It was a bit out of her way, but she didn't mind. The young, petite woman who walked down the street with a listless expression didn't mind going out of her way, but she didn't like the part of town she had to go to in order to get where she wanted to be. A small, irritated huff escaped her lips as she reached up, running her fingers through her apple red bangs, wiping the sweat from her forehead, her soft purple eyes staying forward as she navigated the throngs of people. Even in the heat, even as the sun was dipping below the horizon, the restaurant scene in Vale was partnered along with the shopping district making this area of the city pretty busy.
Absently she played with the braid of hair that hung from the side of her head, tied off the a bead. Still, she didn't hate this walk as much as she used to. No one bothered her, though some stared at her with fleeting glances, either due to her short stature or… comfortable manner of dress. She prefered dressing the way she did, especially in the heat of summer; a short denim vest, a strip of purple cloth tied just around her chest, leaving her stomach bare down to her shorts held up by a chain belt.
The dim streets were illuminated by the light flowing out from the windows of the shops and restaurants that lined both sides of the road. People filed in and out, some were closing and some were opening for the night, largely more risque establishments, bars and clubs. The hum of music always filled this part of town, she liked that, it gave everything a vibrancy and life to it. Depending on the music she could hear her pace either quickened her slowed, the songs influencing her mood and her steps and if the way was clear enough, she would close her eyes and just take in everything with her less used senses. The air smelled beyond delicious even as the diners, bistros and cafes came to their closing time, ever place had a distinct scent based on what they served. The music played from many establishments as the night set in, some soft and melodic others bass heavy and energized blaring from the clubs.
She spent a lot of time in nightclubs occupationally but she didn't much love them, too boisterous, too many people, sometimes it gave her a headache. Thankfully, it was her night off and she didn't have to be anywhere other than exactly where she wanted to be. A pleased and warm smile pulled at her lips before she even realized it as she saw the familiar building down the street, her goal was in sight. Her pace quickened and her feet and heart felt lighter as her chest filled with warmth, a simple three story building, standing out against much of the other shops for how ordinary it looked, though the front had large tinted glass windows on the first floor by the entrance, the second and third floors were clearly residential.
A soft, warm, orange light glowed from within and the most mouth watering scents wafted out from its confines. She could see a few silhouettes moving inside the establishment but from what she could see it was mostly empty, made sense since she made it a point to come near closing time. She felt that pleasant tension in her chest and an eagerness that she had to temper, letting it only show through her smile as she walked towards the door, looking up to the sign before passing beneath it which spelled out the name of the restaurant;
'Pollination.'
A bell chimed as she pushed the door open and the delectable smell of the eatery became even more enticing, mixed with the smell of burning wood and something more subtle, warmer… somehow, this place always smelled like a home, that was her favorite part about this place… Well, second favorite.
"Thistle, welcome back, it's lovely to see you again." A young woman smiled happily and amiably, bowing her head respectfully before meeting Thistle's gaze. She was pale and slender with snow white hair and glacier blue eyes and she wore a soft white button up top with long sleeves and a black apron. Her hair was short and her bangs swept to one side, she stood with poise and grace, Thistle could tell she took everything she did seriously, she admired that.
"Hey Weiss, good to see you too." Thistle grinned, approaching the small wooden podium that stood between the entrance and seating. She was relaxed, her hands resting in her shorts pockets, her fingers running over the smooth leather surface of her wallet.
"Table for one again I presume?" Weiss was pleasant and friendly, the face of Pollination, usually working around the entire restaurant doing whatever needed her attention but she seemed to prefer greeting people as they came in if she could.
"Yep, just me and myself." She shrugged with a smirk, but even so, her eyes drifted over to something behind Weiss, a door and an opening in the wall where plates were put out to be delivered to their table from the kitchen. A pang of sadness and hurt gripped her heart, but only for a moment as she shook her head, banishing the thought.
"We'll get you seated and take your order. It's near closing so we're not busy, it shouldn't be too long." With a soft jerk of her head and a smile she ushered Thistle to follow her into the dining area.
It was a beautiful place, warm and inviting and comfortable. It had a rustic charm with brick walls and wooden floors and soft glowing lights gently illuminated the restaurant. A fireplace crackled within the wall behind an iron gate filling the room with a heat that, for some reason, wasn't as uncomfortable as the oppressive heat outside. Whether that was from the humidity outside or the air conditioning inside, she liked the fire. The seating was well devised, none too close to make the dining experience uncomfortable but close enough to make service easier. There were tables and booths, the tables themselves looked to be made from hand carved wood with iron adorning it and weighting it to the floor while the chairs were similarly artisan with comfortable cushions on the seat, back and arms of the chairs. Fragrant and beautiful flowers hung on the walls and sat as centerpieces on the tables. There were very few of her fellow diners to bother her as the restaurant would close soon and the bar would open up soon after.
