Prompt: Secret Relationship AU
It was no small thing to say that Yang knew Ruby like the back of her own hand. For one, it had been Yang who had all but raised her little sister since she herself was five. She had taught the little redhead to ride a bike, to hold scissors as well as knives. Hell, Yang had taught Ruby how to read and write and some basic math. Let alone how to go to the bathroom by herself. Yang had been the one to tuck her in almost every single night and put band-aids on her bumps and bruises.
Suffice it to say, Yang had gone so far as to be the one to give Ruby 'The Talk'. Yes, as much as was loathe to admit it, Yang was Ruby's mother as much as she was her big sister. And nobody knew Ruby's ins and outs better than she did.
So when sweet, innocent, jumpy, clingy and happy-go-lucky little Ruby Rose started to become very much less so, it struck a cord with Yang immediately.
At first it was little things.
Ruby wouldn't run around their room after classes. She had always been so full of energy. Even when complaining about how tired she was in class; her feet would dance around under the table and fingers tap lightly on her thighs. And once classes let out, she would be all but flying back to their dorm room, or the library, or cafeteria, or any other dozen places they visited in their free time. But now she lazily walked back with the rest of them. Oftentimes even trailing behind Yang and Blake, as so far to be shoulder to shoulder with the slowest walker on the planet, Weiss.
Ruby wouldn't give out her hugs so freely anymore. Ruby had always been a touchy-feely sort of girl. She expressed her emotions with physical contact. Yang knew she was paying attention to their talks, if their knees were touching each other, or Ruby's hand was on her arm. Everyone knew when Ruby was tired, because her head would be resting on someone's shoulders. It hardly even mattered who. A random stranger seated next to her on a train? A-okay to become a momentary pillow for her. Ruby was lucky she was so cute to get away with everything.
It was how Yang knew that she and Weiss had gotten over their early tension and squabbles at the beginning of the year. Ruby had her hands on Weiss's shoulders, peering over her partner to look over Weiss's notes together. But her hugs had always been given out freely before. To anyone and everyone that looked like they could use it. Less so now. Of course, she hugged anyone who initiated them without a moment's hesitation, but she became slow to open up her arms to start one herself.
Ruby became quieter as well. She loved talking, regardless of how shy and socially awkward she was. She would talk to anybody. Adult, child, baby in a stroller, dog, cat, squirrel, anything. Yang had even caught Ruby teaching her small cactus plant about Crescent Rose, answering unheard questions that the cactus had asked of her. She would strike up conversations with anyone and it was often up to the other to decide whether or not to listen to the girl's ramblings or not. But that was happening less and less. Ruby's time at the cafeteria with their friends in JNPR was now less about talking about their day and plans for the weekend, but about eating. Well, it was always about eating with Ruby, but that eating had often been done between breaths and words.
Now lunches were a quieter affair. Still boisterous and noisy thanks to there being eight of them, but without the cute mutterings of Ruby. Ruby's attention was now more focused on her food. She sat beside her partner Weiss with a small smile, but not so loud as before.
Yes, Yang knew Ruby like the back of her hand and better than anybody else. So to see her acting very much unlike the Ruby Rose she knew, saddened, and scared her a great deal.
For all of two seconds.
Please. Yang knew Ruby Rose better than Ruby knew herself. Nothing could surprise Yang in the slightest. There was a connecting factor between every strange trait Ruby had gone through. And it was always a one, Weiss Schnee.
Ruby walked beside Weiss after classes. Ruby rarely gave out her hugs, or physically touched people anymore to show her attention. But to Weiss, her hugs and little touches were given out openly and freely. Ruby was quiet during lunches with her friends, but never so quiet as to disregard questions or comments from Weiss.
Yang knew Ruby Rose well. So when Blake, or Jaune, or Pyrrha, or Ren and Nora began picking up on her strange change in habits, Yang had all but scoffed off the change, telling them about her little girl growing up, or being in one of those moods.
Yang trusted Ruby and Ruby trusted Yang. If Ruby wasn't yet ready to tell any of them that she had been dating Weiss, then Yang would keep that secret for as long as the two required.
But did those two have to make it so blatantly obvious?
It had been three months since those two had started secretly dating. Yes, Yang was quite confident that she had noticed when they had started, give or take a few days. She loved her sister, she really did. She was also completely fine with Ruby dating whoever she wanted to, going as far as she wanted to in her relationship. It was her body after all, and Yang would beat the crap out of anyone who said that her little sister could or could not do something that she felt ready to do. It made Yang sad that her dear sister was growing up, but she wouldn't be defensive or outraged about it.
But couldn't she at least tell Weiss to stop giving her very noticeable hickeys all over her neck and collarbone? There were only so many times that Yang could tell their friends that Ruby was bruising from her intense sparring practices. She was pretty sure that Blake at least was starting to realize what was going on. Her with her smutty books and all that. But Yang just had to point out that Ruby had always been too much of a goody two-shoes to get involved in something so lecherous. Luckily, that had worked for the time being. But as each new day passed, that excuse was working just a little bit less.
Then there was Ruby's bed. It had always been a mess. Ruby was very much like Yang in that regard. It was easy to tell when they had slept last, because it would be in a state of disrepair. Blankets strewn around, often tangled up in knots. Pillowcases would somehow slip off from their pillows and somehow manage to wrap themselves around their feet or arms or waists. And yang did not even want to get started on the mattress casings. How they managed to untuck themselves and fold over them was beyond comprehension.
