Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When Cinder Fall came to, she felt the searing ache in her left shoulder, her Grimm arm was gone.

The memories came rushing back like wildfire: Salem's downfall, Ruby Rose's unrelenting will, and her own moment of clarity.

She had seen it in Ruby’s eyes the determination to end it, not out of hatred, but hope.
Salem was going to lose.
Cinder realized, far too late, that she'd never been more than a pawn in someone else's game. And she refused to die as one.

In a final act of rebellion, she tore the Grimm corruption from her body with sheer force and seared the wound shut with her semblance her molten aura blistering the pain into numbness.

She collapsed, not just from exhaustion, but from the weight of a life burnt to ash, of all the lives she had ruined of the life she had wasted
Cinder Fall was dead.
In her place stood Sienna Vire — a name chosen not out of vanity, but out of necessity and resolve. A ghost of a former villain, now intent on quietly living a life that had once been denied to her. A life of her own choosing.

She arrived at a modest town on the edges of Mistral small, peaceful, untouched by the wreckage of war. Her credentials as a Huntress were... improvised.

She had hacked into what remained of Mistral’s CCT database and added herself in as a “retired veteran of the Fall of Vale.” Nothing flashy just enough to buy land and settle in peace.
She stopped at a wide, grassy clearing just beyond the village, a gentle breeze stirring the cherry blossoms on the nearby hill.
For the first time in years, she smiled not with malice or triumph, but with genuine warmth.

Using her semblance, she summoned a translucent, gleaming axe of hardened glass and began to cut down trees.

The work was fast but deliberate. Logs stacked, beams raised, and stone shaped. Within days, a cozy cottage stood nestled among the trees, as if it had always been there.

Later, she wandered the town, cloaked in a dark red mantle, her mechanical arm glinting faintly beneath the fabric. She was met with kind smiles and curious glances, not suspicion or fear.

It shocked her, how these people, even after all that had happened with the Grimm and Salem, still knew how to laugh and hope.
That’s when she saw it, an old, abandoned storefront. The sign in the dusty window read:
“FOR SALE — 1,000 Lien.”

Sienna’s lips curled into the first real smile she’d felt in years. Not a smirk. Not a sneer. Just... contentment. She knew exactly what she was going to do. She had a plan. She had a future.

Time Skip — One Year Later

The town of Fubasa had blossomed — literally. Cherry trees bloomed along every street, their petals swirling in the breeze like falling embers. Laughter echoed in the alleyways, and children played without fear.

Where once stood a quiet, crumbling building was now a bakery with polished wooden trim and red-gold signage that read:
“Ash & Ember.”

There was a line out the door nearly every day — villagers, travelers, and even other retired Huntsmen, all eager for the bakery’s famed fire-dusted scones and glass-glazed tarts.

Inside, behind the counter, stood a woman with sleek black hair and golden eyes, dressed in a simple apron over a black tunic.

A faint scar still traced the side of her face, softened by time and healing. Her left arm a graceful, functional prosthetic moved deftly as she served customers with calm efficiency.

She used her semblance not only to bake but to work the counter simultaneously. It was like magic.

The Grimm hadn’t disappeared, but had returned to being part of nature, a force like any other wild animal. Still, it was certain that Fubasa wouldn’t be seeing any of them. It was a happy town.

And if anyone did come looking to cause trouble...
Well, it was a good thing Sienna was here.

Chapter Text

Fame was a thing that Ruby Rose was, unfortunately, becoming familiar with.

She remembered how she got to this point. She had been fighting Salem for what felt like forever until Cinder Fall jumped in and surprised Salem long enough for Ruby to unleash a silver eye beam straight to her face.
Then Crescent Rose came up and slashed through her waist.
All was silent until Salem smiled and said,
“Thank you,” and crumpled away into the wind.

All around, the Grimm were scattering and running away, realizing this wasn’t a battle they could win.
Ruby smiled and turned to thank Cinder for her help, but stopped when she saw Cinder collapsed on the ground like a marionette with her strings cut. Ruby kneeled and placed two fingers on her neck, feeling.

There wasn’t anything… she thought until she felt a faint bump. It was weak, but it was there.

Cinder Fall was alive.
But it might have been better to say she had died.
Even though Cinder had helped her in the end, people wouldn’t forgive her. Ruby looked around and found Salem's discarded black cloak. She wrapped it around Cinder to keep her warm, then used her semblance to dash out of the castle and into the front, where everyone else was.

Then everything changed.
She went from just being Ruby Rose, leader of Team RWBY, to Ruby Rose, savior of Remnant. She had gone to Oscar to ask if he could get any advice from Ozpin on how to deal with fame, only to discover Ozpin had vanished.

Oscar told her that, in a moment during the battle before the Grimm fled, Ozpin had simply disappeared. Ruby theorized that maybe, when she killed Salem, Ozpin had left too.

With the guy who had thousands of years of experience now gone, she turned to the only person she knew who could handle fame. Weiss.

Weiss had been happy to help, anything to make her “not seem like a dolt to the public but still be herself.” As Weiss helped her, and she gradually got better at handling this fame thing, something she had been ignoring during the whole “must stop Salem” mission began creeping up again.

She was beginning to feel things.
When Weiss said specific things or touched her in certain ways, Ruby knew what it meant: her crush had returned.

Now, with Salem gone, Ruby knew she should ask Weiss out. But with no dating experience, she didn’t want to ruin their friendship. So she went to Yang for help.

