Harbinger was a really cool car all things considered. Winter loved her bug more than anything, except Weiss obviously, but there was something so… alluring about a car as flashy and fun as this. It didn't purr and dance down the road like the bug, it roared, charged, and attacked the road without mercy. Plus, now that Qrow was going at a decent pace down the road, after she begged him again near crying to slow down, she got to take in all the little details.

Harbinger was a low to the ground car that seemed like a perfect fit for the man sitting next to her. While it could be flashy and powerful, it could also be careful, fun, and take its time. The interior was also beautiful, made from a light brown leather that popped beautifully against the black exterior. The smell of the leather was soft, but distinct, relaxing her with every breath she took. There wasn't a back seat or anything, only a long stretch of leather that could fit three people if you squeezed.

"Like what you see?" Qrow chuckled, looking at her out of the corner of his eye

"I mean, it's a nice car, I wish it had a cooler name though" Winter winked, and she could see his shoulders move, but just a little, as he silently laughed. "You said you got this sophomore year? Is there a fun story there?"

"Eh, fun isn't exactly the word I'd use. I got home one day and found a piece of shit car in the yard, rusted halfway to hell with one side of it crushed in. I walked in the door and he threw the keys at me, nailed me right in the eye. He told me happy birthday, opened a beer, and walked away without another word" He was talking lightly, even giving a dry laugh, but his face was completely blank. Like he was telling her about returning a library book.

"Annnd that's the car you traded in for Harbinger?" Winter probed with a small smile. Qrow finally broke into a real smile as he shook his head.

"Thankfully not. I spent the next few weeks trying to fix her, but I had no real clue where to start. I ended up taking the steering wheel off one day, and threw it. Turns out, I threw it into my angry neighbors yard. Found that out when she pounded on our door demanding to know why someone had thrown a steering wheel into her garden. One thing led to another, and she ended up teaching me how to fix the car. Took awhile, but eventually we got it to where she could drive" Qrow took his hand and put it on the dashboard, almost like he was petting the car. She watched him do it, totally understanding.

"That was really nice of her to do" Winter commented, but Qrow laughed.

"She wasn't exactly nice while we were fixing it. We yelled at each other so much I'm shocked nobody called the police on us. Forced me to do chores at her place to pay her back. Well, she fed me at least, so it wasn't all bad. But I think she hated seeing a junker sitting at her neighbor's place, but didn't feel like fixing it herself. Hell, every time she sees this car she always complains about something"

"You still see her?"

"Yeah, the old bag was over for game night with you" Qrow chuckled, watching the shock explode on Winters face.

"Maria helped you?" Winter questioned, her jaw open.

"Yup. All these years later and she's still yelling at me on how to fix cars right" Qrow chuckled as he pulled into a small parking lot.

"Why does she do that?"

"Because I'm her chief mechanic over at Grimm mechanics. Enough about that though, if you talk about the devil too much she usually ends up popping up somewhere. Come on, we're here" Qrow explained as he opened the door, leaving Winter in a pool of knowledge she needed a second to process.

Winter had been curious about what exactly Maria's role was in that small family, figuring she was a neighbor that Qrow let hang out or something. She'd never imagined that Maria would be so… integral. She wasn't just a neighbor, she's a friend from Qrows childhood, even if he'd never admit it. She gave Qrow a job, gave Ruby and Yang security and cared for them. Maria's been around for years. Guess she really was their Granny.

"You coming, or gonna sit there all night?" Qrow quizzed as he opened up her door, letting the chilly night air in to bite her.

"Don't worry, I didn't come all the way here to sit in the car" Winter chuckled as she crawled out of the car towards Qrow.

All around them were buildings that went up five or six stories, all looking pretty new. There was banks, restaurants, in the distance you could see downtown with skyscrapers popping up all over the place. Winter had never been to this part of town before, but she had a feeling that they were near the edge of the city and this area was probably meant for a more relaxed experience compared to the hustle of downtown.

