Disclaimer: RWBY belong to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth. GrimGrave owns nothing.

Wither

Chapter 3 – Conversation part 1

Whenever they didn't take on bounty missions, Ruby often occupied herself by going to clubs and other dinky places to take her mind off things. Usually there would be a cute girl willing to entertain her or a few drinks to numb the pain, but those things were usually related.

While it was a distraction from the past that didn't seem to leave her well enough alone, it was also a distraction from the older, sexier woman Ruby was living with. By it a result of a syndrome or a desire to find someone else to take care of her, the sniper had come to grow infatuated with Raven, a woman old enough to be her mother just barely above the age of 40.

Through the buzz of alcohol Ruby imagined it was Raven she was locked inside a booth with – pretended it was the older, cooler woman who was hugging her back, touching her and crying out from bliss…but she wasn't naïve. The sniper was firmly aware that perhaps she wasn't all right in the head and merely seeking comfort, much like now, from someone who had saved her.

Still she yearned – still she fantasized, be it in a club with another patron or back at Raven's fingering herself to the thought of being ravished by the dark Huntress, part of her hoping she did not have to return home or ever seeing her teammates again.

And that was what hurt the most.


She shouldn't keep the young girl around, Raven knew this – knew that she should have brought her back to Tai and Yang the night she picked her up. And while Raven had never cared much for morality, she knew that had been the right thing to do.

Yet selfishly she had come up with excuses to keep her around. At first it had been about the money. Two birds one stone; return Summer's child to her family and earn a good amount of Lien in doing so. Tai and Yang wouldn't even have to know it was her until it was over. They already hated her any way – no longer considered her as family.

Raven had not expected Summer's child to willingly stay away, let alone choose to stay with the older woman. Something was not right in her head, that much was clear, but it could work. Time would make Tai desperate and desperation would increase the amount of money he'd be willing to pay.

At least that was what she told herself and while it may be true, deep down she knew why she had allowed Ruby to stay.

She was selfish and clinging to the past.

The nights since Ruby's permanent stay had been difficult. Raven found herself unable to sleep, to concentrate.

Ruby was the spitting image of her mother – Raven's former teammate and leader. It was frightening how similar they were, yet it was also…comforting, oddly enough.

"Summer…" she whispered. An involuntary shudder shot through her. Memories came flooding back and fantasies manifested as a hand slid down her underwear, past a tuft of ebon curls and slipping over wet folds.

She dipped a finger inside and her body went taut. Inner walls clamped down around the slender intruder and another digit joined in for a slow rhythm. It felt good to vent out like this every now and then, though these sessions had been more frequent as of the past couple of years.

And each time it was less about Summer and more about Raven's…whatever Ruby was to her. Charge? Guest? Partner?

She really didn't know.


The past few days had been rather calm – or as Raven put it, `uneventful´ - but Ruby didn't mind as much. She could go to a club, or do some weapon maintenance. Even Raven was sharpening her sword with a whetstone while listening to the sound of rain. The weather had been fairly consistent as of late and the sniper had learned that the older woman was a bit of a pluviophile.

It was the little things that she had begun to note about Raven; little discoveries that made her happy as she learned more about the brunette and in turn Ruby, unprovoked, shared some titbits about herself.

"Cookies, huh?" Raven scoffed. "Your mother loved to bake them as much as she loved to eat them."

Ruby giggled. "Yeah, Yang managed to memorize one or two recipes so she could bake them herself, even if they still turned out bad. She always used to try and bake some whenever I was feeling down."

"Mhm…"

She couldn't stay focused. Her arm moving the whetstone was pure muscle-memory while Raven zoned out, eyes trained on the girl. Watching her sit by the window, working on her weapon and hum to herself, was disturbingly familiar and for a moment Raven was back at Beacon observing her team-leader as the latter studied.

It was the briefest moment of placidity followed by sudden, jarring spikes of anxiety; what had long since been dead and buried had slowly been unearthed over the course of recent couple of years, and now it was seeing the light of day, forcing her to tear her eyes off the girl.

