Chapter Text
The icy bells chimed in the winter air, the chill leaving a faint ring of frost around the bottom as the door to Brewed in Frost jostled. It’s during these winter months that the name compliments the weather, and it was during these winter months that Yang came to first meet her. Inside the quaint coffee shop owned by her friend who wasn’t her friend yet, alongside her classmate who wouldn’t stay her classmate, she would meet the woman who would she would never be able to let go of, her heart as frozen as the flurries that surrounded her entrance.
Her long hair speckled with white, slowly melting snowflakes that clung to each strand like tiny crystals. The woman’s pale skin seemed to glow in the soft light of the cafe, her cheeks flushed from the biting cold outside.
Yang's breath caught in her throat as she watched the newcomer brush off her coat with a graceful, fluid motion. Her eyes quickly took in her surroundings in a single glance. She approached the counter with an air of quiet confidence, her eyes—a striking shade that Yang couldn’t quite place in the dim light—scanning the menu board above. When she spoke, she… well. Yang wished she could remember, gods, how she wished she could remember her voice.
She remembers her order, though. Or at least part of it.
“No sugar, please.”
Yang fumbled with the order, her usually steady hands trembling slightly as she prepared the tea. She couldn't help but steal glances at the woman, mesmerized by the way her long lashes cast shadows on her cheeks, the subtle curve of her lips as she waited patiently.
As Yang handed over the steaming cup, their fingers brushed for a brief moment. The contact made Yang smile dumbly, and she found herself lost in those enigmatic eyes. They seemed to shift color in the light, sometimes appearing a cool blue, other times a warm amber.
The light really did play tricks on her, and the memory isn’t as fresh as Yang wished it was. It had grown hazy with continual recall, details warped until only the essence of how it made Yang feel remained, along with a few, crystalline details, perfectly and forever preserved, etched into Yang’s mind, as delicate as the snowflakes that swirled outside.
The woman offered a small, enigmatic smile before turning away, her silhouette cutting a striking figure against the frosted windows. Yang watched her settle into a corner booth.
For the rest of her shift, her gaze kept drifting back to the new customer. She observed every little movement, every action. No matter how mundane, each made her heart race.
As closing time approached and the cafe emptied, a gentle elbow told Yang that she had to go talk to the girl. No one was going to do it for her, they had all reserved the task for her. Yang found herself lingering, wiping down already clean tables.
Yang doesn’t remember what she said when she finally stopped at the table she had been circling. She hopes it was something witty.
It must’ve been, because it made the girl smile, and she ended up with her scroll contact info, if not her name, at least not that day.
Yet in time Yang’s heart would grow as chilly as that morning, as frozen, because as quick as her new flame arrived, she disappeared.
And Yang never understood why.
---
“One cappuccino to go coming up!”
Yang grabbed one of the disposable cups with her right hand, and a bag of coffee beans with her right. After popping the lid off the espresso maker, she poured in just the right amount and punched a button, the machine whirring to life. She set the cup under it, and spun to face the mini-fridge behind her. Yang made sure to grab the whole milk, not 2%, or, heaven forbid, fat free. That killed all the richness, no matter what Pyrrha said.
Yang paused, her hand halfway to the carton before she spun back to face her customer.
“Are you vegan? We have oat milk.”
The girl shook her head. She had been here a few times, and though Yang didn’t know her name, she was trying to change that. The girl was pretty, long brownish-red hair that she tied up in a long braid and a cute, freckled face. Yang flashed a smile and grabbed the whole milk.
The espresso machine at Brewed in Frost was perfect. It had been worth it to convince Coco to invest in it for the store. It had everything, including a steamer. It always got the milk just right, a little foamy, and the perfect temperature to add a sweet creaminess to the flavor.
Yang grabbed the espresso cup and the steamed milk, and with a theatric flourish, combined the two and slid the cup over to the girl.
“Cappuccino for the cute girl.” She said with a wink. The girl gave a shy smile in return, their fingers brushing for a moment as she took hold of the cup. She hesitated for a moment longer than the previous day, as if she wanted to say something to Yang before deciding against it and hurriedly making her way out of the shop.
Once the girl was out of earshot Yang heard Pyrrha gave a small laugh beside her. “Have you gotten her contact info yet?”
Yang flashed her coworker a grin, though Pyrrha was too busy making a latte to see it. She had probably not even listened to the interaction at all, but just knew Yang well enough to know what she was up to.
