Cinder Falls... For Ruby Rose (ch8)

Their last day at Beacon! How are Cinder and Ruby gonna survive?

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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														Chapter 8. Symbiosis

Cinder didn't want to wake up.

Not today. Not this morning.

She didn't want this day to arrive.

It was the day Haven students would need to leave Beacon Academy and return to their own school.

Cinder had been dreading this day, not since they had arrived here, but only since she'd met Ruby.

She didn't want to get out of bed. She didn't want to acknowledge that today was real.

Defiantly, she turned over in bed and found the black panther plushie still in her arms. She lifted it to her face and almost glared at it, almost scowled.

It wasn't fair. If all she was going to end up doing was leave, why did she even let this all happen in the first place?

The panther stared back at her with unblinking green eyes, innocent and soft. Just like a certain someone she knew...

She wallowed in her disappointment for a while that morning. Even long after the others had roused themselves and gotten dressed. They weren't stupid enough to bother her, though.

So they huddled up in their usual formation in one corner of the room to talk privately amongst themselves.

"Maaan..." Mercury sighed. "This sucks. All that hard work we did to help the boss get with the Little Red, and now it's all gonna be over."

"What?" Emerald smacked his arm. "Are you seriously that shallow? You think a relationship has to end just because the people aren't gonna live close to each other anymore?"

"I mean..."

"So what, you think they're gonna break up? Then what about Neo and her blonde babe?" Emerald waved her hand over Neo's head. The smaller girl shot Mercury a fierce glare.

//Just because we're splitting up doesn't mean we're breaking up.//

"See?"

Mercury put his hands up in defense.

"Hey, that's not what I said. But I mean... isn't it gonna be a little... difficult to keep things going now?"

"That's so typical of you," Emerald grunts. "As soon as there's a bit more work involved in something you just wanna cut it off."

//Sometimes there's something I'd like to cut off.//

Emerald had to pat Neo's head to pacify her so she didn't maim her idiot partner.

"But I guess I gotta admit..." she continued, keeping her voice low. "It does kinda suck. What if Cinder gets all broody again because the red twerp isn't around? She's just gonna relapse."

The three of them shared uncertain looks, then all glanced back across the room to where their leader was still lying in bed. They knew she wasn't sleeping, but rather mulling things over.

The trio heaved a simultaneous sigh.

"I guess we'll just have to do our best," Mercury says.

"Guess so."

//I can put in a few words to Yang,// Neo offered. //She can remind Ruby to contact Cinder.//

That was about all they could do for Cinder. With a hint of melancholy in the air, the three of them began packing up their bags in preparation to leave for Haven.

. . .

Their ship was scheduled to leave Beacon at noon, but they let Cinder lie in bed until 11:30, mostly because each of them was too frightened to try and rouse her.

But eventually, Emerald was brave enough to timidly whisper to her leader that they would need to depart soon.

Cinder had risen slowly, like a ghost being resurrected.

The three of them had stayed well out of her way as she changed clothes, ate, and packed up her things. Cinder didn't say a word the entire morning, nor did she let go of her panther until the last second when she needed to pack it away.

In the end, they all picked up their bags, ensured the room was spotless, and then left one after the other.

Other Haven students were filing out into the hallways as well, most of them saying goodbye to the friends they'd made at Beacon.

Cinder's team was almost painfully silent. None of them wanted to talk in case it would upset Cinder somehow. But the silence was killing them, so by the time they were nearing Beacon's exit doors, Emerald took her chance.

"So, Beacon was fun, wasn't it, guys?"

Mercury shrugged. Emerald jabbed her elbow into his gut.

"Ugh... Y-Yeah, totally. So much fun..."

Neo signed with her free hand that wasn't holding her bag.

//I enjoyed myself a lot.//

They all waited for Cinder to say something, but she acted as though she hasn't heard them. She was still in a trance, forced to face this reality where she'd be leaving Ruby. That adorable, confident, take-charge girl with the dazzling silver eyes and childish laughter.

When Cinder thought about her now, Ruby almost seemed to be a dream.

They walked through the doors and outside into the crowds of students that had gathered around the ship that would soon be departing for Haven.

Cinder made her way through – or rather, everyone made way for her.

Part of her was expecting to simply board the ship, take off, and never think of or hear from Ruby Rose ever again.

But that fatalistic, pessimistic part of herself was leftover from her past failed relationships. She should've known by now that this one was very different.

From the din of the surrounding crowds, a single, familiar, high-pitched voice rose up above everything else.

