Chapter Text

This whole place is just... wrong, Ruby thought. Having taken a moment to herself away from her team, she sat on a rooftop on Atlas Academy, the view of the kingdom around her leaving her in a state of conflicted emotions. In all her life, never had Ruby seen such a beautiful place, but it was all a lie. Just below ‘the greatest kingdom in the world’ lay a crumbling city descending further and further into chaos and poverty with each passing day. But from where Ruby was sitting, the sight of Atlas could almost make her forget the horrors below. Wrong, she thought. So, so wrong.

How can people up here live so comfortably knowing that just under them others are suffering? How can people be so okay with causing that suffering? What is wrong with this kingdom? I thought I understood why Weiss hated this place, but nothing could’ve prepared me for this.

Once this war was over—if it’d ever be over—Ruby vowed to return to Atlas and try to make life better for the people of Mantle. If there’s anything left by the time Salem’s done, she thought gloomily. And somehow, everyone was looking to her to solve the problem. Ruby’s breathing began to increase, causing small forms of icy mist to quickly manifest and dissipate in front of her. What am I doing?

“Ruby?” She heard a voice behind her and turned to see Penny. The friend she loved. The friend she lost.

“Penny! Um, what are you doing here?” Ruby asked as she nervously ran a hand through her hair.

“Yang seemed extremely worried about you. She said you ran off without saying anything. I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Penny took a cautious step towards Ruby. When Ruby didn’t say anything, Penny kneeled down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Ruby said, avoiding eye contact with Penny. She’d already lied to the general, she couldn’t handle looking the sweetest person she’d ever known in the eyes and doing the same to her.

Penny fixed Ruby with an unsettlingly serious expression. “Ruby, my friend, you know you can talk to me, right?“

“I’m fine, Penny,” she responded quickly, still avoiding eye contact.

“Your heart rate says otherwise,” Penny said. Of course she can see my heart rate. “Ruby, I-“

“Penny, just... please,” Ruby interrupted, “just please stop!” She regretted the words the instant they left her mouth.

“Oh,” Penny said in the saddest voice Ruby had ever heard from her. Slowly, Penny stood up and got ready to turn and walk away.

No, no, no, Ruby thought. Please don’t go! What is wrong with me?

Ruby’s hand impulsively shot up to grab Penny’s. “Wait!” She said. “I-I’m sorry,” Ruby whispered as her voice and mind changed tone. “I-I don’t want to be alone...”

“Then I promise you never will be.” Still holding Ruby’s hand, Penny sat down next to her and gave Ruby a gentle smile.

“I don’t even understand my own thoughts anymore. I’m sorry,” Ruby said.

“I can tell you’re hurting, Ruby. You don’t need to apologize to me.” You’re too good to me, Ruby thought.

“Can we just sit like this for awhile?” Ruby asked quietly.

“Whatever you want,” Penny replied sincerely. Sitting together in silence, they looked out at the airships flying by and the fleet surrounding the city. They looked to the aurora in the sky, and Ruby found herself mesmerized by its beauty. Not even the worst parts of Atlas can take that sight away. They looked to the ground to see cars quietly journeying to wherever their drivers’ next destination was. Ruby thought she saw what looked like a car wreck down below, with people leaving their vehicles to start a fight. Welcome to Atlas...

Maybe it was the cold, or maybe it was something else that caused the pair to silently nudge ever closer to each other, but eventually there was no space left between them as Ruby lay her head on Penny’s shoulder. As she threw her arm around Ruby’s waist, Penny rested her head on top of Ruby’s.

Despite the freezing weather, Ruby felt safe and warm in Penny’s embrace. It was a feeling that brought back memories of simpler times, when the worst things they had to worry about were bad grades or embarrassing themselves at a dance. I miss the people we were then, Ruby thought. I miss that dumb innocence of youth and purity of heart we once had. Gods, I sound like Blake right now. Ruby chuckled.

“What’s so funny?” Penny asked curiously.

“Oh, nothing. Just thinking about Beacon, back when we thought accidentally embarrassing ourselves at the school dance was the worst thing that could ever happen to us.” Penny joined her in laughter.

“Things were much simpler then,” she lamented. “You know, I always regretted not asking you for a dance.” Ruby felt her face heat up.

