Sunday, Lazy Sunday

Weiss took a sip of coffee from the paper cup and leaned against the wooden back of the chair. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let out a contented sigh. The café that she found herself in buzzed around her, but the few patrons and employees that were around paid no attention to her. A lazy smile spread across her lips.

The heiress hadn't realized just how relaxing it could be to step away from the people she had been surrounded by during her time at Beacon. Sometimes, someone just needed to get away and be alone, and for Weiss, that day had come.

She opened her eyes and looked around the café. It was a small establishment that had been furnished with worn, wooden furniture. She had managed to grab a seat in a small cubby that further increased her solitude. The walls were made from bricks and were decorated with prints from local artists. Each picture depicted a winter landscape in honor of the changing season, though the cold pieces did nothing to dampen the warmth of the store. The lights were turned off in lieu of the sunlight pouring in from the large windows that adorned the front. The employees were chatting among themselves, but Weiss managed to tune them out. She sank deeper in her chair, despite the fact that it was not padded, and took another sip. Her mind hinted at the possibility of a nap and her body yearned to oblige.

The sight of a red cloak headed for the door banished that thought entirely. Weiss sat ramrod straight, her hands chilled despite the warm cup in her grip. The door opened and the little bell that indicated a new arrival chimed merrily. Moving further back into the little cubby, Weiss watched as her team leader and partner Ruby Rose walked in.

The heiress gritted her teeth and mentally scolded herself for coming to the café. She should have known that it would have been a bad idea to go to the very place that Ruby had shown her to get away from the hyperactive redhead.

To Weiss' great relief, Ruby passed by without a glance. If she wanted, the heiress could have slipped out and continued to have the day to herself. She looked at Ruby, who was staring at the menu board, hood removed and headphones around her neck. The window of opportunity was steadily shrinking. Soon, she would have her order, and then she would look for a spot. Weiss looked at all of the empty chairs and realized she was in the same seat she had taken when Ruby had first brought her there. What if it was Ruby's favorite spot?

A brief burst of music let her know that Ruby had just gotten her order and had put her headphones back on. Swearing inwardly, Weiss kept her eyes forward and sat still. Maybe if she didn't move, Ruby wouldn't notice her.

Ruby sat just on the edge of Weiss' vision. The heiress cringed in anticipation of the explosive greeting she was bound to get.

When none came, Weiss let out the breath she had been holding and risked a glance at the team leader. Ruby had stuck her nose into a copy of "Weapon" magazine she had brought. Weiss rolled her eyes. There was no way Ruby would notice her now. The heiress allowed herself to relax again and thought about what else she could do with her day.

The sun was still up, though it would be dark soon. Weiss wasn't concerned about being on the streets after the sun went down, despite all of the horrors that her parents had told her about that lurked in the shadows, waiting to claim young, unsupervised girls. Her fingers brushed on Myrtenaster's hilt. She would be fine. Besides, any street thugs that were on the prowl would hardly be a match for a Huntress-in-training.

Weiss sipped her lukewarm drink and looked at Ruby again, who still hadn't noticed her. She had kept her hood down, presenting a clear view of her red face, courtesy of the dropping temperature. The redhead had rested her magazine on the table and propped her head up with her right hand. Her silver eyes were glued to the words and pictures, but Weiss was too far away to see what the article was about. Weiss could hear the music from Ruby's headphones and sighed. Maybe that was why Ruby was so loud. It was a miracle that the girl hadn't gone deaf years ago. Regardless, the heiress figured that she was tempting fate by remaining in the small establishment. Ruby couldn't look at that magazine forever. Weiss tapped the side of her cup and figured she had already consumed half of the coffee. A refill would be nice before she left.

The heiress shook her head, her ponytail swaying on the edge of her vision. She was stalling. If she kept tempting fate, she was bound to be caught. Besides, there was surely something more productive to do on her day off.

Weiss stood up to leave, wincing as her chair made a slight screech that seemed to echo in the quiet shop. She had closed her eyes shut and was afraid to see Ruby staring at her when she opened them. When she looked, Ruby hadn't noticed anything and flipped to another page. The heiress picked up her white overcoat and slipped it on. She took her first step towards the door when a small knot formed in her stomach. She knew she could go, and she was under no obligations to talk to Ruby, but looking at the young girl sitting there by herself just felt wrong. Maybe it was because the heiress had never expected to see Ruby sitting still and not talking.

With a large, dramatic sigh, Weiss walked over to Ruby's table and sat across from her partner. Ruby immediately looked up from her magazine. Her look of confusion immediately turned into a smile that stretched ear-to-ear. She stopped her music and took off her headphones. "Hey, Weiss! Sorry I didn't see you come in."

