Edited by: Crescent Sunrise
May sits twirling her pencil idly in her history class. Her normal jacket now clean and hugging her frame comfortably. With its horizontal strips of white and red and its soft lining running along her arms. Its presence like a security blanket making her feel safe and certain of herself again facing the day with a smile. Thankfully her team grabbed a spot near the back of the room so she can watch the teacher and her crush without being obvious.
Speaking of her crush, a small fond smile plays over her lips as she watches Ruby's head loll back and forth slowly, coming dangerously close to hitting her head on the desk while simultaneously earning the ire of her partner. The white haired heiress practically shaking in her irritation, clearly torn between keeping up with her notes and berating the ebon haired girl next to her.
Team BRNZ has a system, like they do for most things. When it comes to taking notes for the day they rotate. So three people can focus on what's actually being said while the fourth focuses on the fine details. The group finding the practice easier than trying to do both at the same time and it's worked so far so why fix what isn't broken?
And currently her focus is centered on the usually energetic Ruby who finally lost the battle with lethargy, her head hitting the desk with a loud 'THWACK' only to shoot back in her chair and look around in stunned surprise. The teacher either having somehow not noticed or having willfully ignored the sudden interruption without the slightest break in his speech.
May doesn't know which would impress her more. To be so passionate about the subject you're teaching as to not notice something so distracting happening right in front of you. Or to be able to watch that happen without missing a beat in your presentation.
'It could just be that he's immune to it by now. Teaching warriors for years I'm sure she's not the first to be more interested in how to slay the Grimm than the history behind them.' May ponders before shrugging. She can see both sides, history is important in teaching lessons to those still living. But focusing too much on it can cause someone to lose sight of the present.
May turns her attention back to the teacher and her beau and struggles not to giggle as it seems Weiss has finally lost her cool and begins to chastise a crestfallen Ruby. The girls voice a kind of whispered shout that isn't heard from a distance but carries an effect as if she were outright screaming her frustration.
The sniper is suddenly even happier that she's far in the back. If she were closer she would be tempted to hug her crush until the girl smiled again. It's not like the pout was wrong. In fact it suited Ruby to a scary level. It was just adorable in a way that made May's heart clench and spasm. She briefly worries she's having a heart attack and the look isn't even directed at her.
May must never let the girl find out how strongly that pout affects her or all hope for the shy sniper will be lost.
It was during lunch May had her next up close encounter with Ruby and this time entirely unplanned by anyone. The sniper had sent her team on ahead passing up on lunch to get some maintenance done on Longshot before messaging the same to NDGO.
In the academy's weapon workshop she set down her rifle and began taking it apart slowly. Oh sure she could pull it apart and put it back together in under a minute with a blindfold on but there was something more personal about taking her time. Treating every part with special care as it's removed and set aside to be cleaned polished and put back on.
"Heya May!"
And just like that the spring used to extend her climbing axe fires off without the restraining bolt, launching the blade forward to embed itself in the wall as the sniper herself let's out a strangled sound and nearly drops her gun as her rear shoots a foot above her chair in surprise.
"Yikes! Are you okay?" That same bright and cheerful voice questions only now laced with clear concern.
Turning, May's visible eye takes in Ruby setting her Crescent Rose down on the bench next to her. Bright silver eyes worried as they look May over.
"Y-yes. I-I'm okay, y-you just s-startled me." May replies setting her rifle down on the table and tugging at her beanie before moving to pull the axe blade from the wall. It takes her planting a foot against the wall to get enough leverage to pull it out and return to her bench.
She glances over at the massive weapon Ruby is already cheerfully pulling apart. She pauses here and there slowly working the mecha-shift gears through their rotation before moving on to the next part.
"That looks really heavy." May comments softly to herself as she starts cleaning her parts slowly letting the task take over. She wasn't however expecting a response, she hadn't even expected to be heard. Instead she finds her muttered comment rewarded with a heavenly little laugh from the girl next to her. Not helpful to the shy sniper what with the fluttering it causes in her chest.
"A lot of people say that. But actually the gun is made as light as I could without suffering too much in durability. Most of the weight is in the blade and stock. The latter to counter-balance the former." Ruby comments with a small shy smile of her own. "Yang says it's like the ultimate fake out. Little girl looks super intimidating swinging around a weapon twice her size like it's nothing. I mean she's massive so she has to weigh a ton right? But that's where she fools you and—"
May blinks as she's suddenly bombarded with a combination of weapon specs mixed with anecdotes, issues Ruby had in designing the impressive weapon. Jokes her sister has made about it, jokes her uncle made about it, embarrassing moments from when she was getting used to it. Amongst other bits of information all coming at her so quickly the sniper has trouble retaining any of it in the verbal flood. Finally she closes her eyes and takes a deep breath ignoring the hammering of her heart she gently sets a hand on the smaller girls shoulder.
"R-ruby?"
"—and then I accidentally cut our drapes in half but, huh?" she pauses her rambling to look at May curiously.
