Just a short little fun story based on art from the amazingly talented Aya! Art linked below, just remove the spaces and change the dot to a .
twitter dot com /ayaarose_5607/status/1329495882736156674?s=19
Ruby hummed softly to herself as she sauntered up to her front door, nodding her head along to an imaginary beat. She was exhausted from a long, draining hunt, but finally, finally, she had arrived home to what was, in her mind, heaven. A beautiful and talented wife, an adorable and perfect daughter, and of course, her cuddly pup. As well as a lovely jar of cookies with her name (literally!) on it, awaiting her arrival.
Fumbling slightly with her keys, she grumbled to herself as she managed to fail at inserting the key correctly three times before finally managing to get the stupid key in the stupid lock. The satisfying 'click' of the lock made me smile, another tiny reminder of her arrival home. As she slid the door open and kicked off her boots, sighing dramatically as she wiggled her dirty socked toes in the fresh, clean air, she waited for the impact.
Seconds later, even with her preparation, she felt the air shoved out of her chest as Zwei leapt into her arms, stubby tail wiggling so hard his entire body shook in her grip, his tongue desperately trying to reach her face to lick. Used to this, Ruby barely managed to dodge the attempted slobbering, chuckling as she scratched her favorite dog behind his ears. She listened carefully for the sound of her family, hearing a quiet 'tink' from the living room. As she set Crescent Rose against the wall and strode past the entryway, her grin grew wider as she glimpsed her beloved wife, Weiss Schnee.
Weiss glanced up at her wife and smiled back, her eyes flickering back to the screen before her as she sipped at her tea. Ruby, knowing her wife as she did, knew Weiss must be in a meeting and they'd get to catch up after she finished. Setting Zwei down, she gave a little wave as she walked into the kitchen, humming to herself tunelessly, heading straight for her...for her...her cookie...jar?
Ruby blinked. Blinked again. Rubbed at her eyes to be sure she wasn't seeing things. This was impossible. Her daughter...Summer...just barely a toddler...standing on a footstool she had clearly pushed to the counter, reaching up to Ruby's very special Ruby marked cookie jar. As Ruby's mind came back to her, on one level, this was adorable. Summer in her little onesie, those silver eyes looking back at Ruby with determination...on another level, oh hells no.
"Summer Rosaria Rose, you get down here, young lady!" Ruby demanded sternly. Ruby knew this would be more than enough, of course Summer would listen to-
"Uh...no!"
What? Ruby's mind had done a complete one eighty, back into the realm of madness and confusion at the sheer chutzpah of her tiny, undeniably adorable, stubborn little child. This...this was impossible. This could not be. When had Summer become so recalcitrant, so stubborn, so snarky? How could she have learned...oh no.
Ruby whipped around so fast she nearly tripped over her swirling cloak as she stared at Weiss. With the angle she was at, Ruby could clearly see the meeting had ended but a moment ago, but Weiss was deliberately avoiding her gaze.
"Weiss...what did you teach her?" Ruby asked, her tone calm and even. Weiss sipped at her tea, the only sound in answer to Ruby's question just the dainty sips she took. "Weiss?" Ruby asked once more. Her wife stared at the laptop screen, unmoving, unflinching. "Weeeeeiiissssss?" Ruby wheedled, still unable to process the events before her. Nothing but an even louder tea sip answered her.
"Mama eats Mommy's cookies! I want cookies too!" Summer called from behind Ruby, the tall huntress' eyes going wide as she spun around, witnessing a cookie disappearing into Summer's mouth as she smiled up at Ruby, crumbs scattered about her lips as Ruby's cookie jar sat, lid akimbo, on the countertop. But then the meaning of Summer's works broke into her mind, sending Ruby once more into a spin.
"Weiss!?" came the betrayed, anguished cry from Ruby's throat as she stared, aghast, at her beloved wife. Weiss' tea sips took on a nervous sound, a moment later the sound of the cup draining to empty echoing out. Weiss placed the tea cup back on it's saucer with a barely shaking hand, only now looking up at Ruby's gaze.
Ruby locked eyes with her wife, narrowing them a moment later. She straightened up, taking a few steps back until she had reached her daughter. Carefully lifting her off the footstool, Ruby placed her back on the ground and, swiping a napkin from the counter, wiped at the crumbs as Summer squirmed. Not once did Ruby let her gaze up, keeping her frozen wife in her eyesight. She gently kicked the footstool back into the corner, righted the cookie jar, recapped the lid and placed the jar into the cupboard over the stove.
Gently, she carried Summer to the gated play area they had set up in the corner of the living room and set her down there. Finally, she turned to fully face her wife. "There is only one punishment for such a transgression, dearest," Ruby spoke softly, but with steel in her voice. Weiss slowly stood to her feet, muscles tensing as she prepared to dash. Ruby lifted both hands, curling her fingers into claw shapes, and lowering herself into a crouch, preparing to spring. "TICKLE ATTACK!" Ruby shouted as she leapt at her wife, Weiss' expression of fear cracking into a giggle as she dashed away from Ruby, leaping over the couch and bolting towards the next room.
Summer giggled as she picked up her favorite toys and began to play, ignoring the sounds of her mom's laughter and crashing into things as they chased, the shriek Weiss made as Ruby managed to catch her for a brief moment. Zwei trotted over to the gated area, hopping over the gate to flop down beside Summer, nuzzling into her back and closing his eyes for a nap. Just another day in the Rose-Schnee household.