Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Weiss Schnee had never been in a restaurant like this before. It was so…small and had so many windows. In fact, none of the overhead lights were even turned on – the entire dining area was illuminated with natural light. While that was all well and good and did give the place a natural feel – all the windows meant that anyone and everyone walking by could stand there was watch you eat.

There were people here of all different shapes and sizes and not one of them was dressed up for the occasion. Sure, it was just breakfast, but they were still out in public and she was pretty sure she saw a man in sweat pants and a shirt with fake abs on the front.

The setup was even stranger than the patrons. Instead of a maître d' at the front waiting to sit customers at a table – people were expected to seat themselves. It took Weiss nearly five minutes to realize no one was coming to direct her to a table and then another five minutes scouring the empty ones because she had no idea if they were clean or not.

There were menus already at the table, but those weren’t much help either because there were only four items on the entire breakfast menu. There were three people working over a few stoves and fryers. One of them bouncing around to the music circulating throughout the restaurant as her thick, blonde ponytail swayed back and forth.

Weiss could only imagine how many customers ended up with hair in their food.

To say that she felt out of place would be a massive understatement. Weiss knew she didn’t belong here. She noticed a few people glance her way and that those people probably knew exactly who she was. She simply hoped they didn’t care enough to confront her about it.

The sounds of this restaurant were scattered and constant. Varying conversations that Weiss could never hear enough of to understand and the constant movement and cooking in the kitchen. All coated with soft music playing on the speakers placed all over.

Slowly, she walked all the way to the back and found a spot in a corner between two windows. There were so many windows – people walking by could literally watch you eat, and Weiss could not understand why anyone would want that.

As she sat down in the big red booth, it made a noise underneath of her that was extremely unpleasant. Weiss looked around to see if anyone was staring. They weren’t, probably because all the booths made the exact same noise, and nobody thought she actually—

Her train of thought stopped as she glanced up at the counter. She wasn’t sure if she was supposed to go up there to order or if someone would come and take it. Unfortunately, that might not matter as she was suddenly staring into the deep, golden eyes of a Faunus. She wasn’t wearing a uniform – not like the cooks or the few other people she’d seen back there.

This girl was wearing a black sweatshirt and had her Faunus ears standing straight up as she stared Weiss down. There was a laptop in front of her and a stack of books alongside them – much like a student would— and she was glaring in Weiss’ direction.

The thought of standing up and running as fast as she could out the door seemed suddenly appealing. She had merely wanted some coffee because she hadn’t been able to sleep on the awful motel bed the night before – but perhaps her father was right – there really was no place for her to go.

Weiss forced herself to break contact with the Faunus girl and instead stare at her hands or literally anything else. She had to focus on something because she refused to cry in this restaurant in front of all these strangers who knew nothing about her.

Reaching into her bag, Weiss clutched at her scroll. Perhaps it would be better to text Winter and ask for help? She’d certainly offered it enough. But what good would she be if she couldn’t do this on her own? She’d just be going from one Schnee to the other and asking them to take care of her.

Still, it might be for the best. Perhaps she couldn’t do this. She didn’t know how to handle life on her own. She didn’t even know where to start.

Suddenly, she heard footsteps drawing closer to her and in that moment, she’d made the decision to leave. She wasn’t about to get into a fight with a Faunus she didn’t even know just because she was born with the wrong last name.

Grabbing her bag, she went to stand up, but a chirpy voice spoke before she could.

“Welcome to Brewed Awakening! What can I get you?”

Stopping, Weiss looked up and found a warm smile and a pair of silver eyes staring down at her. This girl was glowing with happiness – to the point Weiss couldn’t understand how anyone could be this excited to be up and working before nine in the morning.

She had dark, shoulder length hair with red tips. Her hair was a bit wild in some places, but somehow she made it look intentional. Speaking of shoulders, the uniform she was wearing showed off just how strong this girl was, and Weiss allowed her eyes to trail down to her firm biceps and defined forearms and –

The girl was giving her a strange look and Weiss realized she’d been staring far too long.

“Coffee…is…what I’ll have.” Weiss stammered, apparently unable to form a competent sentence.

Fortunately, the waitress laughed. “Then coffee is what you will be given.” She said with a wink and Weiss was starting to wish she’d just ran and saved herself from this utter humiliation. As if she didn’t have enough guilt and confusion going on in her life. “Do you want anything special done to it?”

Weiss came back to reality and looked up at the girl. She’d been thrown off all morning by the strangeness of this restaurant – she could only imagine what ‘special’ things they did to coffee here.

“Such as?” She asked with a leery tone.

This only made the girl’s smile grow and Weiss was starting to wonder if she was on one of those degenerate hidden camera shows because nobody was this kind. “Sugar, cream, milk – sometimes we even offer cinnamon to the cute customers.”

Weiss felt her face go hot but before she could even process the thought of being flirted with, there was a groan from a distance behind them. She looked past her waitress to see the Faunus watching them with a scowl on her face.

When she looked back, the waitress’ cheeks suddenly matched the tips of her hair.

“We offer cinnamon to everyone.” The girl said quickly. “Not that you’re not cute – you are, but it’d be pretty crummy to not offer everything to all our customers. They can’t help it if they’re not cute.” 

A loud cough across the room made the girl finally stop speaking and Weiss was somehow even more charmed.

“A little sugar is fine.” She said and earned a nod.

As the girl turned away, she stopped and quickly spun back around. “My name is Ruby. If you need anything else.”

Ruby.

"Weiss," she wasn't sure if she was supposed to introduce herself to a waitress. This felt like an introduction moment.

"Nice to meet you Weiss! One coffee comin' up!" 

Weiss nodded and watched her waitress walk away a bit faster than she arrived and then watched an exchange between Ruby and the Faunus girl. There were a lot of inaudibly sharp whispers and then a hearty laugh from the blonde at the stove before Ruby was given a good tousling.

It had been a long time, and Weiss was never well suited in the matter – but she was certain she’d just been flirted with. That was the absolute last thing she’d considered when she ran away, the idea of dating anyone or even knowing anyone beyond a first name seemed impossible.

Not that one moment with a random waitress at a restaurant she’d never set foot in again mattered all that much. If anything, it was a nice confidence boost after a month or more of feeling like everyone hated her.

A buzzing at her side made her jump and Weiss turned to the offensive sound and saw her scroll lighting up from inside her bag. She pulled it out, knowing who it was because only one person had her new number. She tapped the screen and read her new message.

How are you adjusting?

Winter, as to the point as ever.

I’m doing fine, just grabbing a bit of breakfast before my interview.

She put her scroll down on the table just as footsteps were approaching her once again. Looking up, those silver eyes were back on her and matched with a bright smile. Ruby held a very large cup of coffee in one hand – much larger than Weiss had ever imagined a cup could be – and a plate of bacon in the other.

Wait…

“I didn’t order that.” Weiss said as she pointed at the plate.

This only made Ruby smile more. “I know, but coffee alone for breakfast isn’t breakfast! You need some food too, so…bacon.”

Weiss pursed her lips, finding it hard to refuse. “I’m on a very tight budget at the moment.” She said this knowing full well that her designer clothes and brand-new scroll didn’t exactly scream poor.

Still, Ruby seemed unfazed. “It’s on the house! We cooked too much and we’re just gonna throw it away anyways so…I thought you might like it.”

She looked so annoyingly hopeful about this that Weiss couldn’t even muster the strength to tell this girl that she didn’t actually like bacon.

No, in fact, Weiss was so suddenly weak that she picked up a piece and bit into it. “Thank you,” she said, feeling the salty, crunchy meat settle on her tongue and fighting with all she had not to wince.

Weiss had been flirted with throughout her life. Every fancy ball and fundraiser her father ever held usually ended up with a slew of rich old men and their sons asking to dance with her or trying to drag her away from the hall for a private conversation.

Those days had trained Weiss in the ways of being cold and distant and unapproachable. They made it easy to be mean because that was the only way to make the unwanted advances stop.

Now though, she found herself completely disarmed.

"If you need anything else, just let me know!” Ruby said with a little bounce in her step as she walked away.

Weiss swallowed down the offending meat and took a sip of her coffee. It wasn’t very good, certainly not as good as her chef back home used to brew it, but she wasn’t about to complain

As she sat in her booth, she watched Ruby move throughout the restaurant from one table to another. This girl was the epitome of cheery. She smiled at everyone, made jokes and conversation. It didn’t matter how old or young a person was, she could find a way to make them smile along with her.

It was mesmerizing to watch and so different from anyone she’d been around before. Certainly, it could be assumed that Ruby was only being kind for tips, but nobody could pretend that well.

Besides, Ruby wouldn’t have to be this nice for tips with most people considering how beautiful she was.

Stop it.

She took a much longer sip of her coffee and forced herself to look anywhere else but at the bubbly redhead.

Don’t get attached.

That was the mantra her father had told her countless times. Don’t get attached to people or ideals because they always leave and they always change. Most importantly, they always want something from you and are always willing to hurt you if it means benefiting themselves.

It was funny to her that the man who gave her that advice was the same one who hurt her countless times.

"Refill?" Weiss jumped at the voice and looked up to see Ruby smiling down at her with a pot in hand.

Weiss looked down at her cup, nearly empty and remembered she had an interview to get to in twenty minutes.

Still, it was hard to say no to this cute stranger. “Sure.” She held up her cup and let Ruby refill it. “Do you serve lunch?”

Chapter Text

“What is that?” Yang asked as she looked up from the stove at Ruby – a few stray hairs dangling in her eyes.

Ruby sighed and held out the untouched plate of pasta. “He wants different noodles.”

Yang’s eyes narrowed. “Different noodles? What’s wrong with those noodles.”

“Apparently he’s allergic to these.”

“He’s allergic to noodles?”

“No, just fettucine noodles.”

Those narrow, lilac eyes went wide and Ruby swore they were turning red. “He’s allergic to a shape?!”

“So it would seem.” Ruby shrugged before sitting the plate down. “He won’t eat them and I didn’t know what else to do.”

Grumbling, Yang picked up the plate and moved it aside before grabbing another plate and setting it in its place. “I swear, I should have been a professional fighter like I said I was gonna when I was six. Can you go in the back and see if we have any other kind of noodle?”

With a smile in attempt to boost Yang’s mood, Ruby saluted before dashing to the back storage.

Storage was always her least favorite place to go. The light was broken and had been since Yang bought this building. Of course, Yang never wanted to fix it because to Yang, it added character – but Ruby always just assumed it was because Yang liked to send her employees back here by themselves to fetch things for her.

It wasn’t a particularly large room, but since it never saw light and all the air from the freezers wafted back here, it was always chilly.  

Ruby scoured the metal shelves filled with various cans and boxes filled with foods. She resisted the urge to grab a bag of chocolate chips and see how many she could fit into her mouth. That bag was only there for Yang to put chips into pancakes for little kids who came for breakfast.

When she did finally find the noodles, she was met with a dozen or so boxes and each one she saw was fettucine. After a bit of digging, she was able to come across one small box of tiny little macaroni elbows.

“Ha! Gotcha!” She said, throwing her arms in the air with her prize in hands.

 A sudden crash behind her made Ruby jump. She felt a scream rise in her throat but forced herself to hold it in.

Never scream. Never show fear.

She covered her mouth as her heart raced and the box in her hand fell to the floor. Slowly, she turned towards the noise and she saw nothing, except a few unopened bottles of ketchup scattered on the floor. They must have fallen when she jumped.

Tears brimmed in her eyes as she closed them and began begging herself to relax. She was okay. She was safe, and it was nothing. She wasn’t in that place anymore. She was here, working for her sister and everything was okay.

Throwing her head back, Ruby opened her eyes and quickly wiped away her unshed tears before picking up the box of noodles and scurrying over to pick up the fallen ketchup bottles. Thankfully they were plastic and didn’t shatter all over the floor.

Messy piles of red might have been too much for her to overcome.

As quick as she could, she sprinted out of the storage area and back into the kitchen.

“Here you go!” She said, voice a little too high pitched – even for her.

“Thanks…wait.” Yang called out as Ruby was walking away. “You okay?”

Damn Yang and her excellent perception. “I’m fine, some bottles fell in there. Scared me. It’s a scary place that dark storage area!” She smiled as brightly as she could, but Yang stopped what she was doing and walked over to her.

“You want to go home?”

Ruby let her smile relax a little – Yang’s overreacting always made her feel better. “No, I’m okay. It’s pretty busy and you might need help fighting weird noodle guy.”

This made her sister scoff. “As if, I’d snap him in half.”

“You haven’t even seen him!”

Yang shrugged as she poured the noodles into the boiling water. “Don’t need to. I’d snap anybody in half.” Yang took another moment to look her sister up and down. “You sure you’re good?”

With a genuine smile, Ruby nodded again. “I promise.”

“Ruby! Your meet-cute is back!” That voice came from Blake outside the kitchen and Ruby watched Yang’s eyes shift and could only shrug.

Walking through the double doors, Ruby saw Blake still perched on a stool at the counter working on…something. She then noticed Blake’s finger pointing out into the dining area and followed it to find that pretty girl Weiss from earlier sitting at the same booth with her head cast down as she tapped away on her scroll.

“Oh, uh…okay. I’ll go see if she’s hungry!” Ruby bounced on her heels before stepping around the counter and over to Weiss. However, the closer she got, she notices Weiss had red, puffy eyes and was sniffling as she sent her message. “You came back.” Ruby said cheerfully.

She studied Weiss, watched her jump at the sudden intrusion and forcefully wipe at her eyes before turning back with a bit of a broken smile. Her scar seemed sharper than it had been earlier today. Perhaps it was the shine of the tears making it stand out more. “I am.”

“I uh…” Ruby wanted to ask if everything was okay. If she were being honest, she wanted to sit down next to Weiss and hug her because seeing this girl sad was drawing out the strangest feelings of protectiveness she’d ever felt. Still, that wouldn’t be good company protocol to sit with a strange girl and hug her in the middle of a shift. Certainly, Blake would have some kind of comment about it if she did. “What can I get you?”

Weiss took a deep breath that seemed to relax her a little. “What do you suggest?” She asked with hopeful eyes.

Ruby felt it was now her mission to give this crying stranger the best lunch she’d ever had. “We make a really good turkey and avocado sandwich.” She added a wink because apparently Weiss made her do stupid things like wink for no reason and suggest sandwiches they weren’t scheduled to make for another hour.

“That does sound pretty good. Do you, by any chance, also have…milkshakes?”

Ruby’s heart grew three sizes that day. “We do! That’s my menu item! I make the shakes!”

“I could really use a big, chocolate shake today.”

“Then you will have one!” Ruby was suddenly bouncing on her feet as she wrote ‘GIANT SHAKE PRETTY GIRL’ on her notepad. “I’ll go put this order in and get your shake to you ASAP!”

Weiss smiled, and Ruby was fairly certain it was the most attractive thing she’d ever seen.

As she was rushing back to put the order in, Ruby kicked the stool Blake was sitting on by accident and stumbled into the kitchen where Yang was cooking.

“Okay,” she tore off a page of her notepad and sat it next to her sister. “I’ve got a chocolate shake to make!”

“Hang on,” Yang grabbed Ruby by a belt loop of her pants with one darn finger and was strong enough to stop Ruby in her tracks. “We don’t do sandwiches for another hour.” 

“I know, but Weiss looked really sad and asked me about lunch and she’s like…thin and seems to be a healthy eater cause her skin is all clear and her teeth are all perfect and I just figured ‘hey, she probably likes avocado’s and then I saw that she had pretty strong arms and figured she ate a lot of protein too and it just kinda hit me like a truck that you make the most amazing turkey and avocado sandwiches and I just…wanted to make her happy cause she was sad and I…really need to start on her milkshake and I’m sorry.” Ruby finished, nearly out of breath as her sister just stared at her with the most blank, unreadable expression.

Finally, Yang pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “First of all, you’re killing me today, Rubes.”

“I know, I’m sorry again.” She really was!

“Second, who is Weiss?”

Ruby pointed towards the dining area that neither of them could see through the wall. “Pretty girl from this morning.”

“Right,” Yang rolled her eyes. “And you’re having me make her a meal that isn’t available on the menu yet and you’re going to make her a milkshake?”

“Yes,” Ruby nodded matter-of-factly.

“Is the princess paying for her meal or did you promise her it was free?”

Ruby glared. “She’s paying! Weiss wouldn’t take food for free.” She assumed anyway. Weiss had an honest face. Yes, that was it exactly. An honest and incredibly delicate and pretty face.

Yang was suddenly looking a Ruby like she was insane, but Ruby could just tell that Weiss wasn’t that kind of person. “You know what, fine. You’re not heavy, you’re my sister.”

“Why do you always say that? What does it even mean?!”

She was quickly dismissed with a wave as Yang pulled out a loaf of bread.

Ruby didn’t much mind her question being ignored. She had a shake to make!

“I guess I just don’t get it.”

“I know you don’t get it.”

“I’m just saying, she’s gay. Why are you taking her out on a date if she’s gay?”

“Because she’s my friend.”

“But I’m your friend and we don’t go on dates!”

“Maybe that’s because you haven’t asked me on one.”

“Will you stop doing that!”

“I’m just saying, it’s only a date because she wants it to be a date. She hasn’t been on one in a long time, neither have I. We’re gonna go to a nice restaurant, have a good meal, have fun. Then we can go back to her place and watch movies until we pass out on the couch.”

“So, it’s a date without the fun parts?”

“You’ve never been on a date with a girl you actually like before have you?”

“Ruby,”

The sudden call of her name snapped Ruby out of the trance she’d been in. That trance, of course, being that she’d been sitting at the counter of the restaurant for the last thirty minutes just watching Weiss sip her coffee and stare out the window.

Looking up, she saw Neptune coming at her and tried to piece together the bits of Sun and his conversation that he was no doubt seeking her opinion on.

“I’m not Yang, don’t ask me about dating stuff.”

“I just want your opinion.” He sat down next to her, keeping enough distance because even though Yang was currently away from the restaurant, her aura in the building commanded enough respect that you just didn’t sit too close to her baby sister. “Sun is taking Ilia out on a date tonight.”

“So I heard,” Ruby glanced over Neptune at Sun. “I think it’s sweet that you’re doing that for her.”

Sun gave her a wink and a bright smile as he sat four drinks onto a tray and carried them to a waiting table.  

"You don’t think it’s a little pointless?”

Ruby forced herself to look away from Weiss and finally stare up at Neptune – blue hair and all. “Being kind to your friends is never pointless.”

He frowned. “Well now you’re making me feel shallow.”

“If the shoe fits.” Ruby shrugged as she stood up.

“Hey, these shoes cost a small fortune, they better fit!”

Ruby didn’t have time to respond because she was already making her way over to Weiss’ table. It felt different now. She was off the clock and in her street clothes and had no real obligation to talk to this girl. But she couldn’t help herself – Weiss just seemed so lost. She’d been here pretty much all day except for the few hours between breakfast and lunch and whatever happened then seemed to completely ruin her day.

A lot of feelings started to run through Ruby as she approached the table. Mostly doubt, fear, questioning every decision she’d ever made that led her to believe she had any right to approach a girl so pretty. It was easier when she was a waitress – there was an excuse to talk to said pretty girl. Now, she was just her regular awkward self.

“Doesn’t your butt hurt?”

Weiss jumped at the suddenly intruding voice and Ruby silently chided herself for such a ridiculous opening line. Only thankful that Blake and her Faunus hearing wasn’t around to listen in and mock her for it.

When Weiss turned to look at her, mystified in expression, Ruby scratched the back of her head with a nervous laugh. “I just meant…cause you’ve been sitting here a while.”

“Oh,” Weiss looked down at her scroll to check the time. “I suppose I have…I can leave.”

“No!” Ruby shouted, too loudly and Weiss coiled back a bit. “No,” she whispered this time. “You don’t have to leave, I was just wondering why you’ve been here all day.”

“Well, I had a job interview today – probably the single most important hour of my life and I completely blew it.”

“Aw come on, I’m sure it wasn’t that bad!” Ruby put on her best smile and threw her hands in the air – almost as if she could will Weiss into a better mood. Unfortunately, Weiss continued to frown. “It was that bad?”

“I was foolish to think I could do any of this on my own.” Watching Weiss put her head in her hands and exhale shakily nearly broke Ruby’s heart.

Despite feeling ridiculously underqualified to help this poor girl through whatever she was going through, Ruby found herself sitting down across from her.

“It’s hard, isn’t it?”

Weiss looked up at her and Ruby swore she’d never seen that color blue before. It was completely Weiss’ unique shade. “What?” Weiss asked softly.

“The real world – It’s hard. We think we can handle it because…we survived school and that was super traumatic and dramatic and kinda pointless a lot of the time despite what my dad said—“

“I was…tutored at home.”

“Oh.”

Weiss smiled a bit. “But I’ve watched a few television shows about the troubles of high school, so I understand what you’re trying to say.”

“Exactly!” Ruby said happily and took the time to enjoy watching Weiss’ smile grow.

“This is different though. This is…” Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. “I don’t have a job and I only have one week’s worth of money left to pay for my hotel room and I don’t know what to do because if I go crawling back to him I’ll never survive past—“

“You can work here!” Ruby wasn’t one-hundred percent sure who said that. It sounded like she did, but that couldn’t be right because she didn’t make those decisions and Yang would literally kill her for promising a job to someone without consulting her first.

Still, the words were clearly said because Weiss looked like someone who’d just been offered a job by a stranger who had no right to offer the job.

“I…what?”

“Sure!” Ruby decided to keep digging. “Neptune is about to get fired anyway!”

“I’m WHAT?!”

“Like you didn’t see that coming,” Sun added, thankfully and decided to pick up the argument on Ruby’s behalf.

This allowed her to refocus on Weiss. “I…live my life trying to help people and you look like someone who just needs a little help. The pay isn’t great, the hours aren’t great and you have to get up really early. But…we’re kind of a family here and if you want the job, I can convince my sister to give you one.” Then an idea came to Ruby and she threw her hands in the air. “I could train you!”

There was a silence that lingered, but Weiss hadn’t said no and she hadn’t jumped out of the booth and ran away so Ruby counted that as some kind of small victory.

“It shouldn’t be this easy, right? Shouldn’t there be an interview or something.”

Ruby decided to appease her. “Okay. Interview time. Are you nice?”

Weiss’ eyes went wide and then she shrugged. “Not all the time.”

“Okay…but you’re honest!” Ruby was going to make this happen.

Thankfully, Weiss laughed. “You’re a very positive person.”

“Thank you! Question two, are you clean?”

This made Weiss sigh. “Painfully so.”

“Good! Clean is good in a restaurant cause people get really upset if you drop their food on the floor or accidentally break their eggs and it mixes with their hash browns even though it’s nearly impossible to carry five plates and not break one stupid egg but I told Yang—“

“Ruby?” Weiss interrupted softly and Ruby felt her cheeks grow hot.

“R—right…sorry.” She reached up to brush the hair out of her face. “Last question, can you start tomorrow?”

This one made Weiss laugh and it was a beautiful sound. “That’s an easy yes.”

