Chapter Eight: Keep This One a Duet
Ruby hated mornings. She absolutely loathed and detested them. If she could, she'd swear all sunlight off and live nocturnally like a caffeine dependent hamster. But if she did that she'd miss out on the morning after, which, Ruby learned, was the best part of being intimate with someone as radiant as Weiss. The endorphins coursing through her veins made Ruby feel extremely happy even though her head felt like it was swimming through a pool of thick cottony clouds. She could feel the warmth radiating off of Weiss' soft skin, the delicate curves of her petite body, and that perfectly pert ass Ruby was quickly growing fond of.
Running her fingers down the curve of Weiss' trim waist, Ruby sleepily left a trail of light kisses across her lover's shoulder. Weiss let out a girlish giggle as she leaned in closer to give Ruby's wandering lips better access.
"Someone's in a good mood," Weiss sighed breathily as she soaked in the attention.
Ruby stopped her aimless exploration of the newly charted snowy expanse to kiss Weiss' cheek. "Who wouldn't be when they get to wake up next to you?" she said on a whimsy, not thinking of the connotations her rhetorical query carried.
"You say that now," Weiss chuckled dryly with a hint of experience backing her claim, "but give it some time, you'll quickly grow to dread it."
"Why," Ruby yawned, "do you snore?"
"No, but according to trustworthy sources, I wake up at ungodly hours," Weiss stated putting direct emphasis on her denial.
"Try me," Ruby challenged with a cocky smirk.
"It's seven o'clock right now—"
"Pssh, that's nothing!"
"That means, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted," Weiss looked pointedly as Ruby, her mussed hair taking away most of her bite, "I overslept two extra hours."
Ruby blinked. "Come again?"
"Simple math eludes you in the morning I see."
"Don't be a stinker, just answer the question!" the younger woman pouted.
"I wake up at five almost every day," Weiss explained. "Getting to know you took up quite a bit of my designated sleep hours."
"Oh, I apologize for the inconvenience, your highness!" Ruby theatrically apologized. That earned her a giggle and a playful nudge. "I'm serious here," Ruby pouted earning her a kiss from the enamored Schnee. "Sleep is as essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle as is nutrition and exercise."
Weiss moved to lay on her back, her shoulder aching from her prolonged rest. "Why would my lifestyle be of any concern to you?" she asked out of innocent curiosity, not intending for it to sound so discordant.
Thankfully, Ruby didn't see it as such and responded appropriately. "I want to spend as much time with you as possible," she said obdurately. "But I can't do that if you've already got one foot in the grave."
"How do you know I'm not well on my way already?" Weiss hummed, her eyes lighting in amusement.
"I'm being serious here!" Ruby pouted, the thought of Weiss dying saddening her.
"As am I." When Ruby didn't immediately respond with something rational or quirky, Weiss knew she'd said the wrong thing. Not wanting the uncomfortable moment to linger any longer than it had, Weiss wrapped her arms around Ruby's midsection and dragged her down so she could rest her head on Weiss' chest. "Had you said that half a year ago, I wouldn't disagree. But, to your luck and mine, the doctor's have given me a clean bill of health; I'll be here for a long while."
"What happened last year?" Ruby asked curiously, concern evident in her expression. Weiss flashed her a weak smile that made her halt any further questions. "Never mind, you don't have to tell me anything you're not comfortable with."
"Thank you but I'm surprised you don't already know," Weiss said a little baffled. "What happened isn't exactly a secret. Even my divorce garnered some attention before it got brushed aside for newer gossip. But maybe it's a regional thing… hm."
"Are you talking about an Internet search?" Ruby blinked as Weiss nodded in response. "Isn't that a little… creepy?"
"You get used to it," Weiss muttered nonchalantly as if it were a daily occurrence.
"Well, it doesn't matter if you're used to it or not," Ruby said heatedly, her chin resting on Weiss' sternum. "I'd rather learn about you through our talks. Your social media is your business, not mine."
"I don't have any social media accounts—wait, I've been meaning to ask, but do you not know who I am?"
"Pfft, that's a dumb question, you're Weiss!" Ruby chirped happily. "You're my sort-of-but-not-really girlfriend who I totally did the do with—no take backs! You had your chance."
