*notices yet another long delay*
Um… Happy Holidays?
(Longer note at the bottom.)
Chapter X
Weiss awoke the following morning to the movement of a weight upon her chest. Cracking one bleary eye open, her vision was immediately filled with a mess of black hair, her nostrils assaulted by the scent of roses. Weiss grinned, watching fondly as her bedmate snuggled deeper under the covers and, consequently, closer to her.
Ruby Rose. The same Ruby who had just hours ago snuck out of the facility she was living in to make her way to Weiss's house in the rain to apologize for a fault that wasn't even hers.
Weiss hadn't been exaggerating to Blake last night when she shyly admitted to possibly falling for the girl, and the recalling of said admission brought another brilliant wave of warmth to the heiress's cheeks.
Even though they were in the privacy of her bedroom, and the only other occupant seemed sound asleep, Weiss glanced around before allowing herself to indulge in the tender moment. Features softening to show only the purest affection, Weiss wrapped the arm Ruby currently slept upon—and must had for most of the night, if its stiffness was anything to go by—around her. She moved to brush several strands of hair behind Ruby's ear before watching the girl continue to slumber innocently in her arms.
Somewhere inside her, a part of Weiss was calling to attention how potentially creepy it was to watch someone sleep, but most of her ultimately just didn't care right now. Weiss had held herself back from many things in her life—friends being on the top of the list—and decided no more. If last night had taught her anything, it was that she and Ruby did indeed have something special, and Weiss wasn't going to ignore it any longer.
Especially before whatever was between them had its chance to bloom to its fullest potential, Weiss let herself think, another blush coming to fruition.
Only the quiet growl of a stomach was able to transcend her thoughts, and she quietly giggled at the look of discomfort now evident on Ruby's face. Inspiration struck then for Weiss to do something kind for Ruby in show of…
On second thought, she really didn't have any reason to need to show such kindness; she just wanted to.
Her smile grew at how giddy that thought made her feel.
Being as careful as she could to not disturb the crimsonette, Weiss reached for her scroll on the nightstand beside her. Tapping a button, she pulled the phone up to her ear.
"Neptune?" she spoke in a hushed tone when the other line was answered. "Will you inform the kitchen staff I will be taking breakfast in bed today?"
A chuckle was her immediate answer. "You don't have to pull the wool over my eyes, Weiss; I was there when that girl barged in last night, remember? Nearly barreled me over in her rush to get to you."
"I wasn't trying to pull anything, Neptune," Weiss clipped back haughtily. "I'm very aware of the…'chaos' Ruby caused."
"Oh, so her name's Ruby, eh?"
A fragment from yesterday in Ozpin's office flashed through Weiss's mind then; specifically what Ozpin had quoted her father as saying.
"That child is dangerous, and I will not have her poisoning my daughter!"
"Yes, but you never heard that!" she cried before letting some emotion leak into her tone. "Please, Neptune, you can't tell father."
Luckily the boy was wise enough—and also helplessly smitten with Weiss—that he recognized the fear in her voice right away.
"No worries, snow angel," he replied sincerely. "What can I get you and mystery girl?"
Weiss suppressed a grin at that.
"Thank you, Neptune. As for our order…"
She spent a minute thinking. Over the weekend, she and Ruby had really just skipped breakfast each day, Weiss never having felt up to cooking so early in the morning. But now?
This time the grin broke free of all restraint.
"The works," she demanded. "A cup of chocolate milk, my preferred tea, and…a pile of chocolate chip pancakes."
"Mystery girl's got herself a sweet tooth, huh?"
"Just a guess, really," Weiss replied with a small huff. "Pizza or spaghetti really aren't traditional breakfast items."
Neptune simply chuckled before affirming he'd have their meal sent up as soon as it was ready.
"And please just knock—quietly—when you've arrived. Ruby's still sleeping, and I feel it'd be a crime to wake her just yet."
"You'll barely know I'm there, princess."
With that, the line disconnected, and Weiss settled back underneath her covers, looking back down at the still blissfully unaware Ruby.
"Dolt," she mumbled affectionately, planting a chaste kiss on her head.
