Oscar trudged back to the hospital. He wasn't quite sure where he was, but he hoped he would eventually find some identifiable landmark. He clothes were stiff against his skin and he shivered against the night sky. His shoes made an audible squish sound as he walked, still not dry from the swim in the river. He was cold and miserable, but carried on.

Oscar left the woods and found his way to the street. He was surprised to immediately be greeted by a sign pointing towards the hospital. Oscar followed the direction the sign pointed in, ignoring the cars going by. He was too tired to think about what looks the passengers were giving him.

The lights of a car blinded him. Oscar put a hand in front of his face, shielding himself from its harsh light. The car didn't continue down the road, but pulled over to the side of the road and stopped in front of him.

"Oscar?!" A familiar voice called out to him. Oscar blinked a few times, but was met with a hug before he could process who it was.

"Marigold?" he asked as he recognized the voice.

"Where have you been?!" she snapped. "We've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Look at you! You look terrible!" Flann appeared next to him, wrapping an oversized coat around his shoulders.

"Flann? What are you two doing here?" Oscar finally asked.

"Tai called as many people as he could to search for you!" Marigold explained. "We… We heard what happened…"

"Are you alright, dear? Want us to drop by the store and get you something warm?" Flann asked worriedly. "The car is nice and toasty, let's get you in there."

"Thank you. I mean it."

Flann had already begun pushing him into the car. She opened the passenger door for him and practically buckled him in. Marigold sighed, taking her scroll out and texting people. Flann entered the driver's seat and cranked the heat to the max. Oscar tried protesting, but she ignored him.

"I'm… I'm really sorry about all this," he spoke as Flann drove.

"Don't be. You have every right to be upset," Marigold answered from the backseat.

"Ruby was such a sweet girl… If you need anything, please let me, us, know," Flann said.

"Thank you." Oscar played with the zipper on the coat.

"Your friends were really worried about you, you know."

"I know…"

"But we're just glad you're safe."

"Thanks."

Oscar leaned his head against the window. He watched the scenery pass. He imagined hundreds of rose petals dancing beside the car. Chasing the wind and trying to keep up. He ignored Flann's awkward small talk to listen for the familiar laugh of a girl.

The lights of the hospital soon appeared before his eyes. Through the windows of the lobby he could see a few figures. One of them was pacing back and forth while the others sat with varying postures. As his eyes adjusted, he could clearly see his friends. Oscar opened the car door and in an instant those figures ran towards the door.

"Oscar!" they called to him. Oscar took his time getting out of the car but was nearly knocked over by the wait of everybody jumping into a hug.

"Where have you been?!" Yang snapped.

"We've been calling your scroll like crazy!" Blake added.

"Are you hurt?! Injured?! In pain?!" Nora asked as she began examining him for any injuries.

"I'm fine, really," Oscar chuckled as he tried pulling away from Nora's grasp. "I just… had to clear my head. And, er, I kind of threw my scroll in a river soo….."

"Why would you do something so… so idiotic?!" Jaune snapped.

"Guys, I'm really sorry," he apologized. "Running away like that was… uncalled for. I just… I just didn't know what else to do at the time."

"Take it from someone that's lost someone they loved," Jaune sighed, "please don't do something like that again. We're here for you if you need us."

"Thanks Jaune. I won't," Oscar smiled. The group suddenly split to let Tai through. His eyes were glowing a raw red and his cheeks were stained.

"Hey kid," Tai said to him in a raw and tired voice.

"Hey Tai."

"Ready to see her?" he asked. Oscar looked to the others.

"We've already said our goodbyes," Weiss explained.

"But we'll go with you if you need us to," Jaune quickly added.

"Thank you, but I… I'd rather see her alone," Oscar replied.

"Are you sure?" Nora asked.

"Yes. I want it to be the two of us. Just… Just one last time." Everybody exchanged looks before giving little nods of consent. Oscar took a deep breath and followed Tai.

Tai lead him back to where Ruby's room was. Raven sat on a chair outside the door. She stood up when he came by and wished him luck. Tai agreed to give him some space and let Oscar go in alone.

The room was dark. The dim lights illuminated Oscar's way to her bedside. The moon shone from the window, the same way it had done when he had woken up. The stars twinkled the way her eyes always had. If he could lasso a star would it bring her back?

Oscar sat down in the chair they had placed beside the bed. He didn't do anything for a while. Just stared out the window.

He gazed upon her face. Nothing about her said that she was dead. Her eyes were closed in a peaceful slumber. Oscar brushed a few stray hair from her face, the action caused no reaction from her. He wasn't expecting any.

Oscar took her hand in his. Her fingers were freezing cold compared to his own. He leaned in, resting his forehead on hers. It felt weird not feeling her breath against his face. It felt weird not hearing her giggle or jest as he did so. She just slept on.

"Ruby Rose," he whispered to her. "I take you as my mock wife."

He squeezed her hand just a little tighter. His free hand coming up to hold he cheeks

"You may now kiss the bride."

He leaned forward, leaving one last kiss upon her lips.

Oscar pulled away, but kept his forehead against hers. Just a little longer. He wanted to be by her side a little longer.

