So this story is back... Yaaay!
A Simple Fact
Ruby woke up pressed against something warm, and she let out a sigh of contentment. She snuggled up against it, and like a snake under the rays of the sun, Ruby just wanted to stick her tongue out and sleep forever. It was the kind of warmth where you could just lay down and nap the day away.
She nestled against the mass, a cheerful moan slipping from her lips. Her half-asleep mind stirred for only half a second, before it began to drift back to sleep. She pulled the blankets around her as she rubbed her face against the warm, soft thing.
The dark-haired girl heard a quiet grunt, but she ignored it as sleep called for her. That's when a voice brushed against her ear.
"Ruby…"
She felt something touch her back, and Ruby's eyes shot open as she felt her nose pressed against something hard. The soft cloth she thought was a blanket had actually been Jaune's shirt, and her face was currently pressed against his chest. His surprisingly warm and firm chest.
The young woman knew she should have just pushed Jaune away, but her brain failed to properly issue orders out to the rest of her body. Ruby's face felt hot as her brain sparked and fizzled out. All the silver-eyed, red-faced girl could do was slowly look up, finding Jaune's sleeping face over her head. His eyes closed, mouth slightly open, arms wrapped around her body…
Ruby wasn't sure if the sound she was hearing was her own internal screaming, or just the sound of her brain short circuiting. Either way, it was just the jolt she needed to work on escaping the blond's firm hold. Ruby tried to pull away, but Jaune's arms were holding her in place.
Do I wake him? No, if I wake him he'll freak out! I can't wake him…! Oh, what if I just go back to sleep and wait for him to wake up? He'll calmly pull his arms off of me, get up, and I'll 'wake up' a few minutes after and we'll both just pretend nothing happened!
How likely her plan was, was up for debate, but Ruby was nothing, if not an optimist. So she took a deep breath, smelling Jaune's musk, which really wasn't that bad, and pretended to go to sleep...
His musk wasn't good, obviously. Ruby always did think that the word musk sounded gross, but Jaune's musk wasn't that bad and she really needed to stop thinking about his musk!
Seriously, Ruby, stop thinking about Jaune's musk. Darn it!
Thoughts of Jaune's odor aside, Ruby squeezed her eyes shut and tried to fall back asleep. Unfortunately, sleep was impossible as she laid in Jaune's arms. The man mumbled something, nuzzling his face against Ruby's hair.
Who knew Jaune was such a cuddler…? Then again, I'm not much better. Adam used to comment that she tended to latch onto things in her sleep. It hadn't really been a problem recently since she slept alone… the most she ever did was hug her pillow, but now….
The young woman gulped, opening one of her eyes to stare at Jaune. The blond looked so peaceful in his sleep. Adam used to always complain about Ruby's cuddling habits. He used the word 'needy,' with a joking smile, but looking back it was just another red flag for why Ruby should have never dated Adam.
Jaune didn't look too upset. In fact, hadn't he said her name in his sleep?
Is… is he dreaming about me?
That thought made Ruby's already red cheeks burn and she wished there was somewhere she could bury her face, but all she had access to was Jaune's chest, and she really didn't want to get any closer to the well-smelling man.
So Ruby laid in Jaune's arms, trying to sleep, and failing miserably because all she could think about was how nice he smelled, and if he was dreaming about her, and if that was why he looked so happy...
Get a grip, Ruby! It's only weird if you make it weird… Jaune moaned, and Ruby could feel his hands gently stroke her back, slowly moving up and down the smooth surface. He pulled on her again, and Ruby could feel her chest press against his.
Following that, Ruby's brain shut down for a moment, her eyes locked in a wide, thousand miles stare.
Oh. Oh no. M-maybe I should try to escape again, yeah, that's a good idea. Just pry myself free and- Oh, man, why'd I go to sleep without a bra!? Stop, just stop thinking about it Ruby, just stop thinking about it. Just focus on freeing yourself and-
Ruby felt something hard brush against her thigh, and her pupils shrank into a pair of tiny dots. Oh no. Contrary to popular belief, Ruby wasn't that innocent. She knew what a man was packing between his legs, and she also knew what tended to happen in the morning to men Jaune's age.
Feeling that hard 'thing' was enough to wake Ruby right up, and she practically threw the blanket off of her as she screamed. Yes, scream. It was a panicked moment, but one that was engraved in Ruby's mind as she fell off of the bed.
