RWBY does not belong to me, but to Rooster Teeth. GrimGrave owns nothing.
Commissioned anonymously.
Love and a Dance
Chapter 1
To say that Neon had been more than a little disappointed in the way she and Flynt had lost in the Vytal Tournament was an understatement, however a brief one. The blonde brawler she had previously taunted turned out to be quite the fighter and, ever the party-girl, Neon saw an opportunity to invite her and her teammates out to party before the festival was over. While the blonde, Yang, had been hesitant, the Schnee girl less than thrilled, and the dark-haired one unenthusiastic about the prospect of a loud outing, Neon's eyes met silver ones and her attention shifted.
Black hair gradating to red at the tips. Fair complexion. Cute little nose and silver eyes so pristine you could just stare into them and get lost in their brilliance. A bit shorter than Neon, which only added to her cute-factor.
The girl was apparently the team leader – and a cutie, too! – so maybe if she could convince this seemingly social wallflower…
"C´mon, it'll be fun!" She exclaimed as she darted over to the silver-eyed girl and draped an arm over her shoulders, prompting a squeak out of her. Cute! "It'll be a great way to loosen up and we could get to know each other better! Like, Vale and Atlas coming together and setting aside their differences, that sort of stuff!"
"Uhm…" The girl turned to look at Yang who still appeared reluctant and her friends even more so.
"I guess it could be fun," Yang then finally said and cracked a smile. "Alright. Count me in."
"I've had enough excitement for one day, thank you," Weiss stated before coughing up a storm as she dusted herself off. "Count me out."
Blake shrugged. "I think I'll pass too, but thanks for the offer."
Yang shot her a pleading look. "Aw come on, Blake! For me?"
"…I'll think about it." It was funny how Blake was more easily convinced by Yang the more time passed.
"Yes! So, what do you say, Ruby?"
"Yeah, what do you say?" Neon added and the girl, Ruby, squirmed ever so slightly underneath her arm. Silver eyes blinked, shifting attention between the blonde and Neon.
"I, uhm… I don't think they'll let me in since I'm, you know, fifteen."
Neon quirked a single brow, expecting a punchline—
"Oh, right. Ah well, that's fine," said Yang. "Looks like it'll be Blake and I. Hope you don't mind, Neon."
She did mind – much to her own surprise – and while she had questions about why their team-leader was younger than the required age, she wasn't about to let that stop her from having a good time.
The festival wasn't going to end anytime soon. She still had time to get acquainted with Ruby soon enough. The girl was cute and Neon's interest had only been piqued further.
Cats and curiosity, something something. Who cares? It was totally worth it!
"I don't mind, it's fine! But you lot seem like a cool group and I'd love hang out with you more." She fished out her Scroll. "Wanna exchange numbers?"
o.o.o
While she had the whole of team RWBY in her contacts, the only ones she kept messaging was Yang (who was really fun to hang out with when she wasn't so angry) and Ruby who had gotten over her initial shyness with Neon as a stranger and was a lot more friendly and peppy! Gradually, Ruby began to message her more frequently than Neon did her, elated to have made a new friend.
Neon giggled to herself as her Scroll alerted her of another message, no doubt from Ruby.
-Rose-Girl: Hi! How's it going?
Neon smiled and typed back.
-Doing alright; just cruising around. Got ditched by the boys so I'm booored!
Which was a half-truth; her teammates had indeed left her, but only at her request (read: demand). She wanted to be available as much as possible and the boys would only get in the way if they stuck around.
Her Scroll pinged again within seconds and her smile broadened.
-Rose-Girl: Aw. I know what that's like. Wanna hang out? I could show you around the City of Vale if you want to!
Her smile became a grin. Perfect.
-I'd LOVE to! I'm near the plaza actually~ :3 Ready when you are!
And sent. The message was read within a moment, but no indication of a reply came so Neon simply waited. She thought of texting Yang as well – could be fun, for sure – but the pang of reluctance was enough to still her hand completely. Maybe she could invite the blonde another time – maybe to a club? She'd love to get acquainted with the night clubs and discos of Vale and see how different they were from Atlas.
It was a shame Ruby couldn't join them though… Neon would have loved to take her out to the dancefloor. The young team-leader probably couldn't dance anyway, but half the enjoyment was to not care about such things and just have fun and cut loose.
…Maybe she could teach her—
A gust of rose petals blew by her, startling her, as the silver-eyed girl appeared almost out of thin air with the biggest grin on her face. "Hiya! I'm here now!"
"Y-Yeah I noticed!" Neon laughed. "Wow, that's a cool Semblance you've got! You got here in like no time."
"I wasn't that far away, but yep!" Ruby said, looking mighty proud of herself. "So, where would you like to go? Have you eaten yet?"
And right on cue Neon's stomach growled just loud enough to make it clear she hadn't, and Neon flashed Ruby a sheepish grin. "Ahaha…You know what, I kinda forgot about it as I wandered around. Whoops!"
Ruby giggled. It was an adorable sound. "That won't do! I know a good place not far from here if you're interested."
Neon's tail flicked on its own volition at the mention. "Count me in, Rose~"
Ruby made a sound and averted her face entirely. "Stop…You can just call me Ruby."
Cute.
"Alright, if you insist. Lead the way!" She told her and promptly followed. Neon circled Ruby on her roller blades while they chatted along the way, but her mind went on a different track.
They were alone. Ruby was picking out a place for them to each lunch together. Just the two of them.
Wasn't this like…a date? It kinda was, right? Her heart skipped a curious beat. She didn't oppose the idea; in fact, she enjoyed the possibility of a real one with Ruby.
…And she was rather cute – like, really cute. Sure she was younger, but the difference wasn't that great and there was no real rush either way unlike with speed-dating. Two years were enough time to build a friendship and if Ruby happened to fall for her during that time then all was well!
With this in mind for the future, Neon's approach to Ruby shifted.
"So, Ruby, you gotta tell me; how did you become team-leader at your age? Actually, how did you even get accepted into Beacon in the first place? That's like so cool!" She asked, genuinely curious while it served as a great conversation starter in Neon's mind. From there they could hop into any other topic while she learned more about her.
