We Reap What We Sow

"Ruby, would you like some coffee?"

Weiss walks in holding two steaming cups. Just two. Ruby wonders why Weiss even bothered to ask when she's already made her a cup. She's pretty sure that second cup all but has her name on it given that they were the only two people in the room.

Unless of course Weiss planned on drinking two cups of coffee in one sitting which isn't unexpected of her during exam weeks back at Beacon.

But this was no exam week and they were certainly not in Beacon. They were in Argus on an ordinary day, or at least as ordinary as their lives would allow.

Coffee sounds nice today. Mundane even. Non life threatening or life changing.

It's a nice change of pace compared to yesterday.

"Oh, sure!" She gives her a grateful smile.

"I thought you'd say yes so here." Weiss hands her a cup and then takes her seat beside Ruby on the sofa, their knees almost touching but Ruby scooches a bit to correct that.

Ruby blows on the cup, too excited to drink something that isn't water to even notice the different scent. She takes a tentative sip.

When the warm liquid touches her tongue, it's only then that she finally notices.

"Uh, Weiss? This isn't coffee." She sends her a confused look, unaware that her own eyes crinkle at the corners with delight.

"I know. It's hot chocolate." Weiss answers with a smug smile that she discreetly covers as she takes a sip from her own cup which was actually coffee. "I thought you would have preferred it."

She does. Ruby does prefer hot chocolate, it's up there on top of the list of things she likes to drink, up with milk. Coffee is rather low on the list however 'coffee made by Weiss' bumps it up a couple of rankings. She wouldn't have minded coffee as long as it was more milk and sugar than it was coffee but Weiss knew that too.

And while she does prefer hot chocolate, she couldn't help but wonder why Weiss had called it something it was not in the first place.

"Then why did you ask me if I wanted coffee?"

Weiss refuses to meet her gaze. Instead she simply shrugs, nonchalant.

"I thought you'd appreciate the surprise."

Funny how those seem few and far in between— the pleasant kind in particular.

"I do." Ruby hears herself smile and feels the growing grin on her lips when she takes a generous sip of her drink. Sweet. Just how she likes it. And Weiss made this so she likes it even more. Sweeter. "Thank you."

They stay like that for a while. Sitting comfortably beside each other with a steaming beverage of their choice in their hands. The only thing missing was a blanket wrapped warmly around them but then again the comfortable silence blanketing them already does the job.

It feels like it's been so long since they've had a moment of reprieve like this. That was what? The other day ago? Huh, now that Ruby thought on this, it really has been just two days since their last break.

Yesterday they had to cut their rest short once the train was attacked. Then the train crash happened. Then they found out about Jinn, the first of many of Ozpin's secrets. One of those secrets is that he didn't have a plan at all and the world is basically doomed to Salem anyways. Then there was the Apathy Grimm but that was this morning, does that count? Well it was horrible too so she counts it as part of the never ending day of pure awful.

Wow, it's kind of amazing to think that so much has happened in a single day. It would have been amazing if only the things that happened weren't so terrible.

It felt like that day would never end and now here they were on a brand new day.

It's a new day but their worries are still all the same.

"Are you still worried about Atlas?"

Ruby breaks the silence. It cuts through whatever comfortable cloud they were in before. Comfort is nice and all but sometimes they need to get out of their comfort zones too.

"I... It's not..." Weiss keeps starting sentences she couldn't seem to finish. She's usually so eloquent with words but not so right now.

Now they were alone. Now she was vulnerable. Now she was vulnerable and trying to hide and show that vulnerability at the same time.

"I'm not saying we shouldn't go. I meant what I said back then. I'm sorry about what I said about giving up." This part was the easiest to admit. This part she already knows and recites without so much as a stutter. As for the rest however,

"I don't want to give up now. Not when..." She bites her bottom lip, contemplating. "But at the same time, I still..." Her free hand curls into a fist, frustrated.

"I'm not giving up on you—" Weiss corrects herself immediately, "On this trip, I mean."

They both gloss over her slip of the tongue.

"I'm not going to abandon the cause now and I've already made up my mind but it's just..." She swallows the rest of her words along with her coffee, scalding her in the process yet refusing to show weakness.

It was so easy to blame it on the Apathy back there at Brunswick. But here?

All this hesitation was hers and hers alone.

"It's just... hard, you know?"

