Disclaimer: I was asked for lesbeans in suits. I provide you this. Special thanks to fallintolife for helping me develop this AU. Also, while Grimm exist, they're more of an invasive species than an outright threat to people, hence the lesser need for Hunters.
Yang sighed, squinting at the computer screen and rereading the proposal for the fifth time. Something felt off about it- entirely too accommodating, no blatantly ambiguous wording, no footnote to turn to an obscure page for some loophole- and she'd become adept at noticing when all the standard hallmarks of greed were absent. It often meant a more cutting clause lay buried somewhere in the text but she couldn't, for the life of her, find it. Normally, she'd stop any task that threatened to get her this frustrated, but she simply couldn't, not with the project deadline looming on the horizon. The entire floor consisted of harried office workers doing their best to finalize the details and she- being the CEO's intern- had her own responsibilities to ensure everything would go off without a hitch. Which meant she had to find the blasted thing, and the quicker the better.
Probably anyone who'd known Yang Xiao Long in high school might be absolutely shocked at the turn her life had taken. A tri-sport athlete who got a full ride on her boxing skills wouldn't strike many as the type to become a paper pusher, yet here she sat, pouring over contracts for Remnant's largest dust company, and busting her ass every day to make sure she impressed her boss, which was no small feat.
Winter Schnee, eldest of the Schnee siblings and current CEO, redefined the concept of a 'take no shit' attitude. Tall, elegant, with piercing blue eyes and a perpetual resting bitch face that could make even the blonde's usual brash confidence falter, the woman radiated an aura of unquestionable power and authority unlike anything Yang had ever seen before. Her business acumen tended towards the ruthless side, a by product of military training that served her well in many other ways, too, but she could definitely be compassionate and treated her employees fairly- even the Faunus ones, a decision that broke the mold from her father's practices and earned her quite a bit of flak from stodgy old curmudgeons on the board at first. But Winter was a compelling force, especially when she had her younger sister and COO, Weiss, backing her up. Where the elder had laser focused remarks and an imposing demeanor, the second born child of the Schnee line had a razor sharp wit ready to explode at a moment's notice. Between them, they could intimidate just about anyone into bending to their whims, and had used that clout for several social gatherings to walk back their father's previous policies and improve trading and commerce within their sector, relinquishing the iron clad grip they had on the monopoly to allow new blood to enter the scene.
When it came right down to it, that glimmer of hope constituted the sole reason she'd even taken the internship at all. Ever since they were kids, Ruby had two distinct passions: being the hero and tinkering with weapons. What better way to combine them than open a weapons shop that catered to everything a Hunter could want? Although she had her own Hunter License and could go slay the Grimm to her heart's content herself, four years at Beacon Combat Academy had given her a real drive to create better weapons than the hand-me-downs she saw her classmates using, improving the Hunters' overall capabilities and hopefully one day eradicating the Grimm threat entirely. Her little sis always had a pretty good head on her shoulders, able to see the bigger picture, and she had no desire to jack up the prices so they could get rich. Just enough to break even, or maybe a little extra, would be enough for her, considering the rather ludicrous sums she got from the kingdoms for killing Grimm.
However, seeing as Ruby dedicated herself to learning about weapons and Grimm and Dust, if she wanted to see her little sister's dream come true, Yang would have to schlep through the boring stuff that businesses entailed, like negotiating contracts, learning business laws, and getting a sweet reference and/or deal with the biggest Dust company on the planet. That meant finding this thrice damned clause if it was the last thing she did!
"Knock knock."
Yang blinked, concentration broken even as a smile came to her lips. She'd recognize that voice anywhere. "Who is it?"
"Please, could we not-"
"Is it a broken pencil?" She pushed off with her feet, causing the office chair to swirl around so she could look at the entrance to her little cubicle. Her desk sat on the west side of the floor, directly in front of her boss' temporary office, with a little partition blocking her view from everyone else. The opening to her small space was on the side facing Winter's office door, a thick plane of one-way glass separating the CEO from everyone else. Usually, they would be at the very top of the building- the floor that housed only Weiss' and Winter's offices and yet managed to take up the entire floor anyway- but both the CEO and the COO had decided the very nature of this particular project and all the moving pieces required more direct supervision. The move had caused quite a bit of fuss among the poor bastards who worked on the floor, but they eventually came to realize that the big, scary, Ice Queen and Ice Princess duo were more concerned about getting the job done without running anyone ragged than obsessing over the cleanliness of one's desk.
Despite knowing full well how this would end, the Faunus' ears perked up in curiosity. "A broken pencil?"
"Ah, nevermind." She shrugged, an apologetic smirk on her lips. "It's pointless."
Almost immediately, Blake rolled her eyes, a hand coming up to cover her face as she sighed in deep disappointment. "Why do I set myself up for these things? After four years of living with you..."
"One would think you'd have developed a sense of humor!" The blonde finished for her best friend, laughing while sitting back in her chair, trying her hardest to be mindful of her skirt. Personally, she preferred suits or dresses- if she wanted to be really fancy- but a little variety in her wardrobe couldn't hurt her chances, not that they were particularly noteworthy anyway. Crossing one leg over the other, she cocked her head to the side and gave the Faunus a once over. "Trying something a little different today?"
