Chapter Twenty-eight: So Where Do I Begin
Weiss tapped the table impatiently. Yang was late. Ruby said she was caught in a nasty traffic jam and that she'd "hopefully" arrive in ten minutes. Well, it's been twenty minutes and still no Yang. Weiss was beginning to lose her patience.
"Weiss, if you keep tapping like that, you'll break a nail," Ruby said.
"I don't care," Weiss snapped, tapping the table even harder to prove her point. "Yang better have a damn good excuse for making me wait!"
Ruby gave Weiss a lopsided smile and kissed her cheek, hoping it would make her feel better. Weiss tried and tried, but she couldn't stay mad with a girl as cute as Ruby by her side. She let out a long frustrated sigh to vent out her frustration and Weiss leaned against Ruby, pouting in defeat.
They ended up ordering some appetizers and tea while they waited because it was becoming glaringly obvious Weiss was getting "hangry." Honestly, some of the lingo Ruby used made Weiss wonder if she really knew Valese at all.
"Wow, this calamari so good!" Ruby exclaimed, picking another piping hot piece up with her awkwardly held chopsticks. She dipped the crispy coated calamari in a sweet chilli sauce before biting into it and squealing with delight, "Baby, you gotta try this!"
Weiss watched Ruby with a happy smile and ran her fingers through Ruby's hair. Ruby looked at her curiously.
"When are you going to get your hair cut?" Weiss asked, pushing Ruby's bangs back to see her eyes.
"Mm." Ruby quickly swallowed her mouthful and took a sip of tea before saying, "I'm thinking of growing it out."
"Oh?" Weiss said, her interest piqued.
Ruby nodded. "I've never really had long hair before, but Neptune says I'd look good with it… and, well," Ruby demurely scratched her cheek, "I wonder if you'd like to see it too."
"My Ruby with long hair…" Weiss mused aloud making Ruby blush. "I want to see that!" she said with a big grin. "I really want to see that!" Ruby flashed Weiss a shy little smile, blushing cutely. "Honestly, I think I'd like you with whatever style you'd like."
"What about bald?" Ruby snickered.
"I…" Weiss cleared her throat and forced a smile on her face. "I will like you nevertheless. You are a beautiful young woman and I'm sure the style would suit you perfectly."
"You're lying," Ruby snorted.
"What? No!" Weiss argued. "You are incredibly beautiful, Ruby."
"Thank you for the compliment, but that's not the part I was talking about, silly." Ruby shook her head as she chuckled and poked Weiss' scarred cheek. "You only use your business tone with me when you lie, you don't even use it when you get angry at me—it's like some sort of armour for you."
"Huh?"
"Plus ten with epic tier enchantments. Full plate. No metal battle bras here."
"Alright, you've lost me," Weiss muttered, sipping her tea. Ruby snorted and grinned like she'd won their ridiculous non-argument. Weiss didn't mind though. She thought it was cute and conceded the point without a fight. And maybe Ruby was right. Maybe her business tone was like full plate armour with plus whatever it was Ruby had said. It made sense—somewhat—and if it made Ruby happy, then it made Weiss happy because she certainly stirred up those annoying little butterflies in Weiss' stomach.
"Haha, you've got this gooey look on your face," Ruby snickered. "Something tells me I did something right."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Weiss denied, trying in vain to hide her growing blush behind her tiny teacup.
"You liiiiiiike me," Ruby teased in a singsong voice.
"Of course I do," Weiss muttered, narrowing her eyes at Ruby. "I wouldn't be here if I didn't."
"But you like-like me!"
"Ruby, once again, of course I do."
"Ohh, baby, that's gay," Ruby laughed. "But I bet I like-like you more."
Weiss' left eye twitched. The audacity of this child. The depth of her feelings could hardly be summed up in words, let alone words her nine-year-old would say. And that's exactly what Weiss told Ruby.
This sparked a new debate and they spent an ungodly amount of time arguing about who liked who more and who had a better reason to like the other more. Ruby was obviously in the lead with her bold proclamations of love while Weiss came in second with her mewling confession of attraction and deep devotion. Ruby didn't get mad though. She took pride in the fact that Weiss found her tattooed left arm and abs irresistible.