There was still a lingering feeling of guilt trying to quash any light deep inside her, but Weiss did her best to force the bad feeling down. She and Ruby had sorted everything out last night, and had decided nobody was at fault. It was a misunderstanding that just blew up due to repressed feelings and stress; it wasn't Weiss's fault for storming out—though she knew some part of her would always believe that—it wasn't Ruby's fault for never telling her they had once known each other, and it wasn't even Ozpin or Glynda's fault for the same reasons.
If anything, Weiss realized as her eyebrows furrowed in consternation, this was all her father's fault. He was the one who had pulled Weiss and Ruby apart as children; he was the one who basically had Ozpin and Glynda swear under oath to keep them apart and their meeting a secret. Had he never done any of that, who knew how different both her and Ruby's life could have been.
Ruby could have actually had a normal life maybe.
She could actually be able to speak today perhaps.
The idea brought bitter tears to Weiss's eyes before she fought them down and placed her indifferent mask back in place momentarily. Dwelling on what could have been wasn't going to change anything; she had learned that at a very young age. Glancing down at Ruby once more, she couldn't stop herself from kissing the girl's head once again.
No, all she could do now was make sure Ruby had the best present and future. And Weiss would be damn sure her father wouldn't be able to tinker with them any longer.
Or Ruby's father, a part of Weiss's mind sparked, recalling that it was apparently because of him that Ruby didn't speak. She still wasn't sure exactly why that was, and as she glanced at the folder from her father's office on her nightstand, Weiss realized they still had one final hurdle to get past.
But that could all wait until after Weiss spoiled Ruby with breakfast.
As if the thought made it happen, a quiet knock sounded at her bedroom door, making Weiss perk up immediately. Unable to contain another grin, she slowly untangled herself from Ruby before dashing to the door. Neptune stood there holding a comically large platter of food, the boy even going as far as to put a slim vase with a sunflower in it amongst all the delicacies.
"Thank you, Neptune," Weiss whispered, taking the tray from him with care.
"Anytime, princess," he responded with his typical wink. "You two enjoy yourselves now."
With a small nod, Weiss shut the door with her foot before carefully maneuvering her way back to her bed. The sight she was met with almost made her drop everything in order to contain the squeal that wanted to rip its way past her lips.
Missing Weiss's presence, heat, or both, Ruby had pulled the pillow the heiress had been sleeping upon closer to her chest and now had it in a vice grip, her face unconsciously nuzzling said pillow as she continued to sleep.
Good lord, Weiss thought as she tried to make her blush fade, it should be illegal for one girl to be this cute.
She was torn between waking up the precious angel in her bed, but another growl of Ruby's stomach—this time accompanied by a small mewl of Weiss's own—deterred her.
"Ruby?" she quietly called, carefully setting the tray at the bottom of the bed where Ruby wouldn't accidentally nudge it. "I brought you breakfast."
"Nnhh…"
A smile began to quirk on Weiss's lips. So they were going to play this game.
"If you don't get up, I guess I can eat all these chocolate chip pancakes by myself," she said, the playfulness oozing over her tongue. "Then again, I'm never very hungry in the morning, so I would probably have to just send all this bacon, potatoes, and eggs back to the kitchen, and they'd just throw it all away."
Weiss giggled as she saw silver eyes shoot open, Ruby bolting upright in the bed and following her nose to the delectable meal sitting at her feet where she continued to stare wide eyed.
Weiss even swore she saw a string of drool hanging from the girl's mouth as she practically salivated at the offering.
Ever polite and curious, Ruby looked up to her before pointing to the breakfast items and then back to herself, an adorable confused expression on her face the entire time.
"Well, it's really for the both of us, but those pancakes are all yours, yes," Weiss answered, moving to sit back on her side of the bed.
She had barely made contact with the mattress before she was engulfed in what was becoming known as one of Ruby's bear hugs. Weiss hugged her back before she felt a tear that wasn't hers slide down her neck and she pulled the girl back.
"Why are you crying?" Weiss asked, concern and a bit of panic leaking into her voice. "Is something wrong?"
Wide eyed once more, Ruby frantically shook her head no before searching her own bedside table for her notepad and Sharpie. She scribbled something furiously before holding it up for Weiss to read, squeezing the silverette's hand to amplify her words.
