Weiss went home, brushed her teeth, and collapsed on top of her bed, fully clothed. Drunk.
She woke with the rising sun. Her eyes were clear. Her body relaxed. She rose from bed, a clear head and energy coursing through her.
She hopped up, eager, and began her daily routine. She showered, toweled down, dressed up, ground coffee and heated breakfast. She sat down at the table, the sun still close to the horizon, and sighed. She picked up her fork, and dug into breakfast.
That was the best night's sleep she'd ever had. Weiss literally could not remember sleeping so well. Idly, she wondered. What was different about toda-
Her fork fell from her fingers, hit the plate with a clink. She brought her hands to the towel wrapped around her hair, digging her nails into the sides of her head.
"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck." Weiss groaned. "Oh fuck I fucked my sous chef."
In a bathroom stall.
"Oh fuck, oh fuck fuck fuck." She stood up from the table and started pacing. "Calm down Weiss. This is fixable. You said you didn't want to do it again, right? So, if she's professional, we go into work and everything will be fine. Fine. Fine."
Weiss sat back at the table, taking a deep breath. She will not be put off balance. She will go to work, be professional, and get the job done.
She will absolutely, positively, not, think about fucking her sous chef.
~0~
"Hey Chef!" Ruby greeted, setting her knife bag on the counter. She flipped it open, not looking at Weiss. "I got a good look at the prep for oven, so how about I button that up today? Maybe you can give me a tour of the inventory later? Also, when are our order days? I need to get familiar with our product and how much we go through in a week."
Weiss stared, watching those fingers pluck knives from her bag, running them over a steel in quick, sharp movements, her full lips mouthing words Weiss barely registered, eyes bent in concentration at the task before her.
"Chef?" Ruby asked, glancing at Weiss.
"OH!" Weiss jerked, pulling the clipboard up to hide her blush. "Um, yes, that good. That sounds good." Fuck! "Today should be a steady pace, so be sure to watch Dusk on Saute, have him show you the ropes during service."
"Yes Chef." Ruby said, rolling her knife bag back up.
"And I'll give you a tour once you're set up."
"Okay." Ruby said casually. She grabbed her knife bag and took it to the lockers in the back.
Weiss smacked her head against the clip board. Get. It. Together! She's a chef, not some flustered school girl.
"Ready Chef." Ruby said behind her.
Weiss jumped. Damn it!
"Good." Weiss said, trying play it off. "Good. Come on." She set off at a brisk pace to dry storage, Ruby following behind.
Weiss explained product rotation, the organization principles, cleaning schedule, and product par. At least ten pounds of onions, sixteen potatoes, and never, ever, run out of cayenne.
As she went through the list, Weiss kept glancing at Ruby out the corner of her eye. Ruby's energy from the day before was. . . Muted. Less forward. She seemed to avoid looking directly at Weiss, keeping a casual, professional air. Distant.
Maybe she should talk to Ruby? Would that help clear the awkwardness? Even a bit?
If not, she should at least try.
"Ruby." Weiss started. "About last night-"
"It's fine." Ruby cut in.
"It is?" Weiss cocked her head.
"It was a one time thing. I get it." Ruby shrugged. "You had your fun, and now it's back to business." She folded her arms.
Had her fun?
"I wasn't- I mean I-" Weiss stumbled over herself.
"If it's all the same to you," Ruby said with a knife's edge in her throat. "I'd prefer to just do my job and pretend it never happened. Okay?"
Weiss stood silent. She swallowed.
"I think I've got a handle on this." Ruby gestured to dry storage. "I'll go make sure Oven is ready for service." She turned on her heel and left for the line.
Weiss watched her go, her chest hurting. She pressed her lips in a thin line. Pretend it never happened?
Red hair slick with sweat stuck at all angles. Tiny, pouted lips moaning in her ear, fingers thrusting and pulling at her core, perfect pink tits bouncing with every-
SNAP
The pen in Weiss' hand broke in half, spurting ink all over her hand. She immediately dropped it into the trash can. She went to a hand washing sink and ran her hand under warm water, soaping it up. She watched the ink run down the drain. There'd be a stain on her hand for a week from that.
Just forget it. Just forget it.
Pretend it never happened.
Easier said than done. Since Weiss was training Ruby to run the restaurant, and Weiss couldn't take a day off until that was done, they spent every moment at work together for nine. Days. Straight.
At the start, it was easy. Weiss buttoned her lip, pulled her shoulders back, and trained Ruby the best she could. She showed Ruby how to break down the lamb the way Weiss wanted, where the scraps went for in-house ground meat, how long to roast the bones for stock. She showed her how to soak the quail eggs, marinate the chickens, and flower the onions. After Ruby got the first few down, Weiss grabbed her own knife to help. Onions are always tedious.
Yes, it would have been easy to forget fucking Ruby. Would have been, if Ruby wasn't so frustratingly, infuriatingly, undeniably competent at every fucking thing she did.
Ruby broke down the lamb like a painter embracing their canvas. She flowered onions like a druid in a garden. Her prep was clean. No action wasted, no hesitation at the problems before her. She set up, completed, and broke down her projects without breaking a sweat or looking even slightly intimidated.
