The Thawing Rose

"I told you I'm fhhhinnne," he breathed out slowly before sharply inhaling as he missed his target and fell to the kitchen floor. Ambur had helped her drunken mess of a boyfriend into the kitchen and tried to escort him into a chair at the table.

He wasn't much help however, and when he went to sit he'd leaned back too far and simply kept going. He had fallen at the chair at such an angle that the chair back was on his left side so he fell right backward over it onto the floor and simply kept laughing, his aura taking the brunt of the impact.

Ambur rolled her eyes and waved her hand down at him exhaling and letting the air scrape against the top of her mouth, becoming increasingly annoyed with her wolf. She quickly walked out of the room and collected Qrow as well, coming back into the room to find that Mydnight was still giggling to himself, hanging upside down on the chair. "I honestly hope you throw up because you're gonna be the one who cleans it up," Ambur let out as she propped Qrow up against the counter top and began pouring out two cups of coffee for them. She left Qrow's black and handed it to him, practically forcing it down his throat before heading into the refrigerator to fetch cream and sugar for Mydnight.

"At least one of you needs to sober up because that little boy shouldn't be left alone to deal with those kids by himself. I'm sure he's overwhelmed," she scolded as she mixed her partner's coffee and delivered it to the table before kicking his chair, rocking him from side to side and making him nearly fall the rest of the way off onto the floor. With this he stopped laughing and sighed.

"Yes mam," he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes and sitting up. He slouched down in his chair and took the cup into his hand and started to lick at the liquid like a dog. He began to giggle again and looked up to Ambur to see if she was laughing too, only to find her scowling at him.

"DRINK...IT..." She growled out with her teeth gritted, her red eyes lit up like fire.

Mydnight slouched down even further and his ears flopped down. "Fine," he sighed out before sipping on the coffee properly.

"YOU!" Ambur said as she whipped around with her finger extended and found Qrow frozen with the cup up to his lips, his eyes wide like a deer caught in Ambur's headlights. "Ya know, I almost preferred it when you two idiots hated each other," she grumbled with a whispering shout. She wanted to yell at them both, but the kids were just on the other side of the wall with no door between the two parties. Both of the males look at each other and then back at Ambur, starting to become agitated with her. They both turned away from her and began to drink their coffee in large gulps, wanting to get out of the situation. After a few moments of silence from both of them Ambur sighed and pulled out a chair at the table and sat with her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry I...didn't mean that..." She sighed. She let her hands fall to the table in front of her and took a deep breath to calm herself. "You two getting along is great, but you need to understand that there is a fifteen year old girl out there who thinks the world of both of you," she stressed as she took a long look at each of them. "Coming home like this is not what she needs to see from both of you at a time like this. Whether it's in celebration or otherwise..."

Both of them gave a small hum of agreement before continuing to drink in silence. As Qrow finished off his first cup Olivier walked into the room. "Look one of you has to get out here and help me because these kids will not give that poor boy a second to breathe. He must be terrified," She pleaded as she leaned on the frame of the wall that lead into the kitchen.

"Qrow refill your cup and get out there...please?" Ambur begged as she took Mydnight's now empty cup back to the pot. "I'll fix up some tea for the kid too. If he really can change into Ozpin then I'm sure he'll appreciate it."

"Ya, okay," Qrow agreed slowly as he stood up straight and stabilized himself for a moment. He poured himself another mug-full before handing the pot back to Ambur. He breathed in heavily, mentally collecting himself before he walked past Olivier and out into the living room. Olivier joined Ambur at the counter just as the Amazon pulled out a pot to start boiling water but Olivier placed her hand on Ambur's shoulder and grabbed the pot with her other hand.

"I got this," she smiled, "go sit with him."

"Huhhhhhh..." she sighed out with a smile, "thanks." She mied his coffee and brought it back to him. Mydnight sat up and leaned over the table, wiping his face in his hands as she pulled a chair next to him and sat, raising her arm behind him and beginning to rub his back. "You okay hun...?"

"I'll be fine...sorry for upsetting you," he said softly, as he reached for his mug and held it in his hands taking in the warmth.

"No it's...I shouldn't have exploded like that," she muttered. "This is all just really stressful and...I want you to get along with Qrow and move on from everything but...not just in a bar...you know?"

"Ya I know..." He smiled while squinting, his eyes beginning to bother him from the lights above them. He leaned over and kissed her forehead before he began to gulp down his second cup of coffee. Liv turned and hoisted herself up until she was sitting on the counter top, unable to stop herself swooning over the couple facing away from her at the dining room table. She watched Ambur lean over and lay into Mydnight's shoulder as he put his right arm around her. Liv leaned into a cupboard beside her and smiled softly, hugging her own shoulders silently.

As the minutes slowly crept by they heard Qrow walk back into the kitchen. He walked toward Olivier who reached over into a small box of tea bags and pulled one out. She poured out some of the boiling water into a mug and dropped the tea bag into it before handing it to Qrow. He went into the fridge and fished around until he'd found a jar of honey. He dripped out about a teaspoon or two and returned the jar to the fridge before grabbing a spoon to mix the flavor in. After heading back into the living room Olivier spoke up after her long silence.

