Heisters (RWBY modern AU fanfiction)

3: All Night

The gang, two drunks and one sober, made it home as both Ironwood and Ozpin carried Qrow on their shoulders and stumbled into Qrow's bedroom.

Of course, they didn't forget the money in the car. But it made it harder for Ironwood as he had to carry both things.

"Careful, watch his head", Ironwood warned.

Ozpin, who was still drunk, accidentally slipped and banged Qrow's head on the door.

"What did I say??"

"You realize I'm still drunk, right?" Ozpin stated.

Luckily, Qrow was still passed out. They laid him down on his bed and walked out.

"I'm gonna hit the hay..." Ozpin slurred. "My head is killing me."

Ironwood did the same and walked into his room. He placed the case of $50,000,000 beside his bed and got out of his tux.

For his pajamas, just gray sweatpants. He wasn't in the mood to wear a shirt.

But there was one thing that remained in the back of his mind: Glynda. He couldn't forget her even though he tried. It was bad enough that he approached her again after 9 years. And today was her birthday. How come he forgot about that?

"That's it", Ironwood said to himself.

He got up walked across the living room and approached a book shelf that was next to the fireplace. He searched for a black binder until he saw the book spine that said JAMES AND GLYNDA MOMENTS. Yes, it sounded a bit corny for Ironwood but it was created by Glynda when they went out. He pulled it out and studied the cover as he returned to the living room to sit on the couch. He hadn't seen the cover for a long time. Hell, he hadn't even touched the black binder ever since Glynda broke up with him! Ironwood remembered what she had said on that day.

"Take it! I don't want it anymore!" Glynda cried as she threw the binder filled with memories at Ironwood. "Why would you do this to me?! You lied to me for 4 years! How can I trust you now?!"

"I only did it so I would protect you", the sound of Ironwood's voice came. "I didn't want for you get involved. I can't risk losing you."

"I can't believe I dated and slept with a criminal! I hate you! I don't want to see you again!" The voices had faded away from his head as he opened the binder.

The pictures of Glynda and Ironwood smiling together and holding their favorite Starbucks drinks immediately soothed his soul and giving himself a warm smile. That was a fun day for him. That was also the day he first said I love you and just as he had imagined, it made Glynda feel like the only girl in the world.

The next picture was them again at a bar. It was Ironwood's birthday that day. That was the night when Glynda got him an MP3 player with a list of the best songs that he ever listened to and a pair Beats Headphones. He still owns them to this day.

Ironwood flipped the page and found a pig portrait of them two at a pool. He always loved seeing Glynda with her cute purple bikini as she adored watching him with his navy blue swim trunks. But it was the muscles she would pay most attention to...

He flipped again and saw a picture of him sleeping in his bed. That was the night they had their first love session. He remembered Glynda always waking up early so she would watch him sleep. Supposedly she claimed that he looks like an adorable kitten when he sleeps.

Ironwood looked more into the binder until he spotted his favorite memory. It was their first trip together to Paris. Glynda couldn't stop smiling at everything during the whole trip. That was the day when Ironwood talked to Glynda about their future. How they were gonna have a beautiful wedding with a four-tier wedding cake with a cute model of them on top, imagining having a house of their own with possibly three or four kids running around the house and a dog playing with them in the back yard. But that never happened.

Ironwood kept replaying the memory of how Glynda found out he was a thief. She waited for him in his place as he was secretly away on a heist when he told her that he was away on business. When he came back, she had spotted him with bags of money that was from Trigger from trading in a priceless painting they had stolen that night. He remembered having to confess to her that he stole priceless artifacts for a living. After the broken look he received from Glynda, he regretted ever having to lie to her. Yet, he is still master thief today.

Ironwood closed the memory binder to shut away the pain and sighed in remorse.

He couldn't keep her out of his mind. He missed holding her hand as they took a walk through the city, the way she laid her head on his shoulders, the way her hair smelled, her scent of sweet lavender perfume around her neck, and the way she smiled- oh, how he loved that smile. He remembered how soft her skin was. Her pale, smooth, soft skin and her soft lips. Her green eyes that would sparkle in a sunny day. Her snug vanilla blonde hair sliding through his fingers.... For the past 9 years, that's what he was missing. That is when he saw her again at Jackie Diamonds.

But if he didn't have Qrow and Ozpin, he would've been already broken. That's why there's the rare word, colleagues. Qrow would be always pushing Ironwood to meet other women but sadly none of them was nothing like Glynda.

Glynda was different. She wasn't the type that would waste her time window shopping or buy cute stuff from an online store and use Ironwood's credit card without asking. She never did any of that. From her spare time, she would hang out with Ironwood and tell him funny stories or what her problems were. And for Ironwood, he would always listen. That's what they would do in their spare time.

But on some days when they weren't with each other, he'd become the master thief. He hated going behind her back and stealing some priceless artifacts for the money. But what could he do? He had to admit, he loved stealing... There was no way he would lie to himself about that. But he also couldn't get any open jobs in the state! That would explain why he is still a criminal today.

"What can I do now, Glynda...?" he whispered. "It has been 9 years since we've ever talked. Seeing you again today made me realize what I have been missing out on."

He ran his hands through his black and gray hair.

"What can I do to make it up to you...?"

But at that moment, he realized what he wanted to do with part of the $50,000,000.
________________

It was 3:24 AM as Ironwood was brainstorming ideas for Glynda's gift. It was her birthday after all and he didn't want to see her again without a gift. He finally came up with a beautiful gift for her in his head. Sure, he knew it wasn't going to convince her to be friends again but it'll send the message that he was sorry and he still cared.

Finally feeling relieved for what his next plan was, he returned to his bed and was ready to have some sleep.