Ch 18: Arrival

If things could be any more perfect then Ruby would be scared that her luck had run dry. The week that Yang and Blake had taken for their journey to the highlands had left Ruby and Weiss a blissful amount of time together. There hadn't been a day where the two didn't spend as much time as possible in each other's company. Lunch, dinner, walks on the beach and dates against the setting Astera sun, Ruby had been running out of ideas on what the two could do together, so they decided to do it all again and them some. Ruby hadn't been in many relationships, outside a few fumbling trysts with other awkward girls her age back home. So there was a certain giddiness in the idea of being a couple. It felt like she had been wrapped in a warm glow that was unmatched by the sun and the fires of the workshops. Like she was on a high that fuzzed her mind and made giggling unavoidable. She smiled and skipped and all but acted like a child as she weathered the torrents of teasing from her friends and coworkers, but she couldn't find it in herself to care, being with Weiss was worth it.

It felt as if a lot had changed but nothing really hadn't. Did that make sense? There was still a haughty air around her girlfriend - her girlfriend - that had been the source of most people's aversion and Ruby hadn't quite escaped the occasional lecture or nagging comment that peppered their time together. Those were things that the smith had grown used to, the things that made Weiss so Weiss, and perhaps it was her new rose - Hah - rose tinted glasses, but she had started to realize the whole act was pretty cute.

That or she was becoming a masochist.

Regardless, Ruby couldn't help to feel that in-between the Weiss-isms and the people who questioned her sanity, the huntress had become much sweeter the longer they spent time with one another. Sometimes when she would lecture she would stop in the middle of a sentence, averting her eyes and giving an excuse to not finish her thoughts, like she was suddenly more mindful about who she was speaking to. There were several instances where Ruby would simply lock eyes with Weiss and the fierce huntress who had slain behemoths and nightmares would blush and look away, seemingly quelled by someone as simple as Ruby. It made her heart flutter, it made her say and do stupid things that always elicited a laugh or a pretty smile. It was simply the best, it was sappy and goofy and it was the most wonderful addiction.

All that was keeping things perfect was that Yang was supposed to be back four days ago.

There was that same blinding sunlight that cut through the curtains right in her designated spot on Weiss's bed, signaling the hour of the day and demanding Ruby get up. With a groan she rolled to her side, finding an alabaster shoulder peaking from underneath the sheets staring back at her. Ruby scooted closer, pressing her bare chest against Weiss's back and wrapping her arm around the girl's waist. The smith planted a smooch against that tantalizing skin before settling her chin in the crook of her girlfriend's neck, humming her contentment at the warmth she found there. There was the softest of shifts in the sleeping girl, and Ruby could see her azure eyes flutter open from underneath messy snowy hair.

"Good morning beautiful." Ruby whispered against her ear.

Weiss breathed a soft noise through her nose, turning her head so that she could meet her girlfriend's half lidded eyes and greet her with a soft kiss. They held for just the perfect amount of time before Ruby felt a smile against her lips and Weiss pulled away.

"Good morning my rose." Ruby's cheeks filled with blood as she mirrored her girlfriend's dopey smile. That pet-name was so goddamn cheesy but it made her squirm every time she heard it. Especially since the huntress had reserved it for moments where she was feeling especially affectionate. Ruby giggled then nuzzled against Weiss's cheek and dropped her body on the girl, receiving a groan of annoyance in response.

"Ruby you're heavy."

"Deal with it." She mumbled into Weiss's hair.

"Get off of me Ruby Rose."

"That's not what you were saying last night."

Her partner was quiet for a moment and Ruby giggled again. The night before hadn't been the first, but it had certainly been one where things seemed to have finally clicked. None of their previous nights - and some days - had been bad per say, but they were definitely marred by excitement and passion that had birthed a few awkward moments that broke the rhythm of things. Though last night, last night had been amazing. It had started not so innocently in the smaller than comfortable tub in Weiss's bathroom, and had ended in a slippery tangle across the bed, forcing the two to change the sheets before they could drift off to sleep.

Stuck in the bliss of her daydream, Ruby reacted too slowly to the hands that grabbed her wrists and flipped her onto her back, Weiss straddling her above and scattering the sheets around them. The huntress looked down at her with her lips pinched tight, that jagged scar across her eye giving her a hawkish look as she glowered at her trapped prey.