And it is. It's hard. It must have been hard for Weiss to admit this since the last time she spoke on the matter, she had a different opinion on what to do or rather not do.

Admitting her mistake and correcting it is also a different kind of hard. The kind of difficulty that in the past would have taken her time to overcome. At present, she overcame it as soon as she recognized it.

She's come a long way. And Ruby's grateful that she's still coming with them along the way.

"I get it, Weiss. I know you're all, well... mostly set to do this." She reassures her with an encouraging smile and a soft squeeze on the shoulder. "Don't worry. I trust you on that."

She trusts her on more than just that, it goes without saying.

"But just because you're going to do something doesn't mean you're going to enjoy every step of it."

For Weiss who's been pointedly avoiding eye contact ever since that loaded question was asked, she suddenly whips her head to stare at her.

"I can't believe how easily you found the words that I was looking for," She comments in an awestruck tone, soft and relieved and appreciative.

"It's not that hard when you know where to look," Ruby quips with a toothy grin.

"And where exactly did you look?"

"I looked at you."

Ruby answers so simply, so honestly, as if it truly was that easy, that Weiss heard her own laughter before she even understood why she was giggling. As for Ruby, she doesn't get why her partner was giggling but she's not one to question a good thing. So she joins her laughing fit instead.

Their giggles fill their lungs and spill out and into the room, light and uplifting.

"Thank you," Weiss finally says once their laughter subsides but the pleasantness lingers. This time she's the one who offers a smile first. It's her rare affectionate gesture of thanks, "For understanding."

She finally unclenches her free hand and places it on top of Ruby's hand which hasn't let go of her shoulder all throughout.

"And for everything else."

She adds with an extra tilt in her smile, just a teensy bit more affectionate than her usual, maybe even sweeter.

It's a pleasant surprise, few and far in between— and much appreciated.

"You're welcome, Weiss!" Ruby beams at her so hard that she could feel her jaw aching. It's a good ache. She hums and cooes, "What are partners for, right?"

When Ruby tries to pull her hand away, she's surprised when her partner instead holds it in place in a firm grip. She looks at her, confused. Her confusion grows when she sees Weiss with her face set so seriously.

"Is that how you feel?"

She blinks. What did she mean by that?

"Is what how I feel what now?"

She honestly asks and Weiss just looks at her in that Weiss way where she's trying to be patient but also trying to move things along faster.

"Ruby." She tries again, her voice even and careful. "Is that how you feel too? Doing something but being miserable throughout the whole thing?"

Oh. She's talking about that.

"Wow, this is some real good cocoa."

She does not want to talk about that.

"You know you can talk to me—" Weiss quickly corrects herself. "Us. You can talk to us."

If only Weiss knew how Ruby just said those same words to her own uncle.

And just like her Uncle Qrow, she bottles it up too.

Ruby smiles into her cup. It's the kind of smile that she's been wearing a lot more this year than she has in her whole life before this tragic year started. It's the sad kind of smile. The chocolate drink has now gone tepid and it doesn't taste as sweet as it did at first. She smiles just a bit sadder. Resigned.

She should have known.

Getting Weiss out of her comfort zone meant that she had to leave hers too.

"I thought I was supposed to be the one comforting you and not the other way around?"

Weiss simply scoffs. "I think it's obvious who's supposed to be comforted based on who gets the comfort drink, right?"

"Uhhh, so both of us?" Ruby argues with her own set of logic. It's surprisingly sound.

Her partner opens her mouth to protest, her eyes were already smoldering and set to win this argument. However, even she is surprised when she does otherwise.

"I suppose that's acceptable," She concedes in an even tone.

Now that is a surprise. It's not really the pleasant kind of surprise or the bad kind either. It's just leaning towards more of the confusing kind. Because Weiss argues to win any if not all arguments.

So for her to concede— and so easily at that!— it's a bit suspicious, isn't it?

"Sooo..." Ruby takes another slurp of her cocoa.

Some part of her can't help but be concerned since she was running out of that but the other part of her pulls her away from the distraction. Focus. What were they talking about again? Oh, right.

"If we're both supposed to be comforted then what does that mean?"

"It means that since my turn's obviously over then it's your turn to be comforted," Weiss explains it in a way that makes it not only seem like a fact but also an order.

Definitely more of an order coming from her.

"But Weiiiiiss!"

She tuts her. "No buts! We are doing this and you are going to cooperate!"

