AN: Quick one, thank you for all the support so far. The reviews and follows/favorites mean a lot 3

Every room in Weiss' house was amazing. Ruby felt like she'd spent the last twenty minutes with her mouth hanging open. The ceilings were so incredibly high, the floors were so incredibly shiny and each room had something else magnificent in it.

It was no secret to Ruby that the Schnee family was rich. For as far as Weiss had come as a teammate, she never let people forget she had money. Still, Ruby was not prepared for just how well the Schnee family lived. This place was gigantic, Ruby would take just one room in this place and be happy to call it her home forever.

Even the room they were in now, a bathroom tucked away in the far end of the second floor, was amazing. The sink was made of fancy marble and everything else was shining with gold and silver touches. There was a deep bathtub that Ruby would love to use. It was perched up on a small lip with a huge window that looked down at the property below. The window seemed perfectly placed to watch the sunset. Everything was custom made, even the towels had names stitched right into them, Weiss had grabbed her own when they came in.

Ruby couldn't help but study her former partner as she dug through a drawer under the sink next to her in search of something.

Weiss hadn't changed much, at least she still seemed like the same person. Ruby couldn't pretend to know for sure, but in appearance she was still just…Weiss. Beautiful and graceful, every move she made had purpose. Her hair was perhaps a bit longer, but still in the patented off kilter ponytail. She seemed a little bit stiffer than Ruby remembered. As if she were afraid to relax and take a few breaths. Though walking through this place Ruby couldn't help but feel the same way, as if any wrong move might break something worth more than everything she'd ever called her own.

"There it is," Weiss said, breaking the comfortable silence of the room. She stood up with a small box in her hand, a first aid kit, and sat it down on the counter.

"You going to stitch me up?" Ruby asked playfully.

Weiss gave her a sideways glare. "No, we're not animals. I'm merely cleaning your wound before we heal it."

"We?"

"Yes, we," Weiss rolled her eyes. "Now…" there was a bit of shy hesitation in those blue eyes watching her. "O—open your top."

Ruby felt her eyes go wide as saucers. "What?"

"Don't make this any more uncomfortable, Ruby. I can't heal your wound if I don't see it. Just…just open up your top and show me."

She wasn't sure exactly why she was so nervous about showing Weiss her cut. It was just Weiss after all, they'd spent almost a year in the same dorm together and had more than a few run ins with each other in various states of undress. Perhaps it was the way Weiss had so bluntly asked her to take her clothes off.

Still, she couldn't ponder on it for long, not with that same partner standing in front of her, gauze in hand and her foot tapping impatiently.

Slowly, Ruby unbuckled her ammunition belt and sat Crescent Rose gently aside. She laid her belt down across the sink—careful not to scratch the pretty surface. Next came her coat that she unbuttoned with ease before finally reaching her corset. Knowing Weiss was waiting, Ruby untied the laces and took a deep breath before letting it fall open. She pulled it open wider and revealed bare stomach to the girl in waiting. The cool air of the bathroom hit her newly exposed skin, a shiver coursed through her as she leaned back against the sink as her coat fell off her shoulders.

Now clad in only a black bra and a smile, Ruby chanced a look up at Weiss.

The once pale girl was now colored with a deep shade of red across her neck and cheeks. She was just…staring at Ruby's body and the intensity of the gaze made Ruby feel both insecure and flustered.

She's just examining your wound. This is Weiss, she's practically a professional. She's not looking at you, just your wound. So you can stop flexing your stomach you…dolt!

"Ruby…you…that cut is extremely deep." Weiss said with a hint of disappointment and Ruby finally looked down at her wound. It hurt so much but she'd been handling it for a couple days so she'd become accustomed to it. The last few years had been filled with so many varying injuries that Ruby was used to aches and pains. Each morning she'd wake up hoping this one would be gone, but so far her aura hadn't been able to take it away. Whatever blade that…thing carried was powerful, almost magical in the way it completely sliced through aura. "I—I'm going to disinfect it. This might hurt." Weiss said as she poured something onto the gauze she held.

