Chapter Text
Ruby and Whitley treaded through the cold forest, Ruby was able to rescue him from the invasion in Atlas. Unfortunately, Ruby and Whitley got separated from their teammates and family members respectively and now they have to find them.
“So Miss Ruby Rose?” Whitley said while trying to appear formal even in the more rugged environment.
“You can call me Ruby, I'm not really sophisticated.” Ruby chimed trying not to sound flirtatious.
“So Ruby, if you don't mind me asking why did you decided to become a huntress? I hope it's not because you're uh... poor or not wealthy.” Whitley blushed, he actually found her ripped stockings to be kinda cute for some estranged reason.
“What?” Ruby wanted to call him out on his comment but figured since he has the same father as Weiss he's probably just awkward. “The reasons why I decided to be a huntress is because my mother was a huntress and I love hearing the tales of heroes battling and defeating the monsters.”
“I see. Well you were very brave and strong.” Whitley wanted to woo her but wasn't sure how, he usually knew how to make friends instantly but with this rose he wasn't sure what to do.
“Thanks, Whitley.” Ruby noticed Whitley's eyes fidgeting side-to-side. He could have been just worried about Grimm possibly attacking. “I think you are very strong as well. You stood up for me when the elite members called me terrible things before the invasion.”
“I don't like seeing the innocent suffer.” Whitley said in a confident tone – but he has witnessed his sisters and mother getting verbally abused by his father and did nothing. That killed him inside.
The sun was setting, Whitley checked his scroll and there was still no reception. “Perhaps we should find shelter, I thought I saw a dilapidated house around here when we were on that hill.”
“Then we will go there.” Ruby turned to him. “So where was it again?”
“It was amongst a garden of ferns.” Whitley lead the way.
“Well that's keen observation there.” Ruby giggled. “And you seem to know a lot about greenery for someone who is usually indoors.”
“Excuse me, Miss Presumptuous.” Whitley smirked.
“You were the one who did it first, saying I'm poor or not rich.” Ruby nudged him.
“I'm very sorry,” Whitley broke his smile. “If it's any consolation I grew up very lonely.”
“You had your sisters, though, didn't you?” Ruby said thinking of Weiss – she never talked about her brother much.
“There was a time when we would play and talk with each other. The older we got the more distant we were, I didn't want to end up like my sisters or mother so I taught myself to be more like my father, even if he wasn't very nice at times.” Whitley sighed. “And the friends I had at school – they were just people I would talk to” Whitley then smiled. “But I'm sure you don't want to hear the superficial woes of a rich lad such as myself.”
“Problems are still problems.” Ruby placed her hand on his shoulder. “And if you want friends you can always try to earn someone's trust first then tell them about what's on your mind. I think you're pretty alright, you just need to be less... I don't know. Smug?”
“Less smug?” Whitley held onto her hand. “I think I can do that.” The two locked eyes, his cerulean with hers silver. Whitley was entranced in them, they were round and full of life. “Your eyes, I read about silver-eyed warriors, are there anyone else that has eyes like yours?”
“Not that I know of.” Ruby said innocently. She knew who and what she was, but she didn't like to think about the weight of the world on her shoulders, she had her duties and she had to do them, and that is all she thought about – until now. “I just live life knowing what I know.”
“Hmm I can understand that. Now let's hurry and find shelter, the sun is about to set.”
Inside the house was an old table adorned with a tablecloth with faded floral designs with a few chairs and a fireplace with a log pile a few feet away.
“We should try to cook us something.” Ruby collected the logs and threw them in the fireplace.
Whiltey grabbed a lighter from his vest pocket. “Here.”
Ruby brought out her Crescent Rose and fired at the logs causing Whitley to shriek. A fire was starting to brew.
“You're really making me look useless here.” Whitley said awkwardly.
“Aww don't say that.” Ruby giggled. “If you want you can collect the wheat and some vegetables from outside. I'll see if I can find some pots and cook us a stew.”
“Sounds like a great idea.” Whitley nodded, he strutted towards the door only to glance back at Ruby who was looking aimlessly though the kitchen. She glanced at him, embarrassed Whitley continued to go outside.
It was sunset, the cold air was seeping into the house. Ruby could feel it despite being near the fireplace. She stirred the stew in the pot over the fireplace. “Are you cold?” Ruby asked.
“I'm a Schnee, we don't get cold very easily.” Whitley said smugly, he thought of how lovely it would be to share the cloak with her – but didn't wanted to be forward by suggesting so.
