Okay, so here we go. I'm writing this one on my iPod, so forgive any grammar mistakes. Stupid tiny keyboard. Preview: Weiss and Ruby have been getting along better, and things are finally going well. And the last person Weiss (and everyone else, based on past experience) wants to see shows up.
Ruby had been working in the cafe for her entire month. Yang had asked if she wanted to keep at it, and the younger girl didn't even think that was a question.
Yang informed her she would be getting a raise to minimum wage. (Ruby honestly didn't care, she was in another one of her excitement-building-up-I-think-I-am-going-to-explode moods.) She had accepted, for obvious reasons, and things were back to going well in the cafe.
Blake and Yang were both in a fantastic mood. Ruby had a suspicion that their date had gone smoothly.
Happy Blake meant happy Weiss, and happy Weiss meant happy customers. It wasn't Ruby's shift, but Jaune had asked her to help him out with his homework, and she could hear Weiss talking in her "customer voice."
"Hi! What can I get you?! May I recommend our scones? They've been praised by many customers, and I have to say myself, they're fantastic! What do you think, Pyrrha?"
A nervous laugh. Then: "Yes, they're… delicious."
Ruby giggled in sympathy. When Weiss went into this mode, there was no saying no.
The current shift was comprised of Weiss, Blake, Pyrrha, and Ren. Ruby and Jaune were in the back with Yang. The next shift included all three of them as well as Pyrrha again.
"No, really, the scones are simply-" The door creaked open and Weiss cut off with a squeak. "Um, Winter. The scones are Wint-delicious. The sisters, um, scones-"
Silence.
Then Pyrrha's voice again. "I apologize for that. Would you like any drinks?"
Who was Winter? Nora had mentioned a Winter once, on the list of people to not make angry. Weiss's sister, right? She was right up there with Cinder. CRAP.
Although Ruby should have learned her lesson about going out into the cafe when it wasn't her shift, she couldn't help it. It was far too intriguing. (Also she had never heard Weiss mess up that badly and wanted to make rude faces at her.)
As she peeked her head around the corner, she witnessed Blake and Pyrrha rushing back behind the counter with Ren, who was wisely hiding. Weiss was facing a taller woman with the same ivory hair and sky blue eyes, one that looked far more intense. Ruby hadn't realized that was possible.
"W-Winter! Hi!" Weiss stammered.
Pyrrha, who had left the counter to save her coworker, put a hand on Weiss's shoulder. "You two go into the back room. I'll take care of this shift."
Ruby had to rush to hide as the two sisters made their way into the back. She grabbed Jaune's arm and pulled the both of them behind a rack of spare uniforms, muffling the blond's shout.
Winter sat down at the table. Weiss glanced around nervously. Her gaze landed on the clothing rack and her eyes met Ruby's, slowly widening.
They seemed to say please save me.
Nah, thought Ruby.
Jaune twitched.
"Hello, little sister," Winter monotoned. Weiss flinched and looked at her hands, which were daintily resting on the kiddie table.
Ruby had a sudden sympathy for Weiss, an Oh Oum what is she going to think about how unprofessional this cafe is sympathy flash.
"Hello, Winter," Weiss responded in a voice that wasn't quite hers. "It's wonderful to see you. How have you been?"
The rhythm of her voice reminded Ruby, scarily, of Penny the iPhone app.
Winter scowled. "I am not here to speak with you about my own life. We are here to discuss your father."
Weiss flinched again at the words your father. She stared at her hands harder.
"Weiss, look me in the eyes when I speak to you."
The ice princess shot Ruby another quick pleading glance before meeting her sister's glare.
"Yes, Winter. About wh-what are we to be discussing?" Weiss was barely able to hold her gaze and was shaking slightly.
"We're discussing your living situation."
Weiss swore quietly, earning a glare from Winter and a surprised glance shared between Jaune and Ruby.
What living situation? Ruby had always imagined Weiss living in a mansion house with butlers and maids and cooks.
"Your father has discovered-"
This was when Weiss broke in with a surge of anger, slamming her hands down on the table. "If he must be my father, then he's yours as well, and don't act like just because he can't control you anymore doesn't mean he's not your father!"
Winter blinked in surprise, then smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're standing up for yourself. I'd pay you to yell at our father if I didn't know he'd disown us both."
The younger rolled her eyes. "I'd be glad to be disowned at this point."
(This earned YET ANOTHER glare from Winter, although Ruby could tell that she didn't mind as much as she let on.)
"Anyway, we are here to discuss your living with Pyrrha. I understand you don't have enough money to live by yourself, but Father doesn't approve of this. When he cut your budget he expected you to get a job with Schnee incorporated, not a job at a cafe. He told me to relay the message that 'If you don't entertain a job at this facility and you continue to live with Miss Nikos, I'll be forced to shut down your little business.' Those are his own words, and not mine. I rather enjoy the coffee here."
Ruby squeaked quietly, feeling the tears form in her eyes. This was Yang's business! Weiss's father has NO RIGHT to shut us down just because his daughter works here!
Can he even do that?
Weiss was having a similar reaction, although hers was not inside her head. Her sister put a hand on her shoulder.
"Listen, I've been trying to convince him-"
"TRY HARDER! WHEN HE CUT OFF MY MONEY EXPECTING ME TO GET A JOB I DID WHAT HE ASKED! I CAN'T AFFORD MY OWN APARTMENT, SO I ROOMED WITH MY COWORKER-"
"Weiss, you have to calm down!" Winter's voice was getting closer and closer to the volume of her sister's. "He thinks that you should be working at his company, and-"
"AND HE'S A HOMOPHOBIC (swear word) AND HE THINKS THAT I'M IN LOVE WITH PYRRHA AND I'M NOT! JUST BECAUSE I'M GAY DOESN'T MEAN THAT I LIKE EVERY GIRL OUT THERE! PYRRHA LIKES JAUNE, FOR-"
"WEISS, THIS ISN'T WHAT THIS IS ABOUT!" Winter's voice cut through the room and everything went silent.
In a quieter voice, she added, "Actually, that's exactly what this is about. You know that's why he cut off your allowance?"
Weiss nodded, tears splattering the table.
Ruby had a sudden realization. Weiss had just screamed that Pyrrha liked Jaune.
Jaune was sitting next to her.
And to think she had started this day bouncing around, happy everything was going well in the cafe.
"Weiss, if you convince him that you don't like Pyrrha, then he'll let you do what you want! Just go out with Neptune for a week," Winter suggested calmly.
"He won't be satisfied," Weiss mumbled, her voice shaking. "He wants me to like guys, and that isn't going to happen."
Winter sighed. "I know. But you know him. He thinks that if you don't live with her or work with her, you'll be 'cured.' He's such a-" she cut herself off, not wanting to swear.
Weiss sighed. "I don't even like her."
Winter opened her mouth to say something, but stopped, her eyes meeting Ruby's round ones.
"Who are you?"
Yay, cliffhanger! (AND ARKOS) I hate Weiss's dad so much at this point. I HATE it when people assume that just because someone's gay, they like the first person of their gender that they see. What I say to people like that? "Do you fall in love with every person of the opposite gender?" MAN, I need to change the tags on this story. There's a lot more angst here than I thought there would be.
Anyway, yeah. Weiss's father rant over. So, preview: Winter and Ruby meet. Maybe White Rose. Qrow might show up too, because I am a serious SnowBird trash. (Sorry, short chapter, long Author's Note.)