Fables

chapter 0

         It was a calm night. The sky was clear, and stars were shining along with the moon and its broken fragments scattered across the sky. Two men sat in the window at the top of the tower in Atlas, after work was over and everyone had gone to sleep, the city was serene. It was an odd look for the city, but it was a pleasant time.

      Clover passed the cards over the cushion beneath them, hands gliding over the deck so casually. He yawned and counted his own, the stress of the city and the team weighing on his shoulders. "Don't fall asleep on me kiddo, won't want the only other willing participant to drop out on a game of cards do we?" Qrow grinned, he picked up his cards and chuckled at his own joke. What an old man, Clover rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Kiddo huh? So used to being around the kids?" He played his cards and leaned onto the glass, watching the world from below. It was reassuring to see the nightlife still alive, even in the dire times they were together. "Look at you. You look no older than they are." Qrow snapped back, earning a playful punch to the shoulder.

      They laughed it off and quieted down. The older man looked down and went serious, they were strangers in a sense but he still cared. "Seriously though, you okay? We can do this another time if you need to." He shook his head and waved his hand, tired but not unwilling to play. "Nonono, it's fine. Ironwood's just working the team a little harder than usual." Clover went quiet, he felt as if there was nobody he could talk go about this yet... He wanted to try with Qrow, try to trust him. "It's... It's confusing and stressful working for him. Don't get me wrong I love working for Ironwood but, with all the confidential information and secrets he keeps it's hard to trust him."

      Something in him made it feel as if he messed up, as if opening up would scare him away. But... The look of understanding and care in his eyes made Clover remember why he did in the first place. The older man opened his mouth to speak, only to falter and look down. Setting down his cards reluctantly. "I hear you." The raw hurt and tenderness in his voice as he supported him. The hurt he faced countless times for Ozpin, so yeah. Maybe he did hear him. Clover smiled, for the first time in a while it felt natural. He shook his head and placed his cards down, winning the round out of sheer luck. "Oh piss off with you and your good luck-!" Qrow spat out like a sore loser. He took the cards and shot the man a glare, only to see him with a grin so wide he thought it'd cramp.

      The older man smiled to himself as he passed the cards, "Really though, I understand. Most of the time after Beacon, Oz had the team running on life-threatening missions back to back. He wouldn't tell us why and, honestly it took a toll."
"How's that working for you?"

      Qrow chuckled, not exactly knowing himself. He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it out of his face enough to look at Clover. "Still risking my life. Instead of it being Oz it's a 14-year-old farm boy, my nieces, and Oz on the side." He laughed at himself, a terrible habit he needed to quit too. "Did you ever have any plans to do anything? Like have a family or settle down?" Qrow never really put any thought to it, he went quiet as he thought about it. Watching Ruby and Yang grow up was sweet, seeing them grow into good people before his eyes. The soft intimacy of a relationship, the ability to be able to trust someone. So yeah, he didn't exactly have a plan but he was down. "Deep down yeah, I can't have a relationship even if I tried cause of my fucking semblance." He spoke naturally, not letting anything hold him back from talking to Clover. "But watching my brother in law and his kids... It really is sweet though. To watch a kid grow before your eyes and grow old with someone."

      There was something about the way Clover looked that night. Something about the way he looked at him, so tenderly and full of an emotion unfamiliar to him. The moonlight painting him in such an angelic light. Maybe he did want to settle down with him, wake up in the morning to him and the stupid cheesy lines that he adored. The small compliments that he ate up cause he was just so deprived. Fuck what was he thinking? Nobody would want to settle down with an old unlucky man like him, least of all Clover. He probably didn't swing that way anyways.

      Qrow tossed down his winning cards with a shit-eating grin. "I win." The man looked at him with such shock and confusion. "Cheater!" He cried, looking at his cards then Qrow's. Confused by his notorious bad luck no longer striking.

"Think your luck's just rubbing off on me"