Disclaimer: Own nothing. Don't seek to gain any profits from this. Just borrowing my favourite characters for some fun.

A/N: It's long, so you can also just skip to the story.

So this is my first fanfiction ever actually, and I don't know where I am going with this, but it's likely going to be a collection of (some related, some unrelated) one-shots. I decided to write because I see a distinct dearth of Oz/Ruby lovin' and it's a bond I feel that has a lot of room for exploration. Much like the show, this will start off fairly light and fluffy but will later on address deeper issues. Though I plan to retain at least some semblance of lightness in every piece. Wherever timeline is relevant, I will mention such information beforehand.

But of course, although this is primarily going to be Ozpin and/or Ruby centric, there will be generous appearances from lots of other characters, most definitely the rest of Team RWBY and of course, the Ozluminati.

Now, without further ado...

1: Salt and Sugar

In which Ozpin lets slip a secret, and Ruby makes his day.

Ozpin looked at his scroll and sighed, reading through an order by the councilmen of Vale that demanded specific information about the teaching practices at Beacon. Not that handing over the information was a matter of concern, but the lack of trust and insecurity that belied such an order was not a good sign. The Headmaster pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his scroll, turning his attention instead to a sheet of paper lying on his desk.

He probably shouldn't have smiled, but he couldn't help himself.

Deciding that remaining official matters could wait until tomorrow, he reopened his scroll and directed Ms. Goodwitch to send a certain red hood wearing student to his office for her appointment with him – which, for a change, was for comparatively pedestrian reasons in his personal opinion. An opinion which, he was sure, Professors Port and Goodwitch, would vehemently disagree with, given circumstances.

He ran a school which trained future huntsmen and huntresses, yes, but knowing what he did about the world, all he saw before him were children; special children with immense talent and potential, but children nonetheless.

And he didn't quite have it in him to be strict.

Especially when he saw a wave of red tumbling through his office door, a ball of fidgety, nervous energy.

"H-hello, Professor Ozpin," she stood before him, moving back and forth on the balls of her feet, her nervousness making her unconsciously smooth out her hood.

"Good evening, Miss Rose," he greeted her gently, then waved his hand to the seat kept opposite him. "Please, have a seat. There is a matter that has come to my attention."

"Ah, oh," Ruby jumped slightly at his statement, then promptly followed his directive, settling down in the chair opposite him, on the other side of the table. "Well, actually, I – " Ruby started speaking again when she was seated, but was cut off by Ozpin.

"But before we address that matter, Ruby, tell me, would you like to eat something?"

Well, it had been a long day at school, and she didn't quite get a chance to go to the canteen, but then she was at the Headmaster's office and she knew she was in trouble for earlier. "Uh... no! I'm good!" She said hurriedly.

"Hmm," Ozpin hummed. "Are you quite sure, Miss Rose?" He paused, and she was about to nod quickly, because she really wanted to get this over with and just go back to her team. Then Ozpin spoke again.

"Cookies, perhaps?"

"Oh yes please! With milk!" She brightened immediately, forgetting everything at the mention of the baked treats. Realizing how she reacted however, one of her hands flew to the back of her head as soon as she finished her sentence. "Uh, I mean, if it's not too much trouble, Professor, ahah.." she trailed off in an awkward laugh.

Ozpin merely gave a small smile, and was out of his chair in one graceful movement. "Give me a moment," he stated, walking away to another side of his office. In the meanwhile, Ruby noticed the cane Ozpin always kept with him, but had currently left behind, leaning against the table. Fascinated, she was studying its handle the best she could from the other side of the table.

Although she couldn't see the details, she surmised that the handle perhaps housed a trigger of some kind. She actually really wanted to reach out and grab it to confirm her suspicions, but then that would be rude. Not to mention it could get her detention.

Maybe.

Ozpin was friendly. A little weird, but friendly.

Then again despite that fact she was probably getting detention anyway for getting caught earlier today...

Her train of thought was interrupted when Ozpin slid in front of her a plate heaped with cookies along with a mug of warm milk, before resuming his position on his revolving chair on the other side of the table. He poured coffee into his own empty mug before proceeding to sip the hot beverage. Ruby wondered why the Headmaster always seemed to have cookies on hand, but didn't dwell on it and was just grateful to have them.

With a calm expression, he watched as Ruby grabbed a cookie, dunked it in milk, then happily proceeded to eat it, for a moment completely forgetting her surroundings and the impending discussion. He cleared his throat to get her attention, and she looked up at him, eyes slightly widened in surprise. She swallowed forcefully, getting a little fidgety again, but seemed rather comfortable overall.

"I am sure you are aware of what we are here to talk about, Miss Rose," Ozpin started.

