Mondays were a lot of things: the start of the week, the end of the weekend, and the bane of every working person's existence. Work wasn't all bad though - it offered something to do for long stretches of time, day after day. Yang just wished it was more of an option rather than a requirement.
But Mondays came with a silver lining - meeting her sister at their favorite coffee shop before begrudgingly dragging themselves to work. They'd carried on this ritual for a while now, embracing the opportunity to buy a jolt of energy and recount their weekends. Since they didn't live together anymore - an arrangement that still saddened Yang - this was the one guaranteed time they saw each other every week.
Unsurprisingly, Yang was running late. She would have been on time, but a wardrobe dilemma took longer than expected to resolve (Pink or white blouse to start the week? There was no good answer). As a result, by the time she rushed into the crowded coffeehouse Ruby had already gotten her drink and commandeered a small table in the middle of the room.
Amidst the hectic energy, with people of all ages and backgrounds hurrying about their lives, Ruby looked completely at ease. She had one of her legs drawn up on the chair and used her knee as a chinrest while her eyes remained glued to her phone. The posture gave away her youthful energy, but her thoughtful gaze and upgraded attire showed just how much she'd matured over the years. Some things never changed though, as she rolled her eyes as soon as she caught sight of Yang.
"Couldn't decide what to wear?"
"Gotta dress to impress, Ruby." After dropping her bag on one of the chairs, Yang patted Ruby's shoulders and motioned to the counter. "Be right back."
"Mmk."
While Ruby immediately returned to reading her phone, Yang joined the line of customers waiting to order.
As one of Yang's favorite people in the world, Ruby held the dubious honor of having her undivided big-sister attention and the teases that came along with it. The two of them had always shared a close bond - their childhood had demanded that much of them - but Yang was proud that not even 'real life' could come between them. They saw each other as much as possible, they stayed involved in each other's lives, and they blocked out every Monday morning so that every week began with a catch-up.
As their Mom would say - "Family's the glue that won't go away." While not entirely true - a regrettable lesson they'd learned too young - that wouldn't stop Yang from holding onto Ruby as tightly as possible. Ruby might squirm, but Yang had always been the stronger of the two of them.
Smiling at the thought, she stepped up to the counter once the person ahead of her moved out of the way.
"Good morning," the barista greeted her with a tired smile. "What can I get you?"
"An iced americano and one of those blueberry scones." Yang pointed at the pile of scones in the pastry case, which looked like exactly what she needed on a Monday morning. "Ready for the week?" she asked while the girl wrote the drink order on a clear cup.
"Not in the least."
"I hear ya," Yang replied, chuckling at the honesty while swiping her card at the register. Once the charge went through, she stepped out of the way so the line kept moving. While waiting near the drink pick-up counter though, she scanned the coffeehouse for anything new or interesting.
As was typical for a Monday morning, people from all walks of life congregated inside. Students working on their laptops with headphones on, businessmen and women glancing at the time every few seconds, exhausted partiers from the night before...everyone was here searching for the same thing: a jumpstart in the form of liquid caffeine or sugary baked goods.
The lively atmosphere perked up Yang's mood and filled her with energy just as much as the coffee would, and that was before she spotted a cute blonde she'd never seen before. By sheer luck, or uncanny fate, Ruby had picked the table immediately adjacent to the girl, whose phone held her attention while she casually sipped her coffee. Not wanting to be obvious, or creepy, Yang cast nothing more than a glance before smiling at the barista setting a cup and pastry bag on the counter.
"Iced americano and a blueberry scone?"
"That'd be me, thanks."
After grabbing both items, Yang made her way back to Ruby.
"So what's going on?" she asked while sitting down. She managed to catch the blonde's attention as she did and offered a quick smile before turning away and sticking a straw into her drink. "Anything new and exciting?" she asked before taking the first sip.
"Not really."
"Then what's got your eyes glued to your phone?"
It took Yang nodding toward the phone for Ruby to catch on, but her expression brightened once she did.
"Oh! I'm trying out our pre-pre-pre-beta!"