"Here you are." Weiss spoke in a jovial and silvery voice, stopping by a table not too far from the fireplace, placing a menu down. "Our server will be along momentarily to take your order."
"Thanks." With a grateful smile Thistle pulled out her chair and took her seat, resting her back and getting comfortable as Weiss walked away. As she waited, she again found her eyes being drawn to the kitchen as she leaned her chair, bringing the front legs up slightly in the air, her knees bracing her against the table. From her table she could barely see into the kitchen, but every so often, she could see flashes of movement as their head chef worked her magic.
"Are you ready to order?" A cooler, softer voice spoke up from beside her, Thistle nearly falling back as she flinched from the unexpected intrusion.
"Heh-heh, you scared me Blake." Thistle sighed, setting the chair back down on all fours as she looked up to the girl smiling softly and patiently above her.
"Sorry." Blake smirked, taking a small step back. She was taller than Weiss, a young faunus woman with black cat ears atop her head, her amber eyes warm and almost playful as she held a tray against her stomach with both hands. She was Pollination's primary server who was friendly and well liked, she was diligent but affable. Blake had long, wavy black hair tied in a ponytail and wore a black, long sleeved top, a red tie, her top was tucked into her black trousers fastened to her waist with a leather belt. "I have a habit of doing that. So, are you ready to order?"
"Oh, yeah um…" Thistle hummed as she picked up the laminated, leather bound menu, unfolding it, her eyes quickly scanning over the options. If she was being honest, she didn't even know what some of the things were on the menu but even so, she liked to keep trying new things, at least so she could keep the head chef on her toes and sample as much as she could of her cooking. "For my appetizer I'll have… stuffed cherry peppers?"
"That's an excellent choice, they're very good." Blake nodded, beginning to jot down Thistle's order in her note pad. "Would you like to order your main course now or would you like more time to decide?"
"I think I'll have the Ahi Tuna steaks." She sounded less than confident in her choice but had resolved to try new things so that's what she would do.
"Mmmm, very good choice." Blake sounded on the verge of drooling at the mere mention of her order.
"Just make sure you don't eat any one the way back." Thistle shook her head with a resigned smile, feeling comfortable enough to joke around with the server.
"I make no promises." With a soft chuckle blake wrote down her order. "What would you like to drink tonight?"
"Just water for now, I'll be going to the bar in the back after dinner." With a shrug Thistle sat forward, her arms resting on the table. If she was being honest she wanted soda but she didn't think that it would look good on her to order soda with whatever she ordered to eat. So, she resigned herself to water. Eh, at least it's healthy right?
"We'll have that out for you shortly." Blake bowed her head, putting her pen through the metal coil holding the pad of paper together from the top before taking her leave, her ears twitching on the top of her head, Thistle could only imagine she was toying with the idea of stealing some of her food.
With a content a relaxed smile Blake made her way from Thistle's table towards the kitchen. She loved her work and though she wasn't much of a cook, she felt she did a good job a server, being the person most of the patrons would interact with, she had to learn to enjoy what she did or their restaurant would suffer for it. Thankfully, she actually did like her job. I really didn't think I'd be cut out for this but it's actually pretty fun. I'm glad everyone gave me a chance… I really like this place.
She loved seeing their satisfied, happy faces when she came to collect the bill or check on her patrons to make sure everything was to their liking, it almost always was and when it wasn't, they looked to her first the direct them towards a solution. People complimented her on her service and sometimes passed along compliments to the chef, she liked that because it means she would get to see the rest of her team happy too. It was hard work but it was a good life… a better life. It was something she cherished.
"Table five ordered." Blake was relaxed and at ease as she ripped out the scrap of paper she had written the order on, clipping it to a string pinned to the wall on both sides of the long window, resting her elbow on the counter.
"Table five huh? Pretty late for a new order. Let me guess, Thistle?" A warm but teasing voice preceded another beautiful young woman with stunning blond hair pulled through the back of a white hat, her bangs tucked away underneath it. She was tall, muscular and toned and her eyes were stunning lilac that glistened with a playful spark.
"That's right, and I noticed she kept spacing out as she was looking this way." Normally, the restaurant was too fast pace for small talk or gossip but seeing as how it was closing time, she relaxed a little. "She says she be going to the bar after dinner."
