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Graduating Atlas was the goal. To Winter Schnee, it was all that mattered. Well, that, and getting her younger siblings out of their father’s cruel abuse and away from their mother’s constant negligence. But she needed to be in some kind of powerful position for that. And so, Atlas was the goal.
And everything would be going great were it not for this one test question she was stuck on. While everyone else roamed about the courtyard with their ‘socializing’ and ‘taking a break’, she was seated alone at a sheltered table, staring at the paper and trying not to let her frustration show. Good Hunstman kept level heads. They did not blow up at quiz questions.
She just needed to focus. Take a deep breath, and focus.
All focus went out the window when someone suddenly draped themselves over her arched back in an all-too-frustratingly-familiar way.
“Hheeeeeyyyyy Winter,”
The fact that it wasn’t completely annoyance alone that turned Winter’s face red frustrated her even more. She took a deep breath and attempted to compose herself.
“What do you want, Cinder?”
The other student slid off Cinder and leaned her elbows on the table to gaze at her with feigned innocence. “C’mon snow princess, that’s not very friendly. Just saying hi, that’s all.”
Sure you were. Winter bit back the reply. Ever since Cinder had transferred from Haven Academy at the start of their third year, she had been nothing but a pain in Winter’s…back. Annoying and rude, with no respect for the rules or personal boundaries, and far prettier than she had any right to be. She was the worst, worse even than Winter’s teammates, who seemed to only be attending Atlas with the intention of tearing it down once they graduated.
“I’m trying to study,” She told Cinder curtly. “I don’t have time for your immature games today.”
Cinder frowned. “Aw, but you never do. You can’t indulge me, just this once?” She blinked endearingly at Winter with honey-coloured eyes.
Winter’s patience was running thin. “I told you, I’m busy. Perhaps you’d understand if you ever put any effort into your own studies.” One of the few things Winter knew about Cinder was that her grades were abhorrent. It was a miracle she’d been admitted into Haven, let alone Atlas. She certainly didn’t deserve it.
Cinder rolled her eyes. “Where’s the fun in that?” She wandered over to Winter’s other side. “This school is a hellhole anyway. Run by a fascist asshole training a whole bunch of little baby fascists to do his bidding,” She scoffed. “It’s nauseating.”
That was it for Winter. She slammed her hands on the table and stood up, letting her anger flare against her better judgement.
“How dare you?” She snapped. “Without Atlas, this entire continent would never have gotten anywhere. We’re making the world a better place, and the General is the strongest leader in all of Remnant. He’s doing what’s best for us.” In the back of her mind, she knew she was making a scene. But in the face of defending her kingdom and academy, that didn’t matter. She took a step closer to Cinder, seething. “You should consider yourself lucky that a lowlife degenerate like you was even allowed to study here, because you sure as hell don’t deserve it.”
For the first time since Winter had known her, Cinder looked genuinely taken aback, a crack clear in her carefree, scornful persona. After a moment, she sniffed, and seemed to make an attempt to look nonchalant.
“Whatever you say,” She muttered. “Have fun with your propaganda studies.” She turned and started to leave, before turning back briefly, and adding, “Oh, and by the way? The answer you’re looking for is a Nuckelavee.”
Winter glanced at her paper, realizing with a jolt that Cinder was right. She wasn’t sure how she hadn’t seen it before. When she lifted her head to mutter a ‘thank you’, Cinder was gone.
A seed of regret flared inside her. She’d struck a nerve, she realized that now. Yes, Cinder was a pain, yes, it was infuriating that she’d insult the academy like that. But a small part of Winter knew she hadn’t deserved to be scolded like a petulant child. She’d acted like her father, and the thought disgusted her.
As she returned to her work, the hurt expression on Cinder’s face wouldn’t leave her mind. Often, Winter didn’t care if people took things she said so personally. But with Cinder, it felt…different. As if, for as annoying as the other girl was, Winter somehow didn’t want to be responsible for any negative emotion she felt.
It was extremely frustrating.
Cinder wished she hadn’t let anything show. Part of her hoped that Winter hadn’t noticed the chip in her mask, but she knew she’d not hidden it well. She hadn’t shaken it away quickly enough. How embarrassing.
