Chapter Text
Grief has a tangible weight to it. If you let it, it will cling to your limbs and drag you down into oblivion. It is a terrible, heavy thing, and it can and will destroy you if you let it. Qrow Branwen was well acquainted with grief.
He’d grieved his dear friend Summer, and the person he’d thought his sister was. He’d grieved the life he’d wanted. He was currently grieving Clover. Yes, Qrow Branwen was well acquainted with grief. But he’d never been particularly good at it. Summer’s passing had sent him into the bottle, and he’d very nearly failed to crawl out of it, if only for the sake of his nieces. And then they fell. On top of everything else, all the fresh wounds, Ruby and Yang fell, the last good thing his sister had left in this world, Summer’s little girl who was so much like her mother it made his heart ache. Both of them, in one fell swoop, gone.
He hardly remembered the flight to Shade. Vaguely he recalled Oscar driving him and the others on. Forcing Qrow to train with him. The boy took to handing out orders like he’d been doing so his whole life. Between keeping Qrow himself and the other kids in line, Oscar had taken to directing the refugees as well, sending them too and fro on vital tasks. He’d set off to meet with Theodore as soon as they’d reached the city, and before the sun had set that first day construction for their camp was well underway. During those first busy days Qrow could actually force himself to function. But once the dust had settled, and he was alone in his tent, Qrow curled into a ball and wept as the sheer volume of it all crashed down on him like waves.
He couldn’t say how long he’d slept, nor what time it was, all he knew was that the nights in the desert were cold. He lay where he was, unmoving, until the call of nature could no longer be ignored. Finally he rolled to his feet, starting the search for a secluded place to empty his bladder.
Stumbling through the darkness, still half asleep, brought back memories of similar nights and similar quests, blurred as they were by the alcohol that had driven his urge. It was darkly funny, in a way. Though the memories brought with them an urge to seek out that familiar warm oblivion of his old coping mechanism. Qrow found a secluded spot, and set about his business. At least he could stand up straight.
With his business handled, Qrow started back for his tent, the warmth of his blankets, and maybe the oblivion of a dreamless sleep, if the gods were kind. As he entered the ring of tents, he was stopped by the sound of weeping. What possessed him do do what he did next, he could not say.
“Uh… knock knock.” He said loudly from the tent’s flap. The crying cut off with a sharp sniff.
“What do you want?” Winter asked, wrenching the tent flap aside angrily. Her eyes were red and puffy with fresh tears wrestling for freedom, and her hair disheveled, but nonetheless she was trying to look ferocious. Qrow almost chuckled, but thought better of it. He didn’t actually know what he wanted, not really, only a vague sense of needing something, that blessedly wasn’t alcoholic for once.
“I don’t know.” He replied, honestly. “I guess I overheard you and thought that it probably isn’t the best thing for you to be alone right now. Probably not the best thing for me to be alone either.” He said as the thoughts came to him. She cocked an eyebrow. “Come to think of it, having me around would probably be worse. Sorry for bothering you.” Qrow slid his hands in his pockets, starting back for his tent. He was stopped by a gentle hand on his arm. Winter was pointedly not looking at him, and holding the tent flap open.
“You’re letting all of the heat out.” She said, releasing his arm and entering the tent herself. Qrow hesitated before following.
Winter’s tent was much like his own, smaller than the one Oscar had set up for himself, with just enough room to stand up and move around, with nothing but a cot and a small lantern. Winter took a seat on the cot, pulling the blanket around her shoulders.
“Mind if I sit?” Qrow asked awkwardly. Winter sighed, scooting to make room. Qrow steeled himself and sat next to her. The wooden frame creaked under their combined weight. For an indeterminate period of time, that was the only sound in the tent. Winter broke it with a heavy sigh before letting her head rest on Qrow’s shoulder. The man jumped at the unexpected contact.
“You are awful at comforting people, you know that?” Winter asked.
“Y-yeah. I, uh, I don’t have a lot of practice.” He said with a sigh.
“Obviously.” She quipped, wrapping her arm and the blanket around him. “At least you’re not running away this time. I suppose I can give you credit for that.” Winter practically whispered, pulling him closer to her.
