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It was cold as Qrow stalked forwards, an icy wind cutting between the cave entrance and the waiting doors of the cargo truck. His cape whipped chaotically with each gust of frigid air. He could just hear the crunch of a set of footsteps in the snow behind him, keeping a distance. He grabbed the handle, yanked the door open, and jumped up into the truck in one smooth, if abrupt, motion. He pulled the retracted Harbinger off his belt and planted it against the wall of the truck before settling into a spot next to a low crate.
The swirling white of the world beyond dimmed as someone else jumped up into the truck, and Qrow became very interested in reading the extensive warning label on the dust container on the shelf a few feet to his right. He buried himself in the dry Schnee Dust Corporation legal jargon, decisively ignoring the deep timbre of the voice speaking to the driver. With a dull roar, the engine of the truck started, and the cargo compartment fell into shadow as the divider between it and the driver's cabin was pulled up. The sound grew as the truck started to pull away from the cave, grinding through the snowy tundra and making its way back to Atlas.
A shape of deep blue and stark white appeared at the edge of Qrow’s peripheral vision. He kept staring at the dust container, now squinting at the even finer print below the fine print.
"Qrow."
He knew he was being immature about this. But he had his reasons. He had been proven right, and he wasn't going to discuss it.
"Qrow...please."
Damn it.
Qrow looked up at Clover. One hand on his hip, a concerned look on his face. Brows knitted together over those brilliant teal eyes. Not a hair out of place, not a smudge on his uniform. Perfectly healthy.
And was almost very much not.
His voice was pleading, "Talk to me."
Qrow's eyes narrowed. "You want me to talk to you? Alright. This is exactly why I work alone."
"I'm fine, Qrow-"
"Barely, Clover." Qrow let out a shuddering breath. "Barely. You lost almost all of your aura when the wall collapsed, and that Centinel would have taken the rest. If it had been an inch further to the right it...you'd have-"
"I'm alright," Clover said softly. "I'm here."
Qrow shook his head. "I shouldn't have been there."
"Your semblance has been getting more focused Qrow, I can tell."
He turned his head, not able to hold Clover's gaze any longer. "Not focused enough. Not enough for it to stop hurting people."
A moment of silence passed. Qrow felt guilty for shutting Clover down, but that was nowhere near as intense as the guilt he felt for his semblance putting his partner in danger.
He was pulled out of his thoughts when Clover stepped closer, cutting back into his field of view. His partner turned against the wall and slid down, sitting right next to Qrow. An unavoidable obstacle to Qrow's evasions. He couldn't help but look Clover straight in the eye.
Clover stared back for a long moment. He rested his chin in his hand, elbow pressed against his propped-up knee. His expression was curious, but gradually softened. Clover looked relaxed when he finally spoke. "Qrow, I feel safe when I'm with you."
Qrow was silent, only able to blink back owlishly. He had heard the words, but the meaning behind them was so foreign that Clover may as well have been speaking a different language. He couldn't possibly be serious. But Clover's gentle gaze suggested a sincerity that made Qrow's head spin. He glanced away from Clover, unable to respond.
He hadn't thought himself safe to be around in a long time.
Next to him, Clover shifted, straightening out his legs and crossing his arms. "Well, I am kind of tired, so I think I'll take a nap while we go back to Atlas. But think about what I said."
Qrow looked back up. Clover had his eyes closed, head leaned back against the metal wall of the truck. It didn't look very comfortable, but Qrow would wager that, like himself, Clover had gotten used to falling asleep practically anywhere.
But still. It was probably uncomfortable.
He let out a short sigh, then moved Harbinger to the other side of the crate. Shifting, Qrow put his back to the crate and left a space between his body and the wall. He tapped Clover's thigh with his foot. "Hey."
Clover cracked an eye open. "Hm?"
"C'mere," Qrow mumbled, cocking his head toward the empty space. "Can't be comfortable leaning against the wall like that."
He got a pair of raised eyebrows at that, but also a wry smile that pulled at his heartstrings. "You sure?"
"Yeah." Qrow averted his gaze from Clover's own, again, but raised a hand to briefly tap at his shoulder. "Least I can do."
Clover's expression brightened, and he shuffled his way over to Qrow. Carefully, he leaned against Qrow's side and rested his head on his shoulder. His weight pressed into Qrow, and the huntsman found it rather comforting. "Thanks, Qrow," he whispered, breath tickling the side of Qrow's neck.
"Don't worry about it."