“Nah. But she was seconds away from asking me for mine.” Yang said confidently.
Pyrrha didn’t even look away from her task. “In another time, the gods would smite you for that hubris.”
That wasn’t true. Pyrrha had been a classics major back when they were both enrolled at ValeU, and the two had passed many a slow hour at the coffee shop with discussion of the myths that Pyrrha read in her coursework. At the time it seemed like such fun, though now… well, let’s just say there weren’t many jobs for a classics major, and fewer that paid more than what had been their college jobs turned full time jobs.
Yang’s head snapped towards the door as she heard the tell-tale jingle of the little bell that announced another customers arrival. She held her breath as she noticed the new arrival’s long black hair, but let it out immediately when she saw her face.
“Hi, what can I getcha?” Yang said cheerfully.
“Umm…” The girl looked at the menu above Yang’s head, hardly paying her much attention. “Black coffee… and… a raspberry danish.”
Yang glanced below the display counter and then back at her customer. “We’re all out of raspberry, can I recommend the lemon instead? It’s just the right amount of sour and sweet.” She gave a winning smile.
The implication that she wasn’t just talking about the danish was lost on her customer, who only nodded while starring at the menu, not even paying attention to Yang, who quickly filled her order as the girl hurried to what Yang assumed was a stressful job in the city. At first glance, Yang would’ve guessed journalist, but she wasn’t sticking around to let Yang find out.
“Swing and a miss?” Pyrrha said with a playful smile.
“Miss every shot you don’t take, Pyrrha.” Yang said offhandedly, keeping her gaze on the door. “You know, you could-”
She never did get to finish that sentence, because of who walked in the door next. Yang had seen pretty women before. Hell, she had dated one she considered to be the hottest on the planet. But the girl who walked through the door immediately had her enraptured. Her snow-white hair, made into a thick braid, hung from one side, cascading down her back. Her porcelain white skin practically glowed. When she turned her head towards Yang, she could see a scar down one of her eyes that should’ve marred her beauty, yet somehow made her even more striking. Yet she carried herself with an immense sense of poise and purpose that was evident even from a distance and a moment.
It seemed to be a contradiction, this small, diminutive girl, dressed in a white suit that radiated ‘don’t fuck with me.’ The calm confidence and grace with which she made her way to the counter, as if she owned the place, every trait, every symbol of her appearance contradicted themselves. Like the world had demanded she conform, only for her to tell the world that she would be the one to define what needed to be conformed to.
Yang could’ve sworn she had seen her before.
She stared. Too much, mouth agape.
“Coffee with cream.” The customer said, her scroll in her hand in an instant. After just a few seconds, she glanced up to see Yang staring at her. She looked behind herself to see if Yang was looking at something in the distance before repeating her order. When Yang still didn’t move, she snapped her fingers twice with a rather annoyed look on her face.
That was enough to get Yang to stop staring. “Uh, right!” She quickly ground up enough beans for a cup and measured out the cream. She snuck glances at her customer while the beans ground up, though the girl was oblivious, her attention consumed by whatever news her scroll brought her. Yang desperately wanted to know more about her, anything about her, but she obviously didn’t want to be bothered, and after that introduction, talking to her would only make things worse.
Yang's hands trembled slightly as she poured the freshly brewed coffee into a pristine white cup. The rich aroma wafted up, mingling with the scent of vanilla and cinnamon that perpetually hung in the air of the coffee shop. She carefully measured out the cream, watching as it swirled and danced in the dark liquid, creating mesmerizing patterns that reminded her of the woman's hair.
The woman stood there, still engrossed in her scroll, the soft blue light illuminating her face and casting shadows that accentuated her sharp cheekbones. All Yang needed to do was deliver the coffee with grace and strike up a conversation.
But fate, as it so often does, had other plans.
As Yang approached, her foot caught on the rubber mat she usually stood on – a small bump she'd navigated a thousand times before without incident. She stumbled, the coffee cup tipping precariously in her hands. Time seemed to slow as Yang watched in horror as the cup tumbled, heading straight for the woman's pristine white suit.
She manged to create a constellation of brown droplets on the counter instead of splashing it across her pristine white suit, but that only meant things went from lawsuit worthy to a very bad second impression to match her unfavorable first impression.
“Shit!” Yang exclaimed, her cheeks instantly burning with embarrassment. She grabbed a handful of napkins from the nearby dispenser. “Too early in the morning, I’m not usually this clumsy, I swear!”
