallway or the bathroom, even Yang was fast asleep. Silently rising, Weiss peeked at the bed above her. Joining the ropes that kept it afloat, sheets had been secured to the posts; a jury rigged tent to hide that Ruby's desk lamp was on. Her partner grinned as she found the flaw in the tent, Ruby hadn't tucked in the gap she climbed up through. Weiss stood on her bed and stuck her head through the hole.
She's cute when she's sleeping, Weiss immediately shook her head. The snap of a belt echoed through her head as she studied her sleeping partner. Ruby laid on her stomach, a textbook serving as her pillow and a pen dangling from her mouth. An empty coffee cup rested on a notebook above her head, Weiss snatched it before gently tapping Ruby.
"How do you take your coffee?" The dazed girl just blinked at her. Weiss raised a delicate eyebrow.
"I don't-" A slight glare cut her off. "Cream-and-five-sugars." Weiss smiled at her leader's rapid speech. It was so cu-Weiss shook her head and left to get coffee. She returned with Ruby's doctored mug and a black cup of her own. Ruby hurried to rearrange her homework as Weiss climbed up with the coffee.
"So, what are you having problems with?" Ruby just stared at the still grinning heiress. She took a sip of coffee before answering.
"Mostly the dust mechanics." Weiss beamed at her, she could help. Ruby smiled back.
"I'll get my notebook." Ruby drank more of the coffee and discreetly pinched her hand for good measure, she was awake. She was awake and Weiss was being helpful. What had happened?
The question was wiped from her mind as her partner returned, smiling and offering help. It didn't matter. The fluttering her chest started again as Weiss leaned close and began to tutor her. She had her partner, and that was all that mattered.
Author's Note: Sorry about the wait. This story is very much still in development(as in I don't have chapters stowed away to post), but I am hoping to post at least once a week. Chapter 4 should be up within a few days and remember, reviews are always welcome. If you find any errors, have any questions, or just want to comment on how the story is progressing, please feel free to PM me or write a review.