She was sitting against one of the building walls, out of sight from any other student. Alone with her thoughts, just as she liked it. Alone, just as she’d always been.
Egging Winter on was fun, but she’d clearly picked the wrong way to do it. Seeing the Schnee heiress seethe and get flustered as she tried to remain composed was fun. Being snapped at like that was not. It was an all-too-familiar feeling. Brought back memories Cinder would rather keep buried far, far beneath her.
Something about Winter infuriated Cinder in a way she couldn’t quite describe. She was selfish, stuck-up, petty. And she clung so tightly to Atlas and its military propaganda that General Ironwood could probably kill a child and she would come up with an excuse for it. Even thinking of it made Cinder ball her fists in anger. Sometimes, she just wanted to take Winter, slam her against a wall, and…and…
…Kiss her, admittedly. Passionately and deeply, the way she’d seen other students do it in dark places where they thought nobody could see them. She wanted to pull Winter’s hair loose so that it fell around her shoulders, and run her fingers through it. She wanted Winter to do the same to her.
It was incredibly confusing. And extremely complicated. But something about Winter made Cinder flare up in a number of different ways, some too intense for her to ever admit out loud. And she was so very pretty when she was annoyed. That was most of the fun of teasing her the way Cinder did.
It wasn’t fair. She shouldn’t like Winter the way she did. Not when Winter was so much more devoted to her idealized concept of Atlas than she ever would be to a single person, especially if that person was Cinder Fall. Cinder honestly wasn’t sure if she ever could be. It really wasn’t fair.
The hard, sharp tones of heeled footsteps approaching caught Cinder’s attention, and made her lift her head to see Winter standing there, her face unreadable.
Time to put on the act again. Cinder smirked. “Did you get too good for studying, too?”
To Cinder’s surprise, Winter actually looked uncomfortable all of a sudden, not meeting Cinder’s eyes.
“Listen, I wanted to apologize for insulting you,” Winter’s voice was uncertain, as if she wasn’t used to apologizing, which wouldn’t surprise Cinder at all. And yet, she could see shame on Winter’s pale face. That was surprising.
“I acted like a child,” Winter continued. “I’m sorry. You do deserve to be here.”
Cinder didn’t believe that last statement herself. Part of why it had hit so hard when Winter had said it was because she knew it was true. She didn’t deserve to be here. And she didn’t want to be here, not in a place like this. But it was where she was sent after being kicked from Haven. And unless she were to somehow get into beacon or Shade instead, it was her only chance at becoming a Huntress. Her only chance at proving that those who’d raised her were wrong to say she could never be.
She did not reveal all of this to Winter, of course. Instead, she stood up. An idea had wormed herself into her mind, one that would perhaps earn her a little fun to shake this all off.
“I’ll accept your apology,” She replied. “If you accept my proposal.”
Winter looked slightly curious. “Oh? And what would that be?”
Cinder crossed her arms. “If you think you’re so magnificent, then take me in a fight. One-on-one, after today’s final class. If you win, I’ll leave you alone.” And desperately try to find some other snobby rich girl to pine for, she added silently.
Winter raised an eyebrow, thankfully looking intrigued. “And if I lose?”
Cinder grinned. Now this was the really fun part. “I get to take you on a date. Whenever I want, whenever I want. And you can’t back out.”
There was a moment of silence as Winter looked surprised. Was she blushing, or was it just the cold? Would she refuse?
Finally, Winter nodded. “You have a deal.”
It was everything Cinder could do not the let the wave of ecstasy show. She was not about to betray her excitement to Winter. She wasn’t going to give her that satisfaction. But oh Gods, if this wasn’t the best idea she’d had since starting here. Even if she lost- which she definitely wouldn’t- she would at least get to engage in the unpredictable romantic and sexual tension with Winter Schnee.
She smirked once again. “I’ll see you after class, snow princess.”
As Winter walked away from her conversation with Cinder, there was an odd excitement within her that she hoped wouldn’t show. She wanted to convince herself that it because she’d have the chance to prove to Cinder, once and for all, that she was worth more than she thought. But that wasn’t it. Quite the opposite.
No, a small, secret part of Winter wanted to lose this battle.