Yang had listened to her explanation and then proceeded to laugh so hard she fell off her chair. After picking herself up, she promised to help. Basically, she told Ruby that Weiss was busy fixing up her company, so just give her time and be a good friend.
Ruby could do that.

So as she traveled around Remnant, helping people, fighting Grimm, taking down bandits, and cleaning up rogue White Fang members, Blake hadn’t gotten around to it as she was very busy adjusting to being chieftain of Menagerie.
She made sure to talk to Weiss, helping her sound out business strategies and all kinds of things, becoming her rock.

So when she came across an interview while chilling on her scroll back home in Patch, titled “WBY of RWBY: A Couple?”, she nearly choked on her milk. The image showed a happy Blake and Weiss, alongside a very guilty-looking Yang.

Ruby stared at Yang in the photo and knew the truth.

She was happy for them, even as her heart broke into tiny pieces.
And to think that on that day, Ruby had been planning to visit Weiss and tell her how she felt, finally tired of waiting after five months.

Instead, she moped around the house for a few days until her Uncle Qrow showed up, gave her a present, and left with the sage advice: “It doesn’t get easier, having your heart broken. But this will help.”

Ruby opened the gift to find a flask with her emblem on it.
She laughed and filled it with milk.
That brought Ruby back to the present, out of her memories.

The 18-year-old huntress was at an event celebrating the anniversary of Salem's defeat. She wore a tailored black suit Weiss had helped her pick out. The blazer hugged her figure neatly, its sharp cut accentuating the maturity Ruby had grown into over the past year. Underneath, a crisp white shirt peeked out, perfectly contrasted by a deep red tie.

Just because she couldn’t wear her cloak didn’t mean she couldn’t have red.
Her trousers were just as polished, the crease down the center still sharp even after hours of standing, smiling, and pretending everything was fine.

A simple black belt with a silver buckle cinched her waist. And though the look was formal, clean, and powerful, she couldn’t help but feel like she was wearing a version of armor, not one made of steel or aura, but of stitched fabric and calm expressions.

She ran a hand through her slightly tousled black hair, the red tips catching the light, and glanced out across the crowd. Cameras flashed. People waved. Children wore red capes.
Fame, she thought again, had never been something she asked for.

And yet, here she was, Ruby Rose, savior of Remnant.
But beneath the sharp lines and silk tie was still a girl with a milk-filled flask in her pocket and a heart that hadn’t quite healed.

She stared across the center floor. Blake and Weiss each gave Yang kisses on the cheek. Yang laughed before turning her head, her lilac eyes meeting Ruby's silver. A guilty look filled Yang’s face. Ruby smiled at her, even though it hurt, seeing how happy Weiss was.

She looked away and pulled out her flask, taking a swig before tucking it back into her pocket.

Gods, she thought, I really am like Uncle Qrow now.
It wasn’t just the flask. Though the feel of cool metal in her palm and the familiar weight in her jacket pocket mirrored the same habit Qrow had carried for years, it went deeper than that.

Qrow Branwen had always stood a step behind the spotlight. The sharpest blade in the room, the first to charge into a fight, and the last to be thanked.

She remembered the stories he never told, but that she had pieced together over time how he had loved Summer Rose, her mother, quietly and from a distance, even as she chose Taiyang. How he had stayed with the team, part of it but always slightly apart, a blade that protected but never fully belonged.

A man with a heart too big for the world and too damaged to let it out.

And now here she was smiling through the ache, watching Weiss Schnee kiss someone else while her own heart beat like a cracked bell in her chest.

She had saved the world.
But when the smoke cleared and the Grimm returned to nature, becoming once again a force no one controlled, she hadn’t ended up with the person she loved.

Just like Qrow.
She understood now why he drank, not to forget, but to feel less. Why he always kept moving, because staying still meant facing everything that hurt. And why he rarely talked about love, because the ones he loved never quite loved him back the same way.

Her hand rested over the flask again as if to ground her, then she let it go.
She wasn’t going to spiral, not like he once did.

But she finally understood him.
And that, more than anything, made her feel older than she wanted to be.
Across the floor, Yang still watched her, guilt in her eyes.

Ruby smiled again, small, soft, and distant.
She didn’t blame her sister. Love was messy, unpredictable, and unfair. Ruby just wished she hadn’t hoped for so long.

Still, she squared her shoulders, adjusted her tie, and took another breath.
Because even if she was like Qrow now, flawed, heartbroken, and carrying more than she let on, she would stand tall. She would fight on.

And if she ever loved again… she’d be ready. Even if it hurts.

“Ms. Rose, I have some cookies for you if you would like,” a voice said.
She turned away from Yang to the waiter next to her, who indeed held a tray of cookies.

“Thank you, don’t mind if I do,” she said, picking up a chocolate chip cookie.
She took a small bite, then froze briefly before eating the rest in one go.
She turned back to the waitress and said, “That was so good. You have to tell me where you got it. Have to. Have to.”

The waitress smiled, taken aback by her enthusiasm. “They’re from a rapidly growing bakery in Mistral called Ash & Ember in a town called Fubasa.”
Fubasa, Ruby thought as she thanked the waitress and sent her off.
Ruby had to go.

Chapter Text

Weiss looked out over Vale. The rebuilding was going well, and the SDC had played a big part in it. The last year had been wonderful, and getting together with Blake and Yang made her feel like she was in heaven.

But she wasn’t blind.

