Aaaand, I'm back. This summer was not a kind one for fanfiction, as you can see. However, I was able to finally finish this one. It only took my WiFi getting knocked out and taking away my usual distractions to finally get over the rut I was in for this chapter. Maybe it should do that more often… Anyway, lots of fluff here. Enjoy!

Fox was feeling much grumpier than usual. This was a common enough problem for him, particularly in the later months of Winter. He felt slower, angrier, sadder, and less capable overall of doing anything.

He knew that it had to do with the cold weather and lack of sunlight, as this was a thing that happened every year, but this time around felt much worse. It was like there was a weight in his chest and stomach. Invisible pliers squeezed his head at regular intervals. He was more tired than ever, but never could get to sleep when he wanted to.

His team noticed the change and obviously wanted to help. Sometimes, he would allow himself to vent his daily worries to one of them, but mostly he kept them bottled up. Even stronger than his prevailing sadness was an ongoing fear that he was whining, that his friends' patience would wear out, that he would become more of a mopey burden than anything.

During his free time, he wandered along the edges of the Emerald Forest or sat on the rooftop, feeling the cool wind on his face. Staying too long in his room made him antsy.

One evening, Coco found him on the roof. He turned his head in her direction when he heard the clicking of her heeled boots, but didn't feel like actually speaking. He heard her sit down next to him. She didn't say anything besides a quiet "Hey," before falling silent.

She was close enough for him to feel the warmth radiating from her form, even in the face of the chill in the air. If he shifted to the side slightly, their arms would brush. He shifted a few times, telling himself that those brief touches were an accident each time.

Eventually, they both stood up and walked back to their room without a word, Fox feeling significantly better for some reason. He felt a sense of understanding between him and his partner, something that didn't require speaking. He wondered if she understood his dark mood better than he himself did. When they reached the door, she brushed her hand lightly against his before opening it. He blinked a few times, finding himself wishing that she had taken it fully.

His disquiet only got worse as Finals for the first semester approached. Like the other students, Team CFVY became incredibly stressed and sleep-deprived as they studied, crammed, and chugged their team's namesake like water.

One night, Coco was jolted from her studies by a book being slammed shut. Fox was standing up from his bed and making a beeline for the door. He mumbled something about needing some air before quickly exiting.

Velvet and Yatsuhashi glanced toward Coco, concern written on their faces along with the unspoken question of whether or not she'd follow him. Over the past few nights, the three had grown used to a regular system of Fox not showing up in the room and Coco finding him on the roof and sitting with him until he decides to return.

Coco nodded slightly at them, though she decided to wait a few minutes before following, wanting to give Fox a chance to cool off a bit on his own. Once she felt that a good amount of time had passed, she closed her book and stood, grabbing both her jacket and Fox's on the way out.

Fox was sitting against the wall on the roof, hugging his knees and shivering slightly. He was wearing a soft sweater underneath his usual vest. Coco had given it to him a few weeks ago, insisting that, though the muscles and scars on his arms were very sexy (his face burned for a good few minutes after that comment), he wasn't of any use to the team if he caught the flu. Unfortunately, with the increase in snow and the decrease in temperature, the sweater and vest were no longer sufficient protection.

He considered swallowing his pride and going back early, when the sound of the door opening and closing filled him with a combination of relief and guilt. As Coco moved close and tossed his coat over his knees, he quickly said "I'm fine, really."

Coco rolled her eyes as she sat down, pulling her own faux-fur jacket closer to her form. "What's up, Foxy? It's something specific this time, isn't it?" She watched him put on his coat, a large black and orange one he had brought with him from home, and noticed that his hands were shaking.

"I've been trying to cram for Port's exam," Fox explained, leaning against the wall again. "But, I spent all of last night studying for Oobleck's. I drank like five espressos today, and now my hands are shaking. It's so bad, I can't read the braille." Even when he tried gripping his knees, he felt the trembling in his wrists continue.

Coco immediately scooted closer, touching one of Fox's shaking hands, her brows furrowed with concern. "Yeah, okay. You're getting some sleep. Leaders orders, so don't try questioning me!"

Fox let out a sound that was somewhere between a laugh and a cough. "I won't have much of a choice once I hit caffeine crash. Then, I can wake up just in time to fail." He could feel his wrist and the back of his left hand warming under Coco's. Hers was so tiny and soft compared to his, though he could still feel old and new callouses from multiple battles and training sessions.

"You won't fail," Coco assured him. "You know the material. You're just freaking yourself out. We've all been doing that, but you've been particularly bad."

Fox shrugged, careful to not move his hand away from where it was.. "I just want to make sure, you know?"

Coco rubbed his wrist comfortingly. "If you want, I'll make sure you're up an hour before the test. That should be enough time to bolt some food and cram a few extra things, though you really don't need it. The extra cramming, I mean. Not the food. You need that. Can't have you fainting, after all."

Fox allowed a small smile to come to his face. "Thanks. That would help a lot." He heaved a long sigh. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Coco moved closer, cuddling into his side and resting her head on his shoulder. "That's what teammates are for."

Fox blushed, feeling himself leaning into Coco. He rested his head on top of hers, silently inhaling the scent of mango shampoo and some expensive, flowery perfume. He supposed it was okay to do this, since no one else would see. "It just feels like I've been more of a burden than anything. I don't know why I get like this, whether or not there are tests going on. I just get sad sometimes and need to get away. I don't like worrying you guys."

