Notice Me, Ruby!
Epilogue 1: RWBY Reformed
Inside the dorm room of team RWBY, the three older members of the team were waiting silently to hear from their team leader, Ruby Rose. Not too long ago, they had received a message from Ozpin saying that today it would be decided whether Ruby would advance to a third-year student or stay as a first-year.
While there were no real objections to having the young redhead become a third-year, the headmaster had written in his message that the decision would ultimately be made by Ruby herself and no one else, so there was still a chance for her to remain in team RWBY.
Despite the chance of Ruby staying in their team, the three older girls of the team couldn't help but worry that they would no longer have their fourth member of the team with them. They knew the reason as to why Ruby had been avoiding them for so long and were aware of the damage they had done to their relationship towards their young team leader. In all honesty, none of them could really blame Ruby, if she were to take the offer to advance and leave their team for good.
However, even if they were practically certain that Ruby would choose to advance into a third-year, they all hoped that she wouldn't. The little redhead had become an irreplaceable person for them and they couldn't imagine their team functioning properly without her. This was especially true for Yang, who was actually in love with Ruby. She couldn't bear the thought of being on their team without the redheaded girl.
For now, the three girls were all trying to do something to pass the time, while waiting to hear about Ruby's possible advancement. Weiss was going through notes and Blake was reading a book, although the two girls were clearly not able to properly concentrate. Yang was simply sitting on her bed with a sad look on her face, waiting for what was to come.
After some time had passed, the sound of the dorm's door opening caused the three girls to turn their gazes at the entrance to the dorm. Ruby had finally returned from Ozpin's office and had come back to tell her teammates her decision.
Immediately upon seeing their team leader, the WBY got up and walked up to their team leader. The three older girl were now standing next to each other in front of Ruby, waiting for the younger girl to speak.
"...So I'm sure you guys have been told by Yang about my possible promotion to a third-year student, right?" Ruby asked, to which Weiss and Blake nodded. "Well, I just got back from Ozpin's office, where we came to the final decision on that. In the end, the decision was left completely up to me whether I would be promoted or not."
The WBY could almost feel the tears beginning to build in their eyes. They were fully expecting this to go in a certain direction.
"Getting promoted to a third-year would come with a lot of benefits, you know? It would be a great help in me becoming a Huntress, so I would take a big step towards achieving my dream through that," the young redhead explained. "Despite this, Ozpin asked me to consider my options before making a decision. He especially asked me to think about you guys. He apparently thinks that you three wouldn't be able to go on as a team without me around. I personally don't really see it that way. Despite our differences, I'm feel that you three are capable of handling yourselves without me around."
The three older girls wanted to argue back and deny what their young team leader had just said. They wanted to tell her how much they needed her and how they wouldn't be able to go on without her in their team.
"However, even when I say that, I couldn't help but think about what could happen to you guys when I would be gone from the team," Ruby continued, surprising the older girls. "Even if things haven't been all that good between us, we were friends at some point at least. I can't help but remember those good times we had and feel guilty for simply abandoning you all. If something were to happen to any of you, if even one of you were to get hurt or worse, because I wasn't there for you, I would never be able to forgive myself for it."
The WBY looked at each other, as if to confirm that they had all just heard the redhead say what they think she said. A feeling of hope was starting to grown in them.
"R-Ruby… Are you saying that-?" Yang spoke up.
"I… I have decided to stay with team RWBY," Ruby answered before the blonde could finish her question. "I will be continuing as your team leader."
The reaction from the WBY was immediate. As soon as the redhead had told them her decision of remaining in their team, Yang pulled the smaller girl into a tight hug and pressed her face on her shoulder, letting out tears of joy and relief from her eyes. Weiss and Blake soon followed after their blonde teammate, encasing their team leader into tight group hug.
"Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!" Yang yelled happily. "I was so worried that you would leave us for good and we wouldn't see you-"
"Guys… I appreciate the gesture and everything, but-" Ruby struggled to speak. "I NEED AIR!"