Between the two of them, Blake always tended more towards the traditionally feminine side. Maybe it came from how long she wore a bow in her hair to hide the feline ears marking her heritage and her penchant for eye shadow but, for whatever reason, dresses and skirts seemed to be more up her alley than Yang's when it came to formal attire. Yet, today, she was sporting a rather flattering black pantsuit with purple pinstripes ensemble that made her eyes positively pop. Not to mention she wore her usually long, flowing black hair up in as tight a bun as her mane could be wrangled into, exposing her slender neck, made all the more obvious when she shrugged. "I thought it might work."
The blonde let out a low whistle, lilac eyes scanning her best friend's form for a second time. "You saying she hasn't done anything with you wearing that?"
"Nothing," the Faunus replied with a weary sigh. "I'm beginning to give up hope."
They were both in a pretty terrible situation. On the one hand, they needed their internships to go well for obvious reasons- Yang had a sister's dream to make reality and Blake had the hopes of her entire family riding on securing a good standing relationship with the new and improved Schnee Dust Company. That's a lot of pressure to be the best interns the CEO and COO could hope for, respectively. But on the other... their bosses were hot. Colder than ice in their business dealings, imperious in their looks, downright flawless in their beauty, and Winter got every gear in the blonde's motor spinning at full speed. The same could be said for Blake in reference to Weiss, the Faunus having lamented more than once that, had they just gotten the other's position, perhaps every work day wouldn't feel like walking a razor's edge between their responsibilities and their desires.
It would be easier if they could be overt. Drop a few pick-up lines, bat their eyelashes, maybe even be bold enough to outright ask the women on dates. But, seeing as that would create a conflict of interest- something neither could afford given their aforementioned responsibilities- they were left to count lingering looks and brief brushes as their only victories. Conversely, if there was no interest to be found, then at least they would know; Yang had been through the wringer a time or two for hitting on straight chicks, so she already had a patented apology system worked out that resulted in nine women out of ten being flattered by her interest, even if they didn't swing that way. Blake, always being the more hesitant- she would say 'selective'- of the two, hadn't quite reached that point, and hoped things never got to it.
"Don't say that, Blakey." She propped her head up on one fist, resting her elbow in the chair's armrest. "Our internship's almost over. There's still the 'go for broke' plan, if everything else fails."
"I don't know, Yang." Crossing her arms over her chest, the Faunus leaned against the partition, careful not to crinkle the manila folder in her off hand. "Maybe we should just quit while we're ahead. Go... I dunno, hit the bar or something."
"Now, I know you're getting into your own head when you are the one suggesting we spend a night in a loud bar instead of a book store." She frowned, getting up and putting a consoling hand on her best friend's shoulder. "Keep your chin up, Belladonna. Even if you're right and they are straight, or just not interested, we aren't going out to get hammered like a couple of clueless chumps."
"Oh, is that right?" One black brow arched up. "And what's your plan for getting over this entire mess?"
"Simple." She smiled. "We grab to-go from that sushi place you like, hunker down in my living room, and eat our weight in ice cream while watching Love Letter from Vale on repeat until we both slip into a food coma or fall asleep crying, whichever comes first. Like perfectly well adjusted adults."
Although she was expecting some manner of ridiculous response- hey, she did know who she was dealing with, after all- Blake still let out a surprised laugh, amusement shining clear in her eyes as she shoved at the blonde's shoulder. "You goofball. Can't you take anything serious?"
"Hey." Her smile stretched wider. "Where's the fun in that?"
From the other side of the one way glass, Winter Schnee watched her intern closely. Perhaps a little... too closely.
She sat behind her temporary desk, having appropriated an unused one from a vacant corner office rather than have the movers they kept on retainer haul hers down from the top floor. Her relocation didn't affect any meetings she held and purely served to make communications between the various project leads, their teams, and the executives easier, given how much was riding on the whole deal going through. One would think that, as the premiere Dust supplier in Remnant, they could dictate their terms to the kingdoms to suit their needs, but ever since she and Weiss had forged a new way ahead for their family's company, throwing their weight around to get their way was reserved for the causes that truly deserved it, not day-to-day business.
One would think that managing the company would consume all her hours, every thought put towards second guessing and triple guessing the movements of anyone who might stand to profit if the SDC took a nosedive, but she actually had a surprising amount of free time. The team working for her operated like a well oiled machine, the brightest minds applying themselves wholeheartedly to tackling any task she threw their way, and with her sister ready to check over her shoulder with a fresh set of eyes, they effectively recovered from the severe hit their 'radical' policies caused, sitting now with a higher profit margin and cleaner consciences than a year ago, and their diversified employee base had wrought many, many returns.
Unfortunately, there came a steep downside, too, that caught her entirely by surprise. And- her eyes narrowed as a familiar figure approached her intern's desk- she wasn't the only one.
Already, her hand moved to intercept the call she knew was coming, hitting the blinking speaker button before the ringer could even sound. "Why must you vex me so?"
"Because I cannot focus and these expenditure reports won't audit themselves," her sister replied, the edges of her voice sounded frazzled. "It's your turn to be distracted."
"I can't say I blame you, Weiss." Her lips turned down at the corners, eyeing the Faunus' clean, crisp suit as she stepped up and knocked on the partition separating her intern's desk space from the rest of the floor. They'd thought offering internships to the local universities would be a good step in building rapport among the up-and-coming business leaders of the new age, one free of the archaic traditions of their father's time. It certainly helped open their doors to aspiring Faunus graduates, many of whom applied to the specialty departments and improved efficiency in unexpected places purely from longstanding habits adopted on Menagerie. Limited resources spawned unique methods of minimizing waste and, all in all, the improved diversity was a boon in every way... except when unexpected complications arose. "But I'm not sure you'll be able to get much done if you divide your attention between the audits and talking to me."