Now it was Weiss' turn to blink in a daze.
"Wow, this is… this is a first for me," Weiss said in astonishment. "But it all makes so much sense now."
"What does?" Ruby askes with a smile.
Surprised by the sudden turn of events, Weiss was left speechless for the first time in years. While she came to terms with her situation, she stroked Ruby's hair affectionately. The younger woman hummed in delight, her morning a thousand times better now that Weiss was awake.
"Coco was right about you," Weiss whispered, her tone light yet heavy with meaning.
Ruby's smile lost a little of its joy when she heard the name leave Weiss' lips.
"She figured you were the type who didn't follow celebrity gossip. I guess this confirms it," Weiss continued, chuckling at a joke Ruby didn't know about. "It seems I owe her a new car."
Spurred on by jealousy, Ruby puffed out her cheek and lightly chomped on Weiss' right breast.
"Hey!" Weiss yelped in surprise. "What was that for?!"
"For making me jealous!" Ruby grumbled, taking another bite. Weiss rolled her eyes. "I'm being serious here!"
"No, you're being childish," Weiss barked bluntly as she pushed Ruby off of her.
The fight with Penny came rushing back like a slap to the face when Weiss got out of bed. Ruby couldn't even enjoy the view because her cruel, thoughtless words to the younger girl made Ruby's stomach tie itself into a knot. Shifting in bed so she could hold her knees to her chest, Ruby thought about what she'd done wrong while Weiss rummaged around in her closet.
It was becoming glaringly obvious to her that she wasn't as mature as she played herself up to be. Penny was leaps and bounds ahead of her if she was able to stay Ruby's friend without wanting more. And compared to Weiss and her ability to remain happily platonic with her ex-wife, Ruby was nothing more than a crying child sitting in soiled diapers.
Weiss stepped out of her closet looking like a million lien before Ruby could delve deeper into her self-deprecating thoughts. The wealthy woman adjusted her glasses and smoothed out her snow-white blouse and skirt. Her eyes were purposely avoiding Ruby's awed gaze, though the faint blush on her cheeks told the redhead she'd at least been noticed. Weiss looked positively angry, no doubt at Ruby for questioning her intentions, but something in the way her lips tugged downward told the sombre painter otherwise.
"Listen," Weiss said carefully.
Hope of a reconciliation bloomed in Ruby's chest when Weiss finally looked her way. The icy blue irises framing Weiss' pupils captured Ruby's attention in rapt admiration. Terrified and bare as she was, Ruby couldn't deny the fact that Weiss was still beyond beautiful even though she looked about ready to fillet Ruby like a fish.
"I really like you, Ruby, and I would like nothing more than to properly court you," Weiss explained, her voice sharp and to the point, "but if choosing you means I lose the one person that's always been by my side, then I'm sorry. I would rather give up my entire fortune and everything I have than lose Coco's friendship and trust. And yes, that sadly includes my chances of being with a woman as enchanting as you."
"Weiss, I—"
Weiss held her hand out and effectively put a stop to whatever Ruby had to say. "I'll be downstairs in the kitchen. Feel free to come down whenever you're ready."
Alone and naked in Weiss' giant bedroom, Ruby felt small and helpless. Most of her jealousy had abated during her session with Weiss, her insecurities and shortcomings lost in the wake of Weiss' soft words and gentle ministrations. A blush crept on her cheeks as she recalled everything Weiss did to her in stunning high definition. Her own mind betrayed her by narrating the erotic scene using a sensual vocabulary Ruby didn't know she was capable of until that moment.
Weiss made her feel things she didn't know she could feel, and how did she repay her? By unfairly questioning her and lumping her in with Jaune and Pyrrha. They weren't even officially together yet and Ruby was already scared she'd walk in on Weiss and Coco doing something inappropriate behind her back. It made her sick to her stomach just thinking about it because she knew Weiss wasn't that sort of person.
"Ugh!" Ruby groaned as she threw herself back into the plush, downy pillows. "Why am I so hung up on this?"
Drawing the blanket up and over her head to block out the sun, Ruby willed her eyes shut. The stuffy heat her breathing caused did little to replicate the warmth Ruby felt when Weiss held her close, whispering sweet nothings in her ear as she touched her in places only she'd ventured to.