"Hmph, who made you leader..." She grumbles because she knows she couldn't get out of this not when her partner was holding her hand on lockdown.

She could always wrench her hand away but with Weiss still holding a hot cup of an accident waiting to happen, she's practically holding Ruby's hand hostage.

"I heard that!" Weiss actually releases her hand to lightly smack the back of her head. "And if you must know, as your partner, I have to step up to your role if the need arises."

"Pretty sure this is insubstitution!" She rubs the sore spot where her partner hit her.

"It's insubordination, you dolt." She sternly corrects her. "And even then it's still the wrong term. I believe the word you're looking for is 'usurp' which is an accusation against me at best."

"Why would I slurp?" Ruby asks with genuine confusion, her head tilting as if the answer would come to her at just the right angle. It doesn't.

"Nevermind." Weiss heaves a long suffering sigh. They're getting off track and she suspects that this might be Ruby's plan all along. Well she won't let her partner get away that easily. "The point is that sometimes it doesn't hurt to share in the responsibilities."

To share the burden, it goes without saying.

"I'm the leader, you know," Ruby mumbles, neither refusing nor accepting her partner's offer. She casually swings her legs. She feels restless all of a sudden. She wrings her hands, hoping it'll calm her growing anxiety. "I'm supposed to be strong."

"And you are," Weiss affirms without skipping a beat and without lack of faith. "You are strong. And I mean this not just in physical strength but in other ways as well. You are one of the strongest people I know and you've been an excellent leader despite our dire circumstances."

"Thanks." When Ruby smiles, it doesn't quite reach her eyes. It's as if she only agrees out of politeness. She doesn't quite believe her own strength to be as much as her partner sees in her.

But Weiss is having none of that attitude from her.

"I'm not finished." She tuts her and then continues, "Yes, it is true that as a leader, there are certain expectations of you..."

She had to be the strong reliable leader that they needed her to be and yet—

"But just because you're supposed to be strong doesn't mean you have to be strong all the time."

And yet here's her partner telling her that it's okay to sometimes not be that person she has to be.

"Let me ask you this again and this time, I want you to be honest." Weiss turns to face her, her piercing gaze practically commanding her to obey.

To which she doesn't object. She just sits there, waiting for the question she already knows she'll ask.

It's the same question she's been avoiding asking herself.

She doesn't know how to answer it. She doesn't know if she even wants to know the answer itself. She doesn't know for sure if she'll like the answer.

"Ruby, are you okay?"

But she'll never know until she tries to actually answer.

"I..."

She considers dodging the question at first. But then she reconsiders when she thinks about how unfair that would be to her partner who has been honest despite her own probing question earlier.

But honestly, she just doesn't know.

She doesn't know what she feels anymore or if she's even letting herself feel it all. Sometimes she feels overwhelmed.

She's never kept track of these times so sometimes just might be more often than not.

It's been hard, hard on all of them, and she doesn't want to think that it's been especially hard for her but sometimes it feels that way.

Just when they thought that they were finally making progress towards the future they've been working so hard on, for the better world they've been fighting this war for, suddenly they were told that everything had been for nothing.

To say that it's taken a toll on the team morale is an understatement.

The revelation devastated them into pieces and it fell upon her to pick them back up— and she tries. She tries so hard piece them back together but she could only do so much. It felt like it was not enough.

She tried to carry them, carry so much— too much.

She never noticed herself slowly giving underneath the weight.

Or if she did, she never cared for herself because she was too busy caring for others instead.

I'm not okay.

She isn't. She's far from okay. If she were to be honest then that would be the short and simple answer. But it's not that simple. It never is.

She doesn't want to admit it just yet because—

If she wasn't okay then who was?

Someone had to be okay. They needed someone to lead them right now and since Ozpin has walked out and Qrow is barely sober, she had to be that someone.

She understands why she has to do it and she would always step up for the role if she has to but just because she's doing it doesn't mean it won't be terrible on her. She expected hardships, that's part of the package she signed up for being a Huntress. But with all of the extra baggage, it's just been… hard.

But even so, she doesn't want to give up. She can't afford to give up. She has to try.

Even if it is impossible, even if they are up against an unstoppable monster they can never hope to beat, they still have to try.

Because it's not about what they have to gain, it's what they can't afford to lose.

She thinks of the people she loves and who love her in return and just how much she doesn't want to lose any more.

