Roderick Hill
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When Roderick tore open his eyes, the sky was falling.
Every star above swished and swirled in the sea of black and swept him away in its icy embrace. The relentless waves crushed him into mush. He couldn't breath. The world faded, yet all that mattered to him, even more than saving his own life, was a good night's sleep.
A noise nibbled his ear, faint and stuck in the stranglehold of darkness. It scratched and clawed, working its way through the deep to be heard until twin suns burst to his side and jostled fire into his bones.
"Roddy, snap out of it!"
Yang?
"Please look at me!"
Every word trying to leave choked his throat.
"I'm so sorry!" Yang buried her tear soaked cheeks against him. "I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt!"
Out of sight, someone's wails mixed with Yang's sobs. A toddler. Ruby?
"Yang," a shadowy figure knelt over him, "move."
She didn't argue and slipped away.
The man leaned closer, every feature of his face becoming clearer until his red eyes and five o'clock shadow were crystal clear.
"Hey, kiddo. It's Qrow," he said with an all too comforting smile. Weird coming from him. "I'm gonna get you out of here." He didn't wait for a response and cradled Roderick in his arms. "Just hang tight, everything's gonna to be alright."
What Qrow said didn't make any sense. Was anybody gonna tell him they were acting so strange? Why did he feel sick and dizzy? How come Yang's hands and pigtails were dripping with red goo that followed behind Qrow as he rushed out the forest?
Roderick connected the trail to his shirt also covered in it. It was wet. An increasing heat suddenly flared around his left arm. The feeling in his fingers were gone. He raised it into view; nothing except for a bloody stump.
The pain made itself known, and he screamed the world away.
-----
Roderick lurched, shouting and throwing a wild fist.
The dormitory room greeted him, explaining nothing could hurt him, and he fell back into the comfort of his pillows, fighting off the knot balling in his stomach.
It's been a whole day since Roderick gave Stiofan a first class ticket to Beacon's infirmary.
Classes were a blur and no matter what he did, everything about his partner clawed his mind. The professors haven't stabbed him with any questions yet, and when they did, it wouldn't be a surprise if it resulted in a demotion, suspension, expulsion, maybe even prison.
What would happen to Cooper and Alexander? What would become of Team RTLS?
At least his friends, other than Weiss who blatantly refused to look in his general direction, offered their support.
Roderick groaned and stared at the king chess piece standing tall next to his necklace on the bedside table. The way Stiofan slumped after the bullet cracked his skull replayed in his mind. Beacon was supposed to be the big break, becoming team leader being the first good sign of things to come. Next thing he knows, it's botched everywhere, and the worst part was that they were only halfway through the first semester.
He grabbed his necklace, cool metal easing his nerves.
A series of knocks raked the door.
"Roddy," Yang said, her voice muffled through the wood, "open up."
He wrestled with the idea of letting her in.
"I heard you, so don't try to pretend you're not in there." She banged the frame harder. "Don't make me mad."
Roderick sighed and opened the door to save himself the trouble of getting a new one.
"Need something, Yang?"
"l was hoping to ask you that." The blonde helped herself inside, kicked off her boots, and sat cross-legged on the edge of his bed. "Where's Cooper? Thought he'd be here."
He rolled his tongue against his cheek. "Said something about getting a snack in the dining hall."
For his teammate's sake, he didn't mention that her little sister went with him. A third team member stuck in the infirmary was the last thing he needed.
Yang grinned as she patted the spot of the mattress in front of her. "Care to join me?"
If he could, he'd shoot her with laser beams from his eyes.
"Sheesh, someone's in a bad mood."
"I'm fine."
The corners of her mouth sank. "You've been totally out of it lately. Having a hard time sleeping?"
Roderick clenched his jaw at the fatigue settling in him. "Like I said, I'm fine."
"That scream earlier suggests otherwise." She bit her lip. "What's wrong?"
He took a deep breath. "Nothing's wrong."
"You wanna know how I know you aren't?" She pointed at his hand. "You've been fiddling with your necklace since I walked in."
"No, I'm no—" He blinked at the metallic laurel wreath sliding between his fingers.