'What are you doing, Ruby?' she asked herself angrily. 'You're ruining your shot with Weiss!' Ruby whimpered at the severity her mental voice berated herself with. 'Stop being such a pussy and go down there and apologize. Woman up for fuck's sake!'
Ruby threw the blanket off and jumped out of bed, completely forgetting she was buck-naked and littered with love bites.
"Woops," Ruby blushed.
Not wanting to waste anymore time than she already had, Ruby found her discarded underwear and retrieved her clothes from the extravagant bathroom. She dressed as quickly as she could, her eyes only drifting to the sister on death row every so often. If Marguerite could speak, Ruby wondered what she might have said about the army of hickeys marching down her backside. Weiss had really gotten carried away last night, not that Ruby was complaining, just surprised and a little—or a lot—turned on.
"Get it together, Ruby…" she told herself as she pushed past the mental image of Weiss' head dipping between her legs, her steely-blue eyes locked onto her hazy silver ones. Ruby violently shook her head and slapped her cheeks, donning her "game face" as she marched out of the room awkwardly; she was a little sore down there and everywhere else.
After five minutes of aimless wandering, Ruby finally found the kitchen, and inside it like she said she would be was Weiss enjoying her morning coffee. The wealthy woman was seated in front of her laptop reading the news in a language Ruby couldn't read or understand. Weiss' back was turned to her and she hadn't heard her approaching, so Ruby took the opportunity to quietly enjoy the view. She loved how Weiss made something as mundane as a morning ritual seem sophisticated. It was a breath of fresh air compared to the chaotic breakfasts at Yang's. Someone was always yelling about something or other, and Yang's workmates were always crowding the dinner table leaving no room for any one else. Blake had a special spot on the kitchen counter behind Yang's chair, while Ruby got squished between the most muscular men in the landscaping industry. It would've been nice, maybe a dream come true for some girls, but to Ruby it was a nightmare.
Imagining the mayhem going on at Yang's place, Ruby swallowed her pride and went to hug Weiss. The quiet older woman, to her credit, hadn't held the grudge like Ruby feared she would.
"I'm sorry," Ruby whispered, kissing the shell of Weiss' ear.
Weiss calmly sipped on her beverage, eyes glued to the foreign headlining article. "Don't apologize to me," she said after putting the half empty mug down. "I'm not the one you have a problem with."
"I still owe you an apology for upsetting you though."
"I'm not upset," Weiss sternly corrected her. "A little sad perhaps, but definitely not upset. I mean, how can I? It isn't my place to tell you what you can and can't feel."
"But still…"
Weiss shook her head disparagingly. "Ruby, can I ask why Coco unsettles you?" she bluntly asked. "I mean, I'll be the first to admit it, she is a little extra, but you're not so shabby yourself, Ms. Punk Rock."
Nuzzling her face into Weiss' fluffy hair, Ruby struggled to take her date's words to heart. Because how could she? If Coco was considered "a little extra" then Weiss was the full unimpeded word: extraordinary.
"Hey, stop that, you dolt! It tickles," Weiss giggled charmingly as she pried Ruby's arms off of her. "Come and sit in front of me so we can properly talk."
Ruby groaned out loud and trudged towards the offered seat, plopping down and resting her head on the cool surface of the table. "Weiss," she whined, "forgive me for being a dolt!"
"I already told you that my forgiveness won't accomplish anything."
"But it'll make me feel better," Ruby pouted doing her best impression of a pleading puppy.
Weiss rolled her eyes, her love-struck heart thumping wildly in her chest. "Fine, you're forgiven. All is well. Sunshine is about, and all that happy shit the neurotypicals blather on about."
"No, you have to mean it!"
"I'm sorry—wait, why am I apologizing?!" Weiss buried her embarrassed face in the palm of hand. "Ugh, do you see what you do to me?"
"Hey, you should see what you do to me! It's totally not fair."
"Oh, I know exactly what I did to you," Weiss said huskily with a sexy grin.
Ruby tapped her chin in thought and said, "Care to reiterate that?"
"How about a demonstration instead?"
"I'd prefer that, yes," Ruby answered trying her best to sound posh. "I'm a hands-on learner if you haven't noticed."
