“MISTER QROW!”
Qrow braced himself as the raven-haired form of Yuki launched herself off the couch like a rocket, slamming into his chest and binding her arms around his neck.
“OOOOOOOOOOOOO I’m so happy to see youuuuuuuuuuu!”
“OOF! Hey, take it easy kiddo, you’re getting kinda big for this!” Qrow chuckled as Yuki proceeded to clamber up his arm. Qrow, still smiling, stretched the limb out as Yuki slipped down and dangled from it, swinging her legs freely.
“I know you can handle it, your the best Huntsman ever!”
“Yuki!” Winter called from the sofa, her bemused smile conflicting with her firm tone “Mr. Qrow isn’t a jungle gym, and you’re not a monkey!”
“Could have fooled me.” Qrow quipped as Yuki, pouting, released her hold on Qrow’s arm and dropped back to her feet.
Rustling her hair, which elicited a giggle from the girl as she proceeded to hug him about the waist, Qrow turned his attention to the couch.
“Hey Nick.” He said with a disarming smile as his gaze fell upon the young boy who sat beside Winter. the white-haired young man seemed to withdraw into himself as he clutched at Winter’s side.
“Nicholas.” he replied, an annoyed pout on his own lips. Yuki stuck her tongue out at her brother as she released Qrow and trotted back to the sofa.
“Don’t be rude Nicky! Mother, tell Nicholas not to be Rude!” she growled as she made an attempt to climb up Winter’s legs.
Instead, Winter reached over and tapped Yuki on the forehead as a rebuke.
“YOU do not be rude to your brother, Young Lady. Tongues are for eating, not for gesturing, is that understood?”
“Yes mama….” Yuki muttered as she slumped down to sit on the floor.
Nicholas seemed to sense his Sister’s dismay, and looked back to Qrow as he crossed the room to stand before the three.
“I’m sorry Mr. Qrow-” he began to say, before Qrow reached down and lightly fluffed his own hair.
“no, no, I’m sorry Nicholas.” he replied, before, as Nicholas huffed and tried to straighten his hair, turning his gaze to the children’s mother, who seemed to appraise him with her ice-blue gaze.
“And hello to you. It’s been a while.”
“Too Long!” Yuki declared before Winter could reply, eliciting a smile from both adults. If only she knew.
Decorum demanded Qrow keep his distance, but anyone with basic comprehension skills could see that the two children were most definitely not Ironwood’s brood. he and Winter’s one night of emotion-charged passion had turned into something neither of them had expected.
But looking at the two children, Qrow had no regrets. And based on her behavior neither did Winter.
“I agree, it’s been too long” Winter replied at last as she took pity on her son and made a show of neatening his mussed hair. Nicholas grinned lovingly at his mother as she did so.
“How long are you staying?”
“Not too long, sadly.” Qrow replied, which elicited an “awwww!” of dismay from Yuki. Qrow grinned at her in the most paternal way he could. Practically raising Ruby and Yang alongside Tai had given him plenty of experience, and Yuki was so much like her cousins it was giving him severe Deja-vu.
“So we’d best make the most out of the time I do have.” He spread his arms and put on a wide smile.
“Who wants Ice Cream?”
Both outgoing Yuki and timid Nicholas jumped for joy at that, and they bolted to fetch their shoes before Winter could voice any opinion. She sighed deeply as she listened to their feet pounding up the stairs.
“You know this will spoil their appetites for Supper.” She said with an annoyed expression as Qrow offered a hand.
“Probably.” he replied as, Winter accepting his hand, he pulled her to her feet and against his chest.
For a long moment, longer than a mere friendship would have required, Winter pressed herself to him.
Strong as she was, even the mightiest bulwark needed reinforcement from time to time.
“But, somehow I don’t think Klein will mind too much.” Qrow quipped, placing a chaste kiss in her hair.
“Birdbrain.” Winter muttered.
“Snow Angel.” Qrow replied.
Winter chuckled and smacked him idly on the chest before, Qrow following, she went in search of her own shoes.
A Coffee Frappe honestly sounded delightful at the moment….