And that wouldn't have bothered Weiss. Normally, it would make her happy. Less waste, less training, less garbage.
But every time she saw Ruby move her knife, Weiss felt her core stir. Her fingers tingle. As she watched Ruby cut the onion, knowing what she could do with those hands, with that mouth-
"Fuck!" Weiss exclaimed, holding her finger up.
"You all right Chef?" Ruby asked, looking over with - concern?
"I'm fine!" Weiss hissed, watching the blood run down her finger. Shit, it was on the board. Wasted onion. "I'll be back."
"Okay." Ruby said softly.
Weiss turned on her heel, went straight to the first aid kit, and bandaged her finger, gritting her teeth. She couldn't afford to be distracted. Not like that. She pulled a finger cot over the bandage and smoothed her coat down, taking a deep breath. Back to it.
Weiss slept poorly the first night.
The next few days went about as well. Weiss continued to train Ruby. Weiss made mistakes, and her frustration simmered into annoyance, boiled into anger. Every moment she spent with Ruby ramped up the tension in her body.
It got so high, it began to spill from her.
"This is plated like shit." Weiss snapped.
It was plated fine.
"Yes Chef." Ruby answered.
"Not enough salt."
"Yes Chef."
There was plenty of salt.
"Too much salt!"
"Yes Chef."
There was just enough salt.
"How could you possibly fuck up like this!?" Weiss demanded,
"I'll do better Chef."
"Do it again!"
"Yes Chef."
"Again!"
"Yes Chef."
"AGAIN!"
Over and over, Weiss snapped at Ruby, yelled at her, came down harder on her than anyone before. And Ruby, again and again, didn't so much as flinch.
It pissed her off how unaffected, how aloof Ruby seemed. As if she didn't think about Weiss at all outside of work. As if that bath stall soiree was nothing more than an average night for her.
Weiss couldn't stop thinking about it. She'd come to work thinking about Ruby's fist grinding against her core. She'd watch Ruby dance on the line and remember her breath on her cheek. She'd go home and lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, rubbing her clit to the echo of Ruby's moans.
Sleep continued to evade her.
~0~
On the ninth day, Weiss woke, bleary eyed and exhausted, to a text from Neptune.
Paging the Ice Queen. Ice Queeeeeen!
Weiss rolled her eyes and tapped out a response.
What do you want?
Good morning sunshine!
Eat shit.
Oooh, cold. Careful not to go outside, you might melt.
You have one text before I mute you.
Her phone starting ringing. Weiss groaned, then accepted the call.
"There you are!" Neptune said jovially.
"Uuuuuuuuuuugh." Weiss rolled onto her back, brushing her hair from her face. "Whaaaaaaaaaaat?"
"Well, you haven't called or texted me in over a week." Neptune said.
"So?"
"Damn. You doing okay?" Neptune asked.
"I've been on for eight days going nine. How do you think I'm doing?"
"I mean, I've watched you work two weeks straight when we were testing out that spider lamb special. You didn't sound like this." Neptune said, frowning.
"I also wasn't training a sous to run the restaurant." Weiss snapped.
"Doesn't she already have it down? That's what Sun said."
"Not even close!" Weiss' left eye twitched.
"Right." Neptune popped his lips. "I heard you've been coming down hard on Ruby."
"She is making basic mistakes!" Weiss snapped. "I can't tolerate it!"
"Riiiiiight." Neptune pressed his lips together. "Sun may have mentioned something else."
"What?"
"He told me you and Ruby went into the bathroom together." Neptune said. "And someone else came out, and told the bartender two ladies were fucking in there."
"W-well!" Weiss jerked up to a sitting position. "She was clearly lying!"
"Hmmmmm. Was she?"
"Yes!"
"Was she?"
"Yes."
"Weiss."
Weiss pulled her knees to her chest, wrapping her arm around her legs. She rested her chin on her knee.
"No." She said quietly.
"FUCKING FINALLY!" Neptune yelled. "HEY EVERYONE, MY FRIEND FINALLY GOT LAID!"
"Shut up!" Weiss snapped.
"No way!" Neptune said, giddy. "How was it? Spill!"
"Pervert!"
"You don't have to share deets!" Neptune clarified. "I just wanna know how it was for you! Did you like it?"
Weiss swallowed, taking a moment to find her voice.
"It. . . It was good." Weiss ran her fingers through her hair. "Really, really good."
"Woooooooo! Go Weiss! Wait-" She could hear his lecherous grin. "Is that why you're so exhausted? Training Ruby all day and night? Some kinda dom-sub thing?"
"No!" Weiss snapped. "I - when we were done, I told her it was a one time thing."
"God DAMN it." Neptune pinched his nose in disappointment. "Why? Why would you do that?"
"It's unprofessional!"
"Weiss." Neptune said with an edge in his voice. "It's not called the food industry, it's called the fucking food industry." Neptune paused. "Also, this makes two sous chefs you've been unprofessional with."
"Don't remind me." Weiss sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"I wouldn't, but you asked me again right after I was fired!" Neptune threw his hands up. "Now you've got someone you're actually attracted to, right at your fingertips, and you say no!?"