The three older girls realized that they had been hugging the younger girl a bit too much and let go of her, offering apologies over their mistake as they did so. Now that she was freed, Ruby was allowed to take some deep breaths and have her face return to its normal color.
"Sorry about that, Rubes," Yang apologized sheepishly. "We were just so glad that you decided to-"
"Now, hold on for a bit there. I need to make some things clear first," Ruby suddenly said, cutting off the blonde girl. "Even if I'm staying, it doesn't mean that everything that happened is completely forgotten, okay? I still remember the things you said about me."
The three older girls turned a bit pale as worry made its way to their hearts. Was there still a chance that their team would end up broken?
"I might be staying with team RWBY, but I can't help but still be worried over how you apparently viewed me," the team leader explained. "What is to say that things won't return to that as time goes on? How can I be sure that I can trust you guys completely? No matter how much I want to believe that there is nothing to worry about, I can't help but have doubts over it."
"...What do you need from us then?" Blake asked. "What can we do to show you that you can trust us once again?"
"From now on, I won't be an outsider, okay?" Ruby said. "When you guys go do stuff together, I no longer want to get left behind all the time. I get that there are things I'm not suitable for and therefore can't join you guys, but I want to be treated like an actual friend from now on and not an inconvenience. Also, if you guys have issues with me, come and say it to my face, instead of whispering behind my back. I will take negative criticism and try my best to improve myself, but getting stabbed in the back I won't tolerate."
Yang walked up to the younger girl and gently pulled her close. She placed her forehead on top of Ruby's head and stayed still, just holding her beloved redhead in a gentle hug.
"Ruby, I know what we did to you was wrong and that it will be hard for you to fully trust us from now on. But please believe that we will do our best to not disappoint you the way we did ever again, alright?" Yang said as she gave a small, sad smile to Ruby. "Just… please give us a chance. I swear that you won't be disappointed."
"...Well, I've already made my decision, so there's not really much of a choice with that, is there?" Ruby said. "I will give you guys a chance, but I want you to remember that I don't fully trust you yet. It's going to be a hard and tough road ahead of us."
"That's fine, Ruby. We are willing to go through with this," Weiss said with a smile. "I'm just glad that I have best friend back."
"I agree with, Weiss," Blake said. "This team just wouldn't be the same without you. We need you here more than you could ever know."
"I promise you, Rubes, that I will make sure you won't regret this," Yang said with a big grin.
Despite having her doubts, Ruby was happy to find out that her teammates had meant every word they had said and took their promise to heart. Things were rocky at first, but were soon worked out between the four girls. Not only was team RWBY back, but they were better than ever. This was due to Ruby's increased skills and her teammates doing their best to not only avoid disappointing their leader, but because they themselves began to work harder to catch up to their youngest member.
Not only had the overall situation within the team gotten better, but Ruby soon found out that each of her teammates had begun acting differently towards her as well. Weiss, for example, was no longer calling her names and badmouthing her decisions as a leader, but had instead become a very supportive and helpful partner. The heiress could still be very strict, especially when it came to their study sessions, but the former "ice princess" had become a much warmer person.
Blake had also seen a drastic change in her character. The normally quiet and reserved girl had become much more open in more ways than one. For starters, the cat faunus was now much more willing to take in recommendations of good books from Ruby, instead of just dismissing them as childish. Not only that, but Blake had also become much more open about any personal issues she had, which she was more than willing to talk about with the young team leader.
However, the biggest change had to have been with Yang. Ever since she had decided to stay in team RWBY, Ruby had been quite shocked by how differently the blonde was acting towards her, when compared to before. Back then, Yang was always making excuses as to why she couldn't spend time with the younger girl, but now it seemed like the blonde couldn't spend enough time with Ruby. It was quite ironic, actually, considering how it used to be Ruby that was sticking to Yang like glue and now the roles were reversed. Although there was a certain big reason for this, so far the redhead was completely unaware of it.
The changes didn't affect only team RWBY, though. Their relationship with team LION had greatly improved ever since Ruby had made her decision, even if things had been rough at the start. Now the two teams would sometimes spend time together and the older students would even share their knowledge and experience with the younger team. If there were any problems, it would be that Elaine felt like Yang was monopolizing Ruby, but after an explanation from Weiss and Blake, she didn't make too big of an issue about it.