Extending her hand across the table, Ruby smiled. “Then you’re hired!” Technically, she wasn’t, but Ruby was mostly certain she could convince Yang.

When Weiss accepted the handshake, Ruby swore her whole arm went numb. Weiss had really soft hands.

“I—I don’t know what to say.” Weiss had tears in her eyes again, these ones seemed more welcome than before.

“We all need a little help sometimes.”

At some point, one of them was going to have to let go, but Ruby wasn’t going to be the first.

“Am I really fired?” Neptune said, suddenly right next to them.

That’s when Weiss let Ruby’s hand go. “Of course not!” Ruby said, waiving him off. “You know I can’t fire people.”

Neptune sighed and pumped his fist. “Good, good. You scared me for a second!” He shoved Ruby in the shoulder before going back behind the counter to continue doing absolutely nothing.

Glancing back to Weiss, she saw a little concern in those blue eyes that were suddenly her new favorite color.

“Don’t worry,” she whispered. “He’s totally fired.”

Chapter Text

If she closed her eyes, Weiss could easily pretend that this hotel room bathtub was the exact same one from her home back in Atlas. If she tried hard enough, she could ignore how tight fitting it was – how she couldn’t stretch her legs out. She could ignore the fact that the bathroom smelt more like lemon scented spray from a can than the lavender candles she’d light back home. She could pretend, just enough, that she wasn’t completely out of her element and just barely holding on.

Of course, her grip on this new life had strengthened quite a bit since this morning – thanks in large part to a waitress whose last name she didn’t even know. Even that felt shaky though, simply because Weiss had no idea how to trust such kindness.

Weiss hated the doubt – she hated the tiny little voices in the back of her head telling her that this was all some plot to get money out of her. That she’d show up at the restaurant tomorrow and be taken hostage or something else extremely outlandish and they’d demand money from her father.

She wanted to believe that Ruby really was as kind as she seemed to be – because Weiss really really wanted her to be.

When a loud thumping noise started hammering above her, Weiss forced one eye to open and look up just to make sure the roof wasn’t caving in. This, unfortunately, brought her back to the small, dimly lit hotel bathroom and the reality of her situation.

There were noises everywhere in this place. It was constant and unpredictable and lasted throughout the night. She loathed it, it was hard to sleep or relax because the sounds would startle her. She’d lie in her bed at night and hear footsteps coming down the hall. They always passed, but the back of her mind could only register the idea of them stopping outside her door and coming into her room uninvited and…

“Ugh,” Weiss groaned before deciding to get out of the tub.

Grabbing a towel off the rack, that was still slightly damp from her shower this morning, Weiss wrapped it around herself and turned to the mirror.

Weiss was never a fan of dramatics. She never understood those big movie moments where a character would do something drastic to help themselves cope with a huge shift in their life. As if something as silly as cutting your hair would make a bad life decision feel worth it.

Then again, those people did always seem to feel better once they’d done something – and stories from movies had to come from something. Weiss just wanted to believe that she’d made the right choice to leave. That running away from her father and his money was what she was supposed to do. It had to be, that couldn’t have been her destiny – to rot away in that mansion all by herself.

Opening the cabinet behind the mirror, Weiss found a pair of scissors she’d seen the first day she arrived. They looked old, and she wondered if they’d even work properly, but she had to try. She needed her moment.

As she sat the scissors down on the edge of the sink, she looked at reflection before gathering her large mass of hair and laid it over her shoulder.

Taking a deep breath, Weiss picked up the scissors with a shaky hand and tried to relax herself. It was just hair. If she did this and hated it, it would grow back. It only took her about…twenty-seven years to grow it this long.

“What are you doing?” She asked herself before making the first cut with a wince. Much to her surprise (and horror) the scissors cut right through her hair and a handful of long strands cascaded to the floor. She gasped as she saw them fall, staring down in disbelief at what she’d just done. She’d cut her hair – her father would be so upset with her. He’d yell at her and punish her, he’d…

He’s not here. She told herself. The same thing she’d been telling herself for days. That’s why she did this, that’s why she ran. Because he wasn’t here to control her, and she could do things like this. Anything she wanted.

So, she cut, again and again and again. The hair started to pile up more and more. Weiss just kept cutting. It felt as if weight was being lifted from her. Granted, she had a lot of hair, so it was actual weight she was losing, but the feeling was more than that. It was like shedding some kind of chain from around her neck.

Eventually, she made it all the way through. It was uneven and messy and completely unbefitting of a Schnee – which probably explained why Weiss loved it so much. Her hair now barely touched her shoulders. Though more her right shoulder than her left because, again, uneven. She felt lighter, literally, because she’d just cut off about five pounds of hair.

Suddenly, Weiss’ scroll started going off. It made her jump, and since Weiss was busy admiring her new hairstyle, she forgot about all the old hair still on the ground and nearly tripped over it and tumbled to her death.

Thankfully, she had years of fencing training and dance lessons and skating lessons and was able to find her balance again and prevent her scroll from falling off the sink in the process.

Though, as she saw that it was her big sister calling, she couldn’t help but wonder if death would have been easier.

Winter did not take well to rash decisions and if she saw what Weiss had just done she might just fly out on the next airship and drag Weiss back to the military base with her and stow her away in a footlocker for the rest of her life.

She could not answer, just ignore the call and tell Winter later that she was just busy. But busy doing what? She was in a small town, by herself, living in a hotel room with absolutely no free money to spend. Not to mention that if she didn’t answer Winter might just jump on the next airship and…

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Weiss answered the scroll and held it against the wall.

“Hello, Winter.” She said, loud enough that her sister could hear.

“Weiss…why is it so dark? Are you asleep?”

“No Winter, it’s four in the afternoon.”

“Then explain to me why all I’m seeing is darkness on my screen. I video called for a reason, I need to see you and make sure you’re okay.”

Weiss rolled her eyes. “I’m fine, Winter.”

“Weiss.” A bit sharper now – the same tone Winter used to order her soldiers around. Reluctantly, Weiss drew the scroll away from the wall and turned it towards herself…sort of. “Weiss,” it was Winter’s turn to sigh. “I have no interest in seeing your sad cleavage. Show me your face.”

Now Weiss was considering just hanging up and to hell with her sister.

But she didn’t, because Winter was still her only support system and the only member of her family left that spoke to her.

So, she raised up the phone and watched as her sister’s usually stoic face went into a small state of shock. Eyebrows raised, mouth agape and nostrils flaring – this was more emotion from Winter Schnee than when their mother started throwing up at Weiss’ 10^th birthday party.

“Were you…mugged?”

“Yes, Winter. I was mugged, and they stole my hair.”

Winter’s shocked expression returned to the familiar glare. “Schnee hair is worth more than 90% of that town you’re currently in.”

“I cut it, okay.” Weiss said, hating how petulant she sounded. “I wanted to make a change. Fresh start to go with a new job. 

“You got the job?” Winter asked, and Weiss suddenly remembered that she’d interviewed for another job earlier. One not at a diner and not given to her by a cute waitress whose last name she still didn’t know. “You must have really blown them away.”

Weiss hated lying.

“Must have.” She said with a straight face. “I start tomorrow.”

“Excellent,” Winter seemed so genuinely happy for her. Weiss hated lying, but it wasn’t a true lie – she did have a job to go to tomorrow. It just wasn’t the big fancy one Winter had set up for her. “Do you need any extra money? You might need some more dress clothes, I know you have a few that you brought with you but I could spare—“

“No,” Weiss cut her sister off hastily. “Thank you, sincerely, but I have enough to get me through for a while and eventually…I’ll be making enough money to get my own clothes.”

“And hopefully a new place to live, have you been looking into potential apartments at all?” Weiss winced just a little – but enough her sister noticed. “Weiss, you cannot live in a hotel forever. I know you enjoy the fresh towels and room service, but you wanted to set out on your own and that includes putting your own roof over your head.”

“I know, Winter.” She hated being lectured. “I’ll start looking.”

“Good, and run any potential finds by me first. I can help you sort out anything that might be fraudulent or unlivable.”

“I will.” She said as she started to remember that she was naked in her hotel bathroom. “I should probably go…get dressed.”

Winter smiled. “Very well. I just want you to know that I’m proud of you, little sister. You’re doing well.”

Guilt sucked. “Thank you. I love you, Winter.”

“I love you too, Weiss.”

Hanging up the phone, Weiss went to move and kicked the massive pile of hair she’d left lying on the floor. “Well, that was just a stream of questionable decisions, Weiss.”

The beret was a bad idea.

At the time, Weiss figured it would take attention away from her crooked haircut and that it might even make her look like someone who deserved a job they had zero qualifications for.

Instead, it just made her stand out, even more than she already did. In fact, she was starting to wonder if anyone in this town ever wore hats because she hadn’t seen a single hat on the street this morning.

Granted, not many people were walking the streets here at six in the morning, but was it so much to ask to see one other person dressed as fashionably as she was?

The weather here was made for a lot of the clothes Weiss wanted to wear. Back in Atlas it was all about fancy coats and scarves, but here…here she could pull out her sundresses and fancy berets. They were impractical clothes to bring with her when she was frantically packing her suitcase, but she liked them and hoped she could wear them one day when her life was better.

Maybe that was a selfish decision when there were more practical things for her to pack, but…she liked them.

As she moved toward the diner, Weiss caught sight of a woman outside working on a sign at the entrance. She was drawing something with chalk, pinks and greens and blues, but Weiss couldn’t see what it was.

Once she was close enough to see what was drawn, she was halted by a pair of cat ears standing straight up on the girl drawing.

“It’s not open yet.” This girl’s tone was annoyed and Weiss hadn’t even spoken yet.

“I didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”

“You didn’t,”

“Oh, right the…” Weiss pointed and then suddenly realized she was pointing at a Faunus’ ears and how wildly inappropriate that might be.

The Faunus stood up, her drawing finished, and Weiss saw a very cute drawing of an orange cat with a green fish in its mouth. “With those five-inch heels on I heard you turn the corner half a block away.” A pair of yellow eyes looked Weiss up and down. “A little overdressed, aren’t you?”

Weiss was not in the mood. “This from the girl wearing what looks like three layers when it’s nearly seventy degrees out.”

The girl crossed her arms, looking directly into Weiss’ eyes. “Ruby doesn’t make hiring decisions around here.”

Weiss felt her heart sink. “I…figured as much.” She said, wanting to seem unphased.

“Unfortunately, her sister does, and her sister has a hard time saying no to her.”

“Are you saying… 

The Faunus waved her off. “I’m not saying anything. I’m just saying that Yang is going to want to meet you. Get to know you. See how you’ve managed to put her sweet little baby sister under some kind of spell that makes her give jobs out to strangers.”

“I didn’t do anything. I simply came in for a cup of coffee.”

“Then came back for lunch afterwards and kept Ruby’s attention all day.”

This was growing frustrating. “Do you not like me?”

“It’s not about you. It’s about them. They’re very good people and you…”

“What about me?” Weiss’ voice raised unexpectedly.

In return, the girl smirked. “I know who you are. Weiss Schnee – Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company.”

Weiss felt alarm bells going off in her head, telling her to run.

Yet, something kept her feet steady. Something she couldn’t explain. “Ex-Heiress, actually.”

Those yellow eyes widened in surprise. “So, the tabloids are true? You…ran away from home?”

“Yes, though it sounds childish when you put it like that.”

“It’s not.” She said, her posture softening. “Assuming all the tabloids are true then…it might even be a little bit commendable.”

Weiss despised tabloids. She couldn’t stand shady photographers who stalked her family and tried so desperately to expose all their secrets. They’d have a field day with her new haircut and current conversation with a Faunus.

“I’m just trying to start over.” She said, hoping this girl wouldn’t ask for an explanation.

Thankfully, she seemed satisfied. “Ruby and Yang are good for that. I’m not here to chase you away – just to warn you not to hurt them. They’re good ones and I will defend them if necessary. Without hesitation. I don’t care how much money your family has, it won’t protect you if you upset me.”

Weiss felt the urge to take a step back, but she was also compelled to stand her ground. Maybe that’s what this girl was looking for. “Any chance I could learn the name of the woman currently threatening my life?”

There was only a slight hesitation. “Blake.”

Blake didn’t smile, she didn’t extend her hand for Weiss to shake. She simply stood her ground and stated her name.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Blake.” Weiss tried to be the polite one.

Blake simply rolled her eyes. “No, it isn’t.”

"Blake!" Another voice suddenly intruded the worst conversation Weiss had had since she flipped off her father and ran away from home. The voice came from the blonde bombshell girl who was working behind the counter yesterday. She was a mass of hair and curves. Taller than either Blake or herself, this girl seemed like she was carved out of granite and put on display by the gods. She was gorgeous – but also very loud and a little whiny and…“did I leave my cute little yellow bra at your…oh.” She stopped talking when she noticed Weiss standing there. “Sorry,” she said with a bright smile. “I don’t know this one.”

Blake sighed. “First of all, I found your bra and brought it with me. It still has no more than four tears in it and you should throw it away immediately.”

“Absolutely not! It’s my lucky bra! Or…at least it was last night.” She boasted before nudging Weiss hard with her elbow, nearly knocking Weiss over.

Weiss couldn’t stop the scoff of disgust that escaped her. It was just a reflex and this girl was a little barbaric to be bringing up such things to a total stranger.

“Also,” Blake continued. “This is your sister’s new hire.”

Suddenly, lilac colored eyes widened and turned to Weiss. “So, you’re the cute girl that’s gotten into my sister’s head.”

“I didn’t…” Weiss took a deep breath, not wanting to show just how out of her element she was with these two. “Your sister was very kind to me and said there was a job here. If she was mistaken, then I can just go. No hard feelings.”

Crossing her arms, the tall blonde looked her up and down then glanced over at Blake who was still as indifferent as ever. She then refocused on Weiss and softened her stance. “Do you need work?”

“She’s a runaway.” Blake said, surprising the both of them.

Those lilac eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, cut from the same cloth as this one.” She gestured to Blake who seemed to shrink into herself a little. “Look, if you sincerely need work and will work hard, I’ll give you a chance. It’s kinda what we do around here. Just know that this restaurant is my whole life. It is every dollar I have and every dollar me, and my extended family will have so if you work here, you have to be committed to working hard and if you piss me off or hurt my sister I will end your life and if you think I’m kidding then I dare you to test me.”

It took Weiss a minute to fully register everything that was just thrown at her. It was so sincere and then suddenly so threatening and every bit of it felt real which was somehow inspiring and terrifying at the same time.

“I—I will work hard.”

Suddenly, she smiled and it was as if the sun itself was shining brighter. “Great! I’m Yang by the way. Yang Xiao Long.” Yang extended her hand.

When Weiss shook it, she swore Yang was trying to rip her arm out of its socket. “Weiss Schnee.” She said, her whole body moving from the force of the handshake.

“Well it’s Weiss to meet you.” She winked, and Weiss heard Blake groan. She was thankful for the groan because she was in no place to groan herself, but it was certainly needed given the terrible pun. “Come on.” Yang threw her arm around Weiss and practically dragged her into the restaurant. “Let’s go find you an apron. Ruby will be here soon, and we can’t disappoint her.”

Strangely enough, the very idea of seeing Ruby, a girl she’d met just one day earlier, made all of this effort feel worth it.

Chapter Text

Ruby knew she had a big day today, a busy day. Her scroll had gone off four times already – no doubt Yang reminding her about Weiss.

She hadn’t forgotten. She was excited to work with Weiss today, but she’d woken up from a bad dream with a lingering bad thought that sapped away all her energy. These were the mornings where Ruby wondered if she’d ever be normal again. She’d think back to the days before her mind was riddled with these thoughts and maybe they weren’t as perfect she remembered, but compared to this they certainly felt like it.

It was annoying, if anything else – frustrating. It felt like something she should easily be able to escape. Waking up in the morning and feeling completely disconnected from herself. As if she wasn’t actually in her own body. Every movement felt fake and every thought seemed out of place. Her mind would wander to the emptiness of her life and how suddenly she might lose it. Death was the key factor in her grief. At some point, it had come to define her life.

The thoughts came and went, but they were around more often than she ever let anyone know. Yang knew better than most, but Ruby was good at putting on fake smiles to fool her sister. Sometimes she could pretend enough that she actually felt better.

It didn’t happen all the time. There were days, even week-long stretches where she would be okay. Her mind would be far too consumed with other things to have time to focus on any of the nasty stuff.

Then there were times when she’d be doing something that genuinely made her happy, and those whispers would return, like little reminders of the trauma in her life that shattered her barriers and made her feel isolated again.

She hated it. She wanted to enjoy her life, like she used to – not fear the unpredictable end of it.

When her scroll buzzed again, Ruby knew she couldn’t hide in her bedroom forever. Yang was kind not to force the issue before leaving to open the restaurant this morning, but if Ruby was late for her shift there would be trouble.

So, she forced her legs to move and swung them off the bed. She sat, the cool air hitting her skin and making her shiver. Fall was right around the corner. It was always her favorite time of year. She could wear her big red hoodie, and nobody would judge her.

Not that she cared much for their judgments – it was just nice when people left her alone.

When her scroll buzzed again, Ruby groaned into the empty room. Yang was relentless which was a good quality most of the time but sometimes it could be just plain annoying.

Picking up her scroll, she thumbed through the message, each one with more exclamation points than the one before it.

The last one simply read

WEISS!!!

She had to move. She had to force her day to start and stop letting her mind run rampant.

Ruby busied herself with mundane tasks, trying to occupy herself and hope that eventually she’d feel grounded and not so focused on how detached everything felt. It was hard some days, to forget all she’d seen. Her one-time therapist had told her that she’d have days like that – that her past might never let her fully move on.

Ruby only found solace in the knowledge that it would pass – it always passed. The only thing that sucked was that it always came back.

As Ruby picked out her clothes for the day, she found herself reaching into her sock drawer with a shaky hand. No, she wasn’t afraid of socks – she hadn’t been through any sort of sock related trauma. This was, however, where she hid away a tiny box filled with keepsakes from the life she’d had before.

Every time she went for socks, her hands always found their way to it. Most days, she’d just touch it and move on. Others, she’d open it up and let herself get lost in the memories. It would probably be simpler to just get rid of the stupid box or put it in a place she didn’t see every day. That would be simpler, but a part of her needed to see it every day – as a reminder of her promise that she wouldn’t forget.

Ruby’s room was the biggest in the house. That was part of Yang’s pitch to her, that it would be like a small apartment with its own bathroom. She appreciated so much that Yang let her stay here, but there were certainly times that Ruby hated how much she relied on her sister.

After Ruby came back from Vacuo, she had very little money to her name and with their father selling their childhood home and moving closer to his job in the Vale, Ruby worried she might just have to follow him and start over.

Then Yang swooped in with her master bedroom and constant reminders that she actually wanted Ruby around and saved the day like the magical big sister she was. It wasn’t the best situation, and often times Ruby felt like she wasn’t doing nearly enough to qualify as the full-grown adult she pretended to be, but she couldn’t imagine not having Yang around to help.

By the time Ruby made it to the restaurant, she felt better. Moving and getting out of the house always seemed to help. Work was good for her, she knew it because for the first few weeks after she came home she didn’t go anywhere. She spent every single day at home playing video games and watching movies she could barely focus on – anything to distract her.

So, Yang gave her a job, but told her she’d only keep her on for one year, enough time for Ruby to figure out what she was going to do next. Yang was always Ruby’s biggest supporter and told Ruby countless times that she had potential to do anything she wanted – waitressing was just to keep her busy and help her out of her rut.

That was eight months ago, and now Ruby had gone and hired a cute girl to work with her at a job she enjoyed, and she was hoping Yang had forgotten about her time limit.

The first thing Ruby saw was Weiss. She was wearing a very dainty outfit. A deep blue sundress with boots that climbed up to her knees and a cute little white hat sat atop her head. Her head, holy cats she’d cut off her hair! It looked so cute! Ruby seriously wished they were close enough friends that she could rush over and touch it because it looked so soft and pretty.

Instead, she had to be cool, like Yang always was with a pretty girl – except Blake who made Yang act like an even bigger idiot than Ruby. Still, she’d seen Yang do this before. Causal, unfazed and totally not thinking about how cute said girl in front of her was.  

“Are those the only shoes you have?” Ruby asked and startled Weiss who nearly knocked a napkin dispenser off the counter. For such a classy girl, she sure could be cute and clumsy sometimes.

Weiss looked down at her shoes with a frown. It was an expression she wore a lot. “These are the shoes I chose to wear today.”

Ruby smiled. “Okay well…they’re very cute.” Weiss looked up at her. “But they’re going to kill your feet by the time you’re done today. We walk a lot here, best to find a good pair of sneakers and keep your feet as comfy as possible.”

“I…don’t own any sneakers.”

That sounded about right. Poor Weiss really was out of her element. “Hmmm…well I’d loan you a pair of mine but I don’t think they’d fit you. You’re kinda…”

“Kind of what?” Weiss snapped back and Ruby put her hands up defensively.

“Petite?” She tried, and Weiss simply rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. “Petite but strong. You look really strong!” To emphasize her point, Ruby reached out and squeezed Weiss’ bicep. It was shockingly firm.

Weiss seemed to recoil a bit, pulling her arm away and scowling. “Are you this handsy with all your new co-workers? Or is this like the cinnamon thing and only the cute ones get accosted?”

Ruby could only smile. “You’re cranky this morning.”

“I…” Weiss shook her head and her body relaxed. “I apologize. It’s just all a lot to take in. I thought it’d be a good idea to wear something nice and look my best. Like that would somehow make this all easier – but apparently I’ve made yet another mistake.”

“You look amazing.” Ruby said, suddenly wondering if she’d had some kind of stroke because there was no way she actually said that, out loud, to the pretty girl.

Unfortunately, she clearly said it because Weiss looked away from her so fast Ruby thought she might fall over. This was why it was better if Ruby just stayed in bed on days like this, she couldn’t think straight and said stupid thing.

“Here you go,” Yang’s voice broke up their awkwardness and she came out with a customary Brewed Awakening apron – purple and yellow – along with a notepad and pen. “Ruby can show you the ropes with a few early customers. If people ask you what you recommend, stick to basics. Eggs, bacon, sandwiches, things like that. If a customer hits on you or does anything to make you feel uncomfortable, find Ruby, she’ll find me, and we’ll sort it out.”

Hopefully that wouldn’t happen today. Ruby remembered the one time a customer was too handsy with her. Patted her on the butt and asked her to unbutton more of her shirt and was just a generally awful person.

When she told Yang, the entire world seemed to stop. Everything Yang was doing took a backseat and suddenly her sister went from the bubbly chef to a flame haired war goddess who literally jumped over the counter and kicked the guy’s chair out from underneath him.

Once the initial shock wore off, he stood up in a fury and tried to punch Yang. She ducked his swing and hit him three times before he could blink and fell on his butt. She told him to leave, her voice as steady as ever. She begged him to come back and try her again. When he said he had friends, she laughed in his face. Yang had no fear and that guy had no chance. He left with a barrage of threats but they never saw him again.