Ruby smiled sheepishly and instantly averted her gaze to the ground. "I, uhm, it's a…well it's not a long story actually…or complicated…ah…" Brothers above, she was just adorable as she fidgeted and blushed while she explained! "I was in this Dust shop one evening and it, uh, happened to get robbed…so I stopped most of the thieves and one of the professors from Beacon saw it. One thing kinda led to another and I was brought to the headmaster…So he let me join. That's the gist of it."
Neon gawked at her, expecting it to be a joke or something else, but when Ruby simply glanced back at her the Faunus realized she was serious. "Wow. Just like that, huh? Talk about being at the right place at the right time! Lucky you!"
Ruby's blush spread. "Y-Yeah I guess, haha…"
Too cute!
"I bet you looked really cool stopping those thieves too~" she teased and the reaction was adorable. Perhaps Ruby wasn't used to praise and flattery like this.
All the more reason to continue!
"Gah…Stop it…" Brothers, Ruby was way too cute!
"But I'm like, totally serious! With your Semblance you must've like dashed around, giving them the slip while you totally thrash them!"
Ruby fidgeted. Her smile was shy and humble. "W-Well they weren't that tough…It was more about the fact that I stopped most of them instead of how I think…"
"Hey it caught the attention of that professor and the headmaster didn't it? They saw the potential – don't look a gift horse in the mouth and all that. If the headmaster allowed you to enrol two years earlier then he must have thought combat school wouldn't do you any good than it already had, right? As I see it, you're stronger than you give yourself credit for," Neon told her. It was only logical that was the case, at least in her mind, and she called it as she saw it.
And seeing Ruby flustered and practically beaming in response made Neon feel better about her honesty. Not to mention that the girl truly was a cutie when she was smiling.
`How am I already so smitten with her?´
It honestly was curious, but Neon was not about to question it. She simply did not have rush anything and see where this friendship would take them.
Although she certainly did hope, if only a little, that their friendship would deepen and grow into something more down the line.
The neat little place Ruby had led them to was called `The Bread Basket´ and it was the cosiest, humblest café Neon had ever visited; everything in Atlas had a flair of nobility and posh air to it (specifically in the City of Atlas) to the point that even commoners could live out like they were in the upper echelons of society. The difference was like night and day, but the atmosphere made you feel like you were right at home.
A welcome change to Neon's surprise.
Living up to its name, the wide selection of bread, pastries, and cookies was impressively insane – or perhaps insanely impressive – but it showed that the establishment was dedicated to their craft. Neon scanned the display section and then the chalkboard menu for drinks, fully engrossed that she barely noticed Ruby calling out to her until a small hand gently tapped her shoulder.
"Looks good, right?" Ruby inquired and giggled. "I think I've sampled nearly everything in this place and I can definitely vouch for how amazing their food is!"
Neon snickered. "Everything huh?"
"Well…" The younger girl grimaced. "Maybe not the coffee. Or the tea. I drink milk!"
"Hahaha! Yeah, considering how you're still growing you'll need every bit of help you can get!"
Ruby's punch was light as it connected against Neon's arm. "Hey!"
"Ahahaha! Sorry, sorry, I'm just kidding!" She reassured and patted Ruby's back. "I'll go in blind on the drinks then. What would you recommend from the sandwiches?"
"Oh, uhm…That depends, do you have any particular likes or dislikes I should know of?"
Neon grinned. "I love fish."
"They definitely have that! I brought Blake here once and she seemed really fond of the cod fish sandwich—"
Her tail flicked and her eyes widened like saucers. "I'll have that one, for sure!"
After they had ordered they picked a table which Neon noticed was by one of the wide windows, in a more private corner of the café.
If this had been a date it would have been exactly the type of spot Neon would have picked and her heart did that curious little flip again.
Small-talk clearly was not Ruby's forte when it came to most topics, but eventually Neon discovered they had a few similar interests: their appreciation for sweets and combat-skirts, the desire to do good, but most importantly—
"So, like, how fast can you go with your Semblance?"
Their love for speed.
Ruby's brow furrowed as she mulled it over whilst chewing her food. Her eyebrows knitted together in her contemplation as she genuinely tried to answer that question until she simply shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. Dad and Yang have both told me they sometimes don't even notice when I dart past them, so… Really fast, I guess."
"Whoa…Really? I'd love to see it myself, but I guess I couldn't! I'm all about speed myself you know."
"Oh I know you are, I remember the battle with Yang," Ruby commented and giggled, and Neon soon joined in. Though she may have lost, it had been fun! "But you know, you could always experience how fast I go."
Neon stopped mid-bite, a single brow raised puzzlingly. "Huh?"
"It's a bit difficult, but I can sort of carry another person with me when I use my Semblance. I don't know how to explain it, but yeah."
Speeding through town with Ruby, with the girl likely having to hug or otherwise hold her close? The prospect was surprisingly (if not alarmingly) tantalizing and Neon's heart nearly jumped out of her throat as she instantly replied, "HECK YEAH I want to try it!"
"O-Oh, uhm, o-okay! Let's do it after we're done here; depending on where we're going next, we might need to anyway, hehe."
"Now you've got me all giddy!" Neon exclaimed and giggled. She took a big bite out of her delicious sandwich. "Can't wait!"
"So what about you?"
"Hm?"
"Your Semblance makes you fast too, right?"
Neon grinned bashfully. "Like, yeah! But I doubt it's anywhere near as fast as yours! But it's quick enough to give Grimm and Huntsmen the slip, but…"
Ruby cocked her head, puzzled. "But what?"
"Well…" Neon shook her head. "You saw the match; if the terrain is, shall we say, `unfavourable´ then I can't really cruise around however I want. I'm honestly thinking of tinkering with my roller-blades if I can get access to some of the academy's better tech you know."
The sugary treat near Ruby's mouth fell back down onto her plate. Her silvery eyes widened and her pupils dilated, and it was as if she was having a—
Actually, Neon didn't want to imagine that about someone who was too young. Still, the girl looked overjoyed.