Ruby herself had changed her attitude as well. She no longer actively avoided her teammates or tried to push them away, but was instead much more open towards the three older girls. It was tough at first due to how things had been before, but it didn't take long for the young scythe-wielder to get back on good terms with her team. One thing that still remained from Ruby's previous behavior was her workaholic attitude towards her studies and training, but it had been reduced quite a bit from what it had been before. This was mostly because of Yang making sure that the redhead wouldn't overwork herself.
Just like now.
"Rubes, you've been at it for hours already! You need a break!" Yang said in a slightly scolding tone. The two girls were currently in the library, where Ruby had been in the middle of one of her study sessions. "Drop the books, give your big brain a break and come hang with your teammates!"
"Yang, can I stay just a bit longer?" Ruby tried to desperately plead. "We have Port's test coming up and I'm not entirely confident that I can-"
"Oh please, you'll ace that test like everything else! There's no need for you to worry in the slightest!" the blonde girl said, cutting off the redhead. She even picked up the smaller girl and carried her over her shoulder, as they left the library. "Now come on! I picked a bunch of movies with Weiss and Blake, and it would be a crime to let our efforts go to waste!"
"H-Hey, let me down!" the scythe-wielder cried out with an embarrassed blush on her face. "Come on, Yang! You don't need to do this!"
"Maybe I don't need to, but I want to!" Yang said with a wide grin. "Besides, I can't take the chance that you might run off with your Semblance."
Seeing as there was no escape from her predicament, Ruby simply let out a sigh and resigned herself to her embarrassment.
As the two girls were getting closer to their team's dorm, they met their teammates on the way. The monochrome duo was walking towards them at a rather brisk pace.
"Hey, what's the matter with you two?" Yang asked as she saw the two girls approaching them. "Did something happen?"
"You could say that," Blake said. "We just received a message from Professor Ozpin. He wants to see us at his office as soon as possible."
"Did he say why?" Ruby asked while still being carried by Yang.
"No. Only that it was rather urgent," Weiss answered. "I'm afraid that the movie night has been canceled."
"Well, no use crying over it. Let's get going!" Yang said before turning around and heading towards the principal's office, still carrying Ruby over her shoulder.
"Ummm… Yang? Can you let me down already?" the redhead asked. "You know that I won't be running away, since we are all needed at Professor Ozpin's office."
"Not happening!" the blonde replied happily without any hesitation. "I decided to carry you, so carry you I shall! I'm enjoying too much to stop!"
With her request denied, Ruby turned towards her other two teammates, silently pleading either of the two girls to help her. Unfortunately for the young team leader, all she received was them shaking their heads at her, denying to offer any assistance. Now that her last chance at being freed from Yang's grasp had been lost, Ruby simply resigned herself to her fate.
However, she couldn't help but feel that Weiss and Blake were somehow pleased with her current predicament…
Once they had finally arrived at the headmaster's office, Yang decided to put Ruby down and let her walk herself. They were immediately let in by Glynda, who went to stand behind Ozpin, who was sitting behind his desk.
"Hello, team RWBY," Ozpin greeted the four girls. "I'm sure you're all wondering why you were called here, correct?"
The four girls simply nodded in response.
"Well, the reason I called you here is because of a special assignment," the silver-haired man began explaining. "You see, it has something to do with our third and fourth-year students. Unlike the younger students, they have some more special assignments ahead of them. This is something that you four, especially Ms. Rose, are very familiar with."
The eyes of team RWBY went wide. This could only mean one thing.
"Professor Ozpin, are you saying that we will be working together with a third-year team on an assignment?" Ruby asked.
"That is indeed correct," the silver-haired man replied with a small smile. "A team has also been prepared for this very assignment."
"Who-?"
The young redhead was unable to finish her question, as the door to the office was suddenly opened and a rather familiar team of third-years walked in.