That was the most loosely applied meaning of 'exciting' Yang had ever encountered, but Ruby grinned and spun her phone around so Yang could see.
"We got a few new features working, so I've been testing it for bugs. Spoiler alert - there are a lot."
Ruby tapped a few buttons while explaining, and several colorful characters jumped across the screen.
"Wow, there's so much more detail though." Upon leaning forward and giving the characters a closer inspection, Yang smiled at Ruby. "Still working on the weapons?"
"Yup! I want them to be gorgeous and realistic."
"You're such a nerd sometimes…" Yang mumbled, shaking her head and taking another sip of her coffee.
"You don't have to be nerdy to enjoy recreating historically accurate and amazing weapons," Ruby huffed. Only a few seconds passed, however, before a smile crept onto her lips. "But yeah, I'm a nerd."
"There you go." Laughing at the acceptance, Yang raised her hand for Ruby to high-five. "Is that what you did all weekend?"
"Pretty much."
"When do I get to play this masterpiece?"
"We still have a lot to do so...probably not for a while."
Taking a bite of her scone, Yang noticed the proud glance Ruby sent toward the screen before putting her phone away. She had every reason to be proud. Her hard work was finally paying off in a visible form that the rest of the world would one day see.
"How was Blake's thing?"
"Oh!" Yang set down her scone and brushed the crumbs off of her hands as one of her favorite topics came up. "It was perfect, of course. She's so good at her job. If I was her boss, I'd give her a huge raise."
"If you were her boss, you should give her your job," Ruby teased, and Yang laughed.
"You know what, that's better. Then she can boss me around."
"Like it should be."
Ruby was right, as Yang couldn't even imagine being Blake's boss. With how smart and organized Blake was, it made more sense for her to be in charge than the other way around.
"She'd be a great boss," Yang decided, earning Ruby's hum of agreement before continuing. "But yeah, the signing went great, then we saw that new action movie everyone's talking about and got dinner after."
"Was it good?"
"A solid seven out of ten. Blake's tuna was amazing though."
"Her - what?"
"The tuna Blake ordered…" Yang answered slower this time, and Ruby's eyes widened.
"Oh!" Whatever misunderstanding just happened made Ruby laugh and shake her head. "I meant the movie. Was the movie good?"
"Depends on your definition of 'good.'" Yang gave Ruby a curious look before letting the prior topic go. "There were lots of explosions and fighting scenes, so you might like it."
"Yeah, I might. I can't believe you dragged Blake though."
"I convinced her it was work research." Remembering how that conversation went, Yang chuckled. "Pretty sure I owe her now…"
"You're lucky she likes you s - oh my god, she's here."
"What? Who?"
When Yang tried to turn around and see who Ruby was talking about, Ruby lunged across the table and grabbed her arm.
"Don't look - she'll notice!"
"Then tell me who you're talking about!"
"That girl! The super pretty one I spilled coffee on like forever ago!"
"Why're you always spilling coffee on people?" Yang asked, but Ruby waved her hands.
"Because I'm clumsy. But look - no, don't look!"
In the midst of turning around, Yang laughed and settled back into her seat.
"You told me to look," she teased, but Ruby was too busy sneaking glances toward the other side of the coffee shop to respond.
Apparently Ruby was clumsy and not at all subtle, as anyone with somewhat-standard vision would catch her near constant glimpses toward the line. Or, more specifically, toward one person standing in that line.
"She's so pretty..."
"You're not making me want to turn around any less."
"You already know what she looks like," Ruby argued, but Yang tapped her chin and played dumb.
"There are lots of pretty girls here..." Glancing to the table on her left, she briefly caught the blonde's gaze and smiled. "You could be talking about any of them."
"Did I spill coffee on them though?" Ruby asked, drawing Yang's attention back to her.
"Well, I don't know what happens when I'm not here. Maybe you're spilling coffee on lots of people!"
"Nope. Just her. The one with long white hair, and the prettiest, clearest blue eyes I've ever seen…"
"Oh that one," Yang joked after the description trailed off into nothing.
