No Place Like Home-Chapter 4-Home
"I guess I'll make eggs or something." Ruby said after a few minutes of silence. Shrugging, Yang smiled. "Better than putting me on it. Go ahead." Scratching her head, she looked sideways at Ruby for a moment. "I'll watch. Maybe I'll get better." Ruby rolled her eyes and walked to the kitchen to get ready, Yang following behind at a leisurely pace.
Opening a cabinet and peering inside, Ruby grabbed a skillet and a bowl, turning back to Yang after putting them on the counter. "Would you get a few eggs for me?" She asked, nodding towards the fridge. Popping over, Yang did as she asked and handed them over carefully, remembering the last time she tried to make them; the only thing she ended up making was a mess.
"So…Yang…" Ruby began with caution, breathing out and slumping slightly as she beat the eggs. "Ah…" Narrowing her eyes, Yang tilted her head. "What's up, sis? If you've got something to say just spit it out, I don't have anywhere to go." She said in response, leaning on the fridge and crossing her arms. Ruby laughed dryly, shaking her head. "When you say it like THAT, it just makes me want to hide somewhere." Sighing, she straightened up and sat the bowl aside. "Why…why didn't you freak out earlier? You know, when you…" Tugging at the scarf, she swallowed with a grimace and a blush. "When you 'found out'. Your lack of freak is giving me a lot of freak right now."
Putting a hand up, Yang chuckled. "Hey, look…I've been around this girl since before I can remember. She's completely harmless. A pure ditz!" Ruby breathed out deeply. She knew otherwise…but she wasn't going to tell Yang that. "Besides, I can hardly criticize you on your relationship choices. You know the crowd of guys and girls and everything in between that tries to get to me on a daily basis." Crossing her arms tighter, Yang curled her lip and looked to the side briefly, glancing at Ruby with different eyes. "You know I love you, and I do look out for you, don't get me wrong…" Pursing her lips and tilting her head, Ruby nodded and gripped the edge of the counter.
Taking in a breath, Yang stood up straight and blinked several times, motioning to Ruby as she started to walk around the corner. "I'll be right back. I'm sure those eggs'll be fine without me for a bit." Ruby started to stop her but stopped herself a moment later. Leaning forward and looking past the sink, she saw Yang turn down the hallway, in her room's direction. Her fingers clenching, she furrowed her eyebrows and tried to focus on the food, pushing the other events out of her mind as she finally turned on the heat and waited with her leg bobbing unconsciously.
It hadn't been that long ago that Weiss finally woken up. She got some sleep, albeit not that much, but it still had been something. She dreamed of a fight…the rest would come to her later. Turning over and wrapping the covers around her face, she closed her eyes again and breathed in deeply. Curling her legs up, she clenched her toes and shrunk into a ball before relaxing and pulling the covers back to sit up slowly. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, she wrapped her fingers around her ankles and looked blankly in no direction in particular. After scratching her chin, she put her hands out behind her and looked up at the ceiling, letting out a breath.
Dammit…I have to go…home…soon…Putting a hand on her face, she slowly drug it down as she heard the door open and looked down instantly, her eyes peering out from between her fingers. Swallowing, she let herself drop back as she realized it was only Yang, striding in with her thumbs slipped between her skin and the edge of her boxers, where pockets would have been if she were to be wearing pants. "Weiss…" She started, standing awkwardly in the doorway. Tilting her head downward and keeping her eyes below Yang's, Weiss nodded silently. Blinking and stepping in, Yang tilted her head and slowly pulled out Ruby's computer chair, sitting in it backwards and leaning her forearms on the back.