"Who else but us, Ruby!?" Elaine asked loudly with a big grin on her face, as team LION made their entrance. "When we heard that your team was being placed on an assignment with one of the older teams, I pretty much demanded that we'd be allowed to work with you!"
Ruby turned to look at Ozpin with wide eyes, hoping to get confirmation for this statement. Much to her delight, the headmaster smiled and gave her a simple nod.
It didn't take long for the members of both teams to be instructed on their mission and then leave. The mission was rather simple, if a bit more dangerous than what most first-year students were used to. Apparently, there was a rather deep cave with a large number of Deathstalkers gathering in it. Their job was to go and exterminate the Grimm as well as possibly find out what caused them to gather in such large numbers.
The trip to the mission area was made in relative peace. Besides of a couple of arguments between Elaine and Isabella, there wasn't really any commotion in the Bullhead. However, Ruby soon noticed that her own teammates seemed to be somewhat nervous.
"Hey guys, what's the matter?" the redhead asked the three older girls. "You're looking a bit bothered. Is everything okay?"
"Oh, nothing really," Weiss tried to quickly make an excuse. "It's just… some nervousness due to the mission ahead of us. That's all."
"I think what Weiss is trying to say is that we are a bit afraid of what we're up against," Blake explained, much to the heiress' displeasure. "We have never faced anything like this before, so it can't be helped that we would be somewhat scared."
"I get that you guys are nervous, but there's really no need to fear," Ruby said, hoping to ease the worries of her teammates. "Remember that I went on a mission that was actually even more dangerous than what we have ahead of us and back then it was just me and team LION. Now we have two full teams with us, so we should be completely fine."
"Isn't that the mission where you almost got yourself killed?" Yang suddenly asked, getting everyone's attention. The blonde no longer had the happy and energetic look on her face that she was known for, but a look of sadness and worry. "That's what I'm afraid of personally. I don't care what happens to me. I just don't want to see you get hurt, Ruby."
An uncomfortable silence fell over the Bullhead, as Ruby didn't know how to respond. Luckily, Elaine was there to help her out.
"Hey, don't be like that! We have Ruby with us, after all!" the third-year team leader suddenly announced happily. "You should know that it's thanks to her that my team is still alive! She saved our asses back then during that mission! Trust me on this, with this ace on our side, we've got nothing to worry about!"
"Yeah! You should have seen her then! Ruby was like a superhero!" Isabella added with a big smile. "Facing a couple of Deathstalkers will be a walk in the park for her! She eats those things for breakfast!"
Oliver and Nilo didn't add anything to the statements of their teammates, but simply smiled and gave approving nods.
"...While I wouldn't go as far as my friends here, I do still think that you guys are too worried," Ruby said somewhat awkwardly, an embarrassed blush on her face from the high praise she had just received. "This mission is honestly nothing compared to what we faced back then. Now that we are all smarter and stronger than before, with the additional help of you three, this shouldn't prove to be too much."
"...If you say so, Rubes," Yang said with a sigh, as she suddenly pulled the younger girl onto her lap. "I'm going to trust you on this, but I want you to promise me not to do anything reckless, okay? I don't want anything bad to happen to you."
"Uhhh… Okay," Ruby said with an embarrassed blush on her face. "...Can you let me go now?"
"What? I'm not allowed to have you close?" the blonde asked with a mischievous smirk as she tightened her hold on the redhead. "You know, I heard about how your friends from team LION were allowed to have you sit on their laps. If they can have that, why can't I? I demand to get the same opportunities here!"
"...Fine," Ruby said with a sigh, knowing that resistance was futile when Yang was like this.
"Hey, no fair! I was going to have Ruby for that!" Elaine complained. "Well, at least I still have-"
The third-year team leader turned to look for the youngest member of her team, only to find him sitting comfortably on Isabella's lap.
"Sorry, Ellie. First come, first served," the dark-skinned girl said with a smirk.
Seeing as the two "cute ones" in the group had already been taken, Elaine couldn't help but sulk over her loss. She spared a glance at Oliver, thinking about another possibility, when the gentle giant shut it down.