"Why do I feel like you have some sort of devious plan? Is Weiss getting to you?" Yang smirked, leaning forward towards Blake, her big lilac eyes never leaving hers for a moment.
"Well, Thistle has been our only regular customer so far outside of our friends and family and she's obviously here for more than just the food. I feel a little bad for her, maybe while you're getting her drinks later you can talk to her." Blake's comfortable smile gave way to a small, worried frown, her thoughts going back to their most frequent guest.
"Do you know how mad Weiss would be if I chased away our only regular? Who cares why she's here? Also, it makes Ruby happy whenever she's around, what can I say that wouldn't make things worse for everyone?" Yang felt like she was between a rock and a hard place on this one. There was an obvious solution but she wasn't eager to deal with the fallout from-
"Precisely." They'd been caught. Yang leaned out of the window and Blake stood up a little straighter as Weiss, their manager came up beside them. "It's obvious to everyone but Ruby what's going on here and that's only because the poor girl almost never leaves the kitchen. We're only in a second month of operation and aside from Yang and Ruby's family and a few close friends, Thistle is all we've got in terms of repeat business. There's a very high likelihood that things will go very wrong if either of you try to meddle. I mean really? What do you think the best case scenario is?"
"Okay snowflake, we get it." Yang sighed. She didn't like it but she had to admit that Weiss probably had a point.
"Look, I don't like the position I'm in here either and I do feel bad but this is what's best for us and our business." She let her arms fall to her side as her eyes and voice softened, looking fondly and thankfully to her coworkers. "Get started on her order okay? After that we're closing up and we can all have a drink and relax."
"Sounds good boss." With a smile and a nod Yang ducked back into the kitchen. "Ruby! Table five wants some stuffed cherry peppers and the ahi tuna!"
"Got it!" A determined, passionate and silvery voice spoke sang from the kitchen, their head chef and the girl that brought them all together; Ruby Rose.
"Maybe it wouldn't be a disaster." Blake's steady gaze met Weiss', her voice soft and disarming as she stepped forward, bringing herself only inches away from her boss. "It worked out with us… all of us."
"I know Blake but the odds were definitely not in our favor. It's a minor miracle that the four of us are together and have enough synchronicity, respect and love for each other that we can maintain such an unorthodox relationship and still work together." Blake could see that this decision was hurting Weiss on multiple fronts, not least of which because she hated keeping things from Ruby. A soft, weary sigh escaped her lips as she reached, holder her arm with her hand, crossing her chest in a small self hug, a comforting gesture.
"I'm sorry, I know you're just trying to do what's best for us and our restaurant, I shouldn't have tried to pressure you." No one was watching, they were just out of sight of Thistle and no one else would be coming in… so she took initiative. With one more small step forward she reached out with one hand, placing her tray down on the counter in the window as she pulled Weiss close, her arm wrapping around her lower back. Surprise and alertness shined in Weiss' pale blue eyes and her cheeks tinted softly pink as she looked up at Blake who held her close, resting her chin on top of Weiss' head. "Thank you Weiss, for always putting us first."
"We all put each other first… I just don't mind being the one to make the hard choices." Blake could feel Weiss' body relax in her arms as she put her face into the server's shoulder, taking a long, deep breath of her scent.
"You don't have to do it alone." She held Weiss just a little tighter, gently rubbing her back with her hand as she craned her neck, pressing her lips gently against Weiss' silky, snow white hair. "I'll drop it with Thistle okay?"
"Thank you." Her voice became warm and content as she snuggled up just a little bit closer to Blake, taking in her warmth and just enjoying how safe she felt in that moment. Still, they had work to do, and it was her job to make the tough decisions so, with a reluctant grumble, she pulled away from her girlfriend. "Get Thistle her drink, I'll start closing up and cleaning."
"Understood boss." She was happy, even as they parted, Blake was happy. A rough life led her to this place and now, she's never felt more loved or more at home. It wasn't a life she was expecting, but she was thankful for every moment of it.
Within the kitchen oil sizzled as it mixed with melted butter, the heat and fat drawing out the essence of the peppercorns sprinkled into the cast iron pan while a steady flame burned beneath it. A young woman with sharp and sparkling silver eyes stared down at the pan with a smile on her lips as she carefully distributed the oil and the flavor the drew out from the peppercorns. Her short black, red tipped hair poked out from her white chef's hat and she wore a neat white uniform with long sleeves accented red long the middle and on the cuffs with a white apron emblazoned with rose petals hanging from her waist.