So, yes, Ruby sincerely hoped that didn’t happen again.

While Weiss nodded along with everything Yang said, it was obvious she was getting lost in all this new information. Certainly, someone as beautiful and smart and…well dressed as Weiss hadn’t expected to be working at a restaurant in a small town like this. No, Ruby could only imagine her heading up some kind of big business meeting or running a huge company that sold weapons across Remnant, while she also secretly put on a costume and fought crime at night under a secret identity.

Weiss would make an amazing super hero!

Ruby could barely contain her excitement at the thought, but had to force herself back down to earth after Yang called out to her again.

“Ruby!” Yang raised her voice a bit and Ruby jumped and then saluted.

“Right! Sorry…what?”

Yang sighed with a soft smile. “Take her to the back so she can get ready.”

With a nod, Ruby turned back to Weiss who still looked like she might run at any second. “Come on, we have a spot you can wash up, put your apron on and get ready. It’s Wednesday, so it’ll probably be slow anyway.”

Ruby guided Weiss behind the counter, pointing out a few things like where to pick up the orders and to watch out because the counter sticks out further than you expect and can cause the worst stubbed toes.

Weiss seemed a little overwhelmed with everything so Ruby tried not to put too much on her. Once they reached the locker room (it was really just a big bathroom but Yang called it a locker room anyway) Ruby stopped and pointed at the sink.

“You wash your hands here, try and do it as much as possible. Though you seem pretty clean so I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“I—I’m very clean.”

“I thought so!” Ruby laughed, unable to stop herself when Weiss was making such delightful and shy expressions. “Hey, you’re going to be fine. We’re not super strict here and Yang gets it, you’re new at this and adjusting and…if she gives you any trouble I’ll kick her butt!”

“Can you…actually kick her butt?”

“Not at all. She’s way too strong! But I can throw my body at her and give you time to run!”

This didn’t seem to appease her. “That doesn’t seem like a very sound plan.”

With a shrug, Ruby went over to a bench sitting along the wall, a bench Yang had put in here to give it more of a locker room vibe, and picked up the apron waiting for Weiss.

“We don’t do sound plans here,” she smiled as best she could. Ruby really liked Weiss – even if she couldn’t properly explain why, she wanted this to work. Perhaps it was sympathy, but Ruby didn’t doubt that Weiss would have landed on her feet one way or another, she just wanted to be a part of that. It also didn’t hurt that Weiss probably the prettiest girl Ruby had ever seen in real life. “We just kind of wing it.” She extended the apron to Weiss who accepted it hesitantly.

“These colors are…” their hands touched and an actual spark ilt between them. Okay, it was just static from the apron, but still it was a spark! Weiss quickly jerked the apron out of Ruby’s grip and pressed it against her chest. “Sorry,” she mumbled and Ruby laughed.

“It’s okay,” she spoke softly, trying to will Weiss to look at her again. Eventually those blue eyes found her and Ruby let herself get a little lost in them.

Unfortunately, she stared too long and suddenly they were glaring at her. “You’re staring at me.”

“Oh!” Ruby jumped, turning around quickly only to smash her shin into the bench behind her and squeal out in pain. “Holy cats! Ow, ow, ow!” Ruby clutched her leg as pain shot through it. She turned around and sat down, rocking back and forth trying to will the throbbing to go away.

“Are you okay?” Weiss was suddenly kneeling beside her, apron discarded on the floor and worry in her eyes. “You knew the bench was there, you dolt.” She didn’t speak with any malice, just concern and maybe a little bit of exasperation.

“I’m sorry…for staring.” The pain started to dull a little, but Ruby still held her wounded leg. “You’re just…really pretty. It’s hard not to.” Perhaps it wasn’t the best time to flirt, but Yang said she was a bad flirter and the injury was dulling the rest of her senses. Like self-preservation from extreme embarrassment. Plus, Weiss was so close to her and she smelled really good and that could have been having an effect on her too.

“Oh,” Weiss pulled away and Ruby remembered why she didn’t flirt in the first place. “Well that’s kind of you to say.” Weiss stood up and took a step back, stumbling over her apron on the floor but having far more grace than Ruby and steadying herself. “You’re cute as well. You’re…” she picked up her apron and again held it close to her. “Can I…have a moment to get ready? If you’re okay to stand?”

The pain in her leg was gone (though she was still holding it) but suddenly she felt even worse. She used to be good at this. She used to have friends of her own. Why was it so hard now for her to make any meaningful relationships outside of her sister and the people who tolerated her because they liked her sister?

Because you’re broken.

With a nod, Ruby stood up and tried her best to smile. “Of course. Take as much time as you need. I’ll find an easy table to start you out with.”

Weiss nodded but still wouldn’t really look at her. Ruby left wondering if she should have just stayed in bed like she wanted to in the first place.

Chapter Text

“It just takes a little practice.”

The first thing you learned working at Brewed Awakening, was that Yang Xiao Long always held center stage. It wasn’t hard to understand why this place had been successful – it’s because everyone loved Yang.

Customers would ask for her, sending their well wishes and hoping she might step out of the kitchen to greet them. They would bring up stories of how she helped them move, or helped them out of some sort of dire situation and ‘saved their asses’. At first Weiss thought maybe Yang was just nosy, but at least five customers brought her up and each one seemed to beam brighter than the one before.

Of course, the love was not reserved only for customers – her staff adored her as well.

When Weiss’ shift was over, she was still wrestling with her inability to carry more than two drinks on a tray. She’d seen Ruby do at least five and even Blake helped move one from the kitchen to the counter with four and a hot bowl of soup. Yet, the one time Weiss was met with a mere three drinks all of her grace fell out the window.

That led to Weiss standing in the big bathroom that they all pretended was a locker room, watching Yang hold a tray with six glasses on it.

“After a while, you get used to the shifting weight and can handle it easily.” To demonstrate, Yang lifted the tray up over her head and then back down, not shaking even a little. “Plus, you know, you don’t have to carry all the drinks at once, you can make multiple trips.”

Weiss sighed, she wished it were that easy. “None of the other wait staff take multiple trips.”

“None of the other wait staff are on their first day.”

“I can do it, I just…I’ll practice.” She could do it, she could be a good, better, then everyone else. It’s what she was raised to do.

Yang didn’t seem to be satisfied with her response, but she also didn’t push and Weiss was thankful for that. Instead, Yang sat down the tray on one of the thin, wooden benches before taking a seat herself.

“So, what’s your story, Schnee?” Yang asked, without any sort of tact or build up whatsoever. It was as blunt as Weiss should have expected with her. “I looked you up on my scroll.”

Weiss couldn’t help but glare at her a little. “How kind of you.”

Yang simply shrugged. “You got into my little sister’s head, I had to see if you’d, you know, killed anyone.”

“I did not ‘get in’ her head. Why do you keep saying that?”

“Because you did, little miss Atlas’ most promising under twenty-five.”

Weiss wanted to jump out the nearest window. She remembered being ‘awarded’ that honor. The photoshoot and the article in Atlas Lifestyle Magazine. Not one bit of it was real. She didn’t win, her victory was bought and used as a ploy to help her father find suitors for her.  He had his hand on every part of that facade– even having someone create her answers to the questions she was asked. Telling them how she actually wasn’t interested in men and would much rather fall in love with a beautiful woman probably wouldn’t have sat too well with his desires to have her married and pregnant to continue furthering his legacy.

“Ah yes, the worthless Heiress given an award and a magazine article by her father.”

That comment made those lilac eyes go wide in surprise. “Wow, not a very high opinion of yourself huh?”

Weiss could only shrug. “I’m simply stating the truth. The girl who finished in second behind me was using dust infusions to try and cure life threatening illnesses in children.”

“She seems pretty cool.”

“She was remarkable.”

There was a silence between the for a bit, Yang finally filled it. “And you?”

Taking a deep breath, Weiss stood up and picked up the tray Yang had sat down. She balanced it with one hand, trying desperately to hold it steady. “I am a work in progress.” She sighed. “With very sore feet.”

Yang laughed and stood up. “Working all day in shoes that don’t fit your feet will do that to you.” Noticing Yang’s extended hand, Weiss accepted it and was pulled to her feet. “You should get a pair tonight to save yourself tomorrow.”

“I wouldn’t even know where to look or what to buy. I’ve never owned a pair of sneakers before.”

With pursed lips, Yang looked her once over before nodding. “Okay, I’ll go wrangle up my sister and we’ll take you to the mall and get you a pair.”

“You don’t have to do that,” Weiss was already feeling guilty for how much these people, who might as well still be strangers, had done for her.

However, Yang waved her off and made her way out of the room. “I know I don’t have to, Weiss. I wanna. Besides, it scares customers away if your feet start bleeding all over my nice floors.”

Weiss smiled despite the strange, overwhelming feeling in her chest.

Ruby was uncharacteristically quiet during their drive to the mall. She sat in the back seat, refusing to let Weiss sit back there, and hadn’t said anything since. Yang talked, because Weiss was slowly learning that that was just what Yang did.

Once they were there, Weiss was floored by the sheer mass of people. There was no order, no rhyme or reason behind anyone’s movements. Kids ran without care and laughed as they jumped on railings and chased each other in and out of stores.

Shopping in Atlas was never like this, at least not for her. Usually it was just she and her personal shopper. The stores were usually empty and the employees all bent over backwards to help with whatever she needed. Weiss wasn’t naïve, she knew that probably wasn’t what it was like for every customer in Atlas, but she never imagined it were anything like this.

“Ah, here we go,” Yang said as she pointed out a store called the Sneak Shack. It was dark inside, the walls painted black and lined on every wall was hundreds of shoes. They were

As they made their way inside, Weiss chanced a look over at Ruby who seemed to be hugging herself just a bit as they stepped out of the chaotic walkways and into the much quieter store.

The first thing Weiss noticed was the smell. It was unlike anything she’d ever smelled before. The only thing she could compare it to was that time the tire flattened on her limo and she could smell the rubber as her driver changed it.

Weiss remembered that driver being fired the very next day.

“Okay,” Yang spoke up, drawing Weiss’ attention away from all the strange advertisements of overly attractive people wearing all of these shoes and little else. “What are you looking for?”

Frowning, Weiss shrugged. “I have no idea, Yang. Just…whatever Ruby has only smaller.”

This made Ruby laugh behind her, making Weiss jump and turn around only to see her covering her face and smiling behind her hand. She looked adorable. “We can’t have matching sneakers!”

“And why not?!” Weiss put her hands on her hips. “We already wear matching purple and yellow aprons.”

That made Ruby’s smile droop a bit as realization washed over her. “Huh…that’s a good point.”

“No, no. These aren’t just work shoes. If you’re walking to and from the restaurant you’ll need shoes to get you there. High heels each day can’t be good for you.” Yang glanced down at Weiss’ lower half and smirked. “I mean, your legs are nice.”

Weiss’ eyes went wide as she kicked her away. “Stop ogling me!”

Yang burst into laughter and took a step back. “Sorry, ice queen. I meant it as a compliment.”

“Yang,” Ruby cut in, thankfully. “I wanna go home and take a shower. Can we move this along?” Weiss couldn’t help but feel bad for making them do all this for her. She hated feeling helpless. She left home to try and rid herself of that feeling. “Sorry,” Ruby said, directed at Weiss with the softest of smiles. “It’s not you, today’s just been really long. I’m happy to help you pick something out. Besides, I think we lost her.” Ruby pointed over at Yang who was flirting with the cute girl at the cash register.

“Oh, I thought she and Blake were…”

“They are,” Ruby sighed. “But they’re not exclusive . Whatever that means.” Ruby rolled her eyes. “They spend every day together. Blake is a that restaurant more than I am but Blake’s…careful.” Careful – which described how Ruby was being with every word she spoke. “Yang won’t actually do anything with anyone. She hasn’t cheated on Blake and as far as I know Blake hasn’t cheated on her either. But…Yang flirts. More often than not she flirts when Blake is right next to her. I guess she’s trying to make her jealous and get some kind of big movie confession of love.”

“That’s strange,” Weiss was thinking out loud at this point. “Yang seems like the type to give the grand gesture, not receive it.”

“Right?!” Ruby laughed so heartily, it made Weiss smile. “Truth is that Yang is a big softie. She acts all tough and…well…she is tough. She fights and she gets emotional and she yells, but deep down, she’s a big pile of mush and I think she just kinda wants to be taken care of a little, you know? She’s always taking care of everyone, especially me. That’s why I like Blake so much, Blake looks out for her and takes care of her. Even…even when I can’t.” Her voice softened and Weiss saw a familiar look in her eyes. It was one Weiss had seen in the mirror before. That feeling of not being good enough.

It was shocking to see that someone as good as Ruby could possibly feel that way. “So, I suppose this sneaker thing is up to us then?” Weiss was eager to try and lighten up the tone.

Thankfully, Ruby’s smile returned. “Here, I’ll show you the ones I like.” Weiss followed Ruby like an obedient puppy.

Weiss knew a thing or two about shoes but she’d never seen anything quite like this. They were just...out there for anyone to touch and try on. When Weiss bought shoes back in Atlas, they were special order to match her most updated fitting and arrived at her home in a sealed box.

Now she was expected to put on a shoe that had probably had dozens of feet in it already?

“What about these?” Ruby jumped just a bit to reach up and grab a pair on a high shelf. She pulled down a modest white pair of sneakers that didn’t look too overly atrocious. “They’re a little plain for my taste but it kinda seems like your thing.”

Weiss narrowed her eyes. “Are you saying I’m plain?”

“What?! No! Not that your plain, just that your clothes are!” Weiss tilted her head to the side, enjoying Ruby’s panic just a little. “Not plain! Plain is the wrong word! I meant elegant and fancy and nice. You’re so pretty, you make anything look cool! Don’t listen to me, look at my shoes!” At that, Ruby lifted her foot up and held it towards Weiss. “My shoes have rainbow soles! I wouldn’t know good fashion if it bit me in the nose!”

Reaching out, Weiss grabbed Ruby’s foot and held it, causing Ruby to do a cute little hop on her one foot still on the floor. “I like these ones.” Weiss said, admiring the rainbow color. She let Ruby’s foot go and watched her slowly bring it back down. “You know what, I’m going to let you pick me a pair and those are the ones I’ll go with.”

Ruby did not seem too thrilled with that idea. “That’s...a lot of pressure, Weiss.

“I didn’t realize sneakers were so important.”

“But they are!” Ruby threw her hands in the air for good measure. “Buying someone’s sneakers is like – we'll have to get married now!”

Weiss found herself laughing. “I trust you, Ruby. My feet belong to you.”

It took all of two seconds for Ruby to spot something “Oh! ” She squealed as she spotted a pair and quickly raced over to them “These ones! I love these ones! I’ve thought about getting them before!” She plucked them off their tiny little shelf and held them out to Weiss like they were some kind of adorable puppy in a window begging to be brought home. Okay, if it was a puppy Ruby would probably just take the thing home. Ruby seemed like the type who would go into the pet shop and try to adopt all the animals.

“You think these are good?” Weiss asked, still feeling confused and overwhelmed.

Ruby let out a breathy laugh. “They’re comfy, they’re not heavy and they look good. Plus…” she turned them over to show Weiss the blue soles. “They match your eyes.” She said and Weiss was suddenly very aware of the fact that Ruby was looking into her eyes. The same eyes she’d just compared to the ocean like some kind of damn romance novel character.

Weiss reached out and took the shoes to examine them closer – to do literally anything but get lost in the look Ruby was giving her. For someone who seemed so clumsy and a little bit naïve at times. Ruby had a way of stringing together sentences that made Weiss forget how to speak.

Weiss couldn’t pretend anymore that she wasn’t just a little bit smitten with this girl who would not have fit into her old world at all. A part of Weiss wondered if that’s where the attraction came from. The juvenile idea of bringing home a city girl her father would call poor and uncultured.

That might have been what it was, but the fact of the matter was that Weiss dreaded the idea of her father being anywhere near someone like Ruby. She was too good for him.

“They are lightweight.” Weiss said as she lifted them up and down a few times – struggling to refocus. “Can I try them on?”

“Of course!” Ruby smiled as she grabbed Weiss by the arm and dragged her over to a nearby stool. Weiss was suddenly grabbed by the arm and dragged towards a nearby stool. “Here,” Ruby gestured for Weiss to sit and she did.

Weiss placed the shoes on the ground and slipped her feet into them. They were comfy and soft on the inside, nothing like the shoes she’d usually wear. They felt so spacious, like her tiny little foot was lost inside of them. Her toes had so much room…probably too much. “I think they’re too big.” Ruby tested for herself and pressed down on them a toe. Weiss wiggled them a bit to help Ruby see that there was just too much space.  

“Nope, seem like a perfect fit.”

That couldn’t be right. “But…they’re not very tight. I can move my toes around and—“

“Weiss,” Ruby put her hands on Weiss’ knees, far too much contact for Weiss’ brain to handle a this moment. “They’re not supposed to squeeze the life out of your feet. They’re supposed to have a little wiggle room.”

Again, Weiss nodded, taking in so much new information. She couldn’t begin to imagine how much better her day would have gone wearing these. “I like them.”

“Yay!” Ruby threw her hands in the air to celebrate. She was so cute. “Now we’ll tie them up and make sure they’re still comfortable and then buy them!”

“Tie them?”

“Oh wow,” Ruby was fighting not to laugh and even covered her mouth. “You’ve never tied a pair of shoes before?”

Now Weiss didn’t find her as cute. “I’ve never had shoes that needed to be tied before. Laces are not really a part of a Schnee wardrobe.”

Ruby raised her hands in surrender. “Fair enough, don’t worry. I can show you the bunny ears method!”

“B—bunny ears?”

“Yep!” Ruby sat down on the floor in front of Weiss and plucked up the laces of one of her shoes. “What you wanna do is fold each lace into a cute bunny ear, like this.” She was clearly moving slow so Weiss could keep up. “Then cross the ears so they make a little ‘X’ in the air. Then you loop the bottom bunny ear over and through the top bunny ear and pull them away from the shoe and there you go!” She was fortunate enough to look up just in time to see Weiss’ eyes light up again. “It’s like magic.”

Then a moment passed and Weiss felt herself softened a little. “Thank you, Ruby.”

“Of course. My mom taught me.”

Weiss pursed her lips again as Ruby absentmindedly started tying the other shoe. “That’s the kind of stuff moms are supposed to do, isn’t it?” Weiss tried to remember anything her mother teaching her being this intimate and sweet. She could only remember being taught how to properly stand for pictures or that stuttering was not something that would be tolerated during conversation. So many tiny little things that Weiss did wrong – the kinds of things that would make most people unique were only ever used as reminders of how flawed she was.

“All moms are different.” Ruby said, clearly understanding where Weiss was coming from.

“Yours and mine certainly are.” She couldn’t help but worry she was starting to sound a little pathetic. She had far too much baggage.

“Well, somebody did well with you because…I think you’re pretty neat.”

Just when Weiss thought she had Ruby figured out. Just when she thought Ruby would say the same kind of patronizing line anyone else would about how she was sure her mother tried or that maybe it was partially Weiss’ fault too, she instead said something that made Weiss’ face feel like it was on fire.

She was in big trouble.

Chapter Text

Yang loved Saturday.

It didn’t take long after meeting her to understand that Saturday was, without question, Yang’s favorite day of the week.

The restaurant was always closed on Saturdays and didn’t open until after noon on Sunday. Of course, that was because when Yang first opened Brewed Awakening, she was still a bit of a party girl. Meaning her Saturday nights were usually filled with drinking and clubs and waking up in strange houses surrounded by strange people. It also meant that she spent the majority of Sunday morning trying to overcome her latest hangover.

Over the last few years, Yang calmed down and the parties slowed down. She still loved to party, but now they were held at her house with a few guests who usually played video games in her living room while she grilled random meats for everyone. Occasionally it would get out of hand, but that was rare.

Ruby couldn’t help but notice that Yang’s parties changed when she moved in. One of the benefits of living with Yang was that Yang was always so busy with stuff. Ruby had just assumed it would be a lot like living on her own because Yang would never be around. Of course, Yang did what Yang always did, and shifted her life to make sure that Ruby had proper big sister time.

Even if Yang could be a little smothering sometimes, Ruby couldn’t deny that she loved how much her sister cared for her. When Ruby came back home, she didn’t really have anyone. All the friends she’d had in school had moved on (which wasn’t saying much because she only had two) and she wasn’t really up for trying to make new ones so Yang just inserted Ruby into her own group of friends.

Now, they both looked forward to Saturday when their friends would come over and hang out. It was something of a tradition. A tradition that no one would dare stand Yang up for because they all basically owed her big time and she was also a little bit scary and emotional.

By the time Ruby was dressed and ready for the day, she made her way downstairs to find Yang staring at the TV like it had just asked her to do advanced math. She was holding a controller from Ruby’s game system and slowly flicking the joystick up and down trying to find something.

Her tongue was sticking out, her head was tilted to the side and she kept alternating which foot she was putting her weight on so it made her sway back and forth.

Sensing her opportunity, Ruby quietly moved into the living room. She was good at being stealthy – not as good as Blake who was just naturally quiet as a cat, but good enough that she could work around Yang and her intense focus.

Carefully, Ruby climbed over the couch and snuck up right behind her big sister. Then, in a burst of speed, Ruby put her arms around Yang and threw her body backwards, throwing them both onto the couch.

Yang let out a ridiculous squeal and threw the controller in her hand across the room. They both landed with a thud and Ruby held on tight as Yang squirmed in her arms.

“Rubes!” Yang shouted, only to start freaking out when Ruby reached up and tousled her hair. “Ruby!” She turned suddenly, as if she remembered that she was much stronger than her little sister, and now hand both Ruby’s hands caught between one of her own and held them together. “Did you not hear me washing my hair at five o’clock this morning?” Yang was irritated, but in the kind of way that made Ruby want to reach up and mess with her hair some more.

“I did, because you can’t do anything quiet and woke me up with your blow drying.”

“We’re having people over today, do you want me to have to wear a hat because you ruined my hair?”

Ruby couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “Ruin your hair? Yang, come on. You spend more time on your hair then you do slow cooking ham at the restaurant. Your hair looks like it came out of a magazine every single day. Besides,” Ruby tried to move but to no avail – Yang was too strong. She needed a new plan. “You need a little roughing up from me every now and then.” She shifted just enough to get her feet in between Yang’s legs. “Keeps you on your toes.” With that, Ruby pushed Yang’s legs out from under her and sent Yang barreling to the floor.

With Yang down, Ruby moved to escape the couch and any potential torments her sister might have planned for her.

Unfortunately, Yang was still stronger than her by a whole heck of a lot and as Ruby tried to leap off the couch, her foot was grabbed and she was held in place by one hand. She kicked and fought, even picked up a pillow and threw it right into Yang’s face, but to no avail. Instead, Yang pulled Ruby back down and picked up another pillow.

Immediately, Ruby put her hands up in surrender. “Yang, think about this.” She said in her most dramatic voice.

To her credit, Yang looked completely unfazed. “You started it.”

