Winter let out a sigh as she looked in the mirror. Uniform straight and pressed, hair up in the usual bun, not a hair—

Damn it.

She really didn't have time to deal with the stray strands. Qrow had to be nearly done with breakfast; she could smell it…

Wait.

Those scents were definitely not Atlassian but... it actually smelled enticing. When was the last time she'd actually been excited to eat? Not even Schnee manor had had much that she looked forward to aside from the occasional dessert.

She needed to let her mind stop wandering. She was a complete mess right now. Absolutely unacceptable especially so close to work. Shaking herself, she headed out of her room and settled at the table. Huh...? A book of poetry? Splintered Memory by Wilhelm Yves...? What was this doing here? Definitely not hers…

Flipping open to the title page revealed a signature and message:

Summer, good to hear from you! I'm so glad you got a copy. Thanks so much for the support! I look forward to our next collaboration!

-Wil

Qrow sat a plate down in front of her and her head snapped up. "What...?" What was this book? Why was it there? Why did Qrow have it? It made no sense. What game was he playing? "I'll explain after we eat. Okay?"

"But I need to—"

"Winter, it's not even five thirty and it's not like you have that far to walk. Plus you don't have to work until—"

"Seven." Winter glared over her shoulder at her best friend who just grinned through the webcam. "Traitor."

"Nope, just helping out my best friend and making sure she doesn't totally drive herself into the ground when she's already stressed to hell and back." No, she was just a dirty traitor no matter what justification she gave.

Though, predictably, Winter soon found herself staring at the last half of her meal. It was far too much effort to try to get it down her tight throat into her knotted stomach. She didn't want to leave. Leaving just... She couldn't but she had to... She couldn't break her perfect attendance but to leave…

A numb feeling began to spread over her body, her breathing spiking. She felt her whole body begin to shake and she wrapped her arms around herself. Damn it, not this bullshit again... Why...? Not since...

But she couldn't... Too... What if he showed up while she...? Weiss—

She tensed when she caught Qrow approaching and tears filled her eyes. This was it, wasn't it...? He was finally going to... Her head just bowed us one of his hands rested over hers. Yes, it finally—

Huh?

A warmth unlike anything she'd ever felt before wrapped around her. Wait... His aura... around her...? But how...? So warm though... So gentle and sweet... Calm... So very calm…

Her breathing slowed over the next several minutes and she looked at him. "What...? How...?" But his Semblance…

"You were having a panic attack and it was more advanced aura. Grade Seven—emotional calm. You just wrap your aura around someone else. Doesn't force a change in mood, though; it's just kinda like wraping the target in a blanket." His tone was extremely gentle as he spoke and she nodded a bit. Well, that did line up with what he'd done... It had shortened the weakness attack. She'd wanted it to end, so maybe it had hastened the process...? Either way, it didn't really matter…

"Also sorry for touching you without permission; there just wasn't much choice here." He looked away and she hesitated for a moment before putting her free hand over his. A shiver went down her spine, unbidden.

"You are to never touch a man that is above you."

She shoved away Gelé's voice as best she could. "Thank you." This did mark a dangerous acceptance which would probably lead down a fast, slippery slope, but just for this once... it was welcome. His aura was just... so warm. It'd be awful when he pulled away. But it would have to eventually.

Unfortunately, he did pull back and she sighed. Why did him pulling back like that always left her feeling empty? It made no sense... Why did anything outside of Atlas make so little sense? Tears welled in her eyes but she pushed them aside. No need to cry over something so stupid.

She picked up the book and settled on the couch near Kiyay while Qrow sat in one of the chairs. His shoulders just dropped as he rested his head in his hands. "So about the book. Mind opening to page 137?"

The Lover Tells Of The Rose In His Heart ?

She looked up at him for a moment until he started to speak.

"All things uncomely and broken, all things worn out and old,

The cry of a child by the roadway, the creak of a lumbering cart,

The heavy steps of the ploughman, splashing the wintry mould,

Are wronging your image that blossoms a rose in the deeps of my heart.

The wrong of unshapely things, is a wrong too great to be told;

I hunger to build them anew, and sit on a green knoll apart,

With the earth and the sky and the water, re-made like a casket of gold

For my dreams of your image that blossoms a rose in the deeps of my heart."