"So what else do you like about me?" Ruby asked, leaning in closer to Weiss, her breath smelling like sweet chilli sauce and crispy calamari. Weiss crinkled her nose and pushed Ruby's face away. "Wha—? Hey!"
"Rinse your mouth out, you dolt!"
"But Wei—"
The doors to the restaurant flew open and a sweaty, panicked Yang rushed in like she'd been chased by the devil. She quickly found Ruby and Weiss and sat down at their table, apologizing profusely. Her words were jumbled and broken, never once finishing a thought before moving onto the next.
"Yang, are you okay?" Ruby instinctively asked, leaving her seat next to Weiss to sit beside Yang. She put a protective arm around her sister's shoulders and pulled her in closer.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine—sorry."
"You don't sound 'fine,' Yang," Weiss said as she hailed the lady watching them curiously from the cash register. "Hi, can my friend here get some water?"
"Sure, sure, what else you want?"
Weiss snorted out a laugh and said, "That'll be all for now. I don't think we're ready to order just yet."
"Ohh, you're lucky you're my favourite, Weiss."
"Thank you, Kim."
Yang let out a jittery laugh and rubbed her arm anxiously. "This is a nice place. Kinda small. Cozy. I'm surprised."
"Why?" Weiss asked, taking her first piece of calamari. She took a small bite and smiled; it was good. "Did you assume I only dined in high-class establishments?"
"Well…" Yang blushed and tugged on her collar nervously, scared to answer the potential landmine.
Weiss had noticed a distinct change in Yang over these last few months. She was more respectful and quiet, almost like she was scared Weiss would rip away everything she offered based on a crude joke or an overly familiar attitude. Weiss surmised it was because of their new dynamic, and she understood why perfectly clear, but Weiss sorely missed her tenacious friend and her ridiculous jokes; she hoped she could get her back soon.
"I can't stand those places," Weiss said, thinking back to her disastrous first date with Coco. "I'd rather eat here where the food is actually delicious. I'd honestly pay a King's ransom for the food served here—but Kim refuses!"
"I heard that!" Kim huffed as she brought a tall pitcher of ice water and four glasses. "Instead of trying to throw money at me, come and eat here more. Stubborn girl, both you and your daughter need to come more."
"We're here at least once a week," Weiss laughed.
"Not enough, come more!" Kim poured Yang her water and watched her shakily pick it up. "This one looks like she needs something stronger than water."
"Um," Yang shook her head, "this is more than alright. Thank you."
"Suit yourself," Kim shrugged. "Call me when you're ready to order."
"We will," Weiss smiled.
Ruby quickly downed her lukewarm tea and poured herself some water. She didn't look happy. An odd sight since Ruby had a terrible habit of forcing herself to smile, so Weiss ate a bit more of her calamari as daintily as she could and observed.
The silence was growing poignant as time went on. Yang was starting to sweat bullets and Ruby's frown deepened. It was beginning to dawn on Weiss that this was a battle of attrition between two stubborn idiots going head-to-head in nonverbal combat. Weiss had all her chips on Ruby.
"S-So, uh," Yang stuttered, finally breaking the silence, "what do you recommend here?"
Weiss raised her left eyebrow and glanced at Ruby, curious to see how she was taking this clear deflection. And, sure enough, Ruby looked mad enough to strangle her sister. Weiss ate the last piece of calamari to keep herself quiet and out of the crossfire. Yang paled when she realized Weiss had essentially thrown her to the wolves.
"Yang," Ruby said without humour in her tone.
"Yeah?"
"What happened?"
Yang grabbed her glass and chugged down some water, hoping she could get away using the same trick. But Ruby didn't budge. She stared her sister down until the dam finally broke.
"There was a motorcycle accident on the way here…" Yang whispered hoarsely, hiding her face in the palm of her left hand. She took a deep breath to calm herself and clenched her right hand tight. "We were just passing it. Blake… Blake wanted to call you guys and tell you I wasn't gunna come, but I told her to just pull over and give me a minute…"
"Blake sounds like a smart woman," Weiss idly commented.
"She's a nurse," Ruby added.