She wiped the crumbs on her lips with the back of her sleeves. "Yeah, ah, uhm, about the morning..." Ruby began hesitantly.

"You haven't been paying attention in Professor Port's class," Ozpin observed.

"No!" Ruby denied spontaneously, her voice rising a little in defense, before getting soft again. "I mean, yes," she looked down into her lap. "B-but like I have been trying, a-and I try to take notes but I get sleepy, and I know that's bad, but I can't help it, but I know that's not an excuse, and then today I just started doodling so I could stay up and then I just got caught instead and – "

"Do you find his lessons uninteresting?" Ozpin interrupted her, then set his coffee mug down, and waited for her response. When she didn't look up at him, he tried again. "It's okay to find your studies boring sometimes, Ruby," he said warmly.

Spontaneously, silver eyes looked up at him. "Well, the lectures can...get a little boring," the fifteen year old confessed. Then her eyes lit up. "But I appreciate what Professor Port teaches, I really do! I just," she searched for words. "Like I don't see the point you know? Slicing a Nevermore's head off is simple and easy, but learning about Nevermore anatomy and exactly where you should strike to land a critical hit, all with a long, really long story – and I really like stories, but..." she shrugged, willing Ozpin to understand what she was trying to say. "You know?"

Ozpin gave her a generous smile that reached his eyes. "I know," he acknowledged simply. After a pause in which he took another sip of his coffee, he continued. "However sometimes Ruby, it is the small details that can make all the difference," he stated. He knew he had her full attention; she maintained eye contact even as she stuffed her face with cookies. "For instance, these cookies in front of you."

"Mmf-huh?" Ruby's response was unintelligible, and Ozpin continued to explain his point further.

"One wrong or different ingredient, and they just wouldn't be the same now, would they?"

Ruby swallowed again, drank some milk, and her expression became thoughtful. Ozpin knew then that he had gotten his point across, in all the ways that he had wanted it to register in the young girl's brain. She almost seemed to recall something before commenting. "Sometimes something small can make a biiiig difference!" She said with a happy smile, and unwittingly, it warmed Ozpin's heart.

"Indeed, Miss Rose," he agreed with her. "And that is a fact best kept in mind, always. Especially by hunters." He then turned his revolving chair towards the windows behind him. After a short, but comfortable silence which was interrupted only by the sound of the many gears running in his office and the occasional crunch of cookies, Ruby addressed him again.

"Professor?"

He made a sound of acknowledgment.

"Do you like cookies?"

He swivelled his chair again so that he could face her again before responding to her innocent query. "Not particularly," he said carefully, and he noted Ruby's disappointed expression as soon as the words left his mouth. "Actually, I like baked goods – I just prefer savoury flavours," he added, then observed again as her face displayed a strange distaste combined with curiosity.

"It must be an old people thing!" She finally declared, and Ozpin was sure that the very existence of salty or savoury baked products had been a – somewhat disconcerting – revelation to her; she, who absolutely and only adored sweet chocolate chip cookies.

But of course, Ozpin knew that with his response, he had set himself up for yet another question, which was soon directed at him. "But wait," Ruby tilted her head, confused, "If you like savoury stuff, why do you always keep sweet cookies with you?"

He could have deflected the question, or given her a vague response, but as always when it came to her, he couldn't quite bring himself to do it. He couldn't tell her the complete truth – some day I will, he hoped – but he could certainly give her something to be happy about. "One of my students liked her cookies sweet," he told her, "and there was just a way she liked them made. She left with me the recipe. And since then, although not for myself, I do quite like keeping them around as an accompaniment for my guests."

The last part wasn't entirely true, but it would have to do for now.

Ruby smiled at him, her silver eyes crinkling. "Well she must have been a great student!" She picked up the last cookie on the plate. "Because these cookies get an A+!" Her voice then lowered, and she spoke softly, "I don't really remember, but I think they taste just like Mom's."

His heart skipped a beat, and for the briefest moment, he looked away. He knew he would pull the little girl into an embrace and tell her everything if he didn't. He regained his composure in seconds though, and Ruby didn't notice his wretched internal conflict as he schooled his expression back to its usual gentle passivity.

"Hey Professor," she said with some measure of mischief. "Do you bake them?"

Ozpin's eyes were playful. "Perhaps," he replied noncommittally.

"Well they're really good. You think you could lend me the recipe?"

"I suppose that could be arranged," Ozpin stalled.

Ruby looked at him expectantly, and he leaned his arms a little further on his desk, his head lowering and eyes meeting hers.

"If you could make me a little promise?"

"I can keep a secret," Ruby whispered, determined.

"And would you try to pay more attention in Professor Port's class?"

Ruby nodded enthusiastically. "Deal."

