A/N: A little shorter than usual, but there's a good reason for it.
It had been three days since the last incident and Ruby was being extra careful not to put her leg under any kind of stress. She was a little disappointed that despite all her efforts to liven things up, they had still grown rather boring, with nothing interesting or remotely exciting happening in the time between then and now. Ruby found it to be ever so slightly depressing. She knew that it couldn't all be adrenalin and adventure but sitting on Weiss's bed all day every day wasn't exactly her idea of fun, and while she was doing her best to pass the time and keep her mind sharp at the same time, she could only study so much before she felt like falling asleep.
Sketching things usually filled her evenings when Yang wasn't around, and when she was they would share whatever confectionery Yang could bring back from the dining hall. On the occasions she went to Vale she made sure to bring back something extra-sugary for Ruby to eat, much to the girls delight. Blake kept to herself as she usually did and only interacted with Ruby when she had to, or when Yang 'subtly' asked her to spend some time with her sister. Ruby didn't mind their lack of time together at all, as she knew full well that it was often better to be alone than with someone else.
But it was Weiss who surprised Ruby the most, especially when she thought about their previous engagements and attitudes towards eachother. She never would have thought that the heiress would care so much about anyone else apart from herself, but on many an occasion Weiss had made sure that Ruby was as comfortable as she could be. She had even gone as far as spending two whole hours sitting with her partner into the small hours of the night until Ruby drifted off to sleep after a particularly painful jolt of pain in her leg. She didn't quite understand exactly why Weiss was behaving the way she was but she wasn't about to start complaining, as Ruby found her embarrassed nursing both funny and really rather touching.
Speaking of the devil, the familiar brown uniform caught Rubys eye as she looked up from her book, catching the snow white hair clash with the red of her skirt as Weiss closed the door behind her and sat on the edge of the bed, checking her folder under her arm while she spoke. She wasn't quite as perfect as she looked most days, probably just a little tired or perhaps stressed. Even though a few stray strands of hair were out of place and her clothes were a little more off-center and crumpled than they usually were, Weiss still looked beautiful.
Her eyes were tired but alert, and as she rubbed the back of her neck to work out the kinks Ruby had a good enough view of her flawlessly smooth skin. She tugged the muscles in her neck, unaware of the faint reddening of Rubys cheeks. Weiss's voice surprised her partner a little and as Ruby pretended not to be looking, she quickly turned her attention to the point at hand.
"Yang will be back late, she has another impromptu meeting with Ms. Goodwitch about physical violence during classes." There was a slight note of disapproval in Weiss's voice that matched the raising of her eyebrow, tugging half of her scar a little further into view. Ruby groaned out a sigh, flopping her head on the top of the pillow.
"Oooh...Again? What did she do this time?"
"Apparently someone thought it would be funny to cut her hair. Well. Try to, at least."
The disapproving tone grew more prominent.
"I don't understand why someone with the qualifications to make it to a legendary Academy for training warriors would possibly view something as childish as that to be a smart thing to do. Do they have nothing better to do with their lives than to try and make other students lives a misery?"
Ruby glanced down at the condescending turn Weiss's voice was taking, biting her tongue to stop herself from arguing with her partner.
"So Yang punched someone again?"
She asked, attempting to change the subject a little. Weiss gave a small nod and followed it up with a clipped explanation, her displeasure clear.
"More than one person and more than once."
Ruby wanted to ask for more, but the businesslike manner with which Weiss was filtering through her papers told her that she was done talking. So neither of them spoke, with that having set the tone - and Rubys mood - quite low.
So it came as quite a surprise when a few minutes later, after she had settled back into her book that Weiss spoke again. Ruby jumped a little but her partner didn't catch it, still focused on her filing.
"I also spoke with Pyrrha during Grimm Studies, she wishes you the best and a fast recovery. Oh, and Nora will come around later today with some pancakes."
Weiss shrugged indifferently.
"I'm not sure if you'll feel better or worse after eating them, but I know I certainly won't be trying any."
She stood up and headed for the bathroom, neatly placing her folder alongside her clothes as she picked them up and closed the door behind her. Ruby watched it click shut with a smile on her face. It was nice of both Nora and Pyrrha to show their support, and it brightened her up a little. She pictured the grinning girl holding a tray of pancakes in one hand and dragging along Ren in the other, almost dropping the food but not quite after every single step. On reflection she was actually looking forward to their visit, as it would be a nice change from the dreariness of being bedridden.
With that said, Ruby didn't think spending an hour with Nora would be the best thing for her teammates, but then again she was sure that Weiss and Blake would no doubt excuse themselves if it all got too loud. Besides, if indeed Nora did bring Ren along he would probably do his best to keep her in check. She could practically hear the girls eccentric singing through the walls right now as she merrily skipped around the dormroom in preparation.
