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"Jimmy, we've been at this for hours now." Qrow groaned and laid his head over the General's desk. "Can we please take a small break?"
James looked up from the holographic map to the pouty man next to him, blue eyes rolling fondly as he ran a hand through his hair, which hasn't been as well kept as it was earlier.
"Fine, we can take thirty minutes." He stood up and walked over to the other man, pressing an ungloved hand over his shoulder. "Clover went to get food, right? We can rest while we eat."
As Qrow bent back on his chair to face him, Ironwood bent forward to place a soft kiss over his lips. Qrow smirked against his lips and reached a hand up to gently tangle his fingers on James' hair, speaking in a low, teasing tone.
"I'd rather be having a different kind of meal."
James groaned, though it could be called a whine from him, and just as he was about to respond, Clover walked in, two trays of snacks and water bottles in hand. Red and blue eyes turned towards the returning party, startled and slighty aprehesive at first, faces pulling away a bit awkwardly.
Clover sighed and smiled softly, walking further into the room and letting the trays down on the table. "No need to stop on my account, yknow?" He rested a hand over his left hip and looked up at the pair. "I know you two haven't made any official announcements, but you're not exactly subtle either." To prove his point, he looked at Qrow and tapped the side of his own neck.
The man in question immediately covered the mark with his hand, face turning the same shade as his cape. He looked up at James for help, unable to respond, then groaned in frustration. Didn't even have the decency to look embarrassed, the smug bastard.
James coughed behind his hand to hide his smile and scratched the back of his neck, giving Clover a small shrug in response. "We don't really try to hide. It has been so long already, we just assumed mostly everyone knows by now."
Clover nodded, his own smile still in place, but his chest was hurting a little. And it shouldn't be. Clover knew something was going on between the two since day one. Since Clover accidentally caught sight of Ironwood tugging Qrow into a tight hug, his features twisted into a longing he's never witnessed before.
As they went through the snacks, Clover kept quiet, munching on his chips and staring at nowhere in particular, trying to gather his thoughts. He's been by the General's side for years now, and not once did he mention Qrow when he was near, so he really couldn't be blamed when he started falling for the man. It just felt right, you know? He and Qrow were so very different, but so complementary, so even seeing the signs of the other man's relationship with Ironwood, he tried to pass it off as just an old time frienship and foolishly let hope make a home in his heart.
It was so easy, so quick. Qrow was incredible, in so many ways. Besides being a skilled fighter and intelligent strategist, Qrow was simply lovely. It was clear on his face, the way his eyes turned haunted sometimes, that he's been through more than enough, and yet he was still so kind. Underneath the sarcasm and dry humor and teasing jokes, Qrow had a heart bigger than himself, and he showed it so clearly to whoever was worthy of it (and in his case, even who wasn't). He showed it in the way he smiled fondly at his nieces whenever one of them was rambling about something to him. He showed it in the way he cared for the other kids, like when he saw Qrow training Jaune in some hand-to-hand combat the other day. He showed it in the way he let his guard down around them too, like when he saw him and Ren meditating in the gardens. "Helps with taking my mind off bad habits", he said when Clover asked about it, though he had an idea of what he was talking about.
Falling for Qrow was as inevitable as the snow that fell over Solitas, day and day again.
"...ver? Hey, Clover?" He blinked out of his spiraling thoughts and looked up, finding deep indigo eyes staring back at him in concern, a heavy metal hand on his shoulder. "Are you feeling alright? If you're too tired, we can continue this meeting tomorrow, it's not urgent right now."
James' voice was soft as he spoke and Clover tried not to let himself fall into a whole different spiral this time over it. He merely sighed and nodded weakly, messing up his own hair and rubbing his eyes. "Yeah, I'm sorry. I guess I've been more tired than I thought lately. Sorry."
Ironwood frowned and shook his head a little, squeezing his shoulder. "Well, that's no good. You should've said something earlier if you were this tired. Come on, you're dismissed, Qrow and I will wrap it up here."
"Right." His voice wavered and a pang went through Clover's heart and he swallowed it down, standing up and stretching, hoping the sheer yearning residing in his chest didn't make itself so clear on his face. He cleared his throat and tried again. "I'll take my leave then. Good night, Qrow," he directed a nod to him, "Good night, sir." And another at the General. He plastered a weak smile on his face and walked out of the room.
The spiral he was trying to avoid did pull him in once he was out of the door, though, and he was thinking about what he shouldn't once again.
If falling for Qrow was easy, falling for James was anything but. The man was shut off, locking himself away from everyone and taking everything he could on his own. If Qrow kept people at arm's reach, James kept them a full street block away, and took a step back just as good measure. That said, Clover had to do the impossible to get through the man, and he's been working for years to get where his relationship is with the general.
