Shame
…Why?
All I can ask.
Nobody replies.
Ruby opened her eyes again only to find herself back in bed, a smirking Yang by her side.
"Tried to warn you, sis." The girl blushed and buried herself in the doona.
"No, you didn't." Yang shrugged at the muffled words, still smiling.
"Would have. Course, you flashed out of here before I got a chance. And then showed Jaune and Pyrrha everything." Ruby groaned and squirmed deeper into her bed. "Not that it's much, mind. Pyrrha would see more than that in a mirror."
"YANG!" Ruby's face burned, and the laughter from the chair beside her bed wasn't exactly helpful.
"What, sis? So it's the first time a boy's seen your body. So what? I'm telling you, just a few more years, and I'm sure you'll be comfortable enough to do that for someone without being embarrassed." Yang kicked her feet up, and swung the chair back so the top rested against the wall behind her. A stupid, risky pose, but one that she found comfortable in.
"The first time I was with a boy…"
"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THIS!" Ruby grasped the pillow and yanked it down over her head. Yang's laughter slowly petered out. She looked at her sister's shape under the covers, and smiled faintly. Over the years, nothing had changed. Ruby was so strong in combat, and yet put her in an awkward situation and she'd always manage to embarrass herself.
"Is nof fair." Muffled talking from beneath the pillow caught Yang's attention. With a sharp grasp, she yanked the pillow from her sister.
"What's not fair, Ruby?" The girl's blush was just as bright as before, so she pulled her head under the covers. Then, it hit the blonde. Ruby wasn't normally quite this shy and easily embarrassed, so she set the bait.
"Cookie for your thoughts?" Instantly, the younger girl emerged from the sheets, although she kept the doona over her body for modesty. She was still blushing, but the sparkle was back in her eye.
"Cookie first?" Yang rolled her eyes.
"Cookie after you tell me what's gotten into you. Then I go bring you back some clothes, and cookies. Sound good?" Ruby nodded, although she pouted at the idea of waiting for cookies. She pulled the doona tighter around herself, and shifted her weight around uncomfortably. Finally, it blurted out in a pulse of nervous energy.
"I'mjealousofPyrrhabecauseshehasarelationshipwith JauneandI'mleftonmyownandI'mgoingtobealoneforever andnowhe'sseenmenakedit'sjustnotfairthatthey'reso cutetogethersowhymustthishappentome…"
"Breathe, Ruby, breathe." The blonde pursed her lips. She wasn't quite sure what else to say, really. Ruby was letting it out, but now that she had, how could they deal with this? Ruby gasped, her mouth almost wide enough for a packet of cookies, but she shut it pretty quickly and the last part of her tirade slipped out in a mumble.
"I'm just not meant to have relationships." For Yang, her closest family, it was a heartbreaking comment to face. Ruby had never looked so depressed, and it was getting to her. Finally, with a sigh, she swung forwards, letting the chair rest all four legs on the ground, then flopped onto the bed next to her sister, prompting a squeak from the smaller girl.
"Now, listen to me, Ruby…"
"Yang…" The blonde shushed her sister, and continued.
"I'm not one to talk, I'm in the same boat. The boys I've liked haven't been right for me. Like Noir, or Gavino. Not that I've met Gavino."
"Yang…"
"I promise you, we will both find wonderful boys, and have beautiful babies, and then take care of each other's kids when we're on missions. But, it's the middle of a war. So, put Jaune and Pyrrha out of your mind, and remember that."
"Yang… you're squishing me." With a giggle, the older girl swung herself off the bed. She grinned at her sister.
"Clothes and cookies, coming right up. And, I'll bring the milk. Even if it won't make your chest grow." Ruby's smile, even with the embarrassed look on her face, was just what the blonde needed to see.
"Thanks, Yang. For all of this." Yang just smiled and left Ruby to thinking in bed, pondering her sister's advice.
"So, that actually happened." Jaune ran his hands through his hair, his face clearly puzzled, as it had been for the past hour. Pyrrha sighed.
"Yes, Jaune. You got a naked visitor who passed out on the floor. Can we please stop going over this?" While patient, she didn't seem comfortable, and he blinked.
"Sorry. It's just, I never thought Ruby would do that. It seems, I don't know…"
"Impulsive?"
"…Not thought-out." Jaune sighed. " I don't even know why that happened, Pyrrha. What would possess Ruby to come see me, without checking what she was wearing?"
"Can we please stop talking about this?" She wrapped her left hand around his right through the railing. "You know I care about you, but this… I don't know what to say. It was clear she didn't realize, and she was worried about you." She squeezed his hand slightly, and he blushed.
"Yeah, I know. I'm lucky to have such good friends." Pyrrha laughed faintly, and leaned over to plant a kiss on his cheek.
"Ruby's probably devastated after that. I'll visit her a little later, see if we can come to an understanding." Jaune nodded. He shifted a little further to the right of the bed.
"It's probably more comfortable for you if there isn't a bar in the way." She smiled and let his hand go.
"I think you're right, Jaune." She reached to her sides, and released the straps on her leather breastplate, leaving her top-half clad in nothing more than a pale red strapless top, and clambered onto the bed to rest against him. As she let her head rest against his left shoulder, he smiled slightly.
