Commission for Dasaethelwulf! They asked for some good old White Rose fluff, and I decided to set it in Kuma's Henceforward AU! If you don't know what that is, go to kumafromtaiwan,tumblr,com and look at her Henceforward tag, art, and story!

You can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice if you like my work!

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

Acts Of Love

Early spring sunlight slipped through the pale curtains of Weiss' bedroom, painting the white walls in a creamy, milky light.

Weiss was woken not by the sound of her alarm, but by the softly shining warmth that bathed her face and threaded through her loose hair. She didn't open her eyes right away, but instead moved her arms with care, bringing them up above her head to stretch herself out a little.

She was lying on her back with her hair pooling all around her head, and everything around her was soft, cottony fabrics and comfort.

All except one spot in particular on her chest where a certain huntress had decided to rest her thick head.

Weiss cracked an eye open and looked down to find Ruby sprawled out at her side in a tangle of sheets and blankets, her red nightgown ruffled and wrinkled in a multitude of places, her long, chestnut-red hair swirling in all directions to eventually merge with Weiss' own. Ruby snored quietly and peacefully where she'd rested her head directly on Weiss' breastbone.

The head of Schnee Dust heaved a heavy sigh, both because of her girlfriend's tendencies to be troublesome even in her sleep, and because she had no other choice on how to inhale.

Had Ruby ended up putting her head just an inch lower or higher than where it was, it would've been immensely more comfortable for Weiss, and even romantic. But where she was now, it was just increasingly difficult for Weiss to breathe, considering Ruby's skull was crushing her lungs first thing in the morning.

Grimacing, Weiss felt her eyebrow twitch in slight annoyance as she huffed another sigh.

Carefully, she moved her arms around Ruby's shoulders, and with painstaking slowness, lifted Ruby just a bit. Weiss shifted beneath her, taking a deep breath now with the pressure off her chest, savoring the feeling of breathing easily once more.

Then, she placed Ruby a little lower down on top of her stomach instead, and was successful in not disturbing or waking her. Smiling at her accomplishment, Weiss glided her fingers over the back of Ruby's head and through her long, plush-like hair. Ruby was facing away from her, but Weiss could imagine her tranquil expression, with a bit of drool hanging from the corner of her lip.

Weiss took comfort in remembering it was the weekend, and she'd be able to do her laundry tonight.

For a few minutes, she busied herself with curling her fingertips through that familiar, luscious brown hair. She traced her fingertips along Ruby's shoulders, dipping down to the natural curve of her side, then rising up again on her hip.

She mapped patterns on her back, her hands subconsciously being drawn to the center of her shoulder blades, where Weiss knew the exact shape and color of the scar underneath. She placed one hand there, rubbing gently, then reached the other around the side of Ruby's neck, trailing beneath her chin, then came to a rest at her collar.

Weiss massaged in little circles over her partner's chest and back, pressing in with a gentle firmness that would surely have made her girlfriend melt had she been awake at the time. Her fingers brushed over the cool chain of Ruby's necklace, the slight metal feeling a nice contrast to the warmth of her smooth skin.

Weiss contented herself with these little tasks for the time being. She played through Ruby's hair, keeping a lock between her index and middle finger, gliding down the length of it. She brought the very ends all the way up to her lips and kissed them before letting them slip back down onto Ruby's back.

At that point, Weiss decided to glance at her bedside table where her alarm clock rested. She was happily surprised to find it was still before 7AM, and being it was the weekend, she still had another hour before she'd need to get up.

Another hour to pamper her adorable girlfriend as she slept.

Weiss continued her small massages and ginger ministrations. She knew Ruby had a minor mission today and wanted her to be as relaxed and at ease as possible before she'd have to worry about fighting.

For now, Weiss stared up at the ceiling, watching as the sunlight danced in patterns of the curtain fabric, some shadows of birds or butterflies occasionally dancing across the walls. A warm breeze managed to slip through the window, caressing her face ever so gently.

Everything was quiet and still this morning. It was simply perfect.

Weiss savored it for all it was worth, knowing it would be a while yet before she'd have another morning quite like this one, without pressure or panic.

She enjoyed the sunlight-painted scenery in her room, how the fabrics of the curtains or bedsheets glowed beneath the warm brightness or flowed on the breeze.

She'd planned on enjoying it all for the rest of the hour, until her blaring alarm clock sounded.

But to her surprise and delight, it was only several minutes more before she felt the girl beside her shift.

Weiss had still been massaging her up until now, and the first things Ruby felt when she was conscious were those small, gentle hands rubbing away the aches and sores in her stiff muscles. The huntress sniffled a little and licked her lips, letting out a small moan directly afterward.

"Mm..."

It was a tiny, tiny noise, one Weiss hardly expected to hear from a powerful, speedy, top-notch huntress like Ruby. It served to remind her that her no matter how skillful her partner was in battle, at the end of the day – or the beginning, in this case – she was still a normal girl.

Weiss smiled down at her girlfriend as she watched her begin to move, still moaning and humming slightly.

"Mmn... ahhh... W-Weiss..." Ruby turned her head until she was blinking sleepily up to look at the older girl, a content grin on her face. She opened her sleep-hazed eyes halfway and sighed again. "Weee~iii~ssss~ ahhh feels so goooood...~"

"Good morning to you, too, Ruby."

Weiss continued pampering her now that Ruby was awake and could fully appreciate the effects of her hands. Weiss ran her fingers through her girlfriend's bangs and hair to clear the loose and frazzled strands away from her face. She brushed her knuckles over Ruby's cheeks, idly imagining her with two Faunus ears and a wagging tail.

Ruby wiggled closer to her, looping her arms around Weiss' stomach and hugging her happily.

"Mmmm what time is it~?"

"We've still got forty minutes."

"Oooooh! Perfect!"

Ruby pushed herself up groggily and crawled up closer to Weiss' face. She hovered over her, long hair falling down on either side of her shoulders and back. Her smile was carefree and silly as she leaned down and pressed her lips over Weiss'.