"Believe me," Weiss chuckled, "I've noticed."
"So head back upstairs or—?!"
The sound of the front door opening and shutting interrupted the playful mood.
"What are they doing home?" Weiss commented in surprise, the mood completely broken as she shoulder checked the entryway behind her.
"Who's home?" Ruby blinked.
On cue, Coco and a mousy woman—a rabbit Faunus by the looks of it—walked in side by side. The tall bespectacled chef was carrying a wicker basket with the other woman's arms looped possessively around her left elbow.
The first thing Ruby noticed about the long eared stranger were her gentle brown eyes and smile, a clear contrast to Coco's cocky smirk and smug stare. She had this calming air about her yet she couldn't keep herself still. The stranger's eyes were always subtly checking her surroundings as she gave Coco's arm a small squeeze either to reassure herself the other woman was still beside her, or to keep said woman in check while they were with company. Ruby couldn't decide which seemed more plausible so she dropped it. Their dynamic wasn't much different than Yang and Blake's, perhaps they could even—
"Bonjour ma belle amie!" Coco beamed, unknowingly cutting Ruby's thoughts short. "You look about ready to give someone frostbite, Weiss."
"Coco, Velvet, what a… surprise," Weiss said in a withering tone, her eyes narrowing to glare at Coco. She looked at Ruby with a sidelong cursory gaze, dropping the fake smile she wore when she saw her new lover's awkward gawking. "Ruby, close your mouth; you'll catch flies."
"Sorry…"
"Coucou, red!" the chef greeted excitedly. "I was wondering whose swanky ride it was parked outside."
"Coco, Coco, who's this?" the mousy woman asked quietly, her head tilted in question. Her voice held a lot more confidence than her body language suggested which surprised Ruby more than she expected.
"Frosty's new squeeze, mon amour," the chef answered her fondly. "I told you about her, remember?"
"Oh!" she gasped with slightly wider eyes. "It's nice to finally meet you! I'm Velvet, Coco's better half."
"My better and far more humble other half," Coco teased with a lovesick smile.
"Ru-Ruby…" the redhead replied shyly.
"Weiss, she's so pretty," Velvet said cheerily while Coco nodded in agreement.
The wealthy woman scrunched up her nose and bashfully scoffed at the comment. "I suppose you could say that," Weiss said shooting Ruby another furtive glance. She was rather disappointed when she saw her potential suitor glaring a hole in her table with a pronounced scowl marring her enchanting features. "But then again I'd never be caught dead consorting with someone subpar. Ruby is adequate."
"And what's that supposed to mean, you jerk?" Ruby growled in mild offence, her heated gaze lifting up to match Weiss'.
"It's a compliment," she said as if it were a fact. "I'm quite weary of the company I keep."
"It really is," Coco concurred.
"Didn't sound like one," the redhead grumbled.
Velvet chuckled awkwardly, her arms pulling the chef closer to her body. "Weiss is just being shy," she said trying to make sense of her friend's obtuse phrasing. "This is actually the closest I've ever heard her compliment someone."
"I know right?" Coco added with a cringe. "I think the closest I ever got was a nonchalant shrug. Like I'd ask her, 'hey, babe! How do I look?' And she'd respond with an 'eh'."
"But I've heard her compliment me a dozen times." Ruby clamped her mouth shut when she saw Weiss' cheeks flush a rosy red.
"I-I was merely swept up in the moment," Weiss said trying to tape her aloof persona back together. "Anyway, enough about that. What's in the basket and what are you doing back here so soon? We had a deal, Adel."
Ignoring the harshness in Weiss' voice, Coco's face lit up in excitement as she tilted the basket forward to reveal its goods. Wild mushrooms of various shapes and sizes took up a small portion along side some fragrant herbs. A tall jar of red sap was nestled up against a corner held in place by some fresh picked garden vegetables. It was a colourful cornucopia filled with nature's delight and Coco was eager to play with it. Ruby supposed this was the chef's artistic medium judging by how she arranged her goods with complimenting colours in mind.
"Cottontail wanted to go for a morning stroll, so I figured I'd grab some stuff while we were at it."
