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Rain was coming down in thick sheets, the roar of the storm drowning out almost all other sound. The ground was slick and muddy beneath their feet, and water collected in large puddles as an army of droplets continued to assault the ground. Visibility was terrible -- the world disappeared behind curtains of watery grey only a dozen feet or so in the distance.
It was foul enough weather to be out in, and even worse to be fighting in. Clover's boots just barely caught a grip in the sludge as he blocked a heavy slam from an Ursa with Kingfisher's rod. He braced, muscles straining, until the Ursa slipped in the mud, back paws flailing.
Good luck for him? Bad luck for the Ursa? Clover had stopped trying to guess which it was years ago, their semblances weaving together so seamlessly.
He rotated Kingfisher with a swift motion, aiming the harpoon at its base towards the Ursa and firing. It hit true, and the Ursa slumped onto its side before scattering to the wind.
Clover took a moment to catch his breath, slicking his hair back from where it had started to fall in front of his eyes. He heard a cracking boom and the sound of another Grimm falling ahead of him, somewhere through the torrential downpour.
A clamour of growls behind him made him spin around. He could barely see the multitude of glowing red eyes, low to the ground, through the rain.
"Another pack of beowolves!" he called out. "All lined up for us."
Clover heard a laugh behind him, followed by a flurry of mechanical noises, and finally a whoosh as Harbinger sailed past his left shoulder, scythe extended but hilt retracted, spinning upright through the air.
He flicked his four-leaf clover pin, then hurled out Kingfisher's hook. It reached Harbinger just as the top of the scythe was facing him. The hook slipped through the hole on the edge of the blade and caught. Clover held the rod with one hand and yanked on the line with the other. The sudden tension made Harbinger snap sideways, sharp edge facing inwards, and fly towards the pack of Grimm. Coming at them sideways, they had no chance to react. Harbinger sliced through all of them in a clean sweep, leaving only ash in its wake. Clover reeled the line back in, pulling Harbinger back towards him in a wide circle, Kingfisher's line tracking inwards. When it was close enough, he tugged the line again to rotate it so the hilt was facing downwards. A hand snatched it out of the air just as it passed by Clover's right side.
"Nice," Qrow said, pressing a quick kiss to Clover's cheek. "Think that's the last of them?" He had to speak a bit louder than usual to be heard over the crashing rain.
"Almost," Clover answered. "I saw large tracks when I scouted the edge of the valley. I think there's one more."
"Alright," Qrow said, twirling Harbinger back into a greatsword and hefting it onto his shoulder. "Let's get it done."
Trekking through the muck, they made their way towards the edge of the ruined village, keeping their senses alert for Grimm as they walked. They had taken a huntsman contract to clear out a Grimm nest that had infested the region for years. Once the Grimm were gone, there was hope that citizens could finally begin to rebuild the area. It was only a few hours away from Signal Academy, and would hopefully blossom with life once again.
Qrow had jumped at the opportunity, more so than any other mission they had recently taken. Patch was Qrow's home, and he desperately wanted to see the plague of Grimm wiped from it for good.
Clover wanted that, too. After all, it was his home too. He and Qrow lived in a small but comfortable house together, half an hour away from the grove that held Taiyang’s home. Clover loved it there: the golden leaves in the fall, the crisp snow in the winter. So different from his childhood home in Argus, but so much the better for it.
They left the village and walked in the direction of a caved-in hollow in the side of the valley. Qrow had noticed it when he scouted from the air earlier, before the rain set it. As they walked, Clover reflected briefly on their progress.
It had been three years since Salem had been defeated, but the creatures of Grimm hadn't disappeared with her. Leaderless, they were much less organized and were no longer a world-ending threat, but they still hounded the wilds and harassed many villages. So the huntsman profession continued, still charged with protecting humanity from the Grimm. But the Grimm would multiply much more slowly with Salem gone, so now every nest that was wiped out would be gone for much longer. Slowly, but surely, the Grimm threat was being pushed back to manageable levels in all the Kingdoms.