Ruby's breath started to come out fast, her smile widening considerably as she waited for the next move Weiss would make. She loved the flustered, hesitant Weiss, the one who blushed when she was flirted with, the one who shyly held her hand when no one was around. But she was crazy for the impassioned, dominant Weiss, the one who bit and pushed her down, the one who demanded obedience and always got it. Ruby spent the majority of her days slinging hundreds of pounds of metal around and swinging hammers, building considerable muscle mass that dwarfed the huntress's. Yet here she felt so wonderfully weak with her hands trapped next to her head and her body pinned against the mattress.

Weiss lowered herself onto Ruby's chest and pressed her breasts against the girl's, her face inching closer towards Ruby's lips before stopping impossibly close. Ruby couldn't keep a quiet moan from escaping her lips, her heart thudding in anticipation from the contact of their skin. Weiss's eyes flickered down to her lips, then back to silver before she said, "I remember you saying a lot more last night."

A quick peck was all Ruby got before Weiss rolled off of the bed and made for her closet, Ruby catching a peak at a lithe back and a tight butt before she collapsed onto the bed.

She was definitely becoming a masochist.

"Weiss! You can't do that!" Ruby whined, her face was hot as she wrapped herself back underneath the warm blanket they had shared, a twisting desire settling in her core as she tried to hide her blushing face. Weiss had already shimmied on a pair of pants and was in the process of slipping on her brassiere when she turned back to the pile of linens and sexual frustration huddled on her mattress.

"Ruby get up, I want to see if the Argosy has made it back to port, and there's more in a day than rolling around in bed." Weiss slipped into a thin blouse and pulled Ruby's jacket across her shoulders, making the outfit work oh so well despite the shoddy condition of Ruby's clothes. Ruby still sat huddled underneath the sheets, only giving a grunt in response. After a moment she heard footsteps and she tensed her body as the covers were ripped from her naked form, letting out a small 'eep' as she hugged herself. Weiss put her hand on her hip and threw the bedding to the side.

"Though if you need a moment to take care of something I'll wait. I don't mind watching." Ruby's head flipped up and she stuck her tongue out, throwing her legs off the side of the bed and stubbornly walking to her own side of the closet that housed her clothes that had made pilgrimage to Weiss's room. She grabbed some underwear and tied a wrapping skirt to her hips, catching Weiss sneak glances at her as she pulled a shirt over her head.

"You know you can look right? It's not like we weren't having sex like, six hours ago or anything."

It was Weiss's turn to blush, the huntress seemingly embarrassed at being caught, "Shut up. It just… It feels dirty when I ogle you."

Ruby rolled her eyes, "You just casually said you would watch me masturbate two minutes ago. That wasn't dirty?"

Weiss coughed into her hand and mumbled out, "Sorry. I really don't know what comes over me sometimes."

Ruby finished getting dressed, grabbing one of Weiss's half cloaks and draping it across her own shoulders before grabbing her girlfriend around the waist for a hug.

"Hey, I don't care. It's fun, and you shouldn't be embarrassed." Ruby planted a smooch on Weiss's cheek and took her hand, "And you're right, we slept half of my day off away, let's go do something fun before we get wrapped up in anything annoying!"

Annoying didn't take long to find them. Just as Ruby and Weiss had sat down for lunch there was a clamoring in the trade yard below. Dozens of people milled about animatedly and runners were seen dashing through the gathering crowds below. Ruby had walked up to the nearby railing to look below only to have Weiss tap her shoulder and point towards the sea. In the distance, just barely visible on the horizon, great ships with blinding white sails drifted ever closer. Ruby gasped and saw that there was at five of them, roughly half of the Sixth Fleet size that had arrived not four months prior. Ruby looked to Weiss and saw her girlfriend's brow furrowed in thought.

"Was there a delayed second voyage of the Sixth Fleet? I thought we were the only set of ships that were to arrive this… Well this decade."

Weiss shook her head, "No, you're right. From what I understood the fleet we arrived with was the designated sixth expedition. Why would more be coming now?"