Weiss quirked her left brow. "You drove an hour from her place to take a walk… here?"
"Yep."
"Really?"
"Yep, yep!"
"You seriously chose here and not the park she literally lives right next to?" Weiss glared at her friend taunting her to try and weasel out.
"Weiss, you're going to get wrinkles if you keep glaring at me like that," the tall brunette pointed out. "Plus, I wanted to make sure you ate breakfast and Velv's shitty park doesn't have a giant forest filled with all the free veg you could ever want."
"It's true," Velvet nodded sadly. "The groundskeeper does a really good job."
"Damn you and your food senses," Weiss muttered like a defeated villain.
Not wanting to be left out of the conversation, Ruby asked, "Does Weiss skip out on meals often?"
"You've seen how skinny she is," Velvet answered with a knowing glint in her eyes. "Girl needs some meat on her bones!"
"I don't need to hear that from a vegan," the skinny woman in question shot back irately.
"Don't lump me in with those pretentious idiots," Velvet hissed venomously. "I'm a lactose intolerant vegetarian!"
"In short, you're butt hurt you can't eat ice-cream," Coco grinned.
"No, but that's what'll happen if I do eat ice-cream!" the rabbit Faunus cried. "Just thinking about it is enough to make my stomach churn…"
Ruby sat quietly in her chair watching the harmless back and forth banter like an unwitting spectator. It was honestly hilarious whenever Ruby understood the context. Weiss' dauntless dry wit going up against Coco's razor-sharp intellect and Velvet's comical rebuttals made for one amazing sitcom. Ruby could practically see the laugh track being cued in whenever someone opened their mouth to speak.
"Ugh, enough squabbling, we're burning daylight here," Weiss said as she shut her laptop down to focus on her friends. "Ruby, I hope you don't mind that our quiet morning together has been interrupted."
The redhead smiled. "It's okay," it really wasn't okay, but Weiss didn't need to know that. "I'm sure there's plenty more of 'em to come." Weiss nodded her head in solid agreement. "I should head on home though, my sister's probably ready to call in the army."
"Aw, you should call her and tell her you'll be a while longer! I'd love to get to know you better," Velvet said pleadingly. "If not, then you should at least stay for breakfast. I can assure you it'll be the best you'll ever have."
"I-I don't know…" Ruby rubbed the back of her neck nervously. "But I am kind of curious though…"
Coco pulled herself away from Velvet and carried the basket to the counter near the kitchen sink. She unpacked its contents carefully, giving each item a quick once over before either tossing it back or setting it down in the stainless-steel basin.
There was a loving look on Coco's face as she continued her appraisal that Ruby realized she respected. It was the same expression Yang wore whenever she helped pick out the plants her job needed from the nursery. Ruby had accompanied her sister on enough runs to tell that Coco's vegetables were all top tier and well grown.
"Velv, you think you can warm up those bread bowls you made? They should still be where you left 'em last."
"Aha, I get it now; you're going all out!" Velvet said when she pieced the ingredients together. "But hey, instead of the bread bowls, what if we kicked it up a notch? We can use the herbed dough we were saving for movie night and make some fresh baked bread."
"Baby, you're a genius!"
"I know," Velvet beamed confidently.
Ruby looked at Weiss questioningly, her eyes shifting between the two older women bringing the desolate kitchen to life.
"Huh?" Weiss caught the gaze and followed it curiously. "Oh."
"Honey bun, you've got the floor after I finish this, I need to head up to my room and take a quick shower," Coco told her girlfriend. She pulled out a beautiful head of romaine lettuce and slipped her fingers between the crisp dark green leaves, tearing off a couple layers. The sharp snap the stem made whenever she broke a leaf off sent a shiver up everyone's spines. "God damn that was sexy."
"I'd give it a solid seven out of ten," Weiss commented with a smirk.
"I'll give you a seven out of ten you bitch," Coco grumbled as she threateningly shook a dismembered leaf at her ex.
"I'd like to see you try!" Weiss shouted back defiantly. "Let's not forget that I was a runway model before you happened."
"Right back at'cha!" Coco shouted with an eye roll.
Rolling her eyes, Velvet snatched the offending leaf out of Coco's hand and slapped her in the face with it. "Stop being so childish!"
