"'tis a good thing dad's busy at work tonight," Yang said as she stuffed a fry in her mouth. "We totally forgot to order any for him."
"You're not impressing anyone with your use of 'tis," Ruby replied, sticking her tongue out at her older sister, who stuck her tongue back out in response. Weiss had yet to decide if their childish behaviour was genetic, or those two were just the biggest dorks she had ever seen. And believe her, she had seen her fair share of dorks in Atlas Academy. Not all Atlas families believed in prim and proper etiquette.
"Blake's totally impressed with my use of 'tis," Yang pointed another fry at Blake, who was still munching on her fish burger. She looked between the two, still chewing. She swallowed before speaking.
"I'm mildly impressed?" she offered Yang.
"I'll take mildly impressed," the blonde pointed at Blake and winked. Ruby rolled her eyes, then turned to Weiss.
"How's your food?" she asked.
Weiss looked at the spread of colorfully packaged, greasy either to the point of wonder or nausea (she couldn't decide yet). She picked up another french fry, immediately feeling the slick oil on her fingers. She popped it in her mouth, tasting salt and grease and potato. It was...
"It's okay," Weiss told her. Ruby pouted. Weiss ate another french fry. "It's good," she offered up.
Ruby narrowed her eyes at her in suspicion. "You haven't even touched your burger!"
Weiss furrowed her brows at looked at the yellow wrapping that covered her cheeseburger. She was... suspicious. Very suspicious. Maybe it was actually a really, really good thing that her father had expressly forbidden junk food in the manor. The thought of her father being right put a nauseating feeling in the pit of her stomach. Weiss tentatively picked the burger up, unwrapping it carefully. She could feel three sets of eyes on her, and she huffed out a quick breath of annoyance. When she finally unwrapped her burger, she was greeted with a sight that looked nothing like the picture from the menu.
"Everyone shush, we're about to break class barriers," Ruby waved a hand towards Yang and Blake, who snickered relentlessly. Weiss looked at the younger girl, deadpanned.
"C'mon Weiss, this is the burger chomp that'll be heard around the world," Blake pulled her phone out to start recording, while Yang and Ruby cheered her on. Weiss, though her smile might have conveyed otherwise, was still in a state of mild irritation.
She rolled her eyes, but bit into the cheeseburger.
Salty. Kind of sweet. There wasn't anything in the thing that wasn't processed heavily. Even the bread was kind of stale. It was about the perfect antithesis of everything Weiss had ever consumed back in Atlas.
But... it was good.
"I... like it," Weiss admitted once she had fully chewed and swallowed the piece she'd bitten off (never let anyone tell you that Weiss Schnee would ever lose her sense of decorum). The other three erupted into thunderous cheers and applause.
Okay, maybe she did laugh along with them. Maybe she wasn't so irritated. Maybe it was a little nice. A lot nice. To be around people, to be having actual, genuine fun. Suddenly the coil in her gut didn't feel so tight. She felt a little more free. Atlas was a million, million miles away at that moment, and Weiss was in Vale.
"Bravo Weiss!" Yang golf clapped.
"We're all super proud of you," Ruby gave her a thumbs up.
Blake smiled, ending the recording. "Should we take a picture for posterity?"
"Yeah! The day we made a real societal change- Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang: the true vanguards of humanity!" Ruby giggled to herself.
Weiss took another bite of the burger. It was good, really. She was still chewing when Blake took the selfie of the four of them.
"Here Weiss, give me your number. I'll send you the photo," Blake passed Weiss her phone. Her phone pinged a little while later, a new number sending her an absolutely ridiculous photo. Weiss didn't have any social media accounts, but if she did decide to make one, this photo would be a perfect first post.
They spent a long while after they finished their meal just talking.
What had Weiss more than pleasantly surprised was that she didn't ever really know what real conversations were supposed to be. They, apparently, were supposed to be about nothing at all. If you had asked her afterwards what the conversation was about, she wouldn't have been able to name even one topic. All of it was just blended together, a natural ebb and flow, a mish mash of just words and emotions. Weiss found herself lagging, her brain trying to catch up on each beat of the conversation, but in a way that didn't really frustrate her at all. In fact, she found it fun.
What a mind-bending statement. Weiss, Weiss Schnee, found it really fun to just talk to normal people about nothing in particular.
Back in Atlas, every conversation had a purpose, had a set path and balance. She knew what she was supposed to say and when, and she always educated herself on the topics people wanted to talk about. And most of it was purposeful and highbrow, but looking back at it, Weiss didn't think those conversations were ever actually real conversations. It was more like theatre rehearsal. Just two people regurgitating their lines back and forth with different, manufactured emotions until one or both parties were satisfied.
Things were different in Vale. Things were different with Ruby and Blake and Yang. Things were looking different in her. Suddenly change didn't seem so bad.
She stayed a little later than she had anticipated, being so absorbed in the other girls' company that she didn't even notice the time until Klein texted her, asking if she was alright.
"Is it time for you to go home, Weiss?" Ruby asked, noticing her on her phone. Weiss hesitated, a split second gut check that almost alarmed her. It was indeed time for her to head home, in fact it was past time for her to go home, but she didn't want to. Weiss was seized with a moment of panic, her brain overloading itself like someone had electrocuted the back of her skull. Like someone had taken her head and rattled it like an overenthusiastic baby with a toy. She couldn't remember the last time she hadn't wanted to be alone in her room.
Weiss didn't know what to do with that information, so she just kept quiet and still. Then she noticed all three of them were looking at her expectantly, and Weiss cleared her throat, suddenly very aware of all her senses.
"Yes," she said, clearing her throat again. Weiss clenched and unclenched her fist underneath the dining room table. "I-I should get going."
