Ruby Rose was an 18-year-old girl, fresh out of high school and currently, looking for a new job.

"Yaaaang, this is boring." Yes, she did some stuff on the side, like mowing lawns or helping with small projects at her dad's business, but it wasn't enough to bring in the money needed to pay rent. Ruby had worked under her father until an accident with a dropped hammer. She still had the scar on the back of her hand to prove it.

The brunette hadn't been allowed to work on-site since, leaving her unemployed for the most part. Though she knew her sister didn't mind picking up the slack to pay for their apartment, Ruby knew Yang would eventually burn herself out unless she found a new, sustainable job. And find one she would, but enjoy finding it, she would not.

"This was your idea, Rubes. It's not like I dragged you out here." Yang said, laughing to herself. Ruby only slumped her shoulders as they rounded another corner, looking for more 'help wanted' posters. The brunette wasn't a bad worker by any means. She actually considered herself quite productive when it came to work, maybe a tad clumsy, but that was neither here nor there. The problem was finding a job. Though they'd scoured the streets of their small suburb in Atlas, the sisters had only found a few throw-aways, most not interesting Ruby in the slightest.

"It's been an hour though! Can't we at least take a break?" Ruby whined. Yang only sighed and shook her head as they rounded yet another corner making their way down a familiar street.

"How 'bout we make a quick pit stop at that café you love so much? Then we'll get back to it." The blonde asked, earning a huge smile from her sister, which was quickly followed by a knowing smirk.

"I know you love that place just as much as I do! Even if it's for the company of a certain 'black-haired-babe'." Ruby jabbed her sister with her elbow, getting a minimal reaction from Yang

"And you're not just as excited to see your little 'white-haired princess'?" Yang raised her eyebrow, causing Ruby to pout and cross her arms. A small blush was noticeably crawling up her cheeks. It wasn't her fault that 'Weiss' girl had been so drop-dead gorgeous! Or that she couldn't help fawning over the girl to Yang constantly. She was just so… beautiful! Like, unimaginably beautiful, supermodel levels of beauty. Goddess.

Too bad she was the Weiss Schnee, she probably never had a chance with someone so high up on the social ladder.

"Yaaaang!" Ruby whined as they made their way to Café Schnee, the blonde in question laughing the entire way there.

…

…

…

Upon request, Weiss had done the unimaginable.

She'd poured hot chocolate over a cup full of marshmallows, melting most of them into the liquid, creating the most sugary drink known to man. The café was noticeably empty, void of any employees or patrons, save for the red-clad girl jumping up and down excitedly as Weiss approached with her concoction in hand.

"Thank you, Weiss! I just know this is gonna be so good!" Ruby barely seemed to be holding together in the little time it took the café owner to reach the girl. When she did, the brunette nearly squealed as she was handed her drink.

"Just don't overdo it, okay?" Weiss asked, earning a nod from her patron. Ruby took a small sip, her eyes lighting up almost instantly.

"It's perfect!" The brunette set her drink down and threw her arms around Weiss, who was quick to reciprocate the surprise embrace. "Thanks a bunch! I've always wanted to try that." The café owner only giggled as both girls made eye contact, focusing on nothing but each other.

"Anything for my best customer." They shared a laugh before falling into a comfortable silence, still grasping each other tightly. At some point they'd begun rocking back and forth, humming contentedly now and then. It was perfect, truly. Ruby was the first to break the silence.

"Weiss, I…" There was a pause, but nothing more was said. The only things Weiss noticed were Ruby's eyes closing, and the girl's face moving towards hers.

They were mere inches apart now, but the brunette kept moving, and Weiss stayed perfectly still. The distance closed between them so agonizingly slow it was almost irritating, but the café owner waited patiently, closing her eyes just as their lips met-

…

Weiss shot up out of bed, immediately bringing a hand up to her lips. She was used to waking up abruptly from nightmares or just rotten dreams in general, but this was different. Though the memory of this last one was already mostly faded, she knew it'd left some strange warm feeling within her. And her lips. She could've sworn for a moment they tasted almost sickly sweet.

"What the hell…?" The heiress gazed over at her clock, noticing it was already past 8. There was no time to ponder a forgotten dream, she was a busy woman.

It was time to get to work.

…

…

…

Weiss had followed her normal routine after arriving at work that morning. First was the greetings, then the paperwork, then preparing for those loud, enthusiastic regulars of hers. Sure, she could've just stayed in her office, at this point, she'd already greeted them herself more than enough times. But she was a good business woman dammit! She would personally show for any customers who were so committed.

Additionally, she couldn't seem to stop thinking about the sisters whenever they were about to make an appearance. They were a different vibe than what usually occupied the café, but they never failed to put a smile on her face. She definitely didn't mind the company.

That Ruby girl in particular was probably the most interesting of the two. The girl's silver eyes and upbeat attitude were what first drew Weiss' attention. She and the café owner shared a hug or two every time they stopped in, making it an almost habitual greeting or goodbye between the two. The brunette was just very intriguing, and very cute-

Intriguing, again. Just intriguing. Yup, nothing more than a really interesting red-clad brunette weirdo.