Much like Qrow, however, Iroonwood also hid all his best parts underneath that steel-hard facade. No matter how much more machine than man he claimed to be, James had a heart, and sometimes he wore it on his sleeve more than he'd like to admit. He cared so much, all the time, for everyone. James shouldered the weight of it all, only because he didn't trust that anyone else would care as much as he did to take care of it all properly. Of course, that made him narrow-minded and sometimes clouded his vision, but Clover managed to get through that barrier as well, allowing James to share some of that weight with him, and his team, and Winter too. That was before he knew about Qrow, obviously, but if anything, having the man here only helps with everything. He doesn't think he's ever seen James happier in all the years he's been by his side.
Clover hadn't noticed he was already at his room. He sighed and got inside, shucking his boots off. He wasn't tired though, but the excuse worked to get Ironwood to let him go. He doubted he could get any sleep any time soon, so he did what he usually do whenever he had too much on his mind.
Taking off his uniform, Clover replaced it with his usual gym gear — simple tanktop and sweats, bandages around his hands instead of the leather gloves — and made his way down to the training rooms. He didnt take kingfisher with him, because that would require him to work him brain to fight the bots, and right now he needed to be mindless, so onto the workout station he went.
After wrapping up their meeting, James cleaned up his office with Qrow's help. And then cleaned it a second time, because of it.
Ironwood had sent the other ahead to their room, since he planned to make a stop by the kitchen to the return the trays of food, but on his way back, something caught his attention. The lights to one of the training rooms was on, which was odd. It was already very late, and James was sure it could be none of the kids. They've been so tired lately. Not Winter either, she kept a strict schedule, as did all of the Ace Operatives. So who...?
James' breath caught in his throat as he took in the sight. He's never seen Clover like this before.
He was focused like a man on a mission, and the mission was to rip that punching bag off it's hooks, or so it seemed. He looked like he's been here a while already, if the sweat covering his skin was something to go by. And boy, was it something... For only a moment, James let his eyes wander as he never allowed them to when he thought he could be caught by the other's gaze. He let them wander over the muscles rippling the skin of his arms, of his chest, of his back (did Clover come here shirtless already?), he let his eyes wander over his face, the point-blank focus of his eyes, the furstration seeping into every expression line. He let his gaze linger over the unholy amount of freckles covering the whole expansion of his shoulders and upper back, as they did over his cheekbones. Sometimes James wasn't sure that man was real.
Sure, he's been with Qrow for a long time now, and he is very much in love. But even Qrow has noticed it: James had it bad. To be fair, he wasn't entirely to blame. Clover was built for loving.
The Captain managed to worm his way under James' metal skin so subtly, that when he came to, he was already in too deep. Clover was easy to get along with, but more than that he was easy to trust. Nothing was ever complicated with him, and he was never anything but comprehensive, which made it so easy for James to open up to him with most of his concerns. He didn't wear his heart on his sleeve because he didn't even wear sleeves in the first place. His heart was out for everyone to see, kind and inviting, a warm acceptance in the cold judgement of Atlas. That didn't mean he was naive, though. No, Clover was cunning and smart, and he knew his way around situations, not to mention an excellent trickster.
When Ironwood paired him off with Qrow, he hoped they'd get along better than fine, and apparently that's exactly what they did. Tactically speaking, they were a perfect match, but on a personal level, they could also help each other. Clover was a positive outlook where Qrow was a negative spiral, he was clarity where Qrow was cloudiness. But Qrow was also grounding where Clover was a dreamer, among other things. They complemented each other, in more ways than one.
James should be jealous, probably, if he wasn't so aware of Qrow's love. Don't get him wrong, he's not a stuck up, but the grumpy man has seen to great lengths to make sure James knew he was loved and cared for, and he didn't intend to throw all that away for one drop of jealousy. There was also the fact that James appreciated Clover as much as Qrow did, which is why he was also concerned about him today after their meeting.
Clover still hadn't noticed him, so he cleared his throat to make his presence known.
The Captain stopped immediately, startled, as if he was caught doing something he shouldn't. James just smiled and walked closer, leaving his posture open and judgment free.
"For someone so tired, you sure look wired up now." He said in a teasing tone, letting out a quiet snort.
Clover looked embarrassed being caught in his lie, and cast his eyes down as a hand moved to scratch his neck. "Sorry, sir. I just have a lot on my mind."
"I tought I said you can call me James when we're off duty." He rolled his eyes. "And you can also talk to me about it, if you want to. I want you to be able to rely on me as much as I rely on you, Clover."
Ironwood pressed his gloveless metal hand on Clover's shoulder, the chilled metal against his burning skin causing shivers to run through his body. Clover looked up and smiled, his eyes wavering over James' face for a moment before settling on the dark blue.
"I know, James. And I do, really. It's just this time, it's... complicated." I'm in love with your boyfriend, oh and also with you, for years now! sounded a little more than complicated, but he couldn't exactly say that now, could he.
James hummed and squeezed his shoulder, stepping back a little. Clover almost mourned the loss of the touch. And then James began undressing, and suddenly his heart was racing for a whole different reason.
