A polite knock drew Weiss' gaze to the front door as she fastened a silver, dangling earring into place. She slipped on the second one while walking to the door and swung her hair over her shoulder before opening it.

"Well," she said, suppressing a smile at the person she found standing in the hall. "I'm surprised you remember I exist."

"For a little while, at least," Blake teased before holding up two coffee cups. "Can I come in?"

Rolling her eyes at the pseudo-bribery, Weiss stepped back and waved Blake into the apartment. "I have work soon though," she said while following Blake to the kitchen table. "Isn't it late for coffee?"

"Not when you're about to have dinner with your parents and you don't want them asking why you haven't slept all week."

"And why haven't you slept all week?"

"You know exactly why."

Chuckling at Blake's deadpan expression, Weiss wrapped her hands around the warm cup of coffee and studied Blake a little more thoughtfully. Her outfit was well-coordinated, as usual - a stylish, dark purple top and deep blue jeans that complemented her amber eyes. Her long black hair looked perfect with its subtle curl. Makeup covered the dark circles under her eyes, barely noticeable unless someone knew to look for them. No amount of makeup could conceal her lingering smile or content, half-distracted gaze though. Anyone who knew her well and had moderate observational skills, which her mother absolutely did, was bound to notice the difference.

Amused at Blake's misplaced hopes of avoiding her mother's suspicion, Weiss hid a smile behind her cup. "I guess everything's going well then?" she asked before taking a sip and savoring the hot, strong taste.

"Really well." As if the response wasn't emphatic enough, Blake leaned back and sighed wistfully. "Is it too soon to say I want to marry her? Because I would marry her."

"Marry Yang Xiao Long?"

Weiss scoffed at the thought, but Blake nodded.

"She's not the same as in high school. Well, she is, but she isn't." Blake briefly pursed her lips before relaxing and shaking her head. "I'm visiting her in Vale in two weeks. Have you made plans to see Ruby?"

"It hasn't really come up," Weiss admitted, staring at her cup while Blake studied her.

"I'm sure she wants you to. She probably just doesn't know how to ask."

"Maybe..." Weiss mumbled before sipping her coffee and looking around her small apartment.

Ruby seemed to have no issue inviting Weiss out while they were both in Atlas, but Vale had yet to even come up in conversation. Weiss' heart fluttered at the thought of seeing where Ruby lived, what her life was like, and how she spent her time, but the cautious side of her whispered that it wouldn't be the best idea.

"Didn't you two have a date this morning?" Blake asked, snapping Weiss out of that daydream.

"It wasn't a date," she immediately said. As her memories from that morning returned, however, she sighed and melted further into her chair. "It was amazing though."

"Yeah? Where'd you go?"

"The aquarium." Blake's brow rose at the answer, but Weiss smiled at the cup resting between her hands. "We were hanging out with some friends once - senior year, I think - and someone asked what our perfect date would be. I said mine would be at the aquarium."

"So...she remembered and took you there today?"

"She did."

Weiss' heart threatened to overflow at Ruby's thoughtfulness, but Blake huffed, leaned back in her chair, and said, "Yeah, that was a date."

This time, Weiss didn't argue. If someone else described the morning to her, complete with the butterflies and casual affection, she would agree. But it was Ruby. Their relationship had always been...blurry.

"Did you kiss her?"

Midway through shaking her head, Weiss paused. "What's that got to do with anything?" she asked instead, and Blake's eyes widened.

"You did?"

"It wasn't a kiss kiss. It was a...friend kiss."

"On the lips?" When Weiss pursed her lips, Blake chuckled. "Weiss, how many friends do you kiss on the lips?"

"There was a reason," Weiss argued, but Blake responded with a teasing, "Uh huh…" that made Weiss roll her eyes and wave the topic away. "Did you come over just to tease me?"