“Yeah.” Qrow replied flatly, letting his chin rest against her head. Silence stretched between them, familiar and comfortable in the quiet of the night. Qrow closed his eyes, how had the smell of her not changed after so long?
“Do you remember when we first me?” She asked, snuggling against him. He did.
—
Schnee Manor was, in a word, decadent. In two, obscenely decadent. Qrow glanced over his shoulder to make sure he wasn’t tracking dirt across the carpet that was probably worth more than he’d make in his entire career.
“Mister Schnee is with his daughter at the moment, but he will receive you shortly.” The short, mustachioed butler said, turning on his heel before a door at the end of an obscenely long hallway.
“Uh, thank you, Mr uh…” Qrow had not been told the man’s name. Some how that pissed him off. A man ought to be entitled to that much.
“Klein, Mr Branwen. Just Klein will suffice. May I get you anything while you wait?” Klein asked, cocking an eyebrow.
“No thanks Klein. And just Qrow is fine. None of that fancy stuff.”
“Of course sir. And don’t mind the carpets,” the man’s eyes changed color, and he leaned toward crow whispering conspiratorially, “it’s nice to see a touch of color every now and again, even if it is dirt brown.” Klein finished with a wink, then a sneeze, then started back down the hallway. Qrow couldn’t help but chuckle at the odd character. His mood soured quickly, as he heard shouting from the office.
“Absolutely not Winter! I humored your girlish fantasies more than enough letting you attend that school, but I’ll be damned if I let you play soldier next! Can you imagine what people would think? The heiress of the Schnee family? A common soldier? It’s past time for you to abandon these girlish dreams and start working for the company! I mean, can you imagine what it would do to your poor mother? Knowing her daughter is risking her life? Have mercy on the woman!”
“I wasn’t asking. I was simply doing you the courtesy of telling you face to face. I won’t be a pretty little ornament for you to dangle before your shareholders any more. Farewell father.” With that, the door flew open, practically slamming into the wall. The young woman who stomped out barely looked old enough to have graduated a combat academy. She hardly spared him a glance as she marched past, with her father shouting her name after her.
“Winter! If you leave now, you’ll never see another lien of my money, do you hear me? I’ll pass the whole damned company to Weiss! I swear it! You ungrateful little b-“ The man cut off when he noticed Qrow. He cleared his throat. “Ah. You must be the Huntsman I asked for. Please, come in.”
Jacques had instantly struck him as a greasy, weaselly bastard. He’d only gone to see the man at James’ request. The CEO had wanted some Grimm cleared from his mines. Discreetly, of course. There were also some additional ‘vermin’ he wanted handled. Qrow had politely informed Jacques that he was not a mercenary by breaking the man’s nose and stomping out of his office. In his frustration he must have missed one of the countless turns that would have take him out of the damned oversized house, and nearly ran headlong into the young woman from before.
“I take it your meeting with father went just about as well as mine.” The girl said, adjusting a duffle bag she’d acquired since he’d last seen her.
“Not unless you also broke his nose.” Qrow quipped. The young woman smirked.
“Shame I missed it. I suppose you’re a bit lost? I’m leaving myself. I’ll show you out.” The young woman offered amicably, taking the lead.
“You’re peppy, considering the old man just threatened to disown you.” Qrow observed, falling into step behind the young woman. He’d been so startled when they’d first met that he’d forgotten to check her out, but now he took the opportunity to take in her figure. She had a nice hip to waist ratio, all told, and she’d probably be a real sight to behold in a proper uniform. Winter scoffed, snapping him from his observation.
“He does that every time I disagree with him. He’ll come around once he decides I’m useful to him again. Or he won’t, and I’ll be free of him once and for all. I am sorry you had to see all of that though. We usually try to keep our family issues behind closed doors.”
“Oh, believe me, I understand family issues. My sister is a real piece of work. And don’t even get me started on the rest of my-“ Qrow cut himself off. He’d been about to say tribe. He didn’t like thinking of himself as a bandit anymore. “Well, suffice it to say there’s a good reason I drink. Speaking of, what are the odds you know of a place where a man can wet his whistle without taking out a loan in this town?” Winter chuckled.