The only building that wasn't modern, was the one Qrow was leading her towards. It was four stories tall and painted completely black. Not a fancy dark black though, it was patchy and uneven, and looked like it was either hand painted by amateurs or someone used an ungodly number of spray paint cans on it. Either way, she was sure that this building would be an eyesore in direct sunlight, because it didn't even look that good in the dark.

Winter wanted to say some sarcastic comment, but held her tongue, at least for now. Because Qrow wasn't taking her to the front doors, but to the back. What was surprising was that it wasn't only them anymore, but there was a long line stretching across the gravel lot behind the building.

Everyone was wearing a lot of black and was talking to someone, a jittery, excited energy filled the line, with hardly a single person standing quietly. She wasn't sure if it was a coincidence, she doubted it, but every single person in the line was also wearing black t-shirts with weird designs on them.

"OK, I'm curious now" Winter admitted as the two of them made their way to the back of the line.

"Glad to hear it, Snowflake. All you gotta do is relax, and enjoy yourself. Thankfully we weren't too late, they haven't started letting people in yet." Qrow explained as he patted her on the shoulder.

"By the way, where are the girls? I don't think I've ever seen you without them attached to your hip" Winter inquired, a little sad at the lack of red and yellow.

"Ruby's not a fan of this- type of thing. So she wanted to stay home. Yang was supposed to come, but at the last minute she said she had a stomach ache. So she decided to stay home, but she suggested I should bring you. Then demanded that I bring you. For someone with a stomach ache she didn't have any issues climbing on me till I said I would" Qrow sighed as he pulled down his shirt revealing a few light scratch marks here and there.

"Ooh, that looks like it hurt. Hope she feels better, and I appreciate the invitation to… This"

"Eh, a few scratches isn't anything to worry about, I've dealt with a lot worse" Qrow shrugged, letting his shirt fall back in place. That fact that Qrow had dealt with worse wasn't exactly reassuring to Winter to say the least, but at least it didn't hurt that much.

Winter turned to look up at the line, and saw the back of the building. While the rest of the building was painted that uneven black, the back of the building was a bit brighter. Instead of the dull black, the back was covered in murals. The biggest was an elephant with three heads with bright red and yellow tentacles circling around it gently. There was a tiger that was made from rainbows, flowers of every shape, size, and color all around the wall. It was like looking at a zoo from a different dimension where colors came to life.

Winter wasn't sure how long she stood there, taking in the details, the colors, the care that went into every single brush stroke, but it was long enough for the line to start moving and for Qrow to push her along.

After a ticket check, Qrow gave them her ticket and didn't let her get a good look at it, they were inside the building. The inside had a lot of classical wood designs implemented all over like in the stairs and the siding, but a lot of it was covered up with random posters with cool designs that Winter didn't have time to read or they were painted over with more murals and art. There was an upstairs and a downstairs, with the upstairs looking very classical and formal, with more wood. But the downstairs had more posters and art, and down was where the line was pushing her.

The downstairs was dark and lighted poorly, but it was still clear that the room was packed and getting fuller by the minute. Winter was standing in a large room that was mostly made out of cement, with the walls covered by even more posters and weird artwork. Colorful eyes were watching her and smiling with disconnected mouths. There was a small stage at the far end of the room that was covered by a curtain, blocking whatever was behind it. There was also a small bar off to the side where two bartenders were running around like madmen trying to get as many orders out as possible. Next to where they'd come in was a small table that looked to be selling clothes or something, but it all seemed to be way over priced.

"You've been here before, right?" Winter shakily asked, as the two of them made their way to a corner, trying to find a bit of space.

"I've been coming here since I was old enough to sneak out" Qrow chuckled as he watched Winter eyeing all the goths around her. Winter was feeling a bit out of place being the only one dressed in white, but Qrow didn't seem worried. Did he ever really worry?

'The girls have been here too, right? They didn't have any issues or anything?"

"If you're asking if anyone tried to fight them or anything, the answers no. These guys might look all tough, but most of them are here to relax and have a little fun. So don't be a jerk, and you'll be fine" Qrow reassured her, and Winter nodded, unconvinced. "Do you want a drink or anything?"