Nothing's wrong! This is just so sweet of you, Weiss. Thank you.
Warmth spreading across her face, Weiss ducked her head and mumbled, "Well, I just wanted to do something nice for you…"
One delicate finger lifted her chin so she was staring back into twinkling silver and Weiss's blush only deepened. Grinning, Ruby stroked Weiss's face with loving delicacy before her next action had the heiress gasping.
Soft, slightly chapped lips were pressed against her own. The pressure was light, but it was all too obvious what it was.
Ruby was kissing her. Actually kissing her. No small peck on the cheek, not even a gentle caress to the side of her mouth like the night before. This was a kiss.
Tears of her own then began to fall as Weiss squeezed her eyes shut, throwing caution to the wind as she wrapped Ruby up in her tightest hug, and kissed the girl back with all the love she could muster. Her heart fluttered at the small squeak her response emitted from Ruby.
It only lasted a few seconds, but to both of them, it felt like an eternity. When they finally pulled apart, they were both red in the face, with smiles that could light an entire country. Weiss didn't know what to say, and Ruby wasn't sure how to express how she was feeling.
So, knowing it wasn't perhaps the best course of action, Weiss regrettably pulled out of Ruby's embrace before turning to their forgotten breakfast.
"W-Well…" she stumbled, "Before the food gets any c-colder…"
Ruby's dreamy smile and shudder of giggles went unnoticed by the heiress.
A few hours later, Weiss found herself back in Ozpin's office in a scene identical to yesterday.
Though today Ruby was sitting upright in her chair next to Weiss, both girls' hands clasped within the other's. This didn't go unnoticed by Ozpin or Glynda, both of whom welcomed the girls in with wide smiles.
"Well, I'm glad to see any lingering issues from yesterday seemed to have been resolved," Ozpin started lightly. With a small grin, though still a stern look in his eyes, he addressed Ruby, "Though next time you're planning a midnight escapade, Miss Rose, please do alert some of the staff. We were all quite worried when we realized you were missing."
Ruby bowed her head slightly in shame and apology, before Ozpin waved it off as if it were old news. Weiss was just relieved neither of them were being punished.
"Now, you led me to believe on the phone, Weiss, that the folder you are currently holding contains Ruby's true history?" Ozpin asked, moving right to the reason Weiss had sought him out today rather than simply dropping Ruby off and leaving.
"I believe so," she answered. "I've known for quite some time that the files on record here at the Home are not as…in depth as the ones my father keeps in his personal office at home, and in Ruby's case, are the only records."
"And Miss Rose has given permission for us to look?"
Ruby nodded before looking to Weiss, who nodded as well.
"We talked about it before coming," the heiress confirmed. "Ruby?"
All eyes in the room went to the girl as she pulled her notepad out from her hoodie pocket, holding up a prewritten note for Ozpin and Glynda to read, but averting her gaze.
I'm ready to confront my past, it said. I'm not scared anymore, and if it will help me get better, I know it's the right thing to do. Any gaps my file may leave, I will willingly fill in. I don't want there to be any secrets anymore.
"Well, Miss Rose, this is a very honorable thing you are doing," Glynda told her. "However, if at any time you grow uncomfortable, or if there is something you don't wish to share with us, know that we can stop at any time."
"I told her the exact same on the way here," Weiss said with a small chuckle.
Ozpin and Glynda shared a look before the head doctor finally opened the folder. Weiss scooted her chair up closer to Ozpin's desk.
Several pictures were what immediately greeted them. One a simple headshot of Ruby back when she was five, which had actually made it to the Home's file, the others all new to everyone. Pictures from what seemed to be domestic abuse cases, showcasing several scars and welts all across the young girl's body, a picture of an upturned living room, and a woman lying amongst all the chaos.
Ruby turned away at the last picture.
"Is that…?" Weiss didn't want to utter the word.
Unfortunately, Glynda chose to finish her thought. "Her mother," she spoke gravely, picking up one of the reports and beginning to read it.
Weiss instantly latched onto Ruby's hand again, the girl squeezing back with force.
"Does it…say what happened?" she asked, glancing to Ruby to see if the girl didn't want that revealed or wished to leave the room. She simply kept her eyes shut, pulling the hood of her sweatshirt up. Ozpin, Glynda, and Weiss all looked on sympathetically.
