Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
"So, Sun's living with you now?"
Weiss gave a slight nod as she sipped her tea. Now that they were split up and Sun moved out, Blake felt like she needed to talk to someone, so she invited Weiss and Yang over.
"Neptune gave him the guest room, so he's fine." She took another sip.
"You sure you and Amber shouldn't have moved in with them?" Yang asked.
"Nah, Sun alone will probably be less stressful than me and Amber."
"Yeah right. He and Neptune have been bugging me to no end. "Reliving the good ol' days," they call it. "Two grown men playing at being teenagers again," I call it."
"Well, sorry for burdening you with him then."
Weiss shook her head. "Don't worry about it."
"So, what are you gonna do now?" Yang asked.
Blake just shook her head. "I don't know. Divorcing Sun is gonna settle a few things, but I'm afraid it's gonna bring new problems. Like, who's gonna take care of Amber while I'm at work. I mean it's not like I can afford a babysitter."
As Blake looked down at her tea, Yang turned to Weiss, who just silently nodded. Then Yang plopped her hand down on the Yang, startling Blake. Once Blake looked up, Yang removed her hand, revealing a key lying on the table.
Blake stared at it a few moments. "What's that?"
"It's a key."
"I can see that. What's it for?"
"Ruby's apartment."
Blake's eyes widened as confusion turned to realization. She looked from the keys to Yang. "I have an apartment."
"You have a dump," Yang replied. "And you have to work your butt off to pay for it. If you live at Ruby's, you won't have to pay, so you won't have to work extra shifts. You can relax," Yang made sure to put extra emphasis on the word, "which is something you obviously need to do."
Blake shook her head. "I don't want to..."
"OH MY GOD! Why do you insist on making this so difficult? We already discussed this with Ruby. She is more than happy to share her apartment. Especially if it means giving you a break. Besides, now that she is on her business trip, you and Amber will have some time to settle in and get comfortable."
There was a moment of silence before a gesture turned Blake's attention to Weiss. "I know you don't want to be a burden to us. But this isn't about you. This is about Amber. Let me tell you, from mother to mother, that all you should be thinking about is what's best for her. So tell me, Blake!" Weiss' clear blue eyes were piercing through Blake. "What's best for Amber?"
(**)
Blake sighed contentedly as she lay on the couch, taking note of how much more comfortable it was than her own. In fact, everything in Ruby's apartment was better than what she was used to. The place was bigger, everything was a lot cleaner and the view from the balcony was amazing. They had a perfect view of both the city and the forest it bordered on.
She could hear Amber humming happily as she drew something nearby. The sound made her smile. Amber had fallen in love with the apartment the moment they'd entered it. Running around, staring at everything in awe. It was at that moment that Blake realized that, yes, they had never been to Ruby's apartment before. It was always her visiting them. The thought saddened Blake. It made their relationship feel so one-sided. Which made her regret moving in again, but one look at Amber confirmed that she made the right choice. The girl adored their new home and had wasted no time inspecting every nook and cranny. From the shiny new kitchen, to the enormous book shelf and flat-screen TV in the living room to the insanely comfortable and quite bouncy bed in the bed room. She was truly happy.
Now that she had been freed from most of her problems, even if just temporarily, Blake took the time to breath deeply and enjoy her moment of peace.
That is, until the beeping started.
Opening her eyes, Blake looked around, trying to find the source of the irritating sound. Amber was also looking around, confused, before getting up and walking over to the TV. After a few seconds, she pushed a button and the screen flipped on, revealing Ruby's face as she spoke up.
"Hello? Ah, there you are. I see you. Can you see me?"
"Hey, Aunt Ruby," Amber cheerfully replied as she waved at the television.
"Hey, sweetie." Ruby waved back. "Have you and mommy settled in alright?"
"Yes, you're home is so nice. Your bed is so comfy and nice to bounce. Though doesn't let me bounce on it," she pouted.
"You should listen to your mommy, Amber. She is very smart. Trust me, bouncing around on it is not a good idea. You could get hurt." She then lifted her hand to massage her head. "Bad."
Blake just shook her head. Imagining Ruby bouncing around on a bed and hurting herself was something she could far too easily imagine. "Thank you for letting us stay here."
"Hey, what are friends for? I'm happy to help."
"I appreciate it. And don't worry, I'll be sure to have us both out of here as soon as you come back."
At that, Ruby vehemently shook her head. "None of that. You too will be staying there for as long as you need to get a better job. You've been working at that crummy diner for far too long."
"But..."
"No buts. You get started on that job search. And don't even think of moving out until you've got something decent and secure. Got it?"
Blake smiled. Ruby could be so stern when she was serious. "Got it."
Ruby also smiled. "Alright. Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the apartment. Don't worry about water, electricity or any of that. I got it covered. As for food, I didn't really expect new roommates, so I didn't exactly leave the fridge brimming."
"We brought our own groceries."
"That's good. But it won't last. I got a pre-paid card in my nightstand. Hasn't got much on it, but it should keep you two fed until I come back. If you need to buy new clothes or anything reasonably priced, that's fine, too. Now then, was there anything else...Nope, that's it. Any questions? No? Cool. Then I'll see you in two weeks. Bye."
"Oh, aunt Ruby? Aunt Ruby?"
"Yes, Amber?"
"I'm really looking forward to living with you. It's gonna be so fun!"
"Aww, yeah it is. I can't wait to come back to you guys."
And just like that, Blake got a warm, fuzzy feeling. Something she hadn't felt since the good old days of "Team RWBY". After the turmoil and hardship of the past year, she felt like she found a place where she could just be happy. Her initial doubts about moving in now completely gone, she felt like this was a place she could stay. Like this...
"Oh, one more thing." Blake looked up at the screen, where Ruby was giving her a warm smile. "Welcome home."
Like this was where she belonged.