This little beauty has been on my mind for a good while now. If you've read my older RWBY fic, "Haiku," you know that I am wholly on board the headcanon that Ren is a poet and likes to write haikus in his spare time. I also am on the headcanon that most of them are about Nora.

The base inspiration for this actually came from a furry dating sim game called "Morenatsu." In it, the player is someone who goes back to his hometown for a month and romances one of his old childhood friends. It got me thinking: "Huh. What would the dynamic between Ren and Nora be if they were really close, but one of them moved away and could only come back over the summer?" That, combined with my recent searches for writing retreats, brought me around to the idea of a summer writing workshop camp.

So, this story will take place over the course of five summers, hence the title, leading from before their freshman year at high school to before their freshman year at college. And there will be many haikus, of course. Enjoy!

Fall. Ren: Age 7. Nora: Age 6 and a half

Memories of Fall

I close my eyes, missing you

Your bark-smudged laughter

"Ren, you're really tiny!" Nora's voice called from a high tree branch. "Am I tiny?"

"No, you're just really high up," Ren replied, looking up from his book. "Be careful! Dad says the branches get smaller when you climb higher."

"I know, I know." Nora wrapped her arms around a nearby branch, allowing herself to lean on the trunk. "I just wanted to break my record." She made a face as a leaf went into her mouth. "Bleh! Stupid leaves!"

"The ninja in the book I'm reading uses leaves for camouflage." Ren pointed at an illustration of a black-clad kitten hiding in some bushes.

"Ooh, really?" Nora leaned over to try and look at the book. "Eep!" she cried as her feet slipped. Only the fact that she was already hugging a tree branch saved her from falling.

"Nora!" Ren stood up, eyes wide. His book fell to the ground. "Want me to get Dad?"

"No way!" Nora gritted. "He'll make us stop climbing the tree. Tell me where the branches are so I can climb down."

Ren, trying to beat down the panic rising in him, scrunched his forehead as he looked at the tree. "Put your right foot backward a little." Nora moved her left foot. "No, the other one! I keep telling you!"

"Sorry!" Nora carefully placed her right foot on a steady branch. Holding the other branch in her arms, she managed to maneuver herself back into her former position. "Okay, I'm coming down now."

"Be careful!" Ren watched as Nora descended, wincing whenever her foot would miss a branch or her hand would shake. Once she was on the ground, he hugged her tightly. "Stay on the ground for the rest of the day, okay?" he asked.

Nora breathed a long sigh. "You're such a worry-wart." Still, she returned his hug and nodded. "Okay. Promise." She moved back and tapped his nose with her finger. "Boop!"

Ren smiled. "Thanks."

"Show me the ninja!" Nora demanded, picking up the book from the ground. "What's he hiding from?"

"The pirates," Ren explained. "Ninjas and pirates hate each other, you see."

Nora's eyes lit up. "Ooh! Let's be ninjas and look for pirates!"

Ren tilted his head. "Where?"

"The creek, duh! Pirates need water for their ships. Come on! We'll hide in the bushes!" Nora started toward the path leading to the creek.

"Nora, wait! That's poison ivy! Stop!" Ren rushed after her, tucking his book into his bag as he ran.

….

Summer. Ren: Age 14. Nora: Age 13

Cobwebbed photographs

Wipe nostalgic dust away

Your smile's a beacon

Looking at the small town of Oniyuri through the bus windows was like seeing slightly-altered photographs of the past. Ren watched the buildings from his childhood flash by: the candy store, the greasy fast food place that made the best fries in the world, one of two tiny grocery stores in the area, and the gazebo at the center of town. Then, the buildings faded and were replaced with a seemingly endless expanse of trees. It was at this point that the bus started to slow down.

Ren reached into his pocket and withdrew a wrinkled piece of paper, which he unfolded for what was probably the hundredth time.

Dear Ren,

Omigosh, I can't believe you're actually coming back! I haven't seen you in so long! That time right after you moved was lame compared to how this will be. Not that the visit was lame overall, since I got to see you. You know what I mean, though! It was way too short and we were stuck with our parents the whole time. I can't wait to hang out the way we used to!

I've been so worried about starting high school this year, but looking forward to seeing you is making everything better! Can't you just stay? I can hide you in my closet, if you want? Just kidding! (Mostly.)

You'd better be ready to show me all your awesome poems and paintings! Those stuffy workshops will never appreciate them like I do, after all.

See you soon!

Nora

PS- Do the rooms have kitchens? I really miss your famous pancakes. Mom and Dad just can't do them the way you do.