"Ah…"
"Sorry," Yang mumbled. "The minute took a lot longer than I thought."
"Honestly, Yang, why didn't you just tell us?" Weiss asked.
"I didn't want to cancel." Yang nervously played with a lock of her hair and shook her head. "It took us this long to finally sit down and do this. I don't want to waste any more of your time scheduling another appointment…"
"I don't care about the time we lost here, Yang," Weiss said. "I care about you."
"Weiss…"
"You are my friend," Weiss continued without pause. "And as my friend, your wellbeing matters more to me than something we can literally discuss the next time we have a movie night."
"I guess…" Yang mumbled demurely like a chastised child, she even had the puppy dog pout to match.
"Yang," Weiss said, but when she noticed some of the subtle similarities between Ruby and Yang, her tone softened greatly. She wasn't dealing with a boisterous firecracker right now, she was dealing with a frightened woman working through her trauma. Weiss knew that feeling all too well and chastised herself for not being kinder. "Yang, I want you to remember that I am your friend above all else. You won't lose your job over something as important as this. Your mental health is just as important as your physical one. And since you're working in a kitchen with so many others, you need to be sharper than the knife you're wielding. Do you understand?"
Yang looked at Weiss with mild apprehension, expecting admonishment. But Weiss just smiled and sipped on her cold tea. Ruby caught on to what was happening and hugged her sister, reassuring her that everything was alright and that Weiss was a woman of her word.
"Thank you, Weiss," Yang said with a timid smile. She looked relieved despite how close she was to tears and the tiny little awkward laugh that followed after pulled at Weiss' heartstrings. "So, uh, is anyone else hungry? Because I'm starving."
"You're in for a treat," Weiss laughed. "But I highly recommend the fried chicken on fried rice and the rare beef pho."
"Oooh, what's that?" Ruby asked. She'd taken her spot next to Weiss back and now she was practically glued to her.
"It's a type of soup," Weiss answered. "Chrys' favourite, to be exact."
"Oh! Then I want that," Ruby announced.
"Let's get a large and share then."
"That is the best idea ever, babe," Ruby eagerly replied.
"Gaaaay," Yang drawled with a playful grin. "How are you guys still in the honeymoon phase?"
Weiss shot Yang a condescending look and said, "I sense jealousy in your tone, Ms. Xiao long."
"W-What?!"
"Since B-Train dropped you off, things should be good right?" Ruby snickered as she wrapped her arms around Weiss.
"Things are fine!" Yang shouted in defence. "They're great. She's great!"
"Uh-huh…" Weiss didn't believe her. "So everything about Winter is fine now?" Yang froze and Weiss immediately regretted her words, but her lips moved before she could stop them. "Or not."
"Uh…" Yang blew some air out and slumped in her chair, defeated and haunted. "I'll order the same thing you guys are having… but a medium because I don't have anyone to share with."
"Oh, that is so sad…" Ruby said, her bottom lip quivering. "Weiss, isn't that sad?"
"So sad," Weiss agreed, hoping Ruby's bit would alleviate the dour mood.
"It's like eating mozzarella with salt as a snack," Ruby added, shedding crocodile tears for her sister's misery.
"Oh my god, shut up, Rubyn! I only did that once and it wasn't sad! I put cayenne pepper on it," Yang growled angrily. "And, hey, not everyone can get a clear cut love story like you!"
"What's that supposed to mean?!" both Ruby and Weiss huffed at the same time. And when they realized what they did, they looked at each other in awe before breaking out in a fit of giggles like a couple of school girls.
"Oh, gross!" Yang gagged.
"Are you ready to order?" Kim asked when she heard their raucous laughter from the kitchen. Weiss nodded. "What will you have?"
"One large rare beef pho to share, and one medium for the lonely single lady," Weiss said, pointing to Yang.
Yang sneered at Weiss, but her expression eventually softened once all the jokes were done and everyone settled for a meal. Ruby was fiddling with her chopsticks, trying to figure out how to properly use them, and Weiss was content watching her. She could feel Yang's eyes on her the entire time though, and having her girlfriend's protective older sister dissecting her every move made Weiss a little self-conscious. But if Weiss wanted to flip their relationship back to a friendly one, she needed to meet Yang head-on.
