Archive of Our Own ^beta

Raven checked her outfit in the mirror a fifth time and wished Summer would hurry up.   

She couldn't help but feel a bit guilty, sneaking behind Qrow’s back, especially with his partner, but she had to. 

There was just no way her brother would understand this, no way he’d be ok with it. His rebellious spark, bright as it had once burned, had long since been snuffed out by life and the Tribe and their mama. A few years ago, and maybe he’d have been happy for her, encouraged her, started talking about leaving the Tribe or choosing herself, but now... Now her little brother was the perfect, loyal son. Which wasn’t to say that she hadn’t always been the perfect prized daughter, doing whatever mama wanted, the pride and future of the Tribe. She had been, her entire life she’d been Kes’ perfect heir, the favoured child. He’d always been the black sheep, cursed and rebellions and outspoken, until Mama had finally broken him, and he’d become the model child.  

Now, here living the life that had once been his dream, he was focused only on their mission. Classes that once would have caused him to light up, missions to help not hurt, to give rather than take, the notion of a future being a huntsman, the idea of friends, of love, he’d planned to run away and take this for himself once, before he’d been caught. This Academy was nothing more than a means to an end to him now, a way to get information for the Tribe, it was his only motivation. 

No, she couldn’t tell him about this. 

Summer would have to be her secret. 

“Ready to go?” 

She tried hard not to jump, how Summer managed to sneak up on her she didn’t know, but her face lit up as she spun. It did that a lot with Summer, automatically, against her will. Light up, that was, but she couldn’t stop it. Not when the most beautiful, wonderful woman in the world was standing right there, right there and interested in her. Glowing in the late afternoon sun and smiling so softly. It was almost impossible to believe, she was rotten, a bandit child, raised to be a monster, and here Summer looked at her like she was something of worth, like she was the same treasure they’d once horded in the tribe. But that was how Summer looked at her, and it made her heart flutter like it was trying to escape right out of her chest.  

Summer was so very much like the season, bright and warm, sweet and gentle, colourful and full of life, but with a fierce and dangerous undercurrent that couldn’t be underestimated. She'd never met anyone like Summer before, and now they were going dancing. Just the two of them. 

Raven didn’t even know how to dance. 

But Summer had asked, and how could she say no. A whole evening with Summer, an actual date, not being able to dance was the least of her problems, right. She could manage. How different could it be from fighting really, or what they did back in the Tribe. Summer was wonderful, incredible, and they were going to spend the whole evening together.  

Summer looked radiant. 

Knee length red dress that flowed and swirled, black lace straps and corset and details, her usual white cape ditched in favour of a shorter, white cloak, silver eyeshadow that made her eyes sparkle even more. Raven felt underdressed by comparison, black trousers and a red blouse, simple black heels and a red hairband to keep her hair back. It didn’t fall neatly or calmly like Summers, it wouldn’t easily go up in any sort of bun, let alone the floral one Summer liked, but she could get it out of her face. Taiyang insisted with proper ‘conditioner’ and ‘product’ her and Qrow’s hair could be incredible, but Summer said she loved her hair just as it was.  

Summer said a lot of things like that. 

“I... yeah... lets go?” 

Summer's hand locked onto hers with a big grin, and they slipped out of the dorms. They couldn’t tell their partners about this yet, Qrow wouldn’t understand and Taiyang was a bit of a gossip, no, this was their thing, just for them. 

It wasn’t just her family that had led to quiet conversations about keeping this to themselves for now, to small picnic dates and quiet nights on the roof just talking and keeping what they had between them, kept safe like a little candle in the breeze. The other thing that led to their needing a little bit of secrecy was the same thing that had given Summer that long scar along her forehead, an inch above her eyes. An attack from when she was just a child, crazy bastard that wanted her stunning eyes. Summer hadn’t explained exactly why that was still a risk, but it was, and Ozpin was weirdly cautious about where Summer went. Frankly it seemed amazing he’d let her and Qrow on the same team as Summer, regardless of the rules, because she was certain Ozpin had some suspicions about them even if he clearly had nothing concrete enough to arrest them for. Summer claimed it was because he’d taken her in after her whole family was killed, that he was just used to protecting her, but Raven had the feeling it was more than that. She knew when an asset was being secured and sheltered. 

Sneaking it was.  

Sneaking around from Qrow and Taiyang, from Ozpin, and anyone who might know them, truthfully. 

