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Chapter 13: Too Sweet
Aside from meals provided at the cafeteria, Beacon was well equipped with cooking stations near the dorms. This allowed students to customize their diets to reach optimal health and in case anyone had specific nutritional needs. Students were expected to maintain their fitness and of the basics is good food.
However, Weiss dressed in a simple white apron and with hair tied back in a matching kerchief had another purpose in mind.
On the countertop splayed the cookbook she purchased from Tukson. A rather simpering read with flowery script and cute pastel colors to compliment the dark, rich tones of the confections and pastries; yet it also contained short commentaries and notes on the history or trivia of each recipe, including what they represented.
Weiss nearly sneered at how many were for improving relationships… were she not present for that expressed purpose.
A year has passed since she formed a team. A year since meeting her partner and leader. A year…
She knew she could be… difficult to deal with. Her own flaws were not hidden from her and have more than once clashed with her teammates. Nevertheless, they've stuck together despite her shortcomings.
More than that, Ruby has been… indescribable. More than just a leader, more than just a partner, more than just a friend…
Of course, she would want to thank Yang and Blake as well, and she will. But she wanted to thank Ruby first. For always being there for her. For always letting her be… her.
Blue eyes skimmed the pages before lingering on a pound cake. Elegant in its simplicity and allowance for unique finishing touches. Best of all, the base was easy enough for her to make with relatively fewer steps and a ratio of 1:1:1:1 for the main ingredients.
Measuring them out into specific portions before mixing made double checking much easier. Separating the eggs proved troublesome though when she accidentally broke the membrane and the yolk ran everywhere.
She could have separated it using her bare hands but the sliminess made her hesitate.
Instead, she poured the yolk back and forth between its egg shell until she was satisfied with the remaining whites. Unfortunately, one yolk snagged on a jagged edge and spilled into the bowl below forcing her to scrap half of the work and start over again, though the mixed contents later made a very nice omelette.
With the minor incident behind her, Weiss was able to mix and settle the batter with relative ease. All that was left was to put it into the oven.
While it baked, Weiss searched around for a sauce pan to make a glaze for the cake. A sugar glaze would compliment nicely, especially considering Ruby's sweet-tooth. Strawberries were considered, but Weiss felt Ruby would have welcomed some diversity and so brought along several other fruits just in case.
Yet everything would be fruitless if she could not find the pan. A thorough rummage later, involving cataloging and inventorying everything since it kept bothering her the longer she searched, revealed that not only was the pan missing, but so was the portable burner. Not that Weiss needed the burner since the stovetop would work, but she clicked her tongue in annoyance at the nerve of some student's disregard for proper communal etiquette.
Unable to locate the pan, Weiss was forced to commandeer one from another station. Her morals and ethics waged against her practicality. She had not submitted a request to use another station's equipment, there was no accountability, which was probably what resulted in her current missing pot predicament, and this could potentially inconvenience someone else if they should need it.
Perhaps it was silly, but her strict upbringing demanded a certain amount of decorum.
Nevertheless, left with no other options, Weiss strode over to the nearest station and started raiding its pantry for a spare pot.
Shiftily glancing around as if someone was going to reprimand her, Weiss snuck back and continued working. Hopefully with no more distractions.
…
By the time Weiss returned to her dorm, dinner was already over. Blake and Yang were probably enjoying their post-meal showers before bed, which meant this would be the best time to give Ruby her present.
Fingers curled around the pink cloth wrapped cake in her hands, wrinkling it slightly.
If Ruby is in right now. Her more cynical voice reminded her.
Shaking her head ruefully, she opened the door and stepped into the room to find her partner curled up on her chair.
"Weiss!" Ruby greeted cheerfully and waved her over.
As she neared, Weiss sniffed an overwhelming aroma. Sweet overpowering a slight bitterness.
"What are you doing?" she quirked an eyebrow at Ruby's widening grin.
Swiveling the chair, Ruby revealed the apparatus behind her and Weiss gaped.
A small portable burner was heating up a sauce pan and the comforting scent of chocolate and milk waft warmly from its top.
"I was waiting for you to get back," Ruby murmured shyly. "I didn't see you all day so I thought you might be busy and would like something warm to drink and-"
"Thank you, Ruby," Weiss interrupted her rambling with a small smile.
After pulling up a chair and taking a seat, she placed her present on the table, drawing a curious look from Ruby.
Coughing lightly into her hand to clear her throat, Weiss spoke softly, "As a token of my thanks for being a good leader and partner, I wanted to make you a gift."
A snort made her look up to find Ruby with hands clamped around her mouth trying her hardest not to giggle.
"You're always *snrk* so serious," snickered Ruby.
Weiss huffed and folded her arms.
"Sorry Weiss," Ruby beamed good-naturedly. "Thank you. Really."
"I don't know how well cake will go with hot chocolate though," Weiss frowned.
"It'll be fine~" Ruby sang. "Food tastes better when shared it with you anyways."
Weiss watched as Ruby poured some milk into the pan and crumbled in a bar of chocolate. Instead of using a spoon to stir, she broke a long, thinner piece and dipped it into the quickly sweetening drink.
"What? It's fun," Ruby shrugged. "Makes it more chocolate-y and tastes better!"
"I thought sharing it with me made it taste better?" Weiss teased.
"And now, it's double-better and will be awesome!" Ruby rolled on without missing a beat.
At Weiss' unconvinced expression, Ruby held out another narrow bar for Weiss to try.
Even if it threw the measurements off and wouldn't mix as homogeneously, Weiss had to admit, there was a certain… charm to it.
Or maybe it was because Ruby looked to be having so much fun while stirring.
Letting Ruby unwrap the cake once the drinks were almost done, the younger girl squealed and nearly drooled. The pound cake's glaze cracked and shimmered as Weiss carefully sliced a small portion for each of them.
Too sweet.
While the cake and hot chocolate were fine on their own, their flavors combined was a bit too overwhelming.
At least Ruby seemed to like it. And that was all that really mattered.
With them being alone together, Weiss took her chance.
She leaned down slightly and licked a stray smear of chocolate on Ruby's lips, smirking at the luminescent face after pulling away. "Much too sweet~"
So the working theme was: Weiss privately pilfers a pot and plots to produce pastries per her partner's palate.
Originally, this scene was going to have Weiss fail numerous times at cooking and sampling her creations making her too full thus unable to join Ruby. But the "social elite can't cook" trope is a little overdone. Plus, this was cuter~
Hope you have a sweet-filled day, please leave a comment, and I'll see you next chapter!