"So…?"
Weiss blinked at her. "What?"
Ugh, why did they have to be so clueless!?
"What do you think of him!?" Ruby hissed. "What do you think of this place? It's cool, huh? Jaune's awesome, and he makes really nice coffee. Scratch that, he makes coffee nice." And that was an accomplishment enough on its own. "I-It's nice though, right?"
Blake lowered her own mug onto her saucer with a tiny smile. "This is really important to you, isn't it?"
"Ugh…" Ruby squirmed uncomfortably. It was, though she had no idea why. For some reason, she just really wanted her team to like him, and to like this place. Sure, she'd been nervous at the thought of Jaune going out of business, but the bigger panic had been over the fact her new friends might not like him.
She wasn't sure why, but the thought upset her.
"I approve of both him and the establishment."
Her eyes widened. "Weiss…"
"S-Stop acting like I've said something shocking," Weiss growled. "His service is polite, the menu is varied, and he knows how to brew what he offers. Beyond that, the venue is well-spaced and quiet." She looked away awkwardly. "I'm not sure why you're making such a big deal out of this. Did you think I'd dislike him for doing a good job? I'm not difficult to please."
Yang choked on her drink.
Ruby almost did the same, but managed to hide it behind a cough.
Weiss glared at them. "What was that supposed to mean?"
"It is rather peaceful here," Blake said, chuckling at Weiss' anger. "I can't help but think that would change if it became busier, but it's relaxing. I could imagine reading a book here while enjoying a nice drink." She glanced to the side. "The view outside the window isn't bad, either."
It was, and mostly of peaceful streets with a few small shops that weren't all that well-known. Jaune hadn't chosen the best of places for his shop, but that was probably because it would have been too expensive. It was a nice area though, if a little quiet.
Still, Ruby couldn't help but shake happily at their praise. She turned to the final person, her own sister, and swallowed nervously.
Yang met her gaze for a few seconds, then lowered her head and laughed.
"You're such a goof, sis. Yes, I like him. He's pretty cool, for a guy who serves coffee anyway."
Ruby grinned.
"But," Yang said – catching her off-guard. "You know that shouldn't matter, right? Even if we didn't like him, that wouldn't have meant you couldn't be friends or something. You can have more friends than us. You didn't need to stress over us not liking someone."
"I-I know," Ruby said, rubbing her knees together and sulking down at the table. "I just wanted you to all get along."
"Tch, you're too cute sometimes." Yang rubbed her hair, earning a scowl for the effort. "Well, it all worked out. I think this place is pretty sweet, and I wouldn't mind coming again sometime. We could even make it Team RWBY's haunt."
"I have no issue with that," Weiss said. "I'd have come myself regardless. It feels like weeks since I've had a proper cup of coffee. That instant stuff they serve at the cafeteria is an affront to our taste buds."
"The same for me," Blake added. "I'll bring a book next time."
It was working! Her friends like her other friend. Ruby hid a smile in her straw, sucking up the last bits of her drink while she watched the others chat between themselves. Sure, maybe Yang was right and maybe it was a little childish, but it still meant a lot that her friend outside of Beacon got on with her team. It was honestly a little scary because she'd worried they wouldn't have anything to talk about. She was a huntress and he was a café owner, or a barista as Weiss put it. What similarities would they have? She couldn't talk about weapons because he wouldn't understand them, and she couldn't talk about Beacon because that would upset him.
And yet, somehow, they just talked. It was weird, and she couldn't put her finger on what they talked about or why, but it just sort of came naturally.
"Sorry about that," Jaune said, strolling back up to them. "They wanted the bill. Looks like you're my only customers at the moment."
"Are you not getting many?"
"It's not too bad. There's no need to worry, Ruby." He looked around the empty diner and coughed nervously. "Well, it was busier earlier. I'm not a hundred per cent on what counts as rush hour yet, but I get a lot more people around certain hours of the day." His face lit up. "Oh, and there's this business nearby who sends someone twice a day for coffee. They've done that for the past two days running, so I think they might be regular customers. They get coffee and cakes in the morning, then do a round of just coffee around four."
"Jaune, that's great!" She wanted to clap her hands together, but that felt too dramatic. Still, there was no denying that she felt genuinely happy to hear it. It was weird, like she could somehow share in his pride. "Do you think you'll make enough to stay here? Permanently, I mean."
"It's too early to tell on that, but if things continue like they are, I might be able to. I don't have many costs outside of the business, since I work here pretty late."
"How late, exactly?" Yang asked.
"I close at ten, but I usually don't finish cleaning up until eleven."
Weiss raised an eyebrow. "The sign on the door says you open at eight."
"Yeah, but I sleep upstairs." He pointed to the ceiling. "There's a little flat above this place that came with the lease. Once I'm done here, I usually crash upstairs and rest."
"Still, assuming you take an hour each night to clean up, and an hour in the morning to stock everything, that only leaves you eight hours rest – what most people spend asleep on a typical night." The heiress looked him up and down, eyes critical. "Are you sure you can keep up such a harsh pace?"
"It's not as bad as it sounds. I get six hours sleep, and I read and watch a little television…"
"That's not what I asked. You could burn yourself out at this rate. Being a hard worker is admirable, but there has to be some moderation."
"Weiss is right," Ruby said. "Are you sure you're not working yourself too hard?"
Jaune looked between the two of them, eyes wide, and then turned to Yang and Blake. Neither of them offered any rescue, and Yang seemed more amused than anything. "I-It's a bit soon to be talking about that, isn't it?" he asked with a little laugh. "I've been in business less than a week. Anyway, if I get tired, I'll take a break. I have Wednesdays as my day off as it is."
"You could hire people to work here," Blake suggested. "There are plenty of unemployed people in Vale, especially in the faunus communities."
"If things go well, I might try it. I want to see how much I can make in a month first, though. It wouldn't do to hire someone and then be unable to pay them."