"Huh? What?! What's happening?!" Jaune yawned, sitting up. He looked over the bed's edge to find Ruby on the ground, groaning in pain. "Ruby? Are you alright?" He moved to the other side of the bed and held his hand out to her, and she took it as she stood up.
"Y-yep! I'm great! Super! P-peachy!" Ruby quickly replied, shooting up onto her feet. Jaune blinked as he stared at his friend, and the young woman couldn't stop her silver eyes from glancing towards Jaune's crotch.
Nothing there. Well, obviously something was there, but nothing she could see. No… 'hard thing.' Meaning she probably just felt his knee. Meaning she just looked crazy for nothing. Ruby's eyes shot back to Jaune's face, and she hoped and prayed he didn't just catch her looking at his crotch.
It's okay. Don't panic. Just play it cool... "I need to brush my pee!" Ruby loudly announced. Her voice cracked, and what she said clearly earned an amused a snort from Jaune as Ruby's face burned pink. "You know what I mean!" she growled, before making a mad dash for the bathroom. She slammed the door behind her as she struggled to collect her fallen dignity.
Ruby turned on the faucet and splashed water into her face, taking long, slow breaths. That was easily one of the most embarrassing moments of her life.
"What is with all of the yelling? Do you have any idea how early it is?!" Weiss groaned.
"Sorry, Weiss. Just… nothing. Nevermind," Ruby mumbled.
If Weiss noticed something was off, she chose to ignore it. Thankfully Ruby could avoid an interrogation as Yang's voice was heard.
"Aloha, Ruby! Aloha, Weiss-cream! Hope you two had a good night's sleep, cause I had a great one! Who's ready for some tropical paradise?!"
"Morning, Yang," Ruby replied as she looked at the door. Jaune was right behind it, probably laughing at her still.
"Ugh, I'm assuming you were the one being so loud?" Weiss huffed.
"No idea what you're talking about, Weiss-cream. All I know is that I'm looking forward to enjoying the Hawaii!"
"Yeah, me too!" Ruby was quick to agree, hoping neither of her personalities would notice anything odd about her. Ruby and the two personalities traded small talk, until a fourth voice greeted them.
"Good morning." Blake probably said that more for their benefit than hers. If she hadn't, they might have never realized she was even awake.
With all of them awake, and no one suspicious of her, Ruby opened the door and stepped out of the bathroom. Her pale cheeks immediately turned red as Jaune looked at her, his phone in his hand.
"Hey. Your pee nice and clean?" Jaune joked, raising his brow.
In context, it was a friendly, teasing remark. Some light jesting between friends, and Ruby understood that. Out of context, and Jaune was a gross pervert asking a woman about her pee, and unfortunately for Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang were both ignorant to the joke...
"Ew! What did that pervert just say?!" Weiss gagged.
"What the hell is wrong with him?!" Yang's blood boiled, or maybe it was better to say Yang was boiling Ruby's blood? Either way, Ruby quickly tried to diffuse the situation.
"It's not what it sounds like!" She quickly blurted out. She could already feel Yang trying to take control, not doubt to punch Ruby's friend. "I was sleepy, and I was trying to say 'I need to brush my teeth,' but I also wanted to pee, and I just got stuck in the middle…"
"It's fine," Jaune laughed. "It was funny."
Weiss was still disgusted, and Yang was still fuming, but at least they understood Jaune was just joking. Ruby tried to calm them down, but she wasn't sure how much they would listen.
Meanwhile, Jaune gestured to his phone with a smile. "I got a text from the others. They're all meeting downstairs for breakfast. Wanna join them?"
Ruby blinked, before smiling. That sounded nice, and hopefully it would help calm down her alts. "I'd like that, yeah."
The two changed and left their room with smiles on their faces. They made small talk as they walked to the elevator together. Ruby wanted to thank the blond for last night, but she hesitated. Her alts were listening now, meaning she would have to explain last night to them… She'd rather avoid that...
It wasn't that Ruby didn't want to tell the truth to her alts, she just wanted to hold onto that memory for herself for just a bit longer. Just feel normal for a little bit…
The two soon made it to the restaurant downstairs, and they found their friends, plus Coco, Velvet, and the others, waiting for them. They were all sitting at a large, round table, leaving two seats open for Jaune and Ruby between Ren and Coco. Jaune and Ruby sat down as everyone exchanged their greetings.