Ren smiled as he read the note. It would be good to see Nora again after so long.

He still remembered that first day in kindergarten, when a group of kids had been making fun of him for not having a "real family." Nora had stepped in almost immediately, giving the bullies a thorough beating. She had gotten detention, and Ren had found a friend for life. He later found out that Nora was also adopted, so they felt an even stronger connection through that shared experience.

Then, during their second year of middle school, Ren's father's job relocated the family to the next state, in the city of Vale. Away from Nora.

Nora had cried for nearly an hour after Ren told her about the move. She only calmed down when he promised to write to her all the time and visit once they were older.

They kept that promise, writing to each other practically every week. They had also stayed in touch on the phone, calling almost religiously on a daily basis. Nora did most of the talking, but that was fine. Ren was always content to simply close his eyes, listen to her voice, and pretend he was back home.

The visit Nora had referenced in her letter had been a gift from her parents. For her birthday, they took a bus to Vale and stayed in a hotel for the week. However, since it was a big city, and Ren and Nora were still kids, they had been forced to stay under their parents' watchful eye the entire time. They had gone to a few movies, the mall, and the local park, but it paled in comparison to their earlier years of running around the neighborhood, climbing trees, and staying out till dark.

Now, they were both entering high school, and Ren had found a way to come back to Oniyuri: a new summer writing camp in the nearby park, where he could work on his haikus and see his best friend for a whole month.

It was actually thanks to Nora that he had started writing haikus in the first place. Writing letters on a regular basis could be tiring, and Ren didn't always have a lot to say. So, he started painting pictures on the paper and writing the small, traditional poems. Nora loved them so much, he included one with every letter, even when he actually did have something else to say.

The bus started to slow down, shaking Ren out of his thoughts and drawing his attention back to the window. They were nearing the bus stop, where a few other people of various ages were milling about. Taking his suitcase from the overhead compartment, he walked down the aisle. After thanking the bus driver, he got off and took a deep breath of the familiar air.

The park smelled every bit as green and alive as he remembered. Pine, oak, and maple trees lent their sharp, subtle scents and combined with the mown grass that surrounded the bus stop. It was practically enough to inspire a haiku right then.

"Uh, hi. You here for the writing camp too?"

Ren jumped a little when someone spoke nearby, then turned to see a taller blond boy smiling at him. "Yes. Are you one of the counselors?"

The boy shook his head. "Nope. I'm just another starving artist. All the other guys are here, and I was told that the last one was gonna be my roommate. You're Ren, right?" When Ren nodded, he grinned and held out his hand. "I'm Jaune. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Ren put down his suitcase to shake Jaune's hand.

"I knew who you were immediately," Jaune continued. "That girl won't stop going on about you."

"Girl?" Ren straightened, eyes widening hopefully. "Was she short with ginger hair and turquoise eyes?"

"Yeah, that's her," Jaune replied, his smile widening. "She's been darting around the area since morning. The counselors are getting kinda ticked about it, but since it's a public park, they can't exactly kick her out unless she does something illegal."

Ren groaned. "That sounds like her." A thought occurred to him. "Wait, why didn't she come to the bus stop?"

Before Jaune could answer, a blur darted out of the bushes, tackling Ren to the ground with a cry of "YOU'RE HERE!"

Ren shouted as his back hit the ground and the air was forced from his lungs. "Oof!" he groaned, shaking his head a few times, wondering if he had gotten a concussion. Then, he looked down at the source of his fall, and his worries became unimportant. "Hello, Nora."

Nora giggled, propping herself up to look at him, not bothering to roll off of his chest. "I got you!"

"You got me," Ren said agreeably. "Think you can let me up?"

Nora pouted as she rolled off of him. "You don't sound excited to see me. It's been over a year, Ren!"

"Excitement requires air," Ren replied blandly as he stood. "Sorry about that," he added, glancing at Jaune.

Jaune was laughing. "I should be the one apologizing. She told me not to tell you she was hiding there."

Ren rolled his eyes. "Typical." He turned toward Nora, feeling himself smiling despite the lingering pain in his back and head. "It's good to see you, Nora." He held out an arm, inviting her to hug him.

Nora squealed, running over and hugging Ren's middle, lifting him from the ground for a moment. He felt just as warm as she remembered. "I still can't believe you're here! We're gonna have so much fun!"

"Nora," Ren wheezed. "Can't breathe."

"Whoops." Nora quickly put him down. "Sorry!" She stood on her toes and tapped his nose lightly with a finger. "Boop!"

