Ruby awoke slowly the sound of the wind being the first thing she noticed. She purred and snuggled down under the blankets all the tighter, Qrow's scent, the scratch of the uppermost wool blanket on her cheek. It was comforting, the weight of the blankets pressing on her, in an odd way it was nicer than a feather duvet. She couldn't hear the fire crackling in the next room but her stomach growled and she sighed. Quick as lightning she slid out from under the covers, tucking them in behind her to conserve the heat. "Oh burr." She whispered wrapping her arms tight around her chest and quickly moving back into the living room.

It was dark the fire little more than embers, she went to the tight cedar wood box and pulled out a log, she set it on the embers carefully then added some tinder and blew gently on it to encourage the flames to return. Her under armour was clammy and sticking to her skin, a quick glance around located her bag. The air was starting to warm now and she loathed to go back to the cold room, glancing over at Qrow she found him curled up as tight as possible on the couch but still sleeping.

She undid the buckles of her leather bag and pulled out a clean pair of wool leggings, socks and a long sleeved shirt plus comfy underwear. She changed as quick as she could, for what parts of her didn't face the fire quickly chilled.

Qrow cracked his eyes open, there was heat on his face again and… pale white flesh. Smooth, milky, clear, soft, supple, his brain kept giving him adjectives all were very flattering for Ruby. It took a full minute of his hind brain going, lovely, lush before it caught up to him that she was still mostly nude and he was staring at what was possibly the most beautifully shaped tush on Remnant. Quickly he snapped his eyes shut and schooled his features relaxed, it had been a long time but that was no excuse to stare. That much of interpersonal etiquette he did remember, he could understand wanting to change by the fire. It was still very cold, especially if the fire had died, he listened as Ruby pulled a shirt on and walked over. He couldn't help but notice how small her hand was when she gripped his shoulder.

"Hey," she called out softly. "I made the bed, it should still be warm."

Qrow pretended to wake with a yawn, and rolled off the couch and to his feet leaving the blanket behind. "Thank you, help yourself to the kitchen." He headed out hearing a quiet, "Thank you." but his bed was calling his name. He could see the indent in the pillow, pulled off his clothes tossing them over his cedar chest and diving under the covers before the cold could bite at him. She was right, her spot was still warm and slept smelled softly of roses, he fell back asleep instantly.

Ruby found the kitchen and pantry, two very small rooms, one with a cast iron range for cooking and the other storing the winter foods. The kitchen consisted of a cast iron range that looked to be the only thing not made of limber. Soot covered much of it and it looked to need a good cleaning but again Qrow didn't seem messy, just not overly tidy. His kettle was copper but again it was near black with oxidation and use. He had two cast iron pans and one pot, a small set of nice knives clearly cared for. She opened one of only five cupboards, three above the range and one on each side, these each had a drawer above them. She found wooden plates and bowls, she guessed wood didn't break as easily if his Semblance struck. She pulled one of the light cedar bowls down, it was shallow but wider than her stretched out hand giving it plenty of surface area. Tracing her fingers over the interior she could feel many little dips and rises but it was perfectly smooth. This is hand carved. She turned it to catch the dim light better, Wow, I've never heard of something making table settings out of wood. Ruby admired the craftsmanship, it must have taken hours. She turned it over feeling the outside better, it was smoother than a babies bum. I wonder if he puts this much care into everything he makes. She turned it over and found ' I M O Oz' carved into the bottom, frowning she turned it over wondering what that meant. Her heart panged painfully at the memory of Ozpin, Oscar's soul had made him just a little kinder and opened him up a bit. She missed him dearly, she rubbed the middle of her chest as her soul ached with his memory.

She set the bowl down quietly on the small table that took up most of the kitchen's space and turned her attention to the range. Thankfully it wasn't to different from lighting a hearth fire and she managed to get it going with little difficulty. She found barrels of water in the pantry and got the kettle going, while it boiled she turned her attention back to the pantry.