The woman raised an eyebrow, only half in annoyance (and half in amusement). “Well, I suppose I should be grateful for your quick reflexes. I haven’t found a dry cleaner, but they would have had a fit.”
Pyrrha, ever the lifesaver, appeared at Yang's side with a cleaning cloth. "Why don't you use this?" she offered with a gentle smile. “I’ll make a fresh cup for her.”
Yang nodded gratefully, “I’m really sorry about that,” she said with ease, regaining her composure. She really was usually better than this. “Let me at least keep you company while my colleague makes your coffee. It's the least I can do after nearly ruining your day.”
“It’s… all’s well that ends well.” She said tentatively. “I’m not in a rush today.”
“Yeah?” Yang smiled, beckoning her to tell her more. “What do you do? You look like a real heavy hitter, you’re killing that suit.” She complimented, and she meant it.
Her face flashed, as if Yang should’ve known the answer to that question, and she momentarily wondered why she didn’t. It was only a moment though, and she quickly brought herself to a more neutral expression. “Thank you.”
…If the girl didn’t want to answer, Yang wasn’t going to push. “So, are you new around here? I would’ve remembered a face as pretty as yours if you’d been here before.” She remembered every face that came through those doors, had for years, or at least watched for them, but Yang didn’t need to say that.
Again, her reaction wasn’t what Yang expected. She was guarded, as if trying to figure out what Yang was hoping to gain by flattering her. “I am,” she said cautiously, “I thought I’d try to find a decent coffee shop on my way to work.”
“There’s no better shop than Brewed in Frost! Do you always take your coffee the same way?” The girl nodded, and Yang grinned. “If you come back tomorrow morning, I’ll have it ready for you when you arrive. What’s the name I should put on the cup?”
The girl paused to consider, weighing the possibility that giving out her name would be a mistake. “Smooth.” Whatever test she was considering, Yang must’ve passed. “Weiss. Weiss Schnee.”
She waited a moment, as if she expected Yang to react, or do something. “Weiss Schnee…” Yang repeated. “Pretty name. Unique, too.”
“Yes…” Weiss said hesitantly.
“Here you are.” Pyrrha appeared beside Yang, carefully handing over the cup to Weiss, who thanked her before Pyrrha started serving the next customer.
Yang put on her best smile. “Well, Weiss,” she was already enjoying saying that name, “guess this means I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Hmm…” Weiss considered it. “I’d say you deserve a chance to redeem yourself.”
Her smile widened. Weiss was definitely coming back. “Yes ma’am!”
Yang tried not to stare too much as Weiss took her seat, reabsorbed in her scroll, answering emails and acquainting herself with the work that took place since she left the office yesterday. It was truly a challenge to not stare though. Even the way that Weiss drank coffee was refined.
A voice called out from the back. “Yang, you got a minute?” Coco asked.
Ack—that was enough to break Yang out of her spell. Not that she didn’t like Coco, she did. Great boss. Highly recommended. But uh, yeah, this wasn’t going to be a fun conversation.
“I’ll be right back.” Yang told Pyrrha before ducking out and making her way to her boss’s office. “What’s up, Coco?” She tried to sound nonchalant as she slid into one of the chairs, hoping that would make her nerves less obvious.
Coco was sitting at her desk, tired circles ringing her eyes that no amount of coffee could erase. With a sigh, she got straight to the point. “I can’t give you more hours.” Yang scrunched her eyebrows and made a sour face. “I know it’s not what you wanted to hear, but I’ve got lots of kids from ValeU that need taking care of, too.”
Left unsaid was the fact that those kids were the ones who these jobs were really designed for. There was a reason Yang was having trouble paying rent and helping to put her sister Ruby through school. Though it wasn’t just about the money, either. “Is there anything I can take that no one else wants?”
Coco gave her a look. “You’re already working holidays, openings and closings, and weekends. You already have all the time no one else wants.” When Yang looked unmollified, she continued with a heavy sigh. “Look, you know how much the shop makes. You and Pyrrha deserve more than the students, you’ve worked here a long time. I can’t afford to give you more hours even if they were available.”
That was true enough. Coco wasn’t fleecing Yang to buy a house or something crazy like that. Yang had been to her apartment back when they were students. It was a tiny thing that they somehow squeezed four people into. Yatsu and Fox had moved on, which meant it was just Coco and Velvet these days, but that only made it go from microscopic to unbearable. Well, maybe not, since the two girlfriends now had their own private space.