"Drink? Yeah, that actually sounds nice" Winter smiled, realizing that she hadn't really had anything to drink in way too long. She really needed to get better at eating and drinking water, but it always slipped her mind.

"You want anything specific?"

"No, get me whatever" Winter smiled, trying her best not to be that picky. If she was being honest, an apple juice or something sounded wonderful. Qrow smiled at her and nodded as he made his way to the bar, leaving Winter by herself.

Winter found a bench along the wall and sat down, listening to the loud conversations happening all around her. People were laughing, arguing with smiles, and everywhere she looked there were happy people. Whatever they were all here for, everyone was pretty damn excited.

Suddenly, the sound of something sweet came from behind the curtain that made everyone in the room go silent. Winter looked at the dark red curtain curiously for a second, before another sound rang out, the sound of a guitar.

Someone was playing a sweet, slow tune on a guitar. It sounded sweet and sensual, and captured everyone's attention without being seen. Then, a piano joined in, adding another layer to the music that swooped Winter back up to her feet. A base hopped in next, and the tempo changed, going faster. A few other odds and ends jumped in and at this point Winter could hardly sit still as the music flooded her systems. Finally, the curtain opened with the whip of a stagehands wrist, but the stage was black, and the music stopped.

Tension built silently as the whole room sat in anxious waiting. Winter wasn't sure what she was waiting for, but she could feel all of her muscles tighten, as her nerves fired at double speed, shooting her senses into overdrive. She could feel the still air on her skin, smell old cigarette smoke that had come in with a few people, taste the anticipation in the air… Before red and blue lights flooded the stage, and the music started right where it had left off without missing a beat, louder than ever and with someone singing like an angel that was looking to start some chaos.

The crowd lost it. Everyone was jumping up, screaming, singing along, dancing, and Winter had to move. She'd never heard the song before, but it commanded her to jump, bob her head, try her best to match the lyrics even though she had no clue what they were. She loved it.

Qrow tapped her on the shoulder with a big smile and two drinks in his hands. His face colored blue from the moving lights, and it made him look like he was a piece of the artwork on the walls. He leaned in close and said into her ear, "Welcome to Hall, home of your first concert" before handing her a drink.

Winter moved her hips with the music as she grabbed the drink and took a big gulp to sooth her parched throat. But she only got a few drops in before she choked, a bitter flavor that reminded her of rubbing alcohol filling her mouth.

"What the heck is this?" Winter shouted over the music, hardly loud enough for him to hear. Qrow looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

"Vodka and tonic. You said you didn't mind what you got" He asked as he took a sip of his own drink that was a dark brown. "Don't like it?"

See, it wasn't like Winter had never had alcohol before, she had a few times. But that was mostly a glass of wine here or there at galas and balls with her parents. Even then, she hated the taste of it. Whenever she drank wine, Winter started off with the impression she was drinking grape juice, but a second later she would be flooded with a sour monstrosity that made her want to spit the gross liquid out. Vodka and tonic, was apparently a lot like that. Except there wasn't that initial sweet flavor, and it was bitter from start to finish.

But as she watched Qrow sip on his drink without so much as a flinch, she decided to grit her teeth and take another short sip. She winched, and Qrow watched her with a curious expression on his face.

"You don't have to drink it if you don't want to ya know. It won't hurt my feelings' he insisted as he took another sip.

"No, I like it. Thanks, I'll get the next one' She forcefully smiled as she took another sip.

"Well lucky for you, I get free refills" he smiled as he shook his glass and took a swig. A swig that Winter matched with a shutter.

"What do you mean? Do I not?" Winter wondered as she looked at her already half gone clear drink.

"When you get pop they give you free refills. Pretty sure they're trying to make everyone fat, but damn does it taste good"

"Wait, you got pop?" Winter asked, puzzled, a fuzzy feeling starting to come over her head for some reason.