"So, how'd you two like your room?" Coco teased, gently elbowing Ruby's arm.
Both young adults blushed at the remark, choosing not to answer the question as Jaune changed the subject.
"So, what's the plan for today?"
Coco smirked, amused by the couple's red faces. "Well, Fox and I have relatives coming in tomorrow, so we were thinking of making today a bit of an adventure, before old people come and ruin our fun."
"As they do," Nora agreed with a nod.
Nora and Coco shared a fist bump, before the latter continued. "After tomorrow, we have the bachelor and bachelorette parties."
"Aw yeah!" Nora beamed, throwing her arms to the roof. Ren sipped his coffee as he pulled her arms back down.
"And then the wedding day." Coco linked her hand with Fox, locking their fingers together as she kissed her boyfriend's cheek. The blind man smiled, nodding his head.
"I see you haven't backed out yet, Coco."
"Love you too, Foxy."
There was a click, and everyone turned to find Velvet holding a camera in her hands. "What? Coco told me to capture all the best moments!" Jaune and Ruby chuckled at the photographer's blushing face, but Ruby noticed something catching Jaune's eyes. She followed his gaze and she noticed Cardin sitting beside Velvet.
Cardin wasn't doing anything. He didn't even seem to be paying attention. He just stared at his glass of water, rubbing his thumb against the glass. He had this… half scowl on his face? Ruby wasn't sure how to describe it. Cardin glanced at the two, and his eyes sharpened into a small glare, before he grinned.
"So, Coco, when are we gonna have a luau? I thought we would have seen some babes in hulu skirts dancing by now," He chuckled as half the tables glared at him, and the other half just rolled their eyes. The only exceptions were: Ruby, who just raised a brow in confusion, and Velvet, who looked like she wanted to apologize for Cardin.
Ruby noticed Velvet glaring at Cardin, who held up his hands and leaned back in his seat. He shrugged, before becoming quiet.
"Wait for the wedding night, Winchester. Then you can get rejected by the local girls."
Wanting to avoid any unnecessary drama, Ruby spoke up, trying to change the subject. "So, Coco, you said today was going to be an adventure? What did you have planned?"
Coco's glare was quickly replaced with a wide and eager grin. She leaned forward as she spoke. "Fox and I were thinking about going out for a nature walk."
"Whoo! Nature hike!" Nora cheered, punching the air. Again, Ren grabbed her hand and pulled it back to her side.
"That sounds fun," Jaune grinned. Ruby smiled, nodding her head in agreement.
"Seriously? A nature hike? We're in Hawaii, why the hell are we-?" Cardin shook his head, only to stop as Velvet glared at the young man. He turned his head away to avoid her piercing eyes, a scowl etched on his face.
The majority of the group seemed rather excited at the idea, and Ruby could even feel her alts' eagerness. Weiss, Yang, and even Blake all seemed excited to explore the island's natural beauty. If she was lucky, she could forget all about this morning, and how she embarrassed herself.
Her mind wandered for a moment, and with memories of this morning came memories of last night. Ruby frowned as she thought of her and Jaune's almost kiss, and she took in a deep breath through her nose.
Hopefully she could forget that memory too.
The group soon turned fell into different conversations, and everyone excitedly talked about their plans for the next few days. Ruby was mostly quiet, comfortable only talking with Jaune, Ren, and Nora, all of whom were already in the middle of their own conversations.
Cardin was in a similar situation, quietly eating his food when it was finally brought to him. Ruby wasn't sure what to make of the tall, burly man. She barely knew him, but she could easily see why he was so disliked.
Ruby was the only one who wasn't a part of his past, which left the young woman curious. She wondered if the present day Cardin had changed much since bullying Jaune. Right now, he did nothing more than made quiet, rude remarks, but even that seemed to stop after Velvet looked at him. He just sat beside the brunette, quietly eating.
Ruby's thoughts were distracted as Jaune let out a loud, long yawn. He held a hand in front of his mouth as everyone stared at him. When the blond noticed, he blinked and apologized. "Sorry. Just tired. Ruby and I were up all night together."
There was a moment of silence as Ruby's eye twitched. She glanced at Jaune, then at everyone else, before looking down. The others just stared at them, utterly bewildered by the comment. Jaune didn't even seem to realize the implications of what he said for the first few moments.
