SxD+S: A heartful Conversation

Eastern Balcony 

The breeze atop Beacon's various patios was crisp. From this height, Vale stretched out beneath them—sunlight glinting off rooftops and the distant shimmer of the sea. Winter had chosen this spot deliberately: far from students, from curious eyes, and most importantly, from her sister.

She stood at the edge of the stone balcony, her posture straight, arms crossed behind her back, silver-white hair swaying gently with the wind. Issei stood nearby, slightly hunched, hands stuffed into his pockets with an awkwardness that seemed to follow him like a shadow.

“You’re… surprisingly quiet,” Winter said after a moment, glancing sideways at him.

“Trying not to say anything dumb,” Issei muttered. “Harder than it sounds when I’m around you.”

Winter blinked, tilting her head slightly. “Around me?”

“You’re kind of intimidating,” He said without hesitation. “In a cool way. But, you know you're just like Weiss. Beautiful, strong… but if I say the wrong thing, I might get buried in six feet or frozen.”

There was a beat of silence. Winter stared at him, lips parting as if to rebuke him—but what came out instead was… a laugh. A genuine, soft laugh that slipped past her discipline before she could stop it. It startled even her.

“I—” she quickly composed herself, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face. “You’re remarkably unfiltered.”

Issei gave a sheepish smile. “Yeah. I kinda… suck at being anything else.”

Winter studied him again. His words were clumsy, but they carried no hidden meaning. No hidden agenda. There was something endearing in the way he spoke—earnest, bumbling, but oddly respectful. Like he truly meant everything he said, whether it made sense or not.

“I see now why Weiss tolerates your presence,” Winter murmured.

He turned to look at her, grin widening. “She does more than tolerate me. Even if she pretends not to most of the time.”

Winter raised an eyebrow. “You speak as if she’s... pretending?”

Issei rubbed the back of his neck. “I know she acts all high and mighty, but… honestly? That’s part of why I like her. She doesn’t fake stuff. When she’s annoyed, she lets me know. When she’s happy—rare as it is—she doesn’t hide it. It makes the moments where she smiles feel like I’ve done something right. Like I made the Ice Queen melt… just a little.”

His expression softened then, eyes distant with a kind of affectionate warmth Winter wasn’t used to seeing.

“She works harder than anyone I’ve ever met,” Issei continued, his voice quieter now. “Even when no one’s looking. She’s terrified of letting people down, but she never says it out loud. And even though she gets embarrassed when I say this kinda stuff… I think Weiss is amazing. Flaws and all.”

Winter’s breath caught. A silence lingered between them—thin, but heavy.

He meant every word.

No agenda. No performance.

Just raw, honest admiration.

And none of it was for her.

‘Why does that hurt?’

Winter felt something tighten in her chest. Her hands flexed at her sides before she stilled them again. It was subtle, but that flicker of emotion was sharp. Bitterness.

‘He says she’s amazing. Flaws and all. Would anyone ever say that about me?’

She’d spent her entire life hiding her flaws, training to be perfect, joining the military to escape from her father’s grasp, to be a symbol of strength and authority. Every action calculated. Every word measured. Every emotion buried so deep she sometimes wondered if she could still feel them.

And now here was this boy—an anomaly, an unknown factor—speaking with such simple sincerity that it made her wonder if she’d missed something vital in her pursuit of perfection.

“You love her,” Winter said at last, her voice quieter than before.

Issei blinked at the sudden statement. “Yeah,” he said softly. “I think I do.”

Winter nodded, looking away toward the horizon. Her heart ached in a way that startled her.

‘Weiss is… lucky.’

“Has anyone ever told you,” she said after a moment, “that your honesty is both your most charming and most dangerous trait?”

“Not really.” Issei replied with a chuckle. “But sometimes Weiss angrily pulls my ears when I talk to other girls and say something stupid.”

Winter allowed herself a small smile again. “Sounds like she’s grown… more expressive, lately. Perhaps that’s your influence.”

“Maybe,” Issei said. “But I think it’s always been there. She just needed a reason to stop hiding it. I think it was mostly her team that softened her up. They're really good friends.”

Winter’s gaze softened as she looked at him again. The wind tugged at her hair. “You may be an enigma,” she said, stepping closer, “but I believe… you’re not a threat.”

“Thanks,” Issei said, rubbing the back of his neck again. “That’s probably the nicest thing someone in uniform has ever said to me.”

“I’ll submit my report to General Ironwood that you are not a threat.” She said. “And I’ll keep what I’ve seen between us.”

“Appreciate it, but you don’t have to do that.” Issei said, giving her a genuine smile.

Winter hesitated, then added, almost too quietly, “...Weiss is fortunate. Don’t let her forget that.”

—-----------------------------

‘Where is she?!’ Weiss stood near the front courtyard, arms crossed, tapping her heel anxiously against the stone walkway. Her scroll showed the time—they were supposed to meet ten minutes ago.

Winter was never late. She was punctual to a fault, always precise. Unless something—or someone—had interfered.