"She was strangled by her father," Glynda read, keeping her voice more as a whisper out of respect for Ruby.
"Qrow Branwen," Ozpin got from another report. "Apparently the police were called to several domestic disputes on a regular basis. Not all turned as violent as this one, but from several of these pictures, it's obvious the abuse was going on long enough and Ruby endured it as well."
Weiss's heart broke all over again for Ruby, yet all she could do in this moment was keep holding her hand. It wasn't like she'd be able to pull away even if she wanted to; Ruby had her hand in such a death grip, Weiss was already losing feeling.
"Apparently there wasn't always trouble in paradise," Glynda spoke up again, holding up yet another picture. This one depicted a happy family; a stark contrast to what the file had shown otherwise. Ruby was only a toddler and was standing in front of her mom, a big cheesy grin being flashed for the camera. Her mom was looking at Ruby's father, Qrow, with the upmost adoration in her eyes, and Qrow was looking back at her with just as much affection.
What had happened, Weiss wondered, for that love to have seemingly been shattered? Had it all just been a façade since the beginning?
"Where…is her father now?" was Weiss's next question.
Ozpin flipped a page. "Sentenced to twenty-five years in prison with a chance of parole after ten years. Charged with first degree murder and child abuse."
A gentle nudge to Weiss's side had the heiress looking over to see Ruby holding out her notepad. Tear tracks marred her cheeks, and a few still lined her eyelids, but Weiss was taken aback by the hard look that had come over her. The notepad was held steady in her grasp with no evidence of trembling, yet Weiss's heart still went out to her.
Behind that steeled look, she could see the crumbling girl inside.
She looked just as Weiss knew she herself had for the majority of her life.
Weiss took the notepad to find another note printed and guessed Ruby wanted her to read it. With one final look for confirmation, Ruby nodded, and even lowered her hood, tucking her hands in her lap as she averted her cold gaze to the floor.
It was Weiss who was trembling as she began to read the note aloud.
'He wasn't always so bad. My earliest memories of my family and my father are actually really good. We were just like any other family. But that all changed when dad lost his job. Mom said I was three when he did. He bounced from job to job, but could never find a position that stuck, and was continuously let go. In his frustration, he turned to drugs and alcohol, and that's when things got bad.
'He started selling drugs to get us by, as my mom never worked and stayed home raising me. He spent a lot of nights in jail for that, but it never stopped him. Whenever my mom tried to reason with him and get him to stop, he'd yell at her, and on occasion hit her. He didn't turn his anger on me too often, as my mom took the brunt of it by protecting me, but sometimes when she wasn't around, I'd be the outlet. He'd hit me with a belt, or sometimes just his hands would suffice. I always tried to hide it from mom, because I didn't want her getting hurt more confronting him about it.
'Then one night when I was five, it happened. He came home drunk after one of his deals went south. I think I remember him yelling the buyer ran off with the drugs and his money. He was furious and took it all out on my mom. I tried to stand up to him and protect her, but he just threw me aside and continued to hit her. I ended up hiding, and that's something I'll never forgive myself for. Once all the yelling and noise stopped, I heard the front door slam shut and I knew he had left. I emerged only to find my mom dead. I immediately ran after that. I don't remember how long I was out there on my own before I was found and brought here.
'The night he killed my mom was the night I told myself I could never speak again. I was afraid he'd find me if I did. I was afraid he'd hear even one single word and come after me. After so many years, I guess I just kind of forgot how to talk.'
Weiss and Glynda were in tears by the time Weiss finished reading, and even Ozpin had his head bowed, the light bouncing off his glasses and conveniently hiding his eyes.
Weiss had known since first learning of Ruby's—then vague—situation that the story would be tragic, but hearing it firsthand like this…
"Oh, Ruby…"
Standing from her chair, Weiss knelt in front of her before lifting the girl's face and flashing her most sympathetic, heart-warming smile.
"I promise, I will do everything in my power to keep you from ever feeling this sort of pain again," she spoke with the upmost conviction.
Nodding tearfully, Ruby did her best to smile back, though Weiss knew she could hold nothing against her for its terrible wobble and lack of any real happiness at the moment.