"Don't even think about it," Oliver simply said.
Much like Ruby and the members of team LION had predicted, the mission went without any big issues. The Deathstalkers had been successfully terminated and no one had been injured too badly in the process. The reason as to why the Grimm had been gathering at the cave had also been discovered as well. It turned out that a special moss was growing in the cave that seemed to attract the Deathstalkers. The team collected samples of the moss and took them along for further analysis.
At the moment, the two teams had set up camp for themselves, as they were still way away from the place the Bullhead would come to pick them up. The eight members of the group were sitting around a campfire, getting ready to decide who would stay on watch for the night.
"Alright, here's how we're gonna do this," Elaine began as she held her hat with pieces of paper in it. "In my hat, I have the names of everyone in this group. We are going to divide the watch duties in four shifts, so that everyone gets some sleep. For each shift, I'll pick two names and they're going to have to go with whatever shift they get, no matter how bad it might be. Everyone okay with this?"
The other members of the group nodded, prompting Elaine to pull two pieces of paper.
"Alright, for the first watch for the night, we have Ruby," the third-year leader began.
Upon hearing Ruby's name, Yang immediately perked up. She hoped that she could be the second person to have the watch with Ruby.
"And the second person is… Nilo!" Elaine announced.
"So the two of us, huh?" Ruby said as she looked at her partner for the night with a smile. "Please treat me well."
"L-Likewise," Nilo said back with a smile. "Happy to be w-working with you."
The rest of the names for the shifts pretty much went past Yang as she was no longer really paying attention. She was disappointed that she wasn't able to get time alone with Ruby like she had hoped.
However, the blonde girl's disappointment seemed to be noticed by her two teammates, who looked at each other and nodded. It seemed like they would have to step in.
A bit later, the members of the two teams were preparing their camp site for the night when Yang felt someone tap her on the shoulder. She looked behind her and saw Nilo standing there with an odd expression on his face. Instead of the usual nervous look that the scared boy usually had, this time he seemed to be more flustered than anything else, as he had a strange blush on his face.
"U-Ummm… W-Would you like to trade shifts with me?" Nilo asked nervously.
For a moment, Yang went completely silent from surprise. While this was obviously something she wanted to happen, she hadn't expected it at all. If she was being perfectly honest, this was too good to be true.
"Sure! I mean… I wouldn't mind it," the brawler replied, trying to hide her enthusiasm a bit. "But what brought this up? Isn't the first watch pretty much the best one? Why would you want to switch places with me?"
"O-Oh no reason at all!" Nilo tried to quickly lie, but it was clear that he wasn't telling the truth by the increasing redness of his face. "I-It just seemed appropriate and everything! You and Ruby just need some time alone just for the two of you, after all!"
"Wait. What are you-?"
"I-I need to get going now! Enjoy the watch with Ruby!"
As Nilo quickly ran away, Yang noticed Weiss and Blake looking at her from a distance. The two girls gave her thumbs up before going back to preparing the campsite. This was enough to tell the blonde just what was really going on and she felt truly thankful for her two teammates.
Later, while the other members of the group were getting ready to sleep, Ruby herself was watching over the campfire and waiting her partner for the night watch to join her. The redhead was still unaware of the sudden change in schedule, as Yang approached her from behind.
"Guess who!?" the blonde asked playfully, as she covered Ruby's eyes from behind.
"Shouldn't you be getting ready to sleep, Yang?" the scythe-wielder asked with a sigh, although you could hear a slight hint of amusement from her voice.
"No way am I sleeping now!" Yang declared happily as she sat down next to Ruby. "After all, I couldn't possibly leave my partner on the watch all on her own."
"What are you talking about? Your shift is later with Oliver," the redhead asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I know that was the original plan and all, but there's been a change," the blonde explained. "We did some negotiations after everybody was paired up and we decided to change things up a bit. Nilo will be partnered up with Oliver later and I get to keep you company right now."