So Weiss put on a brave face and asked, "Is something on your mind, Yang?"
"Not really, no," Yang replied.
"Are you sure? Because you've been watching me like a hawk."
Yang let out a quiet chuckle and shrugged. "Okay, maybe there is a thing."
"Do tell."
"I'll admit it, I'm jealous of you guys," Yang confessed. "You're both so different and yet you're still so close. And I can see you guys getting closer each day."
"Ruby and I are compatible, plain and simple," Weiss answered with a smile. "But that doesn't mean there wasn't a lot of work put in to make this relationship work because you are right, we are quite different."
"Yup," Ruby chimed in. "So much work."
"Are you complaining?" Weiss asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Nope! No complaints here."
Yang snorted out a laugh and shook her head. "You guys are way too much."
"You'll get there someday," Ruby said in a sagely tone. "If you need any advice on how to woo Blake, just ask."
"Yeah, sure, Rubyn," Yang chuckled.
"You should take the offer seriously. Ruby has taught me many," Weiss said, placing a hand on Ruby's thigh.
"Hard to imagine Ruby teaching you anything," Yang teased.
"You'd be surprised," Weiss said with the utmost confidence. "If Ruby can worm her way into my heart, I'm sure she can find some way to help you. Speaking of which, have you actually made any progress with Blake?"
"Yes and no." Yang sighed and shrugged. "She's still adamant we stay friends, but we keep breaching the boundaries… not to be gross or anything, but I've held her hand. Twice. During a scary movie."
"Dude, that is lewd!" Ruby gasped like a scandalized nun.
"I know!" Yang grinned.
Weiss was confused. How was handholding… indecent? She and Ruby had done far worse things, and she had no doubt about what Yang got up to with Winter based on her promiscuous history alone. So why? Why was "handholding" the thing to single out?
Ruby glanced Weiss' way and gasped again. "Oh no, we've lost the old lady, Yang!"
"Excuse me?!" Weiss exclaimed, alarmed her girlfriend would say such a thing.
"Don't worry, ma'am, I'm practicing safe handholding," Yang said in a respectful tone.
"What?" Weiss hissed, even more confused than she was five seconds ago.
"Okay, okay, I think that's more than enough," Ruby laughed as she wrapped an arm around Weiss' shoulders. "No more jokes."
"About Weiss' old age or my explicit premarital handholding—which you are both guilty of, mind you." Yang crossed her arms and shot both Ruby and Weiss a chastising glare. "Honestly, you two need to think of the children. Weiss most especially! Think about how your wanton handholding will affect young Chrys… Chrys… is her name short for something?"
Ruby shrugged.
"I am… so confused," Weiss murmured, rubbing her temple to soothe her burgeoning headache. "How is 'handholding' indecent?"
"Oh, wow, we really did lose her," Yang snorted.
"I am serious!" Weiss huffed. "Someone explain."
"There's nothing to explain, baby, it was just a joke," Ruby said, trying to mollify Weiss' temper.
"And the bit about my age?" Weiss asked with a pointed glare.
"Like fine wine, baby," Ruby winked.
"I hate you," Weiss muttered coldly.
"Fine, but you still think I'm cute!"
Weiss let out a loud frustrated groan, but she didn't push Ruby away. Instead, she leaned into her and pouted, unable to deny her feelings for even a second. Ruby took that as a win and hugged Weiss even tighter. Kim arrived with their food at that moment and laughed, poking fun at the deep blush Weiss was sporting.
The food was absolutely delicious. The steaming hot broth was light, fragrant, and flavourful, perfect for a chilly early spring lunch. Ruby fell in love with it and nearly drank it all herself, completely ignoring the thinly sliced rare beef, crisp bean sprouts, and rice noodles. She looked perfectly content filling her belly with just the broth though. Yang was enjoying herself too. And unlike her boorish sister, she gave the dish proper respect.
"I don't think I can ever go back eating chicken soup," Ruby said with a spoonful of broth at the ready. "Weiss, you've ruined me."