Ozpin smiled.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Weiss Schnee questioned as soon as she entered Team RWBY's quarters and saw the scene before her. The room was an absolute mess – well, more of a mess than what it usually was – with open packets scattered everywhere on the floor. Ruby had her back to her and was standing near the desk, doing something.

She turned around, a large bowl held in her hands and one of her small hands mixing something inside of it. "Oh hey Weiss! Can you help me out here?" She said with enthusiasm. Carefully, Weiss walked over to her team leader, taking care not to step on any stray packets or wrappers. As soon as neared, she shrieked. "Ruby! Have you no sense of hygiene? You should be wearing gloves!" The heiress admonished.

Ruby snorted in a decidedly undignified manner and waved Weiss off. "Oooo, sticky," her face contorted into a grimace, pulling out her hand and cleaning it against the edges of the bowl she was holding.

Weiss crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "What even are you making?"

"I –"

"Well actually whatever it is, it's wrong probably," Weiss dismissed her, before bending her face a little to sniff lightly. "Even if it smells good."

"Hey! You don't even know what it is!"

Just then, they were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Lie Ren poked his head inside. He raised his index finger. "I do."

Weiss raised an elegant eyebrow. "And you are here beca-"

"Rennn! I'll be done in just a bit, then you can help me bake them!" Ruby had a large grin plastered on her face as she motioned with her batter coated hand.

"That doesn't seem like the right consistency," Ren noted.

"Excuse me," Weiss interrupted. "I'll have you know that my baking skills are quite excellent, Ruby, and I don't see why you should need someone else's help when I can assist you more than adequately to bake some..."

"...cookiessss! Weiss is helping yay!" Ruby exclaimed happily.

Weiss uncrossed her arms and smirked. "Now let's do this the right way."

"Best of luck," Ren commented before he quickly leaned away from the door and shut it. He reopened it a moment later. "Do let me know when you're ready to bake them."

"Thank you Rennn! We will!" Ruby jumped abruptly as she responded, bumping into Weiss.

"Ruby! You're getting batter on my clothes! Watch what you're doing!"

Ruby stuck her tongue out at Weiss. "Yes ma'am. Weiss ma'am."

"Since you deferred the academic report, Professor Ozpin, I believe you will need to suspend your rounds for today in order to give it due attention. I have also set aside a few reassignment documents that need your approval immediately," Glynda was reading through the notes she had made on her scroll, glancing at Ozpin from time to time to ensure that he was paying attention. The occasional intoned grunt told her that he was in fact listening, even though he seemed to be blankly staring out the huge glass windows as he sipped his coffee.

Ozpin had perfected the art of actually tuning out some of the mundane details Glynda threw at him daily whilst pretending as if he was listening intently. Of course, he had his suspicions about the fact that she knew of his lack of attention; but, so long as she didn't openly call him out on it, he was more than happy to exploit her leniency and get away with it. He had a really busy day ahead of him, no thanks to his little dereliction of duty yesterday. To add to it, the favourite part of his day – his morning rounds – was also rudely but rightly taken away from him.

He took a large sip of his coffee. He wasn't feeling awfully chipper this morning.

"I have sent you the agenda, Professor," Glynda told him, finishing her monologue. She then moved from her position beside him, getting ready to leave. "If you would like to reschedule the staff meeting in the afternoon, please inform me beforehand."

Ozpin nodded his assent, not turning to look at her. "Thank you, Glynda," he told his most trusted teacher kindly, effectively dismissing her. The click of her heels was audible as she walked away.

"Oh and, Professor? Ms. Rose sends her regards."

That caught Ozpin's attention and he turned around to probe Ms. Goodwitch for details, but she was nowhere to be seen in his office. His eyes then fell on his table, and narrowed the slightest bit in curiosity as he saw a small package kept there. He came over to his desk to inspect the unexpected present. He set his coffee mug on the table and picked it up in both hands. The wrapper was red with roses embossed on it. He smiled, unwrapping the paper to reveal a rectangular box...

..which was also red, with multiple roses made on it.

He decided to settle down in his chair, proceeding which he opened the box's lid. Inside were cookies, neatly stacked in rows, in the shape of what he assumed was an attempt at making rose petals. He spotted a snowflake design on some of them, and almost smiled. He then noticed a cookie with a paper sticking out of it, looking quite like a fortune cookie. He pulled it out, and read what was written.

A small thing makes all the difference. Have a nice day! :)

Ozpin took a tentative bite of the baked treat. It was distinctively savoury, and he quite enjoyed the taste. If this was his reward for doing mundane work and missing his morning rounds, perhaps he could indulge himself a bit more often.

Please read and review. Constructive critique, ideas, comments, everything is welcome. I can also do requests.