There was one, and only one, person who made Ruby sigh and gaze longingly into the distance like that. The same person who caught Ruby's attention long ago, even before the coffee-spilling incident, but with whom no progress had been made even after months and months of wishing from afar.
The pining was adorable but, through appearances alone, the two of them were polar opposites. While Ruby sat with her legs up on the chair playing games on her phone, this other girl arrived in sharp business attire and a no-nonsense attitude to go along with the perfect pedicure and hair. She either had money or knew how to fake it; either way, not exactly the type of person meant for someone as down-to-earth as Ruby.
A soft squeak preceded a loud bump against the table, jarring Yang out of her thoughts while Ruby grabbed her teetering coffee cup.
"What's the matter with you?" Yang teased while Ruby stared at the cup and blushed.
"She caught me looking."
"Good! Now she knows you're interested."
"How's that a good thing?"
"Because you are interested."
Whether or not Ruby believed the advice was hard to tell, but her gaze almost compulsively flitted back to the line. The object of her affection was within Yang's line of sight now, making it all too easy for Yang to casually observe out of the corner of her eye.
Whoever this girl was, she had great fashion sense - Yang would give her that. Her blouse and heels were in season, the blazer and skirt looked custom tailored, and the matching earrings and bracelet were incredibly expensive. She had 'uptight executive' written all over her, especially in the way she 'patiently' waited in line.
If she was actually patient, she wouldn't tap the edge of her phone so quickly while steadfastly watching the people in front of her place their orders. It was almost as if she believed that they would order faster if she refused to turn away, something that might or might not have worked based on how quickly they moved out of her way.
"I don't get it," Yang commented as the girl stepped up to the counter. "What do you see in her?"
"Um, she's gorgeous?"
"Sure, she's pretty," Yang agreed. "But she doesn't really look like your type."
"I know…" When the girl finished paying and stepped aside, Ruby briefly tore her gaze away. "But that day I spilled coffee on her and, you know, apologized a lot, there was just...something else."
"It's called attraction," Yang said, but Ruby shook her head and shifted in her seat.
"It was something else," she repeated while the girl waited for her order.
This time, Yang shook her head and gave up. If Ruby thought there was something there, then maybe there was. Or maybe the combination of spilled coffee and clear blue eyes had an incredible impact. All Yang saw was a pretty, probably wealthy, definitely impatient girl who stopped by every once in a while for a cup of coffee.
"Now she'll get her drink and leave…" Ruby mused when the girl stepped forward to accept her order.
A quick smile was exchanged with the barista before she turned away from the counter. Her gaze swept the room, narrowly missing Yang's glance, before she headed to the door. If she felt Ruby's hawk-like attention, she didn't show it as she walked away from the counter and...set her cup down on an empty table on the other side of the room. She then pulled out the chair and sat down, and Ruby sank further into her seat.
"Or she'll sit right over there," Ruby whispered in dismay. "But she never sits here! She always gets her coffee and leaves!"
"Jeez, Ruby. Surprised you don't know her order by now." Yang chuckled at what she thought was a joke but sat forward as soon as she spotted the blush on Ruby's cheeks. "You know her order?"
"Only because I was walking past and overheard! I wasn't trying to figure it out."
"But you remember it."
"Well, yeah. Because who orders a cappuccino with three ristretto shots, sugar-free syrup, half-almond half-soy with extra-dry foam and upside-down mocha drizzle?"
If Ruby didn't look completely serious right now, Yang would think that was a joke. Instead, she laughed at what had to be the most high-maintenance order she'd ever heard. The poor baristas...
"Hate to break it to you," she said, stirring her drink before picking it up. "But you're obsessed."
"I'm not obsessed. I'm just...interested?"
"Then ask her out."
To Yang, that was the obvious solution. Based on Ruby's wide eyes, however, she might as well have just proposed marriage.
"I can't do that!"
"Why not?"
