As Yang dismounted her motorcycle and approached the back entrance the The Perch, she yawned. Why was it that every time she actually intended to go to bed early, it always resulted in her staying up until two or three in the morning watching cartoons, looking at cat videos, or whatever else she found on the internet? Old habits sure die hard.
This particular night was spent binging an old season of The Real Geistbusters show. Ruby had texted her earlier in the evening, telling her about how she saw a re-run of the show playing on TV, so Yang decided to give it another watch. It was not like she had anything else to occupy her time with anyway. Then what was supposed to be watching only a few episodes turned into binging an entire season... again. She thanked the Maidens she did not oversleep.
After throwing her stuff in her locker, Yang knocked on the door to Raven's office. "Morning mom." No answer came. "Mom?" She called out again. Still no answer... odd. Raven was always in her office by the time Yang - or anyone else - arrived for work. Slowly creaking the door open and peering inside, she breathed a sigh of relief. Raven was indeed at her desk, but she was asleep. Wild black hair splayed across the desk surface, obscuring her face from view. Not that Yang could forget the sight. The only times her mother looked relaxed were when she slept. And even then it was reluctant and fitful. Quietly making her way across the room and around the desk, Yang softly nudged her mother's arm.
"Nnngghh..." Raven groaned after a few moments, her eyes barely opening. "Tai?"
"Mom it's me, Yang." The blonde smiled, leaning over so her mother could see.
Slowly lifting herself off her desk, Raven rubbed the sleep from her eyes and observed her surroundings. "Oh, Yang... you're here early..."
"Early? It's just after eleven thirty... I'm actually a little late." Yang admitted.
Raven sleepily blinked before checking her watch. "So it is..."
Yang furrowed her brow. "Are you okay?" Looking at her mother, she could see something was off. Her hair was messier than usual, her clothes disheveled, and her overall appearance was... unkempt.
"I'm fine Yang." Raven stated before turning her computer back on from sleep mode. As the machine booted up, she looked up she realized her daughter was still staring at her with a frown on her face. She sighed. "I wasn't sleeping well." Raven paused to let loose a wide yawn. "Came down here to get an early start."
"How early of a start?"
"Uh..." Raven squinted at her watch again. "About four..ish?"
Yang sighed, frowning. "Okay, you need to go take a nap, in bed, now." She declared.
"Yang, I'm fine, I have work to do-"
"You always say you're fine mom, and I always drop it, but this is like the sixth time I've found you here, it's too much." Yang shot. "Put the computer to sleep, go upstairs and get some sleep, I can handle things till you get back."
"Fine, fine, gods..." Raven groaned, wearily reaching for the computer tower. "Your mother was a bad influence on you."
"Don't get sappy on me now, come on."
"I'm comin' I'm comin'." Raven groused, glaring at her daughter. "If I'm not back in two hours, you come wake me up, got it?"
Yang smiled. "I'll get Ruby to jump on you."
"She's comin' today?" Raven wondered as she slowly stood from her chair.
"Yeah, why?"
"Cinder's working today." Raven informed.
Yang slumped against the doorway, a hand burying itself in her hair. "Oh... ah... fuck."
"You think it'll be an issue?" Raven asked.
Yang sighed. "I dunno mom, Ruby's been coping for a while... but I don't want any old wounds opening up..."
"Well make sure Pyrrha comes then." Raven suggested as she sauntered past the blonde.
Yang nodded. "Will do."
Then Raven stopped, turning to face her daughter. "Oh, and Yang..." She started.
"Yeah?"
Raven offered a partial smile. "Thanks, for... you know."
"Yeah mom I know, now come on, bedtime." Yang instructed with a smile of her own.
Raven let out a small chuckle. "Yes ma'am." She agreed before exiting the office.
In terms of taking care of herself, it was not often that her mother actually listened to Yang, so it was always a nice surprise when she did. Turning the lights off, the blonde closed the office door before heading into the still dark front area. As she flipped the switches behind the counter, the bar's lights flickered on, and Yang sighed. The early shift was always quiet, which was nice, but it was also boring. Standing around with nothing to do but clean was not very fun. It might be a Saturday, but the bar would most likely stay at least relatively empty until the evening. After turning on the "OPEN" neon sign in the front window, Yang returned to her place behind the counter.