Qrow and Clover had continued to fight as huntsmen, both of them still finding the job fulfilling. The urge to protect people burned bright within them both, and they still made, in Clover's opinion, the perfect team. So while Qrow continued to teach at Signal and Clover worked as a liaison between Vale and Atlas, they had still taken huntsman contracts, on-and-off for the past two and a half years. Not for the first six months, of course, where a terrible close call during the final battle against Salem had nearly killed Qrow. The stress around the end of the war was surely the thing that had Clover sporting a few faint streaks of grey in his hair today. Though it made him match Qrow, so he didn't mind.
Clover was pulled out of his memories as they reached the edge of the fallen-in portion of the valley. Chunks of broken rock littered the area.
"Wait here," Qrow said, "I'll scout. It'll be impossible to see anything from here."
"Alright," Clover replied, hunkering down next to a boulder, "but watch out for the gusts in the rain."
Qrow winked at him, "When am I not careful, Cloves?" With a quick flash of light and a puff of air, a crow sailed off into the rainstorm.
Clover failed to keep the grin off his face.
A few minutes later the crow was back, perched on the boulder. Clover blinked, and then Qrow was sitting on the rock, one leg crossed over the other. "Megoliath," he reported, "and a big one. Must be a few decades old."
"Damn," Clover's eyes widened. "Haven't seen one of those since Atlas. Alright, how armoured was it?"
"Nearly completely, but that gap between the head and the shoulders was still there. And not as much plating on the legs."
"Ok, great, immobilizing it with Kingfisher should still work, then. But getting it tied up with just the two of us will be tricky. We need to distract it."
"I had an idea for that," Qrow said, smirking. "Should work like a charm."
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Clover approached the interior of the hollow, muddy grass giving way to slick stone under his feet. He held Kingfisher in one hand, Harbinger in the other, and a crow perched on his shoulder. He heard the megoliath well before he saw it, the creature’s huge, shuddering breaths reverberating around the rocky slopes. Clover came to a stop just as he saw the swooping lines of glowing red, that Clover knew followed the curve of huge tusks, through the rain.
The crow bumped Clover's ear, then hopped down onto Kingfisher's rod. It grasped the hook in one talon and then took off into the rain, hauling the line along with it.
Clover waited, listening to the faint squeal of Kingfisher's line being reeled out. Soon there was another noise, a low, guttural growl, and the red lights ahead shifted downwards.
Squeezing the trigger on Harbinger, Clover latched the blade down, aimed the guns forward, and started firing. The thunderous booms echoed through the hollow, and the megoliath roared.
The line kept reeling out. The megoliath started to turn towards Clover, taking huge stomps that shook the ground beneath him. He stood his ground, letting off shot after shot. He kept a grip on Kingfisher with two fingers tight around the handle and three open. Waiting. Trusting.
When the huge Grimm was only a dozen feet from Clover, the beast suddenly came up short, it's back right leg buckling. A streak of black shot out from under its belly, flying towards Clover. Kingfisher's hook was deposited in his waiting fingers. As the flurry of black feathers soared into the air, Clover swung Harbinger's blade back up, then hurled the weapon into the air with all his strength. Locking Kingfisher’s hook into the hilt, Clover held onto the weapon with both hands and flipped it upside down, pulling with all his might.
The tangle of lines woven between the megoliath's legs drew taut in an instant. Gritting his teeth, Clover yanked the lines once more as the Grimm tried to lift its front legs. As it wavered, trying to regain solid purchase, Clover aimed the harpoon on the end of his weapon towards its head.
Just above the megoliath, he saw the crow just about to reach the spinning blade of Harbinger.
His grip was starting to get shaky, and he felt himself being slowly dragged forward despite straining against the lines, but he finally got the shot lined up, and fired.