At first, Ruby thought about asking why there was such a sudden change, but decided against it. It didn't really matter all that much who she was partnered up with, as long as they did their part and the group didn't get ambushed by Grimm in the middle of the night. The scythe-wielder just hoped that Yang didn't do anything crazy to get this sudden change in schedule, like tie up Nilo in one of the tents or something like that. As much as she trusted the brawler to have her back in tough situations, Ruby knew that Yang could pull quite the crazy stunts out of nowhere for the most bizarre of reasons. The blonde's numerous pranks were a perfect example of this.
For some time into their watch, neither Yang or Ruby spoke at all. It seemed like the two were just silently enjoying each other's company, while keeping an eye out for the others in the group. However, while things seemed to be calm, the brawler was far from calm, as she was in panic on the inside.
'Crap crap crap crap! What am I supposed to say here!?' Yang thought to herself in a panic. 'I mean, I kind of know what I want to say. I want to tell Ruby about my feelings for her and ask her to be my girlfriend and everything, BUT WHAT AM I ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO SAY!? I can't just say "I like you" or anything like that! I need to say a bit more! Why the hell didn't I get into all that mushy romance stuff like all the other girls!? Or at least get some help from Blake!? Actually, maybe it's a good idea I didn't ask Blake for advice. Some of the stuff she reads is more lewd than romantic and I doubt it's legal…'
"You know, this really brings back memories, doesn't it?" Ruby suddenly asked, surprising the older girl.
"About what exactly?" Yang asked as she tried to keep her cool.
"Don't you remember? When we were kids, dad took us camping to the woods close to our home a few times," the redhead explained. "We used to go fishing, pick up berries and mushrooms and end the day by roasting marshmallows at the campfire and watching the stars above."
"...Yeah, I do remember those times," the blonde said with a smile on her face as she thought about those good times. "In a way, this is pretty similar. I mean, the activities are a lot different and we aren't going out with dad, but only if we had marshmallows, the end of the day would be pretty much the same."
"Actually, that can still be done!" Ruby exclaimed happily, as she went back to her backpack and came back with a bag of marshmallows. "I brought these along in the hopes of roasting them. Too bad I kind of forgot about them with all the stuff that was happening through the day, as I don't want to wake up the others."
"Hey, that just means more for us, doesn't it?" Yang asked playfully. "Now, let's bust out the treats and have a good time!"
The two girls began to roast their sweet treats on the fire while talking about their memories from the times they went camping with their father. At that time, Yang had pretty much forgotten about her whole confession business and was just enjoying her time with Ruby.
"Things have really changed a lot, but remained the same as well, haven't they?" the redhead suddenly said. "We are no longer the same kids we used to be back then and our trips aren't the same anymore either, but we still enjoy a lot of the same things and manage to have fun together. I guess the saying "the more things change, the more they stay the same" is quite true, huh?"
"Yeah, I suppose so," the blonde replied. "But there have been… some changes. I'm pretty sure you've noticed the way I was acting in the last few months to be a bit odd."
"To be perfectly honest, it wasn't that different to how you usually are," Ruby said. "I mean, remember all the trouble you used to get yourself into? And how often I had to help you out of trouble?"
"Ha ha ha… I suppose that's true…" Yang said awkwardly. "Maybe saying that things have changed isn't the right way to put it. It's more like things have become much more… clear to me."
"Huh?" the scythe-wielder said, as she turned her attention to the older girl. "What do you mean by that?"
"Ruby… We've… known each other for a long time, right?" the brawler said as she started to nervously fidget. "I mean, we both grew up together, so we have obviously known each other for a long time. Kind of hard not to, right? Anyways, what I'm saying is that I don't think that there is anyone out there that knows you better than I do. Nor is there a single person that knows me better than you."
"I suppose that's a fair assumption," Ruby said with a shrug. "That kind of comes with being siblings, whether related or not."
"Siblings… Right…" Yang said with a bit if a forced chuckle, before taking a deep breath. "Ruby, I kind of… want to be something different than that when it comes to you."
"Hold on, what?" the redhead asked. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"I don't mean anything bad, of course!" the blonde quickly said, hoping to avoid any possible misunderstandings. "I do love that you've been my "sister" all these years. I couldn't ask for a better little sister than you. However, the way I feel about you isn't the way one feels about a sister, but something else."
