Project: RWBY

Ch 43: Looking Back

Before, whenever me and Ruby were alone in a room together I'd be the one who'd initiate the conversation. But here inside of Ruby's room at the inn, she's the one who starts it.

"So...you and Pyrrha were a thing?"

Quite strongly I might add.

I let out a yawn and stretch my arms, "I'm glad that you can still see me. I thought for sure that-"

"I was still trying to process things earlier okay?! I wasn't sure how I was supposed to act around you so I just ignored you," She looks down, grabs the hem of her dark red lab coat, and pouts hard with puffed up cheeks, "I'm sorry."

Oh what I'd give to just cup her face and squeeze.

Perhaps my intentions were leaking from my face as I notice Ruby warily shift back a bit.

I clear my throat and chuckle briefly to clear the air, "Well, apology accepted. And Pyrrha and I weren't a thing, didn't I mention how I was too scared?"

Ruby looks away with saddened eyes and takes a seat on the edge of her bed, "I just can't believe I never noticed."

"To be fair, you're not the brightest when it comes to these sorts of things," I take a seat next to her.

"Heeeey," She turns to me, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh nothing," I hold back a chuckle at the irony of things, "Just so you know, Pyrrha had been pursuing me since the very first day at Beacon." I decide to mention.

Ruby's eyes widen, "Really?!"

"Yeah, but it wasn't love at first sight or anything. We actually had a bit of a past before then, however brief it was." I add for context.

"Wow, I can't believe it was all right in front of us," Ruby flops onto her back, "And no one noticed?

I think Nora might have, but I won't mention that.

"Luckily, she decided to keep her pursuit of my heart on the down low, for my sake. As annoying as she was for me to deal with, I did appreciate how considerate she was when it came to that."

Ruby giggles a bit, "Yeah, now that sounds more like her. But, it's hard to for me imagine her as the flirty type."

I chuckle, "You're probably thinking about how Yang flirts around. Pyrhha was very different." I decide to lay down right beside Ruby, though we both keep our gaze trained on the ceiling, "She wouldn't try and seduce me, she would just confess her honest feelings to me over and over again. No matter how many times I shot her down she always kept up with the same determination and pride." I sigh, "And occasionally she would sneak in a bit of sneaky skin contact between us, much to my disapproval," A small laugh escapes my throat in an attempt to clear it.

I quickly get lost in the times when I had to push her away and feel pangs of regret attacking me all over.

"We actually shared a dance during the prom you know that?" I say smiling fondly at the memory of her beautiful figure under the spotlight of the moon, "Just before she went on the dance floor with the rest of the team and I caught you sneaking away."

"I remember that night, that was so long ago thinking back at it," She laughs a tiny bit, then suddenly grows somber, "That was also the first time we met Cinder face to face." She says, a hint of bitter anger tinging her voice.

My hand twitches at her name, "Yeah, that was the night," I say bitterly.

The two of us share a brief moment of silence, with nothing but the ticking of a wall mounted clock in the background.