Steadfast Grey

I, Silva, stared down the man-child known as Taiyang Xiao Long, Ruby and Yang's father, as he stared back at me. He looked away as he knew I was in the right; he screwed up big time with Ruby and Yang as a father because Taiyang left them alone as he drowned himself in self-pity. I sighed then asked him.

" So, are you going to be there from now on for your daughters, or should I just go ahead and call Qrow to find someone else to take care of them?"

Taiyang covered his face with his hands and leaned on the table while sitting down. I then heard someone come into the kitchen and ask.

" Silva, are you alright?"

It was Yang, and I assured her in a gentle tone.

" Don't worry. I will be fine. I just need some time to heal."

" Is there anything I can do for you?"

As Yang asked nervously, I decided to give her a task to help with the guilt she still feels from yesterday's incident.

" Can you help me change my bandages?"

" Sure!"

Yang excitedly replied and went to get the bandages from the first aid kit, all the while not noticing her father across from me. Taiyang watched the interaction and cursed.

" D*mn it! I am a complete idiot!"

" Then get your head out of your butt and clean up your act for Ruby and Yang's sake."

Taiyang sighed, then nodded in agreement, and another visitor came in and greeted me.

" Morning, Silva."

" Right back at you, Ruby."

Ruby came up to the table and grabbed herself a slice of leftover pizza, then finally noticed her father and asked me.

" Silva, why is a hobo in the kitchen?"

Taiyang took some emotional damage from Ruby's innocent question, and I started laughing. Ruby then asked me, looking confused.

" Silva, what's so funny?"

I stopped laughing and messed with her hair, then told her.

" Ruby, don't ever change."

" Okay, Silva, but I still want to know why there's a hobo here. Are you giving him some of the pizza?"

I snickered at the repeated question, and Taiyang moaned.

" Ruby~, it's me~."

Ruby narrowed her eyes and realized who the "hobo" was, ha!

" Daddy, you became a hobo?!"

Taiyang died emotionally from being called a hobo a third time by his youngest daughter, and I couldn't help but laugh even if it hurt my injuries. Yang came back in and said.

" Silva, I'm back; let's change your bandages!"

Yang saw her sister and finally noticed her dying father and asked.

" Why is there a hobo here?"

I just laughed harder, and Taiyang died from his daughters not recognizing him.

***

A few weeks have passed since Taiyang started cleaning himself up, and things have been pretty nice so far. Taiyang tossed out all of his beer and got shaved, but his beer belly persisted in staying despite his best efforts at getting back in shape. I nearly died laughing when Ruby poked his stomach and asked him.

" Daddy, why is belly so soft and flabby?"

Taiyang doubled his efforts to get rid of his beer belly after that; it looks like he won't be living this down anytime soon. He is still suspicious of me because I haven't told him anything about my "big sister" other than Qrow knows her. Taiyang barely tolerates me because Yang and Ruby have gotten a bit clingy with me. Ruby constantly wants me to play with her or tell her some stories I make up, though I take some inspiration from the fairy tales back on Earth. Yang has been staying close to me, trying to help me with anything she could think of; I guess she still feels guilty.

Time went by until, finally, Qrow got back from his mission for Ozpin, and of course, he showed up drunk.

" I'm back~."

" Uncle Qrow!"

The girls went to tackle him with hugs but stopped as they smelled the alcohol on him and said.

" Uncle Qrow, stinky!"

" Uncle Qrow, take a bath!"

Ruby pinched her nose along with Yang as the blonde girl pointed to the bathroom. Qrow ignores them and crashes on the couch, then passes out drunk. I sighed and told Taiyang as he had a wry smile at Qrow's antics.

" If Qrow is back, that means my sister is likely done with whatever she is doing, and I need to head back soon."

" Oh, so I finally get this mysterious big sister of your Silva?"

I shrugged at Taiyang's question. Ruby and Yang heard me and asked.

" Silva, are you leaving?"

" Is this goodbye?"