And now I wait. She thought to herself. Might as well use the time to text Ruby.
Pulling out her scroll, she navigated to her text messages. Most of them were with her sister, some with Raven, a few from Vernal and Qrow, and of course that one very single-sided conversation... Yang shook the thought from her head. Not now. You can think about that later. It was true that Ruby might be still asleep, but Pyrrha had told Yang she had recently been trying to get her to wake up earlier on weekends. Though as far as she had heard, the redhead had been unsuccessful. Might as well try anyway.
Yang: Wakey wakey sleepy head!
As surprising as it was, Yang did not have to wait long for a response.
Ruby: Morning Yang!
Yang: Did I wake you up? :P
Ruby: Of course not! It's almost noon!
Yang: Oh yeah? Was it a certain redhead that got you out of bed?
Ruby: ...Maybe.
Yang could not help but smile. Where would that girl be without Pyrrha? She wondered to herself. Probably still alone in her cubicle with no one to talk to but fellow introvert Velvet. Her smile suddenly faded. Velvet... It was sad to say that Yang had almost forgotten she was gone too... Ruby would not though. She would never forget. Two friends in one fire.
And now she would be coming face to face with Cinder. Gods this was going to be awkward. How would she even bring it up with her? Hey Cinder, remember that crime you were accused of? Well my sister lost two friends because of it, and she still isn't over it, so just hide in back like a guilty person why don't you... Yang sighed. This was not going to be a fun day. At least she could try to get Pyrrha to come with Ruby, that would help.
Yang: Sooo, when do you think you'll be heading over today?
Ruby: Uhh well once Pyrrha gets back from her morning run we're gonna make lunch, then I'll be right over!
Yang: Hey speaking of the old ball and chain, you should bring her today!
Ruby: Well maybe if you stop calling my ~wife~ the "old ball and chain", then maybe I'll think about it.
Even months after their wedding, it was still strange to see Ruby referring to Pyrrha as her wife rather than just her girlfriend. If Yang was being honest with herself, she was a little jealous.
Yang: Oh I apologize dear sister! Would you please grace me with the presence of your radiant goddess of a wife when you visit today?
Ruby: Lol okay, just give us a bit to eat and we'll head over.
Yang: Sure thing.
Sliding her scroll back into her pocket, Yang sighed in relief. Having Pyrrha with Ruby will hopefully make things better for Cinder when she is inevitably seen. It was true that she had been doing well over the past few days, no issues aside from a few customers asking about her timidness. But that was slowly getting better. When Roman came back the prior day, she even had a conversation with him, even if it was full of nervous stuttering on her end. Yang hoped this encounter with Ruby would not drive her away. It was all she could really do at this point.
And so she waited. Not long after she put away her scroll, Qrow arrived to take over the bar... which left Yang to just clean things until customers started arriving. Luckily they did not have to wait long for that. Over the next hour, a few people came in, but the bar still remained relatively quiet.
As Yang was cleaning up after a group of customers, the sound of the front bell brought her attention to the entrance.
"Hi Yang!" Ruby beamed as she and Pyrrha entered the bar and approached the blonde.
Wiping the last section of the table, Yang turned to face her sister. "Hey Rubes-oomf!" She started before before being nearly knocked over by the force of Ruby's hug. "Gods you've got a grip, has Pyr been workin' you out?"
Ruby giggled. "From time to time."
"But not as much as I should." Pyrrha interjected as she joined the two. "You're lucky for your high metabolism, else all those cookies would go straight to your rear."
Releasing her sister, Ruby turned to face her wife. "Oh shush, you love my butt."
Pyrrha chuckled. "I suppose you got me there."
Ruby was about to say something else, but the face she made clearly showed she spotted who was behind the counter. "Uncle Qrow!" She burst before making her way over to the man in question.
"Hey there kiddo." Yang heard Qrow greet before she turned back to Pyrrha.
"It is nice to see you Yang." The redhead smiled as she wrapped the other woman in a gentle hug.
"You too Pyr." Yang responded with a smile of her own before the two parted.
"I heard you specifically asked for me to accompany Ruby today, is there any reason why?" Pyrrha wondered.
"I uh, just thought you'd like to be here with her this time." Yang half-lied. "Plus I haven't seen you in a little while." The way Pyrrha smiled told her that she knew something was up. She was a smart woman after all.