"So you two are good now huh?"

"I mean...as good as we can be I guess," she saw Midnight's shoulders slump down as he let out a long sigh from his nose. "I don't wanna throw up every time I see him anymore so...that's something."

Ambur let a rush of air out of her nose in amusement before raising her head from her boyfriend's shoulder and she leaned back in her chair, leaving her hand rested on his lap. "Well...it's a start," she smiled as she pat her hand on his thigh. "You know I have no problem with you drinking now and then but just...try and be a better role model for Ruby if no one else. I know you're stressed and we all have a lot going on right now but...right now she needs someone to look to for a bit of guidance, and you and Qrow drunk off your asses isn't what she needs, okay?"

"Ya I get it," he agreed before taking another swig from his coffee. He looked over to her afterward with a soft smile before speaking again, "okay mom?" he asked sarcastically before sticking his tongue out at her.

"Yes, dear!" She halfheartedly yelled back at him, sticking her tongue out and leaning forward up close to his face as well before she started to laugh and rest back in her chair. Mydnight and Liv begin to laugh a little as well. "So did you guys eat anything while you were out or just drink?"

"How do you think I got drunk so fast?" he chuckled.

"Okay ya fair. Want me to make you anything?" Ambur asked as she started to rub his back.

"Anything is the key word in that sentence," he smiled out genuinely. "I'll eat anything at this point, I'm starving."

"Liv? What about you?" Ambur asked as if accepting her mom role on the spot.

"Well if you don't mind cooking then ya I would love something."

Ambur rose from her chair and headed over to the refrigerator and opened it up, bending over and rifling through the drawers. Mydnight couldn't help but watch her do so, beginning to space out as the moments passed by, his lips barely parted with a vacant expression. Olivier giggled to herself as she raised her hands to her mouth to stifle the noise.

"Alright hoooowwwwww do y'all feel about fish?"

"Oh man, actually that sounds really good right now," Liv said as she raised her hands above her head and stretched out, a soft, yet audible, electronic whirring emanating from her spine, piercing Mydnight's trance as he reflexively shivered.

"Uh ya, fish, good for me," he agreed as Ambur looked back at him, clearly trying his best to look away from her with a bit of pink flushing over his cheeks. Ambur smirked and looked back into the fridge, grabbing the packages of fresh fish from the market she and Olivier had gone to earlier. As she did, she wiggled her hips slightly to tease Mydnight.

"Concentrate on the food wolf boy, you can have me for dessert later," his well endowed leader laughed as she turned around and nudged the door of the fridge shut with her hip. Ambur headed to the counter and dropped several packets of multiple, pan ready, fish on the countertop beside Olivier. She found Liv's eyes closed with her fingers rubbing her temples and mouthing the word "Ew" over and over again.

"Might as well get enough out for everyone right? I bet that kid is really hungry from his trip," Ambur asked no one, as she searched for a pan and turned the stove on.

With this the trio heard a loud thump in the other room as Mydnight felt a few vibrations in the floor. They all looked to the doorway before Mydnight staggered to his feet, using the table to steady himself for a moment before he was able to stand up straight. "I'll go see what they are getting up to and see who is hungry."

He started to walk out of the room as Ambur called to him, "Thanks babe," she smiled happily before Olivier jumped down off the counter and began to help her friend prepare the large dinner.

"Kiss ass," Liv chuckled out before she started to wash her hands in preparation.

"Oh, he's gonna kiss plenty more than that," Ambur mused as she flexed her eyebrows, sending Liv into a laughing fit.

"You are so vulgar," She laughed, flicking a bit of water at her friend.

"Hey, these hips control that boy's entire life. What am I supposed to do? Not have fun with it," she stuck her tongue out and Liv shrugged in defeat.

"Fair enough."

As Mydnight entered the living room he found the love seat on it's back, with Oscar laying on it, a very unimpressed look on his face. Ozpin's cane was just barely out of the boy's reach on the floor behind him. "The hell are you guys doing to the poor kid," Mydnight asked as he came up behind the chair and grabbed hold of the top left corner of it with one hand and the cane with his other hand. In one motion he pulled the chair, along with Oscar, upright and leaned the cane up against the chair as he walked past Oscar and flopped down on the couch beside Qrow.

"Thanks," Oscar sighed, still recovering from the transformation as he slumped down in his chair a little. The three remaining members of JNPR sat down on the longer couch on Oscar's right, but Ruby pranced over and flopped down on the couch between her uncle and brother.

"No problem kid," he smiled as he began to rub his head softly, looking away from the light fixture in the center of the room. Ruby looked up at him and tugged on the sleeve of his coat.

"You okay?" She squeaked out in a small voice.

"Ya I'll be alright...sorry," he said as he looked down at her and moved his hand to pat her on the head, "sorry for coming home like that."

"It's okay..." she seemed to force out, as if out of habit, before smirking and looking down away from him.

