Chapter Text
Wink
“You’re such a lifesaver, man.” The words, while genuine, came out hurried and flustered, the sound of the Taiyang’s footsteps echoing through the phone.
Qrow rolled his eyes, pushing his bangs out of his face. Fingers tapped impatiently upon the steering wheel as he waited to turn into the parking lot in front of him, moving to the rhythm of Taiyang’s muffled, worried groans. Qrow could so-easily imagine his best friend tripping over himself as he lugged his duffel bag clumsily through Vale International Airport, struggling to make it to check-in on time. “I told you I could’ve taken the kiddos this morning,” he murmured, finally finding an opportunity to turn into the parking lot.
“And miss saying goodbye to my girls? No way I’d do that!” Taiyang cried. Qrow snorted as he heard the blond try to speak to the clerk at the check-in counter for a moment. After his conversation with the clerk ended, Taiyang added, “You take care of Ruby for me, okay? Yang’s gonna be fine at camp, but Ruby’s still so little.”
“Me ‘n the kiddo’ll have a great time,” Qrow insisted, pulling smoothly into the last parking stall in the row. He grumbled under his breath, turning off the quiet, clunky beater after a moment and climbing out of the car. “Don’t worry. You just focus your little head on not getting fired.”
“Oh ha-ha,” Taiyang mocked, “we both know I’m going to do great at this conference.”
“Whatever, Tai.” Fondly, he added, “Go knock’em dead.”
The smile in Taiyang’s voice was audible despite the teasing. He had been waiting a long, long time to present his research at this education conference, and Signal Academy was finally sponsoring his trip now that the dust of the year past had settled. The man had every right to be excited to be back on his feet. “But seriously though, make sure Ruby’s happy, okay?”
“I’m her favourite uncle. She’ll be fine.” Qrow’s fingers automatically reached down, scrabbling for a cigarette in his back pocket. “I mean, I’m already at the daycare-“
“You’re not gonna smoke or drink over the next few weeks, right?”
His fingers smoothly slid the cigarette pack away. “I’m not a moron, Tai,” Qrow muttered, slouching over and sauntering over to the front door. “Now go board the plane or something.”
“Fine, fine,” Taiyang murmured. “Hey, Qrow?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for moving back to Vale. I know you were happy working on campus, but-“
“It’s fine, you sentimental loser,” Qrow muttered, but his smile was strained, just as he imagined Taiyang’s was. “I needed to get old Jimmy off my ass at work every day anyways. Might as well stay away from the office if I can.”
That seemed to appease his best friend, his tone softening. “’Kay. Good luck, and don’t try and win Ruby over- I’m already number one in her heart.”
“I’m pretty sure that spot’s for her big sis, but okay,” Qrow laughed, any tension all gone.
And with that, the two men murmured their goodbyes and good wishes, and Qrow promised that yes, he’d send a picture of Ruby every night after she fell asleep, and yes, he’d call Taiyang if anything happened, and yes, she would always brush her teeth and eat her veggies and finish her colouring each day and-
“Get to daycare,” Qrow groaned aloud, looking up at the sign posted atop the small building before him.
The Arc ABC House was a quaint little daycare- family-owned and run, Taiyang had told him it was a high-quality facility with friendly staff and even friendlier kids. Little paper cut-outs of butterflies and ladybugs and flowers lined the windows, matching the early summer atmosphere perfectly.
He chewed his lip. I’ll make sure Ruby’s okay, Summer. Don’t worry. At that thought, he sighed and stretched, loping over to where a few parents were already milling about. A few of the mothers smiled flirtatiously at him, and he automatically smiled back, winking their way as he took his post by the door. Compared to everyone else, he knew he looked debonair, despite the headache still faintly pulsing in the back of his head.
While he didn’t mind the curious gazes, he certainly felt overdressed for the affair. Qrow’s work hours were mostly in the morning, so coming to the daycare in the early morning and early afternoon for his four-year-old niece would have to become habit. This is why you become a content developer and not an actual teacher, he thought wearily, yawning as he fidgeted with his blazer’s sleeve. No shitty conferences, just online calls. Yet, with the rising heat, he couldn’t help but regret not changing after his online meetings into breezier clothes before showing up.
Taking care of his niece wouldn’t be that bad, though, right? All he had to do, theoretically, was to keep her alive. Parenting the little tyke couldn’t be that hard, if Taiyang had managed to not kill either of his daughters thus far.