She was almost…worried because of Weiss' behavior. The girl wasn't normally this submissive, not even at school. Of course, they had no reason to talk to one another before, but now…well, the stakes were different. Leaning forward a bit further, she let one arm hang down over the chair and dipped her head in Weiss' direction. "Hey. I…well, I just wanted to talk with you a little bit. I know we don't talk really at all, but…" Weiss' sudden shyness, or, ignorance, was almost starting to get on Yang's nerves, but she realized that the last thing she needed was someone breaking down right now. "So, Ruby-"
"Yeah?" Weiss suddenly piped, cutting Yang off at Ruby's mention. Leaning forward and smirking, Yang nodded. "Yeah. You know she's young, and I don't think it's hard to understand what's going to happen if you take advantage of that. I think we can be friend-" Cutting her off again, Weiss held up a hand and furrowed her eyebrows, her eyes tightly closed. "Yang, you know as well as I do that neither of those things are going to happen… And anyway, it's not like we've ever had anything in common before, and now…the only thing that even remotely ties us together is…Ruby…" Taking her hand back, she nodded quickly and held it close to her chest. "I…y-you know I ju…" Weiss stuttered, not sure exactly what she was trying to say, her words leaving her in the dust.
Yang scooted back and let out a breath, crossing her arms under her chest and looking up. "You are about the definition of a strange case, aren't you? Geez…" Massaging her forehead, Weiss took in a breath as deep as the one Yang released and clenched her teeth. "I'm sorry…just not in a great state of mind right now." She said vaguely, leaning back and darting her eyes around the room before focusing on Yang again. "I…really do care about your sister…I won't hurt her…I won't ever hurt her…" Weiss submitted, nodding slowly. "Y-yeah. I'm not worried, I was…just saying. Ah…" Suddenly finding herself stuttering, Yang rubbed her head and ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm pretty bad at this. First time I've had to stick up for her, y'know. I didn't mean to scare you, Weiss, I don't think I'm that kind of person." She said with a self-oriented chuckle and a heavy sigh. "Well…Ruby's cooking some eggs if you want them." Yang said, tilting her head in the kitchen's direction and holding out a hand to Weiss.
Looking at it carefully, Weiss put both hands on her knees before slowly reaching out and taking it. Pulling her off the bed and to her feet, Yang laughed lightly and patted Weiss' back on their way out of the room, slowing down her pace nonchalantly due to Weiss' shuffling steps. They walked back into the living room, Yang going around and lying out on the couch while Weiss sat on the loveseat, her hands clasped together lightly between her legs. Glancing over, she noticed Yang yawning and shook her head. She eventually decided to get up and slowly made her way to the doorway leading into the kitchen, leaning on the doorframe and watching Ruby cook. It was an unbelievably cute picture, in her mind.
Ruby looked up after a bit, catching Weiss in the corner of her eye and turning to smile hastily before going back to her cooking, the smile lasting on Weiss' face as she kept her distance and looked on as Ruby finished up and put her hands on her hips, stretching. Sauntering into the small space and pushing the handle so that it pointed towards the back of the oven instead of out, Weiss narrowed her eyes softly and put one hand on Ruby's side, standing behind her and laying her chin on her shoulder, her other hand snaking up to rest under her head. "Good morning…" She whispered, tugging the edge of Ruby's scarf and giving her a soft kiss on the neck.
Swallowing, Ruby clenched her teeth and looked up at the cabinets above the stovetop, a blush steadily spreading across her face and stretching down her body. She felt her hands twitch, the sudden contact an unexpected greeting, the sensual touches like this something she still wasn't used to experiencing all the time. Weiss could tell she was making Ruby uncomfortable, and she let her arm slip before Ruby's hand slid it back up slowly, her own unconscious movement causing Ruby's blush to deepen and Weiss' mind to wonder. They both sank into the hug before they felt a pressure from the side causing them to take a few steps away. Breaking apart and shooting to separate sides of the kitchen area, they both stared at Yang in different levels of embarrassment.
