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19cartoonqueen99 · 4 years

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"Forevermore" 🌸⚡

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"That should be the last of them." Ren careful retrieved his blade from the disintegrating body of a Sabyr. There were far less of them now, thanks to the lessening tensions in the area.

Nora raised her hammer over her shoulder confidently with a bright smile. "Like they even stood a chance against us! We're unstoppable!"

Ren couldn't help but smile at her. Even in the midst of terror and uncertainty, she was always happy. Always smiling. He'd always admired that about her ever since they'd met, even if he didn't understand it.

He looked around, then at his scroll. "We should probably regroup with the others. Who knows what else is still out there?"

Nora nodded, folding up Magnhild and following Ren around the block. The streets were empty, with most of the Mantle citizens having evacuated already. But even with the dread in the air seemingly gone, there was still something there...Something uncertain. Something...familiar. She shrugged it off, shaking her head.

"Nora? Is something wrong?" Ren titled his head quizzically in her direction.

She looked away, staying silent. Her hands fidgeted as she walked, her eyes gaze downcast.

"Nora," he asked again, a bit more sternly this time, "What's wrong?"

Nora looked up at him, but quickly looked away, unsure of what to say or do. This was the first time they'd properly been alone together since...that night. She still wasn't sure how to address everything, especially after all that had just happened in the past few weeks. What should she say? What could she say?

"I...well..." She hemmed and hawed, her eyes darting about nervously. She glanced up at him, vainly hoping he couldn't read her expression.

"Nora, please..." He stopped walking and turned to her. "I can tell something's bothering you. So I'll ask you again. Is something wrong?"

She stopped again, closing her eyes. She had to say something, she rationalized. At further attempts to dodge conversation wasn't going to work here. Not anymore. She took a deep breath and faced him.

"Well, the thing is-"

A soft glint from a broken window caught her eye. She turned, catching sight of a seemingly ordinary old brick house. Broken windows haphazardly boarded up with beams, the door hanging off of one hinge. Something was familiar about that house...

As if she was being called by a siren's song, Nora slowly made her way over to the decrepit building, carefully pushing the old door aside to step in. Right away, it was clear this house had not been occupied in a very long time. Layers upon layers of dust coated everything in the room, leaving a musty, damp scent in the air. The fabric on the furrniture was faded with age.

She looked around the abandoned living room, peering past the doorways to see two separate bedrooms, one master, and one spare. The spare room seemed to draw her closer. She went inside.

An old bed frame missing its mattress and sheets. Torn curtains that once were a vibrant pink. An overturned empty toy chest now sat collecting dust in the corner. The faintest hint of magenta paint still clung to the walls. Clearly this had been a little girl's room. A heaviness fell across Nora. Her breathing grew shallow. Her hands were cold, but not because of the weather outside.

"Nora, what are you doing?" Ren had awkwardly squeezed his way past the broken door and into the house. "We have to regroup with the others. C'mon, let's just-"

He stopped in his tracks when he saw her. She gazed up at him, confused and helpless.

"Nora?" He slowly approached her, gently holding her hand in his.

"I.....I know this place...." She quivered softly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something. A piece of paper, stuck under the toy chest. She bent down to pick it up. She turned it over.

A sharp gasp of alarm rose from her throat. Hot tears began forming in her eyes. A sudden feeling of dizziness quickly overcame her, and she clung to Ren to keep her balance.

Ren gripped her tightly, holding her steady in his grasp. "Nora, it's okay....I'm right here. What is it?"

Nora could only manage a small whimper as she turned page to show him. Only it wasn't a page. It was a picture.

A woman and a little girl, sitting together on a couch. They were clearly mother and daughter; the resemblance was uncanny. Both were beaming brightly, and even the photo's age not could hinder their vibrant auburn locks.

The little girl...had green eyes.

"That's....that's you..." Ren spoke breathlessly.

"I tried to forget about it all..." Nora croaked, her eyes stinging from holding back tears, "I never wanted to remember that horrible night again...There was...there was so many Grimm......

She crumpled to the floor in sobs, clutching the photo in her hands. Ren knelt beside her, holding her gently. Being a comforting presence was all he could really do in that moment.