"Because!" When that was the end of the response, Yang raised her brow and Ruby started sputtering. "Because that would mean talking to her, and using words that aren't 'I'm so sorry,' and what if she still hates me for spilling coffee on her?"
"All good reasons," Yang teased. "So you aren't going to ask her out?"
"No way."
When Ruby waved her hands and shook her head, Yang grinned.
"Fine, then I will."
As soon as Yang started standing up, Ruby grabbed her hand.
"You don't even like her! And your relationships don't last longer than a breath mint - you'll make her stop coming here!"
"Ouch." After miming being stabbed in the heart, Yang smiled. "If you're not going to ask her out, why can't I? I've given you half a century to go for it."
When Ruby puffed out her cheeks, Yang sighed and leaned closer. As much as she enjoyed teasing Ruby about this, now felt like the time for some good ol' big sister encouragement.
"Ruby...you've been crushing on this girl for like a year now. Don't you want to see if it could be something? Maybe it could happen! Which would be awesome. Or maybe it won't, but then you'll know and can stop obsessing over her. Doesn't that sound nice? You'll finally have an answer."
"I guess…"
"Besides, it doesn't have to be some big, serious thing. Maybe she's busy or already seeing someone. Or maybe she'll agree to grab dinner - or coffee." Yang waved around the coffeehouse. "Either way, it doesn't have to be perfect or forever. Even if you go out with her, she might not be your type. Sure, she's pretty and all, but maybe you'd rather spend your time with someone else."
That seemed like the most likely outcome to Yang, but Ruby mulled over the thought for a long time before nodding.
"Ok. I'll do it."
"Really?"
"Don't sound so surprised!" Ruby whined, and Yang shook her head.
"Sorry! I just didn't think that would actually work." With the moment of truth finally upon them, Yang grinned and leaned across the table. "Want some pointers?"
"Please."
"Ok, first - make eye contact, which...shouldn't be hard since you love her eyes so much. Remember to smile. Keep the conversation going, but don't say anything too weird."
"Got it." Ruby nodded but looked less than assured about what she was about to do. "Smile, eyes, don't be weird."
"And don't ramble," Yang added, knowing Ruby could be an epic rambler when nervous. Considering her doe-eyed expression right now, she was nervous. "Most importantly - if it feels like she's not interested, just walk away. No harm in trying, but you don't want to bother her, you know?"
"Right. I don't want to do that." Taking a deep breath, Ruby stood up and made it one step from the table before turning around. "Nope, she's too pretty."
"You're pretty too," Yang pointed out. "Plus, you're related to me - you've got some charm in there somewhere. Go try it out!"
When Yang shooed Ruby away, Ruby blew a big breath through her lips, clenched her fists, and finally walked across the room. She looked reasonably confident and decently composed, and everything went well until she tripped over her feet and caught the girl's attention by falling into the table. Thankfully, the girl quickly grabbed her cup, preventing a repeat of their first meeting, but Ruby's cheeks were now redder than a tomato while she attempted to recover.
In terms of introductions, that was a disaster. But if anyone could turn it around, it would be Ruby. Of course, she was rambling already - Yang could tell from how fast her lips were moving - and she stuck out her hand so fast that she nearly knocked the girl's coffee over again.
Chuckling at the catastrophe in the making, Yang glanced to the side and noticed that she had the blonde's attention once again. Three glances in the last few minutes; there was definitely interest there.
"I didn't teach her that," she said to break the ice. "Unless you find it endearing in a cute, klutzy way."
"Klutzy can be cute."
"Then I definitely taught her that." When the blonde smiled at the response, Yang leaned over and reached out her hand. "I'm Yang, by the way."
"Sam."
"Oh, I love that name," Yang said while shaking Sam's hand. "Do you come here often?"
"Every once in a while. Depends on how the weekend went."
"I know the feeling," Yang replied with a laugh. "But hey, if your weekend's ever feeling light on plans, maybe we could grab dinner? There's this new pasta place in midtown I've been dying to try. And new places are always more fun with company."
Yang immediately knew the answer when lively green eyes lit up and a playful smile appeared.