Inside her mind, Ruby could feel her alts looming over her as her cheeks turned red.
"Doing what exactly?" Coco questioned, a smirk growing on her face.
"Ruby… What did you do with Blondie, exactly?" Yang didn't sound happy, and Ruby fought back a groan.
Jaune seemed to realize his mistake, and his eyes widened as he froze. He opened his mouth to clarify, his face a bright red, but Nora cut him off.
"I was wondering what that banging was!"
The joke broke the silence, and the others couldn't hold back their laughter as Ruby and Jaune sat in their seats, utterly mortified.
"Nora..." Ren was the only one, besides the scarlet-faced couple, not to laugh. He sighed, trying to speak up over the laughter. "She's joking, there was no banging. Our rooms aren't even close enough to hear them."
"But then how do we know there was no banging then?" Nora snickered beside her boyfriend as Jaune tried picking up the pieces of his and Ruby's dignity.
"We were just walking." the young man declared, his cheeks a bright red. "That's it. We were just walking around."
"Yeah. Just. Walking." Ruby spoke the words more for her alts' benefit than anyone at the table's. Despite their explanation, it was clear that the others in the group weren't going to let them forget what it sounded like.
"Is that what they're calling it nowadays?" Coco grinned.
"Bow chika bow wow," Nora added with a grin.
"Seriously! We were just walking around together!"
Ruby tried to just focus on her food. She really hoped no one would ask for details about last night. The last thing she needed was to think about her failed kiss again. She hoped Jaune wouldn't accidentally blurt that out too... She lifted some food to her mouth, only for Yang's voice to call out to her.
"So, anything you want to share with us, Rubes?" Yang wondered.
"Nope. I'm good." Ruby was never a good liar, and she knew Yang saw right through her. The young woman knew that sooner or later, she'd have to fill her alts about the truth. She let out a quiet sigh as she shoved more scramble eggs into her mouth.
The nine soon finished their breakfast and agreed to meet in the lobby after a few minutes. While the others left to change or retrieve something from their room, Ren and Nora walked to the gift shop together.
Ren stood by a rack of postcards, quietly reading through them as his girlfriend stood beside him. From the corner of his eye, he noticed her practically bouncing in place, a clear sign she had something to say.
"So, Renny, do you want to do some 'walking' with me?"
"If you mean actual walking, I'd love to. If you're trying to use walking as a euphemism for something sexual, then maybe later."
Nora ignored his answer as she hopped from one side of him to the other. "You heard Jaune and Ruby, right? They were up all night together! They're totally getting together."
"Nora…"
"We should help them!"
"Nora, no." Ren turned to look at his girlfriend, and he noticed her flinching slightly. He paused, and relaxed his tone of his voice. "Do you remember what happened when you tried playing a scary movie to get them together?"
The memory of her failure turned Nora's grin into a near-flat frown. "Course I do, Ren, but this is different." The young man allowed his girlfriend to make her case, turning so his whole body faced her. He gave her his full attention as she explained, "I still want Jaune and Ruby to get together. You know how happy they make each other, but I won't use any horror movies or anything. I'll just… talk to her."
"And that's it?"
"Yeah. You know, maybe she'll talk to me about how she feels."
"And if she doesn't want to talk about Jaune?"
"Then that's totally fine. I won't force her, I promise!" Nora swore, holding up her fingers to show none were crossed.
Ren stared at his girlfriend, his eyes quietly examining her features. "It's a subtle plan," he commented. "For you, at least," he teased, smiling at her.
His smile was infectious as Nora reflected the expression, only to pause. She lost her smile, speaking with a low tone that for Nora was practically been dead serious.
"I really don't want to mess up what they have, Ren, and I know you probably want things to develop naturally, but come on! You've seen how happy Ruby makes Jaune! He hasn't been this happy in a long time."
"I agree," he nodded his head. Inside his heart, Ren was rather proud of his girlfriend. Her first plan didn't work, so what did she do? Adjust and come up with a new one. A plan that he actually found himself approving of. "You promise you won't force Ruby into anything?"
"I swear. I'll totally back off if she's uncomfortable!"
"Then I'll talk to Jaune and see what he's thinking. That was the other half of your plan, wasn't it?" Ren smiled at his girlfriend, who quickly embraced him.