"Glad to see you still do it without even knowing," Yang said. "Whatever is bothering you has to do with Stiofan, right?"
"What? It's just that I, uh. . ."
She cocked an eyebrow.
Before he could rip his hair out, he pocketed his necklace and exhaled the aggravation building inside. "I guess there's no getting around you."
Propped on an elbow, Yang laid across the bed and chuckled. "Spill."
"I'm just. . . worried."
The space between her eyebrows crinkled. "What's there to worry about? The worst case scenario is waking up to a bad headache. You know his Aura stopped the shot from doing any more damage than it should've."
"That's not the point, Yang." Roderick sat next to her and ran a hand over his face. "I'm his leader, his partner, and I nearly blew his head off. How am I supposed to face him after doing that?"
Silence filled the room for the longest minute of Roderick's life, and Yang's expression was focused but unreadable. He fidgeted at the idea of her trying to dissect him with her gaze.
"You know, I felt the same way as you did once." She rolled over and looked at herself in the mirror on the wall. "I blamed myself for what happened to your arm."
Roderick glanced at his prosthetic. "I never blamed you."
Her guilt built up in her reflection. "It doesn't change the fact I was terrified you'd hate me forever—that you'd never want to talk to me ever again."
"You're being ridiculous—"
"Do you want to know why I let it go?" She held his real hand, and reminiscence clouded her eyes. "Because even after everything that's happened to you, when I finally walked into that hospital room, I never expected to see you look at me the way you did." She ate a laugh. "I won't ever forget it; your smile brightened the whole world. Then you had the nerve to ask me if I was okay, dummy."
How could he forget? She nearly tackled him off the hospital bed while simultaneously suffocating and drowning him in tears.
"From that moment on," she rubbed tingles across his hand, "I felt so stupid for getting worked up over my grief. I should've known all along things would never change between us. Don't underestimate Stiofan, and more importantly, don't let it get to your head."
For as long as Roderick has known Yang, he's only gotten to know two sides of her very well: the playful, carefree side and the side that could pummel him all over Remnant.
Hearing her say actual good advice that wasn't a lame joke to lift the mood or a fun suggestion to help him forget about his problems, backed by a confession he never knew she had, changed the game. It didn't help that her beauty could make anyone turn and stare whenever she entered a room. She was aware of it, no doubt, intentionally wrapping poor suckers around her finger until they were too wound up to get away.
To keep that beauty from burning him and affecting his view of her, he's always looked past it. However, as of right now, with nothing hidden behind a facade and her true feelings laid bare, Roderick wouldn't mind if she set him ablaze.
Yang bounced to her feet and stretched her arms out. "Well, now that I got that off my chest, better get going. And when you're ready to go see Stiofan," she winked, "give me a call."
The door closed behind her, and Roderick collapsed, blowing out the whirlwind she stirred in his chest.
-----
Stiofan Ua Binn
-----
A hum, melodic and serene, quelled the gruesome lashes biting Stiofan's skull, and he awoke to bright lights doing no favours to his vision.
The humming stopped.
"Careful," said a familiar voice, "you're still recovering from a concussion."
The person came into full focus, and his mouth fell ajar at the mess of wrinkled clothing and fraying hair strands occupying the chair beside him.
"Milady," Stiofan said, "are you alright?"
Her chapped frown transcended into a scowl. "First you go and get yourself in trouble, have me worry to death, then you go and take my lines," she threw her scroll at a novel on the bedside table, "and what did I say about calling me that?!"
Stiofan flinched and mentally reprimanded himself for the slip of the tongue.
"Forgive me. I meant no offense." The faint stench of sterilization wrinkled his nose. "Am I in the infirmary?"
The small room was fitted with a single desk and a medical cabinet pressed against the bland wall opposite of him. Two doors on the left lead to the exit and the en suite restroom, and the windows were to the right, curtains pulled aside which bathed the room in the sun's glory.
Only the novel with a bookmark cutting in near the end appeared to the sole means of entertainment in the vicinity. Did Lady Weiss read? Other than textbooks and fashion magazines, she wasn't one to raise novels for amusement. Being both a student and future heiress of a multi-million lien company didn't offer much free time to do such a thing.