Many different pickled, salted, canned and dried items were all lined up in neat little rows. Most with a thin layer of dust on them, set into the ground was a ice box. She popped it open and found more tidy rows of meats all wrapped in brown paper. Beside them she found a tub of strawberry ice cream that made her giggle and sigh fondly, strawberries were her favourite fruit. There were more fruits, blueberries, strawberries, even peaches. She had already spotted jammed strawberries and peaches but she guessed he really liked them. The silver eyed woman smiled at that, so Qrow had a sweet tooth.

Closing the icebox a flat of apples catching her eye in the dim light, she walked the small two steps over and picked one up. From the shape and size, the red and green skin she could tell they were nicolas stored like this they would last till near spring. She smiled, yes Qrow definitely liked his fruit, under the shelf with the apples was a brown sack of potatoes and another of oats. She trailed her fingers through the oats and found them to be steel cut, looking at the apple a smile crept over her lips. Well she knew what she was making for breakfast.

Qrow hauled his butt out of bed at the scent of cooking apples, after getting dressed adding brown rabbit skin slippers to his attire he walked through his tiny cabin to find Ruby in the kitchen. He took a moment to watch her silently, she was nibbling on a piece of apple as she stirred the porridge with the other hand. Slim elegant fingers, her hair was a bit mussed from sleep but it was so long it near rivaled Yang's and wasn't much affected by it. Now he could see the dark red of her wool shirt, black leggings and socks all wool. He could tell from where he stood the quality wasn't the best and was probably meant as a second layer. He hmmed quietly, he had a few spare wool sheets in his shed, it wouldn't take him long make nicer things. Well if the storm died soon there wouldn't be much point, but if it didn't…

"Good morning." He said softly and walked around the table to pull back the curtain covering the thick glass window, he only opened it enough to let in a sliver of grey light. He could hear the winds gust and see the snow whip through the air.

Ruby looked over to him and smiled. "Good morning, sleep well?"

"Much better thank you." He walked over and inhaled deeply. "That smells good, I've cinnamon and nutmeg if you're alright with adding it."

"Oh of course! I just didn't want to go through your things too much." Ruby looked over to him and found him standing right beside her. As he reached up and opened a cupboard right above, pulling out to little jars of spices she could feel how warm he was. He had shaved and trimmed his beard into nice even scruff along his jaw. She blushed at the thought he had cleaned up for her.

Qrow opened a drawer and pulled out a spoon carefully measuring and adding the spice before he noticed Ruby. He saw her cheeks turn red as she blushed she turned away to stir in the spices. "Here," He took the spoon gently from her fingers and touched her by a shoulder so she would move aside. "let me."

Ruby stepped aside and let the lean man take over stirring. She picked up the bowl she had set aside and ran her fingers over the insides again, marveling at the smoothness. "Did you make this?"

Qrow glanced over and nodded. "Yeah," he spoke with an early morning rasp. "Ceramics proved too easy to break and metal doesn't make good bowls and plates. I carved all of my table stuff, made most of the cabin actually. I got some help with the windows but me and construction sites have never ended well."

Ruby let her eyes fall to the floor, she could imagine that, the images of the casualties of war filling her mind. Someone with bad luck working around people in an already dangerous environment wouldn't end well. Had she been a younger girl she would have shuddered or cried but now her eyes just clouded over and she forced a smile when Qrow looked over to her.

"Are you okay?" He asked, reaching out and brushing her arm with the back of his fingers.

"Just memories, it's not you." Ruby reached up and gave his hand a little squeeze before letting go. His hand was warm, strong and calloused both from swordplay as well as other work. Her heart panged, she missed being touched casually. Tai had really been her only physical contact with people in a long time, to be touched was nice. Not something she had thought about much of late but from Qrow it was more than welcome.