“I didn’t mean to tackle you! I slipped!”

“You slipped, wrapped your arms around me, and threw me backwards onto the couch by accident?”

“...yes.”

“And the hair?”

Ruby needed to think fast. “Oh, you know, just wanted to touch it. Soak up some of that amazing smell. What shampoo do you use? It’s magical!”

“I didn’t use shampoo today.”

“Oh.”

Yep, she was a goner.

Then, like a gift from the heavens (or at least from four blocks over), the front door opened with a soft knock and they both looked back as Blake came in.

Granted, Blake didn’t even bother to look up from the book she was reading, but she was here and that would hopefully be distraction enough to save Ruby’s butt from an upcoming big sister beat down.

When she looked to Yang again, she was relieved to see that Blake had her attention. Unfortunately, Yang didn’t need full focus to smash Ruby in the face with a pillow.

“Oof!” Ruby was smothered by the giant cushion before Yang pulled it back and gave her one more hit for good measure.

“Blake! You’re early!” Yang said as if she hadn’t just brutalized her baby sister and left her lying in a heap on the ground.

“I brought salmon with me. I figured if I wanted to eat my own food then I’d better get over here and start making it.”

“Aww, I’d have made it for you!”

Ruby knew Blake was doing that thing where she rolled her eyes and acted like she didn’t want to be pampered, but she secretly loved it because she’d never been taken care of before like Yang had taken care of her.

As someone who hadn’t been in a real relationship in years, Ruby lived vicariously through Yang and Blake’s…whatever it was they were doing.

So, as they continued to pretend like they weren’t flirting, Ruby pulled herself up onto the couch and finished setting up the games to play later.

More often than not, this was where Ruby found herself during Yang’s parties. Sitting on the couch, the last one left playing video games while everyone else was talking and laughing and hanging out together.

It wasn’t that Ruby didn’t want to do that, it was just that she was never very good at it. She didn’t like to drink, not after years of watching it ruin her uncle’s life. Beyond that, she didn’t really have a whole lot in common with most of Yang’s friends.

So, she stayed on the couch. It felt like the best spot to be. She could play games, which she loved, yet still be around everyone and feel like she was a part of the party so Yang wouldn’t make annoying comments about how anti-social she was.  

Even though Yang didn’t need to make those comments at all because Ruby knew how anti-social she was.

Everything around her was so loud. A jumbled mess of voices and stories that she only caught bits and pieces of. They all had to nearly scream at each other to talk over the music Yang had playing throughout the house.

Just as Ruby was about to collect the final few gems in this level and fly her little purple dragon onto the next stage, someone sat down next to her and made Ruby jump, nearly losing her grip on the controller.

Looking over, she saw Weiss sitting beside her looking… incredible . She had on a very clean and wrinkle free white top that was quite snug and a blue skirt to go with it. Her hair looked so nice and her makeup was perfect. All in all, she did not look like she had any idea what kind of party Yang threw.

“I’m sorry I’m late.” Weiss said, looking around at all the chaos in the room with a bit of displeasure. “I was…contemplating whether or not to even show up.”

“They’re not always like this. Sometimes they just get a little crazy. I like it better when only a few people show up and it’s just a quiet, fun night with games.”

Weiss was still scanning the room, clearly not comfortable with all the noise and chaos. “Perhaps next time you should plan the party and ensure it’s quiet and fun. Because this is…”

“Insane?” Ruby finished. Happy to not be the only miserable one. When Weiss looked at her and smiled, Ruby relaxed a little. “Yang’s gonna be upset in the morning. The house will be a mess and she’ll be hungover.” Naturally, that comment was followed by the sound of something breaking in the distance. Weiss’ eyes went wide in shock as Ruby winced. “We’re not normally like this. You just showed up on a particularly crazy night.”

Weiss waved her off and sighed. “It’s fine. I would have been uncomfortable regardless. All of this is new to me. Just being invited was unexpected.”

Ruby put her controller down and focused all of her attention on Weiss. It was too hard to focus on anything else with Weiss looking so pretty anyway.

Just as Ruby was about to ask Weiss if she wanted anything, the couch they were both sitting on was suddenly slammed into and slid across the floor. Weiss nearly fell off and Ruby reached out to catch her before standing up in a hurry to see Sun lying on the ground laughing as Neptune helped him to his feet.

“Could you two not break our furniture?” Ruby hated this tone. She didn’t like being cranky but this was a ridiculous.

Sun made it to his feet and winced when he saw what he’d done. He looked up at Ruby and rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry, Rubes. A few too many shots. We’ll take it outside!” He then quickly grabbed Neptune the head and dragged him away.

Turning back to Weiss, she saw the discomfort in her face and for some strange reason, Ruby found herself really upset at the idea that Weiss might leave. Though it was clear that Weiss didn’t want to be here, Ruby kind of liked having someone else around that was as detached from the party as she was.

She needed to do something to keep Weiss here.

“You want to go up to my room?” She asked and then her mind replayed what she’d just said. “I mean, because it’s quiet and we’ll be alone.” Weiss’ eyes went wide. “Not that I’m trying to get you alone! It’s just…I have…I’m not…”

“Ruby,” Weiss smiled and picked up her coat. “Lead the way.”

Reaching out, Ruby took Weiss’ hand and started to guide her through the chaos of the living room and towards the stairs leading to her bedroom. Looking back, she noticed the way Weiss was studying every picture on the wall that they passed. There was the softest of smiles on her face and Ruby decided to slow down just a bit to let Weiss take more of it in.

Once they reached Ruby’s bedroom, she remembered that it was pretty much a disaster. Given how Weiss dressed and acted and generally how clean and wonderful she smelled, it was probably not going to do Ruby any favors to show her this disaster.

Yet again, she’d let her mouth get ahead of her better judgement.

There was no going back now.

“Your home is lovely.” Weiss said as Ruby opened her bedroom door.

“Thanks. Yang and I do what we can and Blake s here a lot and helps out too. I uh…” Ruby sighed and moved out of Weiss’ way to show off her room. Clothes were all over the floor. The blankets were bundled up at the foot of her bed and there was an open bag of chips on the nightstand next to two unfinished sodas. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting to bring anyone up here.”

Weiss quirked a brow as she stepped inside. If she was phased by the mess she didn’t show it. “No? Nobody from these parties interests you enough to invite up?”

Ruby couldn’t stop herself from snorting as she laughed. It was just so ridiculous. “No,” She waved Weiss off and tried to pick up some of the clothes off the floor. “These are Yang’s friends. They’re nice to me and all but…none of them have ever looked at me like that.”

“What about you?” Weiss asked, as she folded up her jacket and put it down in on the edge of Ruby’s bed to sit on. “Have you looked at any of them like that?”

Ruby scoffed at the very notion. Unfortunately, she scoffed too quickly. “Of course not.”

“You have,” Weiss was far too smug. “Is it Sun. He’s always showing off his stomach and…I can’t say I blame him.”

The next time Ruby scoffed, she meant it. “Definitely not Sun. He’s…not my type.” Ruby wondered if there would ever be a time where coming out to someone wouldn’t bring her butterflies. Then again, not everyone was as pretty as Weiss. “I thought Ilia was cute when I first met her.”

Weiss’ eyes went wide with surprise, but she quickly recovered. “I see. So you and your sister are…?”

“Yang considers herself pansexual. Though lately I just think of her as Blake-sexual because that’s all she cares about. As for me, I’m just a tiny little lesbian.”

“I don’t think you’re as tiny as you think you are.”

“Compared to my sister I am.”

Weiss rolled her eyes. “Not everything has to be compared to your sister. Compared to me, you’re…quite impressive.”

Ruby creased her brow in confusion. Not sure where Weiss was going. “I don’t understand…”

“Your shoulders are…a lot of fun to look at.”

Heat rose up in Ruby’s neck and no doubt painted her face an embarrassing shade of red. “I—I just lift a lot of heavy boxes at the restaurant.” Weiss made some kind of humming sound, like she didn’t really believe that was the only thing that kept Ruby strong. “I played a lot of sports growing up.” She started as she sat down next to Weiss on the bed. The house beneath them still vibrating with the music blaring from the stereo. “Then when I joined the military, exercise only grew from there and now it’s just a part of my life.”

“You were in the military?” Weiss seemed genuinely surprised and maybe a little impressed.

Ruby nodded, wishing she could be as excited about it as Weiss was. “I enlisted after graduation. Much to the chagrin of my dad and my sister.”

“They weren’t proud of you?”

“They were, but they were also scared. After my mom died they both kinda go super protective over me.”

Weiss’ face did that thing everyone’s face did when Ruby brought up her dead mother. No matter how sneakily she tried to slip it into conversation. “Your mom…”

“A long time ago. It’s okay. Though it is fun how often people think I’m going to burst into tears every time I bring it up.”

This made Weiss laugh and Ruby marked that down as another win. Weiss had the most incredible laugh and it was a little game Ruby played each day to try and make Weiss laugh any way she could.

Even if it meant joking about her dead mom.

“Wh—what about your family?” She asked with a bit of caution. Weiss hadn’t brought up anything about her family in the short time they’d known her. Ruby didn’t want to press but she also didn’t want this conversation to stop.

Weiss seemed to recoil a bit, but surprisingly answered. “They’re kind of terrible.”

Ruby frowned. “Oh.”

“Except my sister. She’s great, but she’s never around.”

“Tell me about her?”

She watched Weiss’ face light up a bit. “She’s actually in the military, like you were.” Ruby raised her brows with interest. “She’s stationed in Atlas. She’s a specialist. It’s a career for her.”

“Oh wow an Atleasian specialist?” Ruby couldn’t stop herself from clapping excitedly. “They’re so awesome! They have special combat training, weapons training and they can pilot pretty much anything!”

This time, Weiss’ smile didn’t have nearly as much joy in it. Ruby was fast realizing that family, even the good side of it, was a hard subject for Weiss. She needed to find a subject that didn’t bring up bad feelings and sad faces. She needed…

“Oh!” Ruby jumped off the bed, nearly causing Weiss to fall off as well. She then raced over to her closet and pulled out her pride and joy. The one thing in the whole world that kept her mind at bay and allowed her to just work and not think. The best thing she’d ever created. “I know this is super nerdy and you’ll probably think it’s silly, but I have to show it off because it’s the only thing I have to my name and…” as Ruby turned around Weiss was suddenly standing behind her and looking on intently. “Oh,” she wasn’t prepared for Weiss to be so close. “I uh…I made this.”

As she lifted her prized possession up to show off, she watched Weiss’ face take it in and contort from anticipation, to confusion, to that fake interested look Yang got when Blake talked about her new favorite book.

“It’s really cool!” Weiss said and Ruby could tell that Weiss had never used the world ‘cool’ before in her entire life.

“You have no idea what it is, do you?” She could hardly believe how adorable Weiss looked when she got caught in a little white lie. Her pale cheeks turned the most wonderful shade of red.

“Heavy?” Weiss said softly, lifting the thing up to prove her point.

Ruby found herself laughing. “It is that,” she reached out and too her prized possession from Weiss. “But what it really is, is my weapon.”

Weiss’ blue eyes narrowed. “Your…weapon? Like your military weapon?”

“No, silly! It’s my cosplay weapon!”

“Ohhh…I’ve heard of that!” Weiss seemed genuinely proud of herself. “You cosplay?”

Ruby shrugged. “I try, I’m certainly not as good as a lot of people who make extremely elaborate costumes. I’m more about the weapons!”

Suddenly, Weiss’ face was lit up with genuine interest and Ruby felt her heart racing a little faster. “So, what weapon is this?” Weiss asked and Ruby reached out to take it from her. She had to show it off.

“It’s called Crescent Rose. It’s a weapon used by my favorite character in the show Beacon! Have you heard of it?”

Weiss shook her head. “I’m afraid I don’t want much TV.”

“Ohhh, I’ll have to show you one day. I love it, Blake does too. We spend hours talking about our favorite episodes and fight scenes and ships.”

Then Weiss did that thing again. Where she smiled and Ruby felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest. “I’ll have to give it a shot.”

“So how about I sneak downstairs and get us some of the good stuff and we can have our own little party up here? I can show you what else this baby can do.” Ruby held Crescent Rose up proudly but watched as Weiss smiled dropped.

“I’m…not much a drinker, Ruby. I’m sorry.”

“Oh no, me either,” Ruby waved her off with a laugh. “I have a stash of cookies I baked yesterday hidden away in the kitchen!”

This was Yang’s best party yet.

Chapter Text

Thankfully, as soon as Weiss woke up, she remembered where she was. The hard bed, the thin covers and the multi-colored holiday lights draped along the wall that dimly lit the small room.

Ruby’s room.

They’d eaten delicious cookies and Ruby showed off some of her cosplay stuff. They talked for hours and it was the most comfortable Weiss had felt since she left home. Then again, she never felt comfortable a home so perhaps this was the most comfortable she’d felt her entire life.

Perhaps that was a bit dramatic, but Ruby was very easy to talk to – even if Weiss sometimes felt like she didn’t add much to the conversations.

Still, the plan was not to fall asleep in Ruby’s bedroom, on Ruby’s bed with…

Rolling over slowly, Weiss saw Ruby lying next to her. Unlike Weiss, Ruby was on top of the blankets, and also unlike Weiss, she didn’t appear to have been sleeping.

Instead, Ruby was propped up on a couple pillows, holding her scroll and watching something with a pair of headphones in.

She must have been pretty engrossed because she didn’t seem to notice Weiss’ movements or the fact that Weiss was now watching her intently.

Ruby was incredibly pretty – not in the elegant way that was what so many people in Atlas considered beautiful.

No, Ruby was the kind of person you’d want to see every single morning when you woke up. The character from the novels Weiss would read who came from very little but somehow managed to change the world all the same. She was strong, with muscles in all the right places, but soft in her features. She was somehow graceful and clumsy – could talk a hundred miles a minute, then stop and focus every bit of attention she had on you.

As of right now, she was Weiss’ favorite person, simply because she seemed to want to spend time with Weiss when no one else really did.

The longer Weiss watched Ruby, the more she noticed. Including the fact that Ruby’s eyes were a little bit puffy and red – she’d been crying.

At first, Weiss just assumed it was whatever she was watching. Until she shifted enough to see what was on the screen and only saw a very up-close shot of noodles being cooked.

Unfortunately, her latest movement finally did grab Ruby’s attention and those silver eyes turned to her with surprise.

“Weiss!” She said a bit too loudly thanks to her headphones before taking them out. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t,” Weiss said, leaning up on her elbow a bit as Ruby’s scroll turned off and darkened the room a little bit more. She wanted to ask, a part of her felt like she needed to ask. That was something friends did, right? She wanted to be Ruby’s friend. Shouldn’t she want to know what made her friend cry in the middle of the night. “What are you watching?” She asked instead, too afraid to push.

Ruby shrugged lightly and rolled onto her side to face Weiss. “I watch cooking shows at night when I can’t sleep. Well…kinda cooking shows. Mostly it’s just cooking but with no music or voices or anything. I like the sounds of cooking. It…relaxes me, in a weird kind of way. Helps with my anxiety.”

“I can’t say I’ve ever heard of cooking sounds for anxiety.” Weiss said, enjoying Ruby’s small smile.

“It’s much cheaper than therapy, though…I probably could use a little of that too.”

It was too hard not to try, the room was just dark enough to give Weiss a little boost of courage. “Are you…okay?”

Weiss noted the way Ruby curled into herself just a bit at the question. She was ready to retract it when Ruby spoke.

“I kind of…hate sleeping.” She said with a pained laugh. “Nights aren’t my favorite and dark isn’t either. That’s why I have all the holiday lights around the room. Still, mostly I just lay awake on my scroll until I pass out.”

“That doesn’t seem very healthy.”

Ruby laughed a little louder this time. “I’m sure it isn’t.” Weiss wasn’t really sure what she was doing, but suddenly her hand was moving and touching a few strands of hair that had fallen over Ruby’s eyes. She tucked them away gently where they belonged. Ruby didn’t say anything, didn’t pull away, just laid there next to a girl she hardly knew and smiled.

Never before in her life had Weiss felt this. She just wanted to stay here. Forget the world, forget her family troubles and all the awful nights spent alone in her room wishing she was someone else.

She’d relive it all again to bring her back here to this moment. Because something about Ruby made everything feel okay.

“You’re beautiful.” Weiss said, not really meaning to say it out loud but not at all regretting it. Ruby deserved to hear it.

Fortunately, Ruby’s response was quick and shy and only made her harder to resist.

Weiss, with her fingers still resting along Ruby’s hairline, gently cupped Ruby’s cheek in her hand and stroked her thumb gently over Ruby’s brow. She’d never done anything like this before. Never been this close to another person and touched them so intimately.

Even if she’d only known Ruby a short time, it didn’t feel that way. It felt like they were connected, in a way she couldn’t entirely explain and could quite possibly be romanticizing based on her lack of experience.

What made it even worse was that Ruby didn’t pull away. Instead, Ruby closed her eyes and seemed to enjoy Weiss’ presence.

Carefully, Weiss scooted a bit closer to Ruby, shortening the reach between them. She pressed their foreheads together and smiled when Ruby nestled up against her just a bit.

All she really wanted to do now, was help Ruby fall asleep. She would stay like this for as long as it took.

However, just as she thought she might be making progress, Weiss felt something wet touch the pad of her thumb. Looking closer, she saw that Ruby was crying again and her heart broke.

She wasn’t sure what had happened to this poor girl, but clearly it had taken something precious from her.

“Shhh,” Weiss said, not about to stop what she was doing. Perhaps she didn’t have the course to ask for specifics on what hurt her so much, but she could be here like this. She could spend the rest of her night fighting away Ruby’s demons.

Ruby cried for a while. Never sobbing out loud or saying a word. Just a gentle flow of tears that Weiss dabbed away. Eventually, her breathing evened out and she drifted to sleep.

By the time Weiss fell asleep, they were as close as they could be with the blankets between them, and Weiss was fairly certain she’d wake up in the morning and all this would simply be a dream.

Ruby was still asleep by the time Weiss woke up. She took that as a victory of sorts given Ruby’s struggles and even though Weiss hadn’t intended to do... that to help Ruby find slumber, she was happy to help.

Even if the memory of last night was still burning a hole in her brain and threatening to consume her thoughts for the rest of her life.

Never had Weiss been so close with someone like that before. She’d never done anything like that before. The way she felt wasn’t something she ever thought would happen to her. She’d only read about it in stories. She could still feel Ruby’s cheek in her hand and the way their foreheads felt pressed together.

If Weiss were magical, she’d have frozen time and stayed like that with Ruby indefinitely.

Unfortunately, the sun rose and the day started and when Weiss woke up she heard noises coming from downstairs and knew she didn’t want Yang to catch her lying in bed with her baby sister. So she quietly slipped out of Ruby’s bed and left her to sleep.

For a while, Weiss debated waking Ruby up to tell her she was leaving. She didn’t want to just abandon her, not after last night - but knowing how much Ruby struggled to sleep, it felt criminal to wake her.

Instead, Weiss opted to simply leave a note on the nightstand with a promise to see her soon.

She wasn’t sure what that meant exactly - they did work together, but she didn’t want to count work as the only time she’d see Ruby again.

Not that she cared. Not that she needed anyone. She was Weiss Schnee - as cold as ice and perfectly fine being on her own. That’s what she told herself over and over again as she stepped out of Ruby’s room and forced herself not to jump back into the bed and cuddle some more.

Once she made it back downstairs, Weiss took in the damage that had been done to Yang and Ruby’s home. It wasn’t as bad as it could have been or as she expected it would be before Ruby whisked her away upstairs. There were plates of half eaten food and beer cans scattered everywhere. Not one, but two of the dining room chairs had been tipped over.

Weiss was surprised not to find a gaggle of people sleeping all over the floor. Given how drunk everyone was last night, they most certainly shouldn’t have been driving home.

In fact, the only person Weiss found still here was Blake. She was sleeping on the couch (which had been folded out into a bed because apparently couches did that?) and given the current positioning of her blanket, Weiss could see far too much skin and quickly assessed that Blake was naked.

“Weiss?” The call of her name made Weiss jump and she turned in a hurry to find Yang standing behind her. Yang’s hair was a disaster. Like an unkempt lion mane, it stuck out in every direction atop her head. She was wearing a yellow tank top and though Weiss hadn’t given her a proper once over, she was fairly certain Yang wasn’t wearing any pants. “What are you doing here? Did you just get here?”

Weiss opened her mouth to tell the truth, because honestly was always the best policy, but then quickly realized that Yang had no idea she’d been here and therefore would never learn that Weiss had actually spent the night in Yang’s baby sister’s bedroom.

“I-I...yes.” She said, matter-of-factly. She’d always been a good liar. “I came by to apologize for not coming last night.”

Yang nodded, she barely seemed awake as she blinked slowly and sipped her coffee. “It’s okay, the whole thing kinda got out of hand anyway. I started drinking too early and Blake was...really wound up and…”

“That’s okay,” Weiss waved her off. “I don’t need a play by play.”

Yang laughed sharply and then winced and clutched her head. “Don’t make me laugh.”

“I’ll do my best.”

For a moment, Yang just stood there, holding her coffee and blinking. Then suddenly, she blinked and her eyes stayed closed.

Weiss watched for a moment, waiting for Yang’s eyes to open. She was still standing upright, swaying slightly back and forth - she still had a tight grip on her mug. For a good thirty seconds, Weiss waited for Yang’s eyes to open. She waited and watched and nothing happened. Carefully, she reached out and poked Yang in the shoulder.

Suddenly, those lilac eyes burst open and Yang nearly fell over. “Weiss!” Yang whispered loudly as she clutched her head again.

“You should probably go lie back down.”

Yang shook her head. “No, I have to make up last night to Ruby. I know she probably had a horrible time and it was selfish of me to ignore her all night. I need to make pancakes and…” Yang stopped abruptly and hesitated for a moment. Weiss saw her eyes go wide and then close tightly shut. She took a step back and sat her mug down before racing over to the kitchen sink and throwing up.

Weiss sighed and moved over to where Yang was currently throwing up. She reached out and grabbed Yang’s hair, only to be swatted away weakly. Undeterred, Weiss grabbed for it again and this time, she batted at Yang’s hands when they came at her.

“Do you want me to hold your hair for ten seconds, or do you want to throw up on it and have to spend your whole day hungover and washing that cute pink vomit of yours out of it?”

Whether it be fatigue, or a shred of common sense, Yang relented and threw up one more time, this one not nearly as bad as the one before it.

All the while, Weiss held her hair and couldn’t help but be impressed at how damn soft it was. Of course it always looked perfect, but she couldn’t imagine the work Yang put in, every single day, to keep her hair like this. It was genuinely impressive, and probably a little bit obsessive.

When Yang finally finished, she stepped back and Weiss carefully let go of the mass of blonde locks. Yang swallowed thickly and grimaced as whatever was left over went back down her throat. She then pulled out a chair at the dining room table, one of the four that wasn’t flipped over, and sat down.