Years ago, Weiss would've grimaced at the taste of heady, stuffy morning breath shared between them, but she'd long since gotten accustomed to it by now. She was used to it enough to reach up around Ruby's shoulders and pull her down to deepen the contact, working her mouth against hers.

On some mornings, Ruby might've slid her leg over Weiss' hip and straddled her, and perhaps ran the kisses down the side of her neck to her chest. But this morning, she was feeling too sleepy and giddy for anything mischievous.

So as soon as she pulled away for air, Ruby simply flopped back down onto the space beside Weiss and curled herself into her partner's side. She snaked her arms around the older girl, one over the top of her stomach and the other between her back and the mattress, and squeezed her. She kissed Weiss' shoulder over her white pajama shirt, then nuzzled into the materials.

"Mmm, We~i~ss? I wanna listen to your heart. Can I, pleeeease?"

Weiss felt her cheeks become warm and she looked to the side. A tiny pink Dust crystal popped up on her shoulder, making Ruby chuckle.

"Do whatever you want, you dolt. We've got half an hour."

"Eheee, okie-dokie!" Ruby kissed Weiss again, waiting until the crystal had shrunk away. She knew they didn't hurt Weiss when they just formed in situations like this when she was harmlessly flustered, but even so, Ruby wanted to make sure she was as comfortable as possible.

She pulled away and rubbed her hand over Weiss' shoulder where the crystal had vanished. She kissed her there as well, and then laid her head sideways over Weiss' collar.

After years of practice, she knew exactly where to press her ear the first time in order to hear the strongest pulse. Weiss' heartbeat was so familiar and comforting to her. In this ever-changing world, that was something that always remained, something she could always have to herself.

Ruby loved listening to it, especially when they could laze about in the mornings or at night and not have to worry about other things for a while.

Weiss was more than happy to accommodate Ruby's wishes. She'd never been one to open up to others, especially not without good reason.

But Ruby Rose was the only person in all her years to ever deserve Weiss' complete trust and affections. Her privilege was getting to be close to Weiss in a way no one else could ever hope to dream of.

And of course, Weiss received the same benefits with Ruby.

At present, Ruby closed her eyes and cuddled Weiss as the steady, rhythmic beat of her heart filled her ears. Weiss continued her task from earlier and pet through Ruby's hair, rubbing all across her shoulders and down her back.

In this manner, they savored the final half hour of their Saturday morning, relishing the warmth of the sun and one another, breathing in the scents of roses and winter skies.

Ruby had almost fallen back to sleep by the time Weiss glanced sideways to find only a few minutes remained before the alarm went off. Keeping one arm around her girlfriend, she reached over to shut it off before it could disturb their tranquil moment.

Weiss gave them one more minute, slowing her breathing until it matched Ruby's. Then, she released a long, deep exhale.

That breath was telling enough for Ruby, who shifted and whimpered in protest of the inevitable.

"Mmn nooo, not yeett. Five more minuuuutes..."

"Ruby, we've already had nearly an hour. It's time to get up. Don't you have a mission today?"

"Mm yeeaaah but it's not for a few more hoouuurs!"

"And you'll need a few more hours to shower, get dressed, and have a proper breakfast before you set out. So it's time to get up now." Weiss sat herself up now, letting Ruby curl up in her lap instead. She leaned herself forward over her and kissed Ruby's temple sweetly. "Come on. Up you go."

"Uuuu, okaaayy..."

Though Ruby whined and moped about having to move from the comfort of Weiss' bed, she couldn't have any regrets about the wonderful, relaxing morning they'd just shared together. Gradually, the two girls stretched themselves and fixed one another's hair a little bit.

As Ruby was heading over to the dresser where Weiss had made space for her to keep some of her clothes, she asked about Weiss' plans for her day off.

"You're not gonna still be doing work again, are you?"

Weiss rolled her eyes a little and shrugged as she made the bed.

"I've got some paperwork to look over, but nothing more than that. In fact, I was considering joining you in your mission, if possible."

As soon as Ruby heard those words, she perked up and gave a little jump of excitement, like bread popping out of a toaster. She whirled around, a wide, beaming, blinding smile on her face as she clasped her hands together hopefully.

"Really!? You'll come with me?!"

"Isn't that what I said?"

"Oohhh my goooosh yaaay!"

Weiss braced herself as Ruby darted across the room and threw herself into her arms in excitement, the impact bowling them both over and down onto the bed Weiss had just finished making. Ruby giggled merrily as she nestled herself into Weiss' shoulder and hugged her enthusiastically. Weiss merely sighed again and patted her head.

"Alright, that's enough for now. You should go shower and start getting ready. The sooner we finish this mission, the sooner we can come back home and relax some more."

Ruby sat up quickly and pulled Weiss up as well.

"Okay! I'll be quick!" She bent down to press a swift kiss to Weiss' nose, then dashed off across the room to the bathroom, trailing rose petals behind her.

Weiss straightened out the bed again, then decided to get on top of the paperwork she had.

It didn't take her long, and by the time she'd finished things up, Ruby had finished her shower and emerged dressed in her usual, flowing clothes and dress, her cross necklace on proud display while her wet hair was a dripping mess over the carpet.

Weiss grabbed the towel from around Ruby's shoulders and ruffled it through her tresses to dry it more quickly, while Ruby only giggled more.

Weiss then took her turn in the shower and dressed into her clothes. She chose her white-and-blue patterned pants and dress shirt, which were professional in appearance, but also easy to move in. She left her hair down to dry as they went to have breakfast, which they made sure was a hearty meal for the day ahead.

By the time they'd fetched their respective weapons and stepped outside, Weiss' hair had dried, so Ruby happily tied it up for her. She kissed Weiss' cheek once she'd finished, then took her hand to hold as they walked.

It was an easygoing spring day as they sauntered through town, bound for the forests beyond. Weiss asked details about the mission as they went.

