Nothing and no one was going to stop him now. Winter trusted him and he would protect her from anything, even the field mouse in Tai's guest room. The heartless bitch of steel was balancing dangerously on the headboard of the bed and Qrow tried to chase the little bugger out with a sweeping brush. He wasn't terribly fazed by them, they were common in the old farm house and they were far tamer than the city rats that he grew up with in the slums.
Winter was fazed. Winter was very fazed. She didn't shriek or cry, but the panic was evident. She moved faster than he thought possible, then proceeded to be incredibly still and silent until he gave her the all clear to calm down. They shook out the blankets and Qrow finally decided to swap out the linens to calm her down. He resisted the urge to tease her and he could tell that she was kicking herself. He left her to settle in and he went down to check on dinner.
"I can't believe I'm letting you drag me into this shit show. Why did I agree to this?" Tai moaned as Qrow entered.
"Because you have a big ol' bleeding heart that wants to adopt every abused student either of us gets." Qrow offered. Tai rolled his eyes then turned around, pointing a wooden spoon at Qrow.
"No sex in my house." Tai said sternly.
"Aw man, good thing Blake isn't here then." Yang chuckled as she entered the kitchen. Tai growled.
"Why for the love of God can't you like someone your own age! Both of you are killing me! We are breaking so many rules here and none of you seem to care." Tai turned back to his fried rice and grumbled to himself.
"What did you do to make him mad." Yang asked her uncle accusingly. Qrow frowned at her indignantly. Winter appeared in the doorway and Yang looked from her to Qrow then to angry Tai and smiled evilly.
"You stop that right now. Do not go any further with that train of thought, you have passed the station please return to platform reality." Qrow sighed as Yang skipped out of the kitchen, passing Winter with a playful "Good evening, Miss Schnee."
Winter sat down cautiously. She was in more casual wear, a simple pair of leggings and a soft, flowing blue shirt. Her hair was down in a side braid again, carefully placed to hide her bruising. She was silent, only speaking when Tai asked if she would like some water.
"Yes please." Winter spoke quietly.
"No servants here, Ice Queen, you gotta help yourself or you're gonna starve." Qrow teased. Winter raised an eyebrow at him but held her tongue.
"Leave her alone, Qrow. She hasn't even been here two hours yet." Tai scolded. Qrow rolled his eyes.
"Come here and I'll show you where everything is." Qrow waved her over.
Winter stood beside him as he pulled open every cabinet and opened every drawer, listing the contents. He helped her find a glass and directed her to the tap to enjoy some high-quality spring water, courtesy of mother nature. She also helped him set the table when Tai called for dinner which won Tai over immediately. Winter sat at the end of the table beside Qrow and Yang came in and took the seat to her right. Winter heard fast footsteps and froze when she felt arms wrap around her neck.
"Weiss! You didn't tell me you were coming over, I thought you were still sick!" Ruby planted a kiss on Winter's, now very red, cheek.
It was like watching a car crash. He knew there would be fallout of indeterminate measure, but he couldn't look away. He wished he could help but all he could do is watch in disbelief, holding back the belly laughter behind a twisted smirk. Winter knew he was absolutely dying to laugh and she glared at him.
"Just let it out before you seize, Branwen." Her tone was icy cool but Qrow's snorting was mildly contagious and she found herself holding back a chuckle.
"Oops, hi Weiss' big sister. Welcome to our humble abode." Ruby backed away awkwardly and took the seat farthest away from Winter.
Yang joined in with Qrow's obnoxiously hideous laughter and Winter began to chuckle as well. Tai was confused, but was glad to see everyone enjoying themselves. He placed a wok full of pork fried rice down on the trivet and began dishing up the food to the offered plates. Everyone settled down and dug into the food. Winter smiled and enjoyed the warmth. She had never gotten lunch, or breakfast, so this was glorious. Tai offered seconds and she accepted with glee.
"This is truly outstanding. Thank you, Tai." Winter smiled.
"Ass kissing won't get you extra." Qrow teased and she stuck a tongue out at him.
"Um, I don't hear anyone else thanking me for their food. Of course she gets extra." Tai dropped another scoop of rice into her bowl to prove his point. Winter smiled.
The smile didn't leave her face until it was time for bed. Tai was a sweet man. She enjoyed speaking with him, not just about books or teaching methods either. They talked about cooking and the weather and country life vs city life. Qrow would poke his nose in every so often with a jab at one of them. If she hadn't known better she would think him jealous. Ruby was sweet, but avoided directly interacting with her after the incident. Yang was Yang: stubborn, teasing, and rude but kind and welcoming. Winter thought of the day as she got ready for bed. She brushed her teeth and hair, got into her pajamas, and all that was left was to wash her face.
The make up came off as expected. The bruise had begun to turn green and brown, thankfully it was healing. Still, the large patch of discoloration on her face brought tears to her eyes. This was hardly the worst she had ever gotten. Just a few heavy handed smacks to the face. He was going easy on her. She sighed and returned to her room with her head down. She collided with a warm body and winced, mostly because she didn't want anyone to see her.
She knew it was Qrow without looking. His hand was on her back and an arm around her waist to keep her steady, and she knew those hands. She wondered when she had gotten so close to him that she could tell him by smell and touch alone but she pushed the thought from her mind. She looked up at him slightly and winced at his expression. He grabbed her chin and she flinched.
"Sorry," he said, realising his mistake and letting her go.
"It's alright. I will look where I am going next time." Winter gave a small smile and headed to her room.
"The bruises don't suit you." Qrow said, making her turn.
"They are far from a fashion statement." She frowned.
"I know, but they're also far from rare, aren't they?" She was quiet for a moment.
"I don't know that I'm strong enough to face him when the time comes." Winter sighed.
"I do. You're strong and you won't be alone. Besides, you aren't just doing this for yourself, are you?" Qrow put his hand on her shoulder again. This time Winter gave in and embraced him. He was shocked but put his arms around her, gently stroking her back. She held him tighter than she meant to but she felt immeasurably better. She back up with a blush.
"Thank you for your support. Goodnight, Mr. Branwen." Winter spoke like a politician to a voter and hurriedly made her way to her bedroom, shutting the door behind her. Qrow grinned. This woman was something else. Although as cold as she seemed, she was very warm in his arms. He wondered if that was constant or just from blushing. He would have to hug her again, for science.