April 3rd
City Of Atlas
Atlas
Downtown
11:34 AM

Winter sighed as she slowly sipped her tea. "I still don't know how I feel about not telling my sister what could happen if we unify the Relics."

"To be fair," Glynda said, as she paced. "It's probably not the best time to scare them. They should know eventually, but now is not the best time. They've already dealt with the Fall, they've just -"

"I know," Winter snapped, then sighing again. "I just…"

"I get that she's your sister and that you care about her," Glynda said gently. "But you don't need to put her through more pain."

Winter nodded. "She's worried enough that father is going to demand she come home."

"I've never liked Jacques," Glynda said, pausing as she looked to the younger woman. "He's always rubbed me the wrong way."

"You and the majority of the population," Winter muttered. "But several key partners in the business world? As if. To be honest, most of them are just as corrupt as he is. Hasn't the Council had issues with dealing with this type of corruption for years?"

"Even under your grandfather that was true," Glynda said, and Winter raised an eyebrow. "Nicholas was a good person, but even he had his faults. He himself wasn't corrupt, but many of the people he chose to work with were."

"You sound vaguely like Qrow," Winter noted with slight amusement. "He's always saying how I'm lucky I got out of my family's drama and corruption."

"And you are," Glynda said, pausing for a moment and then shaking her head. "I suppose Qrow and I do agree on a few things."

Winter rolled her eyes. "The two of you do not get along very well, do you?"

"He's always drinking, which is the first issue," Glynda said, shaking her head. "The second issue is that he can't ever seem to keep his mouth shut even when he should."

Winter sighed. "I know, but I still care – love – him."

Glynda smiled. "At least you two care for each other."

"Are you alright?" Winter asked her, taking note of how tired the older woman looked.

"I'm fine," Glynda told her, turning as Qrow scoffed upon walking into the room. "What?"

"Oh, come on," He said, looking at her in complete seriousness. "We all know you're worried because you're pregnant and are due in mid December."

Winter was silent for a moment but then smiled. "Glynda, that's wonderful. I'm sure you and General Ironwood will be great parents."

"I'm struggling to see Jimmy as a father," Qrow said, and Glynda scowled. "Oh, please, you know that he spends most of his time working –"

"In case you've forgotten, until the Fall, I had too," She snapped. "Why can't you just be –"

"Glynda," Qrow said, putting his hands up and giving her a serious look. "I am happy for the two of you. I'm still just a bit surprised that the two of you –"

"I am too," She admitted softly, then sighing. "Look, I –"

"It's normal to be worried," He told her, awkwardly embracing her. "Okay, believe me, no one's perfectly calm about this kind of thing. It's new, and it can be scary but it's going to be alright."

"Don't ever embrace me like that again," She told him as they awkwardly separated, and he sat down next to Winter and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Really, that was more awkward than –"

"Believe me, I know," Qrow said, laughing a bit. "Sorry."

Winter rolled her eyes as she rested her head on Qrow's shoulder. "You're something else, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am," He said, kissing her forehead. "But I love you nonetheless."

"You two have been together for four months and you're already –" Glynda cut herself off before she finished her thought. "I'm going to leave before I say something that's going to piss off both of you."

"We appreciate it!" Qrow called after her and she paused in the doorway, adjusted her bag on her shoulder, glared at him, and then slammed the door behind herself. "Well…" Qrow said, his fingers trailing through Winter's hair. "I think we hit a nerve."

"You mean that you hit a nerve," Winter hesitated for a moment but then curled tighter into him. "You know, maybe she's right that you don't know how to keep your mouth shut."

"I don't," He agreed with a smirk. "But it's hot, isn't it?"

Winter blushed. "Qrow!"

"Oh, so you agree?" He said, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek. "I knew it."

"Stop it, you're embarrassing me!" She exclaimed, and he laughed.

"Win," He said slowly. "You alright? No one's here but us. Am I embarrassing you in front of people who don't exist?"

Winter went silent but then narrowed her eyes for a short moment. "Who's to say I'm not?"

"So you're crazy," Qrow said with a faint smirk. "Huh. Didn't realise that would make you all the more attractive to me."

Winter turned an even brighter pink. "Qrow, please don't flatter me."

"I ain't flattering you," He said as he gave her a gentle squeeze. "There's a difference between flattering you and stating what I genuinely think. Flattering is what you do with Jimmy because…well I don't even know why."

Winter pulled away from him and looked at him in outrage. "I do not flirt with General Ironwood!"

"That's not what I meant –" Qrow started.

"That's what it sounded like –" She snapped.

"What I meant –" He protested.

"What you said –" She countered.

"Win, I meant that you –" He said as gently as possible.

"That I what?" She challenged.

"That you defend him even when he screws up because you trust his judgement more than anyone else's," Qrow said, sighing heavily. "Even when what he's saying is going against what Oz –"

"Ozpin's not perfect," Winter reminded him, crossing her arms. "And you do the exact same thing."

Qrow was silent but then nodded. "Sorry. That was too far."

"Yes, it was," Winter said, then biting her lip. "Qrow, I –"

"I just wish you and I focused more on each other," He said, looking at his hands for a moment and then looking at her. "I know we said we were going to, but we haven't –"

"Because it's just not practical," She said sadly. "I want that too, but –"

"Maybe we should try a little harder?" He suggested, hesitantly moving closer to her once more and cupping her cheek. "If we do that, maybe we'll be able to –"

Winter suddenly pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. "I love you."

Qrow smiled. "I love you too, Ice Queen."

"Not that again," She said, rolling her eyes. "You've called me that one too many times."

"Sorry," He said, holding her close once more. "Win, you know I love you."

"Yes, I do," She said as she let herself curl into his embrace. "I wish we had more times like this."

"So do I," He said softly. "Can you at least promise me we'll try to have more moments where it's just the two of us?"

Winter hesitated but then nodded. "Alright. Maybe it's time for me to take a little more time for myself."

"Shocked it took so long to get to that realisation," He commented with a smile as he kissed her forehead. "What brought it on?"

"Isn't it obvious?" She asked him with a smile, then pressing another kiss to his lips. "You and all of your crazy."

"I wouldn't call it crazy," He said, shaking his head. "But for you? I'll take it."