“I don’t. I’ve only ever had champagne at the charity balls father puts on. Though I’d imagine you’d be able to find what you’re looking for down in Mantle.” Qrow sighed, sliding his hands in his pockets.
“Figures. I’ll have to go hunting after I tell Jimmy things went south here.”
“Jimmy?”
“You’d know him as General Ironwood. He’s the reason I’m here. Apparently he needs to keep your old man happy, and I owed him a favor.”
“You know the General?” Winter asked, turning to look him over, genuinely shocked.
“Oh yeah. Met when we were both still students. He’s a good enough guy.”
“I… never would have guessed.” Qrow couldn’t help but laugh at that.
“Someone else might’ve taken that as an insult, princess.” He said with a wink as they came down the large staircase in the manor’s entrance.
“Oh, I didn’t mean- I don’t-“ she started, flustered. Qrow threw back his head with laughter that carried him to the door, where they were met by Klein.
“Ah, Miss Schnee, Mr Branwen, I wasn’t expecting both of you.” The man said, jerking to attention.
“No worries, I was just leaving. By the way, I think red is the perfect pop of color for this place. Your boss might disagree.” Qrow said amicably, reaching for the door.
“Oh, well I-“ the man started.
“Kleid? Kleid! Ged in here! That crazy hundsmad broke by doze!” Jacques shouted from further inside. Winters eyes widened, and a grin spread across her face.
“My gods, you weren’t kidding.” She whispered. Klein spared a look of amused shock for the Huntsman, before starting off to find his employer. “I’ve wanted to do that for years. I’ll buy your first drink, wherever you end up going.”
“That is a deal, princess.” He said pulling open the door and starting out into the cold.
—
“You were a real lightweight. Practically passed out before I even got a buzz going. I had to rent another room at the inn because I had no idea where to dump you.” Qrow responded Winter chuckled against his neck.
“I’d never had hard liquor before, and you drank like a fish. I wanted to impress you. It was silly, but I was young, and you were handsome, and you’d punched my father in the face. Part of me wanted to imagine it was for my sake.” It was Qrow’s turn to laugh.
“You had a crush.” He said tauntingly.
“I had a crush. Then I woke up with a splitting headache, and you were gone. I didn’t even learn your name until later.” She shook her head. “I spent the night drinking with a total stranger, and then I let him carry me off to a seedy inn. I honestly thought you were going to have your way with me.”
“I’ve got a little more class than that, thank you.”
“Only a little. Then, without warning, you stride back into my life, three years later, coattails and cape fluttering behind you.”
—
“Qrow, I was wondering how long you’d keep us waiting. This is Winter Schnee, one of my top Specialists, she’ll be joining you on this operation.” Ironwood boomed proudly as Qrow swaggered into the office. Qrow’s eyes lit up with recognition, as he scanned the young woman’s face.
“We met, actually. Last time I was in Atlas.” He said, offering his hand to the woman. “You’ve come a long way since then, princess.” He added with a smirk and a wink. Winter cleared her throat, blushing.
“Well… alright. Speaking of that incident, I would appreciate it if you didn’t physically assault anymore influential Atlesians, it was a real pain talking Jacques down. He wanted you arrested.” James continued.
“Wouldn’t’ve been my first stint in the clink.” Qrow responded with a casual shrug. Ironwood cleared his throat before responding.
“Be that as it may… this joint operation is very important, not just for Atlas, but for our other friends as well.” With that, James launched into their mission briefing. Qrow listened intently, but couldn’t help noticing the young woman stealing glances at him when she thought he wasn’t paying attention. “And, if there are no questions, you set out at oh-five-hundred.” James finished. Qrow shrugged.
“Fairly straightforward search and destroy. Any reason this conversation couldn’t have happened in Mistral? Preferably over a scroll?” Qrow asked. Ironwood smirked.
“Maybe I just wanted to see my old friend’s face. You could do with a shave.” Ironwood teased.
“Tin man finally grow a heart?” Qrow quipped in return, the two men laughed.