She remembers just how powerful that love has made her.

And that's how Ruby finds her answer.

I'm not okay but...

"I will be."

It doesn't sound like the answer that Weiss was expecting because she looks ready to say something but whatever she sees in Ruby has her holding her tongue. But it does sound like an answer she approves of if her smug smile is any indication.

She croons, "I was right."

"About what?"

Weiss juts her chin out the way she does whenever she's proud of something.

"You, Ruby Rose, are strong."

Or rather someone in this case.

"Oh, wow." The out of nowhere praise throws her off balance.

When Weiss reaches out to tenderly wipe her face of tears, it's only then that she realizes that she's been crying all this time. Now that she has noticed, she sniffles a bit harder.

"Geez, you just want to rub it in that you were right again."

"Because I'm always right."

"Except those times you were wrong."

"We don't talk about those times."

Ruby laughs and lets Weiss win this debate. She thinks her partner needs a win more than her.

"If I'm strong then it's only because I have you guys to make me strong," She blurts out, surprising herself but she doesn't take back words she already believes in and her partner hums in agreement.

She tries to rub the rest of her tear stained face but it seems as though she wasn't doing a good job at it because Weiss eventually pulls out a handkerchief. With only mild complaining, she wipes her face. She then holds it over Ruby's nose and asks her to blow, which she obeys.

The gesture is so considerate, so gentle, so unexpected— another pleasant surprise.

Eventually, Ruby's tears subside and a peaceful lull follows after.

"How do you do that?"

"How do I do what?"

Weiss repeats herself, her voice becoming softer with every question, more sincere than simply curious.

"How do you that? How do you keep moving? How do you keep looking forward?"

How are you so strong?

"Because I have to."

Ruby lets that answer hang in the air they breathe.

"You know you don't have to do this alone, right?" Weiss asks her, watching her carefully for her answer.

"I know." She turns to her with a smile that's more genuine than her last one. The kind of smile that Weiss sometimes thinks only she receives. "That's why I have you, right?"

"Yes, you have me." Weiss nods, satisfied with her partner's answer.

"And Team RWBY?" She asks expectantly.

"And Team RWBY." Before Ruby could ask for anyone else, Weiss beats her to it. "And Team JNR, and Oscar, and Qrow, and even Maria. We're all here for you."

"And you!" Ruby happily declares.

"And me." Weiss answers with her own small yet genuine smile.

Those smiles have a tendency to happen more often around her dolt of a partner. Whether or not she'd admit to them is a separate matter. She sees Ruby's smile grow into a knowing grin and that's how she knows she's been caught.

It baffles her why this embarrasses her so but she refuses to continue under her partner's teasing scrutiny. That's why she has to steer her attention elsewhere.

She clears her throat. "You know, I've read this study that holding a warm mug imitates the same feelings of holding someone's hand."

"Is that why I always see you drinking coffee?" Ruby quips with a playful tone. "Aww, Weiss if you're lonely, you just have to say so."

"H-How dare you!" She sputters indignantly. "Just what do you think you're implying! For your information, I drink coffee because I actually enjoy the beverage!"

"It's okay, Weiss." She pats her thigh consolingly which only infuriates her partner further. "It'll be our little secret just between us partners."

"Don't patronize me!"

Ruby doesn't let Weiss' threats stop her. Instead she drinks in a few audible gulps of her not so hot anymore chocolate, then with her free hand, she takes her partner's hand with an all too happy grin.

"For the last time, I am not lonely!" Weiss squawks and tries to pull her hand away but Ruby's grip is stronger. So she settles to retaliate in shouts, "Let go of my hand this instant!"

"Nuh-uh." If she looks smug about her partner's futile attempts to slip away her hand, that's because she is. "Besides, whoever said I was holding your hand because you're lonely? Unless you are." She taunts her.

Weiss scoffs, refusing to lose. "Then why the sudden need for contact?"

"I ran out of cocoa," Ruby reasons with a teasing smile. She even shows her the empty cup just to prove her claim.

"How does that answer my question?" She rolls her eyes.

"Come on, Weiss. If you're not gonna say it then I won't say it either."

"Tragic. I suppose we'll just have to spend the rest of this conversation in silence."

She doesn't pull back anymore. She supposes that pulling her hand away now would be pointless anyways.

So it takes her by surprise when instead Ruby makes another move.