"Basically," Blake admitted, smiling at Weiss' sigh. "And to catch up," she added while leaning back and crossing one leg over the other. "You've been hard to get a hold of these days. Between work, your family stuff, and an international celebrity doting all over you."

"She's not doting. She's…very attentive."

The response hardly held water, so Blake just laughed while glancing at her phone. "Oh, I should probably go," she said, quickly gathering her bag and coffee before standing. "We're eating early so I can meet Yang after."

"Maybe you should drink this, too."

Weiss offered her cup, but Blake waved it away and walked to the door. With one hand resting on the handle, she turned back.

"We should get together again before they leave. Dinner or drinks or something."

"So you and Yang can bail early again?" Weiss pointed out, but Blake arched one perfect brow at her.

"You know you and Ruby prefer being alone anyway." Blake gave Weiss a knowing look before departing with a playful, "You'll realize it eventually."

Once the door closed, Weiss scoffed and shook her head. Then she sipped her coffee and shook her head again.

As Weiss' best friend, Blake thought she knew what Weiss was thinking. But Blake hadn't been part of Weiss' life during high school or the fallout that followed. She didn't know all of the promises that were made and broken, the words that shouldn't have been said or should have been but never were. Things hadn't worked out the first time for a variety of reasons that Weiss mostly blamed on herself. Now…

She liked to believe that she knew Ruby better than anyone but Yang, so it concerned her that Ruby might want something they never had in the first place. That step - if it was actually what Ruby wanted and Weiss really couldn't say for sure - was risky under the best of circumstances, and Weiss' circumstances weren't the best right now.

If the last few weeks had taught her anything, it was that she couldn't bear to lose touch with Ruby again. The safest path forward was as friends. She knew she could be a great, supportive friend to Ruby, mostly because she had little else to offer.

Frowning at the thought, she lifted the coffee cup to her lips and hardly glanced over when Whitley walked into the kitchen.

"Have you talked to Mom recently?" he asked while pulling boxes from the cabinets.

"Not really. Why?"

"She left me a message the other day and sounded really out of it. I'm just worried, I guess."

"Sounds like nothing's changed…" Weiss muttered under her breath. When Whitley shuffled his feet, however, she sighed and added, "She's an adult. She can take care of herself."

"What if she can't?"

"If she wants our help, she'll ask for it."

"But no one in our family asks for help. Like, ever. You don't, Winter doesn't - I don't know why you think Mom would."

After briefly frowning at Whitley's frustrated tone, Weiss set her coffee down, walked over, and set her hands on his shoulders. He avoided her gaze, like he always did when things felt out of his control, so she dropped the attitude in favor of a reassuring smile.

"I'll check on her, alright? Don't worry, I'm sure she's fine." The response barely smoothed his furrowed brow, so she glanced at the backpack slung around his shoulders and added, "You have class?"

"Professor rescheduled," he mumbled, shifting the strap on his shoulder.

"This late?"

Finally, his brow uncreased, and he gave her one of those annoying little-brother smiles she would never admit to being slightly fond of.

"That's the cool thing about college, Weiss. They can schedule classes when all the old folks are sleeping. It probably wasn't like that when you went to school in the stone age, but it's pretty dope, right?"

While he grinned, she shook her head and muttered, "Sometimes, I wonder how you've survived this long..."

"By inheriting all the good looks and intellect in the family?"

"Less talking, more running," she warned, slapping his arm while he chuckled and hurried to the door. With one foot in the hall, however, he stuck his head through the doorway and added, "If you ever want suggestions on how to make more tips, let me know."

"Enjoy your last night alive!" Weiss shouted after him as he quickly shut the door. Listening to his happy giggles fade down the hall, she shook her head and refused to smile. Instead, she glanced at her reflection in the hall mirror and fiddled with the top button on her work shirt. Ultimately, she rolled her eyes, grabbed her bag, and followed him out of the apartment.