"Sister, I don't ask much or often, please." The shuffling of papers and clacking of a keyboard could just barely be heard over the phone line. "I'm quite certain I'll explode at this rate and you aren't faring much better, I'd imagine."
She wished she could play the role of the calm, patient, supportive elder sister at that moment. However, both of them knew better than that. "Very well, you first."
"She's perfect." Weiss lamented over the phone, practically growling out the words. "She listens to The Sterlings, she has strong opinions and she's exceptionally articulate in expressing them, she's always current on world events, she has no problems speaking her mind, her ears are adorable, and have I mentioned that she's possibly the most kindhearted person I've ever met?"
"Maybe once or twice," Winter replied, despite there being no need. It helped distract her from the display just outside her office, on the other side of the glass, where her intern just happened to be flirting with Weiss' intern. The blonde was laughing about something or other, mirth shining bright in those vivid lilac eyes as she leaned back, one leg crossing over the other, bringing that nearly skin tight skirt just a bit higher up muscled thighs. The modest heels she wore made her calves look fantastic while standing, true, but even seated there was such latent power on display, strength packed and ready to be used at a moment's notice.
"Blake Belladonna is intelligent, charming, sweet- the list goes on, and ends with 'entirely straight'." A dull sounded from the other side of the line. "Why? Just... just, why?"
"I have sincere reason to doubt that." The woman pushed back from her desk, stalking around it so she could lean back against the hard wood, arms crossing over her chest as her gaze never once deviated. How her sister could continue to be so emphatic about such an obviously incorrect conclusion remained beyond her comprehension. "Have you never watched them interact?"
The question itself served no point except to vent the frustration mounting within her as she watched Yang lean back in her chair, lilac eyes flicking approvingly over her fellow intern's form. On paper, she didn't look too terribly different from any other applicant for the internship- a student athlete with the physical prowess to become a full fledged Huntress while also possessing a keen intellect, maintaining high marks throughout university while also earning a few sports titles on the side- but it truly came down to the part of Winter that personally enjoyed disproving age old adages. The moment she saw the attached photo of Yang Xiao Long, with her luscious, wild blonde locks, shining lilac eyes, and beautiful smile that distracted from the slightly crooked nose, the CEO recognized the untapped vein of potential for the SDC and like-minded businesses lying in wait. For far too long had the stuffy elite thought a pretty face could hold nothing more than meeting dates and perhaps a to do list, leaving positions like CEO open to only the masculine or those dictated by birth to bear the title; to have someone so conventionally attractive working directly under her would surely give the younger woman a leg up on the competition, encourage her to persevere where others might falter in the face of staunch discrimination. She certainly had the determination, that much was evidenced by her grueling course schedule piled on top of her workout routines.
"I think you might be reading too much into it." Her sister sounded nearly despondent. "They seem more friendly than romantic."
Both interns shifted, their postures relaxing as always. They were so... comfortable around each other, and she didn't miss the way Yang got up and reached out towards Blake, contact between them a staple of every interaction. She bit her lip lightly for a moment, watching as whatever momentary unpleasantness they were discussing gave way to more laughter. "They've got to be fucking."
"Winter!" Her sister- caught between frustration and scandal- snapped across the line. "For one thing, that's hardly a fitting topic for discussion and, quite frankly, I know that's not the case."
"And what makes you so certain?" Winter watched as the blonde leaned back against her desk, crossing her arms just under her ample chest and highlighting not only the soft curves concealed by her blouse but the rigid muscles of her arms as well, the fabric pulling taunt against her skin. Something her counterpart seemed to notice too, reaching out to lightly pull on one cuff.
"I found out Blake's boyfriend's name is Sun." Weiss sighed. "They've been together a while, apparently."
The woman hummed, mulling over this new information while she watched, the vile sensation curling in the pit of her gut at once entirely obvious yet something she didn't want to name quite yet, if only so she could convince herself she was above such pettiness.
"I'm serious, Yang, you're going to rip that shirt," Blake said, shaking her head as her ears laid back. "Maybe you should lay off the curls for a little while."
"Aw, c'mon, I can't disrespect the armory like that!" She laughed, quickly curling both hands into fists as she pumped her arms- only briefly though. The Faunus wasn't wrong, after all, and she could practically feel the seams protesting her movements. "But, yeah, I grabbed the wrong one this morning. Too busy looking at what matched, totally missed the fact that I outgrew this one years ago."
"It's a shame; the cream color really brings out your eyes." Her lips quirked into a smirk. "But I'm guessing your luck is about as good as mine."
Yang sighed, crossing her arms again. "Yeah. I mean, I get it, but I thought I would've gotten at least a second glance when I came in this morning." Wanting to distract herself with the cursed blessing of her boss' obliviousness regarding every flirtatious attempt she made, the blonde hit on another common topic they discussed. "Hey, how's Sunny Boy doing, by the way? He found a job yet?"
"He's got an interview this week, actually. I had to let Weiss know that I might be a little late; I promised I'd give him a ride." Her expression pinched into one of mild annoyance. "I really hope this one goes well. He's a great friend and all but I'm not sure I can put up with his habits as a roommate much longer. I swear- if I find one more banana peel in the shower, I'm going to kick him out."