"Hey, don't blame this all on me!" Coco cried, pointing fingers at Weiss. "It was parsley her fault, too! Hit her with the leaf not me!"
"Good lord, Coco, you're giving me a headache!" the master of the house shouted. "Go to your room and shower already! You're covered in dirt; I don't want to know how much you've dragged into our home."
The chef rolled her eyes. "Yes, mom, but a little dirt's nothing compared to all the dust we have in here."
"Speaking of dust, you've lived here longer than I have! Why haven't you done any cleaning?" Weiss pointed out, surprising Ruby with the little nugget of information.
"I was busy opening the restaurant!" Coco argued. "I thought you were gunna hire help or something."
"Wait, wait, wait! She lives here?" Ruby asked Weiss. "With you?"
"Mhm," Weiss nodded. "Do have a problem with that?"
"Um…" Ruby immediately backed down and fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat, avoiding all eye contact.
"Ruby, this is a needlessly large estate. You could move your entire family in here and we'd never notice," the business woman stated flippantly. "Plus, this is just fiscally more feasible since most of Coco's money is tied to Fleur-de-lis."
"It's true," the brunette nodded. "But I'm starting to see the returns."
"She stays with me most of the time though," Velvet cut in sensing the rising tension. "Weiss' bathroom scares me…"
"We're going to do something about that," Weiss said trying to reassure her long eared friend. "I don't know how Coco's bathroom escaped the Marguerite curse."
"Pretty sure it was part of the servant's quarters," Coco answered with a shrug.
"Yes, but even those had a Marguerite in them," Weiss countered. "Yours is literally the only one."
"What if the Marguerites act as some sort of sealing ward that keeps a slumbering evil in the room trapped?" Velvet suggested.
"Please," Weiss said rolling her eyes, "the only demonic thing in that room is her collection of My Little Budgie toys. Surely you've seen those things by now? Horrific. Positively dreadful."
"But have you seen them popping up mysteriously around the house?" Velvet asked with a victorious smirk. "No. No you haven't, so there! Warding circle. I totally call it, so when one of you gets possessed, I'm doing to laugh and say I told you so… before getting brutally sacrificed to the demon lord for being stupid enough to come back to this hell hole."
The three friends quickly delved into a conversation trying to debunk the theories they each had about Coco's mysterious room. It was a mishmash of opinions ranging from the mundane to the downright outlandish.
"I think I'll pass on that breakfast," Ruby mumbled, her voice drowned out by the other's loud conversation.
Velvet's ears twitch in Ruby's direction, drawing her to look at the dejected redhead. "Aw, alright, I understand. If you have to go, you have to go right?"
"C'mon red, don't be a party pooper; stick around! We were finally just getting to know each other," Coco said after Velvet nudged her in the ribs.
"If that is what you wish, then have a safe drive home." The words Weiss spoke were cold and distant while her face remained neutral. And even though she hid it, Ruby could hear the disappointment ring clear. "Shall I escort you to the door?" she politely offered, but Ruby shook her head and declined. "Alright then, call me when you get home."
There was venom in that request, the sort that burned annoyingly beneath the skin.
Ruby nervously nodded. "Y-Yeah."
Silence permeated in the kitchen putting a heavy damper on the jovial mood. The three women left behind listened for the sound of the front door opening and closing before resuming their previous activities. Ruby must've gotten lost somewhere along the line, because it took her a good seven minutes to stomp down the porch steps and into her car.
"Someone had a good night," Coco waggled her eyebrows.
Weiss' friendly smile died down to a simper when she said, "For the most part."
Curious, the chef crossed her arms and asked, "What's wrong? Date not go as planned?"
"No, it went fine, but I don't think I'll see her again after this," Weiss answered quietly.
Velvet gasped, "But I thought you really liked her?" Weiss nodded her head. "Then why aren't you going to see her again?"
"I realized a little too late that she has some growing up to do," Weiss answered, sneaking a glance at her best friend.
Coco caught the look and asked, "Was it something I said? I can chase after her and apologize if I did."
"No, it wasn't anything you said or did," Weiss told her with a weak smile. "She just doesn't like how close we are."
"Uh," Coco scratched her head, "I did introduce Velv as my girlfriend, right?"
