Gingerly, Ruby pulled up her red cape to drape it over the dozing girl.
It'd been almost a full day since Weiss had fallen asleep. Only specks of darkness lingered through the window. While she dozed, the crew helped move her to her own room.
The entire time, Ruby was by her side, waiting for her to wake up. In no way was she surprised that Weiss had rested this long. Her body was constantly enduring the illness and pain.
Since Weiss was still a bit feverish, Ruby constantly padded the cold cloth on her forehead. There was only her thin cape over her so the heat wouldn't become suffocating.
How is she so cute? Ruby asked herself as she watched her serene face. How's it not a crime to be that cute?
To ensure sweet dreams, the captain gently brushed her fingers through her hair. Her mother used to do that for her when she was sick. She hoped it gave Weiss some peace during this difficult time.
Subconsciously, Weiss nuzzled into the crook of Ruby's neck. That elicited a fierce blush. To let her know that she was safe, Ruby draped her arms over her, careful to not graze the wounds.
They fit perfectly in each other's arms. It was like they were each other's puzzle pieces that slid together. Weiss' head rested just above her chest and perfectly below her chin. This position reassured Ruby. She was okay.
"Nngh…"
From the feeble moan, Ruby slightly leaned away to look down at her. There was the barest twitch of her brow. This caused her adrenaline to pump in excitement.
"Weiss?" Ruby called calmly. "Don't you think you've gotten plenty of sleep today?"
At last, Weiss stirred. It took some effort, but hazy blue pools were finally revealed as she glanced to the side. Seeing Ruby first thing after she woke up was comforting. The dolt was lying down right beside her with the widest grin.
"Hey, sleepyhead," Ruby greeted softly.
"Ruby…" Weiss murmured, feeling a rasp in her throat.
"Are you feeling better?" Ruby asked, hopeful. "Are the meds working?"
"Mhm," Weiss hummed as she adjusted her arms. While she was flustered, she was more than okay with the close position with her captain. "I'm not nearly as torrid anymore. Have you been with me this whole time?"
"Yep," Ruby beamed a smile. "I won't leave you."
From the revelation, Weiss blushed and said. "You must've been bored."
"What, no way!" the captain exclaimed like she was crazy. "I like helping you, Weiss," shyly, she glanced away as her tone dropped to a guilty one. "It's kinda my fault you're in this mess, anyway…"
"Ruby Rose," Weiss lightly chided.
"Full names," Ruby said jokingly, sensing this would take a turn. "Yes, Weiss Schnee?"
"Don't blame yourself," Weiss insisted, reaching out to hold her hand. "It was only fair that I saved you. You've helped me more than you'll ever know."
From the revelation, Ruby perked up. She recalled that Weiss said something like that earlier. Except she was delirious and in the process of falling asleep. She wasn't exactly in the right state of mind. Naturally, Ruby's curiosity piqued.
"Oh, about that," Ruby mentioned, selecting her words carefully. "You said that I saved you three times. What'd you mean by that? I can only remember two."
From that, Weiss looked like a deer in headlights. "When did I say that?"
"This morning," Ruby recalled as she squeezed her hand in reassurance. "You were kinda out of it, though."
When the topic was brought up, Ruby could tell that Weiss grew anxious. She waited, ultimately accepting any outcome. She wasn't going to press if Weiss decided to stay silent on the matter, but she would be very happy if she elaborated.
"I'm here because of you," Weiss said genuinely as she gazed into those silver pools, almost lost in them. "If I stayed at the mansion- I probably wouldn't be here…" she paused to gauge her reaction. "... at all."
From the revelation, Ruby's eyes widened the size of dinner plates. To think she could have lost her...
She didn't even want to think about it. A surge of dread had already rushed over her from the mere thought.
Tears welled-up and threatened to spill over in seconds. To think that Weiss' former home life was so bad, so heartbreaking… that she almost decided to end it all. A permanent outcome. One that she could never undo.
Ruby was so glad that she was the one who saved her from being pushed over the edge. So relieved. She pulled her in close, being mindful of her injuries.