"Aw, you don't mean that." She cocked her head to the side, lowering her voice to strike a balance between supportive and chiding. "You two have been besties for twenty years and he hit a rough patch. Even if it drives you insane in the meantime, you'd let him keep crashing on your couch until he's back on his feet."
"You have more faith in my patience than I do." Blake chuckled with a shake of her head. "At any rate, if this falls through, he's applying to more places today. I told him to stop wearing open shirts to the interviews might improve his chances but... you know how he is. Plus, he keeps inviting Neptune over, and I'm not sure how much more 'bro-tastic movie marathons' I can take."
"Well, if you ever need to retreat to somewhere with less testosterone, you can always crash at my place." She smiled wide. "It would be like college all over again!"
Her best friend rolled her eyes fondly. "If you're done being ridiculous, Weiss wanted me to touch base with you about our latest trip to Mistral. She's auditing the expenditure reports and we need to verify our charges." Her eyes narrowed. "You did keep the receipts, right?"
"Yeah, I got 'em here, somewhere." Yang turned around, shuffling through the papers on her desk before snapping her fingers, some niggling reminder popping into her head to check the bottom right drawer of her desk. As she leaned over to sift through it, she flicked her hair over her left shoulder, so she could glance back at the Faunus, who was also leaning over with her ears cocked forward in interest. Somewhere in those amber eyes, she could see the urge to joke about the blonde's less than stellar organizing system, but Blake refrained by the barest margins. "Oh, hey, when's that big, super important meeting with the kingdom council, again? Winter's given me, like, three reminders and I keep spacing the date."
"It's next Tuesday." A little chuckle fell from her lips, the interns exchanging a knowing look. "They're going to be insufferable over the weekend, you know."
"Eh, we'll talk 'em through it." She smiled, pushing to the side the uneasiness that immediately rose in her. The moment they'd finalized this report, she'd have to dive back into the contract; there was a huge difference between knowing she needed to turn in her annotations on Thursday and realizing that the deal would be sealed the following week. The blonde would have to double down hard on dissecting the text if she wanted to be on time- which meant Wednesday morning at the latest, because Winter would pour over it for two days herself before accepting it and moving forward. It took a while for her to understand that the double- and triple-checking of everything she handed in stemmed not from a lack of confidence in her abilities on her boss' part but, simply, the fact that every Schnee tended towards obsessive perfectionism that could probably qualify as intense anxiety, if they would ever own up to it. Thankfully, both interns had learned a thing or two about dealing with the executive's tendencies, and each had their personally tailored list of how to reassure the CEO and COO that every 't' was crossed, every 'i' dotted, and every stone set in place. "If there's one thing we can actually get across to them, it's that we've got this deal on lock." At least, they would, no doubt about it. But first, the receipts, which she'd found tucked into an envelope in the drawer. "Alright, so, what do you have?"
Winter bit into her knuckle, pinching her brows together and growling around the digit. "They have to be dating."
"Blake. Has. A boyfriend."
She watched the blonde bend over, searching for something within her desk, and the way her counterpart stepped over, looking down as if to offer assistance but refraining. The CEO couldn't see where her gaze remained trained but she wouldn't blame the Faunus for sneaking a peek at the way Yang's skirt rode up just a little, clinging to the curve of her rear. Nothing indecent, of course; while she wouldn't be so delusional as to claim Yang particularly cared for 'classy' actions, the woman had the sense enough to conduct herself in an appropriate way at all times, though she did... bend the rules every now and again. Like throwing a wink in at the end of an affirmative response, or making absolutely abysmal puns that never failed to put cracks in Winter's armor, or nodding off during a meeting when it ran longer than two hours- a few dozen moments flitting through her mind's eye where Yang had exhibited some action, some mannerism that would've driven her father to frown severely at best or fire the blonde at worst. Each contributed to the larger picture, this portrait of a woman who would stop at nothing to achieve her ends and do it all with a smile on her lips and a swagger in her step, brimming with confidence while also showing vulnerability freely, like just then when she ducked her head at a comment Blake made. The woman's sense of humor, her charismatic demeanor, her firm embrace on the duality of organized chaos, a sharp mind hidden beneath firm muscle and a disarming smile. She could be exacting when the situation called for it but clueless and clumsy the next, vacillating between strong enough to move desks around herself and dropping things for apparently no reason other than them slipping from her grip- she was just so dynamic and vibrant. How could one person be so much, all the time?
"And I refuse to entertain the notion she could be unfaithful. It's just... not like her. Unless- perhaps it's one of those... polyamorous relationships? The two of them and this... Sun character? That's a thing, right?"
The elder Schnee bit harder into her knuckle as the two interns seemingly began pouring over receipts and the file Weiss sent over, Blake leaning over Yang's shoulder as the two examined everything on the desk. They stood awfully close together and one could make the excuse it made comparing the receipts to the report easier, but Winter could see the way the Faunus leaned against her counterpart's frame, allowing her weight to rest against the woman's slightly larger form. That sort of contact spoke of an intimacy that went far beyond coworkers or acquaintances, indicating they'd spent many hours in close proximity to one another, invading the other's space without so much as a word of complaint.
Naturally, as lovers would.
"That would make everything fit..." Weiss sighed, more shuffling of papers and clacking of keys accompanying her voice. "But it still seems like a stretch. It's more likely you're reading their interactions entirely wrong."
