#armedandready

tai/raven/summer, with an emphasis on nevermore

yang is 8, ruby is 6

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“You’re looking restless again,” Summer murmured from by the kitchen stove.

Raven glanced out the window. “Am I? Hadn’t noticed.”

The smell of roasting meat and grilled vegetables seeped into the kitchen, drawing Raven’s attention to her partner’s cooking.

“If you’d like to take a hunt on your own, you know Tai and I don’t mind. You just need to ask.”

Raven suddenly stood up from her chair, nodding distractedly as she continued staring out the window. “Uh huh, let me get back to you on that.”

Summer frowned as Raven headed for the door, black combat boots thudding with purpose. She spared a glance out the window to see what had caught her attention, but she only saw Tai out there holding Ruby as he watered the flowers, and Yang playing in the yard near the trees.

Raven moved past Tai and his flowers, struggling not to make a snide comment as she wandered towards the treeline, where her own daughter played.

She paused for a moment, trying to ignore Tai’s voice in the back of her head explaining that both girls were her daughters. Remembered Summer’s instead, telling her soothingly that it was okay that it was taking her time.

She walked over and knelt by Yang in the dirt, raising an eyebrow at her daughter. She had mud on her hands and knees, and on her cheek, and her backpack was with her. The girl had managed to dig a shallow trench by the time Raven reached her.

Yang smiled weakly as her mother brushed her hair back.

“You know you need to stay closer to the house,” Raven murmured. She nodded at her backpack. “Planning a trip somewhere without me?”

Yang fussed with a ball of mud and sticks between her fingers, rolling it and then squashing it in her hand. “I don’t want to go in for dinner,” she admitted quietly.

“You’d rather stay out all night in a monster-infested forest,” Raven replied flatly, waiting for the full truth from her eight-year old daughter.

Yang nodded, grinning until Raven cocked her head slightly, raised an eyebrow. Yang’s gaze quickly fell back to the blades of grass she was plucking at.

“Mommy always reads my weekly reports at dinner.”

“And?”

“...this one isn’t good.”

Raven had to refrain from rolling her eyes. A cold wind stirred the leaves of the trees, and she did a quick scan for any grimm hiding in the branches that could sense her small child’s fear. But it didn’t appear to have as much meaning to the wildlife as it did to the girl and her mother.

“I’ll tell you what, Yang. You go inside and clean up, help your mom finish up dinner, and I’ll read the report tonight. Make something up to cover for you.”

Yang glanced up at her with wonder in her eyes. “Really?”

She smirked, tousling her hair. “Only if dinner is really tasty tonight.”

Yang giggled, jumping to her feet and brushing off her hands. It didn’t do much, but Raven could applaud the effort.

She shooed her off towards the house, taking her backpack and slinging it over her own shoulder to follow her back. Tai called something to Yang that made her laugh, held a finger down over the hose and sprayed her lightly before she shrieked delightedly and rushed inside to finish cleaning up.

Raven brought the backpack inside, and pulled out Yang’s weekly report, scanning it quickly to see what lies to come up with as she wandered back into the kitchen.

Summer glanced over her shoulder at her. “Hey, that’s to talk about at dinner, Rae.”

She shrugged nonchalantly. “Yang asked me to read it tonight. Gotta practice my best impression of you.” She smiled, pressed a light kiss to Summer’s lips before sitting back at the table.

“Did she, now?”

Raven sighed, glanced up from the paper. “She’s upstairs?”

Summer nodded, the gravity of the situation now hitting her.

“She doesn’t want you knowing that she’s getting into fights at school.”

“Yang? That doesn’t--”

“Over Ruby,” she finished flatly.

Summer got quiet at that, and they both heard Ruby outside, still clinging to her father’s leg.

She’d been clingy since starting school.

Raven sighed. “Don’t tell Tai until after dinner. I don’t want him bringing this up to either of them.”

Summer gave her a curt nod. “It’ll be as if you never told me.”

Raven got up, stood behind Summer and rubbed her back. “We can discuss this tonight, once Yang’s feeling better.”

Summer hummed blissfully. “Look at you, becoming such a confidante. I suppose it’s good Yang is telling someone about all this.”

“Too bad she’s telling the one parent who thinks punching the other kids in the mouth is the right call.”

Summer reached up and stroked her cheek, cool fingers somehow drawing heat to the surface. “I love you, Rae, but sometimes, you’re impossible.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Your flirting is terrible.”

They only stopped kissing when they heard Yang thundering down the staircase in a fresh outfit and washed of all mud, except the mud she’d already tracked through the living room.

Raven pressed one more kiss to Summer’s forehead, then smiled at Yang.

WHEEZES