"Cindeeerrr!"

Cinder stopped dead in her tracks. Her teammates also paused and turned to the source of the voice.

And like a small red blizzard, Ruby Rose burst from the crowds of people and jumped up to throw her arms around Cinder.

"There you are! I was starting to think we'd missed you! We've been waiting here by the ship all morning and I was watching super closely to make sure I didn't miss you but I thought maybe you were already on-board so I sent Weiss in to check but she said you weren't in there yet so I've been waiting till you came and now you're here!"

She sung it all in a single, excited, but emotional breath, before finally pulling back from the embrace. She gazed up at Cinder and giggled despite the small tears in the corners of her eyes.

Dazed, Cinder stared at her.

"Ruby..."

"Heh heh. You didn't think I wouldn't come to see you off, did you, silly?"

Cinder blinked, as if she couldn't believe what was happening. Her teammates, however, were all delightfully surprised.

"She's a good kid," Emerald mumbled.

"Yeah," Mercury agreed. "She's good for Cinder."

Neo was about to agree with them, but she ended up spotting her own girlfriend making her way toward her. So she dropped her bag and scurried forward, arms outstretched.

Yang was ready to catch her, lifting her clean off the ground and twirling her. Their lips smashed together in a much more obvious display than that of their teammates.

Ruby's other two teammates stood nearby. They were also holding hands.

After a moment, Cinder composed herself enough to realize this was all actually happening, and that Ruby was waiting for some kind of response.

"Ruby... I'm very glad you came to see me off."

"Of course! I hope you had fun here at Beacon, Cinder!"

"I did. I enjoyed myself very much. Thanks to you, Ruby."

"I had a great time too!" Ruby wiped her eyes clean of the bittersweet tears, but she was more happy than anything else.

There wasn't much time left. Cinder and the others will need to board the ship and go soon.

She knew she had to do something. This would be the last time she'd see Ruby...

Almost mechanically, Cinder extended her hand. A handshake might have been a bit too impersonal for the two of them, but it was all she could think of.

Either way, Ruby didn't seem upset. She eagerly accepted Cinder's hand and shook it.

"We'll keep in touch!" she declared. "I'll text you every day! Maybe even when I'm in class," she whispered.

Cinder nodded.

"Yes..."

She didn't want it to end like that. She wanted more. She just couldn't bring herself to do anything.

Thankfully, Ruby wasn't afraid to take that chance.

She threw her arms around Cinder again.

And then, she did something else.

She kissed Cinder full on the lips, in front of everyone.

People from both schools – including their own teammates – gave little cheers and claps and whistles.

It only lasted for a second, but when they parted, Ruby was red-faced and Cinder was more dazed than ever. She was speechless, still suspended in the moment that had come and gone too quickly, still living in that little second of heaven.

Only Ruby's sheepish little chuckle drew her back into the present.

"Sorry. Maybe I got a bit carried away..."

But Cinder shook her head slowly, trying to ignore the people around them. The sounds and sights all faded for a moment, except for Ruby, and it was as though they were the only two in the world.

"No. It's quite all right."

Finally, Cinder managed to crack a small, but very warm smile.

Ruby had broken her out of that trance, shattered the world Cinder had thought would be colorless and dull without her in it.

Ruby would always be in her world from now on. And Cinder understood that now.

She reached out and placed a hand on the smaller girl's shoulder, pulling her in. Cinder bent down and kissed Ruby in return, keeping it light and soft. Ruby squealed against her mouth and hugged her again.

Everyone around them didn't want to pry, but still wanted to witness this beautiful scene. Even Mercury smiled and kept his mouth shut.

But at last, the final call for Haven's students to board the ship was made, and everyone began filing on. Cinder pulled away, but her eyes stayed locked with Ruby's for a moment longer.

"I'm sure I will see you again soon, Ruby."

"Yeah! You bet! Of course you will! We'll plan something out for sure!"

And Cinder knew those weren't just empty promises.

Behind them, Yang was bending down to give Neo one last peck on the cheek.

"We'll keep in touch, too," she said. Neo nodded and hugged her one last time.

With that, Cinder's teammates began heading for the ship.

Cinder lingered with Ruby a moment longer, but eventually they let one another go.

Ruby waved enthusiastically and sent her off with a smile.

Cinder wore a similar expression all the way onto the ship, through lift-off, and all the way home.

She would see Ruby Rose again soon.

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A/N: Well, this concludes the first 'part' of their little romance! But I'm sure there will be more to come!

Please review!!