Kingfisher's harpoon struck true, right through the gap in the plating over the megoliath's eyes. It roared, turning its head away from the blow, tearing the opening in its armour between its head and shoulders wide open.
Qrow transformed, plucking Harbinger out of the sky like it weighed nothing. He transformed it into a scythe as he rolled in the air and plummeted towards the Grimm. With a vicious slice, he drove Harbinger's blade straight into the gap.
The megoliath instantly sank to the ground and began to dissolve into smoke. Kingfisher's line went limp, and Clover took a deep breath. His arms already ached -- he was going to feel that in the morning.
He looked up towards his partner and called out through the rain, "I'll never get tired of seeing that move."
Qrow stepped off the Grimm as it disappeared, Harbinger balanced over his shoulder. He was grinning as he approached, eyes bright, and chest heaving slightly from exertion. "It is my signature, isn't it?" Glancing back towards the nearly dissipated Grimm, he continued, "That was some hold you had on it. It didn't move an inch."
"You know the muscles aren't just for show," Clover quipped. His next words died on his tongue as Qrow turned back around.
It was nothing out of the ordinary, he looked exactly the same as he had a moment before. But something in Clover's brain just clicked, looking at Qrow. His smile was wide even though he was absolutely soaked to the bone. Dark, feathery locks were plastered to his forehead and neck, which the huntsman was just moving to fix, reaching his hand up to rake back his bangs, fingers trailing through his hair as he stared back at Clover. Crimson eyes bright, an electric energy from battle was still alight in them. And just had a look about him, one Clover knew he also carried, of a man who felt alive fighting to protect his home.
Clover could look at him like this forever.
Oh.
He wanted Qrow at his side, partner in and out of combat, for as long as possible, he realized. Clover wanted to see this forever.
"Everything alright, Cloves?" Qrow asked, leaning forward.
"Oh, yeah," Clover said, blinking out of his reverie. He started to reel Kingfisher back in, careful to disentangle any knots. Something had shifted in his worldview, but he needed more time to think about it. Preferably off the field. "Sorry, you were just kind of distracting."
Qrow looked very pleased at that, and marched toward Clover to pull him into a slow kiss. The rain continued to pour around them.
"Home?" Qrow asked, still leaned into Clover's space. "I'm exhausted."
"Me too," Clover replied, then nodded. "Home."
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They stopped by Taiyang's house first, having received a message from the man once their scrolls were back in communications range.
"We're soaked!" Qrow called out as he pushed in through the door. "Sorry about the mess."
"No worries!" Taiyang called back. "Need to wash the floors anyway."
After kicking off his boots, and making a feeble attempt at wringing out some of his clothes, Clover followed Qrow into the living room. The deep mahogany floors, cozy furnishings, and crackling fireplace on the opposite wall instantly made Clover feel warmer. The warm butter smell of baked goods was wafting in from the kitchen.
The holographic television was on, a news report about the repairs to Beacon Academy playing. Across from it, Yang sat in the corner of the couch, Blake curled up against her side. Yang lifted the arm she had wrapped around her girlfriend's shoulders to wave. "Hey guys!"
"Did your mission go well?" Blake asked.
"The megoliath was unexpected, but we handled it," Qrow said, smirking.
"Awesome," Yang grinned.
Just as Clover passed by the opening to the kitchen, he heard a whirl of air and saw a streak of red zip towards him out of the corner of his eye. He only slid sideways about an inch when Ruby slammed into him, which he was proud of.
"UNCLE CLOVER!" She beamed. "Hi! We made cookies, you should have some."
"Thanks Ruby," he said with a laugh, hugging her back. She had started calling him 'Uncle Clover' more than a year ago, but the name still made his heart swell a bit every time he heard it.
She turned to pull Qrow into an equally crushing hug as Taiyang entered the room, balancing a plate piled high with cookies in one hand. "Hey Qrow, Clover, good to see you! Here, take some, Ruby and I worked hard."
"Good to see you too, Tai," Clover said, grabbing a cookie off the plate. He was starving, and Ruby's skill at baking was excellent.