His words hung heavy in the air and she just looked at him. Even if people weren't her thing, she wasn't stupid. "...I'm sorry." To lose somebody so dear... What must it be like? Even now, she remained privileged. She would likely never know the pain of such loss. Even Weiss, though separated from her, wasn't truly lost.

"...She asked me to get that signed by one of her contemporaries and closest friends in the potery community. Wilhelm was just up and coming at that time, an obscure nobody.

"Little did I know that was the last time I'd see her. Needless to say, I was here in Atlas when she died.

"So keep the book. Hold on to it. If I do something to hurt you, get rid of it somehow. Burn it. Shred it. Drown it. Hell, sell it and get upwards of fifteen thousand lien. That's a first edition and one of only five hundred copies on the planet. possibly less now. Signed like that will at least double the price, prolly triple it with the nigh-mint condition."

So... destroy a huge piece of him in return if he hurt her... This really was an odd move but it did show that he was at least partially serious. She still didn't entirely trust him but…

"Very well."

It gave her some form of insurance if nothing else. She didn't normally retaliate unless it was Gelé. Here, though, anything she could get was welcome.

"By the way, Wint, I think you might've forgotten that General Ironwood approved those two vacation days you asked for today and tomorrow." Winter's head snapped up before she sighed, burying her face in her hands. She really needed to scold Coco. So casually hacking the military's data bases wasn't right. Especially not for her own personal ends like this but…

She didn't want to leave. She was... afraid. Nothing felt safe right now, not even her own apartment. It was the closest thing, but even so. And she didn't even want to be away from Qrow which was the worst part. He could still cause untold damage to her on any front. But he was the only thing standing between her and him .

An unbidden shiver ran up her spine.

"Hey, Winter?" Qrow's gentle voice made her look up and she shoved the tears away. Now was not the time for this. Even if she didn't have to work today, she just needed to get over it.

"Yes?" She just internally cringed at the shake in her voice.

Damn weakness.

"With everything going on... how about we establish some boundaries...?"

"...Excuse me?" What... did that mean? Tell him where he wasn't allowed in the apartment? It was pretty obvious…

Qrow just stared at her for a moment before sighing and shaking his head. "What I mean is what's okay for me to do and not. I'm a man in your space that basically pushed his way in. Good reason or not... I think having some ground rules would be a good idea." He glanced down at her lap. "Plus... if I violate them, it'll give you an idea of when to do with that as you wish."

People... did that? But... it would make life easier... even if she had no idea what she was doing. "Okay... Um..."

Silence fell and she felt panic rise in her chest again.

"You exist only for man's pleasure. You have no right to anything."

"Hey, Winter; look at me." Her head snapped up, breaths suddenly heavy and labored. What...? What had just happened? Why was she so unhinged all of a sudden? This made no sense. She was perfect; something as stupid as what had happened shouldn't be holding Dower over her any longer.

And neither should Gelé.

She just gripped the sides of her head. Why was she being so illogical and stupid.

"Hey, mind if I sit next to you and do what I did earlier with my aura?" Her heart pounded in her chest but she shook her head. If it'd get this damn insanity under control, it was worth it. She did tense as he approached and sat near her, holding one hand out on the couch. What was he—

Oh.

Hesitantly, she placed her hand in his and the gentle warmth surrounded her again. Why was she so drawn to this? Why was her life suddenly so illogical? Nothing over the past less than twenty-four hours made any sense. This was se dangerous... She shouldn't be letting him so near but it was all she could do at the moment.

Thankfully, she did calm down shortly and squeezed his hand. "I apologise for all of this; I'm usually not this unstable." Stupid, silly little girl. She was better than this. Emotions were nothing but tools to be used as weapons and such a sign of weakness.

"No, it's all right. Do you think you feel us to talking now? I'll keep my aura going to help keep you calm." She really shouldn't need it but even she was smart enough to concede the point, though she didn't verbalise it.

Qrow did let out a breath though. "And I hate to do this, but with your reaction... how about I lead the conversation? I know, a man telling you what to do with your mind, body, and space is the last thing you need right now. But you'll probably just have that same negative reaction again. Do you think you can negotiate after I present a point?"