"You're into tinkering?!" She then exclaimed, palms firmly planted on the edge of the table as she rose up and leaned forward. "For real?"
"Uhm, well, yeah. Duh?" Neon, taken aback, stifled the sudden urge to simultaneously giggle. "Aren't like most students into it?"
"I mean, not really. Some students don't have that complex weapons or equipment and others aren't into engineering beyond their weapons." She shrugged it off with a soft laugh. "You'd be surprised how many students give me weird looks when I go above and beyond tinkering with Crescent Rose."
"That's a cool name for a weapon," Neon commented and earned a bright smile. "That's kinda odd though. We're all about that in Atlas, but I guess it's mandatory since most students are more-or-less forced into the army upon graduation, so you're expected to have decent knowledge about that sort of stuff at least…"
"What? So you don't get to freelance?"
"You get the choice, of course," Neon corrected. "But with each graduation you're likely to see at least, like, fifty percent being enlisted into the army one way or another. You have to have a pretty good reason as to why you shouldn't join. General Ironwood is pretty firm on that matter."
Ruby shot her a certain look. "…A good reason other than the freedom to choose not to?"
"Haha! Well, sometimes it's not that simple from what I've heard."
"But what do you want to do then?"
Neon ceased mid-bite of her sandwich and pondered briefly. "I want to freelance, of course. But I'm mentally prepared for the army if General Ironwood really insists, you know."
"Oh…"
Why did the sniper look so disappointed all of a sudden? Either way, it didn't sit well with Neon.
"Ah, but hey, let's go back to the topic of tinkering! What do you think would help with my roller blades' mobility and terrain adaption? I'm thinking Gravity Dust so I basically just hover above the ground, but that also sounds like an accident waiting to happen, what with Dust crystals and all."
Ruby's smile returned as she immediately became engrossed with the topic. "Oh! Oh! You know, I think that could work if you—"
She leaned back, arm hanging off the back of the chair, partially listening to Ruby's litany of suggestions regarding equipment and engineering. For the remainder of the lunch Neon simply sat there and watched as the younger girl enthusiastically listed designs and ideas as her face lit up and her eyes widened and brimmed with interest, whilst ignoring the fluttering beat of her heart beneath her breast.
The food, excellent as it was, would not be the reason Neon would remember this place in the future.
Once they had finished eating Neon insisted that they go shopping. And true to her word – to the Faunus' great joy – she used her Semblance to carry them both over to the appropriate district of the City of Vale.
If anyone had asked Neon about the experience she wouldn't be able to explain; she had practically flown across a large portion of the city in less than a minute as if she had been weightless. She hadn't been able to move at all; it was as if she had become one with Ruby for that brief moment, seen the world through her eyes, and soared.
And the rush…Neon's heart was hammering with adrenaline! It was nothing compared to how fast she could skate around and that was pretty damn fast!
"Oh wow…whoa…" She braced herself against a wall. "You weren't kidding about how fast you could go. Where even are we?"
The sniper cracked a silly smile. "Hehe! Told you! We're in the shopping district, which is way too aptly named if you ask me. What were you looking for exactly?"
"I was hoping to find some new clothes for the prom," Neon casually replied. "I kinda forgot to pack something appropriate so I need buy like a dress or something."
"Oh…the prom." Ruby's expression soured a bit as she sighed. "I'm not looking forward to that."
"What? Why not? I know they had to postpone it a bit, but isn't that like THE other highlight of the festival?"
Ruby then shrugged her shoulders. "I hate the lady-stilts they call shoes and I can't dance. I don't have anyone to go with either. Blake is going with Yang, Weiss wants to take the opportunity to mingle with basically everyone but me, and everyone else already have dates as well."
Dates, huh.
"I know a trick to help you with those heels," Neon blurted out without thinking. "I could teach you how to dance, too. Nothing fancy or anything…" Then her brain began to suggest ideas – ideas that Neon liked a lot. "And…if I'm going to teach you, we could go together. If you want." She rubbed her neck, her giddiness bubbling just beneath the surface as she fought to keep it in check. "…Do you want go to the dance with me, Ruby?"
The sniper's eyes, wide and shimmering in the sunlight, were hyper-focused on her. Fair cheeks slowly gradated to a scarlet hue and the corner of her lips gradually curved upwards.
"I, uhm…wow, I didn't think…O-okay! I mean, sure! I guess I could try to learn how to dance a little…A-and I would love to go with you, Neon!"
"Really?! That's, like, super cool! I mean, uh, great! So, uhm…clothes?"
"Hehe. Yeah. Clothes. Right."
The boutique they visited was one Ruby had heard about from Coco; trendy, stylish, and decently fair prices (though that didn't say much) with an absurdly wide range of items that ensured no customer would leave dissatisfied.
Weiss had been gracious enough to lend Ruby a pair of shoes for the occasion so all that was left was a dress. Neon learned that Ruby was a bit of a seamstress although it was mostly so she could mend her outfits if needed, but it was an interesting fact nonetheless.
The wide selection of dresses had lured over more than a few students now that the ball was just around the corner – an event that usually took place before the tournament, but had been postponed this time around and would now serve as a mid-point break from the fighting – and despite the crowd, Ruby had managed to find, in Neon's opinion, a beautiful deep crimson dress, short and sleeveless with a black trimmed bottom.
"Ugh…I guess this will do."
A sentiment not shared by Ruby apparently.
Neon snickered. "I think it's pretty cute though. It matches your usual colours." She caught Ruby's gaze and a small grin curved her lips. "Maybe I could get something that matches this one."
The sniper's face flushed red as she averted her gaze. "I…guess I'll stick with this one then. It is kind of cute and I like the frills."
"There you go!" Neon exclaimed, her heart fluttering curiously. She was getting more involved in this than she had meant to, but she couldn't seem to help herself.
The dress Neon had picked out for herself had more hints of pink amidst the gorgeous red, but other than that it was a fair match to Ruby's in her opinion with the younger girl having even pointed that out to Neon's joy. They browsed the boutique a while longer, taking advantage of the vast selection it had to offer.