"Miss Rose," Ozpin's voice broke through then. "How, may I ask, did you learn all of this about your father? Having only been five when you ran away, it seems curious to me that you've retained so much knowledge."
Weiss was about to ask what kind of ridiculous question that was, but then it occurred to her that it was a bit odd how Ruby knew so much in so much detail. Curious, she cast her gaze back to her, only to see Ruby with her head bowed once more. Weiss's eyes widened when she saw a couple tears fall down into her lap.
"Ruby?" she question hesitantly. "Whatever the answer is, we're not upset; only curious."
Watery eyes looked up at her, and Weiss nodded for her to explain. Ruby reached for the notepad once again and wrote two simple lines.
I remember that night in vivid detail. The rest came from my mother's journal.
"I don't recall you having any kind of book on you the day you were brought in," Ozpin pointed out.
Ruby squeezed her eyes shut and red flooded her face. A pitiful whine escaped her before she shakily continued writing.
I hid it. The day I arrived here I tossed it into the bushes out front. I was afraid someone would confiscate it and I'd never get it back. Aside from this hoodie, it's all I have of my mother. That journal contains her memories. Memories of the times she spent with me; things I can only imagine now, having been too young when they happened. She even wrote about how happy she and my dad were when they were dating, when they married, finding out they were having me… I couldn't risk losing that. I retrieved her journal when I could, and I've kept it hidden in my room ever since. I'm sorry…
"No, Miss Rose," Glynda then spoke up. "You have nothing to apologize for. I can only imagine the fear you felt that night, and even the day you were admitted here. We can't blame you for keeping that journal secret, and I promise you don't have to hide it any longer. We would never wish for you to part with it."
Ozpin nodded his agreement, a small smile flickering across his face. Weiss smiled too once Ozpin had.
"See, Ruby? It's all okay." She squeezed Ruby's hands, leaning forward to kiss her forehead. "You're okay."
It was only after Ruby nodded as well, wiping the tears from her eyes and smiling softly, that Ozpin cleared his throat once more.
"Well, again, I thank you, Ruby, for enlightening us even more about your past. This is something you and I will work more on during our next session, but I don't want you thinking about any of this until then, understood? You deserve to have some time unburdened."
Even though she still refused to make eye contact with the doctor, Ruby looked as close as she would at him and nodded her consent.
"With that, you are excused. Glynda, will you escort Miss Rose back to the common room? I wish to speak with Weiss briefly before letting her go as well."
"Of course, sir," Glynda replied. "Come, Miss Rose, Weiss will join soon enough."
Casting a lingering glance at Weiss, Ruby hesitantly followed Glynda out of the office. Once the door clicked shut, Weiss let out a heavy sigh.
"My thoughts exactly," Ozpin chuckled. "But do you see now why Glynda and I asked this of you? The changes in Miss Rose these past few months have been substantial; groundbreaking. Although she still continues to make eye contact with only a select couple, it seems, the light has clearly been brought back to her. Not to mention the two of you were holding hands when you arrived today."
Weiss flushed at the doctor's implication, his sly grin not helping.
"She…really has improved," she agreed. "Last night she even tried saying my name for the first time."
Ozpin raised an eyebrow at that bit of news.
"That is splendid, Weiss," he exclaimed, letting just the slightest bit of emotion into his voice. "Especially after having just learned Ruby made the choice to stop talking because of the fear she harbored for her father. For her to start trying to speak again is monumental."
"She's beginning to not fear him anymore, isn't she?"
"So it would seem."
Weiss beamed.
Fifteen minutes later, Weiss was walking back to the common room. She felt so much lighter, she couldn't even imagine how Ruby was feeling. Things were finally looking up. Everything had finally been laid bare, and now Ruby knew she could count on Ozpin and the rest of the staff at the Home to guide her to a full recovery. Completely abandoning her shell may still be a few hurdles away, but the progress was noticeable to anyone.
Ruby shouldn't have any problem coming to her final fencing tournament next week, and Weiss felt her heart beat ever faster at the conversation they had had on the way over earlier.