“Weiss,” Yang spoke slowly, as if she might throw up again at any moment. “Do you know how to make pancakes?” Instead of answering, Weiss just stared Yang down silently. Yang had to know the answer to that question. “Right...well are you a fast learner?”

“I can make pancakes.” They both looked over to find Blake now leaning over the back of the couch. She had a blanket wrapped around her but she was still very clearly naked. Her bare shoulders on display for the world to see. She didn’t look nearly as rough as Yang did, a soft smile on her face as she took on the sight of the blonde at the kitchen table. “You’re a mess.”

“Shush,” Yang said softly, still clutching her head. “It’s your fault. Coming over here with that barely there shirt on and those pants. I didn’t stand a chance.”

Blake laughed. “Next time I’ll show up to your party with a very heavy sweater on.”

“No you won’t.” Yang said with a weak smile. “Hey Weiss,” Blake called to her and when Weiss looked over Blake had a very mischievous look on her face. “Why don’t you go upstairs and check on Ruby. Let her know about breakfast.”  

Weiss felt her stomach sink to the floor. Blake knew. Weiss wasn’t sure how in the world Blake knew, but she did. She knew that Weiss had been here last night - maybe Sun told her. If he did, Weiss would kill him. Regardless, Blake knew and Yang didn’t know and Weiss was kinda scared of what Yang might do if she found out Weiss had shared a bedroom with her baby sister.

“Okay…” she said slowly. “I’ll...go check on Ruby.”

“Tell her I’m sorry the party got out of hand!” Yang said, raising her voice and only adding to her own suffering. “Oh and ask her if she wants chocolate milk! I can probably do that...probably. Ugh.”

Weiss rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to send a glare back at Blake who seemed to be enjoying this suffering far too much as she climbed off the couch, still basically naked and headed towards the kitchen.

Suddenly, Weiss was once again standing outside Ruby’s door and the room she’d spent one of the most intimate nights of her life in.

She reached up to knock but thought better of it. She knew the door was unlocked and knew Ruby was probably asleep still. If she were being honest, she didn’t really want to wake Ruby up. Weiss knew just how hard it was for Ruby to even fall asleep last night. The problem was that Yang didn’t know that Weiss knew Ruby hadn’t slept. According to Yang, Weiss had just shown up.

So she had to pretend, at least standing outside this door, that Ruby was still just some cute girl she worked with and not someone she’d cradled in her arms in the late hours of the night.  

The memory alone was enough to make Weiss’ heart race. She’d never felt so close to another person before - so protective.

Instead of knocking, Weiss opened the door slowly and peeked inside.

However, instead of seeing Ruby on the bed like she expected, she found Ruby already up and moving around.

In fact, Ruby had her back to the door and was changing out of her pajamas. Right in front of Weiss was the defined back muscles of Ruby Rose. This girl who seemed so small and cute somehow had the body of a long trained athlete. Sure, Weiss knew Ruby had been in the military, but being away clearly hadn’t taken from her training.

As much as she wanted to turn invisible and stand here watching Ruby change for the rest of her life (which would end even faster if Ruby happened to turn around) Weiss couldn’t help but stare not at the muscles, but at a jagged and penetrating scar on Ruby’s left shoulder. Weiss was no expert, but if she had to guess, she’d say it was a bullet hole.

The thought of Ruby being hurt like that made Weiss irrationally angry.

Stepping back, Weiss shut the door enough to hide herself and knocked. The sound made Ruby squeal and a moment later there was a thud and a lot of heavy rustling. A few moments later, the door opened and Ruby was there with a shirt on.

“Weiss?” She asked, leaning out the door just a bit to see if anyone else was around. “I--I thought you left?”

Weiss sighed. “I tried, but your sister was awake and saw me in your house so I panicked and just told her I’d arrived this morning and then she sent me up here to check on you because she feels guilty about the party being too rowdy and I think Blake knows I stayed here last night because Blake somehow seems to know everything . I think she hates me because she wouldn’t let me leave either and I just…”

“Weiss,” Ruby cut her off with a soft laugh. “I’m glad you’re still here.”

Somehow, Ruby made all of Weiss’ worries melt away. It was a little scary, how much her guard came down around this girl. “Me too.”

“So...breakfast?” Ruby asked, stepping out into the hall and closing her bedroom door behind her. Weiss couldn’t help but wish they were back there again. In the dark, locked away from the rest of the world. Feeling more alive than she had in years. “Eat with me?”

“Of course,” Weiss answered, far too quickly. “I did just get here after all.”

 Ruby laughed again. What a fantastic day.

Chapter Text

There were days when Ruby wished she’d never come back home. It was a thought that could be taken in a lot of ways. Sometimes she wished she’d stayed back home with her dad. She could help him tend to his garden. Make grocery store trips once a week and spend her nights sitting outside watching the sunset and planning out where she wanted to plant a new row of flowers the next day. 

Sometimes it was wish that she’d stayed in the military. At least when she was there, she didn’t have enough free time to think. She was always busy - always moving and never felt out of place. It felt more like a passion than a job. She loved the rush when something would come up and she’d have to run, gun in hand with her squad beside her. 

Then there were the days when she wished that bullet had gone just a few inches to the left.

Instead she was here. Wearing this ridiculously colored uniform and sitting on the bathroom floor trying to find the strength to go check on her tables. 

“This some kind of weird hazing thing you’re doing to Weiss, right?”

Startled, Ruby looked up to see Blake. “How are you so quiet?” 

Blake sat down next to her, crossing her legs and leaning against the closed stall next to Ruby. “I’m not, you’re just too used to living with your loud sister.” 

“Fair point.” Ruby said, taking a long breath and laying her head back against the cold, metal stall door. “What do you mean about Weiss?” 

“I mean she’s running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to cover all those tables. Bus of kids from out of town came in.” 

Darn it . 

“I should go help.” Saying it couldn’t make her legs move. 

“But?” Blake pressed. 

Ruby sighed and closed her eyes. “I’ll be fine.” 

“You know,”  Blake put a hand on her knee. Sometimes Ruby felt like she had two big sisters. “Fine really shouldn’t be the goal.” 

Blake always had a weird way of making Ruby smile. “It’s the best I’ve been able to do for the last few days.”

Months. Years.  

“Ruby,” Blake started and Ruby knew the tone and knew where it was going. “I know some people. I have people you could call...there’s no shame in seeking help.” 

She felt her head start to shake before Blake even finished. “I’m not ashamed I just…” her eyes burned. “You know Yang, you’ve met my dad and my uncle. I can’t...do that to them.” 

“It’s not about them.” 

“It is though!” Her voice raised and echoed off the walls. “I’ve spent my whole life hearing them talk about how much hope I give them and how...important I am to them and how hard it would be if they lost me.” She would not let herself cry in this bathroom. Not again. “I can’t stand to see the looks on their faces when I tell them that I’m...like this.” 

“You’re not responsible for their happiness, Ruby. You’re allowed to not be okay.”

“I’m not,” her voice cracked just a little. “I can’t put them through that.”

“Ruby, you joined the military, you were shot!”

“And look what it did to them? My dad...he…” the image of her father sobbing in that hospital room would haunt Ruby for the rest of her life. It was pain she’d caused. “I just...have to give it time. I’ll get through it and something will come along that will make me feel better or...I’ll forget it one day. I’ll wake up and it’ll be gone.” 

“Ruby…”

“Blake, please, I know. I just...can I just be not okay right now - with you, here in this bathroom?”

When Blake nodded, Ruby finally let herself relax. Blake always seemed to understand.

Ruby felt so guilty. She felt better, but she felt guilty. 

Weiss had worked her butt off and by the time Ruby made her way out of the bathroom, the whole restaurant was busy. The kids were wild, laughing and shouting - toasting their victory in baseball with milkshakes. 

They stayed for at least two hours, never stopped ordering food and Yang was happy to make it. 

Eventually, they had their fill and decided to go home, but not before the team’s coach tipped a generous amount of lien. 

Ruby couldn’t help but watch Weiss, wiping down a table with her eyes glazed over. She was a mess but she somehow managed to look even cuter. Her hair was a mess, no longer the absolute perfection it usually was. She had milkshake stains on here apron and ketchup on her shoes. Ruby could tell that Weiss just wanted to lie down. 

“Okay, damn that was a good day. We’ve got three-fifty in tips for both of you!” 

Ruby swore Weiss’ face actually lit up when Yang handed her that money. She’d worked so hard - way harder than Ruby who’d spent the better part of it feeling sorry for herself. 

“Actually, go with six for Weiss and the rest for me. She did most of the work.” 

Weiss looked genuinely confused, staring at Ruby like she’d just grown a second head or something. It’d be nice to have a second head, another place to take on some of the wild things that ran through her mind all the time. 

“Ruby, I - I couldn’t…”

“You earned it, Weiss. You did really well while I was...dealing with some stuff. Take it, please. I’d feel guilty if I got more than this.”

Hesitantly, Weiss accepted the extra money, her blue eyes still wide with shock. She looked like she was waiting for Ruby to say ‘syke’ and take all the money for herself. “Thank you, Ruby. You must let me take you out to eat or something. It’s the least I can do.” Weiss looked around. “In a real restaurant.” 

“I heard that!” Yang shouted as she headed back into the kitchen.

Ruby could only laugh at Weiss’ wince, she was super cute. 

If she were being honest, Ruby really didn’t want to start falling for anyone - let alone someone as fragile as Weiss, who was clearly trying to start her own life over again.

Still, that didn’t stop Ruby’s stupid heart from making really stupid decisions and fluttering every time Weiss looked at her. 

Unfortunately, her brain wasn’t any better. “Dinner would be nice.” 

Weiss smiled, or better yet, beamed and nearly blind Ruby with perfect teeth. “You want to pick the place? We can go right now, I’m starving.”

“How about The Funhouse?” It was a really cute restaurant that Ruby always liked to go to when she was younger. Even now it made her smile, helped her to feel like a kid again. 

Some strange part of her really wanted to show Weiss - to maybe help her find her smile a little more. 

“That sounds...classy.” She smirked a little as she spoke and Ruby felt herself melting again. Damn this white haired princess. “You lead the way.” 

As Ruby guided Weiss out of Brewed Awakening, she heard Yang shouting from the kitchen. “Be safe! Use protection!” 

“I don’t like guns!”

“That’s not what I meant!” 

Weiss grabbed Ruby by the hand and dragged her out the door.

To say Weiss wasn’t a fan of The Funhouse would be a massive understatement. She looked absolutely horrified the moment they walked through the doors. 

Sure, it was a bit overwhelming. The walls were brightly colored and the tables were all shaped differently. There was a huge play area right in the middle of the building and dozens of kids were running freely and screaming. 

Ruby felt kind of bad for picking a place like this without giving Weiss any input. After all, they were eating with Weiss’ money - but she also felt like this might be a test for Weiss. The Funhouse was a Ruby kind of place. Loud, crazy but mostly an escape where she could cloud her mind with crazy kids and good pizza. 

Her favorite pizza in Vale.

Looking across the table, Ruby watched Weiss study the chaos currently happening on the giant play center. It was especially busy on a Friday night, the kids were just getting their weekend started - they were hopped up on pizza and soda and having an absolute blast. 

Weiss seemed generally horrified, flinching at every loud bang and scream as if they might turn around and start coming after her. Yet, she hadn’t complained once - even if Ruby could tell it was killing her not to. 

“Doesn’t seem like you’ve spent much time with kids?” 

“That’s because I haven’t.” Weiss answered, still not looking at Ruby. 

“Not a fan?”

Weiss shrugged before refocusing on Ruby. Though she still seemed ready to jump out of her chair at a moment’s notice. “I don’t hate them. They’re more than welcome to exist and be...near me. I just don’t think I’ve been around this many at once before. Do all the parents here just not care what goes on? I’ve seen multiple kids licking the sides of that giant slide and I have no idea why or what diseases they might be exchanging.” 

Ruby laughed and shook her head. Weiss was clearly so far out of her element. “Parents are tired. It’s Friday, they’ve worked all week and taken care of their families. You bring them to a place like this because you can just kinda let them go and relax for a bit. The kids are happy, the parents are happy and the pizza is incredible.” 

“I see,” Weiss nodded, casually stirring her soda with a straw. A soda she hadn’t taken a drink from yet. “Can I tell you something?” She sounded unexpectedly serious. 

“Of course.” Ruby answered immediately. She felt a mixture of anxiety and delight that Weiss might be willing to share something personal with her. 

Weiss looked up at her, a deep frown on her face. “I’ve never had pizza before.” 

That was...not at all what Ruby was expecting. “I--what?” She saw Weiss’ smile develop and groaned. “Aw come on, Weiss. I thought we were about to share some super secret life stuff with each other!” 

“I thought that was quite the revelation. How often do you meet a pizza virgin?” 

Ruby stole Weiss’ signature move and rolled her eyes. “I find it hard to believe you’ve never had pizza before. Everyone’s had pizza!”

“Nope, never.” Weiss shook her head. “My father hired chefs from all over Remnant to cook for him. We ate liver, duck, this special kind of fish that would literally kill you if it wasn’t properly prepared - but never pizza.” 

Ruby was shocked, but she wasn’t entirely sure which part shocked her the most. “Wait...there’s a fish that will kill you if it’s not cooked right?” Weiss nodded. “Is it piranhas? Like if you don’t take out all their teeth they’ll eat your stomach?!” Even the thought of it was horrifying. 

“No you dolt,” Weiss retook her signature move and rolled her eyes. “The special preparation simply requires you to remove a poison gland. It’s a delicate process.” 

“Oh,” that was less scary. “Was it any good?” 

“Not good enough to risk dying for.” 

“Pizza is!”

Weiss seemed doubtful. “The way you’re hyping it up, it’d better be.” 

“It will be!” Ruby waved Weiss off at the sheer nonsense of assuming pizza would be anything other than spectacular. “Way better than liver or death fish.” 

“How can you know if you’ve never had either? Hmmm, perhaps if I choose our next meal, that’s what we’ll have.” 

Ruby paled, but not at the idea of eating nasty liver or a fish that might kill her. “Next time?” 

Though it didn’t seem possible given her already light complexion, Weiss also seemed to lose color in her cheeks. 

“I--I don’t see why not. We work together and you’re not completely insufferable to be around.” Weiss’ shy words and the way she struggled to maintain eye contact was all Ruby needed to fall even more. 

For a day that had been so hard, it was ending on the highest note she could remember in years. “I’d like that. More dinners and stuff...with you. It’s neat having someone to hang out with at Yang’s stupid parties.” 

“I agree,” Weiss said with a smile. “They are stupid.” 

The pizza that night was the best Ruby had ever eaten. 

“Are you sure it’s safe to walk alone this late at night?” Weiss asked, for the tenth time, as they approached her hotel. 

Ruby could only laugh and appreciate the worry. “It’s fine, trust me. Plus I don’t walk, I run and nobody can catch me.” 

“Is that so?” 

“Yep! Been a sprinter my whole life. Took a few championship trophies home because of it in high school.” She flexed her amrs for good measure, not sure why because running didn’t really give her the arm muscles she had. Still, she kinda sorta wanted to show them off just because she’d caught Weiss staring at them before and anything she could do to impress Weiss tonight was worth it. 

It seemed to have the desired effect because Weiss looked right at them and then quickly looked away. 

“I used to have a personal gym at home - I do miss it. The gym at this hotel is...subpar to say the least.”

Ruby frowned. “You used to have lots of stuff at home, huh?” 

Weiss nodded, looking away towards the hotel entrance. “I had a lot. Not everything, though.” 

“Not the best pizza in Remnant.” Ruby nudged Weiss a little with her elbow, earning the desired smile. 

“Definitely not that.” She watched as Weiss clasped her hands in front of her, standing straight and perfect, Weiss stared at the ground. “Tonight was very nice, Ruby. I really needed it after today.” 

“You rocked today, Weiss! I’m sorry I left you to scramble with all those customers and stuff. I won’t do it again.” Ruby knew she couldn’t really make promises like that. If only because she couldn’t really control when her energy would break down on her again. 

Still, she would try really hard.

“It was worth it.” Weiss said, finally looking up. Ruby was a little blown away at how much Weiss’ words were making her stomach do that weird flippy floppy thing. “I’d...really like to do this again with you.”

Ruby beamed. “Me too! Next time you can pick the place and I’ll pay!” 

“That works,” Weiss looked almost relieved. Like maybe she thought Ruby might turn her down. Who in their right mind would turn down a night out with Weiss. She was so cool! “I promise, no liver.”

“Or death fish.”

Weiss rolled her eyes but still held her smile. “No death fish.” Weiss swallowed thickly and took a step towards Ruby. “How about next Friday? I’ll do a little research and see if there are any proper establishments in Vale.” 

“I don’t know if there are any near here. We’re not exactly a four star part of the cty. But a little further into town might have some! It’s a little longer of a trip but the city is so cool.”

“I’m sure I’ll find something...o-only if you’re interested.”

“I totally am!” Ruby tried to keep her smile and her energy, but Weiss was just...so...close to her. “I should…”

Before she could finish, Weiss stood up on her tiptoes and gave Ruby a very soft, lingering kiss on the cheek. The feeling of Weiss’ lips on her skin was like being touched by magic. The flippy floppies in her stomach increased to a level she didn’t think was possible. When Weiss pulled away, she had a tint of red in her cheeks and quickly took three or four steps back towards the hotel entrance. 

“Please be safe walking home.” Weiss said, tucking away a bit of hair behind her ear in the most adorable way. Ruby nodded, apparently unable to create anymore words with her brain. “Goodnight, Ruby.”

“Goodnight,” she said breathily, like a smitten teenager who’d never been kissed before. Which was totally not true, she’d been kissed tons of times, by tons of people!

Two…

When Weiss finally did go inside, Ruby touched where Weiss’ lips had been and tried to remember what that whole moment felt like. Part of her wanted to run home and tell Yang all about it. 

Another part, the part that would most likely win, wanted to keep it all to herself. 

As she made her way home, Ruby couldn’t help but realize that she’d just went on an actual date. For the first time in years, and she really really wanted to go on another one.

Chapter Text

“Do you really need two bedrooms?” 

Weiss looked up at Sun with complete and utter disdain. “Where are my guests going to sleep?”

“What guests?” 

“Well, certainly not you.”

This only made Sun laugh. “Fair enough,” 

“I’m simply trying to maximise my space. If there happens to be a two bedroom apartment in my price range, I’m going to find it.”

“What is your price range?” This time it was Neptune, who Weiss didn’t even think was paying attention. 

“I’ve determined that if I pick up a few extra shifts during the week, I can most certainly afford at the most, a thousand lien a month.”

“Don’t forget to factor in first and last month’s rent.” Yang chimed in and Weiss wasn’t even entirely sure what she’d just said. 

“Oh and make sure utilities are included.” 

“And that you have enough for food.” 

Weiss scoffed. “Can’t I just eat here?” 

“Every meal?” Neptune said as if she were insane. 

“You’ll also need to pay for network service.” Sun said. “Otherwise you’ll just be staring at your wall every night when you go home.”

Weiss glared up at him. “Would that be much different than this conversation?” Of course, Sun just winked at her because he was obnoxious and Weiss knew she was being mean. Still, she had such a plan and they were overwhelming her and ruining it. “I apologize, I just…I cannot stay in that hotel any longer. I need my own space.” 

Suddenly, Yang was behind her and leaning over her and putting herself in Weiss’ space as she touched on the screen of Blake’s Scrollbook. “Then you need to do...this.” Weiss watched her drop the price range from a thousand, down to five-hundred lien. “I can get you extra shifts, but probably not as many as you think because I can’t just take them away from other people. Don’t think of what your max price can be, think about what your comfortable minimum could be.”

“Comfortable minimum?” Weiss asked, understanding well enough where Yang was going, but as she saw the new apartments that came up on screen, they all looked less than appealing. 

“Yeah! I know you want to live on a thousand, but imagine if you could live on half of that and have the other half to pay for good meals and fast network service. Furniture to go in your new place because you can’t just sit on the floor. It’s not exactly the Schnee manor, but even if it’s a bit of a fixer upper, it’s still yours.” 

It all sounded very nice, and Weiss did want her own space, desperately. The unfortunate truth was that she couldn’t imagine showing any of the places she was scrolling through now to Winter. For as supportive as her sister was, Winter was still a Schnee and she still believed they were at least a little bit above even the upper class. Winter would see Weiss new one bedroom apartment with it’s tiny bathroom and inconsequential kitchen and evict Weiss herself. 

Still, she knew she couldn’t stay in that hotel forever. Even if the place she found wasn’t exactly up to the Schnee standard, it would still be something. It would be a sign that she could make it, that she could live on her own. 

She’d done well enough so far. She had a job and she’d made friends...some of them not by choice. 

Then there was…

“Where’s Ruby?” Weiss asked, looking up at Yang who was still searching through the available apartments. 

“She’s with Blake today.” Yang didn’t elaborate any further, which of course only made Weiss more curious. 

“What are they doing?” 

Yang tapped her fingers on the touchscreen. “Not my place to say, princess.” Drat . “Hey, what’s this tab?” When Weiss refocused on the screen, she felt her heart start to race.

“It’s nothing!” She reached out to touch the screen, only for Yang to pick up the entire laptop and walk away. “Yang Xiao Long!” 

“Relax, I’m just curious. These are fancy dresses you’re shopping for here.”

Weiss stomped towards Yang, ready to rip the Scrollbook away from her. However, when Yang stuck a hand on her shoulder to stop her, she was immediately...stopped. How was anyone this strong?

“I’m not shopping, I was just looking!” Weiss continued to push against Yang’s arm with futility. 

“Oh and looking for fancy restaurants in Vale. How much money do you think I’m giving you?”

“Yang,” Weiss stopped struggling against Yang’s apparently immovable left arm and tried a more sympathetic approach. 

“Fine,” she handed the Scrollbook back to Weiss. “But if you ask me, you’re shopping around for a date. Both attire and location.” 

Weiss decided to close the Scrollbook altogether. “Well fortunately, I didn’t ask you.” 

Yang grinned at her as she tied up her apron - it was almost time to open. “Well if you’re trying to woo my baby sister, I’d probably be the perfect person to ask.” She finished the thought with a wink before heading back to the kitchen. 

Weiss sincerely hated how perceptive everyone here was. 

It happened thirty minutes into her shift. 

The day had started out so well - her first customer was a kind old man who just wanted an omelet and some company. He chatted with Weiss, asking her if she knew anything about his favorite band from when he was a kid. Strangely enough, she’d actually heard of them through her grandfather and when she told him, his face lit up. 

He was so kind and left her a very generous tip, promising to come back in again soon. 

Weiss felt so great, then Yang told her that her scroll had gone off in the locker room - when she went to check it during a lull, she couldn’t believe what she saw. 

FATHER

Why did he call her? Why on Remnant would he call her? He was the one that told her she didn’t belong in his home. When they’d screamed at each other that night, Weiss was certain it was the last time she’d ever see or speak to him. 

In a lot of ways, she hoped it was. 

Now he was calling her? She couldn’t even imagine what for. 