Unbeknownst, Ruby peeked over at Raven. As simple as it was, she thought the older woman was cool; she was living the free life, untethered and able to do whatever she wants. Whatever food she didn't buy she grew herself and bounties earned her enough lien to cover expenses with plenty left. Raven was strong, independent, a survivalist, and attractive and Ruby found herself drawn to her like a moth to light.

So why had Raven left Yang when she did? Wouldn't she have wanted to bring Yang with her like this? To have her under her wing, teach her and…

…and live the life Ruby was currently.

The curiosity became an borderline obsession.


"Do you miss them?"

Ruby sighed and stubbornly focused on the raindrops falling against the window. "I miss dad. I miss Yang. I can't help but wonder what they are doing right now after all this time."

"But you don't return back home because of the Schnee girl and that other teammate of yours," Raven stated. "I would say that running away from your ex – your problems – is an exaggeration, but I suppose the way you found out about her lie was what shocked you the most."

When Ruby didn't respond, Raven continued. "You know, I have my ways of keeping tabs on them both. I've been checking in on them every now and then since I found you."

Ruby turned and glanced over at her…whatever Raven was. Her caretaker? Hostess? Companion? Partner?

She didn't respond out of fear of what the older woman was about to tell her and the words that followed next cut like a blade across bare skin.

"It's not a pretty sight; they're miserable." Raven sighed and brought a long pipe* to her lips. "It's never a good sign if my brother is the one who has to try and stop someone from drowning their sorrows with alcohol. Yang hasn't given up searching for you, you know? She posts fliers, leaves no rock unturned and barely does anything else beyond searching high and low for you." She paused and watched the sniper, gauging whether or not she would respond. When Ruby remained quiet, she continued. "You know, what you're doing is unfair to them. Most people would confront their cheating partner and at least allow themselves to move on. Then again, haven't we all regrets and wish to start over."

"What kind of regrets do you have?" Ruby asked. The older woman seemed to wince at that.

"None of your business, brat."

"Is it about leaving Yang, just like me?" The words came out harsher than she had meant them and she immediately caught herself. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"You really like to stick your nose where it doesn't belong. Just like your mother," Raven spat back before taking another puff from her pipe. She returned her gaze to the window, silent.

Right. Her parents and Yang's mom, along with uncle Qrow, had been a team together back in the day. Ruby didn't know the details about why their team broke up – not even Yang did – except that it involved Raven leaving for her own self-interests from what she had heard. Whatever had happened had caused a rift between her and their dad, but Tai had fallen in love with Raven at one point. He saw something good in her and he had on many occasions stated that Summer had viewed Raven as a trusted friend and ally.

It didn't make any sense. Why had Raven left in the first place if...

Curiosity got the best of her.

"Do you have any regrets about leaving the team? About my mother?"

The cold, steely look in crimson pools made the sniper rear back. "What did I just tell you?"

Ruby scowled back. It wasn't fair that Raven got to prod at her and…

"Yang searched for you for the longest time, you know. We're in the same boat, but at least you know why I'm here." She hugged her knees as she watched the older woman. "Just saying, with the way you have been treating me over the years, I can't help but wonder why you left my sister."

"Shut up."

"Raven…"

Always trying to get to the truth; always trying to get to know what ailed you, just like... "This conversation is over. I'll get started with dinner so make yourself useful and clean in the meantime."

"Raven-"

"Didn't you hear me?" she snarled at the sniper as she turned back around. "Shut up and get to work or you can kiss your dinner goodbye."

Ruby stormed after her. "Raven-!"

"I said shut up, Summer!"

She caught herself too late. The anger drained and dissolved from her.

A glimpse towards Ruby's face, the spitting image of her mother, the look of shock and worry stabbed at her like a knife.

As the pipe clattered against the floor Raven stepped back. "…Cook your own dinner. I'm heading to bed early.

"No, wait! Raven—"

She strode up the stairs, deaf to the redhead's pleas and slammed the bedroom door behind her.


A/N: *The pipe is basically a Kiseru, a Japanese smoking pipe.