"Ah, reading my mind again, huh? I love you," she giggled, pecking his cheek. Ren tried to ignore the warmth on his cheeks as he quietly patted his girlfriend's shoulder. The two eventually pulled apart, but rather than smiling, Ren noticed that Nora had a melancholic look in her eyes.
"What is it?" he asked, leaving a hand on her shoulder.
"I was just thinking about Pyrrha. How's she gonna react when she sees Jaune has moved on?" She forced out a bitter laugh. "I mean, she had her chance, right? Guess I shouldn't feel too bad." Nora put on a smile, but Ren saw right through it.
"Nora, you know... There's a chance Pyrrha won't-"
"Come on, Ren! She's not going to miss this. It's a wedding!" Neither of them talked about the birthdays Pyrrha had missed. The text messages and emails they sent that were ignored. Ren didn't have the heart to bring them up as Nora grinned.
"Man, Ruby and Jaune better thank us when all this is over! It's gonna be great!" Her smile was wide and earnest, yet Ren feared for his girlfriend.
He hoped she wasn't setting herself up for disappointment. Both for Jaune and Ruby, and in regards to Pyrrha.
Ruby's alts were mercifully quiet during the car ride out of the city. The young woman wanted to sigh in relief, but kept herself quiet, worried about how others would react. She sat in the car with Jaune, Coco, Velvet, and Cardin, and considering the occupants, the car ride was mostly quiet, besides Coco and Velvet talking to each other.
Jaune glared at the back of Cardin's head while the grown up bully just watched cars go by them.
As Velvet and Coco talked about fashion, clothes, and photography, Ruby glanced over at Jaune. He caught her eyes looking at him, and she blushed as he finally spoke for the first time since they hit the ground.
"Excited to see some nature?" he asked, smiling at her. She returned the gesture. His genuine smile was nice. Earnest and heroic.
"I am, actually. I used to go hiking in Patch all the time when I was younger. This is gonna be awesome," she grinned. "You?"
"Oh, yeah. Whoo," he joked, waving a finger in the air. "I'm pumped..."
"Not a big hiking guy?"
"Eh, I used to go camping with my family when I was younger. Not exactly fun when your sisters do your hair while you're sleeping."
"Ouch. How bad?" Ruby chuckled.
"I'd wake up with almost a dozen bows in my hair. Who know what they'd do to me if I grew out a beard?"
Ruby and Jaune shared a brief laugh, imagining what horrors the young man would have gone through. After their brief chuckle, the two stared at one another, their eyes locked for a moment.
"So, what was walking around Patch like?" he inquired.
"N-nice, um." Ruby cleared her throat. "Cooler than here. Temperature wise, I mean. Lots of woodland animals. I saw a mountain lion a few times."
"Whoa." Jaune's eyes widened. "Seriously? What happened?"
"Oh, it wasn't that bad. My dad had seen plenty of mountain lions in his life, so he knew what to do. We just stared it down and walked back. Dad told me later everything you're supposed to do when you see one."
"Like what?"
"Look intimidating, don't run, don't bend over or crouch. Even throw stuff at it if you have to. Just get it across that you're not prey."
Jaune nodded his head, and Ruby couldn't help but to mess with her friend as she smiled at him. "This one time, dad was taking little baby me on a walk through a nearby forest and a mountain lion found us. He ended up having to fight it off to protect me."
"Whoa, really?" Jaune's eyes widened, only for Ruby to chuckle.
"Nope. Pretty sure dad just made that up to make me think he was cool. It worked for the first few years," she explained, and Jaune blinked, before laughing with her. The two chuckled about the lie, before Jaune smiled at her.
"Maybe one day, you can take me hiking out there. I mean, I'm not gonna know what to do if a mountain lion thinks I'm lunch."
"Don't worry. I'll make sure to protect you," Ruby swore, and the two smiled at one another.
It was at this moment that Ruby realize just how close the two were. They were sitting next to each other, their thighs pressed together. Jaune's face was close to hers, and suddenly she didn't know what she should say next. She swallowed spit down as she pulled her head back, staring out the window. Jaune pulled away as well, sitting firmly in the middle of the row.
Cardin, who sat on Jaune's other side, rolled his eyes at the two, though neither noticed.
"That's the first time you've said anything positive about dad in a long time," Blake commented, and Ruby's eyes widened. She was right… "Not to mention you mentioned going back to Patch." Something else Ruby promised she'd never do.
