The shining sun was washing over the park without a cloud in the sky. Families were laying down on blankets having fun, kids were running around playing games, couples were holding hands and basking in each other's presence. All in all, it looked like a perfect late summer day.
Even in Atlas, where the summers weren't the warmest, Winter still had plenty of memories of her mom, Weiss, and her walking around a park eating ice cream, just like this. Winter remembered the time Weiss slipped on a patch of ice and sent her ice cream flying. Winter watched her mom dry Weiss's tears and plop a spoonful of her ice cream into Weiss' trembling lips, watched the sadness evaporate from her sister's face. Her heart started to ache the more she thought about it.
"Winter, you ok?" Her eyes snapped up from her ice cream and looked around, not sure who had snapped her out of the past. "You're being quiet, what's up?" Qrow asked with a look of concern on his face, sticking a spoonful of his Vacuo Chunky Chocolate in his mouth.
"I'm fine, just been a while since I've had this, ya know?" Winter held up her small cup of white ice cream up, spoon still in the same place Glynda had stuck it.
"What even is that?" Qrow questioned, turning and walking backward but still facing her, spoon still in his mouth.
"Atlas Vanilla. Ever heard of it?" Winter asked, looking to make sure Qrow wasn't gonna hit anything. The closest thing to him though was Ruby and Yang, who were joking and laughing about something or other.
"Isn't it that weird flavor that nobody outside of Atlas likes?"
"I haven't heard that before, but it's a good thing I'm from there then" Winter laughed, finally pulling the spoon out of the ice cream. "Wanna try it?" She asked, holding the spoon out for him to take. He took it out of her hand slowly, staring at it like it was something out of a horror movie. "It won't bite. Promise"
He smelled it, then shrugged, popping the spoon in his mouth next to his own. His face contorted as he had just eaten a lemon, but at least he didn't spit it out.
"It's not that bad!" Winter laughed as he slowly took the spoon out.
"It's so salty! You like that?" He asked, stabbing the spoon back into her cup.
"Nope, I love it" She took a big scoop and ate it with a smile on her face. The taste brought Winter back home to her mom again, to late nights under the stars curled up in blankets with Weiss, and a thousand other moments.
"Meh, I don't see the appeal. Ice cream should be sweet, ya know? So why try and over complicate it with something like salt?" Qrow shrugged, still walking backward. Winter watched him curiously, his eyes were closed and he had a relaxed look about him that a guy walking backward probably shouldn't have.
Movement on the other side of Qrow caught her attention. The sisters had stopped moving and were watching a group of five or six kids kick around a soccer ball back and forth. Ruby was watching them move, she moved ever so slightly, like she was about to walk over, but then planted her foot again softly. Yang just stood with an unreadable expression over her face.
Qrow turned around to follow her gaze, his feet stopping when his eyes found the girls. "Should we say something?" He asked uncertainly pacing side to side, acting like a dog at the end of his leash. Winter watched how transfixed they were like they were being hypnotized.
"I think I'll go say something, could you stay back for a second?" She asked walking up to him and giving him a sad smile. All the energy drained from him in an instant, his legs slowly dying until they were still, his strained face relaxing into a look of light shock and almost hurt.
"You sure?" sounding like he was waiting for her to say she was joking.
"Yeah, I'm gonna try talking to them one on one and see what they say" Winter explained, turning to him. She felt off when she looked at him like she was intruding into their world like she didn't belong. When she looked into Qrows eyes she didn't see a man staring back at her. She saw a massive wolf that was watching her every move, knowing if she made one bad move towards his pups, she would be torn to shreds in an instant.
When she blinked, the wolf was gone and the man was back, but his eyes still had the same look them. "Qrow" She started, staring back at the beast with as much confidence as she could muster, "Trust me" Winter felt her heartbeat like prey, the unease in her stomach worse than ever. His gaze was hard, but when he took a breath it seemed like his eyes softened.
"Alright then. Go and earn your paycheck" He chuckled softly, forcing a small smile that didn't reach his eyes. He turned and walked away, looking up a nearby tree and walking around it for some reason. Winter could see his ever-watchful eyes glancing up at her frequently.
Ruby and Yang were still watching the other kids playing. "Alight, Winter, let's go… Three, two, one" She whispered under her breath before she started to walk, her mind still whirling around trying to find the right words.