But Ruby's bed was neat and tidy. It had been for at least a few weeks. Pillowcases firmly on pillows and bedsheets tucked in nicely. Even the blankets were organized and folded in a pristine, almost noble fashion.
Weiss had fixed Ruby's bed. It was obvious.
Even more telling was the lack of any change or movement from Ruby's bed each and every night, which foretold how little use it had been getting. Ruby's bed, unlike Yang's own, was dangling on ropes. It creaked wildly during the night, as Ruby tossed and turned to get ore comfort. But now the nights were silent. Even when JNPR came over for their massive sleepovers, there was silence. Well, more silence since Yang was still snoring and spinning in her own bed. Yang had told everyone that it was became Ruby had been trying out new sleeping pills, but it was pretty obvious what was happening.
Because while Ruby's bed was clean and tidy each and every morning, Weiss's was not. Almost as if a one, Ruby Rose spent every single night curled up in Weiss's arms.
It was amazing to see. Ruby's wild and restless sleeps were still very much that, but there was more comfort in her sleeping form, as she moved less to get a better position on her mattress, but to move closer and closer to her girlfriend.
It was funny because Ruby still woke up early enough to make it to her own bed just before the alarms went off to pretend she had been there all night.
Yang was not buying it at all.
It was way too adorable.
It took four months before Blake and the rest of JNPR finally became suspicious enough in Ruby's behaviour to notice something was indeed off. Enough so that no matter what Yang said, they would not believe it. It was a shame, but Yang was out of answers. There was nothing more than she could do to help out her little sister in keeping her perfect and mostly secret relationship just that. But it had also been four long months of keeping said relationship secret from them all, especially Yang, so there was some unhelpful and unpleasant tension starting to form.
After four months of hiding it, Yang had no more answers to their questions. Ruby was spending a lot more time studying with Weiss. While her grades were improving, they were not improving enough to warrant the time spent studying. Ruby had begun sharing her cookies. They had always been something akin to prized possessions for her. A cookie handed out from Ruby was like having Weiss buy them a diamond necklace. Highly unlikely to happen, but possible only in the smallest of circumstances. Yet Ruby was giving her cookies away freely.
But only to Weiss. Who could only note that thanks to Ruby, her tastes in sweets were starting to change.
It took five months before any of them, Yang included, realized that while Ruby's attitude was changing, so too was Weiss's. Yang knew Ruby like she knew herself. Yang could not say the same for Ruby's less-than-secret girlfriend.
While Ruby had become quieter, almost pensive, Weiss had become the opposite. She talked more. Smiled more as well. She joined in on choosing movies for their Team RWBY movie nights and helped them all with their homework much more readily than she had done in the past. She was trying harder in combat class as well, performing new spinning moves at awkward angles that were eerily reminiscent of a certain young dolt of a partner. While Ruby had become less physical in her affections to others, Weiss had become more so. Especially more so with Ruby. And while there had once always been a scowl, or a quick sniping comment, now there were laughs and giggles and pleasant hums.
Ruby had become more serious.
Weiss had become more rambunctious.
Both were becoming more alike without even realizing they were doing so.
It was six months in, that Ruby and Weiss called a meeting between the two teams, sitting them all down in Team RWBY's room and faced them. They sat on Weiss's bed, close enough for their hips and knees to be touching, both with nervous gazes. An almost imperceptible flicker in Ruby's eye and an almost unnoticeable nod from Weiss was all the conversation the two needed to know where they stood and how to begin.
It had been incredible to see Ruby mature and become her own person. It had been beyond incredible to see Ruby in such a good mood. Yang loved her sister more than life itself and knowing that Weiss had been making her so happy was a good thing in her book.
"Guys, me and Weiss would like to tell you all something," Ruby began.
Yang hardly batted an eye at Weiss's lack of grammatical correction in her speech.
"Ruby and I are dating," Weiss concluded.
Yang turned to look at her partner and sister team, seeing a surprising lack of reaction.
"I think we all knew," Jaune said, stunning the white rose duo.
"How? When?" They stammered together, their hands interlocking without realizing.
"Ruby started acting differently six months ago. Everyone else only noticed two months ago. It took a bit longer to notice Weiss, but I knew you two were dating from the start," Yang said confidently.
Yang knew Ruby like the back of her hand.
She was still surprised by Ruby's reaction. Ruby let out a long, "aww!" while Weiss giggled into her hand.
"I thought we were being sneaky!"
"Pay up Ruby," Weiss smiled, holding out her hand.
As lien traded palms, Yang could only stare bewildered at the two.
With a sly grin, Ruby explained. "Yang, I know you better than the back of my hand. If there's one thing you like more than being in on a secret, it's finding out about one and helping me keep it. I just thought it would take you a bit longer to have found out."
The two sisters broke out into laughter.
Yes, Yang knew Ruby like the back of her hand. But so too did Ruby know Yang just as closely.
I knew straight away that when I was doing this prompt, it would be from Yang's perspective. Like Ruby said, the only think better than figuring out someone else's secret is helping them keep it. Probably my favourite one-shot of the bunch.