She knew that joining the relationship had made Ruby a fourth wheel. She noticed how Yang looked guilty whenever Ruby was around. It took a lot of thinking, but Weiss had finally figured out the reason: Ruby was in love with her.
And Yang had taken her.

Ruby must have confided her feelings in Yang, and Yang had probably given her advice to lay low for a while. That would have been fine — Weiss had had a crush on Ruby too. But then drunk Weiss, drunk Blake, and drunk Yang had thrown those feelings out the window.
Weiss sighed.

She felt bad for Ruby. Honestly, having your own sister steal your first and only crush must have been devastating. But Ruby had always been good at showing strong fronts, so no wonder it had taken Weiss a while to realize what was wrong.

It had been a month since the gala, and Ruby had gone back to Mistral to continue clearing it of Grimm and criminals.
They still talked through their scrolls, but Weiss wished they could speak face to face.

Ruby had always been striking in her own way — the girl with silver eyes and a red cloak, idealistic and brave, and far too selfless for her own good. But that night… that night at the gala… she hadn’t just looked striking.
She looked breathtaking.

The suit had fit her like it was tailored by the gods. Sharp lines. Clean cuts. Professional, mature, and heartbreakingly beautiful. The red tie at her collar shouldn’t have worked, but it did — a perfect accent that kept pulling Weiss’s eyes to her face. Her hair had been just messy enough to still be Ruby, the red-tipped bangs catching the light like embers.

And when she smiled — that tired, quiet smile she gave the crowd, the one that didn’t quite reach her eyes — something inside Weiss cracked open.

She hadn’t expected it to hit her that hard. But seeing Ruby like that, grown and distant, still holding on to hope even through heartache, had made Weiss’s breath catch in her throat.

She remembered watching Ruby across the ballroom floor, a cookie in one hand, the other brushing her lapel like she didn’t quite know what to do with herself. That stupid flask of milk in her pocket, tucked away like some secret comfort — gods, Weiss had wanted to laugh and cry all at once.

Now, alone in her airship above Vale, she pressed a hand over her heart. The memory was still too vivid.
What is wrong with you? she thought bitterly. You have Blake. You have Yang. You’re in love — or you’re supposed to be. So why do you still want more?

And worse: I blew it with Ruby the moment I said yes to being part of this throuple.
She did know one thing.
She wished that when Ruby next came to Vale, she would have someone who could love her just for her.

Someone who wouldn’t love anyone else.

Someone who wasn’t greedy for more.

Someone who wasn’t Weiss.

Chapter Text

- Ash & Ember
The bakery was quiet.
Golden light pooled across the checkered floor, and the hum of the ovens had settled into a low, comforting rhythm.

Thirty minutes before closing, and Sienna leaned against the counter, absently wiping her hands on a flour-dusted apron. The smell of cinnamon, vanilla, and warmth clung to the air like a blanket.

Business had been steady today, but peaceful. Almost too peaceful.
She looked out the wide front window, watching the last of the sun dip behind the hills.

A breeze scattered a few petals across the street, and for a moment, her thoughts drifted—back to battles fought, to the chaos she had once known, to the blood she thought she’d never wash from her hands.

She’d found peace here. Or at least something close to it. The ghosts still followed her, but they were quieter now.
Ding!
The door slammed open in a flash of crimson blur and swirling petals.
“Sorry! I hope you’re not closed!”

Sienna blinked, once, then again, as the dust settled and the blur resolved into a figure. A tall young woman stood there, chest rising with exertion, silver eyes catching the fading light.
Red cloak flaring behind her like a battle flag. Combat corset over black and crimson gear. Crescent Rose folded across her back.
And that same, unmistakable smile.

Sienna chuckled, wiping her hands again and straightening. “You just made it.”
Ruby Rose grinned, brushing wind-tossed hair back from her face. “Great! Because I’ve been craving those cinnamon swirl cookies all day.”
Her voice was breathless but genuine, like someone who had sprinted a mile and still managed to sound excited about baked goods.

She stepped inside, boots thudding lightly on the floor, and let the door swing closed behind her with a soft click.
The bakery suddenly felt warmer.
Ruby glanced at the baker, meaning only to smile politely, but something about her made her pause.
Wow.

She was tall, effortlessly confident, with dark eyes that looked like they had seen things — but not in a way that weighed her down. Her hair was tied up, though a few strands had fallen loose, brushing against her cheek. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, revealing toned, scarred forearms, and the flour on her apron did little to hide how striking she was. Strong. Calm. Dangerous, maybe — but not in the way Ruby wanted to run from.
She wanted to stare. And she did, just a little too long.

Then—
“You gonna buy something,” Sienna asked with a smirk, “or just feast on me with your eyes?”
Ruby jumped like she’d been electrocuted.
“I—what? N-No! I mean—of course,” she stammered, the tips of her ears turning red. “D-Do you have any chocolate chip sea salt cookies?”

Damn, she thought. She’d been so nervous about getting caught that she hadn’t even asked for the cookies she meant to.

The baker smiled and reached down into the display case, unintentionally making herself even more attractive to Ruby’s wandering eyes.
When she straightened, she held a small box in her hands. “That’ll be $3.55.”

Ruby fumbled in her pouch and handed over the money, avoiding eye contact like it might kill her. As she turned to leave, she heard the baker’s voice again.
“Miss Rose,” Sienna called out smoothly, “if you truly want to get to know me better, you could wait until my shift ends in twenty minutes. We could go talk at the bar.”