"I could go with some more underwear while I'm here…" Neon thought out loud as she scanned the room.
"Forgot to pack extra?" Ruby asked.
"Pretty much, yeah. Got basically everything else but that." She glanced around some more, her brow furrowing. "Do they have a unisex area by any chance…?"
Ruby cocked her head to side, her expression puzzled. "Unisex?"
"Ah, uh…Yeah." Neo rubbed her neck and began worrying her bottom-lip. "They're more comfortable and better suited to my needs." When the sniper still looked confused the Faunus shrugged her shoulders. "I was born a bit differently, to keep it simple enough."
At first it seemed like she would have to elaborate further until it finally dawned on Ruby and she slowly nodded. "Oooh. I get it. You're like the third person I've met so far who has, uh, you know—"
"Extra equipment," Neon finished and laughed. "I mean I still consider myself a girl. I go with she/her pronouns and I like to think I'm feminine enough. It's just that I've got this down there. I am who I am and I don't care too much about labels, but…" She began to fidget. "…Does it freak you out?"
"What? No! No of course not!" Ruby protested. "I was raised to be an open-minded person you know. I mean, one of my teammates is just like you."
"Huh." Neon, while relieved to hear Ruby didn't mind, began wracking her brain out of sheer curiosity. It couldn't be her sister…was it the heiress? Or maybe the dark-haired one, Blake? "Well, that's good to hear. You'd be surprised at how quickly some people turn on you when they find out."
"Good thing I'm not like those people," Ruby exclaimed with a brilliant smile. "Oh! We could ask the clerk about the unisex underwear."
"That'd be easier than just looking around I guess," Neon replied. As Ruby jogged on over to the nearest unoccupied clerk, the Faunus ran a hand through her hair and sighed, a smile on her lips.
Regardless of what might happen between them down the road, Neon was glad to know that Ruby accepted her for who she was.
It was finally the night for the big ball and with it came the bustling myriad of students eager to dance with their dates, drink mediocre punch, or perhaps hoping to get lucky by the end of the night. It was a welcome change in the schedule where students could unwind before continuing on with the tournament the next day.
Neon's heart was drumming against her ribcage as she escorted Ruby, arms linked, inside the hall. People were already dancing and others were socializing with drinks in their hands, but all she could think about was the dance itself and it made her cheeks flush.
While Neon was more than happy with her choice of dress (with proper adjustments for her tail) Ruby looked absolutely cute in hers! The sniper had added black stockings and a black sash, and the black pumps did fit her in the Faunus' opinion, even if Ruby wasn't having it. Her hair was a in a small ponytail and she clearly had had help with the faintest of makeup she wore – not too much and suitably classy – which only made Ruby cuter in Neon's eyes.
Speaking of the younger girl, poor Ruby clearly wasn't used to heels; the sniper walked slowly and gingerly on wobbly legs, which only had her clinging onto Neon's arm even more. Not that Neon minded it.
"Ugh, I'm not gonna make it, Neon…These lady-stilts are killing me!"
"You can do it, Ruby! Just let me lead and you'll be just fine."
Silver eyes glanced up at her. "You think so?"
"Like, totally! Oh, you hear that? They changed the song!"
"Okay…?"
"Nice and slow; it's perfect." Neon grinned from ear to ear. "Let's get started!"
"W-wait, Neon! I don't think I'm mentally prepa—" Ruby began to protest, but the Faunus was already dragging her out to the dancefloor and pulled her in close. "Oh."
"I told you, just follow my lead. This is way calmer than what I'm used to, but I know the steps."
"O-Okay…"
Neon, true to her word, did lead Ruby through each step while struggling not to smile too hard; the sniper was close and her skin was warm to the touch. Her heart was fluttering again and she could feel her cheeks flush warmer the longer they slow-danced.
"See? You're already getting the hang of it," Neon told her.
"Just barely," Ruby replied and laughed nervously. "I don't trust these shoes at all. I think Weiss chose them just to mess with me."
"All the more reason to, like, prove her wrong then."
Ruby giggled. "Yeah, you're right! Okay, so left foot…?"
"Left foot over like this."
"Okay, like so—Ah!"
"Whoops, careful now!" Neon braced as Ruby stumbled into her, and her heart reacted accordingly to the sudden closeness. "Perhaps we should just stick to slow dances for the rest of the evening. You okay?"
"I'm okay, but this just proves my point that Weiss wanted to mess with me!" Ruby declared, but laughed it off. "Sorry."
"Nah it's okay. We could take a break and get some punch or something." She paused for a second. "Hey, Ruby?"
"Hm?"
"Next year the Vytal Festival is in Atlas and…well, even it wasn't, really, would you like to go to the dance with me again? And, uh…" Why was her heartbeat accelerating all of a sudden? "If we ever get any breaks from the academies, would you like to hang out? I know travelling isn't super cheap, but—"
"Y-Yes! Yes absolutely!" Ruby blurted out, her silver eyes wide and shimmering. "I'd like that, Neon!"
Neon's heart nearly leapt out of her throat. "G-great! It's a date then!"
"Yeah…" Ruby's cheeks began to match her name. "It is."
As they slow-danced for majority of the evening with the occasional refreshment, Neon was sure of only one thing as she tried to still her wildly beating heart.
This was a night to remember, but she had yet to realize where it would lead her and Ruby.
A month passed. Between classes and supervised missions there wasn't enough time to catch up with team RWBY – Ruby Rose in particular – and Neon was surprised how mopey she got when she wasn't able to properly chat with her. There was something about that silver-eyed girl that clicked with her and Neon didn't want their friendship to be a fleeting thing where they ended up going separate ways just as quickly as they had met.
Was that selfish of her? She liked to think it wasn't, but perhaps it depended on who you asked. Outside perspective and all that.
More often than not she checked her Scroll for any possible missed messages, but it was evident that Ruby was just as preoccupied given the long lapses between replies; it ranged from hours to even days or a full week. On a good day it was a matter of minutes, which understandably usually happened around weekends.
"Damn Neon, you've got your eyes glued to your Scroll a lot these days," Flynt remarked and startled her as he entered their room. "What got you so hooked?"
