Romance Black

" Hey, Silva, why are you dressed nicer than usual?"

Emerald asked me as I dressed in a gray short-sleeve-collared shirt with black dress pants and some solid black slip-on shoes. I answered as I checked myself in the mirror and saw that my hair was getting a bit long. I made a mental note to myself to get a haircut, then answered the mint-haired girl.

" Going to meet a friend for a family dinner at their place."

" Anyone, we know?"

" It's Winter Schnee, Em."

Emerald had a look of realization at remembering the few meeting she had with Winter during our time at Atlas.

" Oh, I remember her. Well, have fun."

" Thanks; want me to grab you anything since I will be out?"

" Hmm... No, I'm good, thanks for asking."

The mint-haired girl walked off, and before I left, the twins came up to me while appraising how I looked. Melanie eyed me and said with a smirk.

" You clean up surprisingly well, Silva. What's the occasion?"

" Joining a friend's family dinner, and she asked me to dress nice."

" She?"

Melanie narrowed her eyes with the question, and I explained.

" Winter Schnee, she was assigned to be more sort-of handler during my time in Atlas Academy, and we got along pretty well, so we stay in contact."

" Oh? Is she pretty?"

I nodded in reply, which made the brasher twin bristle. Oh, crud, don't tell me she's jealous, which makes me both happy that she views me like that and a bit nervous as well, as jealousy can cause quite a bit of trouble if not handled probably. I glanced at Miltia and saw that she was staring at me with narrowed eyes as well, better make a peace offering to appease them before they got into a tizzy.

" Oh, by the way, aside from the road trip, is there anything the two of you want to do before we go off?"

I stunned the twins with my change in topic, and they looked at one another to have a silent conversation through their eyes. After a few moments, Miltia told me.

" Actually, Silva, there is something we need to do before we leave. Our boss at the club wants to meet you."

" Okay, any specific date in mind?"

The polite twin shook her head and told me.

" It can wait a few days. Enjoy your dinner date, Silva."

The Malachite twins left, and I felt relieved that I had dodged the bullet on that one. I find the twins attractive, but considering that I have been away and left them to their own devices, for the most part, I didn't have a feel for how they felt about me. At least until now, that is, if they felt jealous of how I was going to see Winter and her family, it should mean something. I won't use Soul Archive on them, as I am trying to respect their privacy, and this also applies to the other people I care about aside from Neopolitan, who wants me to use my second Semblance to read her intentions without the need for her to communicate through other means.

I did one last check on my appearance, then opened a portal to Winter. I found myself in front of the Schnee manor with my favorite ice queen staring at the door, and I grinned mischievously at her being distracted. I walked up behind her and whispered into her ear.

" Winter, I'm here~."

She jumped at my sudden whisper, much to my amusement, and Winter glared at me as she quietly demanded.

" Was that necessary, Silva?!"

" Sorry, I couldn't resist. It's not often I find you completely distracted."

I said with a smile which made the ice queen sigh while looking a bit weary and asked, feeling concerned.

" Are you alright?"

" I'm fine. It's just that... I am still getting used to these family dinners with my mother without my father being involved."

" That's understandable. It's a big change in your life, but I think it's a good one, in my opinion."

" I hope so as well... but enough about that, let's head inside."

Before Winter went through the door, she appraised and then complimented me.

" You look nice, Silva."

" And you lovely as always, Winter."

I grinned as I saw the ice queen blush slightly at my returned compliment. She looked away as she opened the door to the Schnee manor; she was so precious. It seems like Winter has really opened up to me enough to show more emotion in my absence; after all, you don't know what you have until it's gone. Still, I need to test her to see if wanted something more than friendship because the ice queen was sought after when she was the Schnee heiress from the memories of Atlas's so-called upper class that I got during my stay in this wretched kingdom just like Weiss is right now. Especially now that Jacques is out of the picture.

We soon found ourselves in the dining room in the Schnee manor, and Weiss called out to her sister happily.

" Winter, I am glad you could make it!"

It's times like this I briefly wonder if Weiss is a sis-con, but I got my head out before it went to the gutter. Willow saw me and greeted me with a smile, along with her eldest daughter.

" Welcome back, Winter, and it's good to see you again, Silva."

" Your looking radiant, Willow."

She did look better than the last time I saw her; I guess spending time with her children without Jacques's shadow looming over them helped her mental health. I sat across from Whitley near the end of the table, and as the Schnee family and I waited for dinner, some small talk was made.

" So, how have you been, Winter?"

The Schnee matriarch asked with a slight smile, and Winter answered after a moment of hesitation and awkwardness.

