Chapter Text
The last week of school was rough.
The testing, the sparring they had to do for final exams, the everything that was going on... it was difficult for the students, but today was finally the last day of the school year.
But there were more challenges that came with this.
Alea was leaning back against the wall with a small frown, one arm wrapped around Lexey and the other around Terrresa. Stacey was leaning back against her chest, looking up at her with the smallest hint of a smile on her face.
"I don't want this year to end," Alea stated.
"Why not, Ally?" Syntheia asked. She was leaning against the wall too, but on the other side. She was giving all of team ATLS a small disgusted look at their over affectionate embrace.
"Well," Alea had a small blush on her face, "I'm gonna miss you guys. And I'm going to miss the seven! All seven of them!"
"Yeah, I get what you mean," Natalie said, a little frown on her face. "I guess I'll be going back to Menagerie for the break, but I don't really... have anyone to go back to."
Ivy took her hand while Rachel leaned against her side.
Natalie's parents had died when she was very young, leaving her to fend for herself from the age of five. She'd done pretty well at it for a long time... until she'd had her wings stolen from her... Natalie hated the idea of going back now. She'd finally found a family that she could call her own, and the idea of leaving it was horrifying.
Ivy could sense her concern, and she squeezed her hand tightly.
"I'd offer to let you crash at my place over the break," Rachel said, "but my parents still think I'm off getting a," she used finger quotes, "'proper' education. Plus, they're also under the impression that I'm straight, which would make you coming over... awkward. Ives, wanna invite us over to your place? We can finally meet your family," Rachel said with a smirk.
Ivy's eyes widened and she shook her head.
"I was hoping that one of you would let me come over to yours. I'm not going back home."
Ivy hated going back to that place. She'd finally gotten out from under that roof, from underneath her parents control and their overbearing presence. They never had understood how Ivy's brain had worked, and they'd been terrified of it.
"Don't look at me!" Oscar cried, holding up his hands as he looked at Rachel, Ivy, and Natalie. "I'm staying at my boyfriend's over the summer."
Rachel gave him a wink, and he blushed.
"Hey! I missed him!"
Rachel nudged his side with her elbow.
"I'm sure."
Oscar smacked her arm, and Rachel rolled her eyes.
"Maybe we can talk team RWBY into letting us stay," Natalie said with a suddenly excited look in her eyes.
"They'd say yes, you know," Ivy said idly, her gaze unfocused as she looked into the distance. She knew that they would, that they were considering offering. Not just so they could have someone to take care of their kids, but so that they could keep their new friends around over the summer months.
Alea beamed (though it looked like a smirk).
"That's awesome! I wanna visit home, but... I can't leave you three," She said, pulling her girlfriends closer lovingly.
"Thanks, Lea," Ivy called.
"And you, you attention hog," Alea said with an eye roll.
"Well I'm not going back to my place," Terresa said with a scoff. "Can't put up with my sister. She's a monster."
"All little kids are," Stacey said with an eye roll.
"She's twenty-five," Terresa replied.
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"Well, if you two are staying, then I will too," Stacey said, her arms crossed as she tried to look anywhere but at her girlfriends, a small blush on her face.
"Aw!" Lexey cried, reaching over and wrapping her arms around Stacey's waist to pull her closer. "Isn't she just so cute when she's embarrassed?! Aw, look at that face! How could I leave that face behind?!"
Stacey blushed more and looked like she was about to slap at Lexey's hands, but she didn't. Instead, she stood there with a deep blush, not looking at her.
Alea was beaming.
"Great! That's awesome!" she cried, wrapping her arms around the three more fully and pulling them closer to her chest and lifting her into the air enthusiastically.
She put them down and looked up at her friends with a wide grin.
"So that's everyone except...," her gaze shifted, and Syntheia was surprised to be met by a gentle, almost nervous look in her eyes, "Syntheia. You wanna join us over the summer?"
Syntheia's eyes widened in surprise.
"Wh... me?"
"Do we know another Syntheia?" Stacey asked with a raised eyebrow.
Syntheia rolled her eyes and let out a huff of irritation.
"You want me to spend the summer surrounded by," she gestured at Ivy, Natalie, and Rachel (who happened to be having a make out session beside her) and team ATLS, "that?"
"Yes?" Alea asked, brows furrowed in confusion as she smirked just a bit.
Syntheia sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"Alright. Alright! Fine! But only because I still need another rematch, Ally."
Alea smirked at her broadly, giving her a wink
"I'll hold you to that, Syn."
"I mean, I'll stay if they let me, I guess. It seems like we don't really know each other."
"I'm sure they will!" Alea said with that same smirk on her face as she watched her.
Syntheia rolled her eyes.
"Fine."
-
It was two hours later, and Syntheia was standing in team RWBY's house surrounded by seven children, holding one of them in her arms.
"Shh... shh, hey, it's alright," she whispered, bouncing up and down as she tried to calm the almost three-month old Auburn before he threw up again.
"How did I let you talk me into this? I could have gone home, seen my family, and relaxed all summer, but instead I somehow let you," Syntheia angrily gestured at Alea, "talk me into spending my summer as a live in baby sitter with you crazy people!"
"Don't raise your voice, it upsets Adolpha," Alea whispered. "And, like I said, I'm charming. Of course I convinced you!"
Syntheia groaned.
This was going to be a long summer.