Winters heart was running wild in her chest as she looked up at Qrow, her excitement and anxiety were swirling together, making her feel like she was about to be sick. She took a step back, and almost ran into James who was standing right behind her, trapping her between the two men.
Qrow was wearing a pair of black dress pants and a white dress shirt that managed to only have a few wrinkles in it here and there, like he'd pulled it out of the closet and hadn't bothered to iron it out. His tie was black and loose around his neck, and Winter got the impression it had been like that the whole night. His hair was combed back and slick, not looking stiff or having that weird looking sheen that always came with hair gel. His face was also clean shaved so his jaw stood out a bit more than normal.
He didn't even seem to notice the impact as he stood there lazily, some carbonated drink in his hand. His eyes were looking out into the crowd of people when she ran into him, but his eyes quickly darted her direction after the hit. He turned to her with a smile on his face, ready to apologize, but then he seemed to realize exactly who'd hit him, and his eyes got wide.
He didn't gawk like everyone else, but she saw the way his eyes moved up and down her body, and it sent warm shivers down her spine. His look didn't last, quickly turning calm with a smile that only looked a little forced.
"Hey, Win," he said calmly before taping a sip of his drink.
"Uh-H-Hey," Winter stuttered out, even that simple word was a mess in her mouth. She wanted to say more, but all that confidence and bravado she'd had not two minutes ago? Gone. Never to be seen again.
Qrow looked at her and opened his mouth, about to say something else. But nothing came out for him either. He looked at her with an odd expression, his mind apparently as blank as hers. That's when his eyes moved above her head and saw James standing behind her, "Jimmy, what the hell? You said-" Qrow stopped suddenly to cast a glance Winters way before continuing, "You said it would be ok if I came," He said through gritted teeth. He wasn't mad, Winter could spot from a mile away when Qrow was mad, but he was getting pretty damn annoyed for some reason.
"You're always welcome, Qrow, you know that. What're you drinking? It better not be-" But Qrow gave him a look that told him to stop talking as he held up his bubbly drink.
"Jimmy, it's pop. Calm down. You know I don't drink," Qrow sighed, like he'd had this same conversation a thousand times and had reached his limit. "And you know that's not what I mean,," Qrow bickered, still talking over Winter like she wasn't even there.
"You two know each other?" Winter asked either of them, fed up with being ignored and confused at what exactly was going on.
Qrow shrugged and took a sip of his drink. Jimmy couldn't help but laugh slowly and deeply for some reason. "I can't believe you never told her, Qrow. I was sure that would've been the first thing out of your mouth when you found out she worked with me," He laughed, but Winter still had no clue what was so funny.
"It never came up. Besides, isn't the boss supposed to tell their workers about stuff like this? You are the boss at your office, right? Or is that Glynda too?" Qrow wondered, honestly not sure apparently.
"We take turns, or that's what she says at least," James smiled, his eyes light as he talked with Qrow. "But to answer your question, Winter, yes, we know each other. I won him in a game of poker. Well, lost. How would you describe it, Qrow?"
"You lost the hand and I lost my dignity," Qrow sighed as he looked longingly at the drink in his hand, probably wishing it was something stronger about now.
"Not a bad way to put it, but I think I'd better explain. Back when I was in the military, me and another general were complaining about some of our new recruits. He said his was the worst, always causing fights, drinking, not taking anything seriously. I thought I had someone who was worse, so we decided to play a game of poker. Loser gets both of the recruits. And as you can see, I lost, and got Qrow. Best game of poker I've ever lost! You still have that photo somewhere, don't you, Qrow? The one where you're holding the cards?"
"I think I burned it a couple years back. Sorry, Jimmy," scowled Qrow, a wicked smile on his face.
Winter held in a laugh, knowing he was lying right through his teeth. She'd seen that very picture framed in his bedroom. Actually, it was the only picture he had in his bedroom at all.
"You guys know each other, and neither of you told me? Are you guys serious?" Winter growled, "Wait, does this mean you know the girls?" Winter turned and asked James.
Winter expected another gleeful laugh, but James' face was downcast and his eyes looked like he'd lost all of his spirit, "Yes, I know them. A few years ago, after their parents had passed, it was one of my doctors, Dr. Lionheart, that gave them their psychological review…"
"Lionheart? Isn't he…" She turned to look at Qrow, who was looking down at the ground taking a slow sip of his drink, looking as miserable as James was.
Lionheart was the man who'd made the girls hate therapy, who told them that their abuses were all in their imaginations. He was the one who forced them to go with Raven.
Winters hands were fists, and she had to take a deep breath to stay calm. She was furious, and wanted to give Dr. Ironwood a piece of her mind! But then, she took a look at him.