As Winter walked up to the girls, they still didn't pay her any mind, just watching the game like it was a t.v. show. "Do you wanna go play with them?" She asked them both quietly, turning to watch the game with them. A boy with the long black hair stole the ball from a bigger boy with dark skin and short black hair. Yang spoke first.
"No, just watching. Besides, you guys probably wanna get going" Yang explained quietly, shoving her hands into her pockets and looking up at Winter.
"We don't have anywhere to be. Besides, Qrow looks like he's getting comfortable" Winter pointed at Qrow who was climbing up the trees low branches.
"Probably trying to find a better seat," Ruby said, turning to look too. "Those branches look pretty comfortable" She added, probably thinking about going to join her uncles' search, but Winter hoped she wouldn't just yet.
"I think you're right. So I think you guys have time to play, they look like they need some more numbers. You can't play a good game of soccer with just six people" Winter commented, knowing that she'd never played a game of soccer in her life.
"You think so?" Ruby asked sheepishly, but her eyes were wide. Yang stayed silent, looking at the kids playing before looking down at Ruby whos feet were still planted firmly in the ground.
It was a quick motion, but Winter had looked at just the right time to catch it. Winter watched as in the blink of an eye Yang had a beaming smile on her face and was suddenly full of energy.
"Of course they need more people! Don't you wanna help them out, Ruby!" Yang asked excitedly, her hands on her hips. Ruby didn't look convinced, looking at the ground and slowly swirling her feet in the grass like a paintbrush on a canvas.
"I don't know, Yang. They look like they're having a good time without us" Ruby countered quietly like the idea was already dead in her mind.
"But you that just means that they could be having an even better time with you! Come on Rubes, let's go!" Yang encouraged, starting to run at the group of kids. Ruby hesitated before looking at Winter.
"Do you wanna go?" Winter asked gently like she was talking to a sleeping baby.
"Yeah, a little" Ruby admitted, like she shouldn't be feeling that way. Winter kneeled so she was eye level with the small preteen and tried her best to copy the looks her mom used to give her when she was nervous.
"Can I give you some advice?" Winter asked. Ruby looked up at her and nodded. "Whenever I get nervous or scared or anything, which is all the time, by the way, I count down from three. Then when I get past one, I go. I don't think, I just do it"
"You do that? It helps?" Ruby wondered, looking just as hopeful as she was scared.
"All the time. Wanna give it a try?"
Ruby hesitated like she wanted to just go and hide up the tree with her uncle. But Winter saw the resolve form in the silver pool of her eyes. "Three, two… One" She shakily said, and right after she said one she ran off to join Yang who was already introducing herself to the other kids.
Winter watched as they got introduced and started to play. Ruby was quick, Yang was tough, and the other kids looked like they took to them pretty fast. Winter's eyes followed Yang's blonde mane as she ran up and down the grass, curiosity growing inside of her.
She walked over to Qrow who was sitting on a tree branch a few feet above Winter's head, but he climbed down a few branches when he noticed her.
"You do have a way with those kids" He insisted, wonder in his voice.
"That wasn't me" Winter turned to face Qrow. He was resting his head in his hand and looking down at her with a raised eyebrow.
"How do you mean?"
"It was Yang, she was the reason Ruby had the confidence to go out there at all. I just gave Ruby a little push is all" Winter explained, "Can you please come down from there? It's really weird to talk to you like this" Winter joked looking up at him.
"Nah, you can come up here if ya want though"
"Have it your way then" Winter chuckled as she looked up at the branches and Qrow longing among them. She grabbed a branch and tried to pull herself up, but barely got an inch off the ground.
"Come on, put some effort into it" Qrow quipped, laughing at her struggle.
"Not all of us grew up climbing trees you know" Winter huffed, getting a little higher as she tried to pull herself up again.
"Wait, you've never climbed a tree before?" Qrow asked, leaning forward to look down at her. Winter blushed, and it wasn't because of how hard her arms were working.
"Doesn't matter" Winter murmured quickly, "What does matter is Yang. She'd do anything for Ruby, wouldn't she?"
"That's an understatement. Ruby's her everything" Winter felt like she was gonna be sick with worry thinking about Yang, knowing where she had to start.
"Someone help! She's hurt!" the boy with long black hair yelled as most of the other kids stood still in fear. On the ground was a small red ball.
"Ruby!" Qrow growled, and in an instant, he was out of the tree and in an all-out sprint to his pup.