The usual, explosive greeting wasn't as loud as Weiss had been expecting. The heiress gave a small smile. "I'm surprised you could notice anything with how loud that music was. There could've been a robbery going on and you wouldn't know."

"Wouldn't be the first time!" Ruby chuckled to herself.

Weiss raised an eyebrow but decided against asking. Instead, she said, "What are you doing here?"

Ruby leaned back and scratched her head. "Oh, you know, just hanging out. What are you doing here? I thought you didn't like this place last time."

"I never said that," Weiss huffed.

"Oh, sorry, I just assumed with the way you didn't say anything that you were bored," Ruby lowered her head.

Weiss felt like she had just kicked a puppy. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "It isn't a bad place. It certainly has its charm."

Ruby perked up and her silver eyes locked on to Weiss' cup. "What'dya get?"

"Just a regular, cold coffee," Weiss said, shaking the drink back and forth for emphasis.

"You bought an iced coffee? Isn't it a little cold for that?"

"No, you dunce, I've been in here for a while." Weiss bit her traitorous tongue. Now Ruby knew that the heiress had been avoiding her. There was no way the redhead wouldn't arrive to that conclusion, and that meant that Weiss was going to feel extremely guilty in a few short moments.

Instead, Ruby just grabbed the cup from Weiss' hand and popped the lid off. Before the heiress could ask, Ruby poured half of her drink into the cup. The redhead handed it back with a smile. "All warm!" she cheerfully exclaimed.

Weiss stared at the cup long enough to get a nervous chuckle from Ruby. "Why did you do that?" the heiress asked. "Now there's hardly anything left for you."

Ruby waved her free hand. "I don't mind. I can always get more if I want to, and I'm probably going to be here for a while anyway."

Weiss frowned. "Give me your cup."

"But—"

"This is not a discussion. Give me your cup."

Ruby relented and Weiss immediately snatched it. She took the lid off of her drink and saw that the redhead had filled it to the brim. She smiled despite herself and poured the contents of her cup into Ruby's until both were at the exact same level.

"There. Now we're even," Weiss said as she handed the cup back.

"You didn't have to do that," Ruby said.

Weiss frowned at her.

"Okay, nevermind, I take that back!" Ruby took a pull from her drink. "Mmm, tasty!" she said.

The heiress rolled her eyes and felt her smile return at Ruby's over-the-top enthusiasm. She picked her drink up to take a sip when Ruby asked, "Are you going?"

If she had taken that sip, Weiss was sure she would have spat it out. Once she composed herself, she said, "Why do you ask?"

Ruby looked over Weiss' shoulder. "I don't want you to feel like you have to stick around just because I'm here, and it's not often you get a whole day to yourself, so I just figured you wouldn't want to stick around a spaz like me," Ruby said with a shrug.

The words were stated so innocently. Weiss bit her tongue to avoid saying anything on impulse. True, she had been planning to slip out of the café to avoid Ruby, but the girl possessed a magnetism that made the heiress want to stay. Whether it was the refreshed cup in her hand or Ruby's presence, Weiss couldn't deny that she felt warmer. The redhead's cheeks were turning brighter. Weiss realized she was staring.

Abruptly standing up, Weiss said, "I'll see you back at Beacon, okay?" The words came out rushed and not as gentle as she had hoped.

A flicker of pain flashed behind Ruby's eyes, but she immediately cheered up. "Yep! See you then!"

Weiss swallowed and turned her back on the redhead. She hastily buttoned her white overcoat, grabbed her drink, and left the café.

After sitting in the warmth for so long, stepping out onto the street was like a slap to the face. Weiss sniffed and chose to walk in a random direction to get away from Ruby. Each step away made her sink deeper into her self-loathing. How could she have been so upset at such an innocent soul when she hadn't done anything wrong? Weiss harshly exhaled. She knew she couldn't go back to the café, not without looking like a fool. But where could she go now?

Weiss stopped at an intersection and considered which of the three ways she could walk down. The cold wind blew against her face and she took a sip of coffee on impulse. The drink was a little too sweet, but it chased away the chill that had started to settle on her bones. The heiress looked over her shoulder, back to the café that was now turning on its lights to chase away the coming darkness, back to Ruby.

Weiss blinked. She had spent most of her life alone. Loneliness was familiar. It was an old friend and her strongest shield. But lately, there had been a small spark inside a heart that she had dismissed as a piece of stone so long ago, all thanks to the same Ruby Rose that she had spent the afternoon avoiding and demonizing. Weiss swallowed and felt her breath coming and going in quick bursts. She forced herself to take one, shaking step.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to go back after all.