"Well..." Mydnight said, looking back to the group, shoving his thoughts aside for later. "Ambur is about to start cooking dinner. Why don't you guys go let her and Olivier know what you'd like to go with your fish," Mydnight smiled out as he nodded his head backward toward the kitchen.

Nora reacted first, practically teleporting into the other room as Ren rolled his eyes and smiled, following after her, slowly followed by Jaune. Qrow stood and headed toward the other room before noticing that Oscar hadn't moved a muscle.

"Well, come on kid, that means you too," the older man smiled softly before motioning for him to follow.

"Wait, really? Oh, I haven't had a home cooked meal in weeks," Oscar said as he excitedly stood and followed Qrow into the hallway. Ruby laughed and moved to stand up but felt her brother take hold of her arm gently. She looked back at him with a questioning glance but could tell from his sorrowful face that he'd like her to stay.

"What's wrong?" She asked with worry in her silver eyes. She sat back down on the couch and turned toward him.

"Look I...I know that...I haven't been around for very long and we haven't had a lot of time alone to really...get to know each other or really get close but...I'm here okay? I got you.".

Ruby seemed shocked for a moment before she closed her eyes and smiled softly. "Ya I know."

"And I really am sorry for earlier. I know you said it's okay but Ruby...I can tell that you were forcing yourself to say that. If you ever need to talk about something I need you to know that I'm here to listen okay?" He asked as he put a hand over her's, and she looked down at her lap. After a few moments he could faintly hear the beginning of a sniffle in her nose. He could swear he could even feel her heartbeat under her chest as a tear fell from her hair covered face onto the back of his hand. "I'm not trying to talk down on Qrow or anything but...you shouldn't have to force a smile every time someone apologizes to you."

"I know, I just..." She looked up at him quickly, tears welling in her eyes. "With everything that's happened I just," she began but lost her train of thought as she started to breathe very quickly.

"Hey, hey," he said softly as he pulled her into a hug. "I know you lost friends, and I know you're trying to hold it together for the-"

"It's not that!" She almost yelled out, cutting him off, and taking him by surprise as his ears twitched up. He could tell she wasn't lying either, something else entirely was bothering the young huntress and after a few moments he came to the only conclusion he thought possible. If it wasn't her lost friends then it had to be the only thing she had lost that was more precious than that recently.

"Oh..." He sighed, rubbing her back and running his hand through her hair. "First heartbreak huh?"

Ruby sniffled time and time again into his shoulder before she sobbed, "Why did she have to leave? She didn't even say goodbye. I know her dad came to get her but...she couldn't even leave me a message?" She asked as she pulled back from her brother and wiped her face in her sleeve before looking up at him. "All those months we spent together and she couldn't even manage a simple note telling me it was over? Or that she wanted to stay together and couldn't disobey her father. Nothing?!" She squeaked through tears and sharp breaths.

Mydnight looked at her and wiped a streak of tears from the young girl's face before she began to speak again. "I should be crying for Penny...and for Pyrrha.., I miss them like crazy but...all I can think about is Weiss..."

"...Ya that's how heart break works, kiddo," he said as he lifted her chin to look into her eyes. "Someone is your entire world for a little while and then suddenly it's over. You go from hugs, kisses, talking all day everyday to just...nothing...it's over in an instant and suddenly you're looking for even the smallest thing to take your attention away from the loneliness," he sighed as he let go of her and lay back against the couch, looking up to the ceiling.

"You live life in a haze...bouncing from day to day trying not to dwell on them, trying not to think of all the things you used to do together," he rolled his head to the side to look at her before speaking again. "It sucks...but there's nothing anyone can do to make it better except...be there and try to help you take your mind off it. But for that to work you gotta let them, ya know? No matter how much you wanna be left alone and not burden others with your problems, sometimes you need a shoulder to lean on," he smiled as she turned in the couch and sniffled again before laying into his shoulder, gripping his arm tightly as she tried to take deep breaths and calm down.

"How did you deal with it..." She whispered after a moment.

"Hmm?" He hummed, not sure what she meant.

"You've lost just as much as me...maybe more...how do you deal with it?"

"...Well that's the difference between us I guess," he breathed through his nose quickly. "I dumped Rosa for Ambur. Soon as Rosa was out, Ambur was there. When we lost Bronzine and Ambur was in the hospital I kinda...shut down. I was alone for the first time in years and I really had no idea what to do with myself. I didn't have anybody else except for Liv. She took care of me every time I got trashed and eventually she put her foot down and started keeping a closer eye on me. I probably wouldn't be here without her honestly. You just gotta have good friends, that's all. And it looks like you've made some pretty good ones," he smiled and looked down at her as she looked up to meet his gaze with a small smile.

"Ya...I think I did too," she said as she looked back down and hugged his arm tight before. Ruby wiped her face one last time on her sleeve and breathed in and out once very deeply before standing up and turning to head for the kitchen.

"Hey Red," he grabbed her attention as she turned back to face him. He stood and turned to face her before rubbing the back of his neck in thought. "You never know ya know? She could come back."

Ruby smiled and closed her eyes, nodding to him before turning toward the kitchen. "Maybe but...I'll try not to hold my breath."

"Good," he smiled as he followed after her.