"You know, I was just wondering what I was going to do this weekend. Looks like I have my answer."
"Yeah? Then maybe I can get your number and we'll check it out?"
Once Sam nodded, Yang grinned and pulled out her phone. After opening a new contact, she handed it over and watched Sam type in her number.
"I'll message you," Yang said once Sam returned the phone, briefly holding it up before slipping it away.
"I'll look forward to it," Sam replied with another smile. After glancing at the time, however, she sighed and grabbed her cup. "But the weekend's officially over for me. Nice meeting you, Yang. Don't wait too long."
Adding a wink for good measure, Sam grabbed her bag and headed out of the coffee shop. After watching her go, Yang smiled and leaned back in her chair. Now she had someone to try a few new restaurants with, but she would be super upfront and crystal clear about what she was looking for, just like she discussed with Blake.
Speaking of Blake…
Spotting a familiar shade of raven hair, Yang swiveled around in her seat and felt her heart soar when Blake walked through the door. No matter how many times they saw each other, Yang always felt caught off guard by how stunning Blake was. If the girls Yang dated were cute, Blake was drop-dead gorgeous. There was a big, big difference and hardly any comparison.
"Morning, beautiful," Yang said when Blake dropped into the seat beside her.
"Morning," Blake mumbled while grabbing Yang's coffee and taking a sip. Sighing at the taste, she held the cup in one hand while setting her bag on the floor and letting her gaze flit across the room. "Is Ruby finally talking to that girl she spilled coffee on?"
"That's the one."
Trying not to be obvious, Yang glanced at that side of the coffeehouse and found Ruby still chatting the poor girl's ear off. Blake, meanwhile, hummed and took another drink of Yang's coffee. Her furrowed brow and focused gaze suggested many thoughts lurking behind beautiful golden eyes, but that was where they remained for the time being.
"Looks like it's going ok," was the only one she voiced out loud, which was enough approval for Yang to grin and lean closer.
"Guess who convinced her to do it?"
"If it's not you, this is a horrible story."
"Of course it was me!" Yang laughed at the idea that it could have been anyone else, then watched as Blake grabbed the remainder of her scone and took a bite. "Are you hungry?"
"Starving. Forgot to eat breakfast."
"Then let me get you something," Yang offered, but Blake shook her head.
"The line's too long."
"So? I'm getting you something." Before Blake argued, Yang stood up and backed toward the registers. "Can't have you go hungry. Plus, then I can snoop."
When Yang winked at the ulterior motive, Blake playfully rolled her eyes but didn't argue. Instead, she broke off another piece of Yang's scone and popped it in her mouth.
Satisfied with that response, and the chance to buy Blake breakfast, Yang wove her way between the tables and chairs toward the line. Upon nearing the table where Ruby now sat, however, Yang slowed to a leisurely amble and tried to pick out Ruby's voice above the crowd.
" - a lot of intricacies people don't realize!" Ruby was saying. When she pulled out her phone and started tapping buttons, Yang's amusement - and subtle concern - grew. "There's so many different classes and archetypes, and that's before you get into materials!"
Ruby's words tumbled out one overtop of the other while she scrolled across the screen.
"And you...design these?"
"Me and my coworkers." Ruby smiled - but it was at the screen - and she only glanced up once before blushing and looking away. "But mostly I do," she added. "It's not that hard! A lot of research, but that's part of the fun. I read a lot of books about how the weapons were built and used -"
This was what Yang had been afraid of. Only a few minutes into the conversation and Ruby was spewing all of her very advanced, very complex knowledge of weapons. It could be overwhelming even in bits and pieces, but it sounded like this girl was about to get the crash course.
As soon as Yang made it out of the girl's vision, she waved her hands to gain Ruby's attention and motioned that she was talking too much - and too fast. Ruby's eyes widened and she immediately fell all silent, prompting her crush to turn around and give Yang a curious look. Trying to dispel suspicion, Yang quickly smiled before pretending like she'd been fixing her hair. It seemed to work, as the girl gave a polite smile in return and turned back around. Having nearly been caught, Yang decided not to push her luck and joined the line instead.