Ruby looked more than pleased as she smelled the aromatic oil, grabbing to quality cuts of the tuna steaks freshly caught off the coast of patch. The meat was pink and firm and perfect and she had every confidence that the person who ordered it would love it. She sprinkled sea salt and cayenne pepper onto both sides, making sure they were adequately seasoned. With a warm and caring smile she carefully lowered the tuna into the pan, the hot oil instantly sizzling as it seared the surface of the tender muscle.
"Yang, how are those cherry peppers coming?" Ruby called behind her without turning as she placed the second cut into the pan.
"It's going good sis, almost done!" Yang was a little less at ease in the kitch than her sister but she was competent enough to help out during the day under the command of head chef Ruby.
"So, this order is for Thistle right?" Yang froze for just a moment at the question, Weiss' words still fresh in her mind. With a quick shake of her head she wrapped a small chunk of aged provolone in a thin slice of salami, placing it inside the small, hollow pepper before drizzling olive oil over it, garnishing it with finely chopped parsley, finishing it off by stabbing a toothpick through its side to hold everything together before placing on a plate with the rest of them.
"Yeah, that's what Blake said." She didn't like this one bit. Keeping things like this from each other was bad enough but Ruby was her sister. She should know about Thistle… maybe I'll just go ahead with Blake's plan, maybe if she and Ruby just talk this will all sort itself out somehow. That idea definitely feels better than lying.
"I figured. She orders something different every time she comes here but she's avoided seafood up until now." She sounded happy and excited as she flipped the fish steak over, searing the other side. I hope she'll like it.
"Wait, you remember everything she's ordered?" Yang turned around to face her sister her eyebrows raised and the plate of stuffed cherry peppers in in one hand.
"Of course! I remember all the orders of all our regulars but every time I cook for her she always sends Blake to tell me how much she loved it after every meal so I always try to do my best to outdo myself!" Yang could feel the heat of the determination in her voice and the happiness when she thought back to Thistle always complimenting her work.
"Ruby…" Yang knew it was a bad idea, Weiss would probably scold her for it but hearing how happy her sister sounded and knowing what was going on with their most frequent customer, she couldn't just do nothing. "This will be our last order of the night. I could have Blake help clean up the kitchen so why don't I open up the bar early? Thistle said she'd be sticking around for a few drinks."
"Oh, if you're sure you don't mind." Ruby turned around, her hand still on the warm handle of the pan as she stirred the oil, making sure the flavors were evenly dispersed.
"I don't mind, Weiss and Blake will be having some drinks after they finish up, you gonna join us?" Well, her plan was already in motion, she knew she'd take some heat for it later from her boss/girlfriend but she shrugged it off. Oh well, Snowflake will just have to punish me.
"Sure! That sounds good! It's been a pretty easy day but those are happening less and less, we should all take time to relax when we can." Her smile was warm, loving and bright as she took the seared tuna steaks off of the pan, placing them on a plate on top of a bed of lettuce with a small bowl of dipping sauce made in house.
"I couldn't agree more." Yang smirked as she walked over to the window, placing her plate down with Ruby following suit right beside her. I'm starting to get the feeling I'll be sleeping on the couch tonight.
"That was so good!" Thistle hummed in absolute contentment and satisfaction, letting the flavor of her last bite of tuna linger in her mouth, savoring the vaguely sweet taste that mingled perfectly with the spicy seasoning and the savory and tangy dipping sauce. Definitely ordering that again, I think I've found my new favorite dish here.
"I guess I don't need to ask if you enjoyed your meal." Blake said with a smile as she approached the table, Thistle having pretty quickly polished off her meal looking beyond pleased with her order.
"It was great as always." Thistle grinned back, wiping her mouth with her forearm after licking her lips, taking every bit of the taste she could off of them. However, once again her eyes were drawn to the corner of the window that led into the kitchen and a softer, more fond smile brightened her face. "Can you tell Ruby that I really loved it and that this was probably my favorite thing I've eaten in a long time?"
"I'll pass that along, I know it'll make her happy to hear that." Blake tried her best to hide the bittersweet tone her voice, hoping that Thistle wouldn't notice. She didn't like doing this but she told Weiss she would drop it. If Thistle is developing feelings for Ruby, our girlfriend, then Ruby should be the one who decides what happens. I mean, it's just not fair to keep her in the dark but I know Weiss is just trying to keep us together. I don't think she has anything against Thistle, I know I don't. I think Yang is actually getting carried away with the idea of adding a fifth person to our relationship, as impossible as that is. The only one who doesn't know is the person who should know the most… maybe Weiss is wrong on this one. I should talk to her.
"Thanks Blake… I hope it does, she's a really good cook." She didn't notice the unease in Blake's voice, her soft purple eyes were still focused on the sliver of window she could see, her chin resting in her hand, propped up over the table by her elbow. It sucks that she's always stuck back there, I wish I could talk to her more. I'd like to tell her in person how much I liked her cooking.
