Work Text:
“Ugh, where is it?” Clover groaned, as he threw the pillows off the bed. He tore through the drawers in the nightstand, tossing pens and batteries to the already messy floor.
“Clover?” Qrow called from outside on the balcony, causing the brunet to crane his neck toward the door.
“What is it?”
“Could you come here for a moment?”
Clover walked to the doorway to see Qrow standing by the railing. “What’s up, hon? You haven’t seen my ...”
He stopped himself as the dark-haired man turned around, holding Clover’s green shamrock pin in his left hand. He held it up to the light, causing the metal to shine against the sunlight.
“...my pin.” Clover pressed, his tone calmer, yet more curious than before. “Why do you have—”
“Did you know crows like shiny objects?” the huntsman cut him off, staring at the pin as he twirled it around in his fingers. “They collect them, you know?”
“Ha ha, very funny,” Clover replied with mock laughter.
“That wasn’t a joke,” Qrow returned, turning to look his boyfriend in the eyes, completely stone-faced.
Clover’s look of confusion only grew with each passing second. “What are you talking about? What did you want to tell me?”
“You said you wanted to trust me,” Qrow sighed, “back in the tundra. You said you wanted to trust me , right?”
“I did. I do .” Clover implored. “But would you just tell me what’s on your mind?”
Qrow took a deep breath, looking again at the pin in his hands. He closed his eyes before turning around and throwing the pin as hard as he could off the balcony.
“Hey! What are you doing?” Clover shouted as he watched his pin grow smaller as it fell into the distance. Without a word, Qrow crouched before running towards the edge, leaping off the railing and falling out of sight.
“Qrow!”
Clover ran to the edge of the balcony, reaching an outstretched arm down in a vain attempt to catch the long-gone huntsman. Not a moment later, he flung himself backwards, just narrowly avoiding the small black bird that came swooping upward past his face, catching the slightest glimpse of silver flashing in its beak. He stumbled for a moment before looking to see the bird flying in circles, gaining altitude before seemingly disappearing into the sun. Clover squinted at the distant speck, but soon it grew bigger and bigger, until a full Qrow Branwen landed on the balcony railing, shamrock pin between his teeth.
For a moment the two just stood there, staring at each other. Clover’s expression never changed from bewilderment as he searched his mind for any rational explanation for what he just saw. Qrow could only smile at the gears turning behind his partner’s emerald eyes as he dropped the pin from his mouth into his hand.
“Jeez, lucky charm, this is a first,” the dark-haired man began with a chuckle, dropping down from his place on the railing. “Never thought I’d catch you at such a loss for words. Is there something on my face?”
“When did… I-I don’t…” the brunet stammered out, still searching for answers. “How did you do that?”
“How much did Ironwood tell you about Ozpin? About what he can do?”
“He,” Clover began hesitantly. “He reincarnates. And… and he can use magic, just like the maidens.”
“Did he tell you that he gave the maidens their power?” Qrow stared a Clover pensively. “That he gifted some of his magic abilities to them?”
Clover’s mouth dropped open slightly, puzzle pieces beginning to fit together in his head. “You… you don’t mean to suggest that he—”
“Turned me into a bird?”
The Ace Op took a step back, staring at the man before him with a bemused expression. “That’s… that’s not possible.”
“Believe me, there were a lot of things I thought were impossible before I met Oz,” Qrow returned. “But in my third year at Beacon, he let my team into his inner circle. And he gave us more information than he gave most.”
“Well, what did he tell you?”
“Not enough, it seems,” Qrow sighed. “He told us about the relics and the maidens. About Salem, and how she controlled the Grimm. And he told us a little about himself. How he could use magic, how he reincarnates, how he created the maidens. And then, he gave my sister and I a choice.”
“A choice?” puzzled Clover. “What do you mean?”
“He said he could give us the power to see more. To live unburdened by our human bodies. All in exchange for helping him fight against Salem,” He paused for a moment, lingering his gaze in his boyfriend’s eyes. “And so my sister and I accepted.”
“So… so you’ve been able to turn into a bird since you were in huntsman training? And it’s because Oz entrusted you with his secrets?”
Qrow sighed. This was the part he was dreading the most. But Clover deserved to know. They all did.
“Actually, Oz didn’t actually give us all the answers. We didn’t know everything until we asked Jinn.”
—
Clover could do nothing but hold his head in his hands. He was reeling at all the information the shapeshifter had just given him. He couldn’t believe how blind he’d been. How blind they’d all been.
“I know it’s a lot to take in. It was a lot for us when we found out, too.”
“Salem… can’t be killed?”
“Well,” Qrow huffed, “we’re not so sure. The lamp said that to Oz. But we don’t know if someone else could.”
“This is all…” the brunet returned, shaking his head as he stared at the ground. “...so much.”
“I know,” said Qrow, who had crossed the balcony, taking his partner’s hands in his own. “But I trust you. And you needed to know. I should have told you so much sooner. I was… scared. But I’m not anymore.”
“I,” Clover looked up to meet Qrow’s soothing vermillion gaze. In his voice, in his hands, in his eyes, he felt a sincerity he had never felt before. “I trust you, Qrow.”
Qrow exhaled deeply before a soft smile grew from his lips. He closed his eyes and pulled Clover into a deep embrace.
“Good.”