Looking back at them, Yang stuffed a forkful of scrambled eggs into her mouth and backed out slowly. "Well don' stop on my account." She mumbled loudly with her mouth full, a devious look in her eye. Shaking her head and slowly heading out to the couch again, she sat the plate she had prepared in the space of the duo's shock on the coffee table and sat back down, her arms along the back of the furniture. She's got the idea…I just hope Ruby doesn't have to go through what I've had to. I have to hand it to Weiss, she is smart…She thought, gazing at the ceiling wistfully. Glancing at a table to the side of the couch, she reached over and retrieved the phone resting on it. She gazed at the small screen with a distant but pleasant look, tapping a button on the side and swiping the screen to unlock it, sweeping through several menus with her thumb and stopping on the messaging app. She hesitated for a moment before tapping the first conversation on the list, typing, "ey~ how r u an ur 72 ½ cats doin 2day?", and sending it with a small smile.
Weiss was the first to look back at Ruby, her body still shaking. She breathed hard, almost as if she'd been punched in the chest. Needless to say, she didn't do surprises very well. Weakly clenching a fist, she turned around and leaned on the sink, looking down at the smooth metal and getting nothing back but a glare from the overhead light and her silhouette against the dim reflection. Ruby narrowed her eyes in concern, startled by the sudden appearance of her sister but not as freaked as this. She knew that Weiss had certain issues, but she had never really gotten the chance to pay this much attention. Now, however, she was going to take steps out of her way to help her out. Her chest leading, she made a move forward and put a hand on Weiss' back, resting it near her neck and leaning on the sink along with her, trying to get her attention.
Slowly looking away, Weiss took a deep breath and tried to allow herself to calm down, breathing in again and straightening up at Ruby's prompting. With her hand still on Weiss' back, Ruby pulled her in gently and gave her another hug, holding her close. She was intending to say something poetic, but the words wouldn't form in her mouth…in the end, though, it was no big deal. The contact was enough to get Weiss' breath back to normal, her mind back on track. Neither of them ever fully realized the effect they had on the other, their differences simply making them fit like puzzle pieces. "Thanks…" Weiss whispered, her hands tightly gripping the countertop. "Yeah…yeah…" Ruby said in return, nodding slowly.
"I feel like I'll have to leave soon…" Mumbling the words, Weiss looked out the window past a small dining table between a cabinet and the back door, her gaze dark and hazy. Ruby simply gave another, shorter nod and took a small step back. "Well…will you at least eat first?" She asked with a lighthearted air and a small bounce for effect. Shaking her head initially, Weiss turned around and stood still for a moment. How would she say no to that? She knew from that point on that she would have to try harder to be less agreeable…with the accompanying knowledge that it would be near impossible. Pursing her lips and looking away, she glanced back and nodded, stepping forward before Ruby put a hand on her chest. "It's okay, I'll make our plates. Do you like cheese?"
Laughing a bit, Weiss scratched her chin and turned around, walking out the doorway and twisting back for a moment. "I do, but that doesn't stop me from being lactose intolerant." Ruby gave a slow nod and got the plates out, showing Weiss a thumbs-up. Putting one hand in her pocket, Weiss stood by the loveseat and leaned on the back, looking off in no direction in particular. She didn't have days like this often…days when she could just relax, and not have to worry about anything, or be afraid. Here she felt safe, for the most part, and she wished it could be like this all the time. She took a deep breath, a smile still wide on her face.
"Good morning, Firecracker. I'm alright, not tired at all." Letting out a small chuckle, Yang looked up to see Weiss standing nearby and tilted her head, an unnaturally serious expression finding its way onto her face. Shaking her head, she looked back down at the phone. "Haha. wat u not sleep?"
Coming back around the corner, Ruby nodded at Weiss with a small smile and she returned the gesture, taking the plate as Ruby held it out to her. "Thanks. It's really cool that you can cook…I'm totally useless when it comes to that. Some girl, huh?" Ruby laughed and shook her head. "Don't worry Weiss, you're an honorary female!" They both laughed at that as they sat down on the couch, putting their plates on the table to get situated.