"Hey Thistle!" A friendly and familiar voice chimed in, stealing both her and Blake's attention as Yang grinned mischievously, leaning up against the table as she stood over Thistle. "I'm opening the bar up a bit early tonight, wanna join me? Since you're gonna be drinking away your money anyway I can just add your bill from dinner to whatever you blow on drinks."
"Sure, why not." Thistle spent more time with Yang than anyone else at Pollination, she was the bartender and a damn good one, she was also pretty fun to talk to and was an excellent listener. As their favorite customer got out of her chair and made her way towards the back where the bar was, Blake and Yang lingered at her table, the faunus giving an annoyed glare at her girlfriend.
"Yang, I thought we told Weiss-"
"Yeah yeah, I know but I just don't like this. I'm not going to keep going behind Ruby's back." Their tones grew less hushed the further away Thistle got and the more their feelings got the better of them.
"Oh, but you'll go behind Weiss' back? We're all supposed to be equals in this relationship, I know Ruby is your sister but we're a team, we should be talking this out together, all of us." She realized the moment she finished that she must have come off as a hypocrite, knowing that she was siding with Weiss to keep Ruby in the dark.
"All of us should include Ruby. She's an adult and she's an equal in this relationship too. Look, I know Weiss is gonna be pissed at me for doing this but I can't just let her make decisions for everyone like she is. I know she means well and you know I love her but sometimes she can be a little controlling." For all her brave talk, she still looked around nervously as she said those last words.
"How exactly do you think this will end? Best case scenario, Ruby and Thistle hit it off and then what? Thistle has a thing for Ruby, not you or me or Weiss. We work because we all love each other, adding a fifth person into that is beyond unrealistic… it's much more likely that Ruby will leave us and far far more likely that we'll just drive Thistle away. Weiss may be controlling sometimes but she's not wrong." Blake really hated this, she hated taking sides, she hated fighting with her girlfriends and she hated with her girlfriends fought.
"This should be up to Ruby, none of us should decide what's best for her like this. Weiss is just afraid of losing what we have." Yang could feel that anger welling up in her chest like fire, but she pushed it down, because she would never let her anger get the better of her, not towards the people she loved.
"I am too…" Blake's soft amber eyes looked away in shame, her head lowered and her ears drooped atop her head. "Aren't you?"
"Of course I am, being together, the four of us, it's the best thing in my life. That still doesn't make going behind Ruby's back right." It was a crappy situation, they all knew that, but she couldn't be mad at Thistle for falling for her sister, she couldn't mad at Blake for siding with Weiss, she couldn't mad at Weiss for making the decision she thought was best for all of them and she couldn't be mad at Ruby for being a little oblivious. If Weiss is gonna do what she thinks is right then so am I.
"You're right… I know you're right." She sighed, her shoulders slumping as she looked down at the table, collecting the plates, silverware and cup with a forlorn, guilty look in her eyes. "Do whatever you need to do but please, just… don't be too hard on Weiss. Her heart is in the right place."
"I know, she's our little Snowflake after all… we'd be lost without her… I know I would." A soft, loving smile brightened her face, her words dripping with fondness and tender caring as she walked around the table. "I'd be lost without all of you."
"Yeah… same here." With a soft exhale Blake closed her eyes and leaned back, her back resting against Yang's chest before she felt her strong, muscular arm wrap around her while her other hand grabbed the last plate on Thistle's table, placing it carefully in her tray.
"I love you Blake." With a gentle, warm whispered in Blake's cat ear she gently nuzzled the fuzzy outside of her ear, it twitching reflexively at the soft touch.
"I love you too Yang." She wished she could just relax, forget about work and let herself go, giving into the warmth and safety of her lover's embrace and falling into a comfortable and blissful sleep. "Go on, do what you need to do. I'll finish up here."
"Thanks Kitten." She couldn't resist, with a devious grin she pulled Blake a little closer, pressing her tight against her back, running her soft lips against the sensitive edge of her ear, she could feel Blake almost instantly stiffen in her grasp, only making her bolder. Blake could feel her hot breaths against the fine hairs lining the inside of her cat ears and then… a pressure, just tight enough to be on the threshold of pain as she felt Yang's teeth sink into her fur.
"Y-Yang…" It took everything she had to hold back a moan, all her girlfriend's knew her weak point but Yang was the best at exploiting it.