Ruby didn't say anything and just listened to the older girl, wondering what she was going to say next.
"I cannot emphasize enough just how important you are to me, Rubes. In more ways than one, you help me through difficult situations and make my days better. Not only are you fun to be around, but you've also helped me in my studies from time to time, cheered me up through sad times, been a person I can trust with anything and even keep our team together," Yang explained. "But the thing is that there is so much more to you being important to me that simply calling you my sister isn't appropriate for it. You are so much more to me than just a great friend, team leader or sister."
"...What are you getting at?" Ruby asked.
"I love you, Ruby. Not like a sister, but like one would feel romantically towards someone."
Upon hearing the confession from Yang, the redhead froze completely still and her eyes went as wide as possible. Her mind was working as hard as it could to figure out if she had misheard the blonde or if there was another meaning to her words. However, the result was clear.
Yang had just confessed to be in love with her.
"W-What?" Ruby managed to squeak out. "You… Me… Love…? I don't… I-"
Suddenly, the brawler grabbed the scythe-wielder by the shoulders and held her still. The hold was strong, but not painful, only strong enough to keep the younger girl from running away if she so chose.
"Ruby, I know this must be a lot to take in. Believe me, it was a lot for me to take in the first time I realized my feelings for you," Yang explained. "But I want you to know that this is truly how I feel about you and nothing can ever change that. When you started distancing yourself from us, from me, it was honestly the most painful thing I've ever gone through. It was through that I realized just how much you mean to me and that I want you to be with me forever."
"I… Yang, I don't know what to say," Ruby said as she looked away with a shameful look in her eyes. "This is really a lot to take in on such a short notice, you know? I've never even thought about being in a romantic relationship with anyone ever before. I have always been focused on other things, like my studies, skills or hobbies. Now I'm not only being confessed to, but it's you of all people. The person that has been pretty much my sister for all my life. I mean, how am I supposed to respond to this?"
"You don't like the idea of being together with me?" the blonde asked.
"I-IT'S NOT THAT!" the redhead quickly replied. "I just… I just don't know what to think of this. I care about you a lot, even love you. But I have never had any romantic interest in anyone before, so I'm just confused…"
"...Maybe I can help you with that," Yang said with a small smirk.
"What do you-?"
Ruby's question was suddenly cut off by a pair of lips over her own. Yang had now wrapped her arms around the smaller girl in a warm embrace and was now giving her a deep kiss. At first, Ruby was shocked by the sudden sensation, as her eyes were wide and her face completely red, but she soon melted into the kiss. The two girls stayed like that for a moment, before breaking it up.
"So…. Did that help sort out your feelings?" Yang asked as she licked her own lips a bit.
"I… I'm not sure…" Ruby managed to say. "I mean, I kind of liked it at least and I didn't hate it, but I'm still confused. This is the first time anyone has ever confessed and it's you of all people. I know we get along together, but there are so many things involved in this and… I'm just rambling now, aren't I?"
The blonde smiled, as she put an arm around the redhead and pulled her close.
"Don't worry about it. I know this must be tough on you," Yang said calmly. "Take as much time as you need. Just remember to give me an honest answer at some point, okay? We can take this slowly and figure things out as we go."
"Yeah… That sounds nice," Ruby said with a smile. "I think taking things slowly would be for the best. Maybe things will go just fine in the end for both of us."
The brawler couldn't help but feel immense happiness right now. While it had not been the answer she had hope for, it was still a positive one. She completely understood that the young team leader was feeling lost and confused over the whole thing, so she didn't get upset at all. In fact, taking things slowly was probably for the best for Yang herself as well. Not to mention, neither of them really knew what the future would bring. Who knows. Maybe they were in for a great life together with how they would be taking things?
Both girls turned to look at each other before their faces started to get closer to each other. Both closed their eyes as they were about to kiss each other again.
"Hey, you're five bucks short on your payment, Isabella!" a sudden, angry whisper said, breaking up the moment between the two girls.