Specifically, she sets her own cup on the table and then proceeds to take away Weiss' cup of coffee to set it aside too.

"Hey! I haven't finished that yet!"

Weiss has more to say about that but Ruby hushes her with gentle arms wrapping around her.

"Sshhh, it's hugging time."

She settles her chin on top of Weiss' shoulder and hums happily. For the first time since yesterday's mess, Weiss feels her relax. She feels the burden resting on Ruby's shoulders, heavy and daunting, feels it as she sinks deeper into the embrace.

She lets her partner lean on her.

"For goodness sake, you're trying too hard." She scolds her in the way that only she could pull off, chiding yet caring at the same time. She returns the hug with a tender squeeze. "Don't overdo it, dolt."

"No promises!" Ruby laughs and it's contagious.

Maybe it's because they're both holding onto each other so when one shakes with joy, the other can't help but join after. Or maybe it's just the way laughter works. Either way, Ruby's joy is a gift shared between them.

"Besides, that's what I have you for! Right, partner?"

You'll always have me, Weiss almost says.

"Is that all you keep me around for?" She says instead with an eyebrow raised and her tone dripping with sarcasm. "And here I thought you tolerated me because we were friends."

"We are friends! The bestest! We're BFFs!" Ruby quickly reassures her with fervent nods that feels ticklish on Weiss.

"We're best partners." Weiss insists. She doesn't deny the claims on friendship, she doesn't need to nor does she want to.

"The bestest partners!" She nuzzles against her shoulder so affectionately that Weiss doesn't have it in her heart to correct her partner's grammar.

She has gotten soft, hasn't she? Ruby has this way of taking in the hard world and turning it into something softer. Weiss is no exception.

So rather than fixate on incorrect tenses, instead she focuses on what's truly important. Or rather, who's truly important.

She lays her head on top of Ruby's, maybe even placing a light kiss on the crown of her hair. She thinks she feels the light brushing of Ruby's own lips against her shoulder but it was so quick and light that she just might have imagined it. They both snuggle closer, not letting any warmth escape except for their content sighs.

Weiss feels grateful to have Ruby as her partner, her leader, her friend.

To have someone so strong right beside her, with her, she feels just a bit stronger— just a bit braver.

And for the times that Ruby isn't strong, Weiss will carry her on.

A/N: This has the same energy as Chapter 2 and was built up across all the chapters leading up to this. Felt like this was a good point to give Ruby the comfort she deserves and Weiss too! Personally, I consider this a soft breakdown for Ruby just in case she needs a major breakdown chapter in the future :)

I started this fic with the expectation that I'll just be writing 1K oneshots weekly but in reality the average wordcount is at 2K-3K. But this chapter? It's whopping 4K words! The longest so far! So I hope you enjoy the extra whiterose content!

My personal headcanon is that Ruby doesn't actually like coffee. But Weiss offered her coffee on that night she finally acknowledged Ruby as her leader and since then Weiss would sometimes make her coffee and Ruby was just too happy to tell Weiss that she'd rather prefer cocoa or milk. It just kind of stuck.

WHO ELSE SCREAMED WHEN THEY SAW THE HAPPY WIVES? IT'S A TRICK QUESTION. WE ALL SCREAMED! So in honor of that extra gay and wholesome episode (and also for the lack of whiterose content there), here's an extra gay and wholesome chapter.

Here are some interesting timestamps from the episode!

08:41- after Maria says "Well I'm nothing but a disappointment so you're well on your way", everyone looks sideways but in particular, it looks like Weiss is looking at Ruby. It could be concern over how much Qrow's spiral would affect Ruby. It could be a coincidence and just a generic side glance but eh, food for thought.

08:59- "...afraid someone would find me again. Finish what they started.", we see Weiss look at Ruby. Is she concerned for Ruby being hunted? Or does she relate with the feeling of fear of being found by the wrong people (case in point Jackass Schnee)?

10:18- if you watch Weiss closely on the uphill ride, she's smiling but once they actually see Argus, she's the only one who's not smiling on top of that hill. Well, Oscar looks more in awe not smiling but Weiss? She looks so concerned. She's already committed to coming with them but that doesn't mean she's happy about it. Please give this girl a hug.

It always feels good to write some comfort between these two partners. I hope you enjoyed reading this just as much as I enjoyed writing it! Let me know what you think! And see you next week too!