Ruby froze mid-step. Her brain went blank.
“…Okay,” she squeaked, fidgeting rapidly.
Exactly twenty minutes later, Ruby stood by the counter, pretending very hard that she hadn’t been checking the time every fifteen seconds or pacing in nervous circles.
Sienna locked up the bakery and turned to face her.

Ruby quickly straightened and tried to look casual. “You, uh… you can call me Ruby. Most people do.”
The baker nodded. “If that’s what you want, then sure—Ruby.”
Hearing her name said in that voice made something in Ruby’s chest short-circuit. She cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her neck.

“So, uh… I never did ask your name,” she added, mentally cursing herself for sounding awkward.
Sienna smiled and extended her hand. “I’m glad you asked. My name is Sienna. It’s a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Ruby.”
Ruby took the offered hand and shook it quickly. “A pleasure to meet you too, Sienna.”
Sienna held her smile as they walked side by side.

If only you knew this isn’t the first time we’ve met, she thought. I wonder if you’d still be this friendly if you remembered.
But she shook her head, letting the thought drift away like ash on the wind.

There was time for that later.
For now, there was only the night ahead, the bar in the distance—
And the silver-eyed huntress beside her, who was coincidentally gobbling up her cookies before they had even reached the bar.

Chapter Text

The bar was tucked into a quiet corner of Mistral, with warm lighting, worn wooden booths, and the gentle hum of conversation and clinking glasses. It wasn’t crowded, just comfortably full. The kind of place that didn’t ask questions.

Sienna pushed open the door, holding it for Ruby, who ducked inside and immediately took in the cozy scene with wide, curious eyes.
“I expected something louder,” Ruby said as they slid into a booth near the window.

“I don’t do loud anymore,” Sienna replied, setting down the menus. “Besides, this place has the best ginger cocktails in the city. Trust me.”

Ruby grinned. “You had me at ginger.”
They ordered drinks and a plate of spiced fries to share.

For a while, they just talked—easy, unforced. Ruby shared stories from the road: awkward mission partners, a Grimm that sneezed mid-roar, and the time she accidentally scared a merchant into giving her free bread.

Sienna laughed, really laughed, and Ruby felt it in her chest.

“So…” Ruby leaned forward, resting her chin in one hand. “You bake like a goddess, your sarcasm’s top-tier, and you’ve got combat scars. That’s, like… dangerously attractive.”
Sienna raised a brow. “Is that a compliment or a warning?”

“Bit of both,” Ruby shot back, cheeks pink but smiling.

There was a pause. A warm, lingering silence.
Then, casually, Sienna said, “You could stay with me. While you’re in Mistral, I mean. If you want.”

Ruby blinked. “Wait, really?”
“Spare couch, working heat, and I make pancakes on Sundays. Not a bad deal.”
Ruby pretended to think it over. “Hmm… pancakes are a strong bargaining chip.”
Sienna smirked. “And the company?”
Ruby looked at her—really looked—and smiled softly. “Yeah. That too.”

Two months passed like falling leaves.
What began as late-night talks over tea and leftover cookies turned into morning routines shared in silence and laughter.

Ruby’s cloak started appearing on the coat rack. Her boots sat beside Sienna’s by the door.

And the spare couch quickly became her usual spot—even if, more often than not, she’d fall asleep at the kitchen table, nose buried in schematics or scroll messages.

They trained together sometimes. Sienna would correct Ruby’s stance with a hand at her elbow. Ruby would throw flour at her during baking nights. They argued about music. They fell into easy rhythm.

They became friends. Real ones.

For Sienna, that was terrifying in the quietest of ways.

She’d had allies. Acquaintances. Followers, even. But not… this. Not someone who looked at her and didn’t flinch. Someone who didn’t ask for explanations she wasn’t ready to give.
Until tonight.

Sienna walked through her house, then through the glass door, and took a seat on the deck, simply enjoying the view of nature. It didn’t take long for the chair next to her to become occupied.

Sienna didn’t have to look to know who it was—the scent of warm sugar and steel was unmistakable.
Still, she turned her head slightly, and there she was:

Ruby Rose.

Her hair had grown out a bit in the past couple of months, now a loosely styled, mid-length black that curled just enough at the ends to look both wild and carefree. Vivid red highlights kissed the tips, catching the evening light like embers at the edge of a flame.

She wore a new outfit too—sleeker, sharper. A black combat jacket flared around her like a cloak, cinched at the waist with a red belt that mirrored her emblem. Straps lined her pants, and the red cloak still hung behind her like a banner—worn, weathered, and proud.
She looked stronger. Older, somehow. But still Ruby.

Still hers, in that quiet, impossible way.
They sat in silence for a while, just enjoying the view, before Sienna broke it.

“I want to tell you something.”
Ruby turned to look at her, expression open, quiet.

Sienna kept her eyes on the horizon.

“My name wasn’t always Sienna.”
A pause. The breeze stirred the trees.

“There was a time I didn’t have a name. Just a number. A task. A cage.”

She exhaled slowly. “I grew up in a trafficking ring. One of the really nasty ones. They didn't call us by names, only by the rooms we cleaned, the crates we hauled, or the men we were given to. I got the name ‘Cinder’ because I used to sleep by the furnace—it was the only warm place. I was small enough to fit behind the fuel drums.”

Her voice didn’t crack. But it dropped low, like she was speaking to the shadows.