Weiss didn't respond, instead pressing her lips together tight.
"What's really going on?" Neptune asked, his voice softer.
"I liked it." Weiss admitted. "I liked it a little too much."
"What do you mean? Isn't that good?"
"No." Weiss shook her head. "It's bad. I can't sleep like I used to. I feel pent up and frustrated. Every time I look at her I just see her between my legs or - fuck, it was incredible. It was the best sex I've had in my life and that makes me weak!" Weiss threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood up.
"It doesn't make you weak."
"It does!" Weiss started pacing. "I've never met someone who just moved into my brain like this! If Father finds out, that's another lost opportunity! That's more pain! I don't want it!"
"Ah. Your dad." Neptune hummed. "What will he do?"
"Fire her."
"She'll get another job. I did!"
"Really?" Weiss chased that thought. "Where at?"
"Grimmauld's Grub. It's a diner. They've already got a sous and head chef, but the pay covers the bills."
"I could see you at a diner." Weiss smiled. "Is the crew already worshipping you?"
"Of course." Neptune puffed his chest. "I've got them wrapped around my finger." His voice went soft. "But you're trying to change the subject."
"Was it obvious?"
"Yeah." Neptune sighed, running his hand through his hair. "Weiss, at some point you're gonna face your crossroad. And you'll stand up to your dad and be free of him. Or you won't, and you'll live in his shadow another day."
"It's not easy." Weiss said.
"Never is."
"No, you don't understand." Weiss put her hair into its off-center ponytail, left her bedroom and went to the kitchen. Fuck, she needed coffee. "He exploited my singing, he exploits my cooking, and if I don't do what he says it makes my life hell." She said, putting the kettle on.
"No one controls people." Neptune said gently.
"Then you don't know shit." Weiss snapped, putting coffee beans into the grinder. She flipped it on.
"You're right. I don't. So tell me. What's he gonna do?"
Weiss was silent. The grinder buzzed. The kettle started to scream.
"Weiss?" Neptune asked.
Weiss pulled the kettle from the dock, pulled the grounds from the grinder. She quickly set up the pour-over with the grounds and started steeping them in the water. She watched the water sink into the coffee.
She remembered her throat, raw and hoarse. Father demanded one more song, and when she gave out, he told the world she was sick, and told her she was an embarrassment.
It's why Winter left.
It's why Mother's gone.
"I just can't." Weiss said, voice empty.
Neptune almost exploded. But Weiss would've retreated. Instead, he pursed his lips, and swallowed his disbelief.
"What about running away?" He asked.
"And do what?" Weiss asked, shoulders sagging. "I don't have any money of my own. I-"
"Wait. What?" Neptune sputtered, the disbelief swinging right back. "The fuck you mean you don't have money?"
"Exactly that." Weiss said, pouring her coffee. "I don't know how, but everything I made as an idol is owned by him. Same with the restaurant. I don't know how, some legalese bullshit, but it's his." Weiss sighed, picking up her mug. "Everything I am is his."
Silence. Then-
"Oh fuck off." Neptune said.
Weiss almost spit her coffee.
"Excuse me?" She asked, indignant.
"I feel for you, but damn that last line is so fucking dramatic I half expected applause." Neptune said, grinning.
"Well fuck you too!" Weiss snapped, slapping her mug on the table, spilling some coffee on the table. "Don't diminish my fucking pain!"
"I'm not diminishing it." Neptune said gently. "I'm incredibly angry." His voice grew hard. "In fact, I'd go so far as to say I'm furious. You're one of my lifelong friends, and this man has hurt you so much you believe yourself helpless despite all evidence to the contrary. You think all you are is his? Bullshit. He didn't get up in front of a crowd and sing. He doesn't run one of the best restaurants in Atlas. He didn't even touch the menu because he doesn't know shit about food!" Neptune held his fist to his chest. "And I sure as shit didn't make friends with property of Jacques fuck-wad Schnee. I found a friend in Weiss badass Schnee! All of that is all you!"
Weiss' eyes went blurry.
"So you don't have any money, and your father abused you. Great." Neptune sighed. "You're not alone. You've got me. You've got Sun. If you reach out, just a bit, you could have more."
"I'm terrified." Weiss whispered.
"Welcome to life. I'm lucky to have you in mine, because your recommendation got me that job. You caught me when I fell." Neptune said, earnest. "You can be damn sure I'll catch you too."
"Yeah, but you suck." Weiss said, laughing.
"I know." Neptune grinned. "But I'm not alone. Neither are you." He sighed. "I'll be here when you take the leap. Okay?"
". . . Okay." Weiss acknowledged.
"Have a good day at work. Or, have a better day than yesterday. I'll catch you soon."
Neptune hung up.
Weiss stared at her phone. She set it down on the table. She showered, dressed, made her breakfast, and got into her car. She drove, and pulled into the parking lot of the Gele Gloxinia at 1:25. She waited. At 1:28, a red sports car pulled into the parking lot. Ruby stepped out, and immediately walked to the back door, stone-faced and stiff.
Weiss took a deep breath, and opened her door.
Every leap begins with a step.