Ruby could only smirk as she thought back to all the battles she'd been in and survived. "Please, Weiss. I've been fighting for years now, I don't think a little—holy cats! Weiss!" Ruby jumped at the contact as whatever foul liquid had been put on her cut hissed and popped. "Ow, ow, ow, ow!" She cringed as the burning pain coursed through her body. As she tried to flinch away, Weiss' grip on her shoulder tightened to keep her in place.

"Oh will you stop! It's just disinfectant! I haven't even hardly done anything."

"Weissssssss," Ruby whined. "It really stings!"

The pleas for help did nothing to earn her sympathy. "That's because the disinfectant is doing its job. This cut is deep and it has gone untreated, it wouldn't hurt if you'd taken care of it the way you should have."

"I haven't exactly had fancy bathrooms and personalized towels lying around." Ruby countered as her anger flared up a bit with the burning sensation on her stomach.

Weiss rolled her eyes…again. "You may have grown into your body but you certainly haven't grown out of your childishness have you?"

"You're just mad because I'm taller than you now." Ruby stuck her tongue out.

"Do you want me to put more of this on the cut?" Weiss countered as she held up the rag again. All Ruby could do was pout and end her fight. Once the burning calmed down Ruby studied the way Weiss' eyes roamed over her body. It was a strange sensation, being so open and vulnerable next to this girl who she'd shared a dorm with, shared so many moments with, and yet this felt like something entirely new. The way Weiss was looking at her, it made her feel more relaxed than she had in a long time. More relaxed than Weiss seemed to be. "Ruby I—" something came across Weiss' expression that Ruby couldn't read. It almost looked like embarrassment. Weiss managed to steady herself, as she always did, setting down the cloth and taking a deep breath. "I'm going to heal you now, okay. I'm going to connect our aura's and use mine to take your cut away."

"Uh," Ruby swallowed the thick lump in her throat. "Isn't that like…a big deal? Connecting auras?"

"A big deal is you dying from an infection. Just…relax. We're partners, remember?" The smile Weiss gave her removed every drop of doubt she might have had. Ruby had forgotten how beautiful Weiss' real smiles were. The ones she only gave to the people she cared about. They always made Ruby feel special.

"Do we need to do some kind of chant or something?" Ruby asked as her mind flashed to all the stories she'd read about connecting auras. The fairy tales of lovers connecting or heroes giving of themselves to save the innocent. They were always so exciting and romantic.

"Why in the world would there be a chant?"

She could only shrug. "I don't know, seems like a good time for a chant." All she received in response was a blank, annoyed stare. "Alright fine, no chant." Ruby put her hands up in surrender.

"All this time and you're still a pest." Weiss muttered just loudly enough for Ruby to hear—not that Ruby imagined she was too concerned about that.

A few moments later, Weiss took a step towards her, Ruby could see the red return to her cheeks as she watched her partner's left hand move towards her body. Relaxing was a lot easier when she wasn't being touched so intimately. Cold fingers were suddenly dancing across her stomach and Ruby's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't be certain if it were true, but Ruby was pretty sure this was the closest she'd ever been to Weiss. She could see her face so clearly, every detail. Though it seemed that Weiss hadn't gained much height in their time apart, she had grown up in many other ways that were all featured across her face. The intense blue of her eyes were deeper, the curve of her jaw was stronger and more defined. Weiss was always pretty—Ruby knew this from the first time she saw her. Now though, she was absolutely beautiful. it was Ruby's turn to blush, the churning in her stomach was both unfamiliar and welcome.

"Weiss," Ruby spoke and a pair blue eyes looked up at her. The weight of the silence in the room was overwhelming. The heat between the two of them was toxic and Ruby could feel herself drowning in it.

"Relax," Weiss demanded softly. "Just…relax." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Focus on your aura, try to release what you can, I'll do the rest."

So she did. Closing her eyes, Ruby concentrated on projecting her aura and tried to force out what she could. She fixated on Weiss, the feeling of those fingertips against her skin and the way their feet were touching beneath them.

It felt like she was floating, only grounded by the presence of Weiss in front of of her. Opening her eyes again, she saw something beautiful. A white glow had surrounded Weiss, her own aura illuminating around her. Ruby had never seen anything so captivating before.