If she had someone in the city that she could open a portal to, that would have made sneaking even easier, but nobody noticed them slipping onto one of the many shuttles from the school to the city. Lots of students were out for the night, it was a friday night, they were just a part of the crowd. There were first years, other second years, third and fourth years, all heading in for a party, or secret snacks, or shopping or trips home to see their family. Not just Beacon students, but Atlesian and Mistrali and Vacuan students here for the festival, no wonder the city was bouncing. 

They more or less travelled with the crowd to the clubs, but somewhere along the line they pulled away from the student crowd and into a quieter area of the city. They would be less likely to be recognised, and then Summer’s hand slipped into hers, and she felt her heart skip a beat. It all felt like some impossible dream, but it was real and solid and better than any dream she’d ever had. They flowed into the club, through the crowd, not even bothering to get drinks from the bar, just heading straight for the dance floor.  

The music was loud, the lights were flashing, and she couldn’t take her eyes off of Summer. Twisting and swaying with the music, eyes practically glowing as the lights flashed pink and yellow and blue and red and her hand stayed clasped in hers, putting her into the dance. She let herself fall into the same rhythm, moving alongside her, twirling her around, it felt like heaven.  

It felt like freedom. 

Song after song, dance after dance, swaying and singing and kissing.  

“I love you, Summer Rose.” 

“I love you, Raven Branwen.” 

She wondered if Summer knew just how crazy it was that Raven was the one to say it first, but she had the feeling her girlfriend did. That she understood. 

After what might have been an hour or three, they slipped over to a quiet booth, drinks in hand, slumped into each other with soft smiles and that warm glow that Summer stirred within her that she was never going to get sick of. 

“Wish we could do this every day.” 

“Me too, but we can't. Ozpin, my brother...” 

Summer sighed softly, barely audible over the music. 

“I don’t understand why we can’t tell your brother. He...” 

“He wouldn’t understand.” 

She knew Summer thought she knew Qrow well, a few years as partners helped with that, but there was so much she didn’t know. About either of them. Their childhood, their mission, their legacy, it was a big scary conversation she wasn’t ready for yet. Summer had her suspicions, sure, and would probably kill their mama if she ever got the chance, but the full truth, she couldn’t know. Raven didn’t know how she’d ever be able to tell Summer everything, but one day she would have to. It would devastate Summer, not just the lies and betrayal but that they’d been forced into this situation at all. That was the kind of amazing person Summer was, she’d forgive Raven eventually, but Qrow... 

“I don’t know, I’ve seen the way he looks at that Atlas student.” 

Her head snapped to Summer. 

“What Atlas student?” 

“The one who’s clearly just as interested, they’ve been sparring together all week. I don’t understand why he doesn’t just make a move.” 

She bit back an ‘I do’. 

Frankly she was still trying to get her head around the whole ‘looking at an Atlas student’ thing. Qrow focusing on anything other than the mission they’d been given was unbelievable enough, but an Atlas student... the stuffy, dangerous soldiers they’d stolen from almost weekly back in the Tribe, they hated the Atlesian soldiers more than the Mistrali security forces and cops. The Mistrali security forces tented to be stupid and annoying, poorly trained and just wanting to get to the end of the day, the Atlesian ones would actually go for the kill. Unless he’d been given a second mission to try and get intel out of them, which wasn’t out of the question, she couldn’t imagine what he was doing looking at one of them with anything more than distain. 

“He’s focused,” she settled on, “he thinks he needs to throw himself in 100% to make our mother proud.” 

The face Summer made told her exactly what her girlfriend thought of their mother. She had the feeling if they ever met, Sundered Rose might end up embedded in Kestrel Branwen’s head, and what a political nightmare that would be. 

“Neither of you need to destroy your lives for her, you get to choose.” 

“Yeah, we do... and I choose you.” 

It was three am when they made it back to their dorm room. Tai was out like a light, and Qrow was absent, though that was not abnormal, he’d always been a night owl... or crow. Either studying in the library or training or just up thinking, she rarely seemed to catch him sleeping anymore. Or maybe he just wanted to get away from Tai's snoring. 

Summer's lips brushed against hers one more time, their foreheads falling together, before they had to pull away to separate beds. Their hands stayed together until they physically couldn’t stay together any longer, fingertips pulling apart. 

It was crazy, it was everything she mocked as a kid, and it was perfect. 

Now she just had to work out how to make it last forever.