"Thank you for telling me that," Ruby whispered, her voice almost broke but she kept it steady. "It couldn't have been easy. I'm so glad you're here with me."
"Me too," Weiss replied in a fragile voice like she was afraid of her former dark thoughts. She gripped her tighter and buried her face in her shoulder. The contact was reassuring and kept her grounded. "Thank you."
Fondly, Ruby held her tighter, not wanting to let go. "Don't thank me," she whispered. "I don't think we should keep track of how many times we've saved each other. I'd save you a million times if I had to."
Amused, Weiss leaned back to gauge her reaction. "R-really?"
"Of course," the captain said like it was obvious. "I- well, I really care about you. Really care about you."
Gently, Weiss cupped her cheek. "I feel the same way."
"R-really?" Ruby stammered.
"Really."
"No way, that's awesome!" Ruby couldn't contain her excitement. "I'vebeenfeelingthatwayaboutyouforalongtimeactuallyImeanwhocouldntlikeyouyourekindaamazingandcuteandsmartdidImentioncute-"
Weiss simply closed her mouth with her fingers like she had a million times. This effectively stopped her ramble. Ruby caused Weiss' heart to swell without trying.
When Ruby calmed down, Weiss released her and naturally leaned in. Weiss didn't know what she was thinking when she leaned in. Perhaps she wasn't thinking at all. Her mind was blank and her body moved on its own. Naturally, Ruby leaned in as well. Their foreheads touched, and their lips were mere centimeters apart.
Their lips grazed each other's at first, as if they were reluctant. Then they leaned into it as they locked together.
Ruby had waited for what seemed like forever for this moment, but she didn't mind. As long as she was with Weiss, she was happy. Their hearts were racing as the kiss continued like waves crashing on a beach. Each pair of lips were soft.
Ruby almost couldn't believe that this was actually happening, but was reassured when she kept tasting Weiss. She tasted like sweet vanilla and it was intoxicating in the best way possible.
Weiss wasn't surprised at all to find that Ruby's lips tasted sweet like cookies.
As Weiss was kissing Ruby, everything couldn't be more clear. The captain, her dolt, was always there for her. She always adorned that goofy grin and endearing puppy dog eyes. No matter what.
To Ruby, Weiss was hard to get to know at first. This past year, she learned a lot of things about her. That she was selfless despite her original icy exterior. That she'd go above and beyond for her crew.
Their feelings had been bottled up this whole time, and finally overflowed.
Underneath them, the ship swayed to a smooth rhythm like it was cheering them on. This was the precious moment they'd been waiting so long for. It almost felt like a dream. Too good to be true. It was like they were drifting in the clouds.
After several moments, they gently separated. Both girls were flushed crimson as silver and azure remained fixed on each others' affectionate gazes.
Ruby squeezed her hand tightly, a bright grin present. "W-wow. You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."
"Ditto," Weiss said, glad the feeling was mutual.
"D-does that make us girlfriends?" Ruby asked happily, still clearly flustered.
To answer her, Weiss pecked her on the nose.
"U-uh," Ruby stuttered, loving the lingering warmth of her lips on her own. "I'm gonna go with yes."
"Good observation skills, dunce," Weiss said in amusement and then sighed. "Now you might get sick."
"Worth it!" the captain beamed.
A small chuckle. After, a few knocks resounded.
Hastily, Ruby sat upright to greet the guest. "Come in!"
"I remembered to knock this time," Qrow joked as he sauntered inside. "I came to check on you guys."
"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby beamed. "You're up!"
"Slept all day," Qrow informed as he sat on the edge of the bed. "I got way too much sleep."
Teasingly, Ruby pointed to her girlfriend. "She did, too."
To address him properly, Weiss tried to prop herself up. When she winced in pain, Ruby held her down by the shoulders.
"Weiss, don't."
"Don't get up for me," Qrow said firmly. "You'll ruin my hard work."
"Thank you for healing me," Weiss said, somewhat out of breath from the sudden round of pain. "It must have been exhausting."
"Don't mention it," the hunter said as he lifted his hands to show his intentions. "Do you mind?"