Her heart dropped through her stomach. He was probably right. She wasn't supposed to have a voice and to tell a man what to do especially one of General Ironwood's associates... She just…

"I-I can try." It was all she could really promise. She could speak to the general on equal terms but anybody else...? She just had to bend and bow to her male superiors. How was she supposed to do this...?

She felt the warmth double down and she looked at him, greeted by a gentle smile. She... had to try for the sake of her own safety... This was so less than ideal, but at least he was acknowledging it...

"First is probably the most important thing: I will not lay a hand on you without your consent unless it's some sort of emergency." That was perfectly reasonable and, frankly, a relief. She didn't entirely trust him, of course, but…

"What is the definition of emergency here? "she narrowed her eyes a little. What one Denson defined as an emergency could vary. There were some pretty obvious things they could likely agree on. Even so, to be caught of guard by him... That book would go up in flames sooner rather than later.

"Obviously things like if you freeze up for a moment and you're in harm's way. some sort of medical issue, that sort of thing is agreeable, right?" she just nodded. No issue there; all commonsense stuff.

"The main negotiable part is when it comes to your mental state." Bile rose in the back of her throat and she narrowed her eyes. Such insolence!

"I'm perfectly fine mentally; thank you!" How dare he! She might be a little unhinged now, but it'd wear off in a day or two! It wouldn't be a long-term problem.

"I think me needing to keep you calm right now begs to differ."

"I'll be fine soon enough." It wouldn't last much longer. She always shrugged it off. Not even Gelé had kept her down for long.

Qrow just sighed, resting his forehead in his free hand. "Winter, tell me: what do you know about mental health?"

"Huh?" Her mind was perfectly healthy.

"I think we need to have a talk about how people respond to trauma."

"I'll get links as you need them," Coco chimed in.

α

Winter's head rested on her knees, breaths rapid and shallow. That... explained far too much... But still... She was weak, so very weak... Gelé still controlled her even though she'd been away from him for nearly three years. How was she supposed to live when her thinking would be shackled for probably the rest of her life? Her mind would never truly be her own…

"Hey, why don't we head outside for a bit?" She glanced at him. What was he—

The leather blocking her view answered that. She just nodded and put the glove on while Qrow tied Mono to another glove he withdrew from the bag. But why did she need one if he was only bringing her? He muttered something under his breath she didn't catch but she simply followed him outside.

"You remember how to hold the bird, right?"

"I-Yes, of course." She shifted her position and held her hand out, just looking at Qrow. What was he planning on doing? What was all of this about?

"Mind if I come over and sit her on your fist?" She tensed a bit but shook her head. Damnable anxiety... Damn her for having it in the first place... If only she hadn't been triggered by what had happened…

He walked a fair distance away and she looked at Mono. How very strange this was... The bird did hold her wings out and she blinked.

Oh, right…

Instinctively, she held her hand over her head and Momo took off. She actually smiled a bit as she felt the lift from the powerful wings wash air over her. She climbed into the air a fair bit, still visible, but high enough that she was a little hard to see. How beautiful... Even so far away, it wasn't hard to imagine the sheer joy Mono must've felt... If only she could feel it herself. The freedom. the exhilaration, riding the wind... If only she could follow her in to the sky like that…

A loud, sharp whistle stopped her thoughts and she clapped her hands over ears. What in the hell?! Her head snapped over to Qrow who had his hand over his head, following Mono with his eyes. His body language betrayed she wasn't doing what he wanted to apparently…

He did turn to her and held his hand out. She blinked but nodded. -raising her arm like she had before. Mono wasted no time in descending and landing with precise control. Winter's smile returning.

"Sorry about disrupting the magic of the moment; I just wanted her to go from you to me, but she had other ideas apparently..." Qrow sighed as he approached and she shook her head with a smile.

"It's all right, it was... Wonderful.." If this was what flying was like, then she looked forward to doing it more. Today would be awful but at least she had this...

Poem is The Lover Tells Of The Rose In His Heart by W. B. Yeats. I just changed the name to something that follows in-universe naming rules.