" I have been well, mother."

" Learned anything interesting in the academy?"

" Nothing unexpected..."

Willow continues to try and connect with her children, and so far, Whitley is the most closed off. I am not surprised, considering that his father was trying to mold him into another Jacques, so he was the most affected by his father's absence in the youngest Schnee's life. However, Whitley still has the underlying goodness within him, like in the show. It just needs a chance to come out, which he will have plenty of since his father is out of his life. The Schnee matriarch turned her attention toward me as dinner arrived.

" What about you, Silva? Been up to anything?"

" Just working on some projects of mine while planning a road trip from Anima to Menagerie in a hovercraft I built."

"How in the world can you build a hovercraft?!"

Weiss cried out with an incredulous look, and Willow chided her.

" Weiss, while I understand why you would ask that, but be mindful of your tone with our guest."

The snow angel stiffened at her mother, repriming her, and I answered the question with a half-truth.

" The reason I came to Atlas in the first place was to learn as much advanced engineering and science that I could get my hands, well paws, on to expand my horizons."

" Who taught you?"

Weiss asked with a suspicious look, and I smiled as I answered.

" Well, the person who taught me is..."

The Schnee heiress looked at me intently as I answered.

" Is a secret."

I grinned as Weiss's eye twitched furiously with an unamused expression. Winter and Willow chuckled at my antics; even Whitley's lips twitched into a brief smile. The Schnee matriarch drew everyone's attention to the dinner in front of us.

" I suggest we eat before our food gets cold."

The dinner was mostly uneventful, aside from the snow angel glowering at me from my earlier prank, to which I responded with a mischievous grin.

" Listen, Weiss, I understand you find me charming and interesting, but if you look at me with such passion, I will blush."

I cracked up as I saw her gape at me and the rest of the family joined me with some laughter of their own, much to her embarrassment. Soon after, dessert was served and eaten. Before I left, Willow called out to me.

" Silva, I was wondering if I may have a word in private."

" Certainly, Willow, lead the way."

" Winter, I will be borrowing Silva for a bit if you don't mind."

Winter looked at me to silently ask if I knew what her mother wanted, and I shrugged as I wasn't sure. The ice queen gave her permission to the Schnee matriarch.

" I don't mind, mother."

I followed Willow to her home office, and she gestured for me to sit down.

" Have a seat, Silva."

As I sat down, the Schnee matriarch took a seat across from me, and I asked.

" So, what do you want to talk about, Willow?"

Willow leaned back into her chair and told me with a bitter smile.

" You saw my reaction when the White Fang?"

I nodded as I recalled her panicking and almost hyperventilating from the situation. Maintaining her bitter smile, she continued to speak.

" If it were the me before my accident where my Aura pathways got damaged, I would've been able to deal with them on my own, but you saw how I acted."

Willow paused for a moment, then looked me in the eyes and told me what she wanted.

" I want you to help me get back into fighting shape."

" I'm not against it, but wouldn't it be better to hire a professional to help you?"

She gave a shy smile as she answered.

" I feel a bit embarrassed to ask a stranger to help me, and you have helped me so much before. So I feel like I can trust you to help me in this instance and would be far more comfortable with you than a professional like you suggested."

I considered what she was asking for a moment, then asked.

" Do you remember the exercises you did when you first started combat training and where you graduated from the huntsman academy?"

" It's a bit fuzzy, but it's there, yes."

I agreed to help her out with reaching huntress fitness.

" Okay then, we can use those as a base to work off from there to whip you in shape. Now with my current plans, we can train together either early in the morning or late evening. Which do you prefer?"

" Evenings would be best as I would've finished with most of the paperwork for the company by then, along with any meetings."

We worked out the details of what was needed to get started on getting Willow back into fighting shape. I then took my leave, and Winter escorted me out of the manor. After we reached the door, the ice queen said.

" Thank you for coming, Silva."

" No problem, Winter, anytime."

She smiled in turn and repeated her thanks.

" I am truly thankful to have you accompany me, Silva."

I decided to try a gamble with her. Worst-case scenario, I get a rather violent reaction, but I can handle it.

" Then, can you do one thing for me?"

" Certainly, Silva."

" Close your eyes."

At my request, she looked at me with a bit of caution, but after a moment, she complied. I leaned in on her and kissed her on the lips. Winter opened her eyes in shock, and I pulled back as she looked at me, stunned, and her mind frozen. After a few moments, she started to blush furiously, and I grinned as I gave my goodbye.

" See you later, Winter."

Now, let's see how she reacts in the following days.