"Well you know I'm always happy to visit with her." Pyrrha replied just as Ruby returned.
"Alright, what'll it be today girls?" Yang inquired.
"Strawberry Sunrise!" Ruby burst.
"A non-alcoholic screwdriver." Pyrrha responded.
"One orange juice coming right up." Yang noted. "You two get settled, and I'll be right back. Just gotta wash these glasses." Yang informed as she picked up the tray from the recently vacated table.
"Okay!" Ruby approved.
As the couple made themselves comfortable in an empty booth, Yang took the try of drink ware back behind the counter. Once they were washed and dried, she moved on to making the drinks. As she did, she glanced over at Ruby and Pyrrha, and instantly felt that familiar pang of jealousy. The pair was chatting away, holding hands across the table. It was both a strange feeling - and a sad feeling honestly - that her younger sister - not only got married first, but even started dating someone before Yang. Her last serious relationship was in high school, and even that was... complicated to say the least. Sure she had her current relationship - her very casual relationship - but it was not the same. Not by a long shot.
Once Yang was finished with the drinks, she loaded them onto a tray and made her way over to Ruby and Pyrrha. "Order up!" She grinned. "One Strawberry Sunrise for you, and one non-alcoholic Screwdriver for you!" She placed the drinks in front of their respective owners.
"Thanks!" Ruby beamed.
"Thank you." Pyrrha nodded. "But I will have to enjoy it in a minute, as I must visit the ladies room." She informed before raising from her seat. "Excuse me."
As Pyrrha made her way to the washroom, Yang slipped into her seat. "Looks like you're stuck with me until then." She joked.
"Well I was able to survive five years living with you, what's another couple minutes?" Ruby giggled, taking a sip from her drink.
Yang chuckled. "Guess you've got a point there."
"So what's new with you sis?" Ruby asked after a few moments of silence.
"Nothin' really, same old same old." Yang shrugged. Then she realized something. "You know, even now, months after your wedding, I don't think I ever asked you... how's the married life going?"
"It feels kinda... the same, really." Ruby responded. "I live with Pyrrha, and we call each other wife now, and make jokes about it, then laugh and hug each other and it's all mushy... Then we just continue on, happy."
"Sounds dreamy." Yang observed.
Ruby thought for a moment. "Well, I sometimes get a little weirded out by Pyrrha praising my uh... childbearing hips and... fertile form, but then she does this thing with her tongue and I just... auauauagh..." She shuddered, hiding her inflamed face.
Yang sighed, laughing breathlessly. "Rubes, I haven't been eaten out in like a week, if you don't shut up I'm gonna throw myself at your wife." She warned.
"Oh gods please don't." Ruby groaned. "I know she'd be into a threesome."
"We could always find out for sure when she gets back." Yang joked.
"I am not having a threesome with my wife and sister." Ruby declared.
"Don't knock it till you try it."
Ruby gaped at her sister. "Yang!"
Yang laughed as Ruby threw a coaster at her face, easily deflected. "I'm kidding I'm kidding!"
Ruby crossed her arms, pouting. "Good. Because you're not turning Pyrrha into another Neon."
"Hey you can't blame that on me! I thought she was flirting with me to mess with you!" Yang admitted. "How was I supposed to know she actually wanted to... include me in the bedroom?"
"Maybe from the fact that she seriously asked you if you wanted to have a threesome with us?" Ruby mockingly guessed.
Yang blinked. "Oh yeah."
"And then she tried to get mom involved..." Ruby groaned.
"Oh gods I remember." Yang reminisced, barely withholding her laughter. "Mom's face was priceless!"
Ruby chuckled. "It's not like I expected things to last long anyway..." She noted.
"Yeah, she was a pretty weird one. But hey, in the end, you found your perfect gal." Yang smiled.
Ruby giggled. "I know Yang, I can't count how many times you've already told me."
"As long as you know!" Yang beamed. The next few moments went by in silence as the blonde watched Ruby take another sip from her drink. Then she felt someone behind her.
"You know Yang... a threesome doesn't sound like a bad idea." Came Pyrrha's whispering voice - in a way too seductive tone - from right next to Yang's ear.
"Gah!" Yang exclaimed as she banged her knee on the underside of the table, which caused Ruby to laugh. "Ah, damnit... How long have you been standing there?"