"Screw you, Ellie! I don't carry that much money on missions!" came another angry whisper. "What the hell do I need cash for in a forest!?"
"Apparently, to pay your debts to your team leader!"
Both Yang and Ruby turned around to see four people hiding in the bushes behind them, arguing with each other. Elaine and Isabella from team LION, along with Weiss and Blake, had apparently been watching them this whole time.
"You're not paying me with tuna, Blake!" Weiss said angrily to her faunus teammate. "What the hell am I supposed to do with that!? I want real money!"
"Well, all of us aren't made of cash, princess!" Blake responded back angrily. "Besides, I only took the bet because I was certain that I would win!"
"A bet is a bet still!"
"What in the hell are you four doing there!?" Yang yelled suddenly, causing the four girls to stop their arguing and turn their attention towards the very angry blonde. "Don't any of you even dare tell me that you were making bets over my confession!"
The four spies were beginning to sweat from getting caught in the act. Yang's eyes were already red and her hair was glowing, showing off just how enraged she was.
"N-NO!" Weiss managed to squeak out. "We were just… Casually observing you two! That's all! We did make some bets based on how things would turn out, though, but nothing mean!"
"Y-Yeah! I just thought that you wouldn't get to the point of getting to kiss Ruby! That's all!" Blake said nervously. "I was sure that Ruby would need more time to consider this whole thing and would have to put you on hold over the whole thing! However, I was sure that you would win her over in the end!"
"Not Isabella, though!" Elaine quickly said while pointing at her teammate. "She seriously thought that you would get rejected big time!"
"Oh thanks a lot, Ellie! Throw me under the bus, why don't you!?" Isabella yelled angrily.
The four girls stopped their excuses upon hearing the sound of Yang cracking her knuckles. All four went completely pale, as they watched the angry blonde approach them slowly.
"You all better start running, if you know what's good for you," Yang said in a low tone, before chasing after the four girls who were now running.
Meanwhile, Ruby had just been sitting on her spot, completely frozen from the shock of her more intimate moment with Yang having been witnessed by so many people. The scythe-wielder was completely red in the face from the embarrassment.
As Ruby was sitting still, Oliver walked up to her, having been woken up by the noise caused by Yang and the others. He glanced at the blonde chasing after the four spies, before turning his attention to the young team leader.
"No need to tell me what happened. I can guess what it was," the tall boy said. "However, I do have to ask, did you and Yang become an official couple now?"
Ruby answer came in the form of her pulling her hood over her face.
"I'll take that as a yes," Oliver said with a smirk as he patted the short girl's head gently. "Just know that we of team LION will always support you and only want you to be happy, okay?"
From that one mission on, the situation with team RWBY only got better, as the new couple had been formed within the team. Ruby was doing her best to ensure the safety of her teammates, while Yang was doing her all to prove herself worthy of the younger girl's love and keep her safe in return.
Author's notes: This is the first one of the two endings to this story. Sorry for taking so long. I've been dealing with a lot of personal issues that hindered my progress with this story. However, I was still determined to finish what I had started.
This is the ending where Ruby decides to stay with her own team, instead of leaving for team LION. This is in a way closest to my original idea for the ending, where the story ends in the same result. The difference comes in the way of how it's achieved.
In the original ending, Ruby wasn't given a choice between team RWBY and team LION. Instead, Ozpin decided to place her back on her original team, despite Ruby's performance and personal wishes. This was due to Ozpin fearing what would happen to the rest of Ruby's teammates, if she were to be removed from them. After this, Ruby decides to resign from Beacon, fearing that she wouldn't be able to work with her own team anymore. She is then stopped by her teammates, who tell her just how much they need her and how much she truly means to them as a team leader and friend. After this, Ruby is convinced to stay with her team and works together with them.
I decided to not go with this ending, as I felt it would take away all of the work Ruby had accomplished and basically wipe away her own input to the whole situation.
Anyways, next is the ending that ends with Ruby going with team LION. Hope you enjoy it and enjoyed this one as well.
RWBY belongs to Monty Oum.