Feeling eyes upon her, she met Blake's gaze across the room and motioned that Ruby was talking a lot. Blake smiled and shook her head at the news, which was probably what she'd expected, before taking another sip of Yang's coffee.
Even though Ruby had already delved into her nerdiest side, her crush didn't seem to mind. In fact, after so impatiently waiting in line, the girl was suddenly in no hurry to leave. It actually looked like she was doing her best to follow Ruby's rapid train of thought.
They were talking though, and that was a huge step forward. Now the only question was...could Ruby muster the courage to ask for a date, or even a phone number?
Yang would find out later. First, she smiled when she finally made it to the front of the line. The girl behind the register almost gave her the same good morning greeting but paused upon recognizing her.
"Back again?"
"Apparently, I didn't order enough the first time," Yang joked before glancing at the menu above the counter. If Blake skipped breakfast, she must be stressed. And if she was stressed, there was only one beverage proven to ease her anxiety.
"Can I have a chamomile tea and one of those bacon and egg croissants? Toasted, with strawberry jam on the side." When the girl's brow rose, Yang chuckled. "She swears it's good," she added, paying for the order before heading off to the side.
While a sizable line still waited in front of the registers, the tables were starting to empty as people headed off to work, school, or wherever they needed to be. The gradual shift reminded her that she would also need to leave soon, but she would wait until the very last minute to do so. She had to feed Blake first, and hear how Ruby's conversation went.
"Chamomile tea?" one of the baristas called out before setting the drink and a plate carrying the rest of the order on the counter. When she glanced around the crowd of people waiting, Yang motioned that it was hers before stepping forward to claim everything. Drink and food in hand, Yang took the short way back to the table rather than risk another pass by Ruby. Besides, Blake was hungry, and Yang hated making her wait.
"Trade you." After setting the cup of tea on the table, Yang moved the iced coffee away and set the plate in its place. "I know you don't like the cold stuff anyway."
"I've warmed up to it," Blake said while picking up the cup of tea and sniffing. "Mm...chamomile. Thank you."
"Don't mention it." Even though Yang waved away the gratitude, she couldn't help but smile. Taking care of Blake, even in a small way like this, made her happy and proud. As if she just proved herself to be a good, worthwhile friend.
"How's she doing?" Blake asked, holding the hot cup between both hands but not risking a sip yet.
"She's being her typical adorable, dorky self. Probably talking about how swords are made. I'm surprised that girl hasn't walked out."
"It looks like she's enjoying it, actually."
"What makes you say that?"
"She's trying really hard not to smile."
When Blake subtly nodded that direction, cleverly disguising the gesture behind a sip of tea, Yang nonchalantly glanced over and tried to see what Blake saw. The girl didn't look opposed to Ruby's presence, that was for sure. In fact...Blake was right - a smile was being held at bay for some reason or another. Maintaining the stoic, business-first persona? Trying not to laugh while Ruby passionately explained the finer details of metalworking?
"Well, that's going better than I thought it would," Yang admitted before watching Blake spread jam on her croissant. "Everyone thinks that's weird, by the way."
"Why? It's good."
"It's weird! You can put jam on a croissant, or bacon and eggs on a croissant. You don't combine those things."
Blake didn't care if anyone thought it was weird, of course, and merely shrugged before taking a bite.
"Why don't you try it?" she asked, holding out the sandwich to Yang.
"Are you trying to convert me?"
"Maybe."
Spotting the humor in Blake's eyes, along with a bit of a challenge, Yang caved. Leaning forward, she took a bite out of the sandwich and chewed thoughtfully while Blake waited for a response.
"So?"
"Surprisingly not bad," Yang concluded before licking her lips. "Actually...strangely good?"
"Told you."
"You're a genius."
"You just now learned that?"
"Oh I've always known it," Yang replied with a laugh. "Just reminding you that I'm still aware."
