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Qrow walked into the Vault of the Winter Maiden alone to retrieve the relic. Penny and the others elected to stay back after opening the door. They had a feeling that Qrow needed to do this alone.
The whole area felt surreal. Like a dimension completely separated from reality. It seemed vaguely similar to what Yang had described of the vault at Haven. A few solid platforms punctuated the endless expanse of snow. But it wasn’t like the tundra outside the kingdom. The snow glowed a pale blue that turned to gold and back again. Flakes seemed to rise from the ground and dissipate into nothing in the air. The staff floated motionless on the third platform, emanating a faint whispering sound. Qrow approached the staff and grasped it in his left hand.
Ozpin hadn’t been too clear on the full power of the staff. What it was able to create. But he explained that it was much simpler to use than the lamp. The staff would be able to read the will and the intent of the person holding it and make their thoughts reality. But the question was whether it was capable of what Qrow wanted of it.
Qrow tightened his grip on the staff.
This had to work.
He shut his eyes tight.
It had to.
A bright blue light illuminated the man’s face as the staff chimed a soft ring. A gust of wind flew past him. Qrow’s eyes flickered open in response, before growing wide. The staff slipped from his hand and clattered against the ground. He brought a hand up to cover his mouth as his eyes began to well up with tears.
“…Qrow?”
It worked.
For a moment they just stared at each other, not a word passing between them. Clover’s face was a mixture of shock and disbelief.
“You… brought me back?”
Qrow knew Clover would never forgive him. And he shouldn’t. Not after what he did.
“Clover, I…”
Qrow couldn’t contain himself anymore as he burst into tears.
“I am so sorry, I-I shouldn’t have… I shouldn’t have sided with Tyrian, I don’t know what I was thinking, a-and in the airship I shouldn’t have... I-I just—”
Qrow’s words were cut short by Clover’s lips against his, hands cupping his jaw, and wiping a tear away with his thumb. The whole world seemed to stand still as Qrow leaned into the touch. He brought his arms around to pull the Ace Op closer into the embrace. All too soon, Clover pulled away.
“You talk too much, little bird,” whispered Clover.
“How can you forgive me so easily?” the shorter man sputtered. “I thought you’d be furious, I-I thought you’d never want to see me again after what I—”
“I never held that against you, Qrow,” the brunet returned. “I should be the one apologizing. I forced you into an impossible position. It wasn’t right of me.” He sighed, placing a hand on the older man’s shoulder. “But you did what you had to do. And I said I would take the fall.”
Qrow looked incredulously at the man before him.
How?
How was this so easy for him?
How could he even stand to look at him?
“But I—you didn’t need to die for me. It wasn’t supposed to be like this! Y-you said you wanted to trust me, but I might as well have killed you myself! I—”
“And you brought me back,” Clover interjected. “After everything I put you through, every sacrifice I forced onto you, you brought me back. In spite of it all, you wanted me back. You had more faith in me than I ever gave to you, and I…” Tears started welling up again, this time from the Ace Op’s eyes. “I can’t ever begin to repay you for that.”
Clover pulled the shorter man into another hug, resting his chin in the crook of Qrow’s collar, placing a kiss on his neck.
“I… I know you must have mixed feelings about me,” Clover continued. “About if you want to stay with me or not. But just…” He pulled apart again, for his teal eyes to meet the corvid’s blood red. “Just know that, if you’d have me, I promise to never hurt you again.”
Qrow fumbled for the words to respond. Of course, he thought. Of fucking course you beautiful idiot. You mean the world to me. But no matter how hard he tried, nothing came out.
“I…” Clover began, stumbling in his thoughts, as he could tell Qrow was still having trouble with it all. “I can see you still need time. I’m willing to give you all the space you need, even if...” he trailed off, before sighing deeply. “Even if that means you never want to see m—”
Another kiss broke through their words, this time initiated by Qrow. Clover wrapped his arms around the smaller man’s waist, matching the arms flung around his neck. The fisherman pulled him deeper into the kiss, and in that moment he could feel just how much the man before him adored him.
“Gods, you beautiful bastard,” Qrow started as he pulled apart the kiss. “All I ever wanted was to see you again. To have you safe in my arms again. To tell you how fucking much you mean to me.”
Qrow fished in his pocket for a moment.
“To tell you that I love you,” he said, offering Clover’s badge back to him. “My good luck charm.”
Clover took the pin, turning it in his hand. After a moment’s thought, he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from the metal, before moving to fasten it to the older man’s vest above his heart.
“I won’t need this for myself anymore,” he replied. “If I have you, I have all the luck I’ll ever need.”