“Eventually, someone bought me. A rich woman from Atlas. Owned a hotel. Wanted a servant that couldn’t talk back. I spent years scrubbing floors, folding sheets, smiling at guests who never looked twice. I was beaten if I stepped out of line. Starved if I hesitated. She had daughters… cruel ones. They learned from her.”

Sienna’s jaw tightened.

“And then came Rhodes. A huntsman. I thought maybe… maybe he saw me. He started training me in secret. Said I had potential. But he didn’t free me. Not really. I think… I think I was just another one of his projects.”

Her eyes drifted down to her hands.

“When I was fourteen, she shocked me too hard. Something just—snapped. I killed her. And her daughters. I still remember the smell of burning silk and perfume. Rhodes found out. Tried to stop me. Said I was a monster. Said I needed to be put down. So I killed him too.”
She finally looked at Ruby, and in her gaze was something ancient and aching.

“After that, I lived in the alleys. In the cracks of the world. Until Salem found me. She gave me purpose. Gave me power. I thought that was freedom. But really… I was just a sharper tool. Not a person. Not yet.”

A long pause.

“Helping to kill her—it wasn’t redemption. But it was the first time I chose something for me. Not because someone told me to. Not because I was afraid. I chose to stop her. And when I walked away from that fight… I didn’t want to be Cinder anymore. She was never real. She was a mask, stitched from blood and fire. I didn’t want to wear it anymore.”

Sienna took a deep breath, voice soft now.
“So I picked a name. Something gentle. Something that still burned, but not to destroy—to warm. I became Sienna. And I came here to try… to live. For the first time.”
She turned her head slightly, just enough to meet Ruby’s eyes.

“You’re the first person I’ve told this to. The first one who doesn’t know me as a killer. Just… me.”

Sienna then turned her head to look back out at the landscape when she heard, “I already knew who you were.”

Shocked, Sienna turned to meet Ruby’s eyes, who had a smile on her face now. “After the first month of living together, I figured out who you were.”

“And you didn’t say anything?” Sienna asked. “You weren’t disgusted by living with me?”

“Nope. You’ve changed,” Ruby cheerfully replied.
“But I killed your friend,” Sienna said quietly.

“I know,” Ruby said. “And as much as that hurts, that’s in the past. Pyrrha is gone, and hating you won’t bring her back. Besides, I think she would be hard-pressed to see the similarities between Cinder Fall and Sienna Vire. I think Pyrrha would forgive you.”

Sienna barked out a laugh and said, “No, she wouldn’t,” her gaze drifting out onto the silent trees of the forest and up high to the broken moon.

Chapter Text

The Schnee offices were quiet at night. Weiss sat alone at her desk, the silver light of the moon spilling in through the tall windows, casting long shadows across scattered reports and schematics.

A half-empty cup of tea had long since gone cold beside her hand. The glow of her scroll illuminated her pale features as she stared at her message thread with Ruby.
No new messages. No recent calls. Weeks had passed since their last real conversation.

With a soft sigh, Weiss tapped the screen. It rang once. Twice. Then clicked.
Ruby’s face appeared, slightly flushed, backlit by warm lighting. She looked tired but… happy.

"Weiss! Hey! Wow, it’s been a while."
Weiss exhaled, tension she didn’t realize she held easing at the sound of Ruby’s voice. "Too long. I was beginning to think you'd forgotten me."

Ruby smiled sheepishly. "Never. Things have just been... busy."

"So I gathered," Weiss said, a touch of fond sarcasm. "You disappear to Mistral, barely send word, and now you look like you’ve actually been sleeping."

"A little. Eating better too. And baking. Lots of baking."
Weiss tilted her head. "Baking? Now that I have to see to believe."

Ruby laughed. "It's true! Cinnamon rolls, muffins... I even made honey lavender shortbread."

"You’ve changed," Weiss said, almost too quietly.

Ruby blinked. "You say that like it’s a bad thing."

"No," Weiss replied. "Not bad. Just different."
There was a moment of silence between them, filled only by distant city sounds and the low hum of Weiss’s office.

Then Ruby spoke. "So... how’s your relationship going? With Blake and Yang, I mean."
Weiss hesitated, then smiled faintly. "It's going well. Surprisingly well, actually."

Ruby nodded, eyes a little distant. "You know… I had feelings for you. For a long time."
Weiss inhaled sharply but didn’t deny it. "I know."

Ruby stared at her. "You knew? And you didn’t say anything?"

"I was waiting for you to confess," Weiss said, voice level. "You always were braver than me. I thought you'd eventually say something. But... you didn’t."

"I didn’t want to pressure you," Ruby said, voice cracking slightly. "You had so much going on, becoming the head of the company, fixing your family... I thought I was doing the right thing. Giving you space."

"And I thought you didn’t want me," Weiss said quietly. "So I waited. Then... I got drunk. One night. It was stupid. And somehow, I ended up in bed with Yang and Blake. And then it happened again. And again. And eventually... I realized I loved them."

Ruby sat still, her expression unreadable.
"So I was just too slow," she murmured. "I tried to be patient, to let you sort your life out, and in the end, I lost my chance."

Weiss frowned. "Ruby—"
"Doesn’t matter now," Ruby said, forcing a smile. "I’ve moved on. I’ve… fallen for someone
else."

A beat.

"Who?" Weiss asked, eyes narrowing.
Ruby’s expression shifted. "Does it matter?"
"It does to me. Who is she?"
Ruby shook her head. "No. I’m not giving you a name."