The moment they fully connected, Ruby inhaled a sharp breath as every nerve in her body seemed to buzz in the best way possible. The grip of Weiss' hand on her shoulder tightened and a moment later, the cut on her stomach started to heal. A warmth spread through her, as if every ache and pain she'd carried for the last few days melted away. She stood on shaky legs, watching as her partner focused intently on the task, as she always did. However, long after the cut healed, Weiss continued to maintain the contact.

Only when Ruby reached up and grabbed onto the hand over her shoulder did Weiss stop.

"Hey," she whispered, tracing her thumb over the back of Weiss' hand. "I think you got it. Thank you." Ruby said with her best smile.

For a moment she thought Weiss was going to say something, instead the contact dropped away immediately and Weiss turned for the door in a flurry. "I'm going to see if your meal is ready. Put your clothes back on and meet me in the kitchen." Just like that, Weiss left Ruby alone and very confused in the bathroom.

The first thing Ruby noticed about the Schnee's kitchen was how…spotless it was. Honestly it looked completely untouched, nothing like the kitchen she grew up with back in Patch. Where her parents would make she and Yang pancakes every morning and where they'd do their homework at night.

Even after her mother passed away the kitchen still felt like the centerpiece of the home. Dinner was at the counter every night and the table was for studying or playing games, sometimes making puzzles.

This kitchen looked like it came right off the showroom floor in one of those fancy advertisements.

If she were being honest, Ruby didn't like it very much—despite the expense of everything inside.

That being said, the food that Weiss' chef put down in front of her was wonderful, delightful.

Sensational. She frowned as the word rang in her head in a voice that wasn't her own. Don't go there, Ruby, you haven't eaten like this in days, just enjoy it. Enjoy what Weiss has done for you.

"Something wrong? Is the meat undercooked? That happens sometimes with the new stove, it—"

"Weiss," Ruby cut her off. "It's perfect, really. Compared to what I've eaten in the last few months, it's amazing. The meat is so tender I don't even have to chew it."

Weiss nodded with satisfaction. "Good, it's slow cooked in the oven for four hours each morning and then grilled to serve. My father has it for lunch every day."

Ruby frowned. "Am I eating your dad's lunch?"

"No, he's not in Atlas so you're saving it from going to waste."

This did not make Ruby feel any better. "Do you just…cook it every day even if no one eats it?"

"Don't be absurd—that would be a terrible waste. But it does expire fairly quickly, meat as high quality as that. There will be a new shipment in next week and what he hasn't eaten will be thrown out."

Even in casual conversation, Ruby could see the tenseness in Weiss' body as she spoke of her father. She didn't know a lot about the man, only that during her time at Beacon, Weiss had gone out of her way to avoid him and his endless phone calls. It seemed sad to Ruby, she looked forward to every call from her dad. He was one of her favorite people in the world.

How terrible it would be if she feared him.

"Are you going to have any?" Ruby asked as she lifted her fork again with a piece of meat on the end.

Weiss shook her head. "I had a fairly good sized lunch. Besides it's late and that's just for you. You were clearly hungry." Her sentence finished with a bit of a sneer as she gestured to the nearly empty plate.

In turn, Ruby stuck her tongue out and took the bite off the end of her fork with a smile—which earned an eye roll. That was at least the fifth one she'd seen today.

"Miss Schnee?" A soft voice spoke out and Ruby turned to see one of the maids set another plate down in front of Weiss. More food? Ruby had already eaten so much, she couldn't imagine more food.

"Thank you," Weiss said with a slight nod to the maid before the older woman turned and left the room. It was strange to see Weiss in her element, Ruby had watched her interact with a few of the staff on hand and noted that while Weiss was distant with them, she didn't mistreat them. Not that she expected Weiss to be cruel, but it was good to know that the time spent here hadn't removed how far she'd come at Beacon.

"What's that?" Ruby asked as she unsuccessfully muffled a burp.

Weiss sighed and lifted the plate, still covered by a metal lid and held it out to Ruby. "See for yourself."

With a quick look for confirmation, Ruby wrapped her fingers around the handle and pulled it up. What she saw nearly made her pass out. It was a cookie, no…it was a pie. It was a giant chocolate chip cookie pie.

"W—Weiss it's…" She glanced up to see that Weiss was enjoying her reaction. "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."