"A phrase I am not unfamiliar with," Weiss replied with a confident smirk. Ruby immediately blushed and stuffed her spoon into her mouth, adamant on ignoring the salacious comment. "But, ma chérie, do try to eat more than just the broth. You're missing out on so much."
"Yeah, Rubyn, give the rest a try," Yang added as she picked up a healthy serving of noodles, meat, and beansprouts with her chopsticks. "I'm legit hooked too though."
"I want to, but my jaw's been kinda sore all day today," Ruby innocently said, glancing at Weiss from the corner of her eye. Weiss blushed and pulled the same trick Ruby did. "Hey, baby, can we order more?"
"Broth?" Weiss asked. Ruby nodded, taking another spoonful. "Alright."
After Weiss ordered another serving of broth for Ruby, she pulled her messenger bag out from underneath the table and rifled through it. She placed a black folder and a tablet on the table along with a red pen and pushed them towards Yang.
"What's this?" Yang asked, mouth full of noodles.
Weiss crinkled her nose at her head chef's lack of table manners. "Your contract."
"And the tablet?"
"Contains all the recipes Nicole compiled for the restaurant and a rough draft of the menu."
"On a scale of one to ten, how miffed are you that I'm talking with my mouth full?"
"Twenty." Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "My nine-year-old has better table manners than you."
Yang downed the food in her mouth with some water and laughed, apologizing for the faux pas. Weiss rolled her eyes. Yang wasn't sorry at all.
"How are you liking Etienne's kitchen?" Weiss asked.
"Honestly? I love it," Yang answered as she turned on the tablet. "I've never worked in a kitchen like that before… I've learned so much. Seriously, thank you."
"It's no problem at all," Weiss said with a genuine smile. "I didn't want to drop you headfirst into what Nicole had planned… no offence, but the kitchen you worked in could hardly be called one."
"None taken," Yang said.
"I take it this means you've acclimatized to the environment?"
"Like a fish to water."
Weiss raised an eyebrow in challenge. "Fish can't survive if the water is inhospitable to them."
"Well, you'll be relieved to know that the water's perfect for me," Yang replied with a confident smirk. "Etienne's taught me so much, and it's an honest shame I won't be with him longer."
"Excellent answer, Ms. Xiao Long."
Yang scrolled through the menu Coco had prepared, subtly nodding. Coco had been extremely thorough with her recipes and included pictures with each one to show how she wanted it plated. While most got Yang's approval, there were a few instances where she scrunched up her nose and shook her head.
"Is something the matter?" Weiss asked, curious and eager for Yang's opinion.
"Uh…" Yang gulped and glanced at Ruby.
Ruby caught it and smiled. "It's okay, Yang. If you gotta say something, say it. Weiss isn't like Braun."
"Hm?" Weiss looked between the two sisters in confusion. "Am I missing something?"
"Right." Yang turned the tablet around and pointed to the picture on screen. "I've seen five cream sauce pastas… I know variety is a good thing, but isn't this too much."
Realization dawned on Weiss. "Ah, that."
"Huh?" Yang tilted her head.
"When you see recipes of a similar vein, it just means she had trouble deciding which would go on the official menu," Weiss explained, swiping the screen until she landed on a section with steaks. "Take these for example. There are at least ten variations of steak, but if you look at the menu outline in the initial folder, you'll see she only listed three steak options."
"Ah…" Yang nodded her head, leaning over the table to get a better look. "We gotta try everything, don't we?"
"Exactly," Weiss smirked, happy to see Yang catching on. "But tell me"—Weiss turned the tablet to face Yang—"just at a glance, which ones do you think should go?"
Yang carefully scrolled through the option and weighed her thoughts. She scrolled up to a thick steak covered in a rich brown gravy and pointed to it. Weiss raised her left eyebrow, waiting for the explanation.
"From what I can see, Coco wanted this place to be a more bar and grill than fancy," Yang said, hitting the nail right on the head. "The drink menu's great and so are the appetizers, but the Steak Diane, Beef Wellington, and the steak au poivre are all a little too fancy. These are the things I'd expect in Etienne's kitchen, not a downtown hotspot, y'know?"