"Like, totally none of your business, Flynt!" She snapped back a bit too harshly, but the bottled up frustration demanded to vent out. Neon shook her head. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."
He shrugged his shoulders, undaunted. "Nah, it's cool. I was just curious since you've been staring at it a whole lot more since we left Vale."
So it was that noticeable. Subtlety had never been Neon's forte after all.
With a heavy sigh she left the device on her bed (top bunk for the win!) and jumped down. Hunger kicked in right as she landed and with a flick of her ankle she slowly rolled towards the door with a destination in mind—
`Pling´
Neon's tail tensed and curled as she perfectly spun 180 degrees and made it back to her bed. She pounced at her Scroll, eyes wide and heart hammering.
Rose-Girl: Hiii Neon! So sorry for not texting you back until now; we ended up staying a bit longer in Mountain Glen and Professor Oobleck didn't let us check our Scrolls unless there was an emergency. Hope you're doing OK!
"Wow. I didn't know it was possible for you to do that."
Neon blinked and glanced back at her teammate over her shoulder. "Huh? To do what?"
Flynt quirked a single brow, nonplussed. "You pretty much purred real loud just now, girl. Everything alright?"
Had she? Neon wasn't aware that she could do that either and heat flushed her face rather quickly as she dwelled on it. Of all people to point it out…
Another chime brought Neon's attention back to her Scroll and her worries immediately washed away as she smiled a broad smile and typed away.
x.x.x
Another month rolled by in a mild hurry. Texting with Ruby became a lot more frequent and whenever time allowed them to, the two chatted away in lengthy conversations about everything and nothing.
"And how did the mission in Mountain Glenn go?"
"Oh it went really well! I mean, sure we had a professor with us and there were a lot more Grimm present than we anticipated, but this was our second time visiting that place so we already knew it inside and out. It made things easier for tracking and when we set up camp."
"Cooool!" Neon grinned at the girl on the other side of the screen. "We had something like that too; we were assigned to go with one of the Ace Ops – oh they're like, the elite of the elite here in Atlas – to one of the abandoned Dust mines northwest of the city. It was tough, but nothing we couldn't handle!"
Ruby's eyes widened in awe. It made Neon's pride swell a little. "I would've loved to see that! Did you fight any exotic Grimm?"
"Mhm! One of those Geist-types that possesses inanimate objects to make itself stronger. You ever seen one of those? It's pretty intense, but as long as you keep moving they won't catch you; which shouldn't be a problem for you and your Semblance I reckon~"
"Ehehe! I guess I would have an easier time with it."
"I bet you would!"
"Oh stop it…"
Brothers above, Neon would never get tired of seeing that bashful look on Ruby's face.
She was now sure of one thing; she was crushing on this girl harder than she ever could've realized.
And as the months ticked away it became all the more clearer. But the question that lingered in the back of Neon's mind was just as clear; did Ruby feel the same?
It was insane how fast the past couple of years had gone by; it was already Neon's third year in the Academy and the year of the 42nd Vytal Festival! The City of Atlas was bustling with civilians, tourists, and students from every academy all mingling about as preparations were about to wrap up, but Neon zoomed right past everyone and everything the moment the last class had ended.
It was a good thing she had cat-like reflexes or else her current tunnel-vision would have been the cause of many a people being knocked over or workers getting injured as Neon zipped by, but she couldn't help it! Ruby and the others were here and would be staying for the whole Vytal Festival, way longer than a quick trip for either Neon or Ruby.
It was going to be so much fun and Neon couldn't decide what she wanted to do first; take Ruby to a dance club now that she was older, or perhaps they could go shopping again!
She zig-zagged through the crowds into the plaza where Ruby had said she and her team were currently at, having taken the opportunity to go sightseeing while Neon had attended the last class while the festival was going on. She quickly scoured the crowds and circled around for good measure in the hopes of spotting the black-and-red haired girl (or any of her teammates like her blonde sister for that matter) until she caught glimpse of the unmistakeable team right outside a fancy café.
With a flawless breakneck turn she rolled straight forward towards Ruby and her team with the biggest grin she had had in a long time, her heart soaring. "RUUUUUBYYYY!"
The sniper whirled and her expression brightened as she met Neon's eyes. "Neon! Hey!"
She came to a sudden halt right in front of Ruby and her team, her adrenaline pumping strongly and pounding in her ears. "Heya everyone!"
"Now that's an entrance," Yang commented with a chuckle.
Neon grinned playfully. "Well, I wanted to meet you as soon as I could! I want to give you all the grand tour of the city of Atlas—"
"Actually," Blake interrupted. "Weiss has already planned to do that.
"Oh." What else could she say? "I see."
"You could tag along you know," Weiss then offered. "Or, if you want to, Ruby, maybe you two could hang out while I give these two lovebirds a tour around the city."
The Faunus blinked and eyes Blake and Yang for a second. It was true that they seemed a bit closer than last time she had met them in Vale—
The blonde scoffed. "Wow, Weiss. That's harsh."
"Hey! I was just suggesting that these two might want do other things than just-!"
"It's okay, Yang, Weiss. I was kinda hoping I could hang out with Neon for a while, catch up a bit. I'll see you all later at the hotel anyway," Ruby calmly stated. She turned to Neon. "If you don't mind…?"
The Faunus nearly jumped. "N-No! No not at all, I'd love to!"
"Then it's settled," Yang commented and grinned at her sister. "Don't forget about dinner later, Ruby!"
"Ugh I won't, Yang!"
"Funny, I remember how you complained that I ditched you to hang out with friends back at Beacon and now you're—"
"I'll see you later, Yang!" Ruby practically shouted, half-serious and half-jokingly. "Let's go, Neon!"
The Faunus could barely mask her joy as she rounded on her heel and followed Ruby away from her chuckling teammates. "So, what do you want to do first?"
"Well, uhm…I found out my last dress didn't really fit so…maybe shopping?"