Weiss’s voice hardened. "Ruby. Tell me. I want to look her up. Make sure she’s not—"
"What? Using me?" Ruby snapped. "You don’t get to play protective princess now."
"I’m trying to look out for you."

"No," Ruby said firmly. "You’re trying to control me. I’m not your pet. And I’m not your responsibility."

Her voice dropped to a mocking tone. "My heart doesn’t belong to you anymore, Your Majesty."

And with that, Ruby ended the call.

Weiss stared at the empty screen, a mix of anger and heartbreak tightening in her chest.
"Dammit, Ruby," she whispered. "Why won’t you just listen? I’m trying to protect you. Don’t you see that?"

Her eyes dropped to the plans on her desk. Among the scattered documents and blueprints was a schematic of a small surveillance sphere, an optical lens mounted at its center.

Weiss picked it up slowly, a smirk tugging at her lips.
"This will keep an eye on my precious Rose."
She paused.
What am I thinking? Ruby’s fine. She doesn’t need me.

Then another thought crept in.
No. I’m not overstepping. I’m just keeping her safe. From gold-digging hands. From being hurt.

Weiss set the blueprint down and reached for her stylus.

It was time to build a guardian Ruby would never see coming.

Chapter Text

The call ended with a final click, and Ruby tossed her scroll onto the coffee table like it had burned her fingers.

She stood there for a moment, fists clenched at her sides, jaw tight. Her heart thundered in her chest, blood still hot from the conversation with Weiss.

"Let me guess," Sienna's voice came gently from the couch, smooth and calm like velvet. "That didn’t go well."

Ruby turned to look at her. Sienna was lounging with one arm draped across the backrest, a mug of tea in her other hand. Her gaze was knowing, but not prying.

Ruby didn’t answer at first.

She crossed the room in two sharp strides and all but threw herself onto the couch beside her—closer than she meant to.

Her shoulder bumped against Sienna’s, and her legs curled beneath her as she sank into the cushions with a frustrated huff.

Sienna arched a brow but didn’t move away. "So... want to talk about it?"

"Ugh!" Ruby groaned, tipping her head back against the cushions. "She knew. She knew I had feelings for her and she never said anything! Just... waited for me to say something first. Like it was some kind of test."

Sienna set her mug down, giving Ruby her full attention.

"And then she tells me she got drunk and slept with Blake and Yang. And oops, I fell in love with both of them. Like it just happened! Like that was the natural next step!"

Ruby threw her arms up and let them drop over her lap.
She didn’t notice how she was leaning into Sienna’s side now, how her cheek brushed against the older woman’s shoulder. Sienna did, but said nothing.

"I waited," Ruby continued, voice thick. "I waited because I didn’t want to add pressure. I thought I was doing the right thing. Giving her space to settle in, figure herself out. But I was
just... too slow."

Sienna hummed thoughtfully. "You weren’t wrong to give her space. That was respectful. But it sounds like she made a choice and didn’t have the guts to tell you until now."

Ruby nodded against her. "And then she demanded to know who I like now. Like it was any of her business."

Sienna chuckled softly. "Let me guess—you didn’t tell her."

Ruby gave a smug smile. "I told her I wasn’t her pet. And that my heart doesn’t belong to her anymore... 'Your Majesty.'"

That earned a genuine laugh from Sienna. Ruby grinned despite herself.

The two sat there for a moment, quiet except for the faint ticking of the clock on the wall.

Ruby hadn’t moved away. She was pressed fully into Sienna’s side now, head tilted against her shoulder, the scent of tea and leather wrapping around her like a blanket.

Sienna let her stay. Her voice was low when she finally spoke again.
"I’m proud of you. That couldn’t have been easy."
Ruby blinked up at her. "Yeah?"

Sienna met her eyes. "Yeah."

Ruby looked away quickly, cheeks a little pink. "Thanks."

She didn't move. Neither did Sienna.

After a quiet moment, Sienna tilted her head slightly and asked, "And who do you like now?"

And for the first time in days, Ruby felt like she could breathe, even as her heart stuttered to a stop as she opened and closed her mouth rapidly.

Chapter Text

Yang had always thought herself lucky.

Two incredible women loved her. Blake, with her calm fire and thoughtful intensity. Weiss, with her sharp edges and surprisingly soft center. Somehow, they'd made it work—navigating their tangled pasts and new beginnings. Every morning, she woke up between them and felt whole.

But recently... that wholeness had started to feel thinner around the edges.
Weiss was distracted. Preoccupied.

The late nights in her office had stretched into early mornings.

The soft hum of her tools and the glare of her holoscreens had replaced bedtime cuddles and whispered laughter.

Yang noticed.

So did Blake.

They hadn’t said anything at first. Weiss had always been driven. But this was different. She was obsessed—with work, with new tech projects, with... something. And the more time passed, the more obvious it became that whatever it was, it wasn’t being shared.

"She's avoiding us," Blake finally said one night, curled up against Yang on the couch, their shared book forgotten in her lap.
Yang didn’t deny it. "And she’s building stuff again. Secret stuff."

Blake nodded slowly. "We need to talk to her."
Yang agreed. An intervention. A gentle one. They weren’t angry. Just... worried.

Back in Fubasa, Sienna was very amused.
She watched Ruby stammer, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, cheeks flushing deeper by the second. It was, frankly, adorable.

Sienna had a strong suspicion she already knew the answer to her own question. Ruby’s affections weren’t exactly subtle—not when she blushed every time they touched or tripped over her words under Sienna’s teasing gaze.