Ren's smile immediately returned at the familiar gesture from their childhood. He glanced at Jaune. "Um, are there any events planned for today?"

"Just the introductory dinner at six," Jaune replied, seeming to read Ren's thoughts. "So, you two can get caught up. I got the feeling that you're old friends."

"Best friends," Nora corrected proudly. "Since we were little."

Jaune nodded. "Well, why don't I show you to our room first? We don't want you getting lost on the way back."

"Lead on." Ren picked up his suitcase and followed Jaune. Nora skipped beside him, babbling excitedly about what they would do while he was home.

"We gotta go to the candy store, of course. And that tree is still standing. You know, the big one by the creek we used to climb. My parents are gonna want to see you, but I told them to keep the annoying grown-up talk to a minimum. Do you have any new haikus to show me? Huh?" She managed to say all of this without even taking a breath.

Ren nodded. "I have a few. I'll bring the folder when we walk around town. I really would like to see everything again."

After finding one of the counselors and signing in, they went to one of the newly-built two-person cabins and stepped inside. The interior was nothing special. There were two small beds, two dressers, and two modest desks. The bathrooms and showers were in separate facilities. Ren put his bag down on the unoccupied bed and fished around for his folder.

Nora looked around, pouting. "Aw, no kitchen."

"They probably don't want anyone accidentally burning the place down, Nora," Ren pointed out.

"Hey, I didn't ask for your logic!" Nora huffed, folding her arms.

Ren chuckled. "So, are you ready to go?"

"Uh, yeah! Come on, already!"

Jaune smiled as he watched the two. "Make sure to be back for that dinner at six. And curfew is at ten, just so you know."

"Thanks, Jaune," Ren replied. "I'll see you then." He was then taken by the hand and pulled forcefully out of the cabin and toward the path leading out of the park. "Take it easy, Nora. I'm going to be here for a month, remember?"

"That's so not enough time," Nora replied, rolling her eyes. "I still think you should just hide in my closet at home."

"Somehow, I feel like we would run into some problems if I did that," Ren said dryly. "So, where do you want to go first?"

"The candy store!" Nora replied promptly. "I was so excited to see you, I skipped breakfast to come here. So, I'm hungry!"

"You should probably eat something healthy before you have candy." Ren knew his words were useless, but felt obliged to say them just the same.

"Ugh. Whatever, Dad. Come on!" Nora pulled him down the sidewalk that led into town. "I kept going to the candy store on Fridays, but it just wasn't the same, you know?"

When they had been growing up, the two would often save their spare lunch money over the course of the week and then buy a small bag of candy each at the tiny, local candy store. Nora would always get maple-nut candies, and Ren would always get strawberry gummies. They'd then walk to the playground, sharing their treats between them, then play on the jungle gym once they were finished.

"I go with my friend Pyrrha," Nora continued. "I'll introduce you later. You'd like her! But she always gets those cinnamon gummies, and they just aren't as good as the strawberry ones."

"That must be so difficult for you," Ren muttered, allowing a rare hint of sarcasm to peek through.

Nora, of course, caught it immediately and elbowed him. "Hey, don't act like you haven't missed me too!"

Ren wrapped an arm around Nora's shoulders, managing an awkward hug as they continued to walk. "Of course I missed you," he told her. "Every day."

Nora's cheeks flushed as she was pulled close to Ren. She played it off with a bright grin and a tap on the nose. "Good!" she chirped. "I'd be really mad if you didn't!"

When they got to the candy store, Ren was surprised to see that the old man who had owned it when he was young was still there, and looked practically unchanged. "Well, look who's back home," the man said with a chuckle. "Nora's been going on and on about your big homecoming."

Ren smiled. "It's good to see you again, Chuck."

"So, is it still your usual?" Chuck asked, reaching for the large glass jar that held the pink gummies.

"Of course." Ren watched as Chuck filled two small bags, one with maple nut candies, one with the gummies. A powerful wave of nostalgia swept through him, and he suddenly felt like a little kid again. Everything about this moment made him feel as if nothing had changed. The shop still smelled like homemade fudge and paper wrapping. The candies looked the same. The only difference was that he and Nora were a little older, but that didn't seem to matter at all.

When Nora went for her wallet, Ren stopped her. "Let me," he said, pulling out some of the money his parents had given him and placing it on the counter. "Could you give us a small block of the chocolate fudge, as well?"

Nora's eyes lit up! "Ooh, can we also get-?"

"Easy, Nora," Ren cut in. "I do have a limit."