He must have sensed it, the gods awful human being he was, he must have sensed that she was finally starting to feel good and comfortable here and he wanted to tear that away from her. 

She didn’t call him back, she couldn’t. She instead texted her sister asking if there was any reason in particular he might be trying to contact her. 

Winter hadn’t messaged her back yet, so instead Weiss was left to continue her work with her mind halfway across Remnant, thinking about her father. 

Of course, his had a large impact on her workrate and made her not only mix up orders but forget to check on tables altogether. She was a mess, and it wasn’t long before Yang took her off the floor entirely. 

“Just...just stay behind the counter and serve coffee. Can you do that for me today?” 

Weiss could only lower her head like a properly scolded puppy. “I can.”

Yang was clearly exasperated, and Weiss couldn’t really blame her. She was trying to run a business and Weiss’ personal drama and her inability to handle it was hurting that business. 

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful, no doubt Yang’s intention by basically banning Weiss from leaving the counter. 

As the last of the dinner crowd left, Weiss finally received a text back from Winter. It didn’t really help much - Winter didn’t have any answers as to why their father would be trying to contact Weiss. She merely told Weiss that she could go crawling back, or continue trying to figure herself out where she was. 

Weiss did not want to go back. Certainly this was much harder and more stressful, but at least she could be herself here. She could be free to do whatever she pleased and pursue the things she truly wanted - not the things she was told she wanted. 

Even if Weiss didn’t know exactly what she wanted. 

“What happened today, Weiss?” Yang’s use of her actual name was a clear sign that this was a serious conversation. She moved around the counter where the customers sat and pulled up a stool. Yang looked worn out from a long day, her hair a mess, button down shirt covered in bits of flour and other various...things used for cooking.

Still, she seemed attentive and genuine in her question. Even if her motive might be just to decide if Weiss needed to be fired. 

“My...father messaged me this morning. It threw me off and I failed to recover. I apologize for my lack of focus today. It won’t happen again.” 

Yang gave her a curious look, one Weiss couldn’t read. “You drink, Schnee?” 

Weiss shook her head quickly. “I do not. My mother does enough for the both of us.” 

“Ah,” Yang smiled just a bit. “Do you mind if I do?” 

“Of course not.” 

“Do you mind pouring me a drink?” 

Weiss narrowed her eyes. “Do you...have drinks here?” 

“Under the counter, behind the broken cash register.”

Glancing down, Weiss did, in fact, see a broken cash register. She knelt down and pushed it out of the way, revealing a rather large bottle of Vacuan Tequila. “Why is there a broken cash register down here?”

Somehow, Yang had found a glass and held it out. “To hide the tequila.” Weiss could only roll her eyes and pour Yang a drink. The smell tickling a memory in the back of her mind she desperately wanted to rid herself of. “So your parents don’t sound too great.” 

“That’s because they’re not. My mother is an alcoholic and my father is every variation of hate descriptor you could possibly imagine - and I’m fairly certain the thing he hates the most is me.”  

“Yikes,” Yang said as she took a sip of her drink. “My mom hates me too.” Weiss was surprised at the admission. Though she hadn’t really intended to pour her family tragedy out on Yang like that, she never imagined receiving a reciprocation. “At least I assume she does. She split pretty much as soon as I was born. The few times I’ve tried to reach out to her I was basically told to stop trying.” 

“That’s…terrible.” It was more shocking than anything else. Weiss always felt as if she wore her broken heart on her sleeve. That anyone who saw her could tell immediately that she had a broken family. 

Yet seeing Yang and even Ruby, the way they carried themselves and how they’d picked themselves up and moved forward with their lives, Weiss never would have imagined they’d been through so much.  

“Everybody’s got a story. Hey, Ilia!” Yang shouted out and Weiss looked up to see Sun’s friend, who she’d never officially met, standing by one of the windows and cleaning it. “You had a shit childhood, right?” 

Ilia came over, rag over her shoulder and a bottle of some kind of yellow cleaner in her hand. She was actually very pretty. “Oh absolutely. Parents died in a mining accident when I was in school.” 

“Oh my goodness,” Weiss gasped. “I’m so sorry. That’s…”

“It’s in the past. You have nothing to apologize for, at least not to me.” Ilia sat down next to Yang. “We drinking away our childhood trauma?” 

Yang tipped her glass a bit before drinking from it. “Weiss, serve up another one for my girl here.”

“Do I look like a bartender?” 

A moment later, Ilia took the rag off her own shoulder and laid it across Weiss’. It smelled like lemon. 

“Now you do.” 

Resigned to defeat, Weiss found another glass under the counter and poured Ilia a drink as well. 

“To our tragic youth!” Yang said as she held up her glass. Ilia did the same and they both looked at Weiss. 

She didn’t have a drink, so instead she simply held up her empty hand and pretended to join them. 

It seemed to appease the two because they cheered and drank and Weiss couldn’t help but feel a little bit less alone in the world. 

Weiss was never a great driver. It wasn’t something she was ever asked to do much during her time in Atlas. It wasn’t considered proper for a Schnee to drive themselves anywhere - that’s what the help is for - her father would say. 

Unfortunately, her very limited experience driving was still far better than letting Yang behind the wheel. 

Ilia lived close enough that she could, apparently, walk home. It almost sounded like Ilia lived on the street from the way she put it, but Weiss wasn’t courageous enough to ask. Either way, she’d left of her own accord and that left Weiss with a very intoxicated and very loud, Yang Xiao Long.

The car ride was long, Weiss called upon every bit of patience she had as she tried to focus on the ever darkening road as the sun went down. Yang wasn’t making things any easier, blasting music as loudly as possible and then trying to sing over it. 

By the time they did finally make it to Yang’s home, Weiss was clutching the steering wheel of Yang’s car so tightly she thought she might break through it. 

“Yang,” she said, startling Yang who was making faces at herself in the rearview mirror. “We’re here.” 

“Oh good! I’m starving .” Yang said as she opened the door and immediately fell out of the car. “Whoops!” She laughed so loud it echoed off the sky and Weiss turned off the vehicle and made her way to the other side to help Yang up. 

Yang was heavy, Weiss was certainly smaller than Yang, but she was surprised at just how big Yang actually was. Her waist was firm, her shoulders were wide and her arms were strong. It was a struggle to guide Yang up the three stairs to the front door. 

“Do you have a key to get in?” 

Yang looked down at Weiss and smirked. “Yep,” she then proceeded to pound on the door with her foot. “RUBY! LET ME IN!” 

Weiss rolled her eyes, thankful that Ruby and Yang lived on top of a hill far enough away from anyone else that nobody would likely hear Yang’s drunken shouting. Fortunately, she didn’t have to hold this giant up for long because the door opened soon enough and there stood Ruby. 

Not just Ruby, Ruby with shampoo in her hair and very fluffy towel wrapped around her. 

Gods her shoulders are incredible. 

“Yang?” Ruby frowned as soon as she saw her. “I thought something was wrong! You scared me screaming like that!” 

Yang stumbled through the door, nearly knocking Weiss to the ground. “Sorry, Rubes! Had a little after work party with Ilia and Weiss.” 

“Weiss?” Ruby looked at Weiss curiously. 

“They drank, I drove.” 

Ruby smiled. “Thanks for that.”

“I’m gonna take a shower, Ruby!” Yang shouted and Weiss saw Ruby’s eyes go as wide as saucers. 

“No! I need to rinse my hair.” Ruby sprinted towards the bathroom. “Come in, Weiss. I’ll be right--” the door closed behind Ruby before she finished her sentence.

Weiss was suddenly left alone, standing in the doorway. She couldn’t exactly leave, none of these vehicles were hers. Calling a ride would still take at least ten minutes to get here. 

“You’re letting bugs in,” another voice spoke and Weiss jumped in shock. She looked into the kitchen and saw Blake sitting at the table with a bowl of something in her hand. 

“What are...what? Why didn’t you answer the door?” Weiss wasn’t sure why that was the question she asked, but damn Blake and her ninja silence.

“I was going to, but Ruby beat me to it. She’s real fast.” Blake held up her bowl. “Plus I was making dinner.” 

Weiss stepped inside and shut the door behind her. “That’s hardly dinner.” 

“Not the caviar and lobster you’re used to, huh?” 

“Caviar and lobster would be a horrible combination.” 

“You would know.” 

“Will you stop!” Weiss stomped her foot for good measure. “I’m trying .”

Surprisingly, Blake smiled. It wasn’t even a sarcastic or derisive one. “I’m mostly kidding, you know? I gave you hell when you first showed up but...it’s nice not being the only stray around here.” Blake wiggled her faunus ears for good measure. 

Weiss sighed. “I suppose I am.” 

“You hungry? It’s good cereal” Blake asked, holding up her bowl.

“I’m afraid I’ve never had…”

“Of course you haven’t,” Blake sat her bowl down and moved to retrieve another one. “You know, it’s impressive. I figured with all that money you’d have done and seen everything. Yet you feel like this brand new person that’s never experienced anything.”

“That’s probably because I haven’t. Before I came here, everyday was basically scheduled for me. Every meal, every activity - I went to bed at certain times, woke up at certain times. I certainly didn’t eat…” Weiss looked at the box next to Blake. “Cocoa balls? Are these just tiny balls of sugar?”

Blake shook her head and started pouring. “No, they’re chocolate balls of sugar.” She then picked up a carton of milk. 

“Is that low fat?” Weiss asked, immediately wondering why she did. 

“Sure.” Blake lied, clearly. 

Before she could even think of an excuse, Weiss had a bowl of Cocoa Balls shoved into her hands. Cautiously, she scooped up a spoonful and held it up to examine. They looked...edible enough - they certainly smelled chocolatey, which was pleasant. 

“It’s not poison.” Turning back, Weiss saw Ruby coming up behind her. Now wearing a very cute robe with tiny little puppies on it. Hair wet as she ran a towel over it. She looked absolutely beautiful. Weiss had the fleeting thought of seeing this sight every single morning if they were married. 

Which was a ridiculous thought for about a thousand different reasons. 

With Ruby behind her, Weiss took a bite and let it sit in her mouth for a moment. It certainly wasn’t poison, in fact, it wasn’t nearly as bad as she’d been expecting. The milk seemed to make the chocolate flavor even more appealing. Weiss crunched down and the flavors seemed to explode even more.

“What is this?” She asked, watching Ruby’s face light up. 

“It’s so good, right?” 

“It’s incredible!” Weiss wanted to stop talking so she could keep eating. 

“Blaaaaaake!” Yang’s voice cried out from the bathroom. Blake let out a heavy sigh and made eye contact with Ruby. 

Ruby shrugged. “She was giggling like crazy when I last saw her.”

Setting her bowl down, Blake rose from the table and made her way towards her girlfriend or...whatever it was Ruby had described them as. 

As Weiss continued to eat, she watched Ruby move to make her own bowl. 

It was hard to explain, but Weiss found herself feeling an overwhelming sense of happiness. The moment was so small, but being in someone’s home, as the sun went down, eating a breakfast food was so rebellious and freeing compared to anything she’d done with the first twenty-plus years of her life. 

For these girls, it was just another night, but for Weiss...she sincerely felt like she’d made the absolute right choice, for the first time since she left. She felt comfortable and thrilled at the idea that she could do anything she wanted, with nobody around to tell her otherwise. It was her life. If she wanted, she could set her bowl down right now and kiss Ruby in the middle of the kitchen. 

Her father wouldn’t even be there to tell her how wrong and disgraceful she was. 

“You okay?” Ruby asked and Weiss jumped. 

That’s when Weiss realized she’d zoned out. Uneasy, she carefully sat her bowl down and found herself looking at Ruby. This beautiful girl who had been so kind to her from the moment they met. Who’d given her a job and helped more than Weiss could ever begin to repay her for. 

She wanted to kiss her. It’d be silly at this point to pretend Weiss didn’t have a crush, a big one. Ruby was the exact opposite of every person Weiss had ever imagined herself falling for, and yet, here she was. The happiest she’d ever been just standing in a kitchen with her doing nothing at all. 

“Ruby?” Weiss only partly hated herself for not having the courage to just kiss her like people did in films - but this seemed like the better approach?

Ruby still looked curious and a bit concerned. “What’s up?” 

Weiss swallowed the growing lump in her throat, she just needed to say ten words and this would all be over. One way or another. 

“Would you like to go on a date with me?” 

She waited, for what felt like forever but was probably just three seconds. 

When she did meet Ruby’s eyes, they were wide and perhaps a little unsure. She put her bowl on the counter next to Weiss’ and suddenly smiled. 

“Second date.” Ruby said, her grin growing. “I...kinda sorta considered the pizza place as our first one.” 

“Oh,” Weiss felt her heart start to race. That night at the pizza establishment had been fun, despite the awful setting and Weiss wanted to pretend it was a date, but she had no idea Ruby flat out considered it one. “Th-then I would like to take you out on a... second date.” 

“I’d love to!” Ruby threw her hands in the air for good measure, which Weiss found obnoxiously adorable. “Though, technically, could be our third date if this cereal meal together is our second.” Ruby took another bite, winking as she did. 

Weiss was in trouble.

Chapter Text

“Are you sure about this?”

“Of course I’m sure, you look amazing!” 

Ruby decided to twirl a few more times in front of the mirror, her red dress swaying from side to side. She did like this dress, it fit well and the black trim along the neckline of a red dress did match her hair, but that didn’t stop Ruby from worrying that she just wasn’t cut out for stuff like this. 

She was a military girl, even before that she mostly just wore whatever was comfortable. Ruby was far more likely to be caught in workout clothes than anything like this. 

“I wish we were going back to The Funhouse. At least there I know I can read everything on the menu.”

Yang could only laugh as she still had her phone out taking pictures. “I’m sure you’ll be able to read the menu. You’re only going to downtown Vale It’s not like she’s taking you to Atlas.” 

“What if I mess up though? What if...oh! What if there’s one of those weird extra forks, and I don’t know if I should use it in my salad or on my steak? You think Weiss will want to date someone who doesn’t know what the proper fork to use is?” 

“You don’t even like salad.” She watched Yang’s face scrunch up in the mirror. “Also, didn’t she ask you out over cereal in our kitchen?” 

Ruby found herself smiling as she remembered. Weiss had been so nervous and cute. She had such a calm presence about herself so to see her uneasy like that, and to be the reason for it, was kind of awesome. Even if Ruby was having a really hard time wrapping her head around the reasons why Weiss would ask her of all people. 

“So...how was your day with Blake?” Yang’s question had been one that Ruby knew she’d been holding on to for a while. It was easy to see it coming when Yang was studying the scar on Ruby’s back - visible with the cut of this dress. She’d considered hiding it, but it wasn’t really something she was ashamed of. If anything, it was her one true reminder of the people she’d loved so much at the time. 

She put her hands to her side and decided it was easier to talk to Yang through the safety of the mirror. “Hard,” she shrugged. “I don’t really like talking about myself in front of people. Especially not about...that.” 

Yang nodded, still looking at her scroll but clearly listening. “I’m proud of you, you know that right? It’s hard to admit you need help.” Yang placed her scroll in her lap but still didn’t look up at Ruby. “It’s also okay that you couldn’t come to me. I know I can be a little bit...too much sometimes, but If you ever need me I’ll be here.” 

Ruby felt the tears burning in the back of her eyes. That feeling was nothing compared to the guilt twisting in her stomach. “I know,” she said, not sure she could say anything else without losing it. “Will you...help me with my makeup?” She did need help, but she also needed out of this conversation. 

Yang’s smile came back in full, she stood up and practically bounced over to Ruby. “Hell yes. You’re gonna melt that little Weiss-icicle’s heart tonight.” 

Ruby was all over the place as she drove to pick up Weiss. She wanted so desperately to go back to being excited, as excited as she was the night Weiss asked her. A part of her was, she genuinely couldn’t be more excited to spend a night like this with Weiss. 

Over the course of the past few days, their relationship had changed so much. They would stop and smile at each other during their shifts at work. When they’d first see each other in the morning, Weiss would walk over hug her for no real reason other than to say hello. It was nice to be able to walk into a room and have someone like Weiss notice her and immediately react to her. It was a feeling Ruby had never really had before. 

Ruby was excited to spend this night with Weiss, but the other part of her mind, the one she fought through every single day, knew she couldn’t keep her past from Weiss if they were going to actually have a chance. 

It was scary, because Ruby knew all along that she was kinda broken. She’d shown Weiss parts of that and at the time, Weiss was supportive and helpful, but there was so much more. So many things Ruby had a hard enough time coming to grips with on her own - let alone telling the girl she liked about them. 

Still, she knew she couldn’t show up at Weiss’ hotel with all these conflicting feelings. No, she had to be happy, she had to let that part of herself win because she wanted tonight to go well. She really really liked Weiss, and not in the same way she’d liked anyone else.

As she parked in front of Weiss’ hotel, which wasn’t nearly as fancy as she’d imagined, Ruby stepped out of Yang’s truck and couldn’t help but notice a few people staring at her. A tiny girl in a dress climbing out of a lifted truck with massive tires did probably look a little strange. Not to mention how loud it was. 

She really needed her own car.

Weiss was the first thing Ruby noticed when she stepped through the doors and into the hotel lobby. She was hard to miss. 

Nothing about her outfit was what Ruby had expected. Knowing Weiss as she had the last few months, she just assumed Weiss wore dresses and perfectly applied makeup all the time. 

Tonight though, Weiss had mixed everything up and it felt like the wires in Ruby’s head were crossed and short circuiting.

First of all, Weiss wasn’t wearing a dress at all. Instead, she was wearing a white, button down shirt with it’s collar turned down. To go along with that, she had a pair of black dress pants that fit her perfectly. Her makeup was simple, but there was a healthy amount of smokey shadow that made her blue eyes light up. 

“W-Weiss?” Ruby forced herself to speak, she couldn’t just stand there and stare forever, even if that would be a fine way to spend her evening. 

Suddenly, those blue eyes found her, and Weiss smiled and all of Ruby’s nerves slipped away. She looked beautiful, seemingly untouchable, but she was still just... Weiss and she was waiting for Ruby. 

“Your shoulders should honestly be illegal,” Weiss said and Ruby knew she was blushing, but she wasn’t out of sorts enough to not flex just a little.

“I might have gone to the gym today.” Ruby found herself smiling at Weiss’ eye roll. 

“So, the restaurant I found is just a short distance away, if you don’t mind a walk?” 

“Not at all,” that sounded much better than climbing back into Yang’s truck.

Together, they made their way out of the hotel and onto the street. It was fairly busy, a lot of people using Saturday to wash away a long week and enjoy themselves. This was the first Saturday in a long time Ruby could remember going out like this. Most of them were spent back home playing video games and hanging out with Yang and Blake.

Tonight though, she was accompanying the most beautiful woman in Remnant out to dinner. 

“So how’s the apartment hunt going?”

Weiss sighed. “Not as well as I’d like. I think I’ll have to keep renting a room here while I save money. I want to find a decent place with a good location, close to work - since I don’t have a vehicle. If I had my trust fund I could just buy the hotel and sleep in a different room every night.”

Ruby glanced over at Weiss, waiting for the confirmation of the joke. She knew that Weiss had come from money, Blake had told her as much, but that much money?

“Are you...serious?” 

Weiss smirked. “I wouldn’t buy that hotel, Ruby. It’s horrendous.” 

“But...I mean...you could? If you had your trust fund?” 

“I could,” she said, sounding a bit uncomfortable. “My family has a lot of money.” 

“And you left all of that to live here on your own? Working for my sister and living in a hotel?” Ruby hated to press, but she couldn’t stop herself. 

Weiss slowed her steps, wrapping her arms around waist. “It was the only choice I had.” 

“You’re super brave, Weiss.” Ruby was genuinely blown away. When Weiss looked back at her again, she seemed shocked at Ruby’s admiration of her. She was practically blushing. “I don’t think I could do something like that.”

“Didn’t you join the military and fight in combat?” 

“Well yeah,” Ruby threw her arms in the air. “But that was just cause I was a silly kid who thought weapons and monster hunting was fun! Not like...real life brave stuff like you did.” 

“You’re overthinking it. All I did was board an airship and fly away from home. A home I was no longer welcome in.”

Ruby waved her off as they started to pick up the pace again. “No, no, no. You’re thinking about it all wrong! You’re like...a princess , and you escaped the castle and the evil king and found freedom and happiness and a low paying job serving food to strangers! Just like all the fairy tales!”

This made Weiss laugh, a sharp and uninhibited laugh that made Ruby smile involuntarily. 

A moment later, Weiss bumped into Ruby with her hip. “Does that make you my knight in shining armor?” 

“If this dress counts as shining armor, sure.” She gave a little twirl for good measure. 

Weiss shook her head. “I’m not sure the dress counts, but with arms like that, I think I’ll be safe.” 

Ruby made a mental note to thank Yang for making her go to the gym all those years ago. It was really paying off tonight. 

“Oh good, we’re here.” Weiss stopped and looked up at their destination. 

Ruby had been so entranced with conversation that she hadn’t realized the direction they were walking. 

Brewed Awakening

“Wait... here ?” 

Weiss smiled shyly. “Yang informed me that it would be counterproductive to go to a fancy restaurant for overpriced food and drinks, when I also claim to be saving money for an apartment. So she said I could borrow the diner for the evening. There won’t be anyone else here, just the two of us and...she cooked. It’s waiting inside.” Weiss said as she pulled out a set of keys from the pocket of her dress pants. “If...that’s all right?” 

“That sounds awesome!” Ruby gently took the keys from Weiss’ hand and made her way to the door. She unlocked it with ease and held the door open. “M’lady,” she said, bowing ever-so-slightly. It was hard to do in the dress. Thank goodness she’d passed on the heels Yang kept trying to squeeze her in.

As Weiss walked by her, she hesitated for just a moment before leaning over and giving Ruby a soft kiss on the cheek. 

Ruby would never get used to that. 

“Okay,” Ruby pressed play on the stereo and turned up the volume a couple notches. “It’s the best I could find - Blake likes movie soundtracks and this one isn’t too intense.” She listened for a moment as she made her way back into the dining area. The piano playing was soft and rhythmic - she’d put the same, fifteen minute score on repeat and hoped that would be enough to serenade them through the evening. 

“What music does Yang usually have playing?” 

Ruby came back out to find Weiss setting two plates on either side of one of the center dining tables. “I think she just plays loops diner music videos she finds online. Everything about this place is like that. Yang just wanted a restaurant so she could cook and be her own boss. All the other stuff is just her kinda winging it.”

“Hmm, well she’s done well. It’s always busy.” 

Weiss came around to Ruby’s side and gently slid Ruby’s chair out for her. It was super cute and unexpected and Ruby was also a little shaken up by how close Weiss was to he and how great she smelled. 

“Thank you,” she said and Weiss nodded as Ruby sat down. “I have to say, Weiss. I...I didn’t expect you to dress like that.” 

As Weiss sat down, she looked down at her outfit and nodded a little. “Neither did I, but I reached out to Ilia for help because I’d - I haven’t been on a date in quite some time. At least not a proper one like this. She’s the one who suggested I ‘mix it up’ and try something different.”