It looked like tears could roll down his face at any moment, guilt was clinging to him and she knew he'd probably never forgive himself for letting something so terrible happen.
"He was the reason they were abused, and I take responsibility for that, whatever that means. Trust me, he won't be getting a job in this city ever again if I have anything to say about it," he seethed, his anger at the man showing through. It was the first time Winter had seen him getting anywhere close to angry. He must have been terrifying to watch him fire Lionheart.
Qrow took a step to the side, standing right next to Winter, and put his hand on James' shoulder, squeezing it tight, "It's all in the past, Jimmy. Can't worry about what you can't change. They're doing great now, I haven't seen them this happy in years. So just… Lighten up, ok?" Qrow pleaded, a sad smile on his face as he watched his friend suffer. James looked like he might ignore his friend's advice, but he nodded, and Winter could see him relax as he stood back up.
"As long as the girls are doing ok, that's all that matters," He said, smiling softly to Qrow.
"Where are the girls by the way? I have the feeling that Ruby's somewhere making a fort" Winter said smiling, excitedly looking around for a girl in red making a scene somewhere.
"Nah, they hate coming to this thing. They say it's too stuffy here for them, way too many people in suits. They're at home, torturing Maria," He explained, bringing equal parts relief and sadness to Winter's heart.
"That's good. I'm sure they're having a blast," Winter tried to smile, but it didn't last. All this talk about the girls, seeing Qrow again… She had something she had to do, and she didn't wanna waste another second. "Um, hey. Qrow… Could we talk real quick? Privately?" Winters voice was shaky and quiet, but her eyes were begging him to say yes. Damn, maybe it wasn't too late for that shot yet?
"I guess. You heard her, Jimmy, buzz off," he said while waving his hand back towards the party with a grin.
"Always so rough around the edges. I'm glad you managed to kick some of your old habits, but if only you'd gotten some manners out of the military too," He said as he scratched his head, "No matter, I'll see you two later, I have an annoyed wife I need to get a drink for," He laughed lightly, "Oh, and Winter? Good luck," He nodded to her before making his way over to the line for the bar.
"Alright, come on," Qrow told her before quickly leading her through the door she'd just come from and back into the kitchens. He was walking fast, and Winter got the feeling like he was trying to leave her behind. If he was, he didn't have any luck, because Winter was a master of speed walking in heels.
She expected him to lead her back into the alley, but walked right past the door leading outside and went further into the kitchen. Cooks and waiters would glance up at them, then look right back to whatever it was they were doing before.
"Are we even allowed to be back here?" Winter wondered, a little afraid as a rather large cook walked in front of them.
"Eh, they never seem to care. Hey, Ralph," Qrow waved to the tall cook, who nodded at Qrow. "They host this thing here every year, so they've gotten pretty used to us," Qrow explained as he opened a small side door, and Winter found herself looking at an office area.
There was a large desk on one side of the room that had a computer that looked at least twenty years old, an old chair, and god knows how many papers and pens littered everywhere in the room, even the floor. The rest of the room was all shelving that was filled with a mix of binders and mayo containers. The room smelled like an old bag of chips and damp mold, making Winter gag as she took her first breath in the room. At least it's warm in here, she thought, breathing through her mouth.
Qrow closed the door and then took a seat in the chair, leaning back with one arm slung over the side like he didn't have a care in the world, "So, what's up?" he asked bluntly, clearly wanting to get this out of the way.
Winter grabbed an empty milk crate off the shelf and used it as a seat. She sat there, looking at the floor, quietly thinking, and he sat there, quietly waiting.
"Ya know, I keep thinking about random stuff I wanna ask you. How've you been? How're the girls? Sure is weird you know my boss, isn't it? But, I just… I can't. I messed up, Qrow. I was scared, confused, and had no idea what to do anymore. Everything felt so out of my control, and I lost it. I stopped talking to you and the girls, couldn't sleep, I was screwing up everything at my job. Hell, it felt like I couldn't even talk to my own sister! I felt like such a screw up, like a failure…" explained Winter, all her frustration coming out as she talked, sick of holding all of this bullshit inside of her. She slammed her fits into her knees, the pain bringing her back to earth.
Winter was breathing hard now, with her blood pumping. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. "I took a step back, went back home for a minute, and it put everything into perspective I guess. I should've told you what I was feeling, and it wasn't fair that I didn't. The thing is, I've liked you for a long time. You're the only person I've ever liked this much, and I was so scared you wouldn't want anything to do with me if you knew how much of a screw up I was" Winter admitted, looking up from the floor and seeing that he'd stopped leaning back, and was looking at her with his full attention.