Finally, the clock struck 2 and the jingling school bell rang, the door opening and releasing a flood of toddlers. The children poured out, racing over to the miniature playground built just beside the door where the kids could relax while waiting for their parents. Qrow peered over a sea of bright faces for that familiar bob of red-tinged brunette, smiling involuntarily when he caught sight of it. “Is that my niece?” he called, waving to her.
At the sound of his raspy voice, little Ruby’s bright, silvery-grey eyes perked up, a smile spreading across her face like nothing else. She looked about to burst with glee. “Uncle Qrow!” she squeaked, immediately rushing towards him. Qrow had to bite back his laughter as the two other kids holding onto Ruby’s hands were immediately dragged along for the ride, almost falling as she sprinted carelessly towards him.
Once she finally was within distance, Ruby dropped her friends’ hands and launched herself into his arms. Long-used to this reaction, he easily held out his arms, ready to catch her.
What he wasn’t expecting, however, was the sheer force with which she threw herself at him. Knocked off balance, he was winded for a moment as he fell onto his bottom, his pain completely unbeknownst to the little girl who could only nuzzle his neck. Maintaining his strained smile, he simply patted her back while she cried, “Didja miss me?”
He pretended to think for a moment, carefully detaching her death-grip from around his neck. She’s grown a bit, he thought distantly- a little sadly. “Hm… nope.”
She blew a raspberry at him and he chuckled, placing her back onto the ground. She immediately ran back inside, crying, “I’m gonna bring my backpack and my dwawing today!”
“Sure thing, kiddo!” he called back, wincing openly once she turned the corner.
To his surprise, a large hand suddenly appeared before him. “Need some help?” a wry, friendly voice chuckled.
Qrow looked up, locking eyes with the greenest eyes he had ever seen set above a smirk that was far-too smug. Instantly uneasy and unsure at that smile, Qrow reached up and took the offered hand, letting the newcomer help him up.
Once he was back onto his feet and able to dust himself off, the other man murmured, “You’re a new face. Ruby’s uncle, I’m presuming?”
Qrow nodded slowly, cracking his neck slightly. “How do you know that?”
The man grinned, gesturing towards one of the children who had been with Ruby earlier: a little boy who had gone to play on the swings with a few other children. “Marrow’s my godson,” he explained. “I'm taking care of him while his mom’s away for the summer. Taiyang told me about his conference, so I’m assuming you’re Qrow.”
Qrow nodded, examining the man’s face carefully. The handsome young man seemed to be in his early twenties, a strong nose and jaw matching his toned arms, bare in the sunny weather. Qrow glanced down at himself- still mildly hungover, dressed in the same fitted blazer and slacks he wore everywhere, clearly not prepared for the day’s heat. Hanging from the other man's wrist was a small bag; from where Qrow stood, it looked like it contained a few juice boxes. Well. Someone’s figured this out more than me, I guess. “You’re assuming right, bud.”
The man held out a hand in friendly greeting. “The name’s Clover. We’ll be seeing a lot of each other from now on, I guess.”
After a moment, Qrow took the hand, giving it a squeeze. The touch was surprisingly cool despite the heat, a welcome reprieve to the stuffiness of his blazer. The touch was rough, calloused, but oddly comforting despite it all.
He didn’t realize how long it took for Clover to let go of his hand, however, until Ruby suddenly attached herself to his leg, her far-too-large backpack protruding comically from her back like a turtle shell. “Hi. I signed out.”
“Hi yourself,” he chuckled, scooping her up in his arms. Raising a hand to wave goodbye at Clover, he murmured, “I’ll see ya tomorrow, I guess.”
And then, to Qrow’s horror and utter confusion, Clover winked, a teasing drawl in his voice. “Lucky you, huh? Can’t wait.”
Qrow paused, staring at the man for a moment, caught aback by the gesture. Yet, when Clover's eyes narrowed a little, his smile just as meaningful and curious as the mothers who had looked over him upon his arrival to the daycare-
Oh hell no, you're barking up the wrong tree, buddy. Qrow had never gotten into his car so quickly in his life, fighting his old car to roll out of the parking lot as soon as possible, trying to ignore the low, rumbling chuckles and those green eyes that haunted him all the way home.
Clover was handsome, for sure. And clearly, he thought Qrow the same, that quick, wordless look all he needed to confirm it. ...This is going to be a long few weeks, huh?