"Well, if you can't talk it out, I'll join you then. Maybe blowing some steam will help you clear your thoughts a little." He turned his back to Clover as he shrugged off his coat, working on the other layers of his uniform, so he didn't see how Clover's eyes nearly jumped out of their sockets when he noticed the fresh nail scratch marks over Ironwood's back.
He had enough time to get his shit together until Ironwood turned back though, clearing his throat a little out of embarrassment. Clover pretended not to noticed the hickeys on said throat so he could keep his sanity.
"I hope you dont mind... I need to keep this shirt intact, otherwise the tailor is gonna tear my arms like I tore the last one." Ironwood laughed a little, a hand threading through his hair as he got in position.
"Don't worry, I think it's only fair, seeing as I'm... well." He pointed at himself and laughed too. Did James just look him up and down?
"Yeah... Well, enough stalling. Come at me." The General grinned something feral and so they began.
James was a bit rusty in hand-to-hand, since his last fights had only been in training with Oscar. Which is to say, Clover was getting his ass handed to him.
Even with the lack of practice, James was still a dangerous combination of agility and brute force, both heightened by his prosthetics. Whenever Clover striked, he was already blocking, when he tried to defend himself, he was already hit.
But damn if he didn't try. Clover might not be as strong or as fast, but he outsmarted the General in combat only by a little, and with luck on his side, he managed to swipe one foot under James' leg, one that was just touching the floor again after a dodged kick, and the General went down on his face.
Clover got on top of his back, immobilizing his hands and legs, holding him in place with a wide grin.
James was smiling as well, turning his face to the side to look up at Clover. "So, which was it this time? Luck or skill?"
The Captain chuckled and got off James, standing up. "I'd say a bit of both. You made me work for it more than I was expecting." He let the other man roll onto his back and then offered him a hand to help him stand, which he took.
And then Jamed pulled him down, quickly securing Clover's hands above his head as he towered over him, a smile on his face that was more of a smirk. "Looks like you need to work a bit more."
Clover stared at him wide eyed. The fight had left him high on adrenaline already, the skin on skin contact, the giddiness he felt. Now Ironwood on top of him, holding him trapped like this, so close and with that smirk definitely didn't help. He couldn't help but turn his gaze to James' lips, even if it was only for a fraction.
It was all it took for Ironwood to have courage, tough. He looked Clover in the eyes, before letting his own eyes fall to the other's lips. All Ironwood could see before he closed his eyes and leaned in, was a freckle right over his top lip.
The kiss was a small thing. Slightly hesitant and tasting of sweat, but Clover got lost in it anyway. Until he remembered who he was kissing in the first place. His eyes flew open and he kicked Ironwood off of him, scrambling back to his feet.
James doubled over and groaned, rubbing his side where Clover kicked him. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that..."
"Yeah! You shouldn't have!" Clover ran his hands through his hair and turned to stare down at him, spreading his arms at his side. "What the fuck, James?! Aren't you with Qrow?!"
Ironwood hissed as he stood, sighing right afterwards. "Right, about that... Yes, I am, but-"
"But Jimmy doesn't know the first thing about communication." A hoarse voice sounded from the entrance, and then Qrow was joining them, arms crossed and looking unamused.
Clover stuttered over his words, trying to apologize and explain, and then Qrow shushed him with two fingers to his lips. "We have a lot to talk about. But not right now. Right now I'm tired, you're both sweaty, it's late and I need someone to lie down with me, like I was promised half an hour ago." He turned to glare at Ironwood, and then went back to Clover, face softening, lips twiching at the corners as he moved his hand to cradle the Captain's jaw. "The bed fits three, if you'd like. Unless that kick meant you don't want us at all, and was just defending my honor." He snorted and let his hand fall.
Clover stayed silent for a moment, in shock, before he found his tongue again. "N-No! I-I mean, I do want you. Both of you. A lot. I just didn't think-"
"Then it's settled." Qrow kissed Clover's cheek right before laying a peck on James' lips. "You two stink. No one is lying in that bed being this gross, so you'll shower first. Let's go."
James laughed and shook his head, gathering his clothes from the floor before starting to follow after Qrow. When he noticed Clover just standing there, he smiled and offered him a hand, seemingly waking him from his stupor.
Clover looked down at the hand, and back up at Ironwood's expectant smile, and then hesitantly took hold of it. He looked at the ground, face turning beet red and voice quiet. "Sorry I kicked you..."
James laughed, full and open, a clear, melodic sound. "Dont worry about it. I should've asked first, anyways. Qrow's right... Communication is not my forte."
"Sorry, what?" Qrow stopped and looked at them, a hand over his ear. "Qrow was what? Could you repeat that, please?"
Ironwood rolled his eyes and pulled him in for a quick kiss. "I said you're a smartass." Qrow only pouted and poked his side gently.
"Maybe Clover had a point in kicking you." He huffed and turned to walk ahead
And just like that, they followed to Ironwood's quarters. There was a lot to talk about. But Qrow was right.
They could do that tomorrow.