Ruby bit her lip and looked back to the arriving ships, they would be in Astera within the next hour. Ruby leaned against the railing and rested her chin in her folded arms, "You don't think this has to do with the Grimm-blight monsters do you?"

Weiss placed her hand on Ruby's shoulder, squeezing it slightly, "I don't know. But whatever it is, we can rest assured that having more people here can only help. Well, beside it being a little more crowded around here."

The two returned to their food, the conversation being much more sparse and tense than earlier. When they finished their meals, they walked hand and hand to the decks below, a very sizable crowd gathering now at the edges of the lapping water. Ruby lead Weiss to a less dense area, but still within view of the docks, and saw Jaune standing next to Pyrrha, the girl leaning with her arms crossed against the man.

"Hey Jaune." Ruby called out, the blond giving a wave as they approached.

"Ruby, Weiss, I'm guessing you guys didn't know anything about this either?" Ruby shook her head, looking back out towards the water, being able to distinguish the details of the ships much better now. They were great towering things, with gilded railings and ivory sails, there was an effigy of a knight in armor just underneath the bow holding a magnificent sword pointed towards its feet. The wood was dark but well oiled, they were perhaps the newest and most advance set of ships she had ever seen. Large artillery sat upon the lead ship's deck, barrels of impossible diameter and weight sat parallel against each deck, with many more peaking out from holes within the hull.

Weiss gripped Ruby's arm tightly, the woman gazing with a shocked look on her face, "Ruby, those are Atlesian military ships! They're from my home." Ruby raised her eyebrow and glanced at the couple behind them, who both shrugged their shoulders. Pyrrha spoke up, "I can't be the only one to think this isn't a good sign. There are way too many ships to simply be a private expedition."

Ruby grimaced and watch as the flag-ship began to take to the make-shift port of Astera, shouting from its crew and calls from the docks filling the air. Some of the people from the crowd called and waved, though many chose to observe in silence, for what should have been an exciting moment there were far too many who had reached the same conclusion as Pyrrha. Just as the ship began to finish its mooring, Ruby saw the crowd begin to split as the Commander walked through with his entourage in tow.

The man was wearing a long coat with several medals and curios attached to it, at his side was a sheathed short sword and a golden chain that drifted from his waist to his pocket. He wore a luxurious shirt and black pants, his spectacles perched precariously on his nose as his silver hair danced with each step. His assistant, the blonde with the tight bun of hair, was similarly dressed in a tight shirt with slacks and a trailing half-cloak behind her. They were surrounded by other bespectacled men and women of various ages, several recording things on clip-boards while others simply walked forward with hands resting on weapons.

The crowd made a clearing for the officials, a semi-circle surrounding the exit of the dock the great ship had rested at. A plank descended from its deck and several figures darted to further secure the ship. After a long moment three people descended the ramp, followed by their own guard detail down onto the docks.

Ruby heard Weiss gasp again, only to have the woman rush forward and shove her way through the crowd. Ruby glanced back at Pyrrha and Jaune with an apologetic smile and quickly rushed after the woman, mumbling several short and half-hearted apologies to those that had been pushed by her hasty girlfriend. They both erupted out to the perimeter of the semi-circle, Ruby breathing a little hard as she latched onto Weiss arm and whispered loudly, "Weiss! What was all that for?"

Weiss glanced at Ruby, her mouth slightly open before she gave a quick smile, "It's my sister."

Ruby turned and saw the three leaders of the fleet stepping forward. At the helm was a tall, broad shoulder man with a thick chin and a head of black cropped hair, he walked with heavy even steps with his hands clasped behind his back. He was sporting a neat white military uniform with grey and gold tassels criss-crossing his chest. A shining insignia sat on his lapel, a large square cross hanging above a striped ribbon. He walked with a tight unchanging expression, his eyes staring forward at the welcoming people of Astera. Beside him was the woman who was undoubtedly Weiss's sister, a taller, fuller clone of the girl who stood beside Ruby. She had an equally impressive military outfit with similar medals attached to her breast, a long pair of dual blades resting on her hips as she followed with her own stern expression. Most curiously was the third member of the group, a short girl in a flowing short dress skirt and black leggings, she had long ginger hair that flowed down her back in chaotic curls, with a set of impressively long ears poking from beneath. Her face was alight with a bright grin, glancing about with emerald eyes at her surroundings and even giving a wave or two to the gathered crowd.