Nora shrugged. "It was worth a try."

After paying for their candy, the two naturally started walking down the sidewalk that led to the playground. Ren popped a gummy into his mouth and sighed happily. The regular gummy bears he would buy at the store honestly didn't compare to these. He held out his bag to Nora, who eagerly grabbed one.

"Mm! They're even better than I remember!" she said happily.

Ren raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? You haven't bought any since I left?"

Nora shook her head. "Nope. It didn't feel right, you know? You're supposed to buy the gummies. Buying both would just feel weird."

Ren's thought back to when he had first left. "I tried buying maple nut candies at the mall in Vale," he admitted. "They just didn't taste right."

"Because they weren't Chuck's, or because I wasn't there?" Nora asked, holding out her bag.

Ren took a candy and crunched down on it, savoring the familiar flavor. He looked down at his best friend's beaming face. "Definitely both."

When they reached the playground, they sat down on a bench, watching the kids playing on the jungle gym. Ren ate another gummy before taking out his folder. "So, I've edited a few of my haikus, but I'll wait to show you those after I workshop them. I painted three new ones this past month." He handed Nora three pieces of paper, his face flushing a little. "I hope they're good."

Nora rolled her eyes. "Ren, your haikus are always good!"

The first paper showed a flock of blue birds at the top, melding with a pale, cloudless sky. Bare, black trees extended their skeletal branches from below. The haiku sat between the images.

Fleeing from nothing

Wingbeats stir the heartless air

A cold sun rises

Nora looked at the faded birds and the stark trees for a long moment, then switched to the next one. It showed a mighty, four-pointed stag staring at its reflection near a pine tree.

Talking to ripples

Shadows blur a wary eye

Distorted faces

The last one held a cherry blossom tree that scattered petals across the paper.

Scattering beauty

Watch the petals fly so far

Blink and you'll miss them

Ren watched Nora's expression carefully, his heart sinking when he saw the frown growing on her face. "You don't like them?"

Nora started. "Huh? No, no! I love them! They're super pretty! It's just…" She looked at the pages, then looked up at Ren. "Your poems have been kinda sad lately. It's a pretty kind of sad, but still. Have you been sad, Ren?"

Ren stared at the ground, folding his hands in front of him. "A little," he admitted.

Nora touched his arm, her face serious for once. "Wanna talk about it?"

"No," Ren replied, turning to smile at her. "I'm fine now."

There was still a twinge of unease in Nora's chest, but she didn't pursue the matter further. Instead, she scooted closer to Ren and hugged him around his middle. "I'm really glad you're back," she murmured.

Ren readily returned her hug, his heart warming happily at the familiar touch. "Me too, Nora. Me too."

….

Spring. Ren: Age 10

Hide behind pages

Unwanted voices booming

Seek only her call

"Ren, sweetie! You've been invited to a birthday party." Ren's mother nudged a card across the table toward him.

Ren picked it up and looked at the address. His nose wrinkled. "Billy doesn't even like me," he muttered.

"Maybe he's changed his mind," his mother suggested.

"No," Ren sighed. "His mom made him invite everyone in the class." He put the letter down without opening it.

"Why don't you go?"

"I don't want to."

His mother continued to look at him. "It could be a chance to make some new friends."

Ren shook his head as he picked up his bag. He didn't know how to explain to his mother that his classmates were just so tedious to be around. They never let him talk, never listened to him, never really cared about what he thought. They just talked and gossiped about useless things. Only one person really made sense to him.

"I already got Nora," he said. "She's the only friend I want." Shouldering his bag, he went into his room, aware of his mother's concerned gaze following him as he closed the door.

I have always seen Nora and Ren as being two parts of a greater whole. Nora is the talkative one, and also the person who reaches out to others and makes any new friends. Ren is the calm, comforting one who quietly looks out for those around him and accepts whatever happens. I feel that, without Nora, he'd likely evolve into a more lonely and isolated individual, either not wanting to reach out or not having the ability to reach out to potential new friends. This story will delve more into that idea.

It will also be much more Ren-centric, since we all know Nora's feelings, but not necessarily Ren's. The overall process of how he would fall in love with Nora is something I hope we get to see in canon. If Team Sloth becomes canon…and doesn't have one of them die immediately after it does… *glares at Rooster Teeth*

Anyway, this story is replacing "Wings of Dust" as my weekly-vs-biweekly fic, meaning that it will update every other Thursday on here, every Wednesday on P/atreon. If you want weekly updates, along with other rewards, my P/atreon is Solora Goldsun.

Peace out!