The day she took fashion advice from her little brother was the day hell froze over. Atlas might be cold, and her finances might not be as flush as they once were, but she hadn't reached that point yet. She was just...on her way there...as the long walk to her car reminded her.

A slight drizzle, which two months ago would have been snow, covered every parked vehicle and sidewalk bench in water droplets. If the torrent of fast-falling flecks under the streetlights was any indication, it was an incredible amount of rain. Weiss only felt it as a cold mist on her skin though, and her mind deemed it incomparable to the deluge of water created by a whale's tail.

Her car had its own collection of beaded water on top, and she hardly opened the door before her phone chimed. After slipping inside to escape the drizzle, she grabbed her phone and tossed her bag into the passenger seat. The contact photo attached to the message easily prompted a smile, and a list of breakfast restaurants made that smile grow.

'Top five pancake spots in Atlas,' Ruby's message explained. 'Pick one or all five?'

Chuckling, Weiss typed back, 'I think you know the answer to that,' before setting her phone aside and driving to work. Not even Atlas' rush hour traffic, made worse by the rain, dampened the stubborn smile appearing whenever she thought about seeing Ruby tomorrow. She tapped the steering wheel while waiting at a red light and pictured what she would wear, what Ruby would wear, and what they would do. Her stomach fluttered when she imagined how they might greet each other - another hug? A kiss on the cheek?

Her heart stuttered when her thoughts drifted to that fleeting moment when her lips were on Ruby's, but she shook the memory away while pulling into Dusty's parking lot. The restaurant's drab exterior looked even worse in the nighttime drizzle, but her mood didn't sour like usual. Regardless, she sat in her car for several seconds to gather her resolve before getting out. Somewhere between her car and the back door, where one of the busboys leaned against the wall smoking, she left the remnants of her pride. If she remembered, she would pick it up on her way out.

"What's up, Ice Queen?" he drawled as she reached for the door handle. "Ready for another night of screaming kids?"

"Am I ever…" she muttered, waving a hand through the secondhand smoke while walking inside. Her nose wrinkled at the immediate stench of grease, and she sighed at the loud, grating noises from the kitchen, but she grabbed her apron from a small storage locker in the cluttered break room and tied it around her waist. Next, she dropped her phone and wallet in the pocket and smoothed her hands down the front.

One deep breath later, she walked into the bustling kitchen as if part of her actually wanted to be there. The cooks stood at the stoves, laughing amongst themselves while stirring, flipping, or grilling whatever was in front of them. One of the waiters grabbed two plates from under the food warmer and backed through the swinging door leading into the dining room. Two waitresses stood nearby, ignoring the completed orders while whispering amongst themselves, gesturing frequently with their hands.

"Weiss!" one of them called out as soon as they saw her, quickly waving her over. "You'll never guess who's here!"

"Ruby Rose!" the other immediately added.

Weiss' posture went rigid at the name, but the response went unnoticed as they turned back to each other.

"I can't believe it's her. I love her movies."

"And she's so nice!" one of the girls said as if the knowledge wasn't widespread. "She said she liked my hair."

"You're so lucky…" the other sighed while the first smiled and swept a hand through her blonde ponytail. "Has she done anything clumsy yet?"

"She already knocked the rolls off the table," the first girl replied, giggling at the memory. "It was so cute."

"Where is she?" Finally getting her mouth to work, Weiss nodded towards the dining room when they looked at her. "Where's she sitting?"

"Oh, uh, table seven."

While the two waitresses watched, Weiss peeked through the small square window in the swinging door. As soon as her eyes landed on Ruby - sitting at table seven, waving her hands and laughing with Yang - she ducked out of the way and briefly closed her eyes.

Ruby said she was getting dinner with Yang, but they came to Dusty's? She could have gone to any of the nicest restaurants in Atlas, but she chose a small family spot known for gargantuan serving sizes and outdated decor?

