#hhhhhng *tries to get over my phobia of posting anything less than 1k*

[coconurt]

WOOOOO MISSING SCENE TIME!! Wow, I haven't written anything since august, bout time, huh?

Yes, yes I very much know this is how it starts: I watch a new show, I lose my mind a little bit, I write a little drabble, and it's all over for me for 6 to 9 business months /pos

ANYWAY! VOL 9 BRAINROT, BABYYY >:D

(spoilers for rwby vol 9. obvi)

~~~

When the dam burst, it burst catastrophically.

Ugly words poured out in a torrent, aimed like bullets straight for her teammates. At the time, it had felt… well, not good, exactly. More like release.

"No time, right? Gotta get home. Gotta help Jaune. Gotta find someone who isn't just going to screw everything up."

When Weiss shrank back, she turned her anger on her sister. On her sister's partner.

"Gotta stay positive, right? Smiles all around!" She advanced on them, slowly, and Yang placed herself protectively in front of Blake. On literally any other day, that small action would've broken her heart. Not then, though.

Right then, she didn't care.

"Maybe even finally get our feelings sorted out." Something like a corrupted sort of jealousy surged in her chest. "Good for you, by the way—we're all

so

happy

for you."

"Hey," Yang had warned, her voice sharp. But Ruby had already moved on.

She made the mistake of bringing a grieving Jaune into it, then. He lashed out. Struck the killing blow, blamed her for the five of them getting stuck there, and that was it. There was no more for her to say.

She was empty. Empty of momentum, empty of words, empty of hope. Empty of everything except the overwhelming hurt threatening to tear her apart in front of everyone she loved.

So she left.

~~~

This leg of their journey had been quiet, which was a nice change of pace.

Sort of.

Good in the sense that it gave the five of them a well-deserved rest. Bad that it gave Ruby plenty of time to think about things.

About everything.

Something she really did not want to do.

And it must've shown on her face, because—

"Out with it, Rubes."

Yang's voice startled her out of her thoughts. She whipped her head to the side just in time to catch the tail end of the Look (patent pending) her sister was giving her right before she turned her attention back to the road in front of them.

She blinked, feeling like a deer that had just been spotted by a hound. Her mouth felt oddly dry, all of a sudden.

"G- uh. Out with… what?"

Yang shot her a second, even less impressed look. "Come on. I can tell when you've got something you want to say. You've been fidgety all day and silent for the last couple miles. So out with it."

Her stomach plunged, and an icy feeling spread through her chest. Biting her lip, she worried the edge of her cowl between two fingers. Now or never, she guessed. Might as well take advantage of the moment of quiet while it lasted.

They wouldn't be mad at her for bringing it up, right...?

"Well, I… I've been thinking… about the thing… about what I said. The… I just… I didn't mean it, any of it… I was just…"

"Deeep breath," Yang drawled. "Start over."

Blake peeked around Yang from where she walked on the blonde's other side. "It's okay, Ruby. Take your time." Her face held nothing but kind concern. "You know you can talk to us about anything, right?"

Ah. There that was again. She'd been hearing that a lot after their escape from the Ever After. She knew they were just trying to help. Turn over a new leaf, take some of the burden of everything off her shoulders instead of letting her carry it alone. It was sweet, but… it was taking a bit of getting used to.

Ruby released the breath that had gotten lodged in her chest. She closed her eyes, did as Yang asked, then reopened them and turned to face the other two.

"I didn't mean what I said. Back at the paper village. I'm sorry."

Blake got it right away. Her ears drooped with sad sympathy. "Ruby—" she started.

Yang gave her a strange look, just for a moment. She tilted her head, then realization dawned in her eyes.

"Ruby no, you— don't apologize. We put way too much pressure on you, and—"

"—you were just venting…"

She held up a hand to stop them. "Maybe. But it wasn't fair to bring you two," she gestured to their clasped hands, "into it. You make great partners, and you're gonna make a great couple, too."

We are happy for you. All of us. I'm happy for you." She offered them a small smile, hoping it was enough. "I mean it, this time."

Yang returned the smile and opened her mouth to say something, but Blake suddenly ducked in front of her and lunged toward Ruby, wrapping her into a tight hug. Ruby caught her with a small oof. Yang wasted no time piling on, easily enveloping the both of them.

Ruby almost melted into the embrace. Tears pricked her eyes. "Does this mean… we're good?"

They only hugged her tighter, and that was all the answer she needed.