Neon beamed, her heart soaring. "Can do!"
x.x.x
Between the tournament battles Neon and Ruby had managed to properly catch up now that they had more time together. They had visited a club on Neon's insistence and exchanged/compared stories about various missions, with the Faunus ultimately giving Ruby a proper tour of the city and all that it had to offer. The younger girl had been in awe of the technological marvel that was the city, but in the end she preferred Vale's aesthetics and warmth.
The night of the ball was like déjà vu; Neon and Ruby's arms were linked as they stepped into the grand hall, but this time Ruby wasn't clinging onto her because of the shoes – if anything the sniper seemed to have grown used to them – and simply appeared to enjoy being escorted. Her dress had the same colour scheme, but it was longer and a bit more mature than the last one, but that wasn't all that had changed.
Ruby herself had certainly grown and while the two of them had managed to meet up every now and then, each time they had met Ruby had changed a little bit more. She had applied a discreet layer of makeup and her hair was a bit more stylish than normally. It was difficult for Neon to take her eyes off of her and so was the case for a handful of other students apparently.
"Allow me to lead," Neon said with a bow as she led Ruby to the dancefloor.
"It's so weird hearing you be so formal," Ruby giggled.
Neon snickered. "I know, right? Still, leave it to me."
"Gladly!"
As Neon began to lead she noticed that Ruby had no problem following along; it wasn't even a slow song yet the sniper had no problems keeping up.
"Your dancing has improved."
"Glad you noticed! I wanted to make up for the awkwardness last time."
"Hey you did pretty well that time!"
"Aw…Thanks. I just followed your lead though."
Neon softly chuckled. "Well you're doing great now, bottom-line."
"Hehe. Thanks."
How long had they danced now? The music had changed and with it, the dancing itself, and soon the distance between them had closed drastically. The light was dim and the way the light shined on Ruby right now, in this very moment, had Neon's breath hitched in her throat.
She had suspected it for a long time and while she had come to terms with it, Neon wasn't about how Ruby felt about her – about them. Potentially. She dying to ask, but what the feelings weren't reciprocated? If Ruby didn't mind it they could remain friends and that was better than nothing.
But if it scared Ruby off—
"You look so pretty tonight, Neon."
She snapped out of her train of thoughts. "Huh?"
"Heh. Sorry, was that weird of me to say? It just felt fitting to say at the moment…"
Her heart drummed beneath her breast. "I don't mind. You're really pretty too, Ruby."
The younger girl averted her gaze and shyly smiled. "Th-Thanks…"
Had that been a hint? Or her cue? Was she reading too much into it? Girls complimented each other all the time; it was what separated them from guys.
So maybe…
"Hey, uhm…Ruby?"
"Yeah?"
"…I really enjoy our friendship."
Ruby smiled. "Me too, Neon."
Come on, Neon!
"And uhm…Like, would you…" She took a deep breath. "I like you. Like, a lot. I've been thinking about this a lot recently and I…if I were to, say, ask you out or something…how would you feel about that?"
Yeah, real effing smooth.
Ruby's silvery eyes widened and her lips parted with a barely audible gasp. She stopped mid-dance and Neon's heart sank—
"It's funny…I wanted to ask you the same thing."
Neon's tail flicked. "Y-yeah?"
"Mhm."
"So." Neon leaned closer. "If I were to, say, kiss you right now…would you be okay with that?"
"Before the first date?" Ruby coyly smiled then giggled. "No, I don't mind."
Neon chuckled, her blood pumping quickly, and softly pressed her lips against Ruby's.
Sparks jolted through them. She could feel Ruby's heartbeat against her.
The kiss was tender, but clumsy. It was a torrent of warmth that urged them to keep going.
The music changed again to something slower and the light dimmed further.
They parted, their tongues having barely gotten involved, and looked at each other. Their gazes kept darting down to their lips.
It had been their first kiss, but before the night was over it was far from their last.
-Ruby-Sweetie: I'm landing soon. As soon as I can get my bag then I'm coming straight for you!
Neon's heart fluttered and swelled beneath her breast.
-I can't wait! You sure you can't just burst out of the window and head straight to me instead?
Ruby only replied with a laughing emoji and Neon rolled her eyes with what probably was a poorly hidden grin. The anticipation was killing her, but she had already waited months for this moment. What harm would a few more minutes do?
…That being said, Time seemed to slow down to a struggling crawljust now. Neon shifted and kicked at nothing as she waited, her heart hammering firmly inside her ribcage. The plane had landed; now it was a matter of the passengers leaving the aircraft in a single line and retrieve their luggage.
Brothers above, the wait was killing her. Too many obstacles had prevented them from seeing each other recently (which was expected when you were in a long-distance relationship) but now, finally, they would have a full week to themselves here in Atlas. Ruby had suggested she come here after Yang and Blake decided to travel to Menagerie for the break and Weiss preferring to keep up with studies and her fencing practice, and a change of scenery would do her some good…and who was Neon to reject the chance to show Ruby around Atlas some more? Last time had been so much fun, but not enough!
Her Scroll pinged and she immediately and swiftly opened it up to the text, -I've got my bag~!
Could her smile possibly grow wider? Neon typed as fast as she could about waiting in the cafeteria, but she caught the scent of roses before being basically tackled into a bear-hug onto the floor.
"Found youuu!"
"Ruby!" Despite the on-lookers and cold, hard floor, Neon was too enraptured to care as she hugged the younger girl tightly. "Brothers above, you're fast!"
"My training paid off," Ruby said and laughed. "And I really wanted to see you as soon as possible!"
"I didn't even get to type back, geez!" She laughed and managed to sit up, her heart pounding a she found the sniper sitting on her lap with those silver pools shimmering with joy at her. Ruby had certainly grown; her hair was a bit longer and choppier, she seemed a bit taller, and her physique was…well, best not to look too hard. "It's good to see you again, Ruby."
"It's good to see you too." Ruby leaned in and stole a quick kiss; soft, heart-pounding, but all too short. "Should we get going or maybe grab something to eat here first?"
"Grab a bite, then taxi back to my place before we hit the town," Neon offered. "I know this new club I've been dying to show you."