“Probably for the best that you didn’t,” she laughed, “I probably would’ve broken an ankle on those stupid lady stilts.” Seriously, how does Weiss fight in those?

“I’d catch you before that happened,” Penny said, affectionately nuzzling into Ruby again.

“I know,” Ruby said. You’ve always had my back. Ruby found herself slightly frowning.

“What’s wrong?” Penny asked. Ruby looked to the ground in thought.

“Penny,” Ruby sighed. “Can we talk?”

“That’s why I’m here,” Penny responded.

“I... I’m scared, Penny. The end of the world is on the horizon and everyone’s looking to me for leadership. I’m honestly a bit relieved to be here just so Ironwood can finally take some of that pressure off, as terrible as that sounds,” Ruby chuckled humorlessly.

“People look to you because they trust you, Ruby. I trust you.” Penny pressed herself closer to her closest friend. “And nothing can ever change that,” she added.

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Ruby said. When Penny made a confused noise, Ruby continued. “I wasn’t telling the truth in the headmaster’s office. There’s so much I didn’t say, so much I’m not sure I want to say. About the relics, about Salem, about everything.” Penny lifted her head.

“Ruby, what are you saying?”

“I’m saying I lied, that there’s a lot of things I neglected to tell Ironwood. A lot of things I’m still struggling with myself. I... I don’t know if can I trust him anymore. Not after seeing what’s happening in Mantle.”

“Oh,” Penny replied. Please don’t take that the wrong way.

“But I do trust you,” Ruby added quickly. “I’m not sure what I should or shouldn’t tell Ironwood yet, but I promise I’ll tell you everything when I can. I just... I’m still processing it all. Everyone is.”

“Well, take your time, Ruby,” Penny said. “I don’t know exactly what you dealt with after Beacon, but I’m not going to pry until you’re ready. And if there’s one person I trust more than Ironwood, it’s you.” She gently tightened her grip around Ruby’s waist.

“Thank you, Penny.” Another long silence passed as they steadily nuzzled together again, taking comfort in each other’s warmth contrasting against the icy air. Maybe it’s just because it’s really cold out, but she does feel a lot warmer than I remember. A slight breeze blew through, and Ruby found herself freezing. Gently, Penny wrapped her other arm around her and pulled her closer. Much, much warmer.

“You want to know something, Ruby?” Penny asked.

“Sure.”

Even though she probably didn’t need to, Penny sat a bit straighter and took a deep breath as if to emotionally prepare herself. “You were the first person to ever make me feel truly alive, you know that?”

“Huh?” Ruby asked. Oh, of all the dumb questions...

“I mean, when my father created me, I was alive. When Ironwood let me go to Vale to compete in the tournament, I was alive. But I didn’t actually feel alive until I met you. I know I was—am—a bit weird.”

“Just a bit, huh?” Ruby joked.

“Just a bit,” Penny laughed. “But Ruby, you were the first person aside from my father or Ironwood to really give me a chance. You never expected or asked anything of me. You were just there, as my first and closest friend. You helped me feel things I never thought I could feel, make friendships stronger than I ever thought I could make, and more than anything, you gave me a reason.”

“A reason?”

“From the day of my creation, I knew my purpose was to defend the world. But you gave me a reason to want to. I wanted to make your life better however I could, just like you had done for me. You made me live.” Penny looked at Ruby with an expression as soft as her voice.

“Penny, I-I don’t know what to say.” Ruby’s eyes began to wet at Penny’s words. Penny Polendina, you have got to be the kindest soul to ever exist.

“You don’t have to say anything,” she said.

Penny’s words triggered something in Ruby’s mind, and the huntress felt herself break as she pulled Penny into a hug tight enough to almost rival even the android’s. “I missed you so much,” she cried.

“I missed you, too.” Penny herself sounded on the verge of tears.

“I thought about you every day,” Ruby choked, still buried in the crook of Penny’s neck. “Every single day.”

“Me, too,” Penny said.

“I thought you were dead. If I’d known you were alive, I’d have-“

“I know,” Penny interrupted. “I’m just glad we can be here now. Together.”

“Together,” Ruby repeated as she and Penny intertwined their hands.

“That night,” Penny started, “the night... it happened, I’d hoped to spend it with you. Whether I’d won that fight or not, I’d have found you and hugged you as tightly as possible.”

