I Need a Place to Sleep (Post-Timeskip RoseWick)

Part 5

   Ruby woke up to the sound of the cheap inn's bed creaking and a shift in the weight on the bed as the warmth that was beside her left. She was half asleep, and her eyesight was blurred slightly. "Roman?"

"Yes, Red?" Roman responded with his back turned to Ruby.

"Where are you going?" she yawned, starting to fall asleep.

"I'm going back to my room, remember? It'd be pretty hard to explain if they found out we were in the same room this late." Roman looked at the clock on the nightstand beside the bed. It was two in the morning. 

"No, come back." Ruby said groggily, still mostly asleep as she hugged her pillow.

"I can't. I have to go, unless you want your team to kill us both." Roman replied as he slipped his pants back on.

"They'd understand." Ruby yawned.

"No, they wouldn't, gem." Roman pulled his shirt over his head and leaned over to gently pat Ruby's head. "Go back to sleep, it's late."

"But I'm cold."

Roman grabbed an extra blanket from the closet and threw it over Ruby. He tucked the blankets under Ruby's sides and feet to help keep her warm. "Is this better?"

"A little, but it'd be better if you came back."

Roman rolled his eyes and smiled. "Get some rest." With that, he walked out of Ruby's room and shut her door behind him quietly. He was sure to be very careful not to be heard. He quietly entered his own room, and went to sleep.

~~~~

  Ruby woke up at six AM to a soft knock on her door. She opened her door to find Jaune. 

"Hey. We're staying at the inn another day, it's too cold out to travel safely. It should be warmer tomorrow. Plus, we're kind of snowed in."

"Awesome." Ruby stretched. "I don't mind a bit!"

"Could you go tell that Torchwick guy? Ren and Nora already know, but that guy still kind of scares me." Jaune rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Why does he scare you?"

"Well, you know, he's sort of the most powerful criminal in Vale, and he just doesn't seem to smile a lot. He always has a sort of murderous look on his face."

"Jaune, that's just his face. But why me? Why couldn't you have asked Ren or Nora?"

"I don't know. He just seems a little friendlier to you and less likely to murder you. What if he murders me because I woke him up?"  

"He's actually nice, Jaune. You could try talking to him once in a while, but okay, fine. I'll go tell him since you're a wimp." Ruby smirked and stepped past Jaune into the hallway and walked towards Roman's room. She knocked on his door and stepped back with her hands folded behind her back and a sweet smile on her face. She could hear the bed creak and Roman walking to his door, grumbling curses at the person behind the door.

A groggy Roman answered the door with a slight scowl on his face. His orange hair was in a mess and it was obvious he had just woken up. "Why the fu--" He glanced down and saw Ruby. His expression brightened a little and a soft smile appeared on his face. "Morning, Red. Are we leaving soon?"

"Nope. We're staying another day. Too cold."

"Oh, cool. Well, in that case..." Roman stepped out the door and looked down the hallway, finding it empty. "Would you like to come in?" He gestured to his room with his left hand.

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"I think your friends have gone back to bed."

"But what if they wake up and find me in your room?"

"According to you, 'They will understand.'"

"I never said that!"

"Oh, yes, you did. You were just asleep. It should be fine, come on in."

"Okay, alright." Ruby stepped into Roman's room. "So why did you invite me in here?" She heard the door shut behind her, and immediately after, she felt a pair of strong arms pick her up bridal style. "Aah!" Ruby squeaked in surprise. She turned her blushing face to Roman's. 

Roman carried her to the bed and dropped her onto it before climbing in beside her. Without a word, he put his chin on top of her head and closed his eyes. He brought a hand up to her short black and red hair and started to run his fingers through it. "Your hair is soft."

"Thank you, but is this the only reason you invited me in? So we could cuddle?"

"Hmm, no, it's not the only reason. My bed was starting to feel a little empty, though. I have a more important reason. I wanted to ask you something."

Ruby smiled and nuzzled her face into his neck. "What's the question?"

"Would you be willing to go on a date with me? It doesn't have to be any time soon."

"I'd love to." She kissed Roman's adam's apple gently.

"Thank you." He kissed Ruby's head.

Ruby continued to kiss Roman's adam's apple and jaw. After hearing him let out a small sigh of contentment, she continued and left small kisses on his neck. She smiled when kissing the side of his neck made him shiver. 

"Hey, Red, have you ever kissed anyone?" Roman asked curiously.

Ruby tried to hide her red face out of embarrassment. "N-no.."

With a sly smirk, Roman lifted Ruby's chin up so she could face him. He touched his forehead to Ruby's, and leaned in and pressed his lips against hers. 

Ruby gasped in surprise at the feeling of Roman suddenly kissing her. She closed her eyes and melted into the kiss. She wrapped her arms around Roman's neck as he pulled her closer by putting his hand on the back of her head. He intertwined his fingers with her hair and pulled away after several seconds had passed.He looked down at Ruby's blushing red face and chuckled. "You're adorable." 

Ruby just stared up at Roman with wide eyes. She didn't know what to say. Her mind had went completely blank.

Roman smiled down at her and ran his fingers through her hair again. "We should get some rest, gem. We should be able to sleep until ten."

Ruby nuzzled her face back into his neck and nodded as she closed her eyes.

~~~

Ruby woke up abruptly to the sound of Roman's alarm on his scroll. She reached over him and pressed the screen to turn it off. She sat up and gently nudged the man's bare shoulder to wake him. "Roman!" he didn't wake up, so she shook him with a little more force. "Roman, wake up!" She was finally able to wake Roman up. "Morning, sleepy head." she giggled.

Roman groaned in slight annoyance at not being able to continue his slumber and yawned. He looked up at Ruby with tired eyes and a smug grin. "Morning, sweetheart."

"Come on, Roman, it's time to get up. I have to get back to my room before my team wakes up."

Roman let out a small huff. "Okay. I'll walk you to your room." He sat up and stretched.

"No, it's okay, really, it's only two doors down." Ruby insisted. 'Oh goodness, he's beautiful, especially when he's tired like this.' 

   "No, let me walk you to your room. I don't mind, really." Roman leaned over and picked his shirt up from the nightstand, where he had had haphazardly placed it the night before. He slipped it on and stood up to stretch one more time. He walked over to the door and opened it to let Ruby walk out first. When Ruby walked out, he closed the door behind him and placed his hand on Ruby's lower back. 

   When they stepped out of Roman's room, both of their faces turned red in embarrassment. Nora had just stepped out of the room she shared with Ren, and was on her way to the snack machine. "Uh-oh. I think we've been found out," Ruby said to Roman. 

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Roman hid his face in the palm of his hand.

Nora gasped and squealed in excitement. "I knew it!" she opened the door to her room and popped her head in. "Ren! I was right! You owe me 20 Lien!"