"Y'know, I never thought I'd end up like this." Pyrrha smiled, but it was clear she wasn't going to play nice.
"In hospital with a bullet hole in your lung?" He snorted, although that was enough to make him wince in pain.
"No. Well, yes, I didn't expect that, but I meant I never thought I'd end up able to lie around with a beautiful girl at my side." Her laugh was all he needed to hear, and the burning sensation on his cheeks only got worse as she kissed him on the cheek.
"I never thought I'd find someone like you, either." Pyrrha grew closer, and gave Jaune a second kiss as she snuggled into him, this time on the lips. Their eyes slid shut, and then they were lost in each other's affection. For a moment that felt an eternity to the injured swordsman, they stayed that way, kissing on the hospital bed, not caring what the nurses would say.
"Who. Wants. PANCAKES!" The voice was almost singing with excitement, and was loud enough to make the couple jump. Jaune drew the pointy end of that issue, with Pyrrha's added weight stressing his injured flank, the air in his lungs bursting out in surprise.
"Nora!" Pyrrha found herself staring directly into the redhead's face, barely an inch away.
"You know, Nora, there is such a thing as an 'inside voice'." Like always, Ren wasn't too far behind the hyperactive grenadier, although this time he carried a pair of silver trays, each with a steaming hot stack of pancakes. Nora slid back far enough to slide the swinging table in front of the couple, and Ren sat one of the trays down in front of them. The stack of pancakes was surrounded by countless toppings, although the small bowl of purple sap had clearly already been attacked. Nora was already eyeing off the second tray in Ren's hands, even before he found a table to place it on.
"We thought that a meal as a team would be good, after all that's happened." Ren took his time in explaining as he kept Nora at bay with a single hand on her forehead. She struggled, strained, and even resorted to licking his palm, but Ren kept her back with ease.
"You're no fun today, Ren," she whined, but he simply snorted.
"We'll eat in a second, Nora." Pyrrha nodded, and reached for the small bowl of ice-cream sitting there. Within moments, the group was eating. Every now and then, Ren would glare at Nora as she demolished their stack of pancakes, as well as every topping the pair was sharing. Still, he wasn't bothered as he pulled a sandwich from a hidden pocket, clearly prepared for that. Jaune and Pyrrha took their time, with the couple savouring the treat, although both of them had to fend Nora off on a number of occasions. Finally, as the group slowed down their meal, and left Nora to polish off any scraps she saw fit, Pyrrha let it slip.
"Ruby came in here today." The moment the words left her mouth, her face was the same red as her top. Jaune stared at her, stunned. How the hell did that come out. Nora just looked at them, confused.
"How is she?" Ren prompted. From the look on his face, it was clear he was suspicious.
"She looked good." Jaune provided. Pyrrha immediately began to shake her head, and afraid he'd said the wrong thing, he continued. "Not a mark on her, I mean."
Obviously not the right thing to say. Pyrrha's face darkened even further, and it was clear that Jaune was embarrassed by the stupid comments he'd made, but it was too late now. The understanding light burst into Nora's eyes, as she went to the most outrageous theory first.
"Ruby was naked in here? How naked? Just "oh, I'm just wearing my underwear" naked, or "I forgot to wear pants" naked, or more?" Ren's head flew to face Nora, and Jaune was disturbed to see an almost excited look in the girl's eye. Instantly, Jaune began to cough and reach for a glass of water.
"I don't think she realized, Nora. She was wearing a dress, but you could see right through it." Pyrrha took over the explaining role, and Ren's eyes widened in an instant.
"You mean, Nora's right?" Jaune got his coughing under control, and nodded.
"I'm afraid so." Then, the giggling started. Nora couldn't hold back, and within a few moments, she was on her back, bursting with peals of high-pitched laughter.
"I can't…believe it," she wheezed. "Ruby Rose… the unintentional nudist." Ren shook his head.
"I can't believe it either." Ren scratched his head. "You're sure this wasn't planned?"
"You make Ruby sound like a seductress." Pyrrha snorted. "No, she fainted when she realized."
"Um, guys?" Jaune's voice was barely loud enough for them to hear, so they simply ignored it.
"How don't you notice that you're naked?" Pyrrha shot back with a retort of her own.
"She was unconscious for hours! She probably wasn't even aware of what was around her!"
"Guys?" Jaune finally managed to bring his voice to the fore. "Where's Nora gone?" Indeed, her laughter had faded during their exchange. The redhead was gone. And with it, the news that Ruby had been naked in Jaune's hospital room. With only limited context.
"Oh, no." Jaune moaned, and dropped his head into his hands. Now the entire school would know. What could possibly go wrong now?
A/N: Three days, three chapters. Hoo, boy, I'm on a roll! Anyway, if there's jokes you want me to try and fit, scenes that you want to see, hell, even OCs that you want me to try and work in, just let me know.
My first time successfully writing a cutsie-sisterly-feels-sorta-thing, and I'm pretty happy with it. Don't worry, though, the action isn't going to be away for too long. Let's just say there's going to be a change in pace. So, hope you've been enjoying the story so far, and here's hoping I can keep up the "one-chapter-per-day" momentum.