"Not long." Pyrrha informed as she and Yang switched places. "I heard you talking as I came out, I decided to say hello to Qrow. He told me you needed a little... waking up."
"Of course he did." Yang muttered, rubbing the sore area of her leg before shooting a dirty look over at her uncle. He just grinned. Which actually reminded her of something. "Hey Rubes, you wanna go say hi to Aunt Raven?"
"Sure!" Ruby burst. "You wanna come Pyrrha?"
Pyrrha shook her head. "I think I'll stay behind. I haven't even started my drink yet."
"Fair enough." Yang acknowledged. "Alright Rubes let's go."
"Okay!"
As the pair walked through the bar and into the back room, Yang realized something. "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, Aunt Raven's asleep. So you're gonna have to jump on her."
Ruby just laughed. "I'm not twelve anymore Yang."
Yang raised a brow. "So you're saying no then?"
"Of course not!"
Another day, another shift at The Perch, and Cinder was in a good mood.
The advance Raven gave Cinder took the impending sense of dread away. The pressure to succeed that ruled her waking hours was no longer there, improving her quality of life dramatically. In turn, her last few shifts had gone well because of it. Sure there were a few hiccups here and there, but overall things went relatively smoothly.
Before leaving her apartment, Cinder made sure to check the rough schedule Raven gave her the prior day. Today she would be working with Yang and Qrow, which made her smile. Qrow was nice enough, but she liked working with Yang. She had such a... pleasant aura, filling the air with banter, mindless or otherwise, making her feel more at ease. Even simple things were made better by that bright smile of hers. Over the past few days, she had learned that any shift with Yang would be a good one.
After a short walk she arrived at the bar, and for the first time since she was told, she remembered to use the back entrance. Grabbing her fancy new nametag from her locker - it was all she had to store in there - Cinder made her way out into the front area. Just like her prior shifts, it was relatively quiet, where it would most likely stay until the evening. Though she expected to find Yang behind the counter, it was Qrow instead. Wearing the same grey button-up shirt and black dress pants as the last two times she saw him - at least it looked like the same outfit. Upon noticing her, he offered a smile.
"Hey there." He greeted.
Cinder offered a small smile. "H-Hello Qrow." She may be in a better mood, but that did not mean some people did not make her nervous.
Taking a quick look around, Cinder noticed Yang was not around. "Isn't... Yang working today?" She asked.
"Yeah, she's just upstairs visiting Raven with her sister." Qrow informed. "She fell asleep at her desk again, so Yang sent her upstairs to take a nap a couple hours ago."
"Oh..." Cinder managed. Over the past few days, whenever she saw her boss, she could tell how tired the older woman was - From the dark circles under her eyes to the way she spoke. That woman needed more sleep, and even though it was at her desk at work, it was good she was getting some. Wait... "Upstairs? Does this bar have a second floor?"
Qrow shook his head. "Nah, it's just Raven's apartment up there."
Cinder blinked. "She... lives above the bar?"
"Yup." Qrow confirmed. "It's actually not a bad place if I'm being honest." Before he said anything else, his gaze shifted from Cinder to something on the other side of the bar.
Turning to see what Qrow was looking at, Cinder was met with a beautiful, yet very familiar girl. Tall, bright red hair, emerald green eyes... she knew she had seen her somewhere... but she could not quite place it...
"Hey there Pyrrha, you ready for another drink already?" Qrow asked the girl.
Wait a second. Pyrrha? Nikos?
"Excuse me, are you... Cinder Fall?" The girl inquired.
Oh my gods... It really was her... Pyrrha Nikos. Though she was just the fiancé of someone that Cinder used to work with, she was no stranger to what happened eight months ago. All the older woman could do was timidly nod. Never thinking she would ever see her again, she was at a loss for words.
"Oh... well, I see... How have you been faring?" Pyrrha plastered on the facade of kindness, but Cinder saw through it. She had seen it before.
"Poorly, until recently." She murmured, schooling her voice steady, her heartbeat uncomfortably hard.
Pyrrha's smile faltered. "That's... unfortunate. I'm sorry to hear that."
No you're not. Cinder bit back the growl, anger flaring in her chest, only for it to be quenched. They aren't worth your anger Cinder. Came Emerald's soothing memory. Even tainted in grief, it retained its effect. "Do you want a refill?" She chose to ask, noticing the glass in the other woman's hand.