"You'd said it was only a small thing, right? So hopefully, it shouldn't take very long."

"Yeah!" Ruby nodded. "It's just a Grimm sighting outside of town. People said it looked like a Beowolf, but it was much much faster."

Weiss tilted her head curiously.

"It wasn't just an Alpha?"

"Not sure. But whatever it is, people would feel a whole lot better if it got taken care of."

"Right. Then let's take care of it."

They took the quickest path through town to reach the forest beyond. There were sensory wires and alarms set up around the perimeter as a basic means of security against Grimm, but those devices could only sound an alert for the beasts' presence, not prevent them from getting into town. The wires didn't activate when purer, human or Faunus aura passed over them, however, so Ruby and Weiss made quick work of hurrying away from the homes and marketplace, and into the untamed wilderness.

The weather was warm and the sun was bright, and as the sounds of civilization faded away behind them, the rustling of leaves and chirping of birdsong soon filled their ears. Ruby grinned and swung Weiss' hand a little.

"Y'know, if we didn't have to go defeat this monster, this would feel like a date~"

"I suppose it might."

"We haven't gone on one in a whiiiiile. You're always so busy, Weiss."

"My job is rather demanding," she mumbled. "...But maybe sometime when I'm free we could aim for a picnic or something."

"Really? Yaaay!"

They chatted idly for a bit, as this part of the woods was still considered to be safe and travel-worthy.

It was a few miles in when the foliage overhead became thicker, blocking out the sunlight. The forest floor beneath was consequently dyed in darker shades now, and the rummaging of the forest animals and birds was replaced by an unsettling silence.

It was obvious they'd entered Grimm territory.

They let go of one another's hands and instead got ready to engage with any beast that crossed their path. Ruby drew her scythe, and Weiss prepared herself to call forth her Dust at any given second.

The forest continued on for many miles, and it was such a vast expanse of environment that there were sections that not even the huntsman patrols had ever set foot on.

Ruby herself had patrolled these woods many times, simply to keep the Grimm population as low as possible. She was always eager to explore new parts of it, despite how unnerving the place might've been.

Even seasoned huntresses such as themselves couldn't help but feel trepidation while trekking through these parts.

Without sunlight reaching it, the grass was grey and lifeless, stiff from rarely ever having been tread upon. Scattered white bones weren't uncommon to find either. Some were nestled under the roots of the trees, others strewn across the forest floor haphazardly.

The trunks of the trees were stark and decrepit, fallen branches just as common as the bones. Some trees were marked by claws to signify any Grimm's territory from another's.

Ruby knew these woods far better than Weiss did, therefore the head of Schnee Dust fell into step behind her partner, just like old times. They didn't speak or make any unnecessary sounds, knowing that doing so would only increase their risk of being ambushed.

Normally, huntsmen or huntresses weren't permitted to enter in this far unless it was with a group of at least three members.

But Ruby and Weiss weren't just any huntresses.

As soon as the first common Beowolf pack exploded out of the surrounding bushes, the pair demonstrated their skills.

Ruby's crimson scythe ran even deeper in color as it sliced through the wolves' necks, opening their throats to spill forth a stream of red and black liquid. She twirled herself with ease, and though her old injury would never allow her to move quite as nimbly as she'd used to, she was still more than capable of handling a few dogs on her own.

Weiss naturally covered her partner's back as she'd done a million times before. She used her Dust-based abilities to produce crystals from her own skin, then used them at her discretion. Some were charged with fire, others with water or lightning. She used them as barriers, as daggers, and as bullets, slaying every Grimm before they could come within a few yards of Ruby or herself.

The pack was nothing more than a warm-up for the experienced pair, and within less than a minute, a dozen or so maimed bodies lay at their boots, disintegrating into nothingness.

Ruby spun around to meet Weiss' gaze and smiled. She darted in to press a quick kiss to Weiss' lips and giggled.

"Good job, honey!"

Weiss rolled her eyes and reached out to wipe her thumb over a streak of blood on Ruby's cheek.

"Don't make such a mess next time."

"Eehee, sorryyy~"

Weiss fixed the few ruffles in her own clothes as she scanned the area.

"I'm assuming none of those were the one you'd been told about, right?"

Ruby twirled Crescent Rose idly and hummed in thought.

"Mm... no, I don't think so. None of them were especially fast or lanky. They all just looked like the usual wolves."

"Then let's keep going."

They trekked on through the dark gray forest, now more vigilant than before. Since they'd caused a commotion in their recent skirmish, now they were more likely to be discovered by other Grimm as well.

Sure enough, only a few minutes later they encountered several Ursai, including a Major.

Ruby took care of the lesser bears while Weiss took on the leader. As it lumbered past her, she cast all different forms of Dust crystals onto the spines protruding from its back, coating each of the spikes in conflicting elements. As soon as one spark of fire ignited, it set off the others in a domino effect.

Lightning sparked through the water-covered spines and conducted a massive upset throughout the others, setting half of them on fire. The beast bellowed in agony as it was burnt alive and crashed to the ground, already deceased.

Weiss hurried off to assist Ruby with the last of the others. Once they'd finished, they kissed once again. As Ruby pulled away, she smoothed Weiss' clothes out for her.

"Nice going, sweetie! That was a neat new move!"

"It was good to put it into practice. You were quite impressive yourself."

After they'd exchanged their praises, they set off once again in search of their mystery beast.

Within the next few hours, they did battle with a herd of Boarbatusk and several more wolf packs. As Ruby lopped off the last head, she wiped her sleeve over her forehead and sighed.

"Well, even if we don't find the one we'd been looking for, at least we've wiped out a good deal of other Grimm!"

"True," Weiss agreed. "But since we've already come this far, I think it'd be best to try and find the intended target and take care of it before sundown."

"Yeah. So let's keep going!"

Ruby actually recognized the area they were in. Some of the fallen trees up ahead had been felled by her own hand many months back. It was imperative that she made sure to keep track of where they were in these woods, because scroll reception was notoriously poor, and getting lost here wasn't the best of options, especially with evening approaching.

