Ruby snuggled deeper into Pyrrha's side, the two lovebirds enjoying the warmth that the fireplace provided them. The house was empty, Yang and Tai Yang having left at the crack of dawn for some Xiao Long bonding time. Ruby had taken the empty home as an opportunity to call her girlfriend over and cuddle – without having to endure wolf whistles and waggling eyebrows. The older girl had just returned from a competition in Mistral, and deserved a nice victory cuddling session.

Pyrrha let out a pleasant hum, her arm draped loosely around Ruby's waist. The warmth of the crackling fire combined with the comforting weight of Ruby's body against hers very nearly lulled her into dreamland. She fought to keep her eyelids open to enjoy this peace for as long as she possibly could. She was determined to make the most of it.

After all, it wasn't every day that she had free time, even after tournaments, what with intense training sessions that came after that stealing every bit she had.

"I heard that you got into Beacon." Ruby spoke softly, her voice groggy with sleep. Pyrrha chuckled and tightened her hold around Ruby's waist, bringing their bodies closer together. The action made Ruby sigh dopily.

"Yes. I heard you did as well." Pyrrha said. "I'm over the moon, but must you chase after dangerous convicts on the only day your family decides to visit Vale?"

The hint of disapproval in her voice was enough to make Ruby turn away in embarrassment. It wasn't her fault she wanted to get back at Torchwick for having the guts to rob her!

"It was only a one-time thing." She pouted.

Pyrrha shook her head. "I certainly hope so."

"It is!" Ruby insisted. She looked up, and upon seeing the grin on her girlfriend's face, she groaned. "Pyrrhaaa!"

"Alright alright, I believe you. Patch doesn't have any criminal activity to speak of anyway." Pyrrha laughed, pulling her hand away to stroke the small of the redhead's back. The soft touch made Ruby blush, and she just gave the other girl a goofy smile before sinking back into her side once more. She sighed, closing her eyes when Pyrrha began humming a old mistralian song under her breath. Beacon soon became the last thing on her mind.

The first few months at Beacon passed by in a flash. Other than the whirlwind of activity that was the initiation, school had been predictable and boring for the most part.

"Ruby!" Pyrrha called out happily as they passed each other in the hallway.

The redhead peeled herself away from her team and bounced over to her girlfriend. Greeting the taller girl with a quick peck to her cheek, the two of them sank into familiar and happy conversation. The rest of the teams fell into small pockets of conversation, but when Ruby made a comment about Jaune's latest adventure, the group shared a hearty laugh with more than a few unsubtle thumbs up from Nora.

"I heard you vomited on Professor Goodwitch's shoes!" Ruby exclaimed, her eyes wide with awe and pity.

Jaune winced, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "It's not my fault. I already told her I was afraid of heights." He shivered at the memory. Yang grinned and made a comment about how vomiting on blondes was becoming his new hobby. Ruby chided her sister for being insensitive while Jaune laughed weakly. He hoped that this wasn't what he would be known for.

"Are you heading to class now?" Ruby turned back to Pyrrha, the older girl smiling at her indulgently.

"We are. I take it that you've just finished Professor Port's lecture?"

"Yep. It was booooring." Ruby grumbled. "Thank dust we have free period now. Speaking of free–" Weiss rolled her eyes at her partner's boundless enthusiasm. "Are you guys free tomorrow? We're planning to play some Frisbee."

"They. I'll rather not participate in such a barbaric activity." Weiss corrected, and squawked when Yang elbowed her in the side. Blake snickered and looked away when the heiress speared her with a menacing glare.

"We'll love to." Pyrrha answered, a glanced at her wrist watch. Green eyes lit up in faint alarm. "Sorry Ruby but we've got to be going. Our next class will be supervised by Miss Goodwitch and I'd rather not be late." She winced, remembering how the leader of team CRDL ended up was suspended in mid-air when he tried to argue with her for receiving detention.

"Ohhh alright. See you later!" Kissing her girlfriend goodbye, and blushing at Yang's cackling, the two teams went their separate ways. Before team RWBY turned down the bend of the hallway, Ruby looked back to catch one last sight of her girlfriend, she felt her blood run cold when she saw how closely Jaune and Pyrrha were walking.

"Uh oh." Yang shook her head when she saw Ruby staring at that direction. Again.

"What's wrong?" Blake asked curiously, looking up from her book. Yang didn't look or sound particularly pleased – which was a feat in itself. The blonde was always happy go lucky, and she wondered what she'd seen to make that countenance disappear.

"Jauney boy is talking to Pyrrha again."

Blake's eyebrow rose. "Well…yeah, they're partners after all."

Yang snorted, resisting the urge to grab Ruby's collar and drag her away from the scene.

"He looks like he wants to jump her bones. Pyrrha's not the brightest bulb in the box but there's no way she doesn't know that he's drooling on her. Ain't nothing partnerly about that." She hitched a thumb at the girl who was chatting amicably with Jaune.