Wait. She could hear singing. But this wasn't the hyperactive breathlessness of a Nora song, it wasn't making her cringe with how out of tune it was. On the contrary, it was quite the opposite. This was beautifully enchanting, a voice so perfectly on each note and flawless in every word that it didn't seem real. It was as though an angel were whispering the most incredible song into her ears, but there was no such thing as angels. Nevertheless, whoever owned that gorgeous voice was to her right, behind the wall that shielded the bathroom from the main dorm. Rubys face opened a little more in surprise as she came to the only conclusion she could, staring at the bathroom door with her mouth agape and eyes wide.
That couldn't be Weiss singing, could it?
She strained her ears to listen harder, trying with all her might to make out the words from behind the wall. Something about...mirrors? It was muffled, but Ruby could distinctly make out the haunting undertones as the voice came through again. It pierced straight into her ears, an empty voice filled with loneliness.
She shook her head. Surely that was wrong. Weiss wasn't lonely, she wasn't empty and she certainly wasn't haunting. No, maybe she was just imagining things. After all, the singing had now stopped and the silence was buzzing in her ears louder than her own thoughts. She put her book down on her lap and tried to make sense of it all.
'Someone is singing.
It's not Nora.
It's coming from the bathroom.
Weiss is in the bathroom.
It sounds...sad?
Melancol...Melincha...really sad.
Is that Weiss singing?
Is Weiss sad?'
It took her two and a half minutes before she finally accepted that she didn't know what had just happened, shaking her head in defeat and rubbing her face with her hands. She glanced back up at the sound of a door opening in front of her, glimpsing the golden eyes between her fingers and dropping her arms to her sides as she called out a polite greeting to her teammate.
"Hey Blake."
Blake paused, giving Ruby a curious look.
"Good afternoon Ruby. You don't seem as lively as usual, are you alright?"
She began to unfasten her shirt and Ruby looked away with a hand over her eyes, prompting Blake to give a small chuckle.
"Ah-! I'm just really, really, ugh...really tired. I've been studying super hard but it's all starting to blur into a big mess and I want to go outside and do things but I can't because of my leg and-..." She sighed and sank further into her pillow.
"I don't like being stuck in bed all day."
"Well." Blake started, pulling her shirt off her shoulders and over her head. "If you keep healing at the rate you are at the minute, you should be able to walk without support in a few more days."
She paused and slid her undershirt onto her chest, reaching for her vest on the heap of Yangs clothes.
"It won't be long now."
Another disgruntled moan came from Ruby, who still had her arm over her face. Blake couldn't help but smile at her innocence, and as she fastened the final button she began a brief search for her shorts. Ruby responded to her reassurances with a typically depressed outlook. She always managed to see the bad side of things.
"I can't do anything I want to do and it sucks big-time." She pouted beneath her arm and moved it an inch to see if the coast was clear. Upon catching sight of her teammate pulling her skirt down she quickly snapped her head straight and swallowed her nerves. It wasn't until she took a second to think about it that she realized how silly she was being. Blake was changing here because Weiss was in the bathroom, but then how did she know? Weiss had left before Blake came in, and she wasn't making any sounds. She wanted to ask her teammate about it, but the click of a door opening to her right beat her to it. There was a second between the footsteps and the voice, but Ruby could picture it already.
"What are you doing? Don't you have any concern for privacy?!" Weiss's voice was higher pitched than usual, a sure sign that she was flustered. If Ruby had to guess she would say that Weiss had seen Blake changing and Ruby with her arm across her eyes, and had probably gotten the wrong idea. Blakes reply was casual as ever, like this happens all the time.
"Oh, you mean for the girl with her vision obscured by her own arm? No, I don't. You were in the bathroom and I didn't want to disturb you."
"Couldn't you just wait?! I don't want you traumatizing our leader any more than she is already!"
Weiss wasn't quite angry but the irritation was obvious.
"I highly doubt that Ruby will be mentally scarred by seeing someone change clothes in front of her."
The indifference in Blakes voice seemed to leave the heiress lost for words, and she could only stand at the doorway with a glare on her face. Blake pulled up the zip on her shorts and flung her hair out from under her vest, methodically folding her uniform into a pile which she placed neatly beside Yangs untidy mess.
"You can look now Ruby, I've finished changing."
Ruby blinked at the light that flooded her eyes, managing to make out Weiss's icy stare being completely ignored by Blake, and although she was hoping for action this wasn't quite what she had in mind.
She was infinitely glad that the hostility between the two girls faded into the background and eventually wasted away without further arguments. Blake retired to her bed and burying her nose into another book while Weiss left for her combat class, leaving Ruby to find herself in the wilderness that was boredom. She blew a raspberry through her lips and drummed her hands on her book, glancing around the room for something - anything to do.