"I thought you would like it, the staff thought I was insane ordering such a thing."

Ruby's mouth was watering, the smell hit her nose and she resisted the urge to bury her face right in the middle of it. "You mean you can just…ask for this and they'll give it to you?"

"Ruby," Weiss smirked playfully. "I could order ten."

Picking up a pre cut piece, Ruby took in another whiff, it was magnificent. "How do you not eat these all the time? If I were you, my bed would be a giant cookie pie!"

"Because I have self control and discipline. Also I'm not a big fan of chocolate chips." Ruby gasped in horror. "Oh will you stop, that just means more for you, doesn't it?"

As Ruby took a bit of the cookie pie, she smiled toothily, even happier when she saw Weiss grimace. "You're the best."

Weiss handed the plate over and turned away.

"I can't believe I ran into you." Finishing her first piece, Ruby leaned back in the chair to try and better look at Weiss who had returned to the island counter the counter with her book. "Where were you going?"

Weiss shrugged, not taking her eyes off the page. "Nowhere in particular, just…going."

"I figured it would be a fancy meeting or like, oh, a party!" Despite Ruby's beaming smile, Weiss didn't seem to bite.

"I don't go to parties, Ruby."

"Oh," Ruby pouted as she continued to stare at Weiss who wouldn't look away from her book. "Well what do you do?"

Weiss put a finger to mark her place. "I do try to read from time to time." Finally, she gave her gaze over to her former partner. "Usually I'm not answering all these incessant questions."

"Well!" Ruby cried as she threw her arms in the air. "We haven't seen each other in five years! Is it so wrong for me to be curious about your life!" The sentence was meant to be playful, but there was so much truth behind the words that it ended up sounding accusatory.

It was a tone that did not go unnoticed. Instead, Weiss slammed her book shut, causing Ruby to jump. "The same could be said about you! You certainly seem to have no problem at all keeping me in the dark about your life! After five years of worrying about you, I find you injured and starving, eating junk food and not taking care of yourself at all and yet you won't tell me a…a…damn thing about what you've been doing!"

Guilt hit Ruby hard as she shrank in the fancy chair she sat in and looked away. She had spent so long keeping everything she did a secret that the whole world felt foreign to her. It was scary and hard and some days it felt nearly unbearable but she couldn't involve those she cared about because it would only get them hurt.

Ruby was tired of seeing people die, she was tired of not being fast enough to save them.

"I—I should go," Ruby said as she stood up and hugged herself. "I'm sor—I mean…thank you for this, Weiss, and for healing me and—"

"No," Weiss stood up from the stool she sat in and stepped right in front of Ruby. "You are not leaving this house."

Ruby shook her head. "I can't stay here, Weiss. It's not safe."

"Why?" She demanded but Ruby merely looked away shamefully. "If you're not going to tell me why you being here is so unsafe then I have no reason to believe otherwise, thus, you are staying here tonight because you are in no condition to keep living the life that you are living."

"Weiss—"

"Ruby," she was cut off again. This time Weiss' voice was soft and comforting. Suddenly a pair of hands were on her shoulders. Ruby felt her resolve slipping with the way those blue eyes were looking at her. So much concern and care—it reminded her of when Yang would force her to come to bed after long nights spent building Crescent Rose. "I don't know what's been going on with you, I know that what happened at Beacon…affected you but I was gone before I could help and I'm sorry for that."

"It's not your fault."

Weiss laughed but Ruby could tell she thought otherwise. "Be that as it may, I'm here now. Let me help you."

Tears spilled from Ruby's eyes. "If something happened to you, I'd—I couldn't handle it."

"Are you really so dense? Have you not learned anything in the last few years? You dunce, don't think that goes both ways?" Weiss' words settled in Ruby's heart and refused to leave. Everything caught up with her in that moment, the exhaustion and the loneliness—five years spent away from those she cared about.

The fears didn't leave her, Ruby still knew that her being here was risky, anyone being around her was risky.

But Schnee's always got what they wanted.

"I'll stay." She said with a smile as she stared into Weiss' eyes again, those hands on her shoulders squeezing gently. "Thank you."

Weiss nodded matter-of-factly. "I told you I would be the best partner ever, didn't I?"