"Partnerly? You made that word up didn't you?" The cat Faunus rolled her eyes.

"Duh."

Blake huffed. "And you're exaggerating too much, Yang. They look perfectly normal to–" She paused, her eyes going wide when she saw Jaune lay on hand on Pyrrha's shoulder. The Amazonian continued talking, and Blake would have thought that she was seemingly oblivious to the touch, but the way the side of her mouth quirked up into a tiny grin said otherwise.

"…you might have a point." She conceded.

Blake took the lull in conversation to glance at their leader, and blanched when she saw the hurt sparkling brightly in those normally cheerful silver eyes. The red head was hunched over, her hands gripping the corner of the table. If Ruby had Yang's ungodly strength, the table would have undoubtedly snapped into two.

Everyone continued eating their meals quietly, though they would give Ruby worried glances every once in a while. Weiss was going through her second cup of tea when the table suddenly shook.

"I'm not hungry anymore." Ruby stood abruptly, making Blake and Yang jump. Weiss looked up disinterestedly, though there was no mistaking the worry behind the icy blue eyes. She was cold, not a heartless bitch. Cursing the blond boy under her breath, she reached a hand out to Ruby only to withdraw it when the other girl flinched.

"Where are you going Rubes?" Yang asked in a last ditch attempt to get her little sister to stay.

"Anywhere but here." Ruby replied, her grimace making team RWBY flinch. A beat passed, and the redhead turned on her heels and disappeared into the crowd.

"Why are you here, Pyrrha?" Ruby asked softly, her eyes still trained on the target in front of her. The urge to turn and face her girlfriend was strong, but she fought against it. And besides…she wouldn't be able to see Pyrrha's face through her tears.

Bang. Headshot.

"Ruby…"

"Shouldn't you be out with your partner?" She spat, her grip on Crescent Rose tightening. "I heard that Jaune asked you out to a movie."

Pyrrha straightened.

"He did." She replied stiffly. "But I…I told him that I would think about it first."

Ruby laughed hoarsely, the roughness of it making both girls flinch. The laugh bounced off the walls, slung back to the two in a horrible twisted version of itself.

Bang. Headshot.

"W-We're just going as friends. That's all there is to it." Pyrrha defended, her hands beginning to shake. She willed them to stop. When Ruby's voice rang out again, it was enough to send her heart plummeting to her feet.

"I know that you like him, Pyrrha." Ruby sighed. "You always sucked at hiding your emotions."

"That's not–"

Bang. Headshot.

"Don't lie to me!" Ruby suddenly roared, abandoning all pretence of an aloof and unfeeling exterior. Crescent Rose fell to the ground, clattering noisily, and Pyrrha found herself shoved against the wall and being kissed within an inch of her life.

She gasped, her hands immediately grabbing Ruby's waist. They kissed furiously, vigorously, angrily. It was entirely different from the sweet and tender kisses they once shared. The emotions of euphoria and happiness were replaced by sadness, anger, and longing. Ruby could feel her eyes wetting as the tears spilled forth, Pyrrha's touch bringing all the love she held for her bubbling to the surface – raw and uncontained.

Pyrrha could feel her heart shatter with each passing minute, each passing moment where they shared the intensity of their feelings through open mouthed kisses that were intense enough to make her toes curl.

When they finally parted for air, the two panted heavily, Ruby staring at Pyrrha with an unfathomable amount of emotion in her eyes. Stormy, steely silver stared up at confused, hurt, green eyes.

"I-I like you." Pyrrha breathed, her voice husky. "But I like Jaune mo–" She caught herself, trying to squish down the guilt that rose within her whenever she looked at Ruby.

Ruby wanted to scream. Until the windows shattered, until her throat was red and raw and bleeding. But most importantly, she wanted her traitorous heart to stop beating as she stared up at those beautiful, beautiful emerald eyes. Her heart lurched painfully in her chest.

"Why?" Ruby sobbed, the material of Pyrrha's shirt bunching up beneath her fingers. "Why wasn't I enough for you?"

"I-I'm sorry…" Pyrrha said lamely, her hands reaching up to cup her girlfriend's face. Calloused fingers glided over the tender skin, and she bent down to press a kiss on her forehead. "I'm sorry." She reiterated. The words did little to soothe the hurt however. They were empty. Just like how Ruby felt at the moment.

Empty. So very, very empty.

Ruby stepped back and smiled through her tears.

"Let's break up."

Later, when Pyrrha was gone and the shooting range was silent, Ruby stooped over to pick up Crescent Rose who had been abandoned in a fit of emotion.

"At least I have you." She laughed self-deprecatingly. Settling her the sniper rifle form on top of the raised platform, Ruby took aim and pulled the trigger.

Bang.

The bullet missed the target completely.