Her eyes quickly settled on the quietly reading girl to her left, one hand holding the book at the bottom of the spine while the other idly trailed through her hair. Ruby pouted, debating with herself if she should bother Blake while she was in her element. It would be really rude of her to interrupt her teammate during her own time and she had to be considerate of others. But she was so bored. Another minute passed silently, neither of the girls moving at all until Ruby made her decision.
Blake turned a page and shifted her position to straighten her back against the pillow, resting her hand on her knee for easier reading. She was aware of the fidgety movements of the girl beside her and kept one eye half in that direction, expecting a conversation starter at any minute.
"Blake?" Rubys voice was quiet, she was obviously unsure of herself. Without breaking her concentration Blake flipped another page, raising an eyebrow slightly in acknowledgement.
"Mhm?"
"What's it like being partners with Yang?"
Well, that was a question she didn't expect.
Blake turned her head to look at her leader, whose silver eyes were sparkling a little. She took a second to consider her answer, questioning just why Ruby had asked in the first place.
"It's different." Ruby giggled, a smile creeping onto Blakes face as she spoke. "She can be very intrusive and loud as I'm sure you know, and although it would be nice to have to only say 'No' once, I can't complain. She's a very kind person and her heart is in the right place, and there are certainly worse people to be partnered with."
There was a silent implication there, but she doubted that Ruby would catch it. The grin on the young girls face was borderline infectious, hearing praise of her sister no doubt lifting her spirits to new heights. Blake struggled to keep her own face devoid of happiness, but she allowed a smirk to tug at the edges of her mouth.
"Why do you ask?"
Rubys eyes faded a little in intensity as her eyebrows sunk into a worried frown. Blake closed her book, deciding rightly to give this her full attention.
"She got into another fight again today..."
"Mhm. I know. I was there."
Ruby perked up in surprise, eyes wide.
"You were?"
Blake nodded, recalling the scene in her head with a guilty pleasure. She probably shouldn't have silently encouraged Yang to beat up the poor boy even more, but seeing her fired up was incredible and he most likely deserved it.
"What happened?" Ruby asked, the curiosity running rampant through both her voice and her body language. Blake shook her head in dismissal, mindful of her choice of words.
"Nothing you haven't seen before. Yangs hair was at stake and someone paid for it. I was going to wait for her after Goodwitch was finished but she insisted I came to stay with you. I'm not one to argue pointlessly so I left. She'll probably be fine. We all had the same class, Yang, Weiss and I but while Weiss left immediately I followed her pretty quickly."
Ruby nodded as she pieced it together, now understanding the answer to her previous question with a clarity that made her feel stupid for not doing it sooner.
'What's not fine is her refusal to tell me anything. She's been rejecting me ever since her meeting with Ozpin and I can't help but feel like he has something to do with it. It hurts me to admit that I feel like it's my fault. I'm sorry.'
As much as she wanted to say things out loud, she still wasn't sure of how much Ruby actually knew and she couldn't take that chance. Her leaders face faltered at the realization she wasn't going to learn anything more from Blake and she slumped back into her pillow in defeat. Blake tried to lighten her up a little, tinting her voice with understated mirth.
"How are you feeling, besides your boredom?"
Ruby pulled a sheet of paper out from her pad and slotted it somewhere else, lazily fidgeting with whatever she had to hand. Her voice was low and unmistakably disinterested, although Blake could see that beneath her exterior she was just tired of her physical condition.
"Fine, I guess. Leg doesn't hurt as much as it used to and I haven't had any sharp pains in a while."
Blake forced a smile, but Ruby didn't turn her head to see it.
"I'm glad to hear that. When you feel up to it, I might give you some advice on being sneaky."
It was an odd thing to say given the circumstances, but Blake wanted to give Ruby at least something to look forward to when she recovered. Silver eyes widened in anticipation and the familiar excitement returned somewhat, Ruby sat herself up slowly and bunched her hands together, grin reaching from ear to ear.
"Ohmygoshreally? That would be so cool! I've always wanted to sneak up on people and not be seen will you really teach me how do all that!?"
Blake laughed a little at Rubys enthusiasm and retrieved her book.
"Not all at once, but I'll show you the basics. You might owe me a favour in future though."
She gave a sly wink at her leader and turned her attention back to her reading, leaving Ruby to jitter in her seat at the prospect of being tutored by her teammate on the art of stealth and remaining unseen.
Yang returned well before Weiss and kept her interactions with Blake to a minimum, refusing to speak to her at all until Ruby forcefully brought them together. Blakes concerns only grew from there, and she resolved more than ever to find out what had been said but more importantly to earn back Yangs trust. If indeed she had lost it in the first place, or even if she had it to begin with. The sisters had shared Yangs laughter as she told Ruby exactly what she did to the boy who tried to harm her hair and told her not to worry, as Goodwitch had only warned her to keep her self-defense out of the sight of prying eyes.
Blake could only watch and wait on the sidelines, trying to suppress the building worry that settled in her stomach. It had gone quiet over the past few days.
Too quiet.