"Course, I don't drink liquor or anything anymore" Qrow smiled at her as he took another long swig of his drink. Winter looked at her cup and smiled, her mind feeling loose and flowy in a fun way.

"That's cool! I had no idea, I thought you were drinking whisky or something!" Winter giggled as she reached out and squeezed his arm. Qrow gave her an odd, cute, look. It was almost like he was surprised at something! Winter giggled again, finding everything really funny.

"Nope, good old cola. I gotta ask, have you ever had vodka before-" Qrow started, but Winter straightened her back and gasped, letting go of Qrow and bringing her hands up to her face, looking like a kid seeing something cool.

"We should dance! It's been so long since I've danced! I don't even remember the last time I danced? Wait, have I danced before? Let's dance!" Winter grinned, taking his hand and taking him further into the crowd.

Before he answered, Winter started to move without a care in the world, singing to the lyrics and not caring that she didn't know them. Pretty soon, Qrow was dancing right along with her. The music was loud, winter could feel the vibrations move up and down her back, and it made her want to be loud, silly, and made her feel like she didn't have a care in the world.

They moved like that, freely and happily, for awhile. Each of them trying weird different dance moves that left the other one laughing. Winter took another few sips of her drink, but while she was dancing, Qrow snagged it out of her hands! "Don't want you to spill it while we dance!" He yelled over the crowd, and Winter nodded excitedly, dancing even faster than before. She never got the drink back, and had no clue what he did with it, but she was sure he put it somewhere for safe keeping! Qrow was so nice like that!

Someone held up their arm and started to jump up, and it spread across the audience until Winter finally noticed. She yelled as she held up her arm and jumped up and down like an excited kangaroo. As she was jumping, some of her hair fell out of her bun and covered her right eye a bit. Winter cursed, as she tried to fix it, but realized it was impossible. Qrow noticed, and pointed her in the direction of the bathrooms with a laugh that she couldn't hear over the music.

Winter stumbled over to the bathroom feeling like a bobble head with how much her head was moving. She was pretty sure Qrow was laughing at her, but what did that matter? She flung the door open and went right to the mirror. Winter put all of her weight on her right hand, which she was resting on the mirror, as she looked at her hair.

Winter had always put her hair in a bun because it was the best way for her to have long hair but for it to not get in her way. Ponytails sometimes worked, but not often. It didn't hurt that she thought she looked super cute with a bun, but it was mostly for function. But now, with this section of her hair down, she thought it looked… Right. She moved her head and watched it move and flow, like a white river, and a smile broke out on her face. Instead of putting it back up, she took more of it out, combining it with her fingers, and trying to make it work.

Some girl Winter had never seen before came up and with a brush and combed her hair and sticking a bobby pin in it to get it looking perfect. Winter normally would've told her not to touch her, but the brush felt good, so Winter thought she could trust her.

Winter stumbled out of the bathroom and back to Qrow, who smiled, "I like it. It suits you" He shouted over the music, the look in his eyes was so genuine and sweet, it was clear how much he meant it.

Winter blushed, the butterflies in her belly were moving a lot more than normal right now. It was almost like they were free of their cage, and were running rampant inside of her now. Their wills beating inside of her like a drum, that she had to try hard to ignore. They were chanting do it, kiss him, you know you want to.

But closed her eyes, trying to force the butterflies back in their cage, but she couldn't find the key to the lock. She was fighting them off though, and she could feel the chanting dull. But then, she opened her eyes and saw Qrows sweet smiling face, his caring eyes, his strong hands, and suddenly the cage fell apart. God, she tried to ignore it… but she couldn't.

His eyes widened as she leaned in, closer than ever before, and kissed him without any warning. Like that, on the dance floor of Hall, she had her first kiss.

-Authors note-

So I hope you guys like this chapter, because it was very fun and just a wee bit stressful to write! I hope I've done a good job building up the flirting bits between them for this to seem reasonable! So let me know what you guys think about the chapter, the story, and what you think's gonna happen, because that's always fun to hear! See you guys next week!