"You are," Lady Weiss said and rubbed the dark bags underneath her eyes. "For a full day as a matter of fact."
"That long? Why am I—" His breath stifled as the events at the docks returned in haste. "Oh, I see."
"I've heard it from the others, but I want to hear it straight from you so I know it's true." Her gaze narrowed to a rapier's point. "Did you really attack Blake?"
Eluding the question or weaving together a compelling lie was a fool's errand, a shameful escape he wouldn't dare try even if the opportunity presented a sliver of a chance to succeed.
Prepared for the worst, he made his choice.
"It is as you heard. I confronted her only to protect you—"
A crack of skin upon skin, hot across the cheek, interrupted his speech.
"You dolt!" Lady Weiss flickered to her feet, palm redder than Red Fury. "I can't believe you did that!"
Stiofan held his jaw to ensure it hadn't come loose. "She's a part of the White Fang, and it's my duty to—"
"Stop." She thrusted a finger so close it nearly speared him between the eyes. "What happened was a misunderstanding. Blake told me herself that she's done with those criminals. And frankly, I'm okay with it."
He stared, incredulous. "Surely you jest?"
She returned to her chair and sighed. "I've already decided to accept both her and her past. I don't care that she used to be with the White Fang. Blake is my teammate, and more importantly, my friend."
Either it must have been because of his weakened state or inability to fully think, Stiofan's hostility towards the Faunus of Black wavered.
He weighed the certainty of her words. "You truly bear no ill will against her?"
"Nor should you. She had countless opportunities to harm me and she's done nothing of the sort." Lady Weiss waved a dismissive hand. "Other than that sharp opinion of hers, she's as dangerous as a kitten. Trust me, Stiofan. This is simply nothing I can't handle."
Stiofan averted her gaze in fear of being blinded by her brilliant resolve. Lady Weiss may deny it, but she also shares the same obstinate demeanor of both her father and sister.
"Gratitude." He casted his sights toward the window. "I will take time. . . to reflect more on my actions."
"Good."
"What was that saying again?" He pressed a finger to his chin. " 'The finest Schnee is a stubborn Schnee.' "
"Don't push it." Lady Weiss rolled her eyes and graced him with a smile. "Flattery will get you nowhere."
"From what I've gathered," he said, words full of mirth, "my luck is rather terrible."
Lady Weiss' bangs shadowed her eyes, her body shook, and she gripped the sides of the chair, knuckles blanching paler than they already were.
A bead of sweat ran down his cheek. "Is something of the matt—-"
An uncontrollable fit of giggles put Lady Weiss on the edge of her seat.
"I'm sorry," she said between laughs. "The Stiofan I know wouldn't make such a tasteless joke."
Stiofan resisted the heat rising to his cheek. That 'tasteless joke' lightened the mood better than he hoped for.
A pair of slender arms wrapped around his sore neck. He stiffened as her breath tickled the side of his neck.
"But I'm glad to see you're okay." She pulled away. "You're all tense. What's wrong?"
"It's been too long since I last saw you. . . happy." Stiofan meant more along the lines of intimate. Happy was simply a kind way of putting it. "I also heard you humming a lullaby. Is my well being that important to you?"
She pushed him, worsening the aches, and purged herself of emotions albeit for the pink adorning her cheeks.
"I don't have the slightest clue of what you are implying." Chin raised and tilted it to the side, she huffed. "By no means does your well being concern me."
Stiofan chuckled into his hand. 'There's the heiress I know.'
"Anyways, since I have nothing left to say to you." Lady Weiss knocked on the wall. "Alright, you can come out now."
The restroom door opened and out came the last person he expected to see.
"Good evening, Stiofan," said the Faunus of Black.
Stiofan glanced at the novel, realization dawning upon him.
"You heard all that, right?" Lady Weiss said.
Her teammate nodded. "Clear as day."
"Now that I've softened him up for you, I'm going to go get coffee." The heiress strutted to the exit. "Try not to kill each other while I'm gone."
Once she left, the Faunus of Black sighed and grabbed a seat.
"I hope you're comfy," she said. "We have a lot to talk about."