"That was just incentive." With a huff of laughter Yang pulled away looking very pleased with herself as she listened to her girlfriends heavy breathing, her cat ear flicking over and over atop her head. "You know, for when Weiss makes me sleep on the couch, that way at least I won't be sleeping alone."
"I didn't know that foreplay came with subtext." Blake gave a tired, resigned sigh. Of course she had an angle, trying to gain favor that way was just Yang's style. "Well, don't keep Thistle waiting too long."
"Right, I'll see you tonight Kitten." With a giggle and a wink she spun around and made her way towards the back, following Thistle into the bar.
"It's gonna be a long night…"
"Hey! Sorry to keep you waiting!" Yang walked through the small gate leading behind the bar, it was designed very decidedly like the restaurant in the front with iron and hand carved wood. Soft orange lights filled the back of the building while the bar was illuminated with lightstrips running along the shelves stocked with a wide variety of liqueurs.
"Well if I wasn't being let in early I would be waiting longer so it's not like I can complain." Thistle tended to take things in stride and tried her best not to let the little things bother her.
"True! So, what can I get ya?" Yang loved this part of the job, at night, she was Pollination's Ruby, the master of the bar and the face of it. She was their night life and was responsible for bringing in a decent chuck of the profits though she knew Ruby's cooking is what kept them alive.
"Hmmm, surprise me. I don't want to leave right away so make it something easy on me for now." Yang was good at her job, and no small part of that was being able to pick up on how people were feeling and she could sense the subtle dejection in Thistle's voice, she could see it in the way she was looking down at the counter rather than at her. She was listless and unhappy. Something was weighing on her mind and Yang had a feeling she knew what it was.
"I think I have just the thing." An idea hit her like lightning, bringing back her mischievous grin and making her feel pretty proud of herself as she retreated back into the bar, grabbing a glass and getting to work.
"Thanks Yang." It was pissing her off how depressed she was getting. Little things she could usually handle, the small annoyances of life, but she just couldn't shake it… she couldn't get Ruby out of her head. They had only met a few times, the first by pure chance the day before their grand opening. She was bright and pure like silver and even though Thistle was having a pretty bad day at the time, after spending some time with Ruby and sampling some of her food, Thistle just forgot about what was bothering her. She was happy. Ever since then I just can't stop thinking about her. This is crazy… I'm crazy. I eat here at least twice a week and I've maybe seen her all of about three times in the last month. I should just go, it's not like whatever this is could work out anyway, I mean… she must have someone already and besides, look at me, I'm probably not her type.
"Here you go." A cheerful and rather proud voice stole her from her thoughts as a glass of sparkling pink beverage was placed in front of her, with ice and a strawberry slice inside. "It's a strawberry-rose spritzer, I think you'll see it's pretty perfect."
"Yeah?" She wasn't sure but she had a sneaking suspicion her bartender was up to something. Even so, she swirled the glass around ever so slightly and took a sip. It wasn't bad, sweet and just a little sour with the taste of herbs mixed in but the fruitiness of the strawberry tied everything together really well.
"Don't drink it too fast, trust me, you'll still want enough of that in your hand in a few minutes." Yang was very taken in with her clearly brilliant scheme as she placed a second, identical glass in front of the seat beside Thistle. "Hey, did you know that Ruby is my sister?"
"Really?" Thistle did not know that, and she was dubious as she looked up at the tall blonde. "You don't look anything alike."
"Yeah, well, we're half sisters, we have the same dad." She shrugged, leaning forward on the bar towards Thistle. "You know, Ruby's still here, she's cleaning up the kitchen since we're done serving for the night. If you want I could send her over, since you wanted to tell her in person how much you liked her cooking and all."
"Really!?" She nearly shot up out of her chair taking both Yang and herself aback. A light blush tinted Thistle's cheeks as she tried to compose herself, sitting down with a sheepish half smile. "I mean, yeah… I'd like that, if it's really okay."
"Yeah, it's really okay." Yang gave her a soft, reassuring nod before turning away and walking through the swinging gate at the bar's entrance, heading back towards the kitchen where her sister was still keeping herself busy. Uh oh, I think Thistle may have it for her worse than I thought. Still, she was pretty cute when she got all flustered. Who knows, maybe if they hit if off she'll fall for the rest of us too. Okay, that's getting way ahead of myself but still.
"Hey Ruby, I- oh… Weiss… hey." The instant the slightest hint of guilt betrayed her, she instantly got an indignant, frigid glare from Weiss who was helping Ruby clean up the kitchen while Blake worked to clean the dining area.
"Is something wrong Yang?" Ruby tilted her head, pausing as she scrubbed down the professional grade stove.