Weiss proposed they stay on the hunt for another hour, and if they found nothing more, they'd have to retreat for the night. Ruby agreed, then took off in the lead once again.

By the time their hour was almost up, Weiss could see the difference in the already minimal lighting. The shadows were growing faintly darker by the second, and would soon cover every last inch of the forest in darkness.

Weiss had been in the process of taking the breath she'd need to tell Ruby it was time to turn back when her partner came to an abrupt halt. Weiss nearly bumped into her and huffed.

"What do you think you're-"

"There it is."

Weiss clamped her mouth shut quickly as she peered over Ruby's shoulder.

Ahead of them, about a quarter of a mile away, stood a lone Beowolf. Judging by the excess of bone markings on its body, it was an Alpha, but it was no ordinary Grimm.

Just as Ruby had been told, it had strangely long limbs, probably about a foot longer than any other wolf's. Its muzzle was elongated, as were its claws. Its fur was more matted than most others', ruffled to the point of looking almost mangey. It seemed to limp and slink across the forest, as though it were injured, though Ruby's expert eyes could detect no physical outside wounds on its body.

Weiss felt her partner brace herself, readying Crescent Rose at her side. But Weiss had a bad feeling about this.

"Do we really have to?" she hissed. "It looks injured. It could very well die of its own accord."

"But what if it doesn't? This was the mission, Weiss. I've gotta finish it."

Weiss didn't like this, but her partner was right.

"Fine. Then let's make it quick."

She stepped aside and readied her Dust, keeping one eye on Ruby and the other on their target.

Ruby moved slowly, keeping hidden behind the trees as often as she could as she neared the wolf in gradual incriminates of motion.

Weiss watched the beast blunder about in the distance. It seemed confused and uncoordinated. With any luck, it would be an easy kill and they'd be home in time for supper.

Ruby and herself advanced gradually, waiting until they were a good distance away. Weiss knew her partner intended to rush forward in a short burst of incredible speed to lop off the wolf's head before it even knew what was coming, which was typically a successful tactic when dealing with one single monster. Weiss was prepared to back her up should anything go amiss.

A few painstaking moments later, Ruby was preparing herself to move.

What happened next was almost beyond Weiss' comprehension.

The very second Ruby began her charge with a single step, the wolf perked its ears up and disappeared in an equal, if not an even greater, burst of speed.

Ruby swung Crescent Rose where the beast's head had been a second earlier, only to slice air. Weiss couldn't stop herself from blurting out in shock.

"What-?"

"Shoot!" Ruby hissed. "It's getting away! Let's go!"

"Ruby, wait-!"

But Weiss should've known better than to try and stop her impulsive partner. That part of Ruby had surely never changed over the years.

Ruby took off in a streak of red, and unless Weiss wanted to risk being separated from her, she had no choice but to follow.

Ruby's speed was impressive to say the very least, but the fact that the wolf was eluding her meant that its speed was even more remarkable. Weiss was forced to use glyphs just to keep the end of Ruby's cloak within her sights.

But Weiss knew her partner even better than Ruby knew herself. Worry shot through her as she darted through the maze of tree trunks, her voice all but lost as the wind whipped past her and stole her breath.

"Ruby-! Ruby, you need to stop!"

But her warning came too late.

The next instance, Ruby had stumbled in her pursuit and collapsed to her knees.

Weiss was at her side in a second, crouching over her, clasping her shoulders firmly and turning her to glimpse her face.

"Ruby!"

Her partner was panting hard for breath, her back shaking slightly as Crescent Rose lie limply in her fingers. Weiss wasted no time in placing one of her hands at the center of Ruby's chest, and the other in the same position on her back. She began to emit her aura, letting it flow onto Ruby to help her breathe easier.

Ruby reached up and clung to Weiss' sleeve in order to keep herself upright, whimpering as a needle-like pain pricked at her chest, stemming from her old injury. She was vaguely aware of Weiss scolding her, but knew it was only because she was so worried.

"You dolt! What do you think you're doing, tearing off like that so suddenly? You know you can't-" Weiss stopped herself before she ended up saying something in a way she'd regret. Exhaling shakily, she rephrased it. "You know your abilities have changed."

They both knew what she meant.

Ever since Ruby had sustained the injury from Gambol Shroud and a piece had been embedded within her body, she'd been unable to unlock the full potential she'd previously been able to. Her strength, stamina, and speed - while still highly impressive - now were only a fraction of what they'd used to be. She couldn't push herself too hard for very long without it resulting in detrimental results.

They'd been hiking and fighting Grimm all day, so for her to charge off so suddenly like that at her highest speed-

"You dolt. I don't believe you. Look what you've done..." Weiss didn't stop emitting her aura as she pulled her in closer, holding her lips to Ruby's hair.

Ruby sighed, recognizing that she wasn't the only one shaking.

"S-Sorry..."

"You'd better be..."

It wasn't long before the pain in Ruby's chest started to subside and melt away thanks to Weiss' aura. But she knew it wasn't good for Weiss to share for too long, especially when they were in this kind of situation.

Ruby gently took Weiss' hand in hers, a soft gesture that caused her to stop sharing her aura. Ruby kissed the back of her knuckles and sighed.

"Thanks, Weiss. I'm sorry..."

Weiss simply pulled her closer and kissed her forehead.

"Fine. Just don't do it again, you dunce... Can you stand?"

"Yeah." Ruby pushed herself to her feet and grabbed her weapon once again. "I'm all good now. Promise!"

Weiss scrutinized her from where she still crouched. She'd seen this happen more times than she cared to remember, but in her experience, this was how it always played out. Ruby would only be in pain for a brief moment, then after she'd rested, she'd be able to continue, albeit with much more care and attention paid to her health.

Ruby offered Weiss her hand and helped her up. The older girl looked her over one last time, and was relieved to find Ruby had bounced back to her usual self, absent from pain.