"Fantastic deduction," Weiss said, nodding in agreement. "Those three were on the cusp of getting axed, but they were honestly so delicious it was hard to let go."
"I can imagine," Yang laughed. She quickly ate a bit of her pho and swallowed before speaking again. "In my professional opinion, I say bump up the steak options a bit. The bacon-wrapped filet mignon would be a bit pricy, but I can see it selling well. The peppercorn strip would probably be your best seller… pair it with a good broiled lobster tail and some garlic mash, you'd be golden."
"I see," Weiss said, taking Yang's opinion to heart. "And what about the pasta?"
"Ughh… so hard to choose!"
"I know!" Weiss laughed. "Nicole had a bunch more she wanted to put on the options, but these were the ones Amélia, Winter, and Chrys all chose."
"Hm, we should get together sometime and try these out," Yang said, stroking her chin as she pondered out loud.
"That sounds like a fantastic idea," Weiss agreed. "Just send me an ingredients list and I'll have them ready for you."
"How about I make some for lunch whenever I'm working in the Nobility Inc. cafeteria?"
"Oh, we can get Neptune's and Ciel's opinion!" Weiss clapped her hands together and nodded. "Yang, you are absolutely brilliant!"
"Thank you, thank you, you are much too kind," Yang laughed. "And, hey, Ruby, you're gunna be helping me."
"Huh?" Ruby blinked. "Uhh… is that a good idea?"
"You're my temporary sous-chef de cuisine!" Yang exclaimed. "No offence to the ladies and gents working the caf, but they do not like me meddling with their things."
"I had a word with them about that," Weiss said with an embarrassed blush. "You shouldn't have any more problems. And if you do, just let me know."
"It's fiiiine," Yang said, waving Weiss off. "I'm the one invading their turf and using their things. I should be the one apologizing to them."
"I do not tolerate workplace harassment," Weiss said in a serious tone. "They were judging you and your abilities just because of your arm."
Yang shook her robotic hand and shrugged. "New righty just freaks 'em out a little. I can't blame 'em."
"That's not right." The moment she said those words, Weiss covered her mouth and laughed. "Ugh, you know what I mean."
"Haha, yeah, I do," Yang grinned.
"But speaking of 'new righty,' have you considered my offer?" Weiss asked.
"I don't know…" Yang gave her right hand a pensive look. "I've had this one for so long… and a new one is stupid expensive. I couldn't, Weiss."
"The price doesn't concern me," Weiss said, leaning back into her chair. "You are my head chef, Yang. I need you to be at your best because you, my friend, will be the one to shoulder my wife's dreams… and to me, that's well worth the investment."
"But the prosthetic you're suggesting…"
"Is one of Penny's designs," Weiss said. "The same one she offered you years before you met me."
Yang didn't say a word.
"I know accepting something of this magnitude is asking a lot of you and your character, but my offer comes with no strings just as Penny's was," Weiss said with a smile. "I've seen you struggle with the one you have first hand. I don't want that to happen when we finally open."
"Can I pay you back or something?" Yang suggested, looking uneasy. "You're paying me way more than I deserve… and now you're offering to replace a literal limb. Weiss, has anyone ever told you that you're too generous?"
Weiss shook her head. "I've heard many things, but 'generous' isn't one of them. I am a businesswoman, Yang, and a damn good one at that. When I look at you, I see rich, untapped potential. You are meant for so much more than what you have now. And as well as that hand has served you, it's time to let it go and move onto something that can help you reach greater heights."
"Weiss…"
"And if you're dead set on paying me back, then pay me back with hard work," Weiss said. "Be on time. Take initiative. Give me the best you have to offer."
Yang looked at her untouched contract and nodded. "Okay. You win, Weiss."
"Oh?"
"I'll take every edge you can give me," Yang said, returning Weiss' gaze with determination. "I don't have anything I need to change in the contract."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
"Well then, that's that." Weiss got up and around the table. She stood in front of Yang with her right hand held out.
Yang stood to her full height and shook Weiss' hand. "I will give you everything I have."
"I look forward to it," Weiss replied. "But for now, how about some bubble tea? I want to hear more about your progress with Blake."
"Oh, wow, okay!" Yang laughed.