"Y-you got off topic a l-little." May replies gently removing her hand, albeit reluctantly, a heavy blush settling on her face as she turns back to her own weapon. She watches as Ruby seems to realize she was rambling rather badly and immediately tries to clam up. A sight that brings a frown to our own shy markswoman. The look on Ruby's face it's anything like the pout from earlier. It's less cute and more genuinely morose. Unwilling to let it linger May tries again.
"S-so with it being that light and p-powerful, the r-recoil must be immense." She comments trying to gently draw the shorter girl out a little. And smiles to herself when she gets a response.
"Oh, yeah. Crescent Rose has a kick like a horse when the blade is extended. But I can mitigate it by anchoring the rifle with the blade if I need to." Ruby replies already looking more relaxed as she tries to ease into the conversation the flood of information can be seen in her posture as she shifts back and forth trying to contain herself.
"You s-sound like there are times you d-don't mitigate it?" May replies in a questioning tone, her rifles barrel in her hand as she wets a cloth with cleaning solution and uses a rod to grip the cloth and work it down the spiral.
"Oh, yeah well sometimes I use the recoil with my speed to go really, really fast. Or to get a boost when jumping. It's an awesome way to move around once you get used to it." Ruby replies her eyes shifting from her work to the taller girl next to her now and then before refocusing on her work to keep from getting caught staring.
"S-sounds like something that takes a l-lot of skill." May replies genuinely impressed as she starts cleaning the dust residue from the firing mechanism. She's been using cheap training rounds for the competition but even the low amount of Dust still builds up over time.
Ruby blushes again at the praise her hands moving behind her back as her upper body twists side to side. One foot weakly kicking at the ground as she replies. "Well it's not that impressive." Her voice is soft and her gaze refuses to fall on May landing all around her instead.
"I think it is. I've never met anyone else who could manage that." She replies carefully setting the blade in her stock and inserting the restraining bolt and drawing the axe fully back inside its sheath.
They fall into companionable silence after that both focusing more completely on their weapons and oblivious to the looks being shot back and forth by the other. May finishes piecing together her rifle and slings it over her shoulder she's about to leave when she pauses. A thought occurring to her that she never got around to asking.
"Hey Ruby?"
"Yeah May?"
"I like your cloak, you look good in it and it seems really warm. Would you happen to have a spare I could borrow or know where I could get one for myself in Vale?" May asks with a warm smile curious why Ruby draws her hood over her head. Concerned she upset the girl.
"I don't have a spare... But I'll keep an eye out in town for you." Ruby replies blushing from her roots to her neck and desperately hiding the fact under her hood before turning back to Crescent Rose. She doesn't initiate conversation any further as she seems to focus completely on her weapon.
"Oh, well thank you. I appreciate it. It's a lot cooler here than in Vacuo. I'm more used to the desert heat. Well, I'll let you get back to your weapon. Next class starts soon." May replies giving a wave before walking out of the workshop and leaning against the wall outside. Fighting the urge to smack her head against the wall.
'Stupid, stupid May. You said something that upset her... I wonder what it was.' She ponders helplessly before sighing despondently and heading towards her next class her head down and trying not to drag her feet.
~with Ruby~
'She's cute, I should have complimented her. But I've got the thing with Longshot I shouldn't start getting interested in someone else I said I would give them a shot. Besides I know Longshot is interested in me but I have no idea if May even likes girls. But what if she thought I was being rude by not saying anything nice after she complimented my cloak? And I'm so comfortable around her! She didn't even mind that I started to ramble a little and ugh! Stupid, stupid Ruby.' The little team leader groans smacking her head against the table a few times before sighing despondently and drawing her hood back. 'Don't be silly Ruby. Longshot is nice and sweet and makes the stomach flutters without standing next to you with a cute little smile.'
She nods to herself before putting her Crescent Rose back together shifting it through its forms before collapsing it down and placing it on her back. 'Still... I did say I would keep an eye out for a cloak for May. And we would be bad hosts if we didn't try to make our guests comfortable. I'm sure Longshot would understand.'
~with May~
She arrives in her Grimm Studies class feeling only slightly better than she did leaving the workshop. Only after realizing that she managed to relax enough around the bombastic ravenette to stop her stuttering for the last bit of the conversation. That helps her give a little cheer and while not able to keep her from worrying over having messed up somewhere it does keep the self-analysis from become debilitating.
"So, I heard from NDGO that you managed to talk to Little Red again in person for nearly the entire lunch period. I'm impressed. I was afraid we'd have to tie you up and leave you outside her dorm with a note pinned to you." Her partner jokes, sliding into the chair next to her with an easy smile. "We would have waited until after your little competition of course. Have to at least give you a chance to say it on your own." He adds.
Nolan Porfirio is not an idiot. That said no one had ever accused him of being a genius before either. Still, either through understanding, charisma, or stubbornness. Somehow he managed to get his shy partner to open up to him. At least a small amount. She still stutters at times but she doesn't shy away from him so in his mind it counts.