"Oh, yes please, thank you. It's a non-alcoholic Screwdriver." Pyrrha handed the glass over, and Cinder leaned over to open one of the bar fridges below. "We... I hadn't heard of what happened to you, after-"
"I don't want to talk about it." Cinder declared.
"Very well... but..." Cinder placed the glass rather firmly on the bar, glaring at her with a single golden eye as she filled it. "I'm sorry."
Cinder blinked. Did she hear that right? "What?"
Pyrrha nodded. "We all experienced pain Cinder, but none spared pity for yours, and for that I am sorry."
This wasn't real. It couldn't be. Why would anyone who knew what happened apologize to Cinder? "Pity usually isn't given to those who are accused of major crimes." She grumbled.
Pyrrha sighed. "Anger blinds the best of us Cinder, even I can admit that... I hope in time, others can too."
This... was a trick. It had to be... "What exactly are you trying to say?"
"We blamed you Cinder." Pyrrha whispered. "In our grief we all did, we were pained, we were mourning, and we were angry." She admitted. "And we were wrong, every one of us, and you suffered for it."
Cinder could only stand there in shock. She imagined scenario after scenario where someone from her past would confront her... and this was not how she thought it would have gone. With no idea how to respond, she was truly at a loss for words.
Looking directly into Cinder's eye, Pyrrha continued. "I pray that one day the true perpetrator is found, and that you find peace... that we all find peace in the wake of loss."
Cinder only stared, hands gripping the glass and bottle tighter as the flurry of emotions overwhelmed her. No one ever reached out to her - not during the trial nor after. It was all business and legalities, a single offer of counseling, nothing to assuage the pain, the loss, the crippling injuries that plagued her. And now here it was, too little, too late. She wanted to throw the drink in her face. To yell and scream and cry. But every twinge of fury felt numbed by the knowledge that Emerald would not have wanted that. She only wanted Cinder to be happy. The older woman handed the glass over. "Enjoy your drink." She mumbled, bending back below the bar to put away the juice bottle.
Pyrrha's gaze fell, though the other woman could not see. "Thank you..."
Cinder did not respond. After placing the bottle back into the fridge, she silently stood back up and moved to the side to wash some glasses Qrow left for her. She did not want to have to deal with this - she had made that clear - and yet Pyrrha still stood before her. Cinder saw the girl open her mouth a few times, but never say anything.
"Cinder I-" Pyrrha finally started before the door to the back area burst open, and out strode Yang and another shorter girl. She seemed... familiar, like Pyrrha... Black hair with red tips, silver eyes... a smile as bright as sun... Cinder's eye widened. Oh gods... Ruby Rose. Why must this day torture her further? No, she was not going to deal with this. Turning back to the counter, she went back to washing glasses.
"Hey Pyrrha we're back!" The Ruby burst before noticing the redhead was in front of the bar. "Oh, you getting another drink?" As she continued speaking, her gaze slowly shifted from Pyrrha to Cinder. "Maybe I should think about getting myself... another..." She trailed off as her eyes landed on the older woman.
Cinder prayed to every Maiden, god and deity she could think of that Ruby would not recognize her, but just judging from how silent she - along with Yang and Pyrrha - was being, she feared that was not the case. Don't look up. Don't look up. Don't look up. Cinder told herself as she continued to try to distract herself with washing the glasses. If you don't look up, she'll eventually leave. At least that was what she hoped.
"Cinder?" She heard Ruby whimper. Voice weak and pitiful.
Fuck.
There was no avoiding it. Taking a shaky breath, Cinder slowly looked up, eventually meeting Ruby's teary gaze. She was staring at her like a deer in headlights, Cinder did not know what to do. Every second that ticked by only made things worse. Was she going to cry? Or yell? Or scream? Cinder could not take it. She wanted Ruby to do something other than stare at her with tears pooling in her eyes.
Yang reached out to place a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "Ruby..."
Snapping out of her daze, Ruby turned to Yang, a mix of anger and sadness in her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Yang hesitated, eventually slowly nodding. "I wasn't sure how..."
Ruby took a step away from her sister, tears streaming down her face. "I... I need to go." She stammered before turning to nearly run out of the bar. Pyrrha attempted to get her to stop, but was ultimately ignored.