"Sounds like a plan," Ruby replied before they kissed again, this time longer and less gentle, before realizing they were getting more than a little attention from the rest of the café.
Before too long, as time flew by in a hurry, the night before Ruby had to return back to Vale came.
Neon awkwardly continued with her evening routine before bed. It wasn't the first time she and Ruby had shared a bathroom or a bed, but her self-restraint and self-discipline was nearing their limits. She kept glancing at Ruby from the corner of her eye as she changed to her pyjamas and Neon's heart skipped several beats in response to the flashing of fair skin and curves.
They had dated for about a year since the Vytal Festival in Atlas now, but with both of them being students still and living so far apart their time together hadn't been…ideal. Normally at this point most couples would likely have had sex, but Neon and Ruby hadn't quite reached that stage yet. Not that she would want to pressure Ruby into it, but Neon's desires could only be quelled so much by her own hand…when she had the dorm room to herself that is. Luckily they were currently staying at her house with her parents away.
But Ruby would fly back to Beacon Academy tomorrow. How long would it be before they could meet up again? Even if one of the academies had a break it didn't mean the other necessarily had it as well and what if one of them got sick?
`Long-distance relationships are such a pain,´ Neon bitterly thought, but she had no regrets about entering one with Ruby; for her, it was worth it and if things kept going smoothly between them then once they graduated they could see each other as much as they liked.
It was definitely worth it. They had made it this far after all and it wasn't much time left.
Still…
Neon peeked back over at Ruby who had just dressed herself in new pyjamas; a cute black-and-red top and matching shorts.
How was it possible to simultaneously so cute and sexy in just nightwear?! Her own shorts were beginning to feel a bit tight as blood rushed to her cock in response.
`Mental note: don't spoon with Ruby tonight.´
That plan was tossed out the window as soon as they went to bed and Ruby blatantly made sure to be the little spoon. Neon draped an arm around Ruby's waist, breathed in the scent of the shampoo she used, and to her own regret hugged the girl closer.
`Damn it.´
"Hey, Neon?"
"Yeah?"
`Please don't notice that I'm poking your butt. Ignore it, please! Why did I opt to skip underwear tonight?!´
"I don't want to go back home tomorrow."
She knew that – they had both lamented about it, albeit jokingly, for the majority of Ruby's stay – but the inflection in Ruby's voice was heart-rending. Her hand gingerly searched for Ruby's and when she found it she tenderly interlaced their fingers.
She was shaking so slightly.
"I don't want you to go either. But we'll see each other again sooner than we'll think," she tried to comfort, but it was just as much for herself as it was for the sniper. "And we won't stay students forever. Next thing you know we'll be graduating and then we can see each other as much as we like, whenever we want."
"I know…" Ruby offered an affectionate squeeze. "I guess I'm just…selfish."
"No you're not. It's totally normal to feel like this given the long-distance relationship. Like, I know it sucks, but we've managed so far, right?"
"…Yeah." Her voice was quieter. "Yeah we have."
Neon hugged her girlfriend closer. Their shared warmth mingled. She calmly breathed in her scent.
"It'll be worth it. When we graduate there will be nothing that can separate us."
Her giggle was light and reassuring as the sniper cuddled further up against Neon. "I guess I'm just a bit clingy. I always want more when I'm with you."
"Oh yeah?" Neon snickered. "Well I certainly won't mind~"
"I'm glad you said that."
The mattress beneath them shifted as Ruby moved closer; she pushed up against Neon to the point the latter was trapped between the sniper and the wall, with the shorts-clad, cute butt pressing up right against the Faunus' pelvis with a wiggle.
"R-Ruby—"
"We won't be seeing each other for a while, so…How about we make tonight a bit more special?" The sudden sultriness in her inflection and the slight dip into a lower tone was jarring, but if Neon hadn't been hard already—
"Ruby…! " She gasped out. Her muscles tautened like a bowstring and her cock, nestled between Ruby's butt-cheeks, throbbed almost painfully against its confines. "Brothers above…"
"We've taken things slow and I'm glad we did," Ruby admitted. Neon could see her peer back over her shoulder in the dark, trying to find the Faunus' eyes. "But I'm kinda at my limit. Is that…selfish?"
Her heart did a double-take.
"No you're not, Ruby. No you're not." She pressed back against the smaller girl's frame and Ruby's breath hitched in her throat. "I've thought about this too. I just didn't want to rush anything or, you know, scare you or something."
"You could never scare me, Neon." She fumbled in the dark, but eventually she managed to reach back and patted Neon's arm, albeit awkwardly due to their position neither seemed to move out of. "I accept all that you are. And I'm ready."
The corners of her lips tugged upwards, her smile broadening. "Well then~ Let's make this a night to remember, Ruby."
The sniper giggled and wiggled her derriere. "Happy birthday to me."
"Your birthday has come and gone already, you know."
"You weren't there though. So... Make it up to me with a belated birthday gift?"
Neon smirked. "Can do, Ruby. Can. Do."
Her tail coiled around and slowly helped ease Neon out of her pyjama shorts and soon enough her dick sprung out, free of its confines, and was fully wedged between supple cheeks with a slight thrust. The pair softly moaned, savouring the moment of heat in that snug fit.
"It, uhm, c-certainly feels big…"
Neon chuckled nervously. "Well, I'm rather proud of it myself."
Ruby sat up, trying to locate Neon in the dark (to the latter's amusement as she watched on) and fumbling through the sheets and clothes. Neon watched on, her heart drumming wildly against her ribcage as the sniper straddled her and eventually managed to gingerly cup her face before catching her lips. The kiss was soft yet hot and increasingly bold as the tenderness made way for raw wanton.
Tongues wrestled and coiled. Hands snaked underneath clothes to feel warm skin and map out dips and crannies as fingertips sent small little electric jolts that spread from synapse to synapse. Heat spread and settled between the pairs' loins with only Ruby's bottoms acting as a barrier.
Ruby's deft hands pulled up Neon's top and cupped supple breasts, eliciting a long, soft sigh from the Faunus. She arched backwards and puffed out her chest to the sniper while her own hands had settled over the latter's hips, her fingers tugging slightly downward on the waistline of the pyjama bottoms.