Something must've caught her intern's attention, the blonde going stock still for a moment before hurriedly pushing the little receipts aside to claw through the papers on her desk, desperately searching for something amid the chaos that seemed to constantly surround Yang Xiao Long. She found it almost immediately, hunching her shoulders as she examined the papers intensely, all the while her counterpart straightened up and backed away a step, knowing when to let the woman work. Seeing Yang in action- a whirlwind of focused intent bearing down on whosoever was foolish enough to stand in her way- usually brought a smile to her lips, recognizing in the other woman the same determination that she herself had towards accomplishing her tasks. They went about it different ways- usually, Winter would begin issuing orders in her crisp, military fashion while the blonde seemed more inclined to attend to things personally- but she could respect such passion in motion.
She probably looked even better when working out, that same fire lighting in those devastatingly attractive lilac eyes.
"You stopped listening to me, didn't you? Or did you mute me again?"
Pulling her knuckle away from her mouth, the elder snapped off a quick response, ignoring the non sequitur inherent in her words. "Weiss, do you have any idea what Yang is wearing today?"
There was a moment of silence before the frustration came back to her sister's voice. "Winter, I know full well you can see what Blake is wearing, so you tell me- are either of us really faring any better than the other?"
Gritting her teeth, the CEO watched as her intern suddenly stood straight up, fist pumping the air before leaning over and pulling her counterpart close enough to plant a kiss on the Faunus' forehead. "No."
"Yang, what was that for?" Blake raised a quizzical brow, more than adjusted to her quirks by this point but curious nonetheless.
Honestly, she was far too ecstatic to really care about how ridiculous she looked right then, dancing in place while holding their receipt from the Mistrali hotel the four had stayed at during their business trip. "I finally figured it out! Why this contract seems too good to be true!" Interest caught, the Faunus leaned over, looking at the paper herself. "See, the council has a standing contract with a specific hotel chain for a discounted rate, but I didn't make the connection until just now!" She pulled the relevant section of the contract over so her friend could see, setting the hotel receipt they were both just reviewing next to it. "I figured, no big deal, ya know, we don't stay overnight when the meeting's within the borders anyway, but they've got branches all over Remnant under different names." She pointed towards the trademark in the bottom corner of the receipt, the same name as on the contract. "According to the contract, part of our obligation would be to honor the kingdom's standing agreements, so we'd have to use this chain whenever we traveled to see the other mine sites or negotiate with the other kingdoms, and we'd be liable for any charges incurred."
The Faunus hummed. "Not seeing the issue yet."
She quickly started scrabbling through the mess of papers, looking for the one she needed. "Well, that contract has a specification- where did it, oh, here we go- see? Only a certain amount of nights are allotted per year before the council has to pay double to offset labor and accommodations. But with how often we travel-"
Feline ears perked up as realization dawned in amber eyes. "We'd burn up the allotments and they'd shunt the excess charges to us or sue for breach of contract."
Yang smiled, tapping her finger against the paper to accentuate her point. "All this knowing they'll get a cut of the pie anyway from taxes, because the main chain is based here."
"That's sneaky." Blake's lips lifted in a small smirk, begrudging respect reflecting in her expression. When navigating the treacherous minefield that constituted the cutthroat business world, one had to acknowledge the more clever pitfalls when they appeared, or risk getting fooled later on down the line. "And it wouldn't be for another six months at least that we realized it, which would be after the initial exit clause closes."
"Exactly!" Grabbing a red pen from the holder on her desk, she circled the hotel chain, quickly skimming down the rest of the contract and circling various other vendors as she came across them. "I bet if I did a little more digging, I'd find they have other contracts that would screw us over like this, too. I knew this was too good to be true!" Finally, she could assemble a decent review of the contract and pass it off to Winter, allowing the CEO to begin outlining the drafts she wanted for amendments to protect the SDC's interests. Pride and excitement coursed through her, practically sending her into a tizzy purely from the rush of picturing the look on her boss' face when she handed in the report. While the blonde might not be able to catch the woman's eye in a romantic sense, earning a small smile for a job well done quite nearly made up for that. "Thanks for the boost, Blake; talk about good timing!"
Her friend chuckled, holding out her hand. "A lucky coincidence. Here, give me the receipts and I'll-" A buzzing stopped her short, one hand digging into the pocket of her jacket and pulling out her scroll. As amber eyes read over the text she'd received, her shoulders and ears slumped. "You've got to be kidding me."
"What's up?" Quickly scribbling out an arrow to mark her place, Yang turned her attention to the Faunus, concern pinching her brow.
With a frustrated sigh, Blake gave her an annoyed look, ears creating a flat line across the top of her head. "Remember when you brought the dog back to the dorms that one time?"
"You mean Zwei? My dog?" She couldn't help the grin that came to her lips. There were few times during their friendship when she thought the Faunus might consider outright murdering her in her sleep, and bringing the family dog to college for a visit certainly topped the list.
"Yes." She flipped the scroll around. "Look what Sun just sent me."
Blonde brows raised in surprise at the little tabby kitten, quite obviously kneading the comforter on the feline Faunus' bed mercilessly. "Aw, but it's a cute kitty!"
"And my apartment doesn't allow pets!" With an aggravated shake of her head, Blake began furiously tapping out a reply. "I swear, he doesn't think things through, ever. The last thing I need right now is getting slapped with a warning for breaking the complex's policies." Her scroll buzzed again and she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Great, now he's guilt tripping me."