"A-are you seriously t-telling me three m-men might s-steal me from m-my bed, t-tie me up, and c-carry me off in the m-middle of the night? And y-you would be one of them? W-wow Nolan n-never took you f-for the type. Th-then again y-your weapon is a c-cattle prod." She teases back her eyes shooting from the desk in front of her to her partner and back again. Typical of the shy girl, unable to help the stuttering at all now she's flustered. Still little shots like that are something Nolan worked hard to get out of her.
"My Oum May, did you just make an inappropriate sex joke?!" Nolan asks complete with mock-gasp. Failing to hide his grin in the slightest. "Just wait until I tell Brawnz. But seriously, I'm proud of you partner. I know how hard it is for you to talk to people you know let alone a girl you barely know and have a crush on." He says wrapping her in a small one armed hug for a moment before letting her go. Grinning and proud of himself for the small happy smile on May's lips.
'Maybe the day won't go too badly after all.' She thinks giggling a little as a trail of rose petals fly into the room just before the bell rings and the class can start.
AN:
I would like to start out this note by saying. WOW, just... wow. When I started this story I expected flames, unhelpful reviews and that's even if anyone bothered to read my story given the unusual pairing. What ive gotten insstead is watching as with every chapter I put out the views go higher than each before it. Over 100 people following and nearly 60 favorites. in almost the two weeks since I started. Tuesday saw this story alone break over 1000 views. And while I know not everyone makes it past the first chapter the numbers dont diminish much in the following ones. What reviews and PMs I have gotten have been overwhelmingly positive and I'm actually very touched. So when I tell you all I love you, know it's not just me acting silly. I truely do appreciate every review, message, favorite, follow, or just taking the time to read what I've put together. It all encourages me to keep going.
Touchy feely moment out of the way we can talk about the chapter. i actually really like this one. I let May get out of her shell a little bit, I got to have the love birds interact. And I got to write more Ruby being adorable because I thrive on it. Don't expect a lot of Ruby POV. I will do it occasionally when I feel a need/motivation to do so. It fit here so it got put in. Yes it will happen at least once more I'm sure some of you will guess when.
Polls still up and it will remain that way until I feel i'm getting closer to the end of this story. There's another i mentioned last time but no one has voted there so I'm wondering if it's something on the site or if it only let's me do one at a time... Well unimportant, it will go up after the current one if that's the case.
Did I mention everything I wanted to? I... I think so? Well I'll bring it up next time if I missed something. just feels kind of important... OH okay I remember. See remember when I said this story might hit 20k? well... this chapter puts us past that. so... awesome. Part of me said "it's way WAY longer than I intended, cut the rest down and end it!" then I remembered. "People like this story idiot, and you enjoy writing it. who cares if it's longer just write until it's done and don't cut corners like an incompetant because it didn't go to plan and you're still getting ideas." I then realized second me was right so i'll just keep cruising like I have been until it's done. no more guesses as to it's overall ength. your guess is as good as mine at this point.
NOW reviewer responses! honorable mention to RatedRSupperstar chapter 6 was the only chapter he didn't manage to review for but I don't hold it against him since he's been on board from the start.
Imoshen: I can't believe I missed something... dammit this is why I don't undervalue beta readers. I can proofread my work a thousand times but it just doesn't always work the same as a fresh pair of eyes. still. I've seen some stories with beta's that still look like they could have used a spell checker so hey. For now, I'll take what i can get. which is me myself and i. I'm glad my May works for you! and While it's no falling petals there's nothing wrong with a good white rose either. You probably won't see me writing it anytime soon if ever but hey. It's a solid ship.
Samurai538: Yea Long Distance is an odd ship so far it seems but she's sea worthy! Since she's small though I'm wondering if I'm not losing potential readers due to it... meh, Our crew grows slowly but surely.
LordNodrogLock & SandyLS: glad to see you two are still kicking around and having fun!
Bolicher, Cinderburn,SanDemonMax, : Sorry to bunch you three up but I wanted to do the Yang commenting together. Looking back i'm not actually that impressed with my own Yang. something just struck me as off about it and I'm kicking myself now because Yang should have started the conversation red eyed and hot headed. It just would have been more believable to me. mostly due to how the mysterious "Longshot" seemed to be essentially stalking her sister with questionable intentions. Still, when I wrote the scene that's not what I saw so it's not what happened. And really? it's probably for the best the way it is.
CinderBurn: i could tell you how she'll react. but I don't give out spoilers :3 Well, that and i haven't written it yet so nothing is set in stone until it's posted. keep reading!
growlscout: now why does your name seem familiar? i've been trying to place where I've seen you before since you posted your review and it's driving me nuts. maybe from another review you posted elsewhere? Gah, no clue. Yea i was able to fit a good number of funny moments in last chapter, hopefully this one too. It is supposed to be romance and humor so I do try to keep to my themes. besides It's easy to write around team RWBY.
And that's all my wonderful readers. TLDR? Poll is up as to what comes after this story and I love you all a lot. See you next time!