"Thanks, Tai," Qrow said. "You had a message for us, too?"
"Oh yeah." Taiyang laid the plate on the coffee table before turning to face Qrow again. "Glynda stopped by earlier, said she needed help with a project at Beacon. I'm going to give her a hand tomorrow, but she said if you could join too, it would help."
"Hmm," Qrow mumbled, scarfing the last of his cookie down. "Clover and I are heading to Atlas tomorrow. The Remnant Council delegation is meeting there, and Winter asked us to attend. Then we're going to Argus to visit Clover's folks."
An idea struck Clover like lightning. He could use a handful of days in Atlas, before Qrow got there. "The meeting isn't until the end of the week, so there's still five days," he said. "I could go up first and meet with Winter, then you could join me for the delegation meeting, Qrow. Getting Beacon back on its feet is a priority."
Qrow seemed to be mulling it over when Ruby gasped. "Uncle Qrow, if you leave later than tomorrow, I can come with you! My mission on the south side of Patch should be done by then, and I can visit Weiss!"
That had Qrow smiling, "Well alright pipsqueak, that sounds like a plan."
What a lucky break, Clover thought to himself.
After arranging a precise date and time with Ruby, Qrow and Clover walked back home. It was nearly midnight by the time they arrived. They, quite literally, collapsed into bed.
"I'll miss you for those few days in Atlas," Clover said wrapping his arms around Qrow, "but I'm glad that Ruby will get a chance to visit Weiss."
"Me too," Qrow said, muffled, half his face pressed into the pillow. He let out a soft hum, then quietly said, "Love you, Cloves."
"I love you too, Qrow."
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Qrow and Clover both took a Manta to the continent early the next day, with Qrow splitting off to head to Beacon and Clover continuing to Atlas. After an overnight ride across the ocean, Clover landed in Atlas the next morning.
He made a beeline straight to the artisan district as soon as his ship touched down, sending a quick message to Winter to apologize in advance for being a bit late. He hoped she would understand -- he was on a bit of a tight schedule.
As he swung open the door to the Frozen Anvil, Aurelius turned from cleaning up one of the shelves.
"Clover!" they exclaimed, pulling him into a hug. "Nice to see you again. In town for the delegation meeting?"
"Yes, though I also wanted to check in with as many friends as I could," he said. "How've you been?"
"Quite well," Aurelius replied, walking back behind the counter. "Business flowing as well as ever."
Clover smiled, "I'm glad to hear that! While we're on the topic, I wanted to commission something from you. It's a bit of a rush order, though."
"Tell me more, I'll see what I can do."
"Well," Clover began, "it's for someone special..."
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Four days later, Clover stood in the middle of the quaint half-garden, half-library tucked next to one of the pillars of Atlas academy. He had changed out of his usual attire, wearing a simple white dress shirt and navy blue pants. He still wore his pin, however.
The paint on the chairs was peeling more, and the flowers were different than the last time Clover had visited. There were more yellow and green blooms this time. But the cozy atmosphere was ever-present.
He had visited Lyla just before he came here, and over tea, told her his plans. Her violet eyes had lit up with delight, and she had asked for an invite.
He took the box out of his pocket and opened it again, staring at the ring. The band was a dark silver, polished to perfection. A single row of red diamonds was inlaid along the entire ring. Carved along the interior of the ring was a winding design, incorporating both Clover and Qrow's emblems.
Aurelius' work was as exquisite as always, and they had incorporated every element in just four days. When Clover had attempted to tip on top of the commission price, they had held out a hand to stop him.
"Nope. The only extra thing I want for this," they declared, pointing at the box, "is an invitation."
So that was two on the guest list already, and he hadn't even proposed yet.
Brothers, he was going to propose to Qrow.
He slipped the box back into his pocket, and tried to remember how to breathe. Ruby and Qrow had arrived in Atlas about twenty minutes ago, so the man was due to arrive any moment now.