"C'mon, Blakey, just tell him to take that kitten over to Neptune's or something; if he really wants to keep the little guy, he can pick 'em up after he gets his own place."
"I'm trying." Blake pressed her lips into a thin line. "He knows I want a pet, but right now isn't a good time. I need to find a new apartment first, and-
She straightened up, nudging the Faunus' shoulders with her fist to pull her attention away from madly typing into her scroll. "Hey, how about pizza at my place? I could bust out the old '64 and we could play some Smash Brothers like old times. Get your mind off the roommate troubles."
For a moment, it looked like she'd be shot down, but slowly the stress seemed to slide away. "You know what? That sounds great." Yang could hear and see the door opening out of the corner of her eye but kept her attention focused on her friend's relaxing posture, a reassuring smile on her lips. "Your place, say seven o'clock?"
"We could just leave straight from here!" Her smiled pulled wider but she tried to cut off the conversation quickly, considering Winter was just now stepping out of her office, likely to follow up on her assessment of the contract. The CEO didn't seem to mind if she discussed personal matters at work from time to time, but there was an unspoken rule that she had to keep on top of her daily tasks in the process. "That work for you?"
"Yeah. Thanks, Yang." Blake gave her a grateful smile before collecting up the manila folder and the receipts, turning to nod politely at the CEO as she stepped out. "Ms. Schnee."
The blonde probably should've acknowledged her boss, too. Unfortunately, every synapse in her brain shorted out at the same moment as her eyes grew wide. She had already seen the woman that morning- and experienced the exact same mental overload of 'oh wow she's hot' and a continuous mantra of 'oh shit oh shit oh shit' being the only things in her head- but now she wished she'd prepared herself mentally for when it would, of course, inevitably happen again.
Winter Schnee always looked good, that much the blonde had accepted as one of those things that shouldn't be possible yet was, but today she looked killer. A crisp white suit in pseudo-military design, with the pants tucked into thigh high black boots and a coat held closed by a single button at her waist, the long tails trailing behind her while the front opened up, practically putting the dark blue vest on display, especially the way the ensemble framed her chest. And if that wasn't enough, she even had a little yellow tulip bud tucked into the breast pocket, just above the Schnee's emblem stitched in cool grey. White locks were bound in a bun atop her head, not quite as severe looking as the framed photographs of her time in the Atlesian military but damn close, bangs framing those sharp, piercing blue eyes that fell on her with all the weight of a Goliath, the sheer power of her aura silencing any and every thought- even her ability to breath for a moment.
"Miss Belladonna, Miss Xiao Long. Please. Don't let me interrupt." The words, spoken in that pointed, well enunciated tone she used whenever she was trying to hide anxiety, snapped the blonde out of her stupor rather effectively. Here they were, a week out from an important deadline, and she was getting lost in how hopelessly attracted she was to her boss!
"Oh, M-miss Schnee, uh, I was just working on the report on the council contract," she said, turning around and quickly scrabbling together the various papers. "I need to do a little more digging, but Blake helped me find an indemnification clause they tried to sneak past us."
"Regarding Dust shipments, I assume." The CEO's lips lifted slightly in a smirk; the SDC hadn't missed a shipment deadline since the sibling duo took the reins of the company, the amount of terrorist activity working against them drastically reduced once they started making headway in protecting their Faunus employees.
"Actually, third party vendors." She put the relevant pages on top of the stack and turned it over to the now surprised and curious woman, who immediately set about reading through the red marked passages. "Guess the color scheme confused them; it looks like they're trying to set us up to be their sugar mamas."
Mentally, she smacked a hand to her forehead, somewhat mollified when she caught sight of Blake doing that exact motion behind the CEO's back. The self admonishment by proxy would have to do for now, seeing as blue eyes immediately flicked up to meet her gaze. "Sugar... mamas?" Her pale lips pressed into a thin line- full lips, kissable lips, lips she really wanted to taste- before she nodded, favoring the blonde with a small grin. "So it would seem. Excellent work, Miss Xiao Long. When can I expect the full report?"
"After lunch," she replied a bit quickly, a tad bit too eager and belatedly realizing that she still had to cross reference all the vendors, following the bread crumbs throughout all of Remnant and double checking everything through kingdom records. "A-at the earliest, I mean. But, uh, definitely by the end of the day, Ma'am."
Winter frowned, handing back the red inked contract. "I'm afraid that won't do." The blonde blinked, worry lancing through her chest at the thought she might've let her boss down. "There's entirely too much left for you to sort through for that to be feasible, not unless you work through lunch and stay late, which you'll be doing neither." Her gaze briefly flicked over her shoulder to where Blake stood. "I'll let Weiss know that both of you are to be out of this building by four thirty at the latest, seeing as you have... plans." The pause before the last word seemed laden with something, though Yang couldn't begin to decipher what with how quickly Winter continued. "As for lunch, Weiss and I have reservations at a restaurant just a flew blocks over. I will be amending them to accommodate the two of you joining us."
The words brooked no room for argument and Yang let out a surprised chuckle, trying very hard not to react too strong this time. She had to keep her cool for just a bit longer; their internship was just a few more weeks. "Well, I- I appreciate that, but, uh, we wouldn't want to impose-"
"Nonsense." The CEO waved off her concerns. "I know quite well that if I leave you to your own devices, you'll work through lunch without even realizing it. Someone has to ensure you eat."