Weiss shook the layering thoughts from her head as she paced up front, checking her watch for the fifth time. It was already half an hour past when the girls usually arrived at the café. Not that she expected those two to have any sense of routine or time management, but she was beginning to feel like they'd never show up. Blake decided to speak up after noticing her boss's tapping foot and upset staring towards the door.

"Are you waiting for-"

"I am not waiting for those two imbeciles, for your information." Weiss' glare turned towards Blake for only a moment, quickly returning her attention to the café entrance. "If you must know, I am simply… preparing for the lunch rush. There's an event going on in town later today so I'm sure we'll be plenty busy."

Blake rolled her eyes as she began working on cleaning the counter next to her boss, only giving Weiss quick glances. To say the heiress was a different person at work was an understatement, most noticeably so when something was bugging her. Conversation could become a minefield of explosions if not traversed correctly. Luckily, Blake was fluent in Weiss-speak.

"Well, if you were waiting for them, I would let you know they usually don't come in on Fridays, it's one of Yang's consistent days off and they like to spend the day together." Weiss' stubborn look softened momentarily, leaving traces of dejection in its place.

"Oh… I see. Well, in any case, I suppose we should get the tables cleaned before-" Weiss was cut off by the sound of the café entrance doorbell ringing, signaling the arrival of two unexpected guests.

"Hi Weiss! Hi Blake! The usual please!" Ruby nearly shouted as she skipped over to the front counter, her blonde sister following in tow. A smile began to work its way onto Weiss' face as the young brunette approached. Had she not felt Blake's eyes on her, she may have jumped over the counter- Ruby style- to hug the red-clad patron. But that was normal, right? Being excited about seeing good business is super normal.

Yup, totally.

"What a surprise, I didn't expect to see you two today," Blake said as she walked over to the register. She gave the two a questioning look as she began to ring up their drinks.

"Ruby's looking for a job and I tagged along to try and help," Yang replied, throwing an arm around her younger sister and giving an enthusiastic thumbs up. "Figured we'd take a little break at our favorite place in town." The brunette sister in question pouted, pushing her sister off her.

"It's only your favorite because of Bl- mmph!" Ruby began mumbling under her breath before a croissant from the display case was unceremoniously shoved into her mouth by her blonde sister. Blake's eyes widened in shock, before giving Yang a lame look. The blonde noticed, rubbing the back of her head bashfully.

"You do know you'll have to pay for that now, right?" A moment of silence passed before the group broke out laughing. Well, all except Ruby, who began melodramatically choking on the bread in her mouth. Weiss giggled at the display before walking towards the back to make the sisters drinks.

It was a drink she was very familiar with, brewed hot milk, chocolate powder, marshmallows, and whipped cream on top. Weiss saw it as more of a sugar bomb than anything, but if people liked it she'd continue selling it. As the café owner was applying whip cream to the top of Ruby's hot chocolate, she noticed she'd done so in a pattern, or more accurately, a shape. It almost resembled a heart…

Weiss quickly scooped the whipped cream out with a spoon before tossing it in the bin and starting again, taking extreme measures to make sure she went in nearly perfect circles. The heat radiating from her cheeks was not helping her concentrate in the slightest. Focus Schnee!

After finishing both drinks, Weiss approached the counter, seeing Blake and the sisters conversing lightly. Ruby's eyes found hers, lighting up with excitement. "Here you are, enjoy," Weiss said while handing out both drinks, noticing the heat in her cheeks finally start to die down.

"Thanks, Weiss!" Ruby wasted no time taking a huge gulp of the hot beverage, somehow not burning her entire mouth. Weiss had to say, she was impressed. Yang thanked her as well, making her way over to a booth. Blake gave her boss a look that was understood instantly. She gave an approving nod as her employee went over to join the blonde.

"So, you're looking for a job? What kind of prior experience do you have? I might be able to point you in the right direction." The café owner asked, receiving a 'one-moment' gesture from her brunette patron as she finished yet another large gulp of the hot chocolate. She then wiped her mouth with her sleeve before answering.

"I actually used to work at my dad's construction and carpentry business, until I got this nasty little wound." Ruby brought up her left hand, showing the ugly scarring on the back. Weiss grabbed the girl's hand with both of her own, bringing it closer to her face, rather quickly mind you, almost knocking the brunette off balance. "Woah! Weiss!?"

"This is by no means little! How did you do something like this to yourself?" The ivory-haired girl asked worriedly. Ruby's demeanor changed rather quickly, her eyes fixated on the ground, and her face showed a bit of embarrassment.

"Just an accident with a hammer. I was nailing down some planks, but my hands were much sweatier than expected. I went to hammer a nail and it slipped right before contact, hitting me right in the hand…" Weiss looked back down at the scarred area, clearly seeing where the hammer head had struck. The skin around the impact was discolored, but the middle of the scar was mostly dented inwards. The café owner stroked a finger over the patch of rough skin, before pulling back after noticing Ruby wince a bit. She honestly couldn't believe she hadn't noticed the scar before just now. "He uh, hasn't let me work main construction since, I think he's being a bit overprotective, but Yang says it's for the best, heh…"

"Jesus Ruby! You need to be more careful!" Weiss chastised, looking up to see Ruby blushing profusely. She only noticed why when she looked back down, seeing she was basically cradling the brunette's hand at this point. She quickly let go, heat working its way up to her cheeks for the second time that day. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to get so overbearing!"

