A/N: For those who are enjoying my fanfiction, I hope you enjoy this next update.

I would like to make the disclaimer that Ruby is in her early twenties, Ozpin is in his late thirties, ergo, there are no legal or age-based moral issues with the relationship.

And to my apparent, avid reader Natural Born Flamer, I appreciate your opinion, and I would like to thank you for sparking my motivation to write this story even more. Again, I bid you to have a nice life.

Without further ado, chapter three.

Chapter Three

|Ruby Rose|

She thought things would go back to normal between them, but it had been two nights since Ozpin had found her outside the compound and comforted her. She hadn't seen nor heard from him in two days, and she was no longer hurt, she was angry.

Her anger was made worse by the continued whispers as she walked down the hallway.

"I heard her and Ozpin were together."

"Maybe that's why she gets special treatment."

"But they did fight in the war together. Of course they'll be close."

For every person that didn't condemn her and Ozpin being together, there were two others ready to shame one or both of them. Her patience had been stripped away yesterday whenever an older huntsmen pulled her to the side and tried lecturing her of inappropriate relations.

"I'm just going to come out and say what a lot of us have been thinking…You're very talented, but if you keep up these relations with Ozpin, your career will be destroyed. No one will take you serious—"

Her reaction, in retrospect, had been less than ideal. She had snapped, yanking her wrist away from the older man. "It's amazing to me that no one in this compound can figure it out," she started quietly but every word gained in volume, until eventually she gathered a small crowd of people. "Ozpin and I fought side by side in the war. We both watched people we cared about die. I watched my own sister and father, brutally killed. And you want to condemn me for what? A hug? For giving a damn about a man? If this is what all of you want to fixate on, instead of the Grimm massacring whole villages and towns, then I'm beginning to understand why so many have left our ranks."

By the time she had finished her impromptu speech, her voice had raised a couple octaves and she was glaring at a group of ten people. Some looked impressed, but the majority had scowls of disbelief and disagreement.

"This is why your reputation precedes you—because you're childish and reckless and refuse to acknowledge rank and formality. The only thing you're good at is eliminating Grimm—and when is the last time you've done that?" The older man scoffed and was mimicked by a few of his apparent followers. "You're as bad as your alcoholic uncle—"

In that moment, Ruby almost lost every ounce of control she was holding onto, and if it were not for the sudden appearance of Qrow, she may well have drawn Crescent Rose. "What's this I hear about an alcoholic?" Qrow asked, sauntering in between Ruby and the grey-haired man. "Surely you aren't wishing to duel either myself or Ruby, old man?"

The older man's scowl deepened but he remained silent, dismissing himself and his followers with a derisive snort.

Qrow had guided her away, convincing her to lay low for the rest of the day. Now Ruby was impatient and pacing the small space between her bed and closet.

She needed to go on a mission; she needed away from the compound and the beseeching looks directed at her, so with a sigh she pulled her hood over her head and left her bedroom.

She knew exactly where she would find him, and she didn't hesitate to cross the compound despite the whispers. As she neared the room she knew was his, she felt a tendril of doubt wedge into her heart before she knocked hard against the old wood.

The door swung open to reveal Ozpin, hair dripping from a recent shower while his glasses were fogged from steam. He was fully clothed, so Ruby didn't wait to step into his bedroom. He closed the door behind her slowly, his lips downturned as he studied her curiously. "Is everything alright?" he asked carefully, as though dealing with an enraged animal.

"I need a mission," she said bluntly, crossing her arms and standing with her hip pushed to one side.

"Why? The doctor said you weren't cleared for another week."

She made a careless gesture and offered an aggravated sigh. "Because I'm tired of hiding in my room to avoid the whispers. I'm tired of being looked at like a fucking mutant for having nightmares, and for—" she broke off what she was going to say and took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. "I need a mission," she repeated finally.

"Ruby, you just got out of surgery a week ago."

"It was a small surgery," she protested petulantly. To be fair, it really was a small surgery. The doctor only needed to remove some shrapnel embedded in her back. The two week bedrest period was ridiculous! "Send me on a recon mission. Or send me with Qrow—he mentioned you were sending him to a village tomorrow."

"Why do you think the doctor demands so much bedrest?" Ozpin asked, turning on her with the first tendrils of anger swirling in his melted, hazelnut gaze.

Ruby shrugged and studied the man she loved as he wrestled with the words he wanted and she puzzled over his anger and exasperation.

"It's because that's the only time you stay at the compound. As soon as you get back from one mission, you request another, and another, and another—even if you're hurt. Even if you almost died."

Ruby swallowed and studied the floor, his words bouncing around in her skull. He didn't understand; he was needed. There was no question of his worth, and even in the face of their "illegitimate relations," no one scorned him. Ruby was one of the youngest huntresses in the ranks, and despite everything she did during the war, any wrong move she made now would mark her record more boldly than anything right that she did before. It didn't help her professional record that most of her missions were "off the record," due to their oftentimes treasonous nature. It certainly didn't help that the only ones that knew where she was most of the time were Ozpin, Qrow, and the doctors.

And almost everyone she loved was dead. The only ones she truly loved that were still around were Qrow and Ozpin, and Qrow was on missions about as often as she was. If Ozpin continued pushing her away, then there was no one tethering her to the compound.

"Give me a reason to stay," she said quietly, shaky fingers raising to push her hood back. "Give me a reason to face everyone out there."