“This won't be like Klein's cooking but I hope it will alright.” Ruby poured the stew in the ceramic bowl.
“I'm sure it will suffice.” Whitley smiled then took a sip. “It's actually not bad.”
“Really?” Ruby poured in some for herself.
“Well to be honest I'm so hungry I could eat anything. How's that for being less smug?” Whitley laughed nervously.
“Hey, at least you were being honest.” Ruby smiled. “My Dad is like that. He can be brutally honest but he does it out of love so it's all good.”
“Brutally honest? My father can be brutally honest as well. I don't think he says hurtful things to be hurtful though. He cares about his family, he just has a funny way of showing it.”
“By shutting out his emotions and being mean?” Ruby took a sip of her stew.
“My family has been targeted ever since my grandfather became successful. They are jealous of our family's success, my father would say. The White Fang are constantly after us, he has to bribe the PR to make us sound like the good guys, he protects my mother and my sisters from being huntresses – or at least tried to.” Whitley took another sip of his stew.
“I guess that means he cares but everyone is entitled to freedom.” Ruby finished up her stew.
“Well everyone should be, Winter would say otherwise. She chose General Ironwood's control over my father's. I always disliked her attitude and going against the family, but I couldn't help but to envy her strength. And Weiss's too.” Whitley paused. “Anyway, tell me more about your father.”
“Well he's strong yet compassionate. He always cared about Yang and I. He can be really funny too.” Ruby chuckled. “Once in a while he will make a pun or two.”
“That's neat. How about your mother? What is she like?”
Ruby sighed. “I unfortunately don't remember her. I was told that she was kind, everyone loved her.”
“I see, I'm sorry.” Whitley finished his stew, placed the bowl down and held onto her hand. “When my grandfather died my mother, sisters, even my father was upset. I don't remember him much but my sisters did. One day we were playing outside on a snowy night and we looked up to the sky, Weiss pointed to the big red star and said, There's Grandpa. When I asked her what she meant she simply said that when people die their souls become one with the sky.”
“Yeah,” Ruby looked out the window. “I heard something like that before. I wanted to believe that my mom is looking down on me, guiding me.”
Whitley saw Ruby's saddened expression. “We can only guide ourselves. That's what I taught myself anyway.”
“Well I can guide you.” Ruby squeezed his hand. “You just have to trust me.”
Whitley leaned in closer. “I hope you will forgive me but...”
Ruby pulled her cape over him and giggled as she pressed herself against him. “You look cold, fidgeting and all so I figured I would share my cape.”
“I was actually going to ask you, have you ever – uhh had a suitor of some sort?” Whitley gingerly brushed the hair off her cheek.
“You mean a boyfriend? No, not really.” Ruby blinked, fluttering her eyelashes. “How about you? Have you ever been in love before?”
“I have not.” Whitley wrapped his arm around Ruby. But I think I have finally found love. Whitley couldn't bring himself to say those words, he usually was so charming and eloquent around girls but this Ruby Rose – the very first person – made him doubt his worthiness.
“Do you think you'll find someone when you return home?” Ruby asked.
“I hope not.” Whitley stammered. “I mean, my father might arrange someone for me but I would feel so bad for the girl.”
“Well you can always say no.” Ruby chimed.
“True,” Whitley heart raced. “I need to lie down. You don't have to be next to me if you don't...”
“It's fine,” Ruby assured as they both slowly descended to the floor, lying next to each other holding each other's hand underneath the cloak. “Do you have a favorite fairy tale?”
“Hmm,” Whitley tried to recall stories his grandfather would recite to him and his sisters, but he couldn't quite recall, and he can only remember his mother's lullabies. For a while Klein would read to him and Weiss bedtime stories, then when his parents fought he requested not to hear of the fictional heroic deeds and false happy endings. “Well I actually like the one with the girl in the tower, she was locked up until she escaped. Later on she found a prince and they ruled a kingdom and lived happily ever after.” For the first time Whitley disliked being a Schnee, his blush was quite obvious with his pale skin.
“I like that one too.” Ruby grasped onto Whitley's hand tighter. “Let me tell you the tales of my team.”
“Sounds like stories I would enjoy.” Whitley wasn't sure what to think of this huntress, he only said that hunting was barbaric to please father and to spite his sisters but Ruby might have changed his perspective on things. “Please tell me how you all met, the adventures, and the grimm you fought.”
“Of course...” Ruby smiled as she recited the tales of Team RWBY under the moonlight next to her new friend. The gusts of snow howled outside but one red rose withstood the cold in the white meadow.