“Actually, there is something else, if you’ll excuse us, Winter?” The young woman snapped a crisp salute, and excused herself with a brisk “Sir.”
Winter was waiting for Qrow outside of Ironwood’s office. She fell in step with him as he exited from his tete-a-tete with James.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it Qrow? I’m surprised you recognized me.” She put extra emphasis on the man’s name.
“It certainly has, Specialist Schnee. Fortunately for you, I have a knack for remembering the names of pretty girls who buy me drinks.” He replied, adding emphasis on the woman’s rank, and taking extreme pleasure in how she flushed crimson and nearly missed a step. “Looks like you flew through the ranks. You must be a regular prodigy.” Embarrassment quickly transformed into pride.
“I am the youngest person in Atlas to achieve the rank with the exception of General Ironwood himself. I’ve worked hard to get where I am, harder than anyone else. Natural talent means nothing without hard work and perseverance.” Winter said, almost as if reciting lines.
“Sure, sure. I look forward to seeing you in action princess.” Qrow replied, punctuating his statement with a wink that started the young woman blushing again. She cleared her throat, attempting to steady her features.
“I was thinking, since it has been some time since we last spoke, perhaps we could catch up, maybe over dinner. If you haven’t eaten yet?” She said in a practically breathless rush. She was flushed deep red, and it took every ounce of self control for Qrow to keep himself from laughing.
“Sure. Quick bite to eat sounds like a great idea.” Qrow responded, sliding his hands into his pockets. “Didn’t know I left such an impression on you.” He added with a smirk.
“Well… you’ve had so many adventures all over Remnant. You had so many interesting stories. Or at least I remember them being interesting. It could have been the alcohol.” She grew more confident with each word, even throwing in a wink of her own at the end, which drew a laugh from the man.
“Fine, but nothing too fancy. I didn’t pack anything nice.” He replied, pulling a flask from inside his coat and taking a swig.
“Of course not.” Winter promised, beaming brightly.
Qrow was definitely under dressed for the joint Winter picked out. It was the sort of place with a waiting list as long as his scroll’s contacts, but no sooner than Winter introduced herself they were being led to a table. Winter and the Faunus waiter had a brief conversation about wine that might as well have been in another language for all the Qrow understood of it. The menu too was full of things Qrow had never heard of before, and even glancing at the prices made his wallet hurt.
“Uh… whatever’s good?” Qrow voice was laden with uncertainty as he handed the menu to the waiter. Winter must have sensed his trepidation, because she ended up ordering something for the both of them. Winter steepled her fingers as another man approached the table with a bottle of wine in a bucket of ice.
“Ah, Miss Schnee, how wonderful to have you and your… companion… with us tonight! It has been too long!”
“Thank you Rolf, it is good to see you again. What do you have for us tonight?” Winter asked clearly ignoring the derision with which the man had addressed Qrow.
“Ah! Here we have a Domaine Jean-Louis Chave Ermitage 'Cuvee Cathelin', a dry red with a bold, rich flavor, It has a darker fruit profile, with notes of dark plum and blackberry, along with truffle, eucalyptus, bacon fat, pepper, and espresso. Deep, rich, and concentrated on the palate. It pairs perfectly with the lamb the sir ordered.” The man said, carefully opening the bottle.
“That sounds wonderful, thank you.” Winter replied, as the man gently poured a glass, first for Winter, then for Qrow. Winter lifted the glass to her nose, taking a whiff. “As always, an excellent choice, Rolf. You are certainly the finest sommelier Atlas has to offer.”
“The madam is too kind.” Rolf said, backing away from the table with a bow. Winter turned her attention back to Qrow, who took a testing sniff of the wine as the man vanished. It smelled like any other wine. He took a small sip. Tasted like regular wine too. He was beginning to notice whispering coming from nearby tables.
“So. This place. You… come here… often?” He asked awkwardly, trying to drown out the buzzing of conversation that their presence apparently had elicited.
“Occasionally. Mostly to shoot down the occasional suitor father sends in the hopes he can find some further use for me.” Winter said casually.
“I see. So this is nothing too fancy?” He asked taking another sip of the wine. Winter sighed.