"Thanks boss." A wide smile stretched her lips, lilac eyes flicking over to her best friend. It wasn't often they spent lunch with their respective executive, so the prospect appealed to both of them; maybe in a more relaxed environment, they could push the boundaries just a little. Because, honestly, she really wanted to know the woman's favorite color, purely because if things got down to the wire and she thought she stood even a ghost of a chance, she wasn't about to waste her 'go for broke' shot on anything less than her absolute best. "What's the place called? I can-"
"You can continue with what you were doing." Winter nodded, looking over towards the Faunus, who had schooled her expression into one of polite interest the moment she noticed the motion. "Both of you can. I will attend the arrangements myself."
With that, the woman disappeared back into her office, shutting her door and allowing the best friends to relax entirely. At least, in theory, anyway.
Naturally, the blonde said the first thing to come to her mind. "If I just... laid myself out in front of her door like a rug, do you think she'd step on me? Because I suddenly think I might be into that."
"You absolute dork." Blake sighed, rubbing at her temple. "We're hopeless."
With a heavy sigh the moment the door closed, Winter trudged into her office until she reached her desk, bracing herself against the sturdy wood with both arms. Several emotions swirled in her head and tugged her every which way- a strange pain in her chest, a touch of nausea, a weakness in her knees- but she managed to compose herself. Mostly.
"Well?" Weiss' anxious voice intoned from the speaker. "Did you invite them to lunch?"
That was the plan. A last ditch effort to get a little space, perhaps open avenues to casual conversation that had nothing to do with work. Learn a bit more about their interns while maintaining their professional facades- dinner meetings, after all, came with the trade- and they were foolhardy enough to think it a good idea.
And it backfired spectacularly.
"Yes," she said, turning around and slumping against her desk, crossing her arms over her chest and proceeding to do something she hadn't since she was eight. Winter Schnee, CEO of one of-if not the- most powerful companies in Remnant, eldest daughter, decorated military officer, certified huntress... pouted. "They have a date tonight."
Silence.
"They what?" Her younger sister's voice, caught between incredulous and heartbroken, filled the space briefly but long enough to drive the static from between her ears.
"I overheard them finalizing their plans. They're going to Yang's after work." Marshaling her thoughts, the woman shook her head slowly, coming to terms with this new information. She couldn't even take solace in being right; instead, she just felt... hollow, empty, and that wouldn't do. She wasn't a child, after all, and the corporate world held too many dangers for her to afford such distractions, anyway.
"Oh." A long pause. "I was... so sure. Maybe..." The listless shuffling of paper- she could imagine just how lost Weiss looked right then, trying to puzzle through her conflicting emotions. "I suppose it doesn't matter now. At least- at least they seem... you know... good for each other."
"Right." She straightened up, smoothing out her jacket before walking around to reclaim her chair. Although the... distraction wasn't a pleasant one, she now felt entirely capable of throwing herself back into her work. "However, I think taking them to lunch is still a good idea. Despite our personal failings in remaining professionally detached, they've been two of the best employees we've ever had working directly under us."
"That's... true." Her sister seemed slower in recovering and, honestly, it didn't surprise her. Comparatively, Weiss had less experience in such matters, lacking the years her elder spent in the military to meet new people and mature in that sense, remaining dedicated to her studies in order to take the COO position at such a young age. She'd fleetingly admitted to an unobtainable crush or two over the years- the famous huntress Pyrrha Nikos came to mind- but they were few and far between, always with the added benefit of distance and improbability to keep heartache to a minimum. However, she'd always been resilient, and she seemed to shake off the lingering melancholy after a few more moments to compose herself. "And their internships end in three weeks. Once we finalize this agreement, we have the quarterly review and then we'll part ways."
"Right." Winter nodded for her benefit alone, already setting her fingers to the keyboard and diving back into the slew of emails awaiting her attention.
"Right." A few moments of silence in which she thought the line would disconnect were followed by a small, somewhat defeated acknowledgement. "I'm... planning on getting a bottle of wine after work. Maybe two."
"Get two, and double that order." Her shoulders slumped, momentarily joining her sister in self-pity. "We'll both need it."
Blake took a surreptitious breath, steeling herself before knocking on the door to the COO's office. Now that she had confirmed the expenses from their last business trip, Weiss could complete the expenditure report for the finance department and they could both move on to their next task for the day. While Winter and Yang focused their attentions on the impending contract, Weiss and Blake had taken on the standard day-to-day operations, and they still had to review the previous weeks reports from the various mines, not to mention pick which ones they'd be auditing for human and faunus rights violations.
Her feline ears perked at the quiet order to enter, quickly slipping into the woman's office and closing the door. Behind the desk sat Weiss Schnee, her off center ponytail peeking up and over the triple display screens occupying the majority of her desk space, the tapping of keys only interrupted by the occasional click of a mouse. They'd already spoken a few times that morning- quick notes about their to-do list, aggregating data for the audits, and clarification regarding a less important meeting later that week- but the Faunus still found herself mentally preparing for when she walked around to the side of the desk, allowing her amber eyes to fall on her boss. She didn't favor the same strict, military style of dress her elder sister did; more often than not, she wore skirts and dresses that swirled around pale, creamy thighs and ankles, dipping collars that accented the hollow of her throat and the curve of her-
"Is that the Mistral trip?"