"Of course she did…" Weiss muttered before shaking her head. She couldn't work if Ruby was here. The second she stepped into the dining room, Ruby would see her. And Ruby seeing her would raise all sorts of questions she didn't want to answer now or ever.

"- I'll take all your tables," one of the waitresses bargained with their 'fortunate' coworker while Weiss planned a way out of her misfortune. "And I'll switch shifts whenever you want for the rest of the year."

The first waitress considered the offer but ultimately shook her head. "It's Ruby Rose," she offered as an explanation.

"Actually," Weiss cut in. "I'm not feeling great; I'm going to head home."

Both of them looked at her, distracted at first before sympathy appeared.

"Oh no. Think you have what Leo did? Because that sounded horrible."

The other waitress nodded, and Weiss had just opened her mouth to respond when the door swung open behind her and their gazes snapped to someone over her shoulder.

"Hey! Sorry to interrupt. My sister was wondering if she could...Weiss?"

Her coworkers' eyes widened in unison, and they stared at her while any thought of leaving unnoticed disappeared. She slowly turned around instead, and her heart clenched when Ruby beamed as if her unexpected presence just made the entire day better. Then Ruby noticed the outfit, the apron, and her brow furrowed.

"If Yang wants to change her order, just let your waitress know," Weiss replied, nodding at the girl with the ponytail before hurrying towards the back of the restaurant.

"Wait, Weiss?"

Weiss walked faster, feeling every eye following her as she ducked into the break room, but Ruby easily caught up.

"Wait a second," Ruby tried again, this time grabbing ahold of Weiss' elbow.

Three steps from the back door, which loomed in front of her like an escape hatch she could never reach, Weiss finally stopped. Her heart hammered in her chest, each thud almost painful to bear, but she didn't pull away from Ruby's touch. Instead, she sighed, letting her shoulders droop to a new low as the air left her lungs, and slowly turned around.

Seeing Ruby right now, as a house of lies crumbled around them, hurt more than Weiss could have imagined. This was especially true because, regardless of Ruby's visible confusion, her smile was as radiant as ever.

"What're you doing here?" she asked, starting the conversation as if it would have a normal ending. "I thought you had plans?"

Weiss could lie and Ruby would believe her, so she didn't even consider it. "I do," she said instead, holding up her arms to show her work clothes. "These are my plans."

"You're meeting someone for dinner?"

Ruby's gaze flitted over Weiss' apron but snapped up when Weiss dryly laughed and shook her head. "I work here, Ruby," she put bluntly, lifting the apron so Ruby looked at it again. "Hence the uniform?"

"But…? I guess I don't get it." After running a hand through her hair, Ruby nervously chuckled. "Why're you working here?"

"Because I need to make money somehow."

"But your family -"

"Is broke."

Ruby tilted her head at the response, silver eyes still confused, so Weiss sighed.

"My dad drove the company into the ground," she explained while playing with the strings on her apron. "Then he spent whatever savings we had keeping up appearances and my mom drank the rest."

"Are you -? You're not joking, are you?"

"Unfortunately, I'm not."

"But...why didn't you say something?"

"Why do you think?" Weiss asked, dropping her hands to her sides. "I'm ashamed, Ruby. You remember me as your rich friend from high school, with all the money in the world and a fancy career just waiting for graduation."

"That's not how I remember you."

"Oh really?" Ruby nodded, but Weiss scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Then why do you keep asking where my limos are or if I own every restaurant and store we walk into?"

"I was...I was joking! If I knew, I never would've -"

"It's fine, Ruby," Weiss interrupted, holding up a hand to cut off Ruby's unnecessary apology. "Really," she added softly before turning away from Ruby's stunned expression. "I'm just...going to go," she said, but she hardly moved towards the door before Ruby grabbed her hand.

"Weiss, wait...can't we talk about this?"