The finances were an open book too. Margins were tight, and Coco wasn’t lying when she said the money wasn’t there. It was hard to compete against the chains that littered the surrounding area.
Back when they were both in school, and Coco was working 15 hours a day running both the coffee shop and taking classes, Coco had confided in her at a party where they were half drunk. She told Yang that if her business degree had taught her anything, it was that it’s impossible for a business to run without screwing over someone. Its employees, its customers, its suppliers, someone. She had downed her entire double sized shot in one gulp and told Yang that the only person she ever wanted to screw over was herself.
Still, that didn’t help Yang pay her rent. She despondently looked down at her shoes. Coco squinted at the spreadsheet on her computer. “You know, there are other jobs out there. Ones that pay better too.”
That caught Yang’s attention. “Are you saying that as my boss?”
She gave Yang a smile. “Relax, I’m not going to fire you. I’m saying, as your friend, you could do a lot better.”
Considering that made Yang’s blood pressure rise significantly. “I’ll think about it.”
Coco snorted. “No, you won’t. If you were going to, you would’ve a long time ago.” Her eyebrows arched, indicating she had found something. “I haven’t heard anything yet, but ValeU has its finals weeks coming up. The kids always say they’re fine at first, then panic and ask for less hours. You’ll get first priority when they do.”
Relief flooded Yang’s face. “Pyrrha too.”
“Pyrrha too,” Coco repeated with a smile.
That was going to cause Coco other problems, but Yang wasn’t about to complain. “Thanks Coco, I owe you one.”
She fixed Yang with a playful glare, looking over the sunglasses that tried to hide her restless eyes. “You owe me a hell of a lot more than one, Xiao Long. Now go help Pyrrha.”
Yang grinned and made her way back to the floor. The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and with her next paycheck shaping up to be enough to cover her bills, Yang’s thoughts turned towards Weiss, who had unfortunately already left by the time Yang had returned from Coco’s office. She would show up tomorrow, right? I mean, she had said she would.
Well, more like Yang had promised not to spill coffee on her, or anything near her, if she did.
Yeah, that was an embarrassment she didn’t need to repeat.
---
The rest of the day passed uneventfully, and by the time Yang and Pyrrha had finished cleaning up, Yang was beat. She was asleep on the bus before it pulled away from the stop. Not something she liked to make a habit of, but some days there was just no stopping it. She always woke up before her stop, but that wasn’t her concern.
Yang hopped off the bus and made the walk to her apartment. After climbing the few flights of stairs to the top floor, she unlocked the door and walked inside. Ruby had occupied the little kitchen table they never sat at, her notes spread out.
“Heya Rubes.” Yang said affectionately as she put her keys in the dish and locked the door behind her.
“Yang!” Ruby exclaimed enthusiastically. “I made extra dinner if you’re hungry.”
She played it like it was a happy accident, but Ruby always made extra. “Thanks.” Yang said gratefully, making her way to the refrigerator. “You got finals coming up, huh?” She asked, pulling up a stool to the kitchen counter. “Whatcha studying for?”
Ruby flipped to the cover of her textbook. “Robotic bioengineering.”
“Sounds complicated. Learn anything fun?”
“Yes!” Ruby launched into an explanation of what they had learned last lecture. Yang nodded along and tried to look interested, but Ruby wasn’t afraid to talk about the technical details, and robotics was far from what Yang’s expertise. Still, she loved the way Ruby’s eyes lit up when she talked about the subject, how excited she got. Not that Yang ever needed it, but that was motivation enough to keep working long hours.
Yang finished her dinner and went to wash up dishes. “You’re gonna do great. I know it.”
“Thanks, Yang.”
As she rinsed her plate, Yang thought about what else the end of the semester meant. Ruby’s tuition would be due soon for the next semester, and though Yang couldn’t prevent Ruby from having to take out some student loans, she was able to make sure Ruby wouldn’t be crushed by them like she was.
Yang had trouble falling asleep that night. She blamed the short nap on the bus. That was easier to accept than the fact that her thoughts were consumed by a certain girl. She replayed the short conversation in her head, trying to analyze for some deeper meaning where there was probably none, but she could swear she had seen her somewhere before…
She really hoped she would see her tomorrow.