Within minutes, Clover was asleep. He was snoring very quietly, which Qrow honestly thought was adorable. For a while, he reflected on Clover's words. It was going to take a very long time until Qrow truly felt comfortable fighting alongside another hunter in the field. He knew that in his soul. But there was something about the huntsman, dreaming away at his side, that made Qrow want to hope. Maybe he would get better after all. Maybe one day Qrow would really believe his semblance was safe.
The rumbling of the truck and Clover’s warmth cuddled up against him was making Qrow tired. He felt his eyes growing heavy. So he canted his head to the side, leaning against Clover's, and let himself drift asleep.
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It was warm, even though the sun had already begun to creep below the far-off dunes. A few puffy clouds drifted across the sky, illuminated against the canvas of deep indigo by the last golden rays.
Clover had pinned the flaps of his tent open, allowing him a clear view of the sunset. He was reclined on a wide bedroll, his head propped up by a pillow. Boots off, Kingfisher resting with the rest of his supplies in a corner of the tent, he could finally take a break. He let out a long sigh and closed his eyes, feeling his aching muscles relax and his body sink a little deeper into the bedroll.
Most of his days in Vacuo were tiring, the combination of long hours trekking through the wilderness and an oppressively hot climate wearing on him. And the cherry on top today had been a Grimm ambush, surprising Clover and his team as they scouted ahead for the rest of the group. Nothing they couldn't handle, but Clover felt thoroughly drained.
His exhausted contemplation was interrupted as a shadow fell across him, blocking out the light of the sun. Clover cracked an eye open.
Oh, well that was a view he couldn't complain about.
"Hey," he said, feeling a smile naturally spreading across his face.
"Hey," Qrow replied, running a hand through his hair, the strands catching the last of the fading gilded light. "You as tired as I am?"
Clover chuckled, "Yeah, probably. Everyone else is settled?"
"Yep." Qrow unlatched Harbinger from his belt and set it next to Kingfisher before kicking off his boots. "We'll be able to make good progress tomorrow, so long as we don't run into more Grimm." He looked down at Clover. "Your aura doing alright?"
Clover nodded. "It will be back up to full by morning."
Qrow let out a quiet sigh of relief. As he shrugged off his cloak, he said, "That's good. I know you had it handled, but you had me worried for a second there."
Clover let out an affirmative hum. "That Grimm surprised me. But I knew you had my back."
Qrow smiled at him, and Clover's heart felt lighter.
The sun had finally dipped below the horizon, painting the far off dunes a hazy violet. A breeze flowed in through the tent opening.
"You know," Clover said, raising an eyebrow and dropping the register of his voice, "it's going to get cold soon."
A knowing smirk spread across Qrow's features. "Is that an invitation, or a statement of relief from the man who didn't wear sleeves in Solitas?"
Clover threw his head back in a laugh, Qrow joining him. As his partner pulled the flaps of the tent closed, Clover cleared his throat and answered, "Both, really."
"Fair," Qrow said, grinning. He walked over to Clover and knelt, straddling his waist. With an exaggerated yawn he stretched out, tangling their legs and resting his head on Clover's chest. "You're so comfy."
"Glad to be of service," Clover murmured, sliding one arm around Qrow's waist and the other into the soft strands of feathery black hair.
Qrow sighed contentedly. He traced gentle patterns across Clover's chest with his fingers.
For a while, they just laid together, listening to the dwindling sounds of the rest of the camp as night approached and the air grew colder. Clover still felt perfectly warm, though.
The silence was broken by Qrow. "Thanks for trusting me out there today." He shifted his head to look into Clover's eyes. "With my semblance."
"Of course. I feel safe when I'm with you, Qrow."
Red eyes brightened at that. Clover remembered when such a statement would have Qrow retreating from him. This time, Qrow pushed up on his hands and leaned forward, capturing Clover's lips in a slow, deep kiss. Clover savoured it.
When they broke apart, Qrow whispered, "And I with you." He pressed another kiss to Clover's jawline before settling back down again.
Over time, Clover felt Qrow's breathing deepen and even out. His partner had one arm under Clover's shoulder and the other hand splayed across his chest. Qrow's head, rising and falling along with Clover's steady breathing, was resting right above his heart. Clover mused that the sound of his heartbeat must be comforting to Qrow. He certainly fell asleep like that often enough. He guessed that it was similar to how feeling Qrow's weight pressing down on him felt soothing to Clover. They slept easier around each other. Clover wouldn't trade that feeling for the world.
He rested his head back against his pillow and closed his eyes. The gentle sound of Qrow's breathing guided him to sleep.