Tears slipped from his eyes. They were wiped away by a rose scented embrace. Ruby's cheeks twitched into a smile under his palm. Oscar snapped his eyes open, meeting with silver stars.

"Hi," the voice was quiet.

"Hi."

"I-" a blaring siren broke their conversation. It sounded like a series of high-pitched beeps.

Oscar groaned, realizing that it was his alarm. He fished around for the pesky device on his nightstand. After not finding it, he cracked an eye open and sat up. He reached for the alarm and turned it off with no problems. He sighed, knowing that it was once again time to start the morning.

His small apartment was quiet as he got ready for the morning. He picked up the clothes he had laid out the previous night and started getting dressed. Before he put on his shirt, he took a brief moment to trace the spider-like scars on his chest.

In the mirror, Oscar caught movement. Then a face stared back at him.

"Gah!" He threw his shirt at it. "Ruby! What are you doing here?!"

"I live here, thank you very much."

Ruby took the shirt off her head. Oscar instinctively covered as much of his chest as he could. Ruby just rolled her eyes and threw his shirt back at him.

"That's not- Why are you staring at me?!" Ruby only shrugged. Oscar put on his shirt as fast as he could.

"Ever notice that our scars are in the exact same place? In the exact same shape?" Oscar stopped buttoning up his shirt.

"Uh…"

"I knew it! You had the same curse! We're curse buddies!" Ruby jumped up on the bed, pointing a finger at him.

"What are you talking about? That was months ago." Oscar finished buttoning up his shirt to sit on the edge of the bed.

"I know," Ruby chirped as she sat down next to him. "And I knew you knew. By the way, I call cookies for breakfast."

She disappeared into a cloud of rose petals. It took Oscar a second to process what she had said.

"Wait! Ruby! You can't just drop a bombshell like that and run away!" Oscar got up and chased after her. "And I'm not letting you have cookies for breakfast three days in a row!"

"Oh come on! What's the harm?!" Ruby called from the kitchen.

Oscar ran as fast as he could to the kitchen. He was too late. Ruby was standing at the fridge with the cookie jar in one arm and a cookie in her mouth. She fished around for the milk and closed the door with her foot when she had found it. Oscar could do nothing as he watched out of breath at the entryway.

"Literally everything is wrong! No cookies for breakfast!" He grabbed the jar as she poured herself a glass of milk.

"Oh come on!" she complained. "I deserve it! I died for Pete sake!"

"And now you're alive. And you're not having cookies."

"I'm only alive because you took the curse from me," she rolled her eyes. Oscar gaped at her. She took his shock to steal the jar back.

"You… You knew?"

"Yeah I knew. I mean do you really think I really believed that I went through Lazarus syndrome? Besides your scar grew a little bit after you took the curse."

"Wait, how did you know that?"

"It's not because I watch you while you get dressed in the morning, if that's what you mean." Ruby reached into the cookie jar again.

"Fine. I see how it is. Using bombshells as a way to get cookies. Real mature, Rubes."

"I know~!" she smiled victoriously as she pulled a cookie from the jar. She shoved it in Oscar's face. "But of course, my dear knight deserves a cookie for saving me."

"Ok, ok," he rolled his eyes. "One cookie and then I'll make some actual breakfast."

"I love you~" she grinned. Ruby reached for her glass of milk before suddenly gasping dramatically. She shoved the cookie jar into Oscar's arms. "I almost forgot something really important!"

Ruby disappeared into rose petals again. Oscar just rolled his eyes and looked for a new hiding spot for the cookies. Ruby appeared a moment after he placed the jar behind some cereal boxes. She grinned as she showed off her left hand.

"Don't want to forget this~!" she sang, pointing to the rose-shaped ruby displayed proudly on a silver band.

"I'm glad you didn't forget," he chuckled.

"Never," Ruby grinned proudly. She then began pushing him out the door. "Now shoo! You gotta get to work!"

"What?! I still have like another hour?"

"No! You need to go now!"

"Oh no! The weight of responsibility is crashing down on me!" Oscar leaned back against her push. "How will I ever make it out the door?!"

"Noooo!" Ruby complained. "I just wanted cookies!"

Oscar laughed at her confession. They play-spared for a while until Oscar actually had to leave for Signal.

Oscar walked to work with a smile on his face. When he arrived, Flann greeted him as usual. Then Marigold joined in, complaining about her weekend. Finally Tai arrived, embarrassing Oscar as Tai proudly (and loudly) called him "his future son-in-law."

He dismissed himself to work on some paperwork. As he scribbled grades, his new scroll rung.

"Oscar!" Ruby's voice came from the other side. "I'm about to leave for my mission! Want anything from the train station?!"

"I'm good," Oscar laughed.

"Are you sure? There's a really cute Beowulf plushie here."

"You know those things are a tourist trap, right?"

"Right…. But hypothetically, what would you say if I got it?"

"You bought it didn't you?"

"You can't prove anything!" Oscar laughed at her response.

"I gotta go, class is going to start soon."

"Ok! Bye Oscar! Don't torture those kids too much!"

"Bye, milady. Teach those grimm a lesson!"

Thus his ordinary day started.

~The End~