"Seems like Blondie's making you break a lot of promises to yourself," Yang commented. She tried to make it sound like a joke, but the anger and contempt in her voice was clear.
"Yang, please don't be mad at Jaune," Ruby pleaded.
"I'm not. He doesn't know what happened." Except Jaune did know. Ruby told him nearly everything about her time in Patch. All the important stuff, at least, save for Ruby's… condition. "Look, Ruby, just... don't forget what dad did to mom." Yang's voice was low, and she made no attempt to hide the anger she felt for dad. "He's a bad guy."
Of course Ruby remembered what her father did. Yet despite everything he did, she still had some happy memories of him. Of him and mom happy together, before Summer was thrown away to rot in some horrible asylum…
Ruby's hands balled into fists as she took a deep breath. Yes, she remembered what her father did, but it felt wrong to think that was all he did. Tai… Tai was her father. That meant something.
She just wished she knew what that something was.
The group arrived the nature trail within a few minutes. Coco stepped out, leaving the others behind to join her fiance. Jaune stepped out and groaned, stretching his arms to the sky as he noticed Ruby doing the same.
"Whoo! Nature hike, let's go!" Yang shouted. Ruby couldn't help but wonder if Yang really was excited, or if she was just trying to hide she was really feeling.
The news that Ruby spent time with Jaune probably annoyed Yang, at least a little bit. The fact that Ruby brought up their father during the car ride certainly didn't help. Ruby made a mental note to check up on her sister when she could, when a voice greeted her.
"You okay?" Jaune asked, walking towards her.
"Yeah. Just feels nice to get out of that car."
"Well, better do some stretches. Looks like we got a lot of hiking ahead of us," Jaune commented, glancing at the forest around them.
Their group's cars stopped at a parking lot where two small complexes sat. There were a few other people about to go out on the walk, as well as some workers who were helping people with questions. Beyond the two small buildings was a forest spreading out for miles, and the two could hear the faint sound of a nearby river.
"This place is beautiful," Ruby commented, and she meant it. The place reminded her of Patch's forests and rivers. All the happy memories she had of her family picnicking and playing by the stream. She smiled as she looked around, feeling her own excitement grow. "This is gonna be awesome."
Jaune smiled at her, before he took a deep breath. "Hey, Ruby? Can I talk to you about something?"
"Hm? Sure, what's up?"
"It's about what we talked about in the car. You brought up your dad?" Ruby felt nervous, suddenly, and she looked at Jaune as he scratched the back of his head. "I mean, I remember what you said last night about him."
Oh no.
"Ruby, what is he talking about…?" Yang asked.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
Ruby, for the first time in her life, cursed how nice and caring Jaune was. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out as her silver eyes darted side to side.
"I-I...uh… I'm fine, Jaune," she quickly uttered. "Don't worry about it. I'm good! I-I should go." Ruby tried to salvage what she could, hoping against hope that she could keep what she and Jaune talked about a secret.
Without any warning, Ruby suddenly pulled away, walking away from Jaune as quickly as she could.
"H-hey, wait!" Jaune called out to her, but she didn't listen, leaving him behind. His arms hung limply by his side as he wondered what he did wrong…
Meanwhile, Ruby was dealing with her own problems.
"Ruby, what did you two talk about?" Yang asked again. "What does he know about dad?"
"Yang, please don't be upset…"
"I'm not upset! I just want to know what you said." She certainly sounded upset.
"I told Jaune… I told him about dad, and mom, and… about Adam."
Ruby's mind felt bizarrely quiet for a moment. No one spoke. Not Yang, not Blake, and not Weiss. All Ruby could hear was the ambient sound of the forest and her own racing heart.
"Guys?"
"What. Exactly. Did you say?" Yang slowly questioned.
"I told him what dad did to mom. What Adam did-"
"Did you tell him about us?"
"No! I didn't! I swear. I didn't tell him about you, or what mom had. He just knows she was sick and-"
"She wasn't sick!" Yang shouted, and Ruby held her head as the alt's voice boomed. Ruby could hear Yang growling, before she let out a harsh sigh. "You should have said something to us, Ruby. You should have asked us if it was okay before telling him about mom and dad!"
"I know. I'm sorry, but-"
"And why tell him? Why do you think he has any right to know about our family?"
"Yang, I'm-"
"Enough." Blake's voice silenced both parties, and Ruby felt the alt step forward. "Yang, you need to stop."