Once the crimsonette was gone, Pyrrha turned back to Yang. "I'll make sure she's okay." She assured, as confidently as she could. Yang simply nodded as she quickly left to follow her wife.
Once Pyrrha was gone, Yang slumped against the wall. With a clinking of glass Cinder abandoned her place, making her way past the blonde and towards the bathroom.
Yang sighed, running a hand through her hair.
"Shit."
Cinder wished she could disappear.
Unfortunately the best she could do was lock herself in the women's restroom.
So that is what she did.
Minutes ticked by as Cinder sat on the toilet, head in her hands as tears streamed down her face. Why - even after things were starting to look up - must the world continue to make her suffer? Hearing Pyrrha bring up the past was hard enough, but Ruby... just seeing that teary-eyed look on her face was pure torture. Cinder knew the girl had lost people she loved as well, and thinking about that always hurt, but coming face to face with her again was something else entirely. Sometimes she wished she herself had perished in that fire too... Cinder sighed. Thoughts like that would get her nowhere. What she needed to do now was compose herself, she just needed time.
There were a few times where knocks rung upon the door, each time Cinder greeted them with a near-whimpered response, informing the knockers of her presence. She wished there was more than one woman's bathroom in this place. Twenty more minutes passed by until another set of knocks were heard.
"Occupied." Cinder murmured.
"It's me." Came Yang's voice from the other side of the door.
Cinder raised her head from her hands. "Yang?"
"Yeah, I uh, just wanted to come check on you." Yang responded. "Make sure you're alright and stuff."
As she wiped more tears from her eye, Cinder's lips curled into a small smile. "Thank you, but I'm okay, I just need a bit more time..."
"No problem..." Yang responded, followed by a moment of silence. "Hey, can I come in for a sec? Or are uh, ya'busy...?"
"Oh, no, I'm just... sitting here." Cinder informed. Raising from her seat on the closed toilet, she checked her appearance in the mirror, making sure she was at least somewhat presentable. Unlocking the door, she allowed Yang to enter. Though there was plenty of room for both of them, Cinder still felt a bit weird being in such close proximity to the blonde. The two briefly stood in silence until Yang brought a hand up and ran it through her hair.
"So uh, I just wanted to apologize... for not telling you about Ruby." Yang started. "And it would've felt kinda weird to say that from the other side of the door."
"Yang it's okay-"
"No, it's not." Yang interrupted, making the other woman flinch. "You've been through a lot, and it wasn't fair that you didn't know someone you used to know was coming."
Cinder blinked. Someone I used to know? "You... you knew?"
Yang sighed. "Yeah, mom does too. It was part of the reason she hired you."
"It... was?"
Yang nodded. "Everyone deserves a chance Cinder, especially during hard times."
Cinder could not help but smile, fighting back tears as she did so. "Thank you..."
"Hey don't thank me, thank my mom. I only said that you could fit in here." Yang responded with a smile. "And you do, I'm glad she hired you."
"Me too..." Cinder mumbled.
"So, think you're ready to come out, or do you need another few minutes?" Yang wondered.
Wiping the tears from her face and eye, Cinder took a deep breath. "No no, I'm okay now."
Yang smiled. "That's what I like to hear!"
Once Cinder had come out of the bathroom, it was back to work - she still had most of her shift left after all. While they worked, Yang made sure to take every chance she got to talk to her - and it turned out the blonde was quite the fan of cartoons. Not exactly what she was expecting. If Cinder was being honest, she thought she would have heard more about things like clubbing and partying and more... outgoing activities. Not... well, children's TV shows. Of course that was not a bad thing. It was nice to see someone so passionate about something they enjoyed, as it had been quite some time since Cinder had felt that way about anything.
As the hours ticked by and the sun began to set, the bar slowly became more crowded. Now comes the hard part. Cinder thought to herself. During the day she had time to cool down between talking to customers, but unfortunately there would be no such luxury this time. It was her first shift that went into the night, and if she was being honest, she was nervous. Her first shift was a trial, so it was only a few hours. The next several days were longer, but they began earlier and only lasted until the early evening, before the bar actually started getting busy.
You can do this.