And Sienna... well, she'd never expected to return those feelings. She wasn’t the relationship type.

At least, she hadn’t thought she was.
But there was something about Ruby.
Something honest. Gentle. Brave.

Before Sienna could spiral any further into that unfamiliar tangle of feelings, Ruby suddenly shouted:
"I LIKE YOU!"

Then immediately squeaked, dove under her cloak, and vanished beneath the red fabric like a turtle retreating into its shell.

Sienna blinked. Then laughed softly. "Aww. I thought so."

She leaned a little closer to the cape cocoon. "I think I like you too."

There was a beat of silence. Then Ruby peeked out, eyes wide. "You do?"

"Surprisingly, yes," Sienna said, standing up. "But I've never been in a relationship, so we'll have to take this slow."

Ruby sat up, looking both stunned and delighted. "Okay. Yeah. I can do slow. Slow is good."

Sienna stepped in front of her, leaned down, and placed a soft kiss on Ruby’s lips.

Ruby turned bright red.
Then promptly fainted.

Sienna blinked again, then sighed and caught her before she slumped off the couch.

"Okay," she murmured, smiling faintly as she brushed a bit of hair from Ruby’s forehead. "Maybe not too slow."

She tucked Ruby gently against a pillow, sat beside her, and took a quiet sip of tea.

In Vale, Weiss was putting the final touches on something small, sleek, camouflaged, and covered in lenses.

It would change everything.

Chapter Text

Weiss sat stiff-backed at her desk, pale fingers wrapped around the sleek controller in her hands. The massive monitor on the wall glowed with grainy feed, as her custom-built drone sailed across Mistral’s skies, creeping closer and closer toward Fubasa.

Her lips pressed into a thin line. She told herself this wasn’t wrong, it was necessary. Ruby was impulsive, trusting, far too quick to put her heart in someone else’s hands. And Weiss had learned, the hard way, that people with smiles and charm could also carry knives.

Her thumb twitched the joystick, the drone’s view adjusting, lowering. She wasn’t going to lose Ruby again—not to bad choices, not to strangers, not to anyone.

The office doors hissed open.

“Working late again?” Blake’s voice floated in smoothly, but there was an edge under it. Yang followed behind, arms folded across her chest, golden hair catching the sterile light.
Weiss didn’t look away from the screen. “I’m making progress.”

Yang’s brow furrowed. “Progress on what?”
Before Weiss could fabricate some excuse, the drone banked, showing a blurred glimpse of rooftops and greenery. Fubasa. Ruby’s home.

Yang’s eyes widened, then hardened. She marched forward, yanking the controller right out of Weiss’s hands, and shoving her back from the desk. “Surveillance?!” Yang’s voice cracked the air, low and furious. “On Ruby? Are you out of your damn mind?!”

Weiss’s composure faltered for half a second, before she straightened, spine rigid. “I’m not spying, I’m protecting her! You know how naïve she can be, what if someone takes advantage of her—”

Blake cut her off, voice sharp but calm as a blade. “What you’re doing is taking advantage. Ruby deserves her privacy.” She crossed her arms, her amber gaze steady. “We came here to talk about your work obsession, but this…” She gestured toward the glowing monitor. “…this is worse.”

Yang’s eyes flashed red as she stepped closer, fists clenched. “You don’t trust her. That’s what this is. You can’t stand that she’s moving on without you.”

Weiss’s breath caught. Her mask cracked, voice breaking despite her effort to hold it steady. “She’s not ready! You don’t know her like I do—”

Blake’s tone cooled, each word deliberate. “We do know her. And more importantly, we respect her. Which means not treating her like a child who needs a leash.”

Yang slammed her fist into the desk, the sound echoing like thunder through the office. “You’re done with this project, you hear me? Done. Or so help me—”

The fury in Yang’s voice made Weiss shrink back a fraction, enough that the truth peeked through. Her grip tightened on the edge of the desk, knuckles white, as her gaze flickered between the two of them.

For just a moment, the heiress of Schnee looked small—haunted, almost—her walls trembling under the weight of guilt and fear she couldn’t admit.

She wanted to scream that she only wanted Ruby safe.

That the thought of Ruby choosing someone else, of giving her heart away so easily, burned more than she could bear. But her throat locked tight, and all she could manage was a strangled whisper:

“…you don’t understand.”
The silence that followed was suffocating.

Yang’s glare softened only slightly, her voice rougher now. “Then, maybe you need to start trying to.”

Chapter Text

The morning light spilled softly through the curtains, painting Fubasa’s hills in muted gold.

Ruby stirred against the blanket, blinking sleep from her eyes. For a brief moment, she forgot where she was — the bed too big, the cabin too quiet — until she heard the faint clink of porcelain from the other room.
Sienna.

Ruby sat up, hair sticking out in unruly tufts, a goofy smile tugging at her lips before she could stop it. Right. She wasn’t waking up alone anymore.

Dragging herself from the bed, she padded into the living room to find Sienna already dressed, sitting at the table with a book in one hand and a steaming cup of tea in the other.

She looked like something out of a painting, sunlight cutting across her sharp features, her focus unshakable.

Ruby lingered in the doorway longer than she meant to.

“You stare often,” Sienna said without looking up, her lips twitching at the corners.
Ruby’s face went red. “I—I wasn’t staring!”
“Mm.” Sienna finally glanced up, amber eyes catching Ruby in place. “Messy hair. You talk in your sleep, too.”