The red eyed man withdrew his hand and gave her a little smile. He understood how much pain memories could carry, he had helped in the war. Just a distant Grimm thinning out helping, rather than on the front lines fighting by his family and friends. . . where his Semblance could hurt them. He had walked through the destroyed towns, killed the Grimm and seen the bodies. He knew what she was going through all too well, for he had seen it for many more years. He tapped off the spoon and set it on the counter then turned to her. "It's not okay and it doesn't get better. We can only keep moving forward." He said mutely, there was no reason to raise his voice, not when it was just the two of them.

Ruby hugged herself and bit her lip, tears tried to collect in the corners of her eyes. She rubbed at them, trying to stop them. Everyone always said it would get better, even if it never did, at least not for her. She had pictures on her Scroll, Yang with a baby monkey faunus on her lap as it played with her hair, it's fuzzy blonde hair matching hers. Weiss with a female toddler on her hip and her sword in the other hand, instructing the child in its first glyphs. Blake with a book lounging in the sun as she read to another black haired baby monkey faunus. Sun sitting beside her playing with Yang's hair as she dozed with her head in his lap.

The tears got the better of her, maybe it did get better for them but it never got better for her. Qrow warred with himself as the first few silent tears fell, then moved the now finished porridge off the element and stepped over to her. He raised his arms then paused again, he knew hugs usually made someone feel better but… Gods I am not good at this, what were you thinking Tai? Before his self doubts could get the better of him he wrapped his arms around her and was a little surprised when she returned the gesture.

He stood completely still as she cried into his chest. This really wasn't his area, he felt her grip tighten and did the same holding her too him. That seemed to help the tears slowed, then stopped but Ruby didn't pull away. Instead she rested her head against his chest and took long deep breaths, he smelled like the pine forests of Patch and it was extremely comforting. Her heart fluttered and she wondered if maybe she had found a kindred soul, someone time had not cured like it had seemed to have for everyone else. She pulled partly away only putting a few centimeters between them. "Thank you, I needed that."

"I understand." Qrow said and he really did. Though if he needed a hug it was usually when the whisky and vodka made an appearance, make him forget that he had no one to hug. He drew away slowly, letting his hands trail over her arms to hold hers for a moment before letting go. "We'll have to eat on the sofa, I don't have any chairs."

Ruby nodded and stepped around him to grab another bowl while he poured out the meal into the other. Together they walked back into the living room and Qrow frowned at the broken table. "Hold this please." He gave her his bowl and headed over to his battered book self, he read over the spines and picked up a few of the older unloved texts.

Ruby sat on the couch as he fixed the table, getting it perfectly level with the two books. She gave him back his bowl and spoon, then curled up into the sofa. Neither had bothered to remove the sheet so the leather wasn't as cold as before. Qrow picked a spot not quite in the corner instead slightly inwards and towards her. She smiled as she ate and managed to relax a little as well, moving away from the corner herself.

They ate in silence for a long time, bowls were scraped clean and their bellies filled as they warmed together. Qrow set is bowl down on the table and tried to think of something to talk about. Hmm well a working water toilet was as far as his plumbing went, he should probably mention that. "So, umm. I don't really have much in the way of running water besides the toilet. I've got a large pot outside gathering snow, so if you want a bath or something, I'll bring it in. Everything gets melted first then moved around into the bathroom and the like, there is a barrel under the sink for waste water after you wash your hands."

"Okay." Ruby said and glanced over to him, no power, no running water, no furnace. He lived a pretty simple life up here, she kind of liked it. While she was sure it did get boring, it was also quiet in a way she hadn't felt before. No hum of electricity, or the sound of water running through the pipes, just the howl of the wind and the crackle of the fire. She picked up the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Is it because of your Semblance? Fewer things to break?"

"Yeah, I've noticed over the years my Semblance can break just about anything over time." He left out that included people, or maybe how it especially broke people. "It's just easier in the long run to live simply and I don't mind, the extra chores keep me busy."

The silver eyed woman looked over to the fire, the orange flames leapt and danced. It was such an old dance but new each and every time. "I like it, it's quiet. In a good way." Qrow smiled shyly at her, he was glad she liked it. Even if her stay was short, it was nice to finally meet someone who understood.