"I can feel you twitching beneath me," Ruby huskily whispered and giggled. She gyrated her hips and Neon hummed. "I want it."
"You and me both," Neon uttered back and applied force to pull the article down as far as she could. "I'm glad we waited for as long as we did though…"
"Mm…" Ruby got up and the pyjama bottoms came right off. She kicked them off to the end of the bed before she slowly undressed herself of her panties while Neon supported her. "Me too."
"Oh that's a pretty pink."
"H-Huh?"
"And you trimmed your bush too. That's cute~"
"Uugh. D-Don't look…I forgot about your night-vision…"
"But I'm going to see a lot more of it from now on, right?" Neon stated and though Ruby couldn't see it, she wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "And besides it's not like it's just you."
Ruby knelt down and a gasp escaped her as her pussy, slick with wet heat, was poked by the twitching mushroom-head of Neon's cock.
Neon shuddered and chewed on her lip as she sank into a half-sitting-half-lying position. "See?"
"I don't," Ruby quipped and giggled, but her voice just as swiftly dropped in inflection with a husky sigh. She rolled and gyrated her hips, creating slippery friction over their sexes. "But I certainly feel…"
"You'll be feeling more in just a moment." Gentle pressure helped ease Ruby down as Neon caressed her hips. The twitching mushroom-head pushed against labia lips, flushed pinkish-red with arousal, until Neon slipped inside nice and easy.
The wet warmth had her toes curl and Ruby shuddered. She tightened up around her – clamped down around rigid flesh and mewled as its length tried to push deeper and met resistance.
Neon met Ruby's gaze, but the sniper was blind in the dark. Her face was twisted in equal arousal and pain and Neon reached up to grasp Ruby's hand in hers. Just then the sniper's expression immediately softened and she offered a tender squeeze. Ruby relaxed. And then she lowered her haunches.
"AH! O-Ow…!"
The resistance gave way as Neon reached deeper into velvety heat and Ruby's muscles went taut.
Ruby clasped over her mouth, but her voice still leaked out in a painful litany.
Alarmed, Neon sat up fully. "Are you okay?!"
"I-I'm fine…Just give me, mngh, a moment…" the sniper uttered back. Her breathing was heavier. The Faunus waited, ready to give Ruby all the time in the world or even stop this altogether, but soon enough Ruby relaxed once more. She squeezed Neon's hand, adjusted her position, and began to move again. "Okay…Okay, this feels, ah, b-better…"
"Brothers above…!" Neon's grip returned to Ruby's hips. Their pace was slow and tender. "This feels…amazing…!"
"I finally get, unf, what the hype was, ah, a-all about," Ruby moaned out as she began to move faster. Although it was initially awkward her movement soon became more fluid; she rocked her hips and bounced ever so slightly, picking up the pace bit by bit. "Gods…!"
Pleasure burned ever so sweetly through their nerves with mounting intensity; smooth inner muscles massaged and hugged Neon's throbbing length and enveloped it with heat as it hammered deeply.
Neon bit down on her bottom-lip and thrusted. Her cock reached a bit deeper each time, seemingly hitting sweet spots if Ruby's voice and face was of any indication, and the way she clenched tighter sporadically. The bed began to creak and groan from their mounting frantic movements as they became more comfortable and the fires of lust were fanned into roaring flames.
They revelled in the white-hot pleasure. The sense of fullness Ruby was basking in made her arch and buck, her hips moving faster as if on their own volition as she rode Neon, seeking out more pleasure.
Neon gripped Ruby's legs, her head thrown back as her voice leaked out in various octaves. Her toes curled, as did her flicking tail, and her muscles went taut while she attempted to ground herself. Her shaft, hugged by slick heat, throbbed and twitched uncontrollably. Ecstasy zipped from her core and along her spine and nerves in a surge of warmth, and battering the pleasure-centre of her brain.
Their coitus filled the room with litanies of sounds, begging for more, faster, harder, accompanied by the flexing of bed-springs.
"N-Neon…!" Ruby's voice was a husky utterance that left goose-bumps on the Faunus' skin. "I'm, mmh, going to, ah,…again…!"
She knew what she meant. Her mind and heart was racing. The knot of pleasure wounded ever tighter.
"Me too," Neon managed to reply. "I'll make you feel good…then I do it o-outside, ´kay?"
Ruby twitched. "Y-Yeah, I'll, mmhm, hop off before you…"
She tensed and clamped down with a shudder. The face she made in the dark would forever be seared into Neon's mind and along with the mounting ecstasy they both lost themselves to the sudden wave; a surging heat, a cry in the dark of night fuelled by euphoria.
Neon erupted, fully sheathed inside of Ruby, her mind blank and cock throbbing. In their haze they searched for each other, sealing their lips together in a scorching kiss as they rode out the heights of pleasure together until the heat faded away like a dying ember.
The passionate kiss became soft, tender. Eventually Ruby rolled off of Neon, the pair lying side by side and though the sniper could not see her, Neon met her gaze.
"That was…incredible…"
The Faunus snickered. "Damn right it was."
There was something sexy about post-coitus-Ruby—
"Oh, shoot! We forgot about—"
Neon's eyes suddenly went wide like saucers. "Shit! I'm sorry, I forgot it in the heat of the moment! Uh, there's a pharmacy not far from here that should sell pills, but-"
"Morning-After, right? I guess there's not much we can do then," Ruby calmly stated. "It's fine, Neon. I forgot about it immediately after I said it, hehe." She reached down between her loins. "Ew, it feels weird. Excuse me a moment."
"Yeah, right behind you. I need to clean myself up; you, uh, kind of squirted right on me…"
Even in the dark, Neon could tell the sniper was blushing up a storm. "S-sorry. Gods, this is embarrassing…"
"Hey." She pulled the girl into a hug. "Don't worry about it. What we just had was incredible."
"Mm…Yeah." Ruby giggled and nuzzled the crook of Neon's neck. "We should do it again sometime."
Neon burst out laughing. "You dork!"