Pleased with that response, Blake took another bite and gently leaned against Yang's shoulder. The casual proximity had Yang smiling again in no time, and she was so content to just sit there and watch Blake eat that she blinked in surprise when someone practically crashed into the seat across from them.
Her thoughts snapped back to the present as Ruby took a big drink of her coffee. As soon as she set the cup down, she shook her head. "I have no idea what I just said," were the first words out of her mouth. "I think I told her about work? And..."
"And...?" Yang prodded when Ruby trailed off and stared at the now-empty table across the room.
"And I don't know!" Ruby wailed, covering her still-flushed cheeks. "It's all a blur, and I tried not to ramble but words just kept flying out."
That sounded exactly like Ruby, which wasn't a bad thing. It just meant that the girl got a vintage Ruby experience.
"But she gave me her number!"
When Ruby held up a piece of paper with numbers written on it, Yang's eyes widened.
"Wow. Way to go, Ruby!"
"Thanks!" Grinning like mad, Ruby set the phone number on the table and stared at it as if she couldn't believe her eyes. Yang also couldn't believe her eyes, but she should have known better than to doubt Ruby's ability to charm anyone with excessive amounts of cuteness.
"Her name's Weiss. She works at Schnee Industries, and she's really smart and pretty and has the most beautiful smile..."
"Wait," Blake said after Ruby trailed off again. "Her name's Weiss...and she works at Schnee Industries…is she Weiss Schnee?"
"Yeah! That's her name."
Blake's brow rose as she turned to Yang, but Yang couldn't place the name.
"Schnee Industries?" Blake prodded, but the name still didn't ring a bell. "The company that supplies almost every piece of metal used on this side of the world?"
"With that huge building downtown?" Yang asked and, when Blake nodded, let out a soft whistle. "Damn, Ruby. When you crush on someone, you go big."
While Ruby looked miffed by the response, Yang just chuckled and shook her head.
"So are you going on a date?"
"I...don't know? She just...gave me her number and said to call her sometime."
When Yang exchanged a look with Blake, Blake sipped her tea and shrugged.
"Alright, give me the number and your phone," Yang said, reaching across the table and motioning for Ruby to hand them over.
"What? Why?"
"Do you want to go on a date with her?"
"Yeah, of course!"
"Then hand 'em over. I'll get you a date right now."
Ruby finally caught on, but she pulled out her phone and held it in both hands rather than give it to Yang.
"Can you just tell me what to say?" she asked, so Yang smiled and sat back in her seat.
"Ok, say something casual. Something like 'hey, nice meeting you today. What do you think about grabbing dinner tonight?'"
"Tonight?" Ruby squeaked, so Yang gave her a look of disbelief.
"Do you want to go out with her or not?"
"I do! But tonight is like...way too soon. I need time to...mentally prepare."
"Alright, then tomorrow night," Yang offered, only to laugh when Ruby looked just as petrified. "Or Friday. Just text her now and set a time - that way she knows you're interested."
"Advice from the master," Blake pointed out while Ruby bit her lip and stared at Weiss' number. "It must work."
When Ruby finally looked up at Yang, and Yang gave her a cheeky grin, she sighed.
"You're right..." she mumbled. "I do want to ask her out..."
"And she'd be crazy not to want to go out with you," Yang replied with an encouraging smile.
Ruby had less experience at this - a blessing, in Yang's mind - but she had also never gushed about someone so much. Imagining someone so bubbly and effusing dating some straight-laced rich girl didn't seem like the perfect match, but as long as they kept it casual...she should be fine.
"Ok, I'll do it."
After making a small, whining sound, Ruby typed her message and read it several times before carefully typing in the phone number. As soon as she pressed send, she turned her phone over on the table and buried her face in her hands.
"I can't believe I just did that," she said, her voice muffled by her palms. "My heart's going to explode."
Yang shared an amused look with Blake, but their eyes widened in unison when Ruby's phone buzzed a few seconds later. The notification hardly ended before Ruby practically dove on top of her phone, and she gasped at what she saw.