But still, this incident had been enough of a sign that Ruby needed to take things easy now.

"Come on," Ruby urged her. "I think I saw where it went."

"You're sure you'll be able to fight if it comes to that?"

"I'm sure! Come on, Weiss! We're so close! I won't run anymore, I promise."

Weiss felt her stomach twist uneasily, but if they didn't finish this now, they'd just have to do it all over again some other time.

Therefore, with a bit of reluctance, she wrapped one arm around Ruby's waist and told her to hold on and keep up. Weiss then cast a trail of glyphs forward as Ruby instructed her to. She braced herself, and Ruby held on tight.

They took off, shooting across the glowing circles that propelled them like vectors towards the designated area. As soon as they stopped, it was Weiss who needed a moment to catch her breath. Ruby held tightly to her to keep her on her feet while her eyes took in the sight before her.

A massive cave yawned an opening into the side of a small mountain of sorts, one small enough to remain hidden beneath the trees. It was darker than night inside that cave-

-at least, until a certain point.

As Ruby peered in, she could clearly see a faint, eerie light emitting from deep within.

By then, Weiss had righted herself and stiffened as she followed her partner's gaze.

"What in the world...?"

"It's a cave," Ruby mumbled. "That's where the wolf went. We've gotta go in after it."

"No you don't!" Weiss grabbed Ruby's hood and tugged her back firmly. "We don't know how many are in there, or how deep it runs! If you get lost down some random tunnel, how do you expect to get back out again? And besides, it's almost nighttime, and we're both exhausted."

Weiss cupped Ruby's cheeks and looked earnestly down into her eyes. "Ruby, you've done enough. You've found its cave. All you've got to do is lead a team back to it tomorrow. Please. Don't risk yourself going in now."

Ruby had no choice but to stare up into Weiss' distraught blue eyes. She wasn't showing it in any other way for fear of attracting more Grimm, but Weiss was terrified.

Exploring unmapped territory during the daytime with a team of well-fed and energized huntsman was one thing.

But doing so with only two severely enervated people near sunset was borderline suicide.

Ruby knew she was being foolish. She knew she was only worrying Weiss unnecessarily, and that her partner's suggestion was logical and the safest bet in this case.

But Ruby's hero complex blinded her. She had a mission to complete, and a duty to the people to fulfill. She needed to kill this beast before it could slink back to town and hurt someone.

So she did something horrible.

Ruby reached down to grasp both of Weiss' hands in hers. Sighing, she bent her face down and kissed both of them in turn.

Weiss interpreted it as an act of acceptance. She smiled and took a step back.

"Come on, then. Let's go back-"

"Weiss?" Ruby bit her lip, keeping her face hidden from view. Before Weiss could reply, Ruby let go of her hands and stepped away. "I'm sorry."

Ruby dashed off, straight into the entrance of the cave.

Weiss shrieked her name softly, fingers reaching out to pull her back to no avail.

"No-! ...Ruby!"

The sense of calm that had settled inside of her was cruelly ripped to shreds. Now anger, fear, and pain coursed through her instead, causing a rush of tears to rise up behind her eyes.

"Damn it!"

If Ruby thought Weiss was going to simply wait outside where it was easier to run to safety, she had another thing coming.

Weiss righted herself and cast another trail of glyphs inside the cave, her eyes burning with frustration.

But as she tried to step onto the first circle, she swayed suddenly, and rather violently, almost as though her legs had been knocked out from beneath her. She crashed to the ground, disoriented, her side throbbing in pain that spread throughout her body from the tips of her toes to her skull.

"Ah-! Damn it..."

She didn't know what had just come over her. It wasn't anything she'd ever experienced before.

This wasn't just some normal headache brought on by fatigue. This was something much worse.

She couldn't describe it or pinpoint the source of it, but it was enough to make her heart clench.

She all but shoved herself back up to her feet, staggering as she tried to focus. Her glyphs were still there, but faltering now without her concentration to maintain them.

Weiss forced herself to direct her energy on following after Ruby. The thought of finding her before she could get hurt fueled her.

Weiss managed to step onto the glyph and let it pull her in after her partner.

. . .

Deeper within the cave, Ruby was whimpering apologies, feeling awful for what she'd done in tricking Weiss. She'd gladly get scolded for it later once all of this was over.

As she dashed into the unknown territory of the cave, she kept her senses alert, being as cautious as possible. She was able to discern that there was only one pathway that led directly back to where the odd light was coming from.

Ruby was able to tell this light wasn't manmade, nor was it fire. It seemed almost like starlight in a way.

She paused to listen, and wasn't surprised to catch the sound of scraping claws up ahead.

It sounded like it was alone. She'd finish this and return to Weiss before she could miss her.

Ruby readied her scythe and charged forward into the darkness-

-until a sudden brightness flooded her vision.

Within the course of a few seconds, the cave had gone from near pitch-darkness to a display of light and color.

Thousands of crystals surrounded her on all sides, with stalagmites dangling overhead.

It didn't take her long to recognize these as Dust crystals. Pure, un-mined Dust, yet untouched by human or Faunus hands.

Years ago, Weiss' father had his people mine these kinds of caves for profit, though since Weiss had come into possession of the company, their ways had been altered in favor of the workers.

Ruby had never seen a cave like this firsthand before. It was dazzling to say the very least.

Each crystal was charged with a different kind of natural energy, which determined its color. Some teemed with tiny bubbles like water, other sparked with fire, and others flashed with lightning. They all seemed to shimmer with stardust, giving off an ethereal, miraculous glow.

Ruby almost got lost in their beauty.

But a sudden blurring of the light alerted her to a large black shadow up ahead. The mutated wolf paced back and forth, growling and salivating at the back of the cave.

She could instantly assume why it was the way it was now. It had likely eaten a crystal, or at least gnawed on one in order for it to attain such speed and grotesque appearance.