"Wait, me? What the hell did I do?! Ruby's the one who-" Ruby flinched at the angry tone her sister took, not to mention how she clearly saw Ruby as the bad guy in this argument. Blake didn't let Yang finish, though.
"Because you keep acting like you have a stake in this."
"What...?"
"You've always acted like Summer and Tai are your parents. They aren't. They never have been. They never will be. I've let you act out in the past because it's never gotten in Ruby's way, but if you're going to start acting like you're entitled to answers or command of her life, then I'll spell it out for you."
"Blake, wait-" Ruby was ignored as Blake stated a simple fact.
"Summer and Tai are Ruby's parents, not yours. You don't have parents. You don't get control over Ruby's life, and she doesn't need your permission to live her life."
Ruby's mouth fell open and everything seemed to go still. Her heart skipped a beat as her mind lay silent. Yang said nothing, but Ruby could feel the alt leaving her mind, retreating to the depths of her psyche. Ruby's legs quivered, as if she had been physically hit, and her breath was slow as Blake spoke again.
"She'll be okay."
"H-how can you be sure?! Blake, what you said was awful! How could you say that?!"
"Am I wrong?" Blake replied. "Summer is your mother, and only yours. Not mine, not Weiss', and certainly not Yang's. The fact that you've allowed Yang to maintain that belief is kind of you, but it's also incredibly damaging for her. It's going to make her feel like she's owed something."
Blake's words were as blunt to Ruby as they were to Yang. She spelled out Ruby's mistake in a criticizing tone, speaking to Ruby as if the young woman was a child to Blake's mother. "She isn't your sister, Ruby. Yang is a mental illness. We're your alternate personalities, Ruby. We're not people."
Which meant all of this was Ruby's fault. The young woman held herself responsible, as if she was the one to break Yang's heart. Maybe, in a way, it was all her fault. If she hadn't told Jaune... Even if she wanted to, no matter how much she wanted to, was it right for her to tell him?
Ruby held back tears, sucking in air through her teeth as Blake continued. "Her entitlement aside, I do have to wonder, Ruby… Are you sure trusting Jaune is wise?"
Ruby was still reeling from what she had indirectly done to Yang. She placed a hand to her head, rubbing her forehead as she tried to calm down her pounding heart and aching head. She wanted to call out to Yang, to talk to her, to try and work things out.
Yang didn't answer, and Ruby doubted she would for a while.
"I'm… I'm sure, Blake." The alt didn't reply. She just vanished, sinking into the depths of Ruby's mind like Yang had.
Ruby was left alone, on the verge of tears as she rubbed her head. She wasn't even sure if the tears were all from her.
Maybe some of them were Yang's...
"Ruby?" Jaune called out to her, and Ruby quickly wiped away the tears pooling in the corners of her eyes. Her back was facing him, so he couldn't see her eyes as she wiped them dry. "We're heading out... Hey, you okay?" But he could still sense something was wrong, and it pained Ruby to lie to Jaune, but she couldn't let him know her secret.
She couldn't let him know she was a freak. An insane person with voices in her head... "Y-yeah! I'm alright!" She hoped he didn't notice his wavering voice, or her slightly red eyes as she turned to him. She sniffled, etching a smile onto her face as he looked at her. "Let's go!"
END
Hey, so... we're back. A lot of things happened between this chapter and the last, huh? People stormed Area 51, I watched a lot of Pretty Cure, I started learning how to draw...
Look, let me say first and foremost, thank you to all the people who tried to convince me to return to this story. Even months after I ended it, I was getting reviews in September asking me to keep going, and, well... The only reason this story is still going is because of you guys. You did it. I'm going to at least keep this story going for a few more chapters. Hopefully finish Book 1, at least.
After that? Who knows? We'll see.
But seriously. I want to thank everyone who wanted this story to keep going and left reviews telling me. Thanks to all the people who made accounts, just to tell me to keep writing this story. Thank you to all of the people who were sympathetic to me about stopping. Thanks to ALL the reviews people gave me (even that one person who threatened me with physical violence. I'm sorry if you think my story affected your friend, and I'm sorry if my story did. I hope they get better soon, but threatening to beat me up isn't going to help them).
I'm not putting dates on here anymore, because let's face it, I'm bad at that. So updates come when they come. I already have the next chapter done, but I don't want to post it until I have the chapter after that at least close to done. So look forward to that, folks.