"You did," the woman chuckled. "Sort of."
"She's got an inferiority complex and you, my friend, apparently intimidate her," Weiss said pointing a finger at Coco who pointed at herself in turn. "Yes, you. Who else could I be referring to?"
"I guess I kind of rattled her more than I thought I did when I sent you to go cool off yesterday," Coco admitted, feeling the weight of her guilt on her shoulders. "I'm sorry Weiss, I only wanted to make sure she was good enough for you."
"Don't worry," Weiss said, waving her off. "It's probably better this way, I really don't have time to waste on a relationship right now; the first semester is starting soon."
"Right, right, Professor Schnee is about to make her teaching debut!" the tall chef beamed. "Now c'mon Velv, we gotta start breakfast ASAP or else we'll be late for the lunch rush."
The long haired brunette nodded and got back to work. She was kneading her pre-prepped dough and sectioning it off with a master's eye for detail. While she did this, Velvet's mind wandered over to the events that transpired mere moments ago.
Velvet understood Ruby's concerns better than her two companions did since she had been in the same situation. She met Coco a couple years back during one of the chef's visits to Vale. Coco was still married to Weiss during that time, but it didn't stop them from getting together. Weiss took the affair particularly well and they became fast friends over a spot of tea; that was one of her stranger experiences with the heiress.
"Ugh, I really need that shower," Coco groaned as she pulled a small twig out from her hair. "How did that even get in there?"
"Hurry up and go, I'll keep Weiss company," Velvet said smiling at the stoic woman gazing forlornly out the window. "She looks about ready to recite sappy poetry."
"Don't even joke about that!" Coco exclaimed as she washed her hands. "She got a ninety-nine out of a hundred once and started a soliloquy in class."
"That monologue got my grade bumped up to a hundred," Weiss pointed out proudly.
Coco rolled her eyes, shaking her hands free of any lingering water droplets. "Yeah to get you to shut up about it."
"At least I passed my classes unlike a certain someone who almost got held back twice."
"And whose fault was that, hm?" Coco grinned slyly.
"Yours," both Weiss and Velvet deadpanned.
Coco froze on the spot and chuckled nervously. "R-Right, um," she stuttered, "I'm going to… er, go. Now. Bye!"
The tall brunette dashed out of the room as fast as her long legs could carry her, leaving Weiss and Velvet alone with their thoughts. The two women gave each other a brief knowing look before returning to their previous activities.
Velvet worked her dough, getting each loaf ready for the oven. She figured she'd bake them all at once and serve what they didn't eat for breakfast at the café as a limited time special. A small smile graced her lips when she thought of the stone hearth deck ovens Weiss bought for the estate and her little start-up bakery situated beside Fleur-de-lis. The one here was small in comparison to the four decked behemoths she had waiting for her in the bakery. She owed a lot to Weiss, literally. The amount of money the heiress lent her was so monumental, the interest alone would've been enough to bankrupt Velvet three times over… that is if Weiss hadn't insisted on giving it all to her for free.
"Hey, Weiss?" Velvet said quietly, her ears folding back as she thought about what happened with Ruby.
"Hm?" Weiss didn't look up from her laptop.
"Are you sure you want to give up on her so easily?"
Weiss quirked an eyebrow. "Who? Coco? I've given up on that train wreck years ago, she's your problem now."
"No, not Coco. I meant Ruby," Velvet giggled politely. Coco was a bit of a mess now that she thought about it.
"What about her?" Weiss inquired with a heavy drawn out sigh. "I meant what I said."
"But you obviously like her," Velvet said, turning to face her.
"And what makes you so sure of that?"
Velvet looked at Weiss unconvinced. "You slept with her didn't you? Otherwise you wouldn't have kicked Coco out of the house."
"So what if I did?" Weiss bristled. "We're both consenting adults."
"But you're not the one night stand kind of person. You wanted a relationship with her."
"I did, but now I don't. Simple," Weiss said getting rather annoyed at her ex-wife's girlfriend.
"Is it really though?"
Weiss shut her laptop and pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing in exasperation. She did not need these questions today or ever. "Velvet, can you please just cut to the chase?" she said, eyes still shut tight.