But when it had seen them in the forest, it hadn't attacked like a normal Grimm would have. It had fled. Thanks to the Dust, it was now experiencing fear and pain, both things it existed for solely to inflict upon others. Killing it now would be an act of the utmost mercy.

And it was trapped. Ruby would make quick work of completing her mission.

She charged, giving off a battle cry of sorts. The wolf dodged her with its uncanny speed, swiping at her as she passed it by, but Ruby blocked the blow.

Even so, she could feel the sheer strength behind the impact, which bowled her over. Her boot caught on a protruding crystal and she fell backward.

The wolf was upon her in an instant, its ferocious jaws snapping and drooling with the innate desire to kill. It was all Ruby could do to use her scythe to keep it back and try to shove it off of herself.

"A-Ahh! No, no, no, g-get off, get off!"

She started to panic. Her body was strained from the perilous journey it had taken to get here, and her mind was full of thoughts of Weiss, and how the last thing Ruby had ever done was trick her and run away.

Her fear empowered the monster. It lunged at her again, and she kicked at it desperately, but its weight was too great.

"No, n-nooo!"

Suddenly, a flash of movement shot across her field of view. The wolf howled as it was struck from behind, and it turned swiftly.

The second its attention was taken off of herself, Ruby swung Crescent Rose with all her strength. It cut into the side of the Grimm's neck until the head was completely severed. The carcass disintegrated into thin air within seconds, making her wonder if it had ever truly been there at all.

Ruby remained there for a second, curled up on the floor of the cave, fighting to catch her breath. The second she saw what had saved her life, she burst into tears.

"Weiss-" she croaked. "Weiss... I'm so sorry..."

Her partner stood only a few feet away from her now, where the wolf had been only seconds ago. Weiss wiped her eyes, relieved that she'd made it in time.

"You dolt..."

Ruby scrambled to her feet and rushed to her, throwing her arms around Weiss and hugging her fervently.

"Weiss! I'm... I'm so sorry, I-I-"

But her apologies were cut short as a sickening feeling instantly crashed over her. Her balance swayed dangerously, but it wasn't of her own accord.

Weiss suddenly collapsed beneath her, as though the bones in her legs had disappeared. The manner in which she fell was so quick and so unexpected that Ruby never even got the chance to try and catch her. She could only watch in shock and horror as her partner fell to the ground, gasping and choking for breath.

"Weiss?!"

Ruby yelped her name and swiftly knelt down at her side, reaching out to touch her-

But before she could make contact, she noticed an unnatural glow coming from her partner's skin. And it wasn't just the light of the cave around them reflecting off Weiss' white skin.

It was coming from underneath her flesh.

Weiss screamed in agony as Dust crystals began to spurt forth from her body. All different colors were forced from her skin, all along her arms, back, and shoulders. Weiss cried out again as they kept shooting out against her will. She couldn't control them-

"Ahhgh-!"

A debilitating pain hammered against the inside of her veins and skull with every beat of her terrified heart. Her body was on fire.

The artificial Dust that she'd had scientifically implanted within herself years ago was now resonating with the pure Dust within the cave. The natural crystals affected the Dust within her bloodstream, causing it to manifest in the usual crystals.

But it was all happening against her will, and without her control.

So she felt every tear in her skin, every stab of pain, every rush of festering, boiling energy bursting through, shredding her from the inside out.

She screamed again as the crystals started to grow, pulsing violently as her heart slammed against her ribcage and throbbed madly inside of her skull.

Ruby watched in sheer horror.

It was all happening so quickly, within only seconds.

She knew this wasn't Weiss' doing. When she wanted to call her Dust forth, it never hurt her.

But now...

Every crystal was coated in her blood, and streams of red were running down her shoulders, chest, and arms, seeping into her clothes. Another terrified, anguished scream was ripped from her lungs and made the cave shudder.

Ruby was frantic, almost petrified as she tried to gather Weiss into her arms. But she couldn't touch the crystals shooting out of her without being cut by the sharp ends.

"W-Weiss! Weiss!" she shrieked. "Wh-What's happening?! What do I do?! Weiss?!"

But her partner couldn't speak anymore. She could only scream, her voice cutting short now as a suffocating breathlessness assaulted her Weiss' lungs.

More crystals were pushed from her hands and fingertips now. Each one pulsed and ran red with Weiss' blood, forcing her aura into overdrive as it tried to stop the bleeding and close the wounds.

Ruby knew there were only two ways this would stop. She needed to get Weiss out of here-

-or else the only other way it would stop was if she were dead.

Ruby sobbed as she tried to pick Weiss up. Blood was welling up from every crystal, coating the cave floor in puddles of her blood.

Ruby barely managed to position her hand at the small of Weiss' back where only a few crystals had popped up, and she avoided them as best she could. She pressed her other hand over Weiss' heart, as though keeping it there would prevent that area from being attacked.

If a crystal formed inside of Weiss and pierced her heart, it would all be over.

Ruby started running even before she had a good grip on Weiss. She ran as quickly as she could go, and then pushed herself to go even faster than that. Weiss had gone still in her arms, her body weighing twice what it normally did now with the added bulk of the crystals.

Ruby stumbled through the cave, sniffling and blubbering as she hurried back the way she'd come. As they drew further away from the Dust inside, she noticed the crystals on Weiss' body slowly begin to shrink back, and no new ones were forming.

Ruby pelted out through the entrance and kept running out into the dark forest, getting as far away from the cave as possible. She only stopped when she couldn't see it anymore, and when her concern for Weiss' stillness became too great for her not to address.

Ruby fell to her knees at the base of a tree, cradling Weiss in her arms, crying her name over and over again in little sobs.

Now that she'd stopped, she got a clear look at Weiss.

It wasn't good.

The crystals we beginning to shrink more quickly now, but there were still dozens of open wounds all over her body, torn through her clothes and flesh, and now leaking her precious lifeblood. Her face was smeared with blood and tears, and even those had crystalized.