Ruby had teary silver eyes as she hugged me and Yang held my paw, looking like she did not want me to leave. I sighed and told them truthfully.

" Am probably leaving tomorrow, but until then, let's make this day last, alright?"

Ruby just hugged me tighter, and Yang grunted a reply. I spent the rest of the day doing whatever the girls wanted to do, playing house, tag, video games, and watching our choices of movies. Night soon came, and as I got ready to go to sleep, Ruby and Yang showed up with their pillows in tow. Yang asked me shyly as she fiddled with her hair.

" Silva, since this is your last night here, can we-."

Ruby interrupted her sister.

" Slumber party!"

I shrugged as I replied.

" Sure, why not."

Things quickly devolved into a pillow war between us, and not long after, Ruby and Yang fell asleep. I tucked them in and left them a letter I wrote earlier on the dressers as I sneaked outside in the middle of the night. I waited for Raven on the porch to pick me up. I decided to leave like this because I did not want to lie to Ruby and Yang anymore than I already have about me and my "big sister" Raven. As I waited, Qrow showed up and took a seat next to me. He took a sip of his flask then said.

" Thanks for all this, Snowball. You kept Blondy and Rosebud company and even got Tai's head out of his a*s. I owe you."

" Sure..."

I responded quietly as I waited. After a few moments of silence, Qrow then says to me.

" You know, you don't have to go back with my sister, or I guess or sister now."

As Qrow joked, I ignored him because while I wanted to leave the tribe, I wanted to do so on my terms so that I could travel across Remnant before I could attend Beacon along with Yang and the others. Qrow continued to make his offer to me.

" The girls would love for you to stay around, and you could attend school with them, plus-."

" No..."

I interrupted him then gave my reasoning before he could ask why.

" Where would I even stay at? Certainly not with you or Taiyang, for that matter, because if Taiyang finds out my relations, you can probably guess his reaction better than me. Plus, even if you vouch for someone else to take me in, I will not trust them because my heritage opens up a lot of discrimination against me on top of being a Faunus."

Qrow opened and closed his mouth, but no reply came out at my statement, and I then told him my biggest reason for not staying.

" As much as I would like to stay with Ruby and Yang, I would have to keep on lying to them, and I don't want that; in fact, once Yang is old enough, I plan on telling her my relation to Raven."

Qrow sighed at my explanation and took a sip from his flask, and asked me.

" Are you sure, Snowball?"

" Yeah, because even if Yang wants to beat me up after finding out, I know about her mother. I will take it and try starting fresh with her with no lies."

" Snowball, your bigger man than some I know despite still being a brat."

I snorted at him then retorted.

" And this is coming from an overgrown man-child."

Qrow not so playfully punched my shoulder, and a portal finally opened in front of me. I said my goodbyes and went through it after giving the Xiao Long-Rose home a final look.

***

Morning came into Ruby and Yang's home, and as the sun shined in Yang's eyes, she rubbed them and got up. As she stretched and yawned, she saw that Silva was nowhere to be seen. After looking around, she saw a letter addressed to her and Ruby from Silva. She shook her little sister awake, and they then opened the letter from Silva and read it.

[To Ruby and Yang,

If you're reading this, I have already left, and the reason I did not stay and say goodbye is simple. I lied to both of you about who I am, and I apologize for that. As for what I lied about, I will tell you the next time we meet, which won't be until Yang is around seventeen and going to one of the huntsmen academies if she wants to be a huntress in the future. I will tell you one true thing about me. I'm not too fond of goodbyes because they sound so final, so instead, I will say to you,

See you later,

Sincerely yours, Silva]

Ruby and Yang looked at each other, and the future reaper asked.

" What do you think Silva was lying about?"

" I don't know Ruby, but he has a lot to answer for when we see him next time."

Yang replied with a slight smile, and Ruby nodded in absent-minded agreement. They started their day with a snow leopard Faunus in their minds and hearts, looking forward to seeing him again.