"Alright," Velvet said as she marched up to her friend. "I think you should reconsider. I was in Ruby's place once, remember? I still feel terrible for being the reason you and Coco got divorced so suddenly—"
"Don't flatter yourself, honey," Weiss drawled on bitterly. "Coco and I divorced because we were happier as friends. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Really? Because I remember a certain someone barricading themselves in the bathroom for an hour when she found out."
"You two chose a shitty time to pop the big reveal," Weiss seethed as she rose out of her chair. She stood up to Velvet with a furious glare and said, "But I'm over that. I'm happy for you two. You're one of my best friends now, Velvet, but that doesn't mean you can waltz in here and pick at old wounds pretending like you had any part of it! I was prepared to let her go. You were the one that finally made her happy and that's all I could ever ask for."
"Weiss, I—"
"Enough!" Weiss said sternly. "This conversation is over. Whatever niggling notion you have about paying me any debts or kindness needs to stop, understand? Let this be the end of it."
"I-I understand, Weiss…"
The heiress looked at Velvet carefully and nodded. "Good. And for what it's worth, Velvet, I never blamed you. Not even once," she said with a small smile. "So don't break her heart by thinking it was your fault, alright? Coco's stretched thin between us as it is, so don't let her get wrapped up in my problems. Whatever's going to happen between Ruby and I will depend on Ruby herself. If she wants me then she'll have to accept my past, just like you did with Coco's."
"Okay, no meddling from the peanut gallery," Velvet acquiesced respectfully. Weiss looked at her disbelievingly. "I swear we won't meddle."
"If you meddle, I cancel my investments. And I mean all of my investments."
Velvet bit her bottom lip; Weiss really had her in a bind. "I swear on my mother's grave."
"Judith's still alive!" Weiss barked in laughter. "But good enough for me."
The two women smiled at each other, letting bygones be bygones. Velvet went back to her dough and Weiss back on her laptop. A comfortable silence had fallen between them in a matter of seconds as they focused on their tasks.
Velvet started humming a happy little tune as she prepared the last of her gluten babies for the preheated oven. Weiss cautiously glanced up at her and subtly adjusted her laptop to hide the screen from view. She opened up her web browser and switched to one of the many tabs she had lined up. The page took half a second to load and to Weiss' dismay, it had sent her back to the top where the headline stared back at her mockingly:
Atlas Jury finds Whitley Schnee not guilty of first-degree murder; SDC rejoices at his release.
Whitley Schnee, 21 at the time of arrest, now aged 22, was accused of orchestrating the accident that claimed the lives of his mother, Adeline Schnee, 45; his father, Jacques Schnee, 57; elder sister Winter Schnee, 33; his young niece, Chrys Adel-Schnee, 2; and their private family chauffeur, Hans Albright, 48. The Schnee family's second daughter Weiss Schnee, 23 at the time of the accident, was the only survivor; she was found in critical condition several feet from the crash site when paramedics arrived on scene. The accused was not present during the accident, citing an earlier commitment to oversee a large factory shipment. The alibi was later confirmed by several SDC employees and managers, as well as CCTV recordings, and statement receipts.
The family was reportedly on their way to a company hosted gala in Northern Rosenheim when their driver noticed something was wrong. Their vehicle swerved and broke through the guardrail, careening down the mountain and into the forest below. Police forensic specialists immediately suspected foul play and found traces of tampering in the vehicle's wreckage…
Weiss touched the apex of her scar and gritted her teeth as she closed the three day old article and all the other tabs linking her to similar stories. After the browser closed, all that was left on the laptop was the wallpaper.
A small girl with shoulder length mocha coloured hair and bright blue eyes was staring at Weiss, who was behind the camera taking the picture. She looked like a little patch of spring in front of her glossy bedroom door dressed in a tasteful green and gold dress; the only Schnee in the family allowed to wear something other than their trademark whites and blues. The toddler had a big toothy smile on her face as she held out a small bouquet of colourful chrysanthemums for Weiss to take.
The picture was taken three hours before the accident, a beautiful reminder of what Weiss lost that day.
'He got away with it,' she thought to herself with a wry mental laugh, dragging her hand down to cover her damaged left eye. 'That slimy bastard actually got away with it.'