"Take a guess; you might be right." Yang rolled her eyes and tapped away. "O…I see. well nyway, i was thinkin about goin sumwere 2nite. wanna giv me sum company? its scary at nite~"
Lightly bumping Ruby's shoulder with her own, Weiss smirked as she put the plate on her lap, bobbing her head and taking a bite. Ruby made a noise of mock displeasure and pouted, sticking her tongue out at Weiss, who was now absorbed into the task of eating. Shaking her head, Ruby shrugged and followed her example.
Yawning, Yang looked down at her feet and tapped them together, her eyes getting heavy. I could probably sleep forever if I let myself…She thought, closing her eyes for a moment and opening them again to find Ruby and Weiss gone, plus the phone vibrating on her chest. Blinking slowly and sitting up, she rubbed her head and swung her legs off the couch, resting her forearms on her thighs. She took the phone in one hand and unlocked it, seeing three messages. "Oh, you poor girl…I'm sure you can handle yourself." "Okay, okay, you don't have to be like that. I'll go. Where to?" "…Yang if you fell asleep I'm going to kick your ass." Laughing awkwardly to herself, Yang breathed out and looked away, getting up and going to her room, running into Ruby's dad along the way.
He expertly skirted around her, smiling and nodding his head towards the door. "Good morning. I'm heading to the store if you want anything." She shook her head with a smile in return, walking backwards to her room at the opposite end of the hall as Ruby's. "Nah, I'm good. Thanks." Letting out a breath as she closed the door, Yang unlocked the phone again. "Heh…srry girlie…u no how i am ^^;" Stretching, she grunted and sat on the bed, navigating the mess of clothes and various items on the floor. Her room was about the polar opposite of her sister's; while the younger's was organized and well put together, hers was a disaster…she always told herself that she would clean it, and never did.
Scratching her head with her eyes half closed, Yang looked up at the closet and made a self-oriented noise of confirmation, slinking over and picking out a bright yellow t-shirt and pulling open a drawer of the dresser. "Whoa, I forgot I had this." She said to herself with a less-than-innocent grin, throwing the item to the corner of the closet. All she could think was that she was damn glad nobody came in here anymore.
She finally let out a breath as she picked out a pair of shorts from the drawer, slipping them on and holding them up by the belt loop. "Heh heeeeh…" Spotting the tip of a belt on the ground, she grabbed it and pulled the rest out from under a pile of shirts, examining it. She laughed and shook her head, not sure whether to throw it down or go with it…the huge belt buckle would make her look more out of place than she already would be without it. Eventually, she just shrugged and pulled the buckle off, trading it for a simpler one on her bedside table. Nodding to herself, she looked down again at her bare feet. "Oh." She said to nobody in particular, glancing at the closet and trudging back over, pulling out another drawer and grabbing one tall sock, rooting through it to find the match.
"Hey…thanks for walking with me, Ruby…" Weiss said quietly, her hands in her pockets and her head slightly down. Tilting her head, Ruby looked at her and smiled, tugging at Weiss' sleeve. She glanced that direction, taking her hand out of her pocket, and Ruby slid her hand down and slowly intertwined her fingers with Weiss'. "It's the least I could do, Weiss…I'd walk with you any day, you know that." Feeling a smile creep across her face, Weiss laughed in her chest and nodded, looking back up the road. "Yeah…yeah." They walked along in silence after that, the only noise coming from the birds and the sound of their footsteps on the pavement. It was a certain peace that was hard to come by.