Ruby gently laid Weiss on the ground before herself and knelt over her. She pressed two fingers to the side of her neck, but was shaking too much to determine a pulse.

So she leaned herself down and pressed her ear over Weiss' collar.

Her mind flashed with memories of that morning, how Ruby had cuddled up comfortably in this very same position, listening to Weiss' heart beat steadily and strongly.

But now-

"Oh, god-"

She choked back another sob as she listened to Weiss' heart now. It was straining, thudding hard and fast beyond its limits as her body was put under such immense, unimaginable pressure.

But now that the Dust within her body no longer had to resonate with the pure Dust inside the cave, Weiss' body was beginning to shut down. Her pulse dropped within seconds to a slow, meek flutter, one Ruby could barely even detect anymore.

It was such a dire, drastic change in her condition that Ruby was gripped by one certain version of reality.

Weiss was dying. Her aura couldn't heal all the wounds on its own, and she'd lost a significant amount of blood already. Ruby soon felt she wasn't breathing, either.

"No, no, Weiss- Weiss-!"

Ruby sucked in a deep breath and leaned over her lover, pinching Weiss' nose and tilting her head back to part her lips. Ruby pushed air into her lungs, keeping a hand on Weiss' chest to feel it expand, the weak pulse jolting beneath her touch.

Ruby kissed her again, pushing more air into her body, then pulled away.

Still sobbing and shuddering uncontrollably, she began returning Weiss' favor from earlier unto her, sharing her aura where Weiss needed it most.

Ruby kept one hand over her partner's heart in an effort to keep it beating. Her other hand passed over the largest wounds on Weiss' torso and under her back, working together with Weiss' life force to try and keep her alive.

"Weiss..." she begged. "Weiss, please... please wake up..."

Ruby never stopped crying.

She'd done this to Weiss.

If she'd just listened to her and trusted her-

If she'd just agreed to come back here tomorrow-

If she hadn't tricked Weiss into thinking she was going to, and then run off into the cave instead-

If Ruby had just done what her heart had told her instead of her mind, she never would have gone into that cave, nor would Weiss have to have been subjected to all of this agony for following her.

Weiss had only acted to keep Ruby safe, but Ruby had only acted to fulfill her own desires.

Ruby crumpled over her lover and kissed her again, turning her face away as she coughed on her own sobs.

"W-Weiss... I'm s-sorry... It's my fau...lt... I...I did this to you..."

She'd closed most of the wounds now, and lifted one hand to caress Weiss' blood-streaked hair. Her other hand was still resting over Weiss' chest, where the pulse beneath felt stifled.

Ruby knew her negative and fearful emotions were putting them at risk out here with the Grimm, but she couldn't stop herself from crying harder.

Guilt. Terror. Dismay.

"No... please no..."

Ruby pushed another breath into Weiss' mouth, then sat back. She moved both hands to Weiss' chest and balanced them there, then began to pump her chest now that the bleeding had stopped.

As soon as she'd finished a set of compressions, Ruby kissed her two more times, then repeated the process.

All the while, she never stopped crying.

She looked down at Weiss' face, still streaked with faded tear trails and caked with dried blood. There were crimson stains all over her clothes, skin, and hair. She'd lost so much blood...

And it's all my fault...

"Weiss..."

If she lost Weiss... then the last thing she ever would have known Ruby to do was deceive her and leave her behind, and the last thing she ever would have known Ruby to say would be an apology.

Defiant and desperate, Ruby continued to stimulate Weiss' heart and lungs. Her arms were sore, her hands were aching and covered in Weiss' blood, and her body was numbed with pain.

But she knew this was a droplet compared to the tsunami Weiss must've been put through.

She kissed her, breathed into her, pushed against her chest, then kissed her again. She did these things until she lost track of how many times she'd done them.

Until she'd cried her eyes dry.

Until she'd heard a cough that wasn't her own.

Ruby froze as she felt Weiss' body jolt beneath her palms, her pulse seizing for a terrifying few seconds until it resumed.

Weiss coughed again, flipping onto her side, feeling like she was about to vomit as an acidic sting filled her chest.

But not a second later, a cooling sensation quelled the pain and eased her fears. A thin, hoarse voice reached her ears as Weiss fought to open her eyes.

"Wei...ss...?"

As she finally, successfully lifted her eyelids, Weiss saw an angel looking back down at her.

Ruby's eyes were shimmering and heavy with tears that started spilling over the second Weiss looked at her.

"Weiss...? Oh god... oh god..." Ruby pulled Weiss into her lap with deliberate care, her lips trembling with the same repetitive prayer. "Oh god, oh god, oh god, oh g-god-"

She leaned over her, cupping Weiss' cheek with one hand, the other sliding down to her stomach where she kept allowing her aura to flow, helping fight off the residual pain she was feeling.

"Weiss- Weiss... i-it's okay, it's okay, I promise. You're gonna be okay... J-Just breathe, please breathe..."

She curled her hand beneath Weiss' head, threading locks of her hair through her fingers as she lifted Weiss' face towards her own. Ruby kissed her again, much more softly this time, but still just as firmly. She pushed another breath into her lungs, making Weiss remember what it felt like.

She pulled away and brushed her fingers over Weiss' red-stained cheek. Weiss exhaled very thinly, very meekly. Ruby could still feel an ache pounding in her lover's chest, numbing her body. But at the very least, Weiss couldn't feel the pain of each individual wound anymore.

Weiss shivered as she tried to speak, her voice a strangled mess.

"R-Ru... by..."

"Shhh..." Ruby kissed her forehead, then the bridge of her nose. "Don't... don't worry about me okay, Weiss? I-I'm okay. Just worry about yourself for once, god, Weiss..."

Again, she kissed her, and Weiss sighed against her lips, relieved to know Ruby was all right. But she found she really couldn't afford to speak anymore, at least not right away. She took Ruby's advice and concentrated on trying to breathe properly.

