#// i will drag this slowburn out until you physically manifest in my house to kill me.

[metalpetals-a]

come get some kisses | 2 out of 3 !!

@wintersrapier​ said :  spare kiss??

“ Weiss? ”

Despite the fact that she’d no less than a minute ago furiously shushshushshush’ed!!  everyone out in the hallway celebrating their victory a little too loudly,  Ruby flounders in the silence of the darkened guest room.  Her hands rise to her chest as she tilts her head,  trying to peek through the dim moonlight as her eyes adjust to try and make out any glimmer of white,  any flash of movement.  

Nothing.  A silent breath escapes her as her hands drop,  and she’s not sure whether she’s disappointed or relieved to receive no answer.

With more care than she’s possibly ever shown in all the time they’d lived together at Beacon,  Ruby shuts the door behind her slowly and quietly,  wincing at even the slightest click it makes.  Her footsteps are equally cautious against the floorboards.  But...instead of climbing into her own bed,  its siren call nearly overwhelming after the battle and the chaos of the night,  she finds herself lingering near the one beside it instead. 

She’s never really taken the time to study Weiss’s profile as she sleeps.  It’s not as if she’s ever had a reason to,  after all,  and she almost wants to say that if her partner were to open her eyes and catch her staring now,  she’d never hear the end of it.  But that’s not necessarily true,  is it?  Weiss is...different than she remembers her.  They all are,  but her best friend especially is soft sweetness where there once had been hard edges.  

Or had there been?  Ruby’s head cocks slightly in the moonlight,  her expression marred with conflict and so faraway as she watches the rise and fall of her partner’s chest,  each movement a small balm to her frayed nerves,  a small promise in itself.  It’s hard to think of Weiss,  even the prickly version of her that she’d once met,  as anything but misunderstood now.  It’s even harder to think that mere hours ago,  she’d nearly...she’d nearly lo... 

A sniffle breaks through the silence of the room,  and it’s only then that Ruby realizes she’s even been crying. 

She reaches up to wipe harshly at her face,  lacking the same gentleness she’d held earlier when rushing to Weiss’s side.  As soft as her partner is now...she probably won’t be too happy if she opens her eyes and finds her standing there crying like a total weirdo,  huh?  The thought puts a small,  miserable smile on Ruby’s mouth as she takes one last glance at her,  trying to replace the memory of her bleeding,  dying,  in pain---  with...with this instead. 

Exhaustion slows her movements as she leans down,  letting instinct guide her as she lightly and clumsily tugs at Weiss’s blanket to readjust it over her.  Like Yang always does when she’s sick  ---  the attention always more comforting to her than the actual motion.  But...  Ruby pauses there,  hovering,  her tiny breaths uneven as she still struggles to ignore the burning in her eyes. 

The seconds seem to stretch on.  And then carefully,  with a tenderness few have ever even thought her capable of,  she leans down and presses a gentle kiss to Weiss’s forehead.  “ Thanks for being okay, ”  she mumbles so quietly she almost doesn’t even hear herself.  The words are tinged with a fear she’ll never admit to Weiss when awake,  but...they’re tinged with unspeakable gratitude as well.  

She doesn’t know what tomorrow will bring,  but as long as Team RWBY can face it together...  The rising sun doesn’t seem so scary anymore.