After a while, Weiss looked up at the sky for a moment, her eyes shifting back to the ground and then to the side. "Ruby…do I scare you?" She asked, still fixed on a random point in the distance. Blinking and narrowing her eyes, Ruby took a breath. "No, that's the last thing you do. I worry sometimes…but I'm more scared for you than of you." Pursing her lips, Weiss looked straight ahead. "Are you not afraid that I might go into a panic attack and do something stupid? You don't have any idea what I think about, either…" Slowing down, Ruby came to a stop. "No…no I don't. But Weiss…thoughts like that aren't what make you a person. Look at me…" Closing her eyes, Weiss stopped as well, a few feet ahead. Walking up to her, Ruby grabbed her arm with one hand and put the other on her chin. "Look at me. Look at me, and then ask me again…" Weiss obliged and slowly opened her eyes again, meeting Ruby's and shaking her head. "I-I…" She began, starting to look away until Ruby moved the hand up to her cheek and pulled her face back, looking her dead in the eye. "...Ruby…I want to know why…why I deserve this…What did I do to get you…?"
Weiss trailed off, creating another simple silence. It was just in that moment, that it seemed like even the birds and the ambient noise of any town just shut off…just for a moment. In any other situation, Weiss would have tried her damnedest to get away…to swing her arms and escape. But right now, she felt safe. She felt safe with Ruby's arm on hers, Ruby's skin…on hers. She had never known what love meant as a younger girl. She thought it was a lie told between two people for some kind of outside gain, a feeling that was just a fantasy, something for people to hope for but never get. And that…well, that was what it was for her. At least until now. Now…she knew what love meant. Love was all about safety, to her at least. She had never felt safe in her own "home"…she had no reason to. The difference was so stark that the two houses may as well have been two entirely different worlds.
She tried to speak but she couldn't…standing dumbly there, her eyes locked on those of her perpetual love. Shifting from foot to foot, Ruby started to smile and blinked, taking a breath and a small step forward, her head leaning in. Weiss moved her hands forward and touched Ruby's, holding them tightly as their noses met. A light blush moved across Ruby's face as she held Weiss' hands just as tight, moving her chin forward and slipping past Weiss' nose, the tips of their lips barely brushing each other. Weiss swallowed, her breath coming faster as her own face gained a reddish hue, her heartbeat speeding up a little. It was remarkable to her, how being this close still caused this reaction. Maybe…that was love too.
Those thoughts were the last she was allowed to think until she became blank for several seconds, her head moving forward gradually. They both tilted their heads, their knuckles white and faces red as their lips met once again. It seemed different every time…the feelings inside finding their release in this contact, however short it usually was. Though in reality it was only a few seconds, to the two of them it felt like hours…but that was a good thing. Weiss moved forward a bit further, needing to feel just a little more. They both held it for a little longer, pulling back and sharing a breath as well before hugging tightly.
They didn't say anything else to each other for the rest of the walk, the distance, or rather, lack of distance between them doing the talking. It wasn't a long walk to the place Weiss lived, and that moment made the trip even shorter. Before too long, Weiss mindlessly kicked a rock out of the way as she stepped up into the driveway, making her way to the door. Whether she wanted to go home or not was no longer the issue, because she knew she was ready.
Bounding up behind her, Ruby tugged at her arm and prompted her to turn around, giving her several more kisses before pulling back and leaning forward, smiling. "I'll see you later, Weiss. It was…an interesting day." Trying to smile but simply twitching her lip, Weiss nodded. "Yeah…it was…" She touched Ruby's back to get her to move away and nodded her head back in the direction of Ruby's house, the other way. "See you, Ruby…" Nodding in response, Ruby took a moment to look Weiss over and pursed her lips, standing up straight and nodding again, heading back home.
"Oh, it's fine Yang. I swear, you're secretly a bear and you're not telling me."
"hehe! wat makes u say that?"
"You sleep, eat, and fight like one."
"thats not all im gud at~"
"Very funny. Anyway…where are we going?"
"nywere u want i guess"
"…Are you sure?"
"lets just go 2 a movie or sumthin"
"Fair enough. When?"
"ill pick u up SOON"
"You're already outside, aren't you?"
";)"
A/N: And thus ends this section of No Place Like Home. It was fun to write, and you can be sure I'll write more in this alternate universe. Prepare for all sorts of things along the way, and remember that not all is as it seems. Stay frosty, stay human. Nyuu-kun out!