"That fencing tournament I mentioned earlier is this Saturday," Weiss had brought up casually. "I…never really formally asked, so I will now. Will you come watch me?" Repeating her words from their date night, she added, "It'd mean the world if you did."
With a vibrant blush and enthused nod, Ruby even further confirmed the invitation by taking the chance at a red light and leaning over to peck Weiss on the lips.
Their blushes had faded only once they had pulled into the lot of the Home.
Weiss knew she was blushing similarly again as she recalled the memory, and the giddiness from Ruby's acceptance, both their shared kisses, and just everything about Ruby in general put an extra skip in Weiss's step as she approached the common room.
Only to stop cold when she saw Ruby wrapped in the arms of a random blonde girl.
"Ooooooh, I can't believe you, Rubes!" the girl was exclaiming while crushing Ruby in…Weiss hesitated to even call it a hug.
Steeling her features, she strode across the room.
"Excuse me," she chided, "just what do you think you're doing?"
The blonde released Ruby, who had beamed at Weiss's appearance, and looked back and forth between the two of them a minute before she doubled over in laughter.
"Oh my god, Ruby," she said amongst her giggles. "You didn't tell me it was the Ice Queen!"
"Hey!" Weiss squeaked indignantly. "And just who are you, you big oaf?"
Wiping a tear from her eye, the girl stood and grinned cockily at Weiss.
"That any way to be talking to one of your patients, Schnee?"
Weiss's jaw dropped.
"P-Patient?"
The blonde rolled her eyes before stretching her arm out to the heiress. "Yang Xiao Long," she introduced. "I've known our Little Red here for the past three years."
"Why have I never seen you around?" Weiss asked dumbly as she returned the handshake.
Yang shrugged. "I only come in once or twice a week for my anger management therapy. Dr Ironwood sure knows his stuff."
"Anger manage-?" Weiss's eyes lit up then and she stomped her foot before pointing accusingly at Yang. "You're the girl who demolished the common room wall years ago!"
Yang grimaced at the heiress's outing. "Yeah, yeah, that was me," she mumbled. "No need to remind everyone here."
"My father was furious because of that!" Weiss continued to shout. "You have no idea the amount of stress that placed on him! On me!"
She didn't miss the sympathetic flash in Ruby's eyes, surely upset with the thought of Weiss having been under the stress of her father. Especially with what she now knew about the Schnee family.
"Look, I said I was sorry at the time, and I'm saying it again now, princess. Not much I can do about it now." Scoffing, Yang looked over her shoulder to Ruby. "How did this girl ever get through to you, Rubes? More importantly, how did you get through to her?"
"Hey!"
Ruby just smiled and shrugged…
And then looked Yang right in the eyes.
And with that…
Okay, few things: Yes, I chose to make Qrow Ruby's father in this story, I really like the theory that Qrow is in fact her dad in the show. I know it's been confirmed he's not, so I let myself indulge here.
Second, I'm honestly not too pleased with this chapter. It just doesn't feel…me, and I hate to say that I feel I really am starting to lose my passion for writing. It's been dwindling for a while now, but I think I'm actually reaching the breaking point now. It began back when I was writing Sucker Punch (Frozen) and hasn't let up since. I was able to power through and complete SP and still be happy enough with its outcome that I'm still working to get it published, however, some of you may remember A Rose Among Ashes and how that ended all too abruptly.
However, I am determined to push through here with LiS. This is now my second most popular story on here, and I will not let it fall victim to being shortened just because of my lack of passion and motivation. You all don't deserve that. You've been so patient with me and my month long gaps between updates, I'm not just going to quit on you now.
That being said, the ending for LiS is quite…cliché. Despite that, it was one of the first things I planned for this story, and I still haven't been able to come up with any other suitable ending I'm happy with. Not only is it cliché, it's probably a bit obvious what's going to happen, especially with this latest chapter. However, I pray you all bare with me. I will not give up on Love is Soundless, so please don't give up on me. And who knows, you all may love the cliché, I don't know!
All in all, LiS is gradually coming to a close. I'm thinking five more chapters at most. It's bittersweet even for me, but I really do think I need a long break from writing after this. Hopefully my passion returns then as I still have so many ideas for our White Rose babies.
Finally, please review and I'll see you all next time!