Work Text:
Winter was mortified. She couldn’t understand how her boss, her General could calmly sit on his desk with Qrow Branwen in his lap as if he were sitting in his desk chair. LIke he should have been! To make matters worse the former tribesman was still bound, his trapped hands looped around James’ neck for stability. The arm around his waist ensured he wouldn’t fall or try to escape. She knew then man was an inherently bad influence- the fact that her little sister had help steal and Atlesian Airship was more than enough proof of that- but for him to bring James down like this? In front of the Ace-Ops? She fought to keep her face neutral, no matter how much she wanted to blush for the man she served, or sneer at the one in his lap.
“So Haven was a trap and you’ve learned details you think I should know but aren’t ready to tell me?” His voice brought her back to the present. Qrow had relaxed in his grasp, resting his head on his shoulder. Whatever they had planned to say before had apparently changed for the better. When he’d first sat down with his shifter, the other had been obviously tense.
“Yeah, that about sums it. We just… we need to finish thinking things through. And talking about what happened. And we don’t want to just blurt it out so, you know… Figure out how to say it so everything makes sense. We’ll tell you. We just… need time?” It sounded more like a question, but when her silver eyes flicked to her uncle he knew it was more of a request to be patient with them.
He felt some frustration at the situation- he had shared everything with them already- but with the knowledge that Haven had been a trap and there had been a major betrayal (there had been no mention of his fellow headmaster specifically but he could connect the dots) he could understand their caution. Movement from the side reminded him that he wasn’t the only one in the room with the traveling hunters and James quickly held up a hand to forestall any complaints from his people. “Given your past experiences on your journey here- that’s a reasonable request. I only ask that if something becomes immediately pertinent that you share it regardless of how it will sound.” The first part of his statement was directed at his soldiers more than the kids assembled and from the subtle shifting into attention they understood that.
“That makes sense.” Ruby smiled at him, clearly happy that he was willing to listen and compromise. She had the man currently nosing at his neck to thank for that. Both because compromise was something they’d had to learn to make their odd relationship finally work and because right now he would have given them anything as thanks for bringing him to Atlas alive.
“We can finish everything else tomorrow. It’s late and you all have been traveling. Besides,” James smiled and nodded at the door, “there’s someone who’s been waiting patiently to show you around.”
Sharing confused looks the teens turned as Jaune and Ren opened the doors. Qrow leaned back to look him in the eyes. “What are you up to?”
“Salutations!”
“PENNY!” Ruby’s cry overpowered the shock and overjoyed exclamations of all the others. He felt his lover stiffen in shock before relaxing back against him. The reunion went better than the General could have hoped and before long the android huntress had led all of Qrow’s flock out of the room.
As the heavy doors closed behind them Clover moved to stand before them, the other operatives following his lead a little more slowly. Winter shifted so that she was standing more between them than to his side. Now that his attention was on her he couldn’t help noticing the way her eyes strayed over Qrow and the small twitches of her face that meant she was trying to keep a blank face. Suppressing a sigh, he turned his attention back to the team in front of him.
“While I appreciate you all taking the threat to our kingdom seriously I feel the need to ask… Having witnessed these hunters take out the Grimm to protect our citizens, did any of you consider approaching and asking for their peaceful cooperation?” James noticed three details immediately. One, that three of the Specialists seemed more interested in the floor than the conversation. Two, that Marrow’s tail had started wagging. And three, that Clover seemed a bit sheepish. It gave him a pretty good idea of what was about to be said.
“Marrow suggested it. The idea was ultimately dismissed and the ambush was planned instead.” Clover’s gaze didn’t waver from his own, one of the more admirable qualities the man possessed. He never hid from his mistakes. Claimed you couldn’t learn from it if you didn’t acknowledge it the one time James had asked him about it.
“That because he’s the youngest or because he’s the faunus?” Qrow’s voice had a bite to it that told them which reason it had better be. James squeezed his hip to try to calm him. He noticed Marrow’s tail slow in shock. It occured to James that no one had ever really challenged the racism he faced so openly. No one ever said anything they could call out where he, Winter or Clover could hear it and the others didn’t have the authority to do anything about it. If they were willing to even help at all.
Clover switched his attention to the trapped hunter, not backing down from the accusation in the slightest. He was perfectly aware of how things looked from the outside and given how faunus were treated in Atlas and Mantle he couldn’t fault the man for his thinking. “Marrow is both the youngest and the newest to the team, it was decided from past experience that an ambush would be the safer option.”
Wine red eyes, stared hard at teal, judging their truth before he gave a small nod. “Maybe consider that being young and new doesn’t mean the past has to be the same?”
“Fair enough.”
“I think that’s everything for the night. You’re dismissed.”
Harriet, Elm, and Vine were all exiting quickly, with Marrow trailing behind due to the glances he kept sparing Qrow. Winter and Clover followed after with the former finally casting a disdainful look at the shifter and the latter seeming to trail his eyes over them both before leaving. James felt his eyebrows raise at that.
“Yeah, he was pretty interested in watching us make out too. Hell of a feat for him to stay focused considering the way he was staring at us through the whole meeting.” Qrow tugged him down for another kiss.
“Hmm… As interesting as that is, I’d like for us to have some alone time before we talk about sharing. We haven’t seen each other for a year after all.” James felt the other hunter laugh into the crook of his neck as he stood, scooping the other up into his arms and ignoring the following complaints. Yes, letting Qrow go would be easier. So would setting him down to walk. But he couldn’t pass up this opportunity and as long as Qrow wasn’t seriously demanding to be released then he was going to keep him hostage for as long as he was allowed. There was one talk he wanted to have with his lover but it would have to wait until he’d reached the privacy of his apartment. For the entirety of the time since they’d reunited, Qrow had been right up against him. Which meant that James hadn’t missed the fact that Qrow lacked his usual smell of alcohol. And not once had he asked for his flask. The General hoped it meant what he thought it did but such a talk would have to wait. The kids Qrow had brought with him weren’t the only ones in need of food and rest after all.