"Well hey, let us call you a cab or something," Yang offered, already whipping out her phone.
"Oh, I- uh," Weiss stuttered out, vaguely aware that she didn't actually account for going home this late. She could call Klein, but, well she didn't want him to have to go through the trouble because she wasn't aware of the time. She didn't want anyone to have to go through the trouble.
A pair of headlights shone through the dining room window as a car pulled into the driveway.
"Dad's home! Perfect, we can just drive her home," Ruby said.
Weiss blanched. Ruby and Yang's father, the one she had seen in the photo? She was more than a little interested in meeting this man- both of their parents actually.
The front door swung open and a tall, blonde man wearing a sensible t-shirt and cargo shorts walked into the house. He had stubble, and blue eyes, and a tattoo on her bicep Weiss couldn't make out just yet. He walked in with a smile, looking around the the four of them.
"Well, this is more children in my home than I'm normally used to," he placed a hand on his hip, his eyes immediately wandering to Weiss.
"Dad! Perfect timing," Ruby ran up and hugged him. He returned the hug fondly, and Weiss felt vaguely jealous.
"Heya kiddo. Is that...?" he ruffled her hair, then eyed the wrappers and packaging of food still on the table "McDonald's?" he stage whispered to his kids, who nodded excitedly.
So, it was genetic then.
"You gonna introduce me to your new friend, there?" he asked Ruby.
"Dad, this is Weiss," Ruby motioned towards her. Weiss bowed her head.
"Pleased to meet you, Mr. Rose," Weiss said. Everyone immediately seized up. Yang cast a look at Blake.
Weiss knew she'd fucked up. The apology was on the tip of her tongue, though she didn't know what for yet.
"Please, call me Tai. Taiyang Xiao Long. Summer Rose was Ruby's mother," he explained calmly, and his smile returned. He extended a hand towards Weiss, and she shook it. Everyone relaxed, and Weiss could feel the tension in the room dissipate.
"Dad, can we use the car to drive Weiss home?" Ruby asked, mercifully saving Weiss from having to open her big dumb mouth again.
"Oh, yeah, sure. It's late, isn't it?" Tai immediately fished the keys out of one of the 72 pockets on his person, tossing it to Yang, who caught it easily.
"Why can't I drive?" Ruby crossed her arms. Everyone looked at her, and she shrank, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and laughing sheepishly. "Okay, fine. Point taken."
"I still can't believe it was possible to make a 30 point turn," Blake ran her hands over her face.
"Hey, some roads are pretty narrow!" Ruby protested.
"We were on the highway, Ruby," Yang flicked her little sister's forehead.
"Whatever. C'mon, Weiss," Ruby motioned for her to get a move on as everyone except Tai headed out the door.
"Drive safe, kids!" he called out. He looked at Weiss and smiled, all the previous tension he held in him completely gone. Weiss bowed her head again before grabbing her bag and leaving.
Wess hadn't realised that a drive home could be such an event. But there they were, all four of them packed in the car. It seemed like whatever they did, they were wont to do it together. Weiss kind of liked that.
"Gimme your address," Yang handed Weiss her phone with the GPS app open. She keyed in her address and handed it back to Yang.
Blake took a seat on the passenger side, seemingly always by Yang's side. Weiss herself was sat in the back next to Ruby, who was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Aw, yeah, mini road trip!" Ruby fist pumped. Weiss rolled her eyes at the younger girl.
"We're driving like, 10 minutes," Blake looked back at Ruby, who shrugged.
"Sidequests are better done in co-op," she said, with an air of sage wisdom, looking proud of herself for saying something so profound. Weiss didn't have a single clue what she actually said, but figured it was one of those things she'd eventually figure out through osmosis.
"Dork," Blake said.
"Dork," Yang agreed, reversing out of the driveway. Ruby pouted, looking to Weiss for support. She looked at Blake and Yang, and she couldn't help the upturn of her lips, really.
"Dork," Weiss echoed after them. Ruby gasped, and Yang burst out laughing. Blake hid her laughter behind her hand, doubled over in her seat.
"I came out here to have a good time, and I'm feeling so attacked right now," Ruby crossed her arms petulantly. Weiss smiled at her.
They continued with the aimless chatter the whole drive. When they finally arrived in front of Weiss' house, she unclicked her seatbelt and paused.
There were words. She was sure there were. But they just didn't come to her at the moment. She didn't know if they would ever. She felt like the enormity of the situation, the absolute mind-boggling nature of it meant that Weiss Schnee would never ever have to words to describe what was happening. To say what she wanted to. To tell another person how she felt.
So Weiss decided to say something simple.
"Thank you, all. I'll see you on Monday?" she looked around the three in the car.
Somewhere in her mind, Weiss knew she sounded hopeful. If she was more cruel to herself she would have said it sounded desperate. But in the moment, Weiss cared about nothing more than wanting this again. Only her brain just didn't know what to do with that information. It was always playing catch-up with her heart.
Ruby allayed her fears, her anxieties. She punched a hole clean through the rising tide of panic that threatened to overtake Weiss.
"Yeah, of course, Weiss," she said, simple as all that.
Weiss had felt like she was struggling, drowning under the weight of her own mind. But if Ruby showed her that it was just as simple as saying 'yes' or 'hello' or 'do you need help?' then... well maybe it was.
Blake and Yang nodded, both smiling at her too. Weiss smiled.
They didn't drive off until Weiss stepped foot in her front door. She exhaled a long breath, and Klein appeared, a smug grin on his face.
"Welcome back, Miss Schnee. Pleasant trip home?" he asked, and Weiss ducked her head to hide her smile, though she knew she couldn't slip it past him.
"It's fine here in Vale, isn't it, Klein?" she tucked her hair behind her ears. "It's fine."