Chapter Text
Winter knelt, only to feel Cinder’s heel press down hard on her shoulderblade. Her bascinet and sword lay, delicately discarded nearby.
Winter Schnee, of her own accord, singlehandedly fought through Cinder's manor, only to end up on her knees. Cinder didn't even have to raise a finger -- she didn't even have to raise her voice.
Cinder had never felt such power. Such elation. It was such a rush to have an arch nemesis grovel at your feet. She folded her arms and rested back against her throne, making no attempt to hide how smug she felt.
“You think I’m just going to let you? I’d much prefer to hear you beg.”
“Cinder,” Winter spoke through gritted teeth, “Let me kiss you.”
Cinder laughed. Oh, it was delicious. She was soaking it all in, every last second of it. “Winter, dear, you forgot the magic word.”
“Please.” Winter’s face burned, avoiding eye contact with all her might.
Cinder clapped both hands together. “Marvellous. Winter, darling, how could I ever deny such a humble request?”
Winter exhaled. Finally. That ordeal was over with.
“Now my dear, up you come.”
A glowing aura surrounded Cinder’s hand as she gestured upwards. Winter’s armour clinked loudly as she was unnaturally jerked to her feet. She stood, unsteady. Cinder’s eye was burning a hole right through her, the way that she was just watching intently, without moving a muscle, forcing Winter to do all the work whilst she just sat there with enough confidence to move mountains.
Winter leaned in, her entire face puckered, lips trembling. She couldn’t bare to look, but she couldn’t look away, either.
She felt a grip on her shoulder, halting her progress.
“My, what’s that for? Don’t tell me this is your first kiss?” Cinder ran her claws under Winter’s chin.
Winter bit down on her tongue, threatening to taste blood. “What does it matter?”
“Oh, of course it matters. A first kiss is a special thing, and it matters very deeply to me that I’ll be taking yours.”
Cinder smiled as a thought clearly came to her. “Or rather, you’ll be giving it to me.”
“To save Weiss.”
“As you keep saying.” Cinder brushed it off. “Despite it being your first, I won’t have you embarrass yourself with an inadequate kiss. Try again, properly.”
Winter’s eyes widened as Cinder raised her voice. She spoke so firmly. It came as a shock to the system. That was the tone of voice Cinder used during battle, typically jeering when they were crossing blades.
“First of all, relax your face. I’m a woman, not a beast. Secondly, close your eyes. I’ll do the same. And last, tilt your head, just slightly. You’re kissing me, so you tilt. Understood?”
Winter nodded a single time, and Cinder released her grip.
Winter tried again, this second attempt following every piece of her adversary’s advice. It was a struggle, but she kept her face relaxed. She at least looked far more natural even though it was every bit as forced. Closing her eyes made it the slightest bit easier – if Cinder would stay true to her world. The tilt, well, that was easy. She tilted just slightly, thirty degrees, no more, no less, perfect.
Her lips made contact, and she didn’t pull away. Not instantly. At first, Winter was actually surprised. Cinder’s lips were so, so soft, far softer than they had any right to be.
Simultaneously and entirely unrelated was this… feeling she was experiencing. It was odd, unlike anything else she’s ever felt before. This warmth, an electric tingle shivering its way up her spine.. Truthfully, it was thrilling.
This of course, did not matter. Her objective was complete. The curse was, presumably, broken. Time to pull off and-
Cinder’s hand gripped the back of Winter’s head, pulling her in fiercely.
Winter felt Cinder’s lips move over her own, followed by a tongue grazing over her lips. That was just a taster for the main course, foreplay before Cinder’s tongue pushed it’s way into Winter’s mouth.
Winter couldn’t have pulled off if she’d tried, but she didn't.
That first spark was electrifying – at least she’d thought so. This though, was something else entirely. When their tongues first touched, she felt the spark again tenfold, this time right at the point of contact. Cinder’s tongue slithered around, she was ravenous.
It was overwhelming.
Winter could only taste her, shit, she could smell her, she could feel her. Cinder was on her tongue, Cinder was in her lungs, Cinder was Winter’s world. It was like the floor had disappeared entirely from under her feet. Nothing else existed in this world but them, and their kiss.
Winter felt herself in the finer details. Cinder’s hot breaths blowing over her cheek. The secondary grip on her waist.
She hadn’t noticed when exactly she started to kiss back. It had melted from one moment to the next. She’d seamlessly transitioned from how she’d started off, entirely frozen, to following Cinder’s lead, embracing the warmth, doing what felt natural.
She was forced to admit, it felt damn good.
Eventually they were forced apart. Cinder licked her lips, whilst Winter was left flushed and panting.
“W-what was that?”
“Your first kiss.” Cinder responded, gliding a hand down Winter’s side. “Did you like it?”
“It.. was for Weiss.”
Cinder feigned a nod. She spoke with such a smug, knowing air to herself, as if she already held the world in her palm. “I’m sure.” She smirked, “And now, since you’ve broken my curse, you’ll be taking your leave?”
Shit. The curse. She hadn’t even thought about it. Thankfully, the curse was successfully broken, Weiss was saved, but why did she feel.. wrong? She felt like she wasn’t done here, she wasn’t satisfied.
There wasn’t the sweetness of victory, just Cinder Fall’s aftertaste.
Winter’s mind raced to find an answer, one that made sense. One that would explain why she felt so unfulfilled – An answer came to her. This was unlike the battles she’d fought in, where there were clear cut winners and losers. It was always, always clear to see when she’d won. This was murky. It was inconclusive. The only way to make sure that she’d broken the curse was to get back to Weiss, and by then, it might be too late.
“I can’t leave without certainty that Weiss is cured.”
This was the only way. One kiss, it was likely to have broken the curse, but, there was still no way of knowing. A second kiss was the result she was craving. Even the strongest curses wouldn’t stand up to two exorcisms.
Cinder’s reply began in the form of her lips curling into a half-smile. The same one she always does when she’s smug about something. When she’s won.
“I agree, Winter. I have just the solution for you.”
Winter flinched as Cinder raised her right hand, though relaxed as soon as it was merely placed on her shoulder.
Winter drew in a sharp inhale. Her eyes shot fully open.
She felt pure energy rushing into her. Radiating out from Cinder’s touch, every single cell of Winter’s body ached. In all her time spent as the captain of the royal guard, in all her years as a soldier, she’d never made a noise like that. She had the scars to prove that been beaten, shot, and stabbed. She’d been bedridden, fighting off a poison.
This felt different.
Cinder removed her hand and the pain subsided, though not entirely. Cinder lay back in her throne, arms folded elegantly. “You’ve just been cursed. The very same as your sister. You know how to fix it.”