"Nothing's wrong but um, Thistle is at the bar, she said she wanted talk to you, something about telling you how much she liked your cooking." She tried to ignore the waves of cold fury that rolled off of her manager, warming up as she saw the excited, child like beam on Ruby's face. "Why don't you go relax with her for a bit, I'll help Weiss clean the kitchen."
"Are you sure? I mean, normally you're getting set up in the bar right about now, I'd hate to take you away just so I could relax." She frowned but Yang wasn't fooled, those big puppy dog eyes that she had fallen victim to almost her entire life left no doubt that Ruby was determined to go. Come on, how can I say no to that?!
"I'm sure, go on, I'll finish up here." Ruby's beaming smile intensified as she dropped the sponge and walked hurriedly over to her sister.
"Thanks bunches! I'll come back and help as soon as I'm done talking with Thistle. Oh, and I'll pay you back by helping clean the bar tonight!" She took off her white hat, hanging it up on a hook by the door before turning on her heel back to her sister with a playful smirk. Her rose petal decorated apron fluttered behind her as she quickly close the distance between herself and Yang, standing up on her toes as she leaned in, her lips pressing gently against her sister's cheek, lingering for just a moment before bashfully pulling away.
"Heh-heh… see ya both in a bit then!" And with that, her cheeks reddened by a light blush, Ruby quickly walked out the door, leaving Weiss and Yang to themselves, the icy manager waiting until she felt Ruby would no longer be able to hear her coming tirade.
"Yang…" Weiss growled, walking up with her liquid nitrogen gaze unwavering from Yang's.
"Oh um… wow we sure got a lot of work to do, better get started!" She took a fearful, staggering step backwards. Crap, this might be a little worse than sleeping on the couch tonight, she looks pretty pissed.
"Oh no you don't! Yang, I explicitly asked you not to do one thing and what did you do? The one thing I asked you not to do!" She took a firm, stomping step forward, putting herself only inches from her girlfriend, the bigger and much stronger woman shrinking back at her rant.
"Aw come on, it's not like this is a bad thing. At worst Ruby stays oblivious, at best, who knows maybe they hit it off and-"
"And what Yang?!" Weiss interrupted with a bitter huff, putting her hands on her hips. "Let me tell you what the real worst case scenarios are! One; Ruby lets her down gently and she never comes back and we lose our first recurring customer. Two; Ruby doesn't let her down, Thistle keeps coming here, getting her hopes up because of your meddling and then crashes hard when she finds out about her relationship. Three; Ruby actually reciprocates these feelings and then when she tells Thistle about her relationship with us, Thistle leaves her just as Ruby is beginning to get attached and it crushes her. All of those are vastly more likely than any fantasy you're coming up with."
"I- I… I was just trying to-"
"I know what you were trying to do." Weiss snapped with the coldness of the most bitter winter.
"Weiss… I just wanted to help." This was way worse than she thought it would be… and it hurt a whole hell of a lot more. Yang felt her throat getting tight and her eyes begin to blur as cold and fear filled her chest. Weiss is really mad at me… I've never seen her get like this. Did I really go too far? Please, I didn't want you to hate me… please don't hate me Weiss.
"Yang, don't cry! I'm sorry!" Unimaginable guilt swept over her as she saw those big lilac eyes glistening, her girlfriend's lip quivering as as she barely held back her tears. "I didn't mean for it to come out that way, please, I'm sorry! Um, I know you were just trying to help but-"
Weiss was cut off as Yang lumbered forward, her tear clouded eyes sore as she was barely able to hold them back. Still, knowing Weiss was trying to make her feel better, knowing she didn't mess up bad enough for Weiss to hate her, that helped a lot. A small, grateful smile graced her lips as she reached out, wrapping her arms around Weiss and pulling her in against her chest, holding the smaller girl in a tight, warm hug.
"I shouldn't have gone behind your back… I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?" Yang was shaking…
"Yes, of course I forgive you, I love you. Next time, if you disagree with me just talk to me first okay? We shouldn't be going behind each other's backs like this… I shouldn't have been going behind Ruby's back. I just didn't know how else to handle this without it blowing up in our faces. I don't want to lose what we have." It had taken a lot for her to get the this point, her whole life she had been cold, she had been groomed to be the best and it made her distant, putting her heart behind a wall of ice. Ruby, Yang and Blake, they melted right through the ice and she never wanted to go back.
"I don't like when your voice gets so cold… I don't like hearing it like that. You're not a cold person. So just, just don't ice me out like that again okay?" She wouldn't let go, she didn't want to let go. She just wanted to hold Weiss, a girl that barely made it past her chin in height, she wanted to feel her warmth because that's what she associated most with her; warmth and gentleness.