Ruby knew this was the perfect time to drop a compliment. Something to make Weiss blush and express her appreciation for the effort and for how amazing Weiss looked. 

She could do this.

“You look really dashing! Wait...that sounds lame. You look....I can’t think of a better word, but it’s good. You look...really good.” 

Though it didn’t come out exactly how Ruby wanted it to, Weiss cast her head down and smiled at her macaroni and cheese before brushing a bit of her hair behind her ear. Ruby had been so focused on Weiss she hadn’t even looked at the food yet. 

“Thank you, Ruby. I must say I didn’t know you could pull off a dress as well as you do. I only ever see you in your uniform or workout clothes or your giant red hooded jacket. You’re quite beautiful yourself.” 

Ruby made a mental note to randomly wear one of the two skirts she had stowed away in her closet from time to time, simply so she could fish for more compliments because they made her feel like she could fly. 

“I think I’d like dressing up more if the shoes weren’t so uncomfortable and the makeup wasn’t so much work. I’m pretty sure I broke Yang when I told her I was going to wear my sneakers tonight.” 

Weiss laughed. “It suits you. A nice change with the dress, but still a touch of Ruby thrown in there as well.” She watched Weiss take a bite of food and close her as she made a very satisfied noise. “The food your sister makes is far better than anything my father and his endless line of chefs ever made.”

“No four cheese mac and cheese at the Schnee house?” Ruby finally decided to try her meal, stabbing a fork into the noodles. 

“I cannot imagine what my father would think if someone sat this bowl down in front of him. Even if he ate it and enjoyed it, even if it was the best thing he’d ever tasted - he’d never admit it because it wasn’t hand crafted by a world renowned chef. My father cared more to brag about the things he did rather than enjoy them. Even his food.” 

Ruby frowned. “Your father sounds kind of awful.” She realized what she said a split second after she said it. “Sorry.”

Weiss waved her off with her noodle packed fork. “Don’t be, he’s a dreadful person. No daughter should want to run away from a parent as much as my sister and I fought to escape that man.” 

It was hard for Ruby to comprehend how a parent could be so awful to a child that they’d want to leave them. Though she couldn’t help but think that she’d joined the military, in part, to get away from her overprotective family. 

The reasoning was far different, but running away was the end result all the same. 

The rest of the meal was pleasant and filled with much lighter conversation, including Weiss’ adorable admiration for all things cheese. 

As their plates empties and their bellies filled, Ruby knew decidedly what she wanted to do next. Even if this date was Weiss’ plan, Ruby had already thought of a chance to one up her. 

“You all finished?” Ruby asked, watching Weiss dab at her mouth with a napkin. 

“I’m afraid I’ll have to be, if I keep eating I’ll need to unbutton these dress pants.” Ruby couldn’t stop her face from reacting to what Weiss had just said and, unfortunately, Weiss noticed. “That was highly inappropriate.” She was blushing an adorable shade of pink as she tried to hide her face behind her napkin. 

“You’re fine,” Ruby gave her a wink. She knew they most likely wouldn’t be going there tonight, but she didn’t want to seem uninterested. Not when Weiss looked like that . “I was actually wondering if you...want to go up to the roof with me?” 

Weiss tilted her head to the side. “The roof?” 

“Yeah, there’s a ladder out back. It’s not super high up, but it’s a pretty neat view of the city. Unless you had something else planned?” 

She shook her head. “No, just dinner and we’ve done that. I’d...I’d love to see the roof.” 

Ruby beamed and rose from her chair. “Great! Follow me! And try not to look up my dress when we climb!” 

“Ruby Rose! I would never!”

Weiss was far too easy.

Night had fallen over Vale as they made their way to the roof. Weiss had been a little shaky on the small jump required to reach the top because the last rung of Ruby’s makeshift ladder wasn’t all that great. Still, they made it and Ruby promised the way down was far easier. 

The two chairs Ruby had dragged up here years ago were still there, waiting to be sat in. 

Most of the time, Ruby came up here alone, with chair number two simply being a rest for her food or her scroll. 

She was happy tonight to have someone to sit next to her. 

“You were right, the city is lovely from up here.” 

Ruby nodded. “The later it gets, the quieter it is, too. Eventually, there’s only a car every few minutes or so.” 

Weiss sat down, brushing off her dark pants, and Ruby could feel herself staring. It was hard not to. Weiss seemed to shine in this evening light. Her hair was a pristine white, her eyes were a blue unlike anything Ruby had ever seen. She was beautiful. 

Tell her that, you dolt. 

“You really do look amazing tonight, Weiss. I know I keep saying it but...wow.” 

Weiss smiled, casting her head down shyly. “So do you.” She turned her eyes to Ruby. “Thank you for spending the evening with me.” 

“Thanks for asking.” Ruby reached over and put her hand on top of Weiss’. She felt goosebumps pop up on her arms when Weiss flipped her hand over and grabbed onto her own. 

She wasn’t sure why, but as she sat next to Weiss she felt the warmest comfort fall over her. Like she could say or do anything right now and Weiss would understand. For as prickly and wound up as Weiss could be at any given moment - when she softened up to you, she was like a puppy. 

With this, Ruby wanted to share something. She felt like she needed to, even at the risk of potentially ruining the night - she just wanted to open up. 

Blake had told her, if she saw anything real with Weiss, that it would serve her well to share. 

She was terrified. 

“I used to come up here a lot after I came home.” Weiss’ eyes found her, but Ruby kept staring forward at the always moving city. “When I couldn’t sleep and hadn’t really found ways to calm my anxiety - I’d sneak out and hop on my bike. Ride out here and climb on the roof. Sometimes I’d sit up here and cry. Sometimes I’d move to the edge and wonder what might happen if I fell over. Which probably would have only broken my legs and left me even more miserable.” Ruby laughed, but she knew the joke wasn’t funny. 

Weiss’ grip on her hand tightened. “I used to do that, too.” Ruby finally looked at her. Weiss was wearing a sad smile. “When I told my father I had no interest in his matchmaking for the betterment of his brand...when I told him that I had no interest in any boy he might ever force me to be with, he told me...that I was a waste of time and that he wished he could erase me from the last twenty-five years of his life.” Ruby felt herself getting irrationally angry. It took every ounce of strength she had to hold it in and let Weiss continue. “I was foolish enough to tell him to go to hell - that’s when he hit me. Right across the face. I didn’t know how to react, I didn’t expect it and I just knew...he never cared about me at all. I was a means to an end and a pawn for him to move around at his own behest.”

“I’m so sorry.” Ruby’s voice broke as she spoke. She was so angry and sad and wished she hadn’t even tried to bring up this emotional stuff. They were having such a great night. 

“Don’t be, I needed it.” Weiss sighed and stared up at the sky, but she wore the softest smile on her lips. “I was lost at first, I never imagined myself escaping and I just thought...why not jump out of my bedroom window. That was one way I would be free.” She laughed softly at herself. “Though my bedroom was much higher up than this.” Weiss glanced back at Ruby. “Knowing how awful I felt in that moment, I’m sorry you’ve ever felt that way too. I wouldn’t wish it on anyone.” 

Ruby had to resist the urge to just jump out of her chair and hug Weiss. This entire conversation started with her wanting to open up, and now Weiss was laying out the chance for her to do just that. 

“We had a squad when I was in the military. They’d group you with people and you’d run missions wherever they sent you. It was…really easy to connect with them because they were with you every single day. They went through so much with you.” When she closed her eyes, she could see their faces. Jaune’s confused face when Nora would as for pancakes at midnight. Pyrrha convincing him that it was okay to eat them because they would just work all the calories off in the morning. Ren, always at the ready to make them. He never once ate them, but he was just happy to take care of the others. 

Penny, making sure Ruby’s were always special, with chocolate chips features and kitty ears on top.

Weiss’ face was very expressive, so much so that Ruby knew Weiss could tell where this was going. 

“Penny and Pyrrha died in combat...kinda sorta right in front of me in a kinda sorta violent way. It was the same day this happened.” Ruby gestured to her back and the scar she’d carry forever. “I was pretty unfit for anything after that. Me, Ren, Nora and Jaune were all honorably discharged. I lost contact with all of them after we were given our medals for doing absolutely nothing but surviving and...that’s when I came back here to live with Yang.” Ruby chewed on her bottom lip, resisting the burning behind her eyes. “Two days ago I went with Blake to a therapist. I had to have her there cause I knew I wouldn’t go on my own. I’m supposed to go back tomorrow and...I think I will because I want to be okay. I’ve been so not okay for so long that I really don’t remember what it feels like to not have this cloud over my brain. It’s like...no matter how good things are or how happy I am, I can never fully enjoy it because this is always looming. I - I don’t know if it’ll ever go away. I just know that I’ve run out of ways to handle it on my own.” 

It was quiet for a moment, Weiss and Ruby still holding hands. Ruby was afraid she might have dropped too much, that Weiss might drop her hand at any moment and run. She really wouldn’t blame her. Every step of their newfound relationship had felt like one happy accident after another. At any moment, Ruby would come back to reality and the super pretty stranger girl would disappear and Ruby would wake up back where she was a few months prior. 

So when Weiss actually did stand up, Ruby was ready to tell her it was okay if she wanted to end the night. Instead, Weiss pulled Ruby up to her feet as well and a moment later, Weiss was hugging her. 

“I always wanted one of these when I felt bad and nobody was ever around to give me one, so…” her sentence trailed off but Ruby didn’t care. She just sank into Weiss’ arms and did her best to hug back. “Also I’m afraid I must say we’re terrible at romance.” 

Ruby laughed and squeezed Weiss tighter. “I like our style.” 

Weiss slowly pulled away, but didn’t let Ruby go completely. Instead, she drew back just far enough to look into her eyes. “You’re incredibly brave, Ruby Rose.” 

“So are you.” 

“May I...kiss you?” 

Ruby couldn’t stop herself from grinning like an idiot. “You’re so polite,” she laughed and Weiss glared at her. Ruby took that as her chance and leaned in for a kiss. 

It was soft and hesitant, but it still felt like the world around her caught fire. This was real, it wasn’t a dream and it wasn’t fake - it wasn’t going to be erased by the nightmares in her head. At least for tonight, this moment was perfect. 

Weiss’ hands found their way into her hair, then slowly moved down to her neck, holding her in place. Ruby pulled back only a fraction of an inch, so she could turn her head and deepen the kiss. The soft sound Weiss made against her lips was more than enough to tell her she was doing something right. 

Once Ruby finally broke apart, she stared up and watched Weiss slowly open her eyes, looking as dazed as Ruby felt.  

“I think we’re pretty okay at dating,” Ruby smirked and Weiss rolled her eyes before leaning forward and resting her head on Ruby’s shoulder.

Chapter Text

“We really should stop.” Weiss said, for the third time. 

Ruby was hovering above her, her head covered by red sheets, almost like a hood. She had her hands on either side of Weiss, holding herself up. She was flushed, her hair a mess and she was the most attractive thing Weiss had ever seen. 

“I know,” Ruby nodded before leaning down and capturing Weiss’ lips with her own again. The kissing was probably Weiss’ favorite part. Well, that and the handholding, and the cuddling and the way they would randomly text each other while only being a few feet away from one another. 

Okay, so Weiss couldn’t really decide what her favorite part was overall, but right now, it was absolutely the kissing. 

She reached up, her hands pressing against Ruby’s back. She wanted so desperately to flip them over and take control, but she also really loved seeing Ruby like this. 

This was as far as they’d gone, just wild kissing like this. The one time things became a little too intense and Ruby’s shirt ended up on the floor and they both agreed to slow it down. 

Neither one of them were very experienced in intimacy and they didn’t want to rush. While that night had been so painful to retreat from, in the long run, Weiss appreciated the pace. 

“Ruby,” Weiss sank her head deeper into the pillow, just trying to create a little separation. “We both work today.”

“I know,” Ruby kissed her again, this time softer and with less intensity. “It’s just really hard to stop kissing you.” Which she then did again. 

Weiss, with all the resolve she could muster, put her hands on Ruby’s face and gently pushed her away. “One of us has to be the bad guy here.” 

“Aw, you’re not a bad guy,” Ruby said with a pout as she rolled over onto her side next to Weiss. “You’re my little snowflake!”

“No,” Weiss narrowed her eyes. “I told you, we’re not doing nicknames.” 

“But you called me dolt!” 

Weiss sighed. “ You tried to do a handstand on a folding table!” 

“And I would have done it if the table hadn’t been so cheap!” 

How? How was this the girl she was falling for? 

She put her hands back on Ruby’s face and squished her cheeks together. Ruby was incredibly squishy. “You are not allowed to hurt yourself like that, do you understand me? Neither one of us can afford the hospital bills.” 

“Yus, snwflke.” Her voice was muffled by the squishing

“Ruby Rose.”

This only made Ruby laugh even more. She was absolutely insufferable.

A sudden buzzing drew both their attention. Weiss sat up, her hair all over her face and searched for the offending noise. It was Weiss’ scroll and even from the nightstand, she could see Yang’s face. 

“See, that’s your sister cause we’re probably late.”

Ruby climbed out of bed as Weiss grabbed her scroll. “We’ll be fine, I know all the ways to smooth things over with Yang.”

Get here NOW. 

The message was sudden and to the point and not at all like Yang ever acted even when they actually were late. 

“Ruby?” Weiss called out, turning to see Ruby pull the pants of her work uniform. She came over to Weiss as she held out her scroll and read the quick message. 

“That’s weird,” Ruby was frowning as she read the message again. “We’re not even late and Yang knows you stayed here last night.”

Weiss felt a wringing knot in her stomach. “Do you think she was okay with me staying?” 

Ruby waved her off. “Of course she was, she practically insisted because it was so late.” Ruby continued to move through her routine and along the way she brought Weiss’ uniform over and sat it down next to her. “Besides, it wouldn’t matter if she has a problem with it or not, you’re my girlfriend and I’m an adult.” 

The speech of her adulthood would have carried more weight if Ruby wasn’t simultaneously repositioning one of the action figures in her dresser.  

Weiss stood up from the bed and picked up her uniform. “Regardless, we should hurry up and get to the diner. She may not control your life but she’s still my boss.” 

They were fairly prompt in making their way to the diner. Only finding themselves lost in one more frantic kissing session at the front door when Ruby bumped into her and Weiss didn’t pull away fast enough. 

Still, they made it, and even though Weiss really just wanted to call in sick today and spend it cuddled up in bed, she was suddenly stepping through the front doors of Brewed Awakening.  

Holding Ruby’s hand as she walked inside, something felt different. The place was busy enough, but there was some kind of tension Weiss couldn’t quite figure out, but she felt it immediately. 

There were only a few tables with scattered parties and the counter was as crowded as usual in the morning. 

Sun was working already, making his way from place to place, his tail whooshing as he did and drawing the attention of all the kids with their families. He was great with children, far better than Weiss could ever imagine being - she simply feel comfortable around them. How in the world did you talk to a child?

Regardless, Sun seemed relaxed enough, so maybe Weiss was overthinking. Yang’s message had certainly been reason for caution, but perhaps Yang was just trying to actually get them here.

Pulled by the hand, Weiss followed Ruby behind the counter and into the locker room. 

Weiss sat down the plastic bag she’d brought with her, carrying her uniform, and started to unbutton the shirt she was wearing. 

As she shed her top, Weiss glanced back to see that Ruby was basically standing behind her and staring at the floor. They hadn’t, technically, seen each other naked yet and ever since they started dating, this is what Ruby would do when they changed back here. 

Even though there was not a single point in the locker room where either one of them was actually naked, Ruby still shied away. 

It was quite possibly the most adorable thing Weiss had ever seen. 

As she finished changing, Weiss took a quiet step and turned to face Ruby. She reached down, placing her hand under Ruby’s chin and lifting her head up. 

Ruby put on a big smile, but still kept her eyes closed. Weiss felt herself falling harder in that moment. 

Gently, she leaned in and gave Ruby a soft kiss, feeling her girlfriend’s tense stance loosen and eventually a pair of hands landed on her sides. 

“ Hey ,” they both jumped, Weiss nearly tripping over the wooden bench behind her. “Princess, you have a... customer here to see you.” 

Weiss’ brow narrowed, the only regular customer who ever asked for her was the kindly old man who shared music interest with her grandfather. She couldn’t imagine him garnering that kind of response from Yang though. 

Turning to Ruby, there was just as much concern on her face as Weiss felt. Ruby sprinted out after Yang and Weiss carefully followed. 

The first thing she saw when she stepped out into the dining area, was white. White hair that looked just like hers. It was neat and tidy, tied up perfectly like hers used to be. Matched with it, was a pair of piercing blue eyes that watched every move she made. 

Weiss felt her entire world imploding. “Winter?” 

“Weiss,” Winter spoke evenly, never one to give away her emotions in her tone. “I see you’ve kept a thing or two away from me in our conversations.” 

Looking away, Weiss tucked her hands behind her back. “I - I didn’t want you to worry.” 

“You are my sister, I am going to worry about you no matter what.” Weiss wanted to feel comfort, but Winter was still glaring at her. “This is not the job I had lined up for you, Weiss.” 

Weiss shut her eyes in shame. “I wasn’t offered that job.” 

“I’m aware. How confused I was to show up at you hotel and for you to not be there. Then I call in, thinking you may have gone into work early, only to be told that you did not work there - despite you telling me the opposite every single time we spoke.”

“Winter, I -” 

“Then, I was forced to go downstairs to the lobby of your hotel and ask the remarkably stupid man at the front desk if he knew anything about you. He mentioned your uniform this…” Winter’s face screwed up in disgust. “Atrocious thing you’re currently wearing.” A loud bang drew Weiss’ attention and she turned to see Yang clearly listening as she slammed her hand down on a counter and started wiping it. Ruby was there too, keeping her distance but watching everything. “My sister, a Schnee, working in a place like this .” 

“It’s not…”

Winter sighed and shook her head. “Have I not done enough for you to trust me?” 

“Wh-what?” 

Those harsh blue eyes narrowed. “ I was the one who supported you leaving from the start, Weiss. I helped you in every way that I possibly could. Yet, you still did not feel comfortable enough with me to tell me that the job did not work out. That you had found other work. Did you believe I would disapprove?”

“Of course I did!” Weiss did not mean to shout and gather everyone’s attention, but that’s exactly what happened. “ You said it, I’m a Schnee, working in a diner in Vale. I live in a hotel and I’m wearing... sneakers and let me tell you, Winter - they are the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever owned.” Weiss stomped her foot for good measure, even though Winter couldn’t see it under the counter. “All I’ve ever known is disapproval. This...this is not what I imagined when I came here - but it is mine and I refuse to let it be taken from me.” 

Winter nodded, her expression tightening again, but she seemed to remain calm. “Weiss, I’m not here to take anything from you. I’m simply here to check on you. I had a few days free and I wanted to see how you were adjusting.” She looked up at Weiss and gave the tiniest of smiles. “It would appear you’re doing quite well.” 

Unfortunately, Weiss had been spending too much time around Ruby because she broke out into a much larger grin and nodded quickly. “I’m...happy here.” 

“That is all I wanted for you. I still have.... many questions, that we’ll get to, but I must know.” Winter sat her hands down on the counter and leaned in. “I arrived at your hotel at four o’clock this morning and you were nowhere to be found. Your room was empty and when the feeble man at the front desk gave me a key, I went inside and it looked as if no one had been there in days. Are you...sleeping here?” 

“Everything...okay here?” Of course, Ruby Rose would have the absolute worst timing of any living thing in remnant as she carefully made her way over to Weiss. 

Weiss watched Winter’s eyes shift to Ruby, that cold expression returning at the intrusion of someone new. “I’ll take a cup of coffee, black.” Winter said dismissively and Ruby’s eyes went wide. 

“Oh...okay.” Ruby stammered and stepped away. 

“Wait,” Weiss reached out and touched Ruby’s shoulder, stopping her. “Winter...this is...Ruby. We work together and she’s…” the way Winter was looking at her made the words catch in Weiss’ throat. The easy thing to do would be to lie, say this was just a friendship - mention how Ruby had helped her adjust and that she had been a supportive co-worker. Ruby was something Weiss wanted to protect, in a way, she was something Weiss wanted all to herself. She was terrified of her previous life finding out about Ruby. That life had been so cold and awful - it had ruined everything she ever cared about. She didn’t want Ruby to become a part of that. 

But she couldn’t simply lie to Winter again. Not after doing it for so long. Not after taking a stance and claiming that this life was her own. If it truly was, then why should she be ashamed by any of it?

Especially Ruby.

“She’s my girlfriend.” 

Ruby tensed next to her. “Oh...we’re just coming right out with it then? Okay.” She offered Winter a shaky smile. “I’m the girlfriend.” She said, with a wave. 

Winter was quiet for a long time. Weiss watched her gaze shift from Ruby and back to her multiple times until she finally settled on Weiss. “Girlfriend?” 

“Yes. I am, apparently , full of surprises today.” Weiss shrugged for good measure. She really had nothing else to offer. 

This time, Winter gave Ruby her full attention. “I know sixty-five ways to kill someone, thirty of which I can do with my bare hands.” 

Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. “Winter…”

“I only know twenty or so.” Ruby said, and Weiss’ eyes shot open and turned to Ruby who was just...smiling like a dolt . “Maybe you can teach me some. I was just a soldier, you’re a specialist! They are so cool.” 

Winter leaned back on her stool, clearly unprepared for Ruby’s retort to her ridiculous threat. 

“You’re miliary?” 

Ruby nodded, far calmer than Weiss. “I was. Honorably discharged.”

Though she was still looking at Ruby like she might leap over the counter at any moment and throttle her, Weiss couldn’t help but notice the slight admiration in her face. “Have a cup of coffee with me.” Winter said, directed at Ruby. “Weiss, two cups of coffee.” 

Weiss froze, looking at Ruby who just wilted and moved to sit next to Winter while mouthing a silent apology. 

“Weiss!” Winter spoke again, louder this time and making Weiss jump. “At least prove to me that you are decent at this job of yours. Two cups of coffee.” 

Thankfully, Weiss managed to make her legs work. Still not entirely sure what had just happened. 

Much to Yang’s chagrin, Winter stayed the entirety of Weiss’ shift. She sat at a table in the far back, ordered coffee and one meal, and worked at her scrollbook. 

Of course, Weiss had to make sure that this shift was her best shift since she’d started because she wanted to prove that she knew what she was doing. It went well enough, thankfully Ruby was helping her throughout the day to keep orders straight and check on her tables when Weiss decided to take on four at a time. 

By the time her shift ended, an hour early because Yang told her she needed to get Winter out because she was scaring the customers, Weiss sat down next to her sister with her own cup of coffee. 

Minutes passed before Winter finally looked up from her scrollbook. She closed it gently, placed her hands on top of it and shook her head. “You’re sweating.” 

Weiss drew back. “I’m...of course I am, I just finished my shift!” 

“Over the course of the last four months. You’ve ran away from home. Lived in a hotel. Failed a job interview. Lied to me about said job interview. Worked at a diner on the corner of a street in Vale. Started dating someone who consumes more sugar than any functioning human possibly should and you cut off your hair.” 