A flap of wings drew his attention to the balcony. Perched there was a large crow, jet black feathers contrasting against the pale blue sky. It tilted its head, then cawed at him.
Clover laughed, some of his nerves melting away. "Hey there, pretty bird." He approached and held out a hand, letting the crow poke at his fingers with its beak. "Long time no see."
The bird let out another series of laugh-like caws, then hopped off the balcony and flew behind Clover. A pair of arms wrapped around his chest, and he felt a chin rest on his shoulder. Clover could feel Qrow’s mildly rapid heartbeat; the flight up must have been a bit tiring.
"Hey," Qrow said.
"Hey," Clover responded, smiling and leaning back into the embrace. "Beacon is doing well?"
"Yep, Glynda's made a lot of progress. And Ruby was really excited to see Weiss. The ice queen herself invited all of us out to dinner after the meeting tomorrow."
"That sounds nice!"
"Oh, also," Qrow drawled, "when I left to come here Winter smiled at me, so I think the world might be ending soon."
Clover buckled over with laughter, Qrow joining him. He turned around in Qrow's arms, and was briefly taken aback. "Hey, you look great."
He was wearing dark grey slacks and a maroon dress shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His pin was on a simple chain around his neck. "So do you," Qrow said, briefly swallowing, "And, well, I thought we might grab dinner someplace nice tonight."
"I'd love that," Clover smiled, silently thanking his luck. He was going to suggest that to Qrow anyway.
"Great!" Qrow rubbed Clover's arm, then stepped back around him, leaning on the balcony. "It's nice to be back here."
"Atlas, or this garden?" Clover asked.
"Both, I suppose," the huntsman responded. "Atlas is still a little stuffy for my tastes, but it's nice," he chuckled. With a quiet breath, he straightened his back. One hand was tapping lightly on the balcony, the other rested in his pants pocket. "But this garden is pretty special."
"It is." Alright. Now or never. Steeling his nerves, Clover took the box out of his pocket and got down on one knee. Opening it, he quietly called out, "Qrow?"
He turned around and froze the moment he saw the box. Red eyes flicked back from the ring to Clover's face, then down to the ring again.
"Qrow, I think you captured a part of my heart the very first time I met you."
"You-" Qrow coughed, voice slightly shaky, but a smile was spreading across his face. "You mean that time you hit me with a bola on the streets of Mantle?"
Clover broke out into a grin, "Yeah, yeah that time. And ever since then, I feel like I've been blessed, knowing you. We supported each other through all the hardships that we faced, together. You're the most talented huntsman I've ever met, and our teamwork makes me feel like we're unstoppable. You mean the world to me, and I want to spend every day of my life with you. And, to be completely honest, I really want to be able to call you my husband." Qrow's smile, once so rare, was as bright as a thousand suns. "So, Qrow Branwen, will you make me the luckiest man alive?"
Qrow took a deep breath, one hand nervously fiddling with the rings on it, the other still in his pocket. "On one condition, Clover."
Clover raised an eyebrow.
Qrow's smile slowly turned into a grin. He removed his hand from his pocket, and flipped open the box, displaying a golden band set with dark green gems. "If you'll do the same for me?"
Clover stared at the ring for a long moment, his brain very slowly catching up to what his eyes were seeing. He looked up at Qrow.
"Yes."
"Well," Qrow said, "lucky me." He held out his left hand.
The ring was a perfect fit. Qrow then pulled Clover to his feet, and slid his ring onto Clover's finger. Also a perfect fit.
Clover tore his eyes away from the rings, glimmering in the soft light of the garden, to look at his fiancé. Qrow smiled, then slid his hand up to Clover’s jaw and pulled him into a deep kiss.
A long time ago, a part of Clover used to wonder whether he'd ever find someone he'd want to spend his life with. Before, no one he had ever met really looked at him with such love, the way those crimson eyes did.
Until Qrow.