The man stopped just a meter from Ozpin, snapping a salute before standing at attention, "Commander Ozpin."

The commander mirrored his salute, "At ease James, though I suppose I should call you General Ironwood now." The Commander had a small smirk on his face, he stepped forward and embraced the man, who gave off the body language of someone who didn't receive many hugs in his life. The starched man clasped the Commander's back before the two disengaged, and the General cleared his throat.

"I take it things have not gotten too bad if we are able to receive such a warm welcome."

Ozpin shook his head, "Nothing we can't handle yet, though I fear the things I sent in my message are soon to happen."

The General's mouth thinned, "Understood. Any more information your researcher has discovered would be vital so I can further access the situation."

"Sadly, my researcher has been out on an expedition to the Third Fleet, so we only have a little of her findings present here. Most concerning is that her and her bodyguard were due back a few days ago, hopefully this means they have found something substantial, but I fear the alternatives. But let us discuss that another time, it is a long voyage to this world, let us get you situated before we continue."

The general nodded his head before sweeping an arm to the side, "Very well, allow me to introduce you to my right hand, Specialist Winter Schnee, and my head of engineering, Professor Penny Polendina." Weiss's sister offered a salute, and the wyverian next to them stuck her gloved hand out impossibly fast, "Sal-u-tations Commander! It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

Ozpin smiled and shook her hand, a look of distress crossed his face as he took her grip, "Hail Professor, I knew of your father back in the old world, it is a delight to see that his daughter followed his foot steps. I have no doubt that you will find much to learn here, especially concerning the Luna-metal our smith's have developed from these beasts."

Ozpin's assistant tapped his shoulder and whispered in his ear, the Commander turning around to look over at Ruby and Weiss, causing the smith's heart to jump.

"Ah, perfect timing, and Miss Schnee is here as well." He beckoned to them, and the pair exited from the throngs of the crowd and stood woefully underdressed amongst the officers. Ruby's face was on fire as they stood amongst the much taller group of people, all of them save for the wyverian having to peer down at them. She glanced at Weiss who was having a silent conversation with her sister, from what Ruby could tell all that was occurring was a small unfurling of brows as well as the hint of a smile from Winter. Ruby stood forward and bowed her head slightly, " Commander. General."

"No need to be so stiff Miss Rose," Ruby saw Ironwood lock his eyes on her, "James may I introduce the inventor of the Luna-metal method, Ruby Rose. She is a promising young engineer who came with the Sixth." The General nodded his head towards her, "Well met Miss Rose. I would like to defer the Professor over to you as soon as possible to see if there is anything she can assist with."

"Uh…" Ruby didn't have a moment before the wyverian swooped forward and took her hand, shaking it up and down violently as she spoke, "Oh how wonderful! Greetings Ruby Rose, you must show me everything!" Ruby glanced at Weiss who sported a sour look on her face as she watched the professor nearly tear Ruby's arm off. Ruby stammered out a greeting, "O-of course. I'm currently working on a gun lance with a Luna-metal barrel, I could definitely use some extra eyes on the mechanisms for the motors. I haven't been able to make more of the delicate materials out of the metal yet, but I've been experimenting a lot more recently."

Penny's eyes were glued on her as she nodded, removing her grip and gesturing wildly as she ranted about the finer details of engineering. Ruby cradled her smarting hand and flexed her fingers experimentally, surprised that such a slender girl would be able to hurt her. Penny's hand had been cold underneath those gloves, and her fingers felt little more than steel bones. Ruby glanced to Weiss and the girl rolled her eyes, only for them to widen in shock as Penny rounded on her.

"And Weiss! You look exactly like your sister, she's told me so much about you!" Ruby held in a snort as Weiss gave the Professor a very distraught look. The smith glanced back to the officers as they lowly discussed something else, Ruby finding Winter's eyes looking at her with an expression she had seen many times on Weiss's face.

She laughed nervously and went back to Weiss and Penny and hoped that Yang would return soon and rescue her from this madness.

AN: Some fluff, some plot development, what more could you want? Thanks for reading.