“You’d probably have broken a couple ribs,” Ruby joked, wiping tears from her eyes.

“Well, that’s why you have your aura!” Penny enthused.

“To survive your hyper-lethal hugs? Yeah, that sounds about right,” she laughed. Penny looked like she was about to pull Ruby into another dangerous hug, and Ruby reflexively engaged her aura. Better take her advice, she thought. But Penny merely shook her head and gently leaned into Ruby.

“You’re safe this time,” she teased, causing both to laugh so hard they fell to the ground. We’re probably going to wake up the entire kingdom at this rate, Ruby contemplated, but when she saw the look of pure bliss on Penny’s face, Ruby couldn’t have cared less about what Atlas thought. After regaining just a small bit of composure, Penny found herself resting her head on top of Ruby’s chest, listening to the sounds of her heartbeat.

The sound helped ground Penny, and gave her a sense of relief at the fact that this was indeed real. She’d dreamt about moments like this more times than she could count, but actually experiencing it made her feel alive in a way she hadn’t since Beacon. Alive. Penny knew this discussion had to happen sooner or later.

“Ruby?” She said, still listening to her friend’s heartbeat.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry,” Penny said, smile disappearing from her face. Oh no, what did I do? Penny, please don’t be sad. I’ve got you.

“What for?” Ruby asked cautiously.

“For Beacon. For... for dying. For leaving you.” Penny tried to keep herself focused on Ruby’s heartbeat, which was starting to increase.

“Penny,” she said, gently running a hand through the girl’s hair, “you never did anything wrong. What happened back there wasn’t your fault, okay? No one ever blamed you for anything.” Ruby took a deep breath. “Losing you was one of the worst things to ever happen to me. Not a day went by that I wasn’t still mourning, but it was never your fault, and I’d never hold anything against you.”

“I... thank you, Ruby,” Penny barely managed. “You know,” she said, “the worst part of dying wasn’t even the dying part. At least it wasn’t for me. One moment I felt wires wrapped around me, and then the next I was waking up back here in Atlas. It was confusing, but when I learned you were on the other side of the planet and I had no way of reaching you, I... it was hard.”

“Penny, I’m so sorry.” Ruby’s heart ached at the thought of Penny in despair.

“Don’t be,” Penny replied, bringing her hand to cup Ruby’s cheek, “it’s not like there’s anything you could’ve done. I’ve never blamed you for anything either.”

“I guess it’s like you said; we’re here now, and that’s all that matters,” Ruby spoke softly. As she had so many times before, Penny found herself lost in Ruby’s eyes, in those beautiful glistening pools of silver. Despite some of her militaristic training on maintaining control of one’s self, Penny couldn’t stop herself from getting up for the briefest moment. As Ruby was about to ask what she was doing, Penny quickly leaned down and pressed her lips to hers. The kiss lasted only a second, and though she was too surprised to do anything, Ruby found herself wishing it had never ended.

As Penny leaned back, Ruby’s hand instinctively sought hers, and they calmly but tightly held their hands together. Penny looked at Ruby with a soft smile that caused the silver eyed warrior’s face to grow redder than a rose on a summer’s day. Ruby tried to speak, but no words came out. In fact, her mind seemed unable to even form a single coherent thought.

“I’ve waited so long to do that,” Penny said with a surprising longing. Ruby gently pulled Penny’s head to hers as they pressed their foreheads together.

“I don’t deserve you, Penny,” Ruby said.

“Of course you do,” Penny replied. “Ruby, I told you you made me feel alive. That you made me feel things I never thought I’d feel. Well, I really, really care about you. I have for so long, and now that you’re back, I thought, maybe we could-“

Penny was interrupted as Ruby pulled her into another kiss. This one was much slower, but also more passionate, with years of longing and mourning finally being put to rest for both of them. Both girls felt tears escape their eyes as they held each other as closely as possible. After what felt like way too soon, Ruby had to pull back for air.

“Penny, I... thank you,” she tearfully spoke, her voice and eyes filled with love and happiness. I don’t know what I did to deserve such a perfect angel. You really do light up my life.

“So,” Penny started hesitantly, “does this mean we can be... together-together?”

“I-I’d love that,” Ruby whispered. Together-together? You’ve been talking to Nora again, haven’t you? Can’t say I’m complaining in this case.