Ruby groaned, hiding her face in her hands. “You’re making things up.”
Sienna smirked. “Am I?”

It was easy, Ruby realized, to fall into this rhythm.

Morning banter, quiet comfort. Somehow, in just a few days, Sienna’s cabin had started to feel more like home than anywhere else Ruby had been in years.

Breakfast was an adventure. Ruby insisted on helping, which meant nearly setting the bread ablaze in the toaster.

Sienna plucked the smoking slice from her hands, tossed it neatly into the bin, and wordlessly set a plate of eggs in front of her.

“You’re banned from the kitchen,” Sienna declared.

Ruby pouted around a mouthful of food. “That’s not fair. I’m great with weapons!”

“Mm,” Sienna said again, deadpan. “And dangerous with toast.”
Ruby couldn’t stop laughing.

Later, they sparred outside, the air crisp against their skin. Crescent Rose sang through the air in Ruby’s hands, and Sienna’s blades gleamed, sharp and elegant.

What started as a serious session quickly devolved into playful one-upmanship — Ruby darting too close on purpose, Sienna sweeping her legs out from under her only to pull her upright again before she hit the ground.

Their laughter echoed through the trees.

Ruby collapsed onto the grass at the end, breathless and flushed, and Sienna dropped down beside her, still composed, though her eyes shone with the thrill of the fight.

“You’re fast,” Sienna admitted.
Ruby tilted her head toward her, grinning. “You’re strong.”

The words hung in the air, heavier than they should have.

By the time the sun dipped low, they’d found themselves curled together on the couch, a quiet stillness settling between them.

Ruby leaned against Sienna without hesitation this time, her head resting against her shoulder.
“This feels…” Ruby hesitated, searching for the word. “Lighter. Like I can actually breathe here.”

Sienna’s hand moved almost absently, fingers brushing over Ruby’s as she spoke. “I didn’t expect you to change my life this much. Not this quickly.”

Ruby’s heart skipped. She turned her head, found Sienna’s gaze waiting, and the world narrowed to the space between them.

The kiss was slow, deliberate, a lingering confirmation of everything that had already been said without words.

When they broke apart, Ruby’s cheeks were warm, her lips tingling. She pressed closer into Sienna’s side, as if she could stay there forever.

For a while, neither of them spoke. The only sound was the wind outside, the crackle of the cabin’s old heater, and Ruby’s quiet sigh as her eyes fluttered shut.

Sienna stayed still, letting Ruby drift against her shoulder, one hand resting gently against Ruby’s.

It was peaceful. Too peaceful.
And though neither of them knew it, that peace wouldn’t last.

Chapter Text

Weiss’s fingers clenched the edge of her desk.

The glow from the drone monitor reflected across her pale face, and her voice trembled just above a whisper.
“You wouldn’t understand.”
Yang’s jaw tightened, fists flexing at her sides. “Try us.”

The CEO didn’t meet their eyes at first. Her gaze stayed fixed on the floor, shoulders rigid as though she could hold herself together by sheer force of will.

Then, the words spilled out, soft but sharp, like glass cracking under pressure.
“I just… I can’t lose her.”
Yang’s breath caught, but she didn’t interrupt.

Weiss’s voice grew unsteady. “After Salem fell, Ruby and I always talked, always saw each other. And then time got away from me. I buried myself in work, in Atlas, in you two. And Ruby… she went to Mistral, called me less, talked to me less. It felt like I was losing her, piece by piece, to some woman I knew nothing about. And now…” She swallowed hard, her tone breaking. “Now they might be together, in ways I never got to understand with Ruby.”

Her hands shook as she gripped the desk harder, nails biting into her gloves. “And that terrifies me.”

For a long moment, the room was silent except for the soft hum of the machines.

Blake exchanged a glance with Yang, not pitying but measured, thoughtful. Then she stepped closer, her voice low and steady.
“Weiss, being afraid doesn’t justify taking Ruby’s choice away from her. You can’t control her life just because you’re scared of being left behind.”

Yang crossed her arms, but her anger softened into something rougher, more protective. “Look, I get it. Ruby’s easy to worry about. She’s my sister. But Weiss, she’s not a child. You don’t get to put her on a leash because you regret not making a move years ago.”

Weiss’s lips parted, but no argument came.

Yang leaned forward, eyes burning gold. “Ruby told me about this woman. About Sienna. And you know what? From everything I’ve heard, she’s been nothing but good to Ruby. She’s made her laugh again. She’s given her somewhere to breathe.”

Weiss finally lifted her gaze, and for the first time, her façade cracked wide open. Loneliness flickered there, raw and desperate.

Yang’s tone gentled, but stayed firm. “You want answers? Then go see Ruby. Visit her. Talk to her. But this?” She jabbed a finger toward the monitor, voice hardening again. “This creepy drone surveillance thing? That ends now. Got it?”

Weiss hesitated, shoulders trembling. She wanted to protest, wanted to cling to the only control she had left, but under Yang’s glare and

Blake’s steady gaze, the fight drained out of her.
Weiss exhaled shakily, lowering her eyes again. “…Got it.”

Blake’s voice was softer now, almost kind. “You don’t need to lose her, Weiss. But you have to stop trying to hold her by force. If you want Ruby in your life, it has to be her choice.”
Weiss closed her eyes, but nodded once.

The silence that followed was heavy, but not hopeless.