"I'm so sorry..." She hiccuped through her words, "I never should have distracted you that night. A-all I've ever done is g-get in the way-"

"Nora, what are you talking about?" He gently lifted her chin to face him.

"I...It just feels like I'm always getting in the way...Ever since we got to Atlas, all I've been doing is goofing around, not taking the mission seriously...I know we've got a huge important task to keep in mind, but I just..." She sniffled back her tears, gazing up at Ren.

"I just want to be with you. You've always been there for me, and I've never known a single day that you haven't. But ever since we got here, it just feels like you're...growing distant. Holding back, pushing away. It's...why I did what I did that night at Robyn's rally. Because I wanted you to know how I felt...But now it just feels like I messed everything up...I'm sorry..."

Ren stared at her in surprise, but quickly his expression shifted to fondness as he reached up to wipe away her remaining tears. He gave her a gentle smile, holding her close.

"Nora, never apologize for being who you are."

"But I-"

"Nora, you don't give yourself enough credit. You seem to forget that you are just as deserving of praise as anyone else. You've saved my life more times than I can count. You've been my guiding light, my conscience, my confidant, my best friend. For years. And I could never be more grateful."

He helped her to her feet, still holding her hands gently. His eyes gazed into hers with a kind of love only the closest of partners could share.

"You are everything to me. You're my entire world. I know I don't say it enough, but it's true." He softly ran one hand along her cheek, pulling her close to him with the other.

"I love you, Nora."

The words came as a shock to her. Never in her life would she have ever expected Ren to open up like this to her. But really, it was to be expected. After everything they'd been through together. Kuroyuri, Beacon, Haven, and beyond. They were bonded together. Not by choice, not by design. By something so much stronger.

She smiled at him warmly, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. He smiled back, once again lifting her chin to face him.

"Took you long enough to say it, " She teased, propping herself up on her toes, inches away from his face.

Ren couldn't help but chuckle at the comment, leaning ever so closely towards her-

"Ren? Nora?" A loud yet familiar voice rang through the house. The two quickly broke apart. They'd recognize that voice anywhere.

"Guys? Oh hey, there you are!" Jaune poked his head through the doorway, seemingly ignorant of the situation. "I've been looking all over the place for you two. Why weren't you answering your scrolls-" He trailed off when he saw the stance the two were in.

"Oh. That's why..." He began to awkwardly shuffle away. "I'll just, uh...meet you guys at the main wall." He scurried off without another word.

The pair burst out laughing as soon as he left.

"Of all the times he had to show up." Ren chuckled, shaking his head in amusement.

"Heh, yeah that's for sure," Nora shifted in place, her cheeks still red from blushing. "Maybe later?"

"Yeah, later. Let's get going." Ren took her by the hand and began to lead her outside.

Nora followed, gripping the old photo in her other hand. With a small, shuddered sigh, she folded it up and stuck it in her skirt pocket. She turned and gave one last look at her old room. She would never forget the horrible nightmares it held, but she would always remember the good times as well.

As the two neared the front door, a slight smirk snuck across Ren's face. But before Nora could ask, he suddenly pulled her close to him, kissing her deeply.

Instinctively, her arms drifted up around his shoulders, and she felt his arms gently wrap around her waist. Her world began to spin, just like it had that night at Robyn's rally. Only this time, it was just them. No crowds, no music, no noise. Just her and him. Together. For real, this time. This was no dream. This was reality.

The two eventually broke apart, and Ren gave a playful smirk. "It is later, after all." He took her by the hand again, never taking his eyes off of her.

Nora beamed brightly at him, her fingers intertwined with his as they walked away together.

There was still a long road ahead. The fight they faced was far from over. But Nora knew in her heart that she wouldn't be alone. She'd never been alone.

They were so much more than just partners. Call it fate, call it destiny, or even something stronger. Nothing was going to tear them apart. Not now, not ever. They were together. Now, and forevermore.

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If you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading! This story idea just sort of popped into my head recently and I just had to write it down. This ended up being way longer than I anticipated. Hope you enjoyed it!

-Cartoon Queen 👑

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