They broke apart at the sound, their eyes going wide in shock. "Hide," Ozpin instructed. In a flash of scarlet she dove for the closet, shutting the door behind her. He scrambled to his feet, and wiped at his mouth as he approached the door. He opened it halfway, just enough for most of his body to block the gap.

"Good morning, Professor Ozpin," Glynda greeted. She gave pause. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?"

"No, not at all, I've been up for a while now." His fingers drummed against the door frame.

"It's just, you haven't shaved, so I thought..."

"Oh no, I was just... I was just taking it easy today." He rubbed at his jaw, hand passing over his mouth again. "I was going to shave in a little bit. What brings you here?"

"I came to wish you Happy Natiuiteo, and," she held up a large thermos, "I made my special Natiuiteo Cocoa, so I thought we could share it."

"Ah, Glynda, you're a gem." He saw her shift her weight as if she intended to step inside his apartment, and he quickly moved to block her path. "I'll tell you what, we can drink it as we walk across school grounds. It's a beautiful morning, it would be the perfect combo."

"Oh." She frowned. "I was just out there, though, and it really is nippy outside. There's a wind that just goes straight through you."

"Which will make your cocoa taste all the better." He gestured with his hand. "You go on ahead, wait for me down on the ground floor. I'll shave and put on my coat."

She furrowed her brows. "Well... if you say s-" She stopped, her eyes seeming to focus on his arm or shoulder, or something beyond them. He had a sinking feeling. Her entire expression changed, her shoulders tensed. She glanced back up at him and down at whatever she was looking at, nostrils beginning to flare. She turned on heel and marched away.

He turned, gaze desperately searching for whatever she had seen. His heart jumped into his throat. Ruby's cape had been left to drape over the back of her chair from last night. He swore, and grabbed his coat off the hanger. He rushed down the stairs after her. "Glynda, wait!"

She had already passed through his office, and took the elevator near the stairs. He took the stairs two at a time, hoping to beat her at the bottom. He was heading for the elevator doors when they opened, and out stepped Glynda. She took one look at him before turning away, almost jogging.

"Glynda, Glynda wait, stop!" He ran in front of her, and gripped her by the shoulders.

"Don't touch me!" she snapped, and smacked his hands away. "Don't you- don't you even speak to me." She tried to march past him, but he kept pace in front of her.

"Glynda, I can explain-"

"Oh really?" She finally stopped, her hand on her hip. "Pray tell, Professor, what explanation do you have?"

"Glynda-"

"She is your student! All this time, all those rumors, it was you! How dare you?! She's 15!"

"Glynda, I-"

She started to pace, arms gesturing wildly, cocoa sloshing in the thermos. "I can't believe that you, of all people, would do such a thing! I trusted you, we all trusted you." She faced him again. "Do you have any idea how serious this is?"

"Glynda, I assure you, nobody knows how serious this is better than me."

"Oh that's good. I suppose I can also trust that you didn't let anything slip about the Maidens or magic over pillow-talk?"

"I haven't done anything to her, Glynda, I promise."

"Oh thank God, because your word is worth so much now."

"Glynda-" he started, then stopped again. "Glynda, I didn't just seek her out, like some perverse old man-"

"You look like a pretty perverse old man to me."

"Glynda, it's more complicated than all that." He glanced away for a moment, then reached for his sleeve, pulling it back. "She's my soulmate." His tattoo glittered in the white winter light streaming in from the windows.

She looked at it for a moment, then back up at him. "Do you think that's an excuse?"

"No." He rolled his sleeve back down. "But she insisted that I give her a chance-"

"And you listened to her?"

"I never thought it would last this long. I thought she would get bored after a week or two, and break up with me."

"And why didn't you break up with her, in that case?"

"I couldn't, Glynda, it all just got so out of hand." He rubbed at his eyes under his glasses. "Things just seemed to move so fast, I started to let my guard down, and I just... I just-"

"Please don't tell me you fell in love with her." He went silent, looking at her helplessly. She only frowned at him. "Don't look at me like that. Like you're some pathetic child. You're the adult, don't act like you're a victim to the whims of youth and love. There are people all over the world who rely on you. You have no room to behave in such a way."

"Please don't tell anyone."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm begging you." He stooped, lowering himself before her. "Please, please don't tell anyone about this. I swear, I haven't done anything. I haven't told her anything. Please, for her sake, just keep this a secret."

"'Her sake?'" She narrowed her eyes.

"You yourself have been hearing what people have been saying about her, just based on rumors. It's been hard enough on her just to put up with all that. Can you imagine what she would go through if this went public? Her reputation as a huntress would be besmirched forever, she would be downtrodden in the public eye, she'd never be able to live it down."

"What about you? You'd lose your job, your status. Everyone would hate you just as much, if not more."

"That part doesn't matter. I can handle something as trivial as the public being turned against me. Ruby, she's too young for that, it would be too cruel for her." She looked away, her mouth pressed thin. "Please, Glynda. She has her whole future ahead of her."

She looked back at him. "Fine. I won't tell anyone."

His shoulders relaxed for a moment, and he stood up straight again. "Thank-"

"If you break up with her."

For a moment, he wasn't sure if he'd heard her. "What?"

"I'll keep it a secret, if you break up with her, and put an end to this silly relationship. If you don't let this progress any further, I won't tell a soul. If you stop dating her, if you stop seeing her in your apartment, if you start pushing her away, I'll pretend I didn't see her cape tossed on some chair in your private quarters. Before anyone else finds out. Before the students come back from winter break. Before the start the of spring. I don't care when you do it, just do it." Her gaze softened for just a moment. "It can't go on like this."

She walked past him, intentionally bumping him with her shoulder as she went. For a moment, he didn't move, her ultimatum ringing in his ears. Finally, he looked up again, and started walking back up the stairs. High, high, and higher still. High above the rest of the world and all its problems and quarrels, he climbed. Through his office and through the side door, past the constant machinations in the tower.

The door to his apartment had been left open, and he stepped through, closing it behind him. "Ruby," he called, taking off his coat.

She stepped out from within the closet. "What happened? Did she... figure it out? How?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter." He shook his head. "It wasn't your fault. It was mine, my own oversight for letting my guard down." He passed a hand through his hair. "The fact of the matter is, she knows now."

For a moment, she didn't speak. She looked down at her hands, wringing them. She looked back up. "You don't suppose she'll tell anyone, will she? I mean, we haven't even done anything."

Not yet. "Ruby... I think that you shouldn't come to my apartment anymore."

She blinked at him. "What?"

"It's become too much of a risk. I just think it would be better for us if we were more casual about all this. If we maintain more of a distance, then it'll be easier to keep this all a secret."

She folded her arms over her chest, and cast her eyes down. "It's not fair."

"It's for the best."

She nodded. She collected her cape, tying it around her shoulders. She and Ozpin picked up the collective garbage from that morning, throwing it away. She collected her presents in her arms. "I guess I'll see you around."

"Yeah." They exchanged a look, her sad silver eyes gazing deep into his brown ones. She moved towards him, and somehow managed to give him a hug, despite her armload. He gave her a very gentle hug back. When they parted, his fingers trailed down her arms, reluctant to let go. The door closed between them.