Till Ashes do we Part
"Love is not a feeling of happiness. Love is a willingness to sacrifice." –Michael Novak
Chapter 9
Winter couldn't remember the last time she wore sweatpants. Thinking back, she wasn't sure she ever had. Her father had always instructed Kline to not place those clothes out for her and when she was old enough to pick clothes out for herself she was told that sweatpants were to be worn by lazy people and should never be seen in them. However, Winter wasn't living at the Schnee Manor anymore and she certainly wasn't a little girl anymore. Besides, she doubts her hosts would exactly care all that much about her wardrobe of choice.
This had led to where Winter was currently. She was lounging in a pair of grey sweats and a t-shirt that advertised the Adam's family musical. She did have to dig around her room a bit for the few choices of casual clothes that were available for her but she didn't mind. She remembered seeing the musical when she was sixteen. Her high school had put on a performance and she went with a few girlfriends. Wasn't anything ground-breaking but she found it enjoyable enough that she went to see it again when a professional troupe had come to town.
"Ms. Schnee in casual clothes? Hell must have frozen over." Winter could feel herself rolling her eyes before she even bothered to acknowledge the speaker.
"I found myself curious at the appeal of such wears," Winter stated simply as she looked up to a sight she had already predicted in her mind. Qrow was leaning casually on the door frame of the reading room she had found. His eyes sparked with humor and they stared at her, not backing down from her own fierce gaze. She knew he was raking his eyes up and down her form, but it didn't feel uncomfortable like those at parties her father had thrown. Instead, it felt more like he was committing the picture to memory.
She could almost see the picture he had ingrained into his own mind. Her with her hair in a sloppy bun, and the ratty clothes, with fluffy mint-green slipper socks. Her face void of make-up and a coy smile on her lips. And, it was the first time she imagined she looked content, comfortable in her own skin. Sure, she loved herself but nothing compared to knowing the people whose opinion's you cared about weren't judging your every move.
"And what have you discovered?" Qrow asked as he walked over to the couch, lifting up her feet and taking a seat before setting them in his lap. It was so personal and domestic, but neither of them commented on it. Winter didn't know if the silence was for her benefit or if he was just as nervous about what was left unsaid about the night of confessions, but she was grateful for it none-the-less.
"I quite enjoy the feeling, it's almost as if I'm wearing nothing at all," Winter said with a smirk. That was until she realized exactly how it sounded coming out of her mouth. Then it just felt dirty. She could feel her cheeks heat up and feel, actually feel, the feeling of Qrow's chuckle from where her legs were against his abdomen.
"Oh, never knew you to be an exhibitionist," Qrow teased but he didn't get much else out before she sat up enough to pull a pillow out from behind her back and hit him in the face with it. They were both laughing at this point, not their polite or goading laughs, no this was their genuine laughs with full bright smiles and heads falling back.
It took a few minutes for the two of them to stop laughing. They begin to feel their breath even out and contemplate why they were laughing so hard in the first place. It wasn't that funny but it made them laugh anyway. Maybe it was just the stress from the past few weeks. For whatever reason, it felt good to cut loose and laugh with one another.
"So, what's taking the little princess so long to bring her things here and move in?" Qrow asked, and Winter watched as he rested a hand on her calf while the other arm draped over the back of the couch. "Thought she was chomping at the bit to get out of the house and move in here."
"Weiss does things her own way, always has," Winter admitted with a shrug. "I'm sure she will be here soon she texted me the other day saying she needed to go through her things and then mine for anything I might not have brought with me when I first moved here."
"That's awfully sweet of her."
"She can be a bit abrasive, but she means well."
"So just like you."
"Rude," Winter said as she pursed her lips and then smiled with Qrow as they laughed. "Was I really that bad when we met?"
"Na, you were scared and didn't understand much and I didn't exactly make the situation better."
"Yeah, you would be correct about that."
"Hey!" Winter was laughing again and Qrow began a low blow. He began to try tickling her feet. With a sharp squeak Winter yanked her leg back and Qrow held fast still tickling her lowest appendage. Winter still pulled with her legs but she found herself sitting up to try and launch a counter attack. Going for Qrow's sides she began to poke and prod in a counter attack.
"Aye," Qrow said letting go of her legs quickly and going to grab her hands instead to attempt to stop her assault. But she was relentless; shifting her weight to get a better angle. Finally, Qrow was able to grab her hands and pull them to either side of his head. Winter hadn't noticed but at some point, she had crawled into his lap and was now straddling him.
Like so many times before their eyes locked. Though, Winter felt no fear like she had when they first met or in a fight like they had been recent. This was like the night they slept in the tower curled into each other's warmth. She could feel herself being drawn in and see Qrow leaning up to meet her. Winter felt completely relaxed something she hadn't felt in forever.
And then her phone went off. Winter sighed and rolled back over to her side of the couch and pulled out her phone to look at what had caused the noise that she wasn't sure if she was grateful for or not.
"Who is it?" Qrow asked and Winter shrugged.
"Weiss, probably needs help moving everything," Winter commented.
And then she opened the email.
Winter please help. Father is making me marry Henry Marigold! The ceremony is in a week and I don't know what to do!
With that Winter dropped her phone and ran out the door and left Qrow confused before he could even process what happened.
BRK: Ah, fluff then the chaos that is my specialty. School starts next week but I don't know yet what my update schedule will be like once it begins so follow me on tumblr that will be where I am posting all of the updates about my time schedule and such so please follow me there for any updates or questions. Until next time, later gators!
