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Qrow’s eyes flickered open at the buzzing of his scroll on the nightstand beside him. He groaned as he picked it up, eyes squinting at the harsh light. He groaned even louder after reading the message written across the screen, tossing his scroll to the ground, choosing to seek refuge under his pillow.
“Wha ith it, hun?” Clover called from the bathroom, already up and brushing his teeth.
“Unhh… Jimmy wants us in his office in half an hour for a mission briefing,” the huntsman replied, his words muffled under the sheets.
Clover spit out his toothpaste, before rinsing his mouth out into the sink. “Well, you just saw what time it is, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, it’s too early to be having mission briefings.”
The brunet chuckled, picking up his own scroll. “Well, lucky for us, the General also approved our request to have the night off.” He walked over to the bed and slumped his body next to Qrow’s, lifting the pillow off of his boyfriend’s head to meet garnet eyes. “I’m sure you know what tonight is.”
“Our first date. One year ago today,” replied Qrow, a grin creeping up his face.
“Yep. And James also pulled some strings to get us reservations at that same restaurant.”
“Aww, how sweet of him. Give him a kiss from me when you see him, will ya?”
“Pfft,” Clover shoved Qrow with a laugh. “Go get dressed.”
—
The Stelle Fortunate was filled to the brim that night. Idle chit chat filled every table. Waiters rushed in and out of the kitchen doors. Soft piano notes drifted across the room. The aroma of herbs and fresh bread wafted through the air.
But Clover noticed none of it. Through all the noise, all the hustle and bustle around the room, all he saw was Qrow.
“Uhh, the tiramisu sounds great, we’ll have that,” said Qrow, handing the desert menu back to the waiter.
“Excellent choice, we’ll have that right out for you,” the man replied, before quickly turning and heading through the double doors to the kitchen.
Qrow turned back to see Clover resting his chin on his hand, a wide smile spread across his face. His eyes offered the tenderest gaze to the man across from him.
“What?” Qrow blushed, clutching a hand behind his head. “What is it?”
“You’re so beautiful,” answered the brunet. Qrow’s face only reddened more at the compliment as a smile crept up his face to match his boyfriend’s. “Ugh, and every time you blush just makes loving you so much easier. How did I end up finding someone as perfect as you?”
“Well, you’d probably have to chalk that up to your luck over mine,” Qrow joked in return.
“No,” Clover said, moving his hand across the table to rest atop Qrow’s. “It has to be something stronger than that. Only by some divine intervention could I be led to someone as perfect as you. You’ve made me want to be a better man than I ever was before. You make me feel whole in a way that words can’t describe. Which is why…” Clover continued as he rose from his seat before dropping on his left knee. He reached into his pocket before removing a small velvet-covered box, causing Qrow to cover his mouth. “I would like you to make me the luckiest man alive, and become Mr. Branwen-Ebi.”
Clover opened the box to reveal a ring ornamented with a dazzling garnet in the shape of a cross, with two wings of onyx sprouting from either side. Qrow processed all that was said, and before long teeth sprouted from his smile. The smile turned into a soft giggle, and suddenly transformed into a full laugh. Clover’s expression shifted slightly from euphoria to entertain the curiosity that Qrow’s laughter entreated.
“Oh, Cloves,” Qrow began, collecting himself before rising from his own seat to meet his partner on the floor. He fished a similar box out of his own pocket before opening it to reveal a ring with a shamrock made of emeralds proudly encrusted in the center, intricately woven knots engraved within the sterling silver surrounding it. “Here I was thinking that I might be moving too fast.”
Clover’s smile widened again, a soft chuckle escaping his lips. “Huh. That’s just our luck, isn’t it?”
“I guess it is. I just… Gods, I’m no good at speeches like this,” Qrow moved to wipe a tear away with his sleeve. “You… you brought back a part of me that I haven’t seen in a long time. A part of me that I thought was lost forever. You make me want to love again. Unashamed. Unafraid.”
“Fuck, Qrow, you’re gonna make me start crying, now,” Clover chuckled, wiping at his watering eyes. “I suppose that’s a ‘yes’, then, isn’t it?”
“Haha, yeah,” Qrow responded before pulling his boyfriend—no, his fiancé—into a deep, tender kiss, the entire restaurant melting away around them.
“May I?” Clover said as they pulled apart, grabbing Qrow’s left hand and gesturing forward his ring.
“Of course,” replied Qrow, looking at his hand that had never felt so bare until now. Once the ring was on, Qrow did the same to Clover before rising to his feet and returning to his chair. “Although, I have to say, I’m more partial to ‘Ebi-Branwen’.”