Coco shook her head, her hand gripping his wrist lightly. "You don't have to explain anything, and you're not a burden. You still pull your weight when it counts, whether it's in the classroom or on the field. Velvs, Yatsu, and I care about you and want you to be okay. So, don't be afraid to ask for anything from us, got it?"

She gave his wrist a firm squeeze to emphasize the point. "It doesn't matter if some jerk was mean to you, if you're stressed out about finals, or if you're just sad without knowing why. We're here for you."

Coco's words, combined with the softness of her hair on his cheek, caused Fox to finally relax a little. Muscles he hadn't known were tight grew loose and he closed his eyes, trying to make sense of how warm he suddenly felt. His left hand moved, as if of its own accord, and flipped over so his palm was brushing Coco's. Hesitantly, he slipped his fingers between hers, feeling a thrill when she returned the grip.

They stayed like that for nearly an hour, neither one wanting to break the silence, when Coco let out a small sneeze that she quickly tried to cover. Fox, of course, heard it anyway.

"Let's head back." He stood, pulling his partner up with him before letting go of her hand. "Can't go catching the flu, right?" A grin, a real one, spread across his face.

Coco felt her heart stutter happily when she saw the genuine smile on her friend's face. "Y-Yeah. That would suck," she managed to say before starting toward the door.

Fox bit his lip before calling after her. "Uh, Coco?"

"Yo?" Coco turned around to look at Fox, feeling a small amount of dismay when she saw that he had regained his awkward stance and had his head turned nervously toward the ground. Already? I thought we were making progress this time.

Words were failing Fox and he was forced to stammer like an idiot. "Um, well you said I could ask you guys for anything. And, well, I was wondering if- I mean, if you're okay to-"

Coco stepped forward, cutting him off gently. "What is it, partner?"

Fox rubbed bashfully at the back of his neck before taking a step forward. His right hand, still trembling from fatigue, reached out until it was resting lightly on Coco's left arm. Once he knew her exact position, he took a step forward, closing the distance between them. Slowly, giving her time to back away if she got uncomfortable, he pulled her into a long, warm hug.

Coco froze in shock when she felt Fox's strong arms wrapped around her, felt his chin come to a rest on his shoulder, felt his cheek brush lightly against the side of her neck. Once she got over her surprise, she immediately brought up her arms to hug him around the middle, gladly snuggling closer in the process.

Fox felt the rest of his muscles relax, closing his eyes blissfully as he finally granted himself what he had been craving for weeks. Holding Coco was like being wrapped in his favorite blanket. He felt safe, happy, and content, as if he could do anything as long as she stayed close. Feeling slightly giddy at the returned embrace, he shifted closer, giving the side of her soft neck a gentle nuzzle.

She stiffened and he worried for a moment that he had gone too far, but the puff of air against his throat and the three consecutive kisses that followed erased any doubts from his mind. He grinned, turning to kiss her cheek, feeling how it was practically burning despite the cold.

Coco laughed softly as Fox's dry lips tickled her cheek. She drew back slightly to look at his face. Her heart melted when she saw the glimmer in his sightless eyes and the content, slightly sleepy grin on his face. She leaned forward, kissing the scar on his mouth before eagerly claiming his lips.

Fox made a muffled sound of surprise before closing his eyes and moving his lips against hers. He brought up one hand, running sensitive fingertips over Coco's face. He wanted to remember what she looked like in that moment. It was his first kiss, after all.

She ran her tongue across his bottom lip, running the fingers of her right hand up his spine. He shivered, but didn't open his mouth. At that moment, he just wanted to feel that closeness to Coco he had been wanting, and the gentle, chaste brushes of lips were more than enough for him.

Coco was slightly disappointed when Fox didn't deepen the kiss, though she also found something very endearing about his reserved, simple displays of affection. When the kiss ended, she turned to kiss the palm of his hand and heard him gasp quietly. She grinned as she hugged him again, this time resting her cheek on his chest. She closed her eyes, savoring the warmth surrounding her. Then, she felt her partner yawn.

"Tired, Foxy," she murmured, drawing back again to stroke his cheek. The adorable smile on his face had become even more tired, and the bags under his eyes were more prominent.

"A little," Fox murmured, leaning into Coco's touch. "Wanna head back in?"

Coco nodded. "Sure thing." She linked her arm with his, tugging him toward the door. "So, your bed or mine?" she asked.

"Wha-?! Coco!" Fox sputtered, his face somehow becoming even hotter than before. At the same time, he let out a bemused laugh, shaking his head at his partner.

Coco snickered, squeezing his hand as they walked through the deserted hallways. As they walked, she kept glancing at her partner out of the corner of her eye and silently rejoicing to see that rare, content expression on his face each time. In the back of her mind, she promised herself to make a point to keep making that bright smile appear as often as possible.

I'm rewatching RWBY and will try to update a few of my other fics, like Mates for Life and Feral. I can't wait until Volume 3 comes out! I can't help but wonder how close to fan characterization the members of Team CFVY will be. Also, I saw pictures of the new team, Team ABRN, and they look awesome. I hope we'll actually get to see Scarlet and Sage before too many new people are introduced, though.

Anyway, college starts next week and hopefully inspiration will be more of a thing. Praise Monty and peace out!