Ruby traced soothing circles over her girlfriend's stomach, collar, cheeks, and everywhere else she could reach.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Weiss... I... I tricked you, a-and then I left you out here a-and I put you through all of that pain... because of me, you... the Dust... a-and you were bleeding and screaming and I-I couldn't do anything to help you-"

She was blubbering, struggling to speak and cry and cough all at the same time, her words tumbling out while her chest heaved for air. Even when her voice cut off and she started coughing, Ruby continued to try and speak, whimpering more apologies until they were the only things she knew how to say aside from Weiss' name.

"W-Weiss... I'm so sorry, I'm so-sorry... Weiss..."

The white-haired girl still wasn't able to speak yet. But she knew Ruby had repented more than enough, more than she'd ever needed to.

She'd suffered enough. They both had.

Weiss lifted one of her hands, and positioned it above the one on her stomach. Weiss let her hand fall on top of Ruby's, and her quivering fingers squeezed as much as she could.

When Ruby next looked down at Weiss, she found her smiling faintly back up at her.

Ruby knew all was forgiven a million times over. There was so much love in Weiss' eyes and so much tenderness in her touch, it made Ruby start to cry all over again.

It was truly a miracle that Weiss had survived that horrible ordeal.

Weiss liked to proclaim that the Dust inside her bloodstream made her stronger, but Ruby knew it put her at risk and ended up hurting her more than it helped her.

She was just thankful to have her back now.

She felt Weiss' hands move again, this time to clutch weakly at Ruby's cheeks, pulling her down. Ruby complied, leaning forward enough so that Weiss could wrap both arms around her shoulders. She made sure not to put too much of her weight onto her as Weiss buried her face in her shoulder and cried. Ruby did the same, nuzzling into Weiss' hair and weeping quietly.

It almost felt as though they stayed in that forest all night long.

But Ruby soon heard the unmistakable sounds of propellers high above.

A rescue air ship had tracked down her coordinates.

They located the two injured huntresses and brought them on board the small ship, where medical personnel were ready and waiting.

Ruby was treated for her injuries rather quickly, and given aura supplements dissolved into a bottle of water to rejuvenate her.

Weiss' injuries were more severe, and ran internally just as much as they did externally.

Ruby stayed by her side as the doctors sedated her. Weiss lapsed in and out of consciousness, but they didn't want to risk her being awake to feel the pain as they stitched her wounds, therefore they put her to sleep for a while.

Ruby made sure to kiss her and whisper how much she loved her before Weiss closed her eyes.

She held her lover's hand throughout the procedures as they were flown back to town. With the advancement of modern technology and medical information, Weiss was treated before they landed.

It was late into the night by now, and Ruby requested they be brought back to Weiss' home. The doctors transported Weiss on a movable bed while Ruby limped beside them, directing them where to go.

After a while of the nurses cleaning Weiss' wounds one last time, then changing her clothes, Ruby had been given a bottle of painkillers and aura supplements, and been instructed on how and when to use them for both herself and for Weiss.

About an hour after they'd been brought back home, Ruby and Weiss were lying alone together in their bed, just as they had been at the start of the day. Only now, they were both sore and aching, making jokes about how old they must've been getting.

"My bones are all creaky," Ruby chuckled as she rolled over onto her side to face her girlfriend. "I feel like I'm two hundred years old!"

Weiss sighed, but cracked a smile in return.

"Well, you don't look a day over twenty."

"Awwww! C'mere, you!" Ruby snuggled up closer to her and gently slipped her arms around Weiss. Weiss pulled her in, inviting Ruby to get comfortable, kissing her temple. Ruby sighed and nuzzled Weiss' shoulder. "How're you feeling?"

"Sore. But I'll manage."

"Okay..." Ruby sniffled a little, tightening her embrace. "Weiss...? I'm... I'm really-"

"You've already apologized, Ruby," she reminded her. "And I've already told you it's all right, haven't I?"

Ruby nodded.

"Y-Yeah... but still, I... I just feel so awful because... because I almost... I almost lost you tonight a-and the last thing I said to you wasn't even that I loved you a-and-"

"Ruby."

Weiss stopped her by stroking her fingers all through Ruby's hair and down her back. She coaxed her to move back a bit so Weiss could see her face. Tears were dripping down her cheeks already. Weiss brushed them away, then kissed her nose.

"You dolt. Don't you think I know you love me? Even without your having to say it?"

Ruby tried to say something in response, but found she could only sob in relief. She crumpled into Weiss' chest, and Weiss welcomed her wholeheartedly. Ruby gingerly tried to pull herself back though, and Weiss froze.

"Ruby? What's wrong? Does it hurt?"

"N-No, no... aha..." Ruby sniffled again and lifted her face, a smile wobbling on the corners of her lips. "I-I was just worried that... I might hurt you..."

Weiss released a breath.

"Of course you won't. It's all right. Come here."

Weiss pulled her close, letting Ruby rest her head on her chest, as she'd done just eighteen hours earlier. Ruby wept for a little while longer as her mind replayed the frightening events of the day. All the while, Weiss patted her back for her and hummed softly to soothe her.

Eventually, Ruby's mind was put at ease as her heartbeat synched with Weiss'.

But before she could fall asleep, she made sure to kiss Weiss one more time.

"I love you."

Weiss smiled, cuddling her lover close.

"I love you too, Ruby."

For a while now, they'd need to recover, and take time to heal. Today had been a perilous one, full of uncertainty and unease.

They'd gone through these things together in the past, and would still be put through them in the future.

However, it only kept them weak for a short amount of time before the experience began to build upon more and more of their strengths.

The fear became courage, the uncertainty became confidence, and the reckless acts of selflessness became endearing acts of affection.

They displayed their love every day, to the point where speaking of it wasn't always necessary.

But that wouldn't stop them from saying it again first thing in the morning.

A/N: I always love just writing some good old, White Rose, especially if it goes from fluff to angst and back again!

If you like my work, you can support me on P-a-t-r-e-o-n as Kiria Alice!

Please review!