Beacon Bits

Bit #4: Don't Shoulder it All...

(HEADS UP: This bit takes place in the RWBY universe during Volume 9 when Ruby runs away from her friends after her anger talk. Also, Izuku's semblance is somewhat like One for All.)

She felt alone.

After sending Little away, one of the many things she could feel was being alone, but that wasn't even the worst of it all. From Amity Tower falling to realizing Salem using people for Grimm, Penny sacrificing herself to stop Cinder, TWICE might I add. And most importantly, struggling to find out if she's a good enough leader. Ever since they landed in the Ever After, there's been this weight that's been on her backs, and the more she went around, the worse it got, to now.

"What am I even doing...? Every time I try to do something, to help others, it always ends up in something or someone getting hurt...! Why?! What do I even do?!" Ruby stood and shouted at the end, her voice mixed with frustration and confusion, slowly, she slumped back down, before she made one more comment:

"Is there any way known as the right way anymore...?"

-IZUKU'S POV-

Izuku had told the others to stay while he went for Ruby. Although his semblance helped boost his speed to help him search quicker, he still had no luck and was unable to realize he was getting lost himself.

"Come on, Ruby! Where are you?" Izuku asked, his voice laced with worry and concern as he continued looking. That was until something caught his eye.

A long path of fallen rose petals, all heading towards one direction, Izuku looked at the path and began following it hoping that it would lead him over to Ruby.

-TWO MINUTES LATER-

After following the long line of petals, he stops to see who's looking but is saddened by the way they are right now. Izuku found Ruby sitting by a tree, curled up into a ball, hearing small sobs from the team leader. It made his heart twist to see their bright and positive leader so broken and sad, making him wonder how much she had on her shoulders. He had even asked before if she wanted to talk to him about it, but she shook it off. But this time, she needs the talk.

"Ruby," Izuku called, slowly heading toward her with concern and worry. His call to her makes her look up slowly in surprise. Izuku then saw her expression, the dry tear marks with new ones running over them, her eyes with visible stress, it hurt him on the inside.

"I-I-Izuku...? W-What are you doing?" Ruby asked, her sobs stopping as her voice was laced with saddened curiosity.

Izuku stopped as he was right in front of her, he then decided to kneel until he was facing her directly, despite her stress, she couldn't help but blush at the action.

"I came after you to check up on you. The last time you shook it off and said you were fine, but Ruby, it's clear that you need someone to open up to." Izuku said. Ruby then looked away.

"B-But I'm fine...! C-can't you see? You don't need to check up on me." Ruby said, wiping the tears and having a smile, but Izuku knew that it was a fully fake smile. He was already used to seeing them and using them himself. So he didn't buy that for a second.

"Ruby," Izuku called out again, his callout making her look at him, he then unexpectedly brought her into a hug, shocking her.

"I-Izuku?" Ruby asked, part of her wanted to force him away, just to lie that she was fine, but another part of her wanted to cry and accept it, she was so torn that her tears slowly began to build again.

"Ruby, I know you aren't fine. You've been carrying this weight and trauma on your shoulders and you think it's fine because you're our captain, that you need to put others ahead instead of yourself," said Izuku, his hands still on her shoulders as he looked at her. "But that isn't the case, you don't need to carry this much weight on you, let alone other people's weight. It's like you told Jaune once before, you have a team, One that you can depend on and talk to, one that you can share your problems and your burdens. So please..." He then hugged her once more, his tears starting to fall...

"Don't try to push us away, we're a team. We'll carry this weight together." Izuku finished.

Ruby's tears began to flow down, her hands slowly accepting the hug. She then closes her eyes and rests her head on his shoulder, letting her tears fall at full force. The rain that was previously falling started to clear as the sun's beams started to shine. After a bit of hugging and crying, they broke the hug, Izuku wiping any tears from her face.

"T-Thanks Izuku..." Ruby says, a small smile forming on her face.

"You're welcome." Said Izuku, taking a seat beside Ruby as they looked up, seeing once stormy clouds now clear skies, despite it being a different color than what they were used to. But as they were gazing up at the sky, Ruby looked down, a thought still bothering her, so she opened up.

"Uh, Izuku...? I have a question for you..." said Ruby, causing Izuku to turn around with a small smile.

"What is it?" said Izuku, his head slightly tilted. Ruby smiles, before looking down.

"It's just... how would you be able to make sure that you're fit enough to have played a certain role? How do you make sure that you're enough for others?" Ruby asked, uncertain. She then felt her hand being grabbed, looking down, she saw Izuku holding her hand with a sincere smile.

"Well, I thought you would've had the answer by now, but it is simple," Izuku said as he wrapped an arm and hugged Ruby. "If the people around you still tend to stick by your side, follow you despite all the downsides that happen, love you for who you are, and always want to work by you, then I would find that enough, how people, like our friends, and me as well, would always follow you no matter what," Izuku said, his response making Ruby slightly teary-eyed in joy.

Her joy makes her do something unexpected, she grabs Izuku's shoulders, making him slightly confused.

"Ruby, you okay-? MMPH!?" Izuku was cut off by the feeling of Ruby's lips crashing into his, Izuku took some time to process what was going on, while blushing like a cherry tomato. But after a bit, slowly began to kiss back. And after a while, they broke the kiss and smiled at each other.

"Thank you Izuku, Thank you so much. I..." Ruby tried to finish but realized that her eyes were slowly drifting. "I...love...yo..." Before she could finish, she ended up falling asleep and landed her head on his shoulders. Izuku smiled as he got up, and picked up Ruby, then carried her on his back, to which in her sleep, she hugged tighter and smiled softly. As Izuku started to make his way to find the others, he did not know that this was the beginning of them living Happily, in the Ever After.

-BIT COMPLETE-

Okay, bit of a rewrite of my end card here, but I've been thinking about rewriting this Bit specifically because of how I wrote Izuku, I think I want to go for a more serious approach and make this bit a little longer, so maybe expect a re-bit of this somewhere in the future.