"Oh my god! She responded!" Ruby was seriously beaming now, and her eyes sparkled as she showed the screen to Yang. "She said yes!"
"You mean she said…'I'd love to' - wow."
"'Wow' what? What does that mean?"
"Well, she responded right away and dropped the L word," Yang explained before chuckling at Ruby's miffed expression. "It means she's interested," she stated more bluntly. "Right, Blake?"
"It appears that way."
Once Blake offered her agreement, Ruby stared at her phone as if it was made of gold. She looked like she had a lot to say about that, and she normally had no issue spouting words at a million miles per minute. In this instance, however, she just stared, and stared, before suddenly bursting into motion.
"I'm late for work!" She quickly put her phone away, grabbed her bag, and shot to her feet. "You'll help me pick something to wear, right?"
"Just let me know when."
"Thank you!" Ruby rushed around the table and hugged Yang before backing toward the door. "See you later!"
While Ruby rushed off to work sporting a huge smile, Yang chuckled at that whirlwind of a morning. Life was always exciting with Ruby around, though dating wasn't usually something her younger sister got involved in. Apparently, that just changed.
"I guess spilling coffee on someone works?" Yang asked Blake, who smiled and rolled her eyes.
"New strategy?"
"Maybe if I'm desperate. Or really bored." When Blake shook her head, Yang pursed her lips and tapped her chin. "But you probably need to be pretty cute to pull off spilling hot coffee on someone's white skirt, and I don't think I can capture Ruby's inherent cuteness."
"That's true. Ruby is cuter than you."
"Wow."
While Yang laughed at the brutal honesty, Blake shrugged.
"You can be cute, too. You just don't let many people see that side of you."
In one sentence, Blake turned a pretty epic roast into a compliment so sweet that Yang's heart warmed.
"But you get to see it?" she asked and, once Blake nodded, smiled. "I'm ok with that."
If she couldn't be cute all the time, she would accept being cute sometimes to the people who mattered. That was a good consolation prize.
"What's your week look like?" she asked after Blake finished the rest of her sandwich. The coffee shop was emptying out now, signaling that their morning would soon come to an end and they would be forced to part ways.
"Probably busy. We're trying to sign some new authors, which has been...difficult...and I'm supposed to help train the new girl."
"Ugh. Training."
"It shouldn't be too bad," Blake replied with a shrug. "It's only a few days."
"That's good. Just a momentary detour from being awesome before going back to being awesome."
While Blake smiled at the compliment, Yang made the mistake of glancing at the time.
"You have to go?" Blake asked, and Yang sighed.
"It looks that way…"
Now that Blake was here, Yang wanted to sit and talk for hours. Unfortunately, responsibilities often got in the way, and work didn't like paying her unless she actually showed up.
"But let the record show that I don't want to," she added while grabbing her bag off of the floor.
"Noted."
Once Blake nodded, Yang set her bag on her lap and picked up her coffee. Before standing up, however, she smiled.
"I think I owe you a drink for something."
"For...what?"
"I'm not sure…" Yang mused, playfully pursing her lips. "But I do. So pick a day this week, and I'm buying you one."
"You don't have to do that…"
"You know I always settle my debts! And I'm positive I owe you for something." When Blake opened her mouth to argue, Yang added, "If nothing else, it's a thanks for being my friend."
That immediately convinced Blake out of arguing, and she smiled instead.
"How about Friday?"
"By Friday, you mean the number one date night of the week?" Yang pointed out, and Blake's smile faded.
"Meaning you already have plans..."
"I do now." Yang stood up and winked while slinging her bag over one shoulder. "I'm all yours, Belladonna. See you Friday."
After sticking around long enough to see Blake's smile return, and a cheerful sparkle light her eyes, Yang waved and hurried to work. She glanced over her shoulder while opening the door and smiled when she caught Blake's gaze one last time.
Hopefully, they saw each other before then, either at the coffee shop or for impromptu plans. Blake just said her week would be busy though, so Yang wouldn't hold out too much hope. But she would keep her Friday open so they could spend time together. There was no better way to end the week.