"As long as you are fully rested and in good condition," Weiss replied.
From that, Qrow almost huffed. "I think you should worry more about yourself."
Not wanting to argue, Weiss accepted his help and stiffly laid there. With permission, the pirate hovered his hands over her stomach. A friendly green glow emitted as the aura faded into the wound underneath. Despite herself, Weiss let out a relieved sigh. The aches had vanished.
Meanwhile, Ruby re-wet the cold cloth and set it on her warm forehead. Slowly, the coolness battled the heat.
"I'm sorry about your douche of a father," Qrow said as he focused on the transfer. "Absolutely despicable."
From hearing his apology, Weiss was shocked. "If anyone should apologize, it's me. I knew this would happen. I knew I'd be targeted."
"We did, too," Ruby reminded. "Don't feel bad or blame yourself, okay? Only he can control his actions."
That didn't change her mind on the matter.
"You have to admit, I had influence on those actions," Weiss retorted.
"Weiss," Ruby addressed firmly, causing her to perk up. "You won't let me blame myself for you getting hurt, so I won't let you blame yourself for him."
That earned a tiny sigh from Weiss. It wasn't exactly sound logic. It was Ruby logic, which surprisingly made a lot of sense.
"Fair enough," Weiss relented.
"I'm done for now," Qrow announced and pulled away. "You gotta take it easy for a couple more days. I'm counting on you, troublemaker."
"Leave everything to me, uncle Qrow!" Ruby chirped.
"I'm making porridge soon," Qrow informed. From healing her earlier, he felt the heat wafting onto him. "It'll be ready in an hour, so come get it then."
"Aye, aye," Ruby mocked a salute, noting that porridge was the best for fevers even though it tasted gross. "See ya then."
With that, the pirate left the room and let the door shut.
"Uh," Weiss groaned after she felt the bandages under her clothes. "These feel gross."
"Yeeeeah," Ruby agreed. "It's time to change them."
Sarcastically, Weiss grumbled. "Fantastic."
She was not looking forward to this. At all. Slowly, Weiss lifted her shirt a bit. Splotches of red coated the once pure white wraps.
"I'll be quicker than my semblance, okay?" Ruby reassured. "I'll be super careful."
"I trust you," the ex-heiress smiled.
Happy to hear that, Ruby wrapped an arm around her back and shoulders. Slowly, she lifted her to sit upright and the headboard behind them kept her steady.
"You can hold onto me if you want," Ruby suggested. "It might make everything easier."
Quietly, Weiss draped her arms around her shoulders and leaned onto her fully. This way, her abdomen and back were exposed, making wrapping her easier.
"Tell me if it hurts, okay?" Ruby said.
"Okay."
Gingerly, Ruby began to unwrap the red bandages. When she was near the entry and exit wounds, Weiss' breath hitched and her nails curled tightly into her shoulders. Under her breath, Ruby murmured apologies.
At last, the old bandages were removed. A cruel pink hue marred her white skin. It made Ruby so sad to watch her go through all this agony.
"Alright," Ruby said in relief. "Time to-"
Abruptly, the world shook. What followed was a fragile yelp, and Weiss almost fell off her girlfriend's shoulders. Luckily, Ruby's first reaction was to keep a tight grip on her.
"Weiss!" Ruby leaned over to check on her with her adrenaline pumping, the sudden force couldn't have been good. "Weiss? Are you okay?"
Her eyes were loosely closed as she raggedly breathed. Her face was furrowed as she tried to catch her breath. To Ruby's horror, blood spots surfaced on her pink skin.
There was an ear-shattering screech. To protect her, Ruby held her close. The door flew open with force.
"Ruby!" Yang called as she rushed over to the bed. "Go help Qrow and Blake with the nevermore!"
"Nevermore?" Ruby repeated like she was hearing things.
"We both know you're better at dealing with nevermores," Yang explained. "You're built for it, so go! Leave Weiss to me!"
"Keep her safe!"
After Ruby carefully transferred her girlfriend to Yang's capable arms, she bolted out the door.
Stay dandy,
~Toto