Weiss could only frown. She hated being lectured - sure it wasn’t the plan, but she thought she had done pretty well, all things considered. 

“I’m trying, Winter. I really am.” 

Winter laughed, far less dignified than anything Weiss had heard before.

“Trying? Weiss you are thriving .” Weiss could only look up in surprise. “I watched you today. You smiled at people and it was real, not the one you had faked for father and his endless stream of guests and beneficiaries. You haven’t contacted me in two months, and while I will not put up with that for long, it told me that you did not need me or my constant reassurance that you would be okay. You found that on your own, here, with these people. I don’t know them, not well, but I could not have been more of a problem today if I tried and yet they all accommodated my needs, for you.” Weiss could never remember feeling so relieved. She physically relaxed in her seat and smiled. “That one,” Winter gestured towards something behind Weiss and she turned to see Ruby staring at them. When Ruby realized they were looking at her, she stumbled backwards, nearly tripped and dropped her scroll hard on the counter before scurrying away. “She cares a lot about you.” 

Weiss desperately wanted to race over to Ruby and tell her she could relax, and also make sure the dolt didn’t break her scroll.

“She’s the reason I have all of this.” 

“That’s not how she tells it.” Winter said and that grabbed Weiss’ attention. “I’ve never heard anyone talk about someone the way she talks about you. Your bravery, your strength, your determination. She believes in you.”

For as much as Weiss wanted to soak in the admiration and warm feelings she felt for Ruby in that moment, she still had questions pressing on her mind - questions she needed answers to. 

“What about you?” She asked, point blank. “Do you believe in me?” 

Winter leveled a gaze on her, steady as always. “When you first left? Absolutely not.” That was...deflating. “I thought you were naive and unprepared. You had never been out on your own and you never had to take care of yourself, not truly. Not without a safety net to fall back on.”

“Oh…” 

“But,” Winter stopped Weiss’ pity party before it could start. “I also remembered that I was you not long ago and I also had no experience on my own. No real idea of what I was getting myself into. General Ironwood saw something in me and he helped me through the early days which were excruciatingly hard and without him, I’m not sure I would have made it.” Winter then looked around and Weiss followed her eyes where she saw Ruby and Sun bouncing coins into a coffee cup at the front counter. “It would appear you’ve found the same thing.” 

Weiss couldn’t take her eyes off of Ruby. Watching her play and laugh at one of Sun’s stupid jokes - she was captivating. 

“Father won’t approve.” Winter said and that was enough to regain Weiss’ attention. 

“I have no intention of Father ever finding out or being anywhere near her.” 

Winter pursed her lips and nodded. “You know that’s not how he operates, Weiss. You know the kind of man he is.” 

“I know that he threw me out. He told me that I was a disgrace. He said I didn’t deserve the name he married into. He…”

“I know.” Winter reached across the table and placed a hand on Weiss’. “If he presses, I’ll support you as best I can. Our father is the unfortunate cross we must bear - but these lives we’ve found are our own and he cannot take them from us if we don’t let him.”

“Ha! YES!” Sun’s booming voice echoed off the diner walls. “I win, now you gotta do that dance!” 

Weiss turned just in time to see Ruby start doing the most absurd dance she had ever seen. Her arms were flapping like a chicken and she was kicking her knees up and down as if she were running in place. Even stranger, she was laughing the whole time. 

“You’ve certainly chosen a...unique romantic partner?” 

“She’s a dolt.” Weiss said, with a smile on her face. 

“Is she also the reason you weren’t at your hotel this morning?”

The coffee cup slipped out of Weiss’ hand and smashed on the floor.

Chapter Text

“You really want to marry into this, huh?” 

Looking behind her, Ruby saw Yang at the counter, a computer in front of her as she did paperwork. The two of them were both waiting as they watched Weiss and Winter talking just outside. 

Winter was leaving today, after spending the last two days here and occupying most of Weiss’ time. It hadn’t been all bad though, Weiss clearly loved her sister and it seemed as if Winter was truly set on just making sure Weiss was okay. 

That didn’t mean Winter was fully accepting of Ruby’s presence in Weiss’ life, she tried a lot of tactics Ruby had seen before to try and scare Ruby off. They didn’t work. 

“We’re not getting married, Yang.”

“Not yet,” Yang continued to quickly tap on her keyboard, shuffling through bills and expenses as she did every week. “If you do though, that’s the family you’ll be marrying into. It’s like signing up for high society drama without any of the financial perks.”

Ruby frowned. “Weiss is a perk!” Yang raised a brow at her. “She is, she’s the best perk!” 

“See? Practically married.” 

“Yang,” Ruby sighed, she had already dealt with enough sisterly distractions the last few days. 

“I’m not discouraging you from dating her, Ruby. I’m just saying...the Schnee’s are notorious for a reason. Not Weiss, she’s a good one. I approve, you know I do, but her family is another story.”

Ruby didn’t want to have to exhaustingly say her sister’s name again in an attempt to get her sister to stop trying to scare her. Instead, she turned completely around and just...stared at her, hoping to prove her point silently. 

Eventually, Yang put her hands up in surrender and went back to work. 

Ruby knew Weiss’ family was trouble. Curiosity was never something she could control so of course she searched them on the network. She wanted to see what all the fuss was about and boy oh boy was there a lot of fuss. 

The countless number of failed lawsuits against Weiss’ father was staggering. There were a lot of articles written about his dust company and the shady practices it had worked in. Every picture she saw of the man made her cringe, he looked like a terrible person. Needless to say, she was glad Weiss was here and far away from him. 

As she watched, Ruby couldn’t help but smile at the otherwise sad sight of Weiss wiping away a tear as Winter finally turned away and climbed into her car. It was hard to explain the relationship that Weiss and Winter had - they weren’t overly affectionate and not at all like she and Yang interacted, but it worked for them and Weiss adored her big sister. 

Ruby knew she was going to have to work extra hard today to make Weiss feel better. 

When she came back inside, Weiss used both hands to wipe her eyes, redness around them making the scar on her left eye stand out even more than usual. Ruby had yet to ask where that scar came from, but Weiss never seemed to be ashamed of it or hide it. Not that she could easily hide a scar on her eye. Unless she wanted to wear an eyepatch, which would look kinda cool. 

As soon as Weiss was far enough inside, Ruby pounced, racing from her spot and wrapping her arms around Weiss’ neck. 

Weiss made an audible ‘oof’ sound but didn’t resist the hug and instead fit her arms on Ruby’s waist. 

“You okay?” She asked and felt Weiss nod into her shoulder. “Well good,” Ruby pulled back but kept her hands on Weiss’ shoulders. “Because I asked Yang for the day off, called Neptune to fill in for you and we’ve got the whole day off!” 

Weiss blinked a few times, looking over Ruby’s shoulder where Yang gave her a wink before going back to her paperwork. 

“Ruby that’s...very sweet of you.”

Ruby grinned widely. “I’m a very sweet person! Too sweet! Like chocolate chip cookies.”

Weiss smirked. “Toothrottingly sweet.” 

“Aw no, the good kind of sweet!” To prove her point, she leaned down and kissed Weiss softly on the lips.

“This is a PDA free zone, kids.” Yang said. “You have the day off, don’t spend it here or I’ll make you work.” 

Ruby stuck her tongue out at Yang, who didn’t even bother looking, before turning her attention back to Weiss. “Okay! So...what’s your favorite video game?”

Slowly, Weiss tilted her head, her eyes filled with confusion. “What is a video game?” 

“Wh-” Ruby swore her brain was shutting down entirely. “You...what? You don’t know what a video game is?” Her voice raised far louder than she intended but this was just absurd! 

A small smile turned up on the corner of Weiss’ mouth and eventually she giggled as Ruby continued to freak out. “I’m kidding, of course I know what they are, but I’ve never played one before. My father would never have allowed such things in our home. Something fun? Ridiculous!” She seemed to mock his voice with the last part and Ruby’s shock turned into laugher. 

“Well, I was gonna take you to the arcade today. It’s got all kinds of games and good food and I can show you how good I am at all of them!” There was a part of Ruby that was scared her idea was too childish - like Weiss might not have any interest in going to an arcade. She was pretty darn classy, even after being away from Atlas she still had a bit of an aura to her that made her feel a little untouchable. Which was why Ruby still struggled sometimes to believe she was allowed to touch. “If...you want to?” 

Fortunately, Weiss reached out and took Ruby’s hand with a smile. “I’d love to, but you’ll have to teach me.” 

Leaning in again, Ruby kissed her cheek. “I will.”

“If you’re not out of here in five seconds I’m putting you both on shift.” 

At Yang’s warning, Ruby took Weiss’ hand and dragged her out of the diner.

“Okay,” Ruby watched as Weiss held up her paddle and stared at it. “What am I supposed to do?”

“You just have to use that paddle to protect your goal, don’t let me score.”

Weiss quirked a brow. “What if I want you to score?”

Ruby swore her knees shook. “No!” She pointed a finger in Weiss’ direction, drawing an even bigger smirk from her girlfriend. “Don’t you try and distract me with sexy jokes. This is serious business.”

Weiss laughed and put her paddle on the table, readying herself to play. Ruby, meanwhile, had to take a moment to shake off the images Weiss had flooded into her mind with her totally unfair joke. 

Ruby put the puck down on the table and smashed it with her paddle, it flew right at Weiss who shockingly struck it back. Ruby was not prepared for that and instead had to watch it bounce off the edges of the table three times before slipping past her and into the goal. 

When she looked up at Weiss again, she was just as shocked as Ruby was.

“You’ve totally played this before haven’t you?”

Weiss scoffed. “Of course not, I just have excellent reflexes!” 

“Uh huh,” Ruby retrieved the puck and put it back on the table. “You’re an air hockey shark aren’t you. Secretly jumping from arcade to arcade, pretending to be the helpless rich girl and stealing people’s money.” 

Weiss rolled her eyes. “Yes, because the handful of change I’d get from the people in arcades would go quite well with my billions of lien. It’s never enough, I’m never satisfied.”

Ruby saw her chance and decided to take it. “I could satisfy you.” She said before smashing the puck with the paddle and watching it slip past Weiss who didn’t move an inch. When she looked up at Weiss, her face was red. A stark contrast to her white hair. 

“You...you stop.” Weiss glared and Ruby felt a warm smugness wash over her. It was pretty neat to have that effect on someone. She never imagined herself being able to do that.  

“Just playing your game, snowflake.” Ruby shrugged. “The puck should be in the little slot in front of you.” 

Weiss didn’t even look down, just grabbed it and set it on the table.

They continued to play for a while, exchanging teases and points. Eventually, Ruby forgot to keep score and they just kept playing until they were tired of it. Weiss declared herself the winner and Ruby was too happy to argue. She’d come to this arcade a lot over the last few years, most of the time she came by herself - so it was just nice to have someone with her. 

They played a few more games. Found out that Weiss was terrible at shooting a basketball and somehow amazing at racing games - though Ruby still wouldn’t trust her to drive a real car. 

It was fun, something Ruby hadn’t really experienced in coming here in a long time. Usually it was just about the escape and letting her mind shut down as she played games. Now though, she just wanted to show Weiss everything and do silly things that made her laugh and be close to her. 

Eventually, they found themselves at the Grimm Eclipse game. It was one of Ruby’s favorites. 

“So, what am I supposed to be doing?” Weiss asked as she held the little plastic rifle up, her hand tangled in the cord that connected it to the machine.

Ruby smiled and moved around behind her, fighting desperately to ignore how warm Weiss was. This arcade was hot, but somehow, touching Weiss felt like touching a soft blanket fresh out of the dryer. 

“You want to aim it at the screen and…” Ruby’s mind started to falter as she put her arms around Weiss’ back and helped her hold up the gun. All she could think about was that day back at the base when she helped Penny learn how to aim down the sights of her weapon. She’d been so bad at it, even as a girl from a military family Penny was no more combat ready than a puppy. She just felt like it was her duty, as if she were programmed to fight - but her heart was never truly into it. 

All Penny ever wanted was to be herself and be happy. 

Ruby felt herself losing reality - it happened so suddenly and unexpectedly but it always happened the same way. She felt herself start to detach, as if a stranger had taken over her body and she was just floating nearby, unable to control anything. 

Nothing felt real and all she could think about was how empty she was. 

At some point, she must have moved away from Weiss, because now Weiss was right in front of her, looking at her with worry. 

“Ruby? Can you hear me?” Weiss asked and Ruby tried to make herself nod but she couldn’t control her movements, she didn’t feel connected enough to her limbs to gesture and her right arm wouldn’t stop shaking. “Help! I need help, please!” 

Ruby just stared at the floor, her eyes following the red and blue patterns on the carpet as she tried to make the images of Penny go away. The way Penny would smile, the way she’d laugh. 

How empty her eyes were when Ruby rolled her lifeless body over. 

“Ruby,” a pair of hands pressed hard against Ruby’s cheeks, forcing her gaze upward where she was suddenly staring Ilia right in the face. She had a visor on, with the name of the arcade, Ruby could only seem to focus on that. “Look at me,” Ilia shook her just a bit. “I need you to look at me, and I need you to breathe, okay? Take a breath. Breathe in, like this.” Ilia took a breath and Ruby tried to push through all the fear and detachment to find a way to do the same. She inhaled, probably much louder than she ever had before, as if she were catching her breath after being submerged in water. 

Still, it was something. 

“Good, good girl,” Ilia nodded.” Now let it out. Like this,” Ilia exhaled and Ruby felt her breath hit her face. Closing her eyes, she exhaled, trying desperately just to focus on breathing. “Good, remember - everything passes, okay? You’re going to be okay, you just have to breathe and get through it. Everything passes.”

Everything passes. This feeling always passes.

Ruby continued to breathe, trying to focus on that. Ilia still had a tight grip on her face. The more Ruby came back to the present, the more her mind started to register. Ilia was here because she worked here. That’s why Ruby came to this arcade in the first place, because she had a friend here. 

Something must have clicked, because when she looked at Ilia this time, she was met with a smile. 

“Ilia,” Ruby whispered, her voice cracking. 

“Yang’s on her way, okay? Just keep breathing.” 

Ruby nodded, desperately wishing she could go back to just before when she and Weiss were playing air hockey. 

Weiss.

“Weiss?” 

Ilia looked back and over her shoulder, Ruby could see Weiss looking on with concern. Ilia took one hand off of Ruby’s face and used it to wave Weiss over. She watched Weiss take a ginger step towards them, clearly unsure and probably terrified. Their fun day together had turned into this mess. 

“Here, you take my place. Hands on her cheeks, gently keep contact and keep her breathing.” 

Weiss nodded before kneeling down, the closer she was the more Ruby noticed. Her eyes were red, her makeup had run a bit and she’d been crying. Probably scared to death. 

“M’sorry.” Ruby said thickly. 

Weiss shook her head before placing her hands on Ruby’s cheeks. They were much softer than Ilia’s. 

“You have nothing to be sorry about.” Weiss smiled, Ruby couldn’t help but notice how shaky her smile was. A part of her was afraid that Weiss would want to leave seeing this. Ruby hadn’t had a lot of panic attacks the last two years, not nearly as many as she’d had when she first came back - but it was still something she dealt with. It was not something she wanted Weiss to have to deal with. “Keep breathing for me, okay?”

Ruby nodded, breathing was a lot easier now, she’d found her focus and didn’t feel lost in her own body. Still, she wasn’t quite ready to get up yet and Weiss didn’t rush her. 

“Ruby?” Another voice broke through and Ruby turned to see Yang kneeling down slowly next to them. 

In that same moment, she felt Weiss’ hands quickly pull away from her. 

Yang’s soft, lilac eyes were on her, she smiled but was clearly worried. 

“I’m okay, just...had a slip.” 

“I can see that. Last time I was on the floor of this arcade, Ilia had gotten me drunk on jelly shots.” Ruby frowned and Yang laughed, Weiss just looked at Yang like she was insane. “Relax, princess. Opening a diner was stressful and I had stress to relieve.”

“I’m just trying to wrap my head around the fact that my boss is also still a party college girl.”

“Hey,” Yang lifted a threatening finger in Weiss’ face. “College is way too expensive and they can’t teach you how to make the best biscuits and gravy in Vale at college.” 

Ruby felt herself smiling. “Culinary school, maybe.” She said, surprised by her own voice. 

Yang looked at her, hesitant for a moment, before very gently punching Ruby’s shoulder. “Not you too.” Ruby was suddenly hit with a wave of exhaustion - panic attacks took a lot out of you. She blinked and it took her eyes at least ten seconds to open again. This apparently did not go unnoticed. “You ready to go home?” 

She was, so much, she already felt on display sitting here on the floor of the arcade - even if people had mostly went back to whatever it was they were doing. 

Still, she couldn’t help but look at Weiss, who she’d been having such a wonderful day with. “Will you come with me?” 

Weiss’ eyes went wide and she shifted her gaze to Yang, who paused for a moment before raising her hands in surrender. “Hey, if you stay with her I’ll feel better about going back to work. I left Blake and Sun in charge and...well...they both ‘don’t care’ in their own special way and I’d like to get back.” 

Ruby nodded before turning back to Weiss who was looking at her. “I-I’ll go with you, of course.” Suddenly, Ruby wasn’t sure if Weiss actually wanted to come with her or if she felt some kind of obligation too. The thought alone was terrifying because she did not want to become a burden to Weiss. If today freaked Weiss out, she wanted Weiss to be comfortable enough to tell her. 

Unfortunately, Ruby didn’t have the courage to actually ask and instead just stood silently and followed Yang and Weiss out of the arcade and into Yang’s car.

Yang didn’t stick around long after dropping the girls off back at her and Ruby’s house. She did manage to ask Weiss one more time if she was okay staying here. Of course, she asked thinking Ruby couldn’t hear her, but Ruby absolutely heard her. 

She also heard Weiss’ hesitant ‘I think so’ response, before Yang decided that was good enough and left. 

Ruby, for the most part, felt better. She was lying on the couch, curled up with her mom’s red blanket and watching her favorite cooking videos from the network. 

Weiss was sitting next to her on the couch, on the complete other side of the course, with a cushion between them. Ruby hated it, and worst of all, she didn’t even know how to approach it If Weiss didn’t want to be here then she shouldn’t have agreed to come. Ruby would understand if Weiss wanted to bail, she’d half expected it for the last few weeks. 

Ruby had never pictured herself as the kind of person anyone would really fall for. She was too spacey and different, and that was before the PTSD. She talked a lot and liked to spend time by herself tinkering with fake weapons and watching professional hunter tournaments. 

Then Weiss happened and suddenly Ruby had this person she wanted to spend all of her free time with and so much changed. She didn’t like being alone as much and anything fun she did do, wasn’t nearly as much fun if Weiss wasn’t there with her. Even things Weiss didn’t seem to have any interest in, she would try and Ruby would love looking over and watching her react to them. 

Now, it all felt broken, just as broken as she was. “I’m sorry about today,” Ruby said, trying to at least start the conversation. 

Weiss looked over at her, confusion on her face. “You don’t have anything to apologize for, Ruby.”

“I haven’t had a panic attack like that in a long time. I-I don’t know why it had to happen today.” 

“It doesn’t seem like the kind of thing that you can predict,” Weiss said. “You really don’t have to apologize though. I was scared, but mostly upset that I didn’t know how to help.” 

Ruby felt herself sinking deeper into the couch. 

Charity case . 

“You...I…” Ruby sighed, feeling that painful twist in her stomach. She didn’t want Weiss to feel an obligation - to feel like she needed to stay. “Okay,” Ruby exhaled slowly. “I’ll close my eyes. If...if all of this today was too much for you, you can leave right now and I won’t say anything. I won’t even look. I’ll just...I’ll close my eyes and you can go.” Ruby shut her eyes because she couldn’t imagine looking at Weiss right now. “I won’t be mad, I promise. I’ll totally understand.” 

Ruby sat, eyes closed and waited. She could feel her heart ready to break - but she didn’t want Weiss to feel trapped! She waited and listened and couldn’t really tell if she heard anything or not. It felt like forever just...waiting. Eventually, she’d had enough and it had to have been at least two minutes, more than enough time for Weiss to leave. 

When she opened her eyes though, the first thing she saw was Weiss. Weiss just...sitting exactly as she had been before - only her stare was a little more angry than it had been minutes ago.

“You’re...you’re still here?” 

Weiss rolled her eyes so hard Ruby was afraid they might fall out completely. “I don’t actually have a vehicle and if you think I’m walking all the way back to my hotel than you’re more insane than you’re sounding right now.” 

Ruby frowned. “Oh…do you want a ride?”

“Do you really believe I don’t want to be here?”

“I-I don’t...why would you? You saw what happened today. I ruined our whole day! I’m a mess. I go to therapy now. I have nervous breakdowns. I’ve got a gunshot wound. Nothing about me is normal!” 

For a good long while, Weiss just stared at her as if she’d suddenly grown a second head. When Weiss did finally do something, she sighed heavily and stood up. 

There it was . 

A few steps later, Weiss was right in front of her. Before Ruby could react, Weiss flicked her right on the forehead. 

“Ow! What was that for?!” 

“Did you honestly believe I fell for you because you were normal ?” Weiss scoffed. “Our first date, you took me to a children's play park with a pizza restaurant attached to it. For our second date, you climbed up onto the roof of your sister’s restaurant in a dress. I knew you weren’t ‘normal’ from the first moment I met you.”

Ruby could only gawk at Weiss, unable to form a functioning sentence. She was so angry and kinda scary and also a little bit beautiful.

Weiss knelt down, at eye level again with Ruby, and put hands on top of the blanket covering Ruby. “Today scared me half to death - I admit that. And I’ll also admit I was hesitant to be here alone with you, but it’s not because of you or because I don’t want to be here. It’s because I have no idea how to help and that scares me. Not being able to handle situations is terrifying and I feel like that’s all I’ve been doing since I moved here. You have been the safest part of my life for months now and today, when you needed help, I couldn’t do anything.”

“You were there,” Ruby said, her voice softer than she expected. “I knew you were there. I saw you and that helped.” 

“Then get it through that thick head of yours that I’m not going anywhere. The way I feel about you is...terrifying. It is unlike anything I have ever experienced and none of your darkness will scare me away.” Ruby felt a tear slide down her cheek as she stared into Weiss’ crystal blue eyes. She never imagined finding this. “Besides, you survived my sister and I’m not going through that with someone new so you’re stuck with me.” 

Ruby felt a little silly, but somehow Weiss made that all okay. Like she could be silly and irrational and freak out a little bit and that would be okay. She certainly didn’t want to have another panic attack any time soon, and therapy tomorrow morning would be awful, but that was tomorrow and right now Weiss was here and they were alone. 

“Do you...wanna cuddle up with me under the blanket?” Ruby asked, holding her blanket open and patting her leg. 

“I do, but first…” Weiss stood up and pointed towards the kitchen. “I believe we’ve earned some ice cream.” 

As Weiss made her way to the kitchen, Ruby realized she’d fallen just a little bit madly in love.