Blake stiffened upon realizing she'd drifted off into her imagination again, silently cursing herself. "Yes, Ma'am. I just confirmed everything with Yang."
A quick expression passed over the woman's face- despite being Weiss' intern, she'd yet to unravel the mystery of her boss' quick expressions that never seemed to last long enough for her to discern- before she accepted the manila folder, opening it up and quickly glancing at the papers within. "Thank you, Miss Belladonna. Is there anything else?"
The Faunus frowned, trying valiantly to keep her ears from twitching. Weiss wasn't normally this curt after she'd had her morning coffee and certainly seemed a bit... friendlier before she'd gone over to check the receipts. "Uh, did you... want me to get a status check on the Vacuon mines first? Or contact our Vytal branch office regarding their quarterly numbers?"
Usually, the woman would look thoughtful for a moment, weighing the estimated time for completion against deadlines, accounting for timezone differences, and deciding on a course of action all in under a minute. This time, the reply was instantaneous. "We need the numbers; the status check can wait until after lunch."
"Yes, Miss Schnee." Without another word, Blake left the office, closing the door behind her and frowning. Rather than sit down at her desk and get back to work- wrangling the numbers out of the Vytal branch wouldn't be easy, seeing as they often waited until the last minute and the reports weren't technically due until the end of next week- but instead she leaned back against the solid wood, thinking back to just a few hours before.
She'd watched Weiss come in- white skirt swirling with every sharp step, the clack of her heels, those bright blue eyes softer than her sister's but so entrancing, wait, focus Belladonna- but, now that she thought on it, the woman hadn't had anything in her hands aside from her briefcase. No to-go bag from the bakery across the street, no pastry wrapped in a paper towel from home, and the doctor's appointment she'd had that morning probably meant that she hadn't eaten in a while, if at all.
Forgoing her desk, the Faunus strode towards the break room tucked into the middle of the floor, pouring a little coffee into a paper cup and tasting it herself. While it wouldn't win any awards, the sharp bite was satisfactory, and she quickly added two packets of sugar and a splash of creamer to the cup before filling it nearly to the brim with coffee. She grabbed a napkin and picked out a donut from the box sitting on a table- plain glaze, since the only other option was a bearclaw- and went back to the COO's office, carefully rapping her knuckles against the wood.
"Come in." Pushing into the office, Blake quickly set about returning to the side of the desk and waiting for acknowledgement- the barest flick of those blue eyes her way- before setting down the coffee and donut. The movement seemed to be enough to prompt the woman to pause her work for a moment, watching as both items were set upon her desk. "What's this for?"
"I... didn't see you come in with anything this morning." She took a step back, trying her hardest to will away the light blush rising in her cheeks while her ears trembled from the force of being held still. "It's not good to skip breakfast."
For a moment, Weiss did nothing but stare before eventually sighing. "You're right. I was in a bit of a rush this morning." She reached out to grab the donut and broke it in half, holding out one side to the intern. "But, here- you usually grab a snack about this time, do you not?"
"I do," she replied, somewhat cautious.
The woman made a vague gesture, enticing her to take the offered half. "I'd rather not eat it all myself. We have a lunch arrangement soon, after all, and I don't want to spoil my appetite."
Her ears flicked, having caught a distinct consonant sound after the word 'lunch' that her boss had quickly covered up, but she brushed it off as her nerves playing tricks on her. She hadn't thought Weiss paid enough attention to her habits to notice she often ran to the vending machines about this time of day, if she hadn't brought something in with her. Accepting the donut, Blake took a step towards the door. "I'll go get started on those numbers."
"Thank you, Miss Blake."
The Faunus stopped, eyes flicking up to meet those steady, sparkling blue ones as her throat caught in her breath. Sure, it wasn't quite as casual as when Yang said her name, but... it was the first time the woman hadn't been entirely formal. "A-anytime, Miss Weiss."
For a moment, she'd thought the momentary distraction provided by the COO's use of her name had just condemned her to losing her position entirely- really, calling the woman by name, what was she thinking- but those pale lips curled slightly into a little grin. With no reprimand forthcoming, she quickly left the office, once again leaning back against the door and releasing a deep, satisfied breath of relief. Whatever had the woman in a terse mood, she seemed to improve it, if only a little, which could only mean good things for their lunch da- the lunch their bosses would be treating the interns to, no doubt. After she got the ball rolling, she would text Yang to gush about the way Weiss said her name, unable to wipe the smile from her face as she sat down and got to work.
Within her office, Weiss watched the door close as her intern slipped out, releasing a breath she'd unconsciously held since she'd slipped up. Slowly, she lowered her forehead to the space between her keyboard and the edge of the desk, waiting for the dull thunk of impact before groaning, trying valiantly to ignore the way those amber eyes seemed to light up when she'd accepted the offering, when she'd crossed that invisible line in her mind between professional and personal by uttering the Faunus' given name, when she seemed just so... happy about something in that quiet way she had.
Eventually, she reached the only logical conclusion left: these three weeks would be the death of her.
A/N: A business AU romcom starring Yang "Open Mouth Insert Foot" Xiao Long, Blake "Surrounded By Children" Belladonna, Winter "So Far In Denial She's Drowning" Schnee, and Weiss "Needs Remedial Romance For Dummies" Schnee.
I'm getting Weiss and Yang in suits before I let this AU go, I fucking swear it. Unfortunately, updates will be sporadic at present because it's gotten to that crazy time of year (as if there's any other time of year).