The last thing Weiss could do right now was talk about the sorest subject in her life - a bottomless pit of disappointment and humiliation - with the one person she couldn't bear to have treat her differently. Even the thought of Ruby realizing just how different their lives were was enough to make Weiss' eyes burn as she stared at the boring gray door. It shimmered and wavered the longer she stood there. Before long, she looked down, blinked, and watched two tears splash on the floor.

"Weiss…" Ruby tried again, the pleading in her tone knocking hard on Weiss' paper-thin heart.

As much as Weiss wished to undo the past few minutes, never arriving at work and thus keeping her facade intact, she wished even more to be anywhere else right now. So she pulled her hand out of Ruby's, whispering, "Now's not the time or place..." and avoiding what she knew would be hurt silver eyes.

"But -"

"Ruby!" Hearing Yang's voice and the door slam open, Weiss closed her eyes and sighed. "Did you get - Weiss? What're you doing here?"

With everyone waiting for a response, Weiss hardly glanced at Yang before meeting Ruby's gaze. Ruby lifted one hand as if she would reach out, but Weiss stepped away. "Not now, Ruby, ok?" she whispered as Ruby's arm fell back to her side.

"But Weiss…" Ruby tried, but Weiss shook her head.

"You should order the ice cream sundae," she said, forcing a smile that faded almost instantly. "You'll love it."

Before Ruby could respond, Weiss spun around and opened the door. Ruby's hand grazed her elbow as she hurried outside, but she didn't stop. "Done already?" the busboy called after her, but she ignored him while hurrying to her car and driving away as fast as was safely possible. Her eyes flitted to the rearview mirror all the while, but she found nothing except the parking lot, then the building, then the dark, damp streets and rain-covered cars.

Her vision swam like the streams of water on the windshield, but she wiped the tears away with one hand. They stubbornly tried to return, but she cleared her throat, took a deep, shaky breath, and blinked until they went away.

Regardless of the rain, which had picked up now that night had arrived, she took the first parking spot she found several blocks from her building. After turning off the engine, however, she closed her eyes and leaned her head against the steering wheel. Raindrops landed on the roof and windshield, surrounding her with a gentle, consistent pitter-patter that calmed her aching heart but did nothing for her racing mind.

Her phone shattered the peace in the small, dark cabin and sent her heart back into a tailspin. Pulling it out of her apron, she glanced at the screen and relaxed upon seeing her sister's name. For the full second ring, however, she just stared at the phone. Finally, she answered on the third.

"Hi Winter," she said, rubbing the back of one hand across her eyes while holding the phone to her ear. "What's going on?"

"Sorry for calling so late. I just wanted to give you the news. About...the company."

Weiss opened her eyes and sat up at the foreboding pause. Her pulse crept higher, and the expanding silence only amplified her nerves. "And?" she finally pressed, but Winter sighed.

"The judge denied our request. He said we need more compelling evidence or Dad needs to resign. I'm sorry."

For a moment, Weiss couldn't even comprehend the words. It seemed impossible to hear such bad news after suffering such a horrible night. Then again, she shouldn't be surprised that her life took another turn for the worse.

"It's fine," she eventually replied. Hearing her voice crack, she cleared her throat and said, "There's nothing to apologize for. It just...wasn't meant to be."

"We can keep trying though. This doesn't have to be the end."

"Let me think about it," she directed toward her lap, where she curled her free hand into her apron. "Thanks for calling."

"You're welcome, Weiss." After another long pause, which would never be enough to hold their disappointment, Winter added, "Have a good night."

"You too."

As soon as the call ended, Weiss tossed her phone onto the passenger seat, leaned back, and closed her eyes. Considering how amazing that morning had been, it felt only right that the day ended in disaster. Not only did Ruby learn that she was nearly penniless, but her only hope of digging out of this mess had failed. Ruby would never look at her the same again, and she had to figure out what to do with her life now that salvaging her grandfather's legacy was out of the question.

Before she did anything though, she would sit here, listen to the rain, and try to forget the confusion, surprise, and worry in soft silver eyes.