Weiss frowned, mind racing.

‘No, she probably just got delayed talking to one of the various professors, or General Ironwood gave her a last minute assignment and couldn’t come.’ She tried to convince herself. But the longer the silence stretched, the more uneasy she felt.

“Hey Weiss!”

She turned at the sound of Nora’s chipper voice bounding up behind her.

“Oh. Hello, Nora,” Weiss said distractedly, already glancing past her to see if Winter was approaching. “How may I help you?”

Nora grinned. “I just wanted to tell you, I saw a woman that kinda looked like you but older and super military.”

Weiss’s brows knitted as she now paid attention to what Nora was saying. “You did.”

Nora nodded rapidly. “Mhm! Saw her not long ago, actually. She was walking toward the east tower with Issei!”

Weiss’s entire world stopped. “…I’m sorry, what?”

Nora tilted her head, thoughtful. “Yeah! He was trailing behind her, looking all flustered, and she looked suuuper serious. They were heading to that big fancy balcony thing—”

Weiss didn’t wait for the rest. She was already running. “Thanks, Nora!” She called over her shoulder, voice tight with panic.

“You’re welcome—? Oh wow, she’s fast!”

—---------------------------------

Eastern Balcony 

Weiss’s shoes clicked sharply as she raced up the spiral stairs, heart pounding in her chest. She didn’t care that she was out of breath, nor that people stared at her with wide eyes as she stormed through the halls. Her thoughts were a flurry of worst-case scenarios.

‘Winter is going to interrogate him. She’s going to ask about his background, his lack of formal training, his... perversion… OHHHH Brothers, she’s going to kill him… And then she’s going to give me that look! The disappointed, ‘I expected better from you, Weiss’ look!

Her face flushed in a mixture of panic. It wasn’t that she was ashamed of Issei. Far from it. She adored him, flaws and all—his sincerity, his relentless optimism, even his occasional idiocy. But he wasn’t exactly the kind of person the Schnee family considered "suitable."

‘What if she forbids me from seeing him? What if she tries to send me home? What if she reports him to Father?!’

She practically slammed open the door to the balcony, panting slightly as the sunlight washed over her.

"Winter, I—!" She stopped.

There they were.

Winter, standing tall and composed. Issei, leaning against the railing, looking… relaxed. There was a soft smile on his lips, and Winter had the faintest touch of red on her cheeks.

The silence that followed was awkward, like someone had just frozen time.

Issei blinked, turning to her. “Oh hey, Weiss! You’re here.”

“Yes, I'm here! Winter, you were supposed to come and meet me!” She snapped, storming forward, uncaring that she was yelling at her older sister and intimidating Issei at having to face her wrath. “And what are you doing here? With her? I thought I told you I wasn't ready for you to meet her.”

Winter arched a brow, calm as ever. “Good afternoon, Weiss. You appear... distressed.”

“Distressed?! I’m having a full-blown meltdown!” Weiss gestured frantically between the two of them. “Why didn’t you meet me where we agreed? Why are you dragging him around? Did you question him? Did he say something stupid? He always says something stupid—!”

Issei rubbed the back of his head, chuckling nervously. “I mean… not that stupid—”

“Not helping!” Weiss hissed.

Winter’s expression didn’t change, but her tone softened ever so slightly. “I wanted to assess him for myself. General Ironwood had questions regarding his… unique circumstances. This seemed an opportune time. And as for him being your boyfriend,” She said, glancing back at Issei with something unreadable in her eyes, “He was… enlightening.”

Weiss flushed crimson. “W-Wait—you know he’s my…? Oh no...”

Issei laughed softly. “She figured it out fast. Kinda hard not to. We talked about you a lot.”

Weiss turned to him in horror. “You talked about me?!”

Issei, ever honest, just grinned. “Of course. Told her how amazing you are. And how you can be scary when you're mad. Like right now.”

Weiss was so overwhelmed she didn’t know whether to faint, explode, or strangle him.

Winter, however, broke the tension. “…He was very sincere, Weiss.”

Weiss blinked.

Winter looked at her sister now, her gaze softer than before. “I admit, I had my doubts. He is… not what I expected. But,” She paused, eyes narrowing slightly at Issei’s usually goofy smile. “His intentions appear genuine. And his affection for you... is clear.”

Weiss stared at her. “So… you’re not going to report him? Or lecture me about standards? Or say Father would disapprove?”

Winter turned back toward the railing, looking over Vale once more.

“I have long left our father's control. I don’t serve him. And what he would or wouldn’t approve of is not my concern.” Then, quieter. “...Perhaps it's time we decided for ourselves what’s worth holding onto.”

Weiss stared at her sister, unsure of what to say.

Issei, oblivious as ever, nudged Weiss lightly. “So… does this mean I passed the big sister test?”

Weiss sighed and grabbed his arm, squeezing it just a little. “Don’t push your luck.”

Winter allowed herself a private smile. ‘Weiss is lucky.’ She thought again wondering if she will ever meet someone like the boy.