“Oh,” Penny cheered before squeezing Ruby with a bone-crushing hug, “I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you!”

“I-I l-love you, t-too,” Ruby barely choked out while trapped in her girlfriend’s? embrace. Girlfriend. I like the sound of that. “B-but Penny, I can’t b-breathe. Y-you’re crushing me.”

“Oh, sorry!” She giggled as she loosened her grip on Ruby and sat back up. “I can’t wait to tell my father about us, or Winter!” She cheered.

“Maybe slow it down a bit there,” Ruby chuckled. She sighed contentedly and cupped Penny’s cheek in her hand, ”you’re my world, Penny.”

Penny reached out and touched a finger to Ruby’s nose. “Boop!” Both girls broke down in laughter.

“You ever hear that saying,” Ruby said, “find a penny and pick it up, then all day you’ll have good luck? Meeting you was the best luck of my life.” Understatement of the century. “You’re like my Lucky Penny,” Ruby said as she nuzzled into her partner.

“And you’re my bio-luminescent bug,” Penny replied affectionately. Ruby still vividly remembered their night together with the fireflies. It was an excruciatingly painful memory after the fall of Beacon, but now? Now it had warmth again.

Gently, Penny lifted Ruby up off the ground and held her to her chest. As Ruby sank into Penny’s embrace, she felt a peace unlike anything she’d experienced before. After so long, she was able to close a chapter of pining and mourning from her life. But exhausted from sleep deprivation and a lot more feelings than she was used to, Ruby found herself drifting into slumber in the safety of her girlfriend’s care.

Penny immediately noted Ruby’s decreased heart rate and closed eyes, sure signs that her Firefly had fallen asleep. Penny was glad, as she could tell that Ruby hadn’t slept in far too long. Once she was certain she was fast asleep, Penny gently lifted Ruby into a bridal carry and began walking to her new dorm room, a smile on her face the entire time.

It hadn’t taken long for Penny to initially fall in love with Ruby. At the time, she’d thought perhaps one of her internal systems was malfunctioning, but knowing the way her aura felt whenever Ruby was near, Penny knew the issue wasn’t quite as simple as she’d hoped. Her very soul began to long for Ruby’s to an extent that she’d tried devising a plan to stay at Beacon, but fate wouldn’t be so kind to her. It wasn’t until Ruby was gone that Penny realized exactly what it was she’d felt for her friend, and that anguish had nearly done more to tear her apart than her own weapon strings had, not that she let anyone on to that fact. But that didn’t matter anymore. Ruby was here, she was safe, and Penny would do anything to keep it that way.

As Penny reached Ruby’s dorm room, she couldn’t help but feel a spark of disappointment that her time with Ruby tonight was reaching its end, but she supposed there was always tomorrow. Quietly, she knocked on the door and hoped someone would still be awake. She breathed a sigh of relief as Oscar opened the door.

“Hel-oh, hey, Penny,” he waved.

“Can I come in?” She asked.

“Of course,” Oscar replied. He moved out of the way to let Penny through, where she quietly made her way to an empty bed. Repositioning to hold Ruby in one arm, Penny used her other to drag down the bedsheets. Carefully, she placed Ruby on the bed and tucked her in for the night. Slowly, she leaned over to give Ruby one last kiss on the forehead before leaving.

“Good night, my little Firefly,” she whispered.

“I’ll tell her you brought her here,” Oscar said.

“Thank you,” Penny replied. “You should probably get some sleep.”

“I have been, it’s just staying that way that’s the problem,” he shrugged.

“Are you going to be okay?” Penny asked.

“I’ll be okay,” Oscar smiled, “and thanks for asking.”

“Any friend of Ruby is a friend of mine,” Penny whispered so as not to wake anyone else up. “Good night, Oscar.”

“Good night,” he responded.

After Penny had quietly made her way out of the dorm, Oscar turned around to walk back to his own bed when he saw Nora sitting upright.

“You’re awake?” He asked.

“I’m always awake,” she replied. Oscar wanted to ask if she was joking, but he’d known Nora long enough to assume she probably wasn’t.

“So, what’s with the grin?” He asked her.

“Oh, nothing. It just took them long enough,” she said before abruptly flopping back onto her pillow.