"No! I mean, it's fine you were just… I um… thank you." Ruby began rubbing the back of her head, her eyes finally meeting Weiss' own. "I appreciate you caring that much. B-but I promise I'm okay, it was months ago and it's not like I'm crippled or anything." The brunette's stammering honestly calmed Weiss a bit, weirdly enough. At least she wasn't alone in the embarrassment.

"Well if it interests you, I do have a few positions open here, and I'm sure you'd fit in well." Okay, that just kind of came out. Weiss hadn't really thought about what she was saying. Offering the girl who confused her brain to no end to work right beside her most days of the week? And probably train her every step of the way? That was a recipe for disaster for sure… maybe. Maybe not? Well, too late to turn back now.

"Really?! I'd have to think about it for sure, but I'll definitely let you know!" Ruby said excitedly before turning to walk towards the booth Yang and Blake were occupying. "Thanks again, Weiss!" The café owner almost followed the brunette before noticing a customer who'd been waiting patiently at the register while she and Ruby had been talking.

"Sorry about that, what can I get started for you?"

…

…

…

The sisters hadn't stayed long, electing to get back to their search just in case there was something better fitting for Ruby. Before they left the brunette approached the opening by the front counter where Weiss had been finishing up a drink for a customer. Ruby waited until she was done, then opened her arms wide, offering a goodbye hug to the heiress.

Weiss smiled, and without a word, pulled the girl close in a tight embrace. While they were hugging, Ruby nestled her head into the café owner's shoulder, causing her to blush. The heat was much softer than previous, leaving Weiss with warm fuzzies throughout her body. The ivory-haired girl eventually calmed herself down enough to lay her head against Ruby's comfortably. She genuinely wished she could stay there for hours, but the brunette eventually pulled away.

"Goodbye Weiss, I'll see you next time," Ruby said with a wide smile, light pink noticeably dusting her cheeks as well.

"I'll be waiting," Weiss said, waving the girl off as she and her sister exited the café. The owner only stood there, smiling at the entrance until Blake decided to pipe up.

"You totally have a thing for her." Weiss almost choked on air, the heat that'd begun dissipating from her face returning tenfold.

"Wh-WHAT! What are you talking about!?" The ivory-haired girl turned on a dime, meeting Blake's eyes, her employee was smirking at her playfully, while Weiss' expression was a mix of many emotions.

"You totally have a thing for Ruby," Blake said the words slowly, letting Weiss hear every syllable clearly. Her boss still looked like she was in shock, so she tried again. "The way you two hug all the time, especially today. Like, get a room already. You're very sweet with her. You even give her free marshmallows." That last point sounded redundant, but Weiss wasn't exactly known for her charity.

"The fact that you'd even- ugh! You're way out of line Belladonna!" Weiss yelled as she stomped back to her office. Blake was shocked by the outburst at first, but knowing her boss, waited patiently for her to show her face again. Sure enough, after a few seconds of silence, Weiss poked her head out of the office door.

"D-do you think she likes me? For uh, professional reasons, of course." Blake giggled lightly. Seeing the ivory-haired girl this flustered was a rare sight indeed.

"That's not for me to say."

"Ugh!"

…

…

…

"Real smooth Rubes. Next time, just cuddle right there on the floor." Yang laughed as the sisters walked down the street. Ruby's face was noticeably still pink all over. That was the closest she'd ever been to her little crush, and she savored the moment.

"Give me a break Yang. She smelled like vanilla and coconut… mmm, and coffee." Ruby knew what she had said sounded weird, but it was the truth darn it! That was the most comforting feeling she'd ever experienced. The brunette couldn't keep a smile off her face from just thinking about it.

"Just be careful, don't want yah becoming some trophy wife," Yang said sarcastically, still not dampening Ruby's unstoppable smile. The younger siblings' blush did noticeably deepen though.

"Y'know? Maybe I do have a small chance with her."

"Pshhhh, small? You're my sis, any lady would be lucky to land you." Ruby laughed out loud at that, turning her attention towards the sky. It was one of the only nice, clear days they'd had recently due to winter's approach, and it worked wonders at raising her spirits.

"Yeah, maybe."

Hi! Been a minute!

So this is kind of the speed I'm imagining I'll be uploading from now on, maybe slower in coming months, but for now I try to set aside time everyday to get some writing done. I had what I thought would be the final draft of this done for a few days, but every time I read it over it felt a little too fast paced, so I did some heavy reworking on some parts.

In other news... Tears of The Kingdom anybody? I'll be honest, I spend an unhealthy amount of time on playing when I really should be sleeping. But the game is genuinely just so good. Definitely recommend.

Anyway, sorry for rambling, and thanks for reading, I'll see you in the next chapter.

Yours truly,

Grey.