If Cinder had been alone that statement may not have been true, but she had Yang to help, so things were... bearable. Since Qrow was also behind the bar, he handled the customers sitting at the counter, while the two women handled the ones at the booths and tables. Since it was her first shift that ran into the night, Yang took their orders, Cinder made the drinks, and the blonde brought the drinks to the customers. They had a good system.
As time went on and more drinks were served, the bar started to get a bit rowdier - particularly due to what looked like a group of football players. When they came in earlier they all appeared to be at least little tipsy. Cinder already felt bad for Yang - and they had not even ordered anything yet.
"How much you wanna bet those guys are gonna flirt with me the second I get over there?" Yang wondered as she approached the bar counter.
Cinder let out a small chuckle. "You know I don't have the money to bet Yang."
Yang rubbed the back of her head. "Ah, right, sorry about that."
"It's alright, I accepted my financial situation a long time ago." Cinder informed. "At least now I'm actually earning money. Something I haven't been able to say in eight months."
"Well, how about this?" Yang changed the subject, placing the empty tray she was holding onto the counter as she leaned closer. "If more than... three of them flirt with me, we switch places until you get off."
Cinder tilted her head over to take a look at the group in question. They were all tall, burly, fairly good looking - very typical football players if she was being honest - but not all of them looked like huge flirters. At least she hoped. It was not as if she disliked the job... she would just rather be behind the bar when it was as busy as it currently was. But at the same time, it would be good practice... The daytime would seem like nothing compared to this... "Very well Yang, deal." After the two shook hands, Cinder watched the blonde stroll over to the table, swinging her hips as she did.
Well shit.
Cinder had a bit of confidence before, but as she watched Yang interact with the group, that confidence quickly faded. Maybe she should not have made that bet... Oh she definitely should not have made this bet.
Soon enough Yang returned to the counter with a grin on her face, holding out her notepad. "Looks like it's your turn to be the waitress."
Cinder sighed before smiling back at the blonde and taking the pad. "Very well."
Walking around the bar, Yang gave a final smirk before she took the older woman's place. "Alright, there's a pair that still needs drinks, so why don't you take their orders while I make the drinks for the football players." She suggested, pointing out the booth.
"Okay." Cinder nodded. Taking a deep breath, she made her way over to the table. Two men, no problem - at least she hoped. "H-Hello, my name is Cinder. What can I get for you?"
"Hi." The first man replied with a smile. "I think I'll have a... Mojito please."
"And I'll take a Sidecar." The second man simply responded.
Scribbling down the orders, Cinder looked back up and smiled. "I-I'll be right back with your drinks." See? No problem. Both men were sure to thank her as she headed back to the counter. Ripping off the page from the notepad, she placed it on the counter in front of Yang. "Here are their orders."
"Cool cool, just give me one second to finish these drinks..." Yang started as she filled the last of the glasses from one of the taps. Once finished, she placed it on a tray with five others. They all appeared to be draft beers - `typical for a group like that. "Alrighty, there ya go! Just be careful, six drinks might be a bit heavy."
Cinder offered a small smile. "I will, thank you Yang." Picking the tray up off the counter - it was rather heavy, but she could handle it - she took another deep breath before approaching the booth. They just want their drinks, nothing else. She thought to herself. All you have to do is give them those drinks and smile.
Luckily none of them paid Cinder any attention as she placed the tray of glasses onto the table. One after the other, the men mumbled thanks as she gave them their drinks. Before she could pick up the last glass, Cinder felt a hand gently caress her rear - and her world froze.
The man closest to her left - the one with a hand currently on her ass - leaned closer to Cinder. "How about you come take a ride with me so we can touchdown at my place for the night?" He coaxed with a smirk.
Cinder did not respond - She had no response. All she could do was stand there while two things flooded her mind - fear... and memories. That hand on her rear felt so familiar... yet so alien. She remembered how Emerald used to touch her there when they kissed, how good it felt, but now that memory felt... tainted. Fear slipped into anger, hot and seething, demanding recompense. She took the remaining glass of beer from the tray, and dumped it on his head.
It was safe to say he did not look happy. At least he was shocked enough to not have an immediate reaction. So Cinder took the opportunity to take the empty tray and retreat back to the bar. But as she did, she felt an abrupt and painful pressure on her left arm. She turned around to see what it was, then suddenly she was seeing stars. When she came to her senses, she was on the floor... and her face... hurt. Not to mention her wrist. It felt like the burns were fresh again...