“Not at all, they’ve grown rather lax on the dress code in recent years. And they have a few Faunus on their waitstaff. It’s actually incredibly progressive, but some folks in Atlas think it’s uncouth. I appreciate the casual atmosphere.” Qrow nearly choked on his wine. This is what she thought was a casual atmosphere? He’d been to weddings that weren’t half as fancy as this place. He considered saying as much, but bit his tongue when the waiter returned with their food.
Qrow tried his best to mirror Winter’s etiquette, but every now and then, Winter giggled, and he felt himself grow flustered. By the time they’d finished their meal and the wine, Qrow was eager to pay and leave, but Winter intercepted the waiter, handing him a credit card. When they finally exited the building, Qrow let out a relieved sigh.
“Princess, next time I say ‘nothing too fancy’ I mean that place too.” He shot at her once they were out of earshot of the restaurant. Winter broke into a fit of laughter.
“I’m sorry,” she said when she finally caught her breath. “I really am. But that was mostly payback. You dragged me to that dive bar in Mantle, pumped me full of liquor, and left without so much as telling me your name. You should have seen your face!” She set out laughing again. After a beat Qrow couldn’t help but join her.
“Okay, okay. You got me.” He admitted as the waves of laughter subsided. “If it was only mostly payback, what was the rest of it then?” Winter blushed, gathering her thoughts before she answered.
“Every time I’ve been there, it’s been in the company of tedious sycophants hoping to curry favor with my father by courting me. I thought it would be nice to go with someone… tolerable.” She replied, redder than the wine by the time she finished. Qrow smirked. This would be too easy.
“Y’know princess,” He turned suddenly, pinning her between himself and the wall with one hand. With the other, he swept his bangs back before cupping her chin, tilting her face towards his. “If you wanted my attention, all you had to do was ask.” She let out a surprised squeak, practically melting as his face inched closer to hers. He smirked as her eyes drifted closed. “Of course, nobody likes being teased, so you’ll have to do better than a simple apology.” He said, stepping away. Winter stumbled forward a step. She had been leaning in to close the distance between their lips when he’d stepped back.
“I- you- that-“ she stammered, causing Qrow to double over in laughter. She balled her fists at her sides, practically shaking.
“Payback.” Qrow said, wiping a tear from his eye.
“That was just… mean!” Winter insisted, stomping indignantly. “I thought we- I thought you were- that was mean!” She reiterated. Qrow shook his head, still shaking from laughter. With no warning he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into a kiss. Her shock melted away, and she pressed herself into him, following his lead. When he was satisfied, he broke their kiss, almost laughing at the way her face followed his, as if she wasn’t quite satisfied. Both of them were breathing heavily, and Qrow was pretty sure she’d lose her balance if it was for his arms around her. “Oh.” She managed between ragged breaths.
“Consider that my formal apology.” Qrow said with a wink, slowly retracting his arms. She made as if to stop him, but didn’t.
“I, um… my apartment is only a few blocks from here if you… maybe wanted to stop by?”
—-
“I had never in my life made such a direct proposition.” Winter said, burying her face into his shoulder. “And you shot me down like it was nothing.”
“I did consider it.” Qrow countered. “But there were only a few hours before the mission, and we both needed sleep.”
“Not that I actually managed to get much. I couldn’t stop thinking about our first kiss. It was unlike any other I’d had. Before, or since, if I’m being honest. At least with anyone else. Maybe it was the wine, maybe I was just young? Either way I spent way too long replaying that moment in my head that night.” Winter looked up at him, staring into his eyes.
This time, there was no confident smirk. Slowly, he cupped her chin, tilting her face towards his. There was no resistance, so he pressed on, gently brushing his lips against hers. Much more gently than that night in Atlas, a lifetime ago. He moved his hand to cup her cheek, and she covered it with one of hers. With the other she pushed him back onto the cot. Kissing him more aggressively, more passionately. This time he followed her lead, adjusting so she could comfortably straddle him. When their lips finally parted,they were both panting. When he opened his eyes he saw there were fresh tears in hers.
“I missed you, you dummy.” She said.