"I wanted to keep helping the girls, I wanted to keep my job, and I wanted to have you… I wanted everything. But I can't have that. So, I have to think about what I really want, and, well, I wanna be with you more than anything. I want it so badly it hurts my chest when I think about it, Qrow," Winter felt her heart fluttering with excitement and terror as she talked.
"So, um, what do you say? Do you wanna try this? Try us?" Winter breathed softly, the last words almost a whisper. Qrows was looking at the floor, one of his feet bounced up and down like a bouncy ball, both of his hands clasped together tightly in his lap.
She saw his mouth opening and closing, but couldn't see his eyes or hear what he was trying to say. Quickly, he stood up, turning away from her, pushing his hair back lightly as he breathed in hard.
"You are the most… Confusing, and infuriating girl I've ever met," He said quietly, his back still to her. "I tried to be patient, to try and move on after you said no. It hurt so god damned much. I almost went inside and had my first drink in years. But I didn't. I thought about it, and decided that this was for the best. That the girls were more important, and as long as you were helping them, it was worth it,"
"But then, you stopped talking to them, stopped coming over, and left them feeling like they'd done something wrong, like they'd been abandoned again! You hurt them, Winter. I know you get that, and you're trying to be better, but I can't forget how mad that made me. How much that hurt me. Then, just when I start to move on, accepting it all, here you are, telling me that you wanna get together?" He turned around now, and she could see the anger on his face. He was gritting his teeth, trying to calm down, but he was too far over the edge.
"I'm still mad, Winter. I'm mad at you for leaving even though you said you'd stay for the girls. I just, I don't know anymore Winter! God, I can't do this right now. Damn it, Jimmy. She won't be there my ass. I gotta take a walk," He growled before walking past her and out the door, leaving Winter sitting on her milk crate, dazed and utterly alone.
She stared at the door as it swung close, not sure what had happened. Her mind was blank as she thought about what had happened, what she'd said wrong. What he'd said to her, the anger in his eyes.
He's leaving. I messed up. I destroyed any chance I had… Winter thought brutally, feeling destroyed and completely hopeless… She wanted to sit there until the end of time, alone and in pain until the day she died. That's what she deserved, wasn't it?
She wanted to say that it was. She deserved this. But confusingly enough, she couldn't admit it. What was even more confusing was that she found herself standing up, gritting her teeth, and running after him with all her might.
Cooks crowded the kitchen, so she twirled and dipped frantically around them. She heard glass shattering behind her and the clang of a metal tray, but she kept running, not caring that they were yelling at her.
She threw open the door to the hall, her eyes scanning all around her for Qrow. She spotted a tall man with black hair in the middle of the room and found herself charging towards him without a second thought.
She didn't find Qrow standing there, but she did find James. Glynda was at his side holding a bright red drink and sipping it with a bored expression as she listened to a dark skinned man talk about his kids.
"Have you guys seen Qrow?" Winter asked, her breath shaky and uneven. The man didn't seem to notice her, talking despite her outburst. Glynda and James turned to her, concerned, while the man kept running his mouth.
"He said he was going for a walk, but he looked pretty mad. Did something happen?" a worried James asked. Winter didn't say anything as she turned towards the front doors and watched them close. She bolted towards them, he hadn't gotten that far.
"Winter!"Glynda yelled, stopping the girl in her tracks. Everyone nearby turned to look at her, but Glynda couldn't have cared less. She walked up to Winter, her face serious and her lips a thin line.
"I've known Qrow a long time, and I've gotten a lot of chances to talk with him ever since you came into the picture thanks to those girls of his. It might not seem like it right now, but he cares about you almost as much as he cares about those girls. You hurt him, but he still cares, and I need to give you a warning. If you aren't gonna take this seriously, if this is just some guy to you and not someone really special, don't go after him. If you let him go now, he'll be able to move on. But if you go after him and somehow convince him to trust you, then leave him again… I'm not sure if he'll ever be ok," Glynda warned, dead seriously.
The way she was talking made Winter stop and think, even though her heart was beating and her legs told her to run. Was he just some guy to her? Was this some random conquest she'd regret later? She had her doubts… But only for a moment.
Then she thought of everything they'd done together, how he helped her when she really needed it, how they talked, played games, joked around, how he made her feel so secure with one quick joke. How he always seemed to know what to say to her to calm her down, how he always seemed to genuinely want to talk to her and make her feel comfortable…
No, this wasn't some random one off guy she'd forget about down the line. She'd never felt more secure and more wanted from someone in her life. He was just… He was special to her in too many ways to count.
She looked at Glynda, her eyes hard as steel and her blood flaming, "If he lets me, I'll never let him or those girls go ever again," Winter vowed, her hands clenched into fists at her words.