"I'm sorry. I promise, I won't do that again." A small, wistful smile pulled at her lips as she moved up closer to Yang's chest, pressing her head gently against her neck. She could feel her heartbeat and her toned muscles beneath her top. She never felt safer than when Yang held her, none of them did, sometimes they would have to compete for the bartender's affection, though that happened with all of them.
"I know I'm being ridiculous… I don't know why I thought this was a good idea or why I thought it could end well, I just kinda went with the impulse you know?" Yang's hand slowly reached up, rubbing her palm against Weiss' back until her fingertips touched her soft white hair.
"We've been together for years now and I know that we've had this talk before. Like I've said before, I'm not entirely against the idea of bringing someone else into our relationship in theory, if we all like them, if they're okay with us, if they like all of us, then I think I could be alright with it. After all, I never thought I'd be okay sharing myself with three different people but together, you three have made me the happiest I've ever been." A content humm rumbled from her throat as she lost herself in Yang's embrace, letting her eyes close and her chest fill with warmth.
"The problem is, the odds of anyone any of us like outside the four of us being okay with being shared between all of us are extremely low. You're setting Thistle, Ruby and yourself up for failure and disappointment and, if this gets far enough… heartbreak." She didn't have anything against Thistle, she seemed like a lovely young woman and Weiss found her infatuation with her girlfriend surprisingly endearing, but she knew this was vastly more likely to end in disaster than in adding another person to their very weird relationship.
"Maybe but… Ruby has a way of bringing people together. I mean, an heiress, a former member of a terrorist organization, I was on my way to becoming a Huntress before Ruby roped me into following her into culinary arts. I'm not saying it will happen, I'm not even saying it should happen, but it could, and Ruby should be the one to decide what happens here." She knew she had just gotten involved because it seemed fun at first and because she felt bad for Thistle, she saw how the small redhead was when she drank at her bar and how she lit up when talking about Ruby. Still, she could see Thistle as a potential romantic partner for herself if things went that way.
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now except hope for the best… whatever the best may be." With a heavy sigh and a reluctant heart Weiss slowly pulled herself back from Yang's chest, looking up into her eyes while Yang's arms were still around her. "Let's finish cleaning."
"Hey!" A cheerful and silvery voice called out, ripping Thistle from her own head. At first, she didn't recognize the voice, but as she looked up and saw those big, shining silver eyes and her beautiful shoulder length black, red tipped hair, and her warm and slightly nervous smile, Thistle's heart began to beat just a little faster.
"R-Ruby! It's good to see you again." Thistle stood up, her hand reaching out before falling back in front of her, unsure of exactly what to do. Thankfully, Ruby didn't seem to care.
"It's good to see you again as well. I hope you enjoyed your meal today." Her smile was brilliant and her voice was warm and comforting. Giving a soft exhale Thistle let out her anxiety and nervousness, relaxing as she rested her hands in her pockets.
"It was really delicious. I don't usually like fish but that was so good I think it's my new favorite." Thistle was beyond happy and thankful to see Ruby's face light up with pure, unbridled joy and excitement, all Thistle could do was smile in kind.
"I'm so happy you liked it! You know, I'm always trying to outdo myself, I've worked as a chef for years but after a lot of saving up I finally have my own restaurant. It's a lot of work but I know that if I rely on my team and work my best every day, the people who come to eat here will always leave happier than they came in!" She found herself in awe at Ruby, her desire, her wish, it was so simple and so powerful, she wanted to make people happier and she clearly worked very hard to do just that.
"You're one of a kind you know that?" Thistle laughed softly to herself as she fell back into her seat. "Do you… wanna have a drink with me?"
"Sure, I guess Yang must have left this here for me." Ruby took her place beside Thistle, grabbing the glass that was dripping with condensation. "Hey, we have the same thing! Do you like strawberries too?"
"Strawberries? Yeah, I mean, they're pretty good." Again she felt almost blinded by just how bright and pure and happy Ruby was and her smile was absolutely infectious.
"I love them! They're actually my favorite food." With a bashful grin Ruby looked into her glass, swirling it around as she watched her reflection warp in the ripples.
"Huh, so strawberries are you favorite huh?" Thistle felt happy just learning something that should have been so trivial. "Wanna make a toast?"
"Sure, what to?" Ruby looked at her curiously, her smile never faltering.
"To… making people happy?" She wasn't sure what to say but those words echoed in her mind and told her so much more about Ruby than she'd ever known before.
"I can toast to that!" With mirrored smiles they raised their glasses up.
Clink!