Still dazed, Cinder looked up, expecting to see the man standing above her. But... he was on the floor next to her... and Raven was standing above him. As her boss grabbed him by the collar and began dragging him across the room towards the door, she felt someone lift her up off the floor. Once she was standing, her vision blurred once again, and the next thing she knew, she was in sitting in one of the chairs in the break room. Cinder watched as Yang grabbed the first aid kit off the wall and placed it onto the table before sitting down in front of her. The blonde said something, but it did not quite register.
"Are you okay?" Yang inquired - probably for the second time - as she opened up the first aid kit.
Cinder just nodded. If she was being honest, she was not sure if she really was okay. After all, she had just been assaulted, by a truck it felt like.
"Alright, well it doesn't look like you'll need stitches, and-" Yang started.
"Stitches?" Cinder interrupted, her eye wide in surprise.
"Yeah, when he punched you it split the skin right under your left... eye." Yang explained, pointing to the spot on herself before continuing to rummage through the first aid kit box.
"My... eye...?" Slowly reaching up, Cinder touched the unexpectedly bare flesh of the right side of her face. Wait, where was her mask? Where was her mask? Quickly covering the area, she frantically looked around the room, hoping it was there.
"Cin- Cinder." Yang reached out to stop the other woman. "Let me bandage you up first, then I'll get your mask, alright?" Luckily Cinder seemed to calm down with that suggestion, nodding in response. Pulling out a small cloth and bottle, she shifted her gaze back to Cinder. "Okay, I'm gonna disinfect the wound first, so it's gonna sting a bit." Yang warned as she wet the cloth. When she looked back up, she noticed Cinder still had a hand over her left eye. "I can't do that unless you move your hand." Cinder hesitated, but eventually her hand slowly fell onto her lap with the other one. "You ready?" The other woman nodded once again.
As the blonde touched the cloth to Cinder's skin, she flinched at the pain. It was uncomfortable, but nothing compared to the punch. After she wiped away the small amount of blood, Yang grabbed a band-aid from the box and gently applied it over the wound.
"There, all better." Yang smiled.
Cinder offered a smile in return. "Thank you Yang."
"Don't mention it." Yang answered. As she stood from the chair, her smile faded. "I'm uh, really sorry you had to deal with a creep like that in your first week. I should've kept a closer eye on you... I didn't think he would go that far..."
Cinder shook her head. "You shouldn't blame yourself, what happened happened."
"If you say so." Yang sighed. "Okay, sit tight, I'll go get your mask." As the blonde made her way back to the front area, Cinder heard the door open. "Oh, mom, do you know where Cinder's mask is?"
"I've got it." Came Raven's voice from around the corner. "You get back to work, I need a moment with Cinder.
"Sure thing." Yang replied.
After the door closed, Raven appeared from around the corner with Cinder's mask in hand. "Hey. I uh, here's your mask." She simply said as she handed the mask to the younger woman.
"Thank you..." Cinder mumbled. The moment the mask was in her grasp, she quickly put it back on her face. She was never quite... comfortable without it on. Even when she was at home, she felt... naked.
Taking a seat in the chair Yang previously sat in, Raven sighed. "So, I'm sorry I didn't step in sooner. I should've intervened the moment that piece of shit touched you, but I thought you handled him well enough... then..." Her gaze fell. "I'm sorry, are you okay?"
Cinder nodded. "My face hurts... and my wrist is sore, but I'm alright."
"Can I see your wrist?"
"Okay..." Removing the glove from her hand, Cinder placed it onto the table before undoing the wrist buttons of her shirt. She hissed as the fabric brushed over the sensitive skin as she rolled up the sleeve, revealing a rather large bruise on her forearm.
Reaching out to gently take hold of the appendage, Raven examined the injury. "Well it doesn't look swollen... Does it hurt when you move it?" She wondered.
Cinder moved her wrist around, and luckily there was no pain. "No... just when it's touched."
"Hm, I think you should take an early night, get some extra rest." Raven suggested. "Yang can give you a lift if you'd like, but be warned, she rides a motorcycle."
After a moment Cinder nodded. "I'd appreciate that... thank you Raven."
Author's Note: A little late, but hope you enjoyed!
As always, your feedback fuels me!