Glyndas serious face melted into a grin as she nodded to Winter. Winter turned and ran without another word to the front doors, pushing people out of her way without a care, ignoring their protests and complaints.
She forced the door open a crack before it blew open with enough force to dent the wall behind it, echoing across the hall once more. Fierce wind spilled into the hall, and everyone looked at her again. Winter didn't care about the door or the looks, she charged into the snow and left the door for someone else to close if they wanted.
The steps were slick with snow, and Winter had to use the rail to keep her balance as she charged down them. Qrow was nowhere in sight, and there were tracks leading everywhere which way. Winter walked in circles, trying to find some kind a sign to where he'd gone to, but had no clue which way he'd gone.
A light bulb went off in her head, and she started to run across the street to her car, fishing her keys from her purse that was slung around her shoulder. As Winters hand searched blindly for her keys, she managed to prick her finger on Amys nail file, drawing a drop of blood. On the bright side, she found the keys.
She opened her car door and jumped in, putting her keys in and turning the engine, ready to get on the road and look for Qrow. But the engine didn't turn over. It didn't even make a noise. Winter looked at the wheel, confused and angry.
"Of all the time you could've died, you choose now? Stupid car! Stupid cold! Stupid everything!" Winter screamed as she hit the wheel, getting out of the car and slamming the door closed.
She set out on foot, not caring about the snow falling hard outside now, the cold, or how her heels were starting to fill with snow. She was from Atlas, she was a Schnee, and she could walk through a blizzard without flinching.
She set off, determination in her every step as she trudged through the snow, looking for Qrow.
"Winter? What're you doing here?" She heard, causing her to look over excited. Instead of Qrow, she saw Tyrian standing there, looking at her confused.
"Tyrian?" She called, walking up to him.
"Hey. What're you doing out here? You look like you're freezing," He noted, reaching out and gently touching her bare shoulder in concern with his hands.
"I'm fine, my car just died is all," Winter grumbled, still mad at the damn thing.
"Do you need a ride somewhere? I'm parked right here, it's no trouble," He said, motioning to the same parking lot her car was in.
"Really? I'm looking for someone, would you mind driving me around to look for him? I can pay you if you want" Winter asked as she reached into her purse to grab her wallet, ignoring her instincts. She'd known Tyrian for awhile now, and while he might be a bit odd, he'd never done anything bad to her before. Plus, she was desperate.
"Don't worry about it. Come on, let's get you out of the cold," He said as he led the way to his car. It was an old Buick, that was dark red and low to the ground. It was only parked a few spots down from her own lucky enough, and when she climbed in, she was glad that it was already warm. It smelled like old pennies, but Winter couldn't care less. He got in and started it up, leaving the parking lot slowly.
There was plenty of snow on the ground and falling from the sky, so he kept the speed slow, which gave Winter every chance to look down every alley for Qrow.
"Who are we looking for?" He asked her curiously, his eyes never leaving the road.
"My friend. We had a fight and he ran off. I'm tlying to find him," Winter said, her words slurring from the adrenaline.
"Really? What'd you fight about?" He questioned, making a right turn slowly.
"It's a rot to explain," she said, annoyed at her own voice for failing for the millionth time. "What're you doing out here?" she asked him, mostly to be polite.
"I was with some friends, I was heading home when I spotted you," He explained calmly as they trudged on. Winter was staring out of her window, eyes straining to see anyone walking around in the snow. Maybe he'd just gone home? Then, Winter thought of something.
"We'rem't yo watchin moviez?" Winter said, her words totally slurred now, sending her heart into a frenzy. Tyrian smiled.
"Oh, I was. And then you told me you were going to your work party. Not only that, but you told that old bastard of a landlord you weren't gonna be home tonight. Then I thought to myself, when am I gonna get a chance like this again?" he said as he pulled off a thin, clear glove that she hadn't noticed he'd been wearing. It looked like there was a skin colored patch in the center of it, and he tossed it in the back seat.
"Whab abe you," Winters lips were starting to feel numb and heavy fast, like after you get a tooth pulled at the dentist and they have to numb you up. Her lips were too heavy to move right, and her words couldn't come out properly anymore, no matter how much she tried. She started to breath heavily and felt herself sweating, her heart was beating a million miles per hour as her blood froze solid in her veins.
"Gotta love the fast acting stuff, don't you?" He laughed, as he looked at her, an evil glimmer in his eyes.
Winter thought she knew what it was like to be scared, to be terrified before. She'd been wrong. Never before in her life had Winter felt so grappled by pure unimaginable dread. She could hardly breath, and she felt tears start to sting her eyes as she realized she couldn't even call for help as God knows what happened to her. All the while, Tyrian… Tyrian laughed.