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James cocked his head, looking over the shorter male with barely contained derision. The pretty, pale red eyes glared stubbornly back up at him without flinching. They were going to be working together for this mission according to the Vale headmaster and his General, it wouldn’t be diplomatic to get on each other’s bad side so quickly. But seriously? The huntsman’s semblance was Misfortune? He understood that an unseen, passive semblance could still be effective in a multitude of ways but honestly, how bad could it really be? It felt to him like the younger was making a big deal out of something that wasn’t one but he inclined his head in acknowledgement.
“I will keep it in mind.” Soft red eyes narrowed at him, like Qrow knew he wasn’t taking it as seriously as the hunter wanted him to but he brushed past the beautiful little hunter. They had a job to do and they weren’t going to get it done standing around. Somewhere in the shipping district of Vale there was an agent of Salem’s and they’d been tasked with ferreting them out. He heard the scythe wielder huff, the steady steps as he caught up with him and started making plans for them to search the area together, ignoring the way pink lips pursed at him. He’d been in the military longer than the other had been graduated from the Academy, he knew how to run a mission like this. Thankfully Qrow didn’t argue, even if he was obviously unhappy.
James wasn’t concerned about that though, not as long as the slender male did as he was told.
The two of them methodically went through the area, scanning for whoever could be working for their enemy. It took much longer than James liked, though he knew by the size of the district that it wouldn’t be easy, but eventually they caught sight of a blue feathered crest. The cockatiel faunus was prying the lid off of a SDC crate that was waiting to be loaded into the shipping container, the dust inside reflecting the light of the shattered moon onto their face. A quick look was shared between the two and then they moved together, closing in on their target as one.
~*~
When James wakes, it’s to the steady beeping of medical equipment and the standard white walls of any medical facility. He wonders if he’s still in Vale or if he was out long enough to be moved to Atlas. It takes time, time for him to regain awareness, time for the medicine to start leaving his system, time for him to hear the stories.
Apparently the story is that he was in the area and had tried to stop a White Fang member from tampering with a shipment of dust. He was being hailed as a hero for stopping the “terrorist” from doing any damage to the ship, to the innocents who worked on the ship. To anyone who could have been hurt by the tampering.
He hated it.
He hated that the White Fang was being blamed. They were a peaceful group, they did protests and rallies. They didn’t do explosions or stage attacks. He hated that he was being given all the credit for stopping the danger. He hadn’t. He hadn’t even been alone when the fight had happened. It had been Qrow that had called him out of the danger zone before the explosion, he remembered the curved blade of a scythe around his waist, yanking him back at the same time a low voice called out, warning him of the danger. He hated knowing that the faunus they’d been sent to capture and question had died in the explosion that had nearly killed him. Most of all, he hated that he hadn’t listened to Qrow.
The younger man had tried to warn him about the danger of his semblance. He’d tried to tell him to be careful. But James hadn’t taken him seriously. Hadn’t thought that a little bad luck could really be as bad as Qrow was making it out to be. The grappling that had happened, them being knocked away from each other. He remembered Qrow being sent flying back by the two larger males and crashing against another crate. There had been relief that it had stayed intact and he’d dismissed it, going back to the fight without hesitation. That was when he heard Qrow’s shout, when he felt the scythe. That was when he saw the way the enemy’s hand had gone wide, the way they’d jerked.
The way that the gun had gone off while aimed directly at the open crate of dust.
James was sure that if Qrow hadn’t been as fast as he had been, if he hadn’t been ready for everything to go wrong, then James would have died that night. He owed the younger man a thank you as well as an apology. If he’d listened, if he’d taken Qrow seriously when he warned him, then maybe he wouldn’t be in the hospital.
The fluttering of wings made him turn his head, blue eyes locking onto the shrinking form of a small black bird as it flew away.
~*~
The next time James met Qrow half of his body was metal. It had taken months for him to adjust, months to learn how to control his new body without using too much strength. It had taken months for him to be granted leave so he could try to find the huntsman. It took months more for him to realize Qrow was avoiding him.
It stung when he figured it out but he understood. After all it was his arrogance that could have gotten them both killed. His refusal to listen to the warnings that ended with him as he was now. They may have worked together for the mission, may be working together for the greater good of Remnant but that was it. There was little reason for Qrow to want him around but James knew he owed a debt to the hunter. Words would never be enough to repay it but he could still talk to Qrow, let him know that if he needed anything, James would do what he could to provide. The little he knew about the hunter was enough for him to grow fond of him, to develop the smallest of crushes that he was trying to smother out of existence. Qrow wouldn’t return the feelings, it was better to forget how he felt.
He finally managed to catch Qrow in the upstairs of a less than stellar bar. The shorter man had obviously already been there for a while but James hoped he was still coherent enough for a conversation and lucid enough to remember what was said. He didn’t know when he’d get another chance after all. It had already been nearly two years since the incident as it was. It could take another five for him to get Qrow alone if the other really put effort into avoiding him.
He knew exactly when Qrow realized he was there, the way his hand froze on it’s way to lift his glass a dead giveaway. Red eyes flicked around and for a brief moment, James thought the hunter might be desperate enough to leap off the loft or break through the wall. Thankfully he did no such thing, shoulders dropping as he finished his motion and poured another shot from the bottle on the table. He shoved the glass at the empty seat across from him and then took a drink straight from the bottle he’d poured from. James kept the frown from his face by sheer will, hoping again that Qrow wouldn’t block out whatever he said as he took the silent offer.
“You’re very difficult to catch, you know that?” James slid the glass between his hands as he talked, not quite ready to drink whatever was in it. He knew it was strong by the scent of it but he didn’t have enough experience with liquor to identify which type it was by color or smell.
“Part of the job.” Qrow’s eyes followed the glass, seeming amused that would rather play with the liquor than drink it. Of course, it was unlikely that the man knew much about how strict Atlas Military could be about such things.
James cleared his throat, finally taking a drink from the glass. It was difficult not to cough at the burn but he managed and Qrow looked almost impressed by it. He hated that he was pleased to notice it. “I wanted to thank you.”
“For nearly getting you killed?” Qrow looked completely bewildered, which was exactly how James felt after that question. There seemed to be a misunderstanding between them and James felt like he needed to clear it up quickly before it got any worse. Was this why Qrow had been avoiding him?
“For saving my life.”
Qrow winced, taking another drink as he hunched his shoulders. “You would have done better if I’d never been there.”
“I would have done better if I’d listened when you warned me about the danger.” James kept his voice firm, unyielding, when he said it. Qrow had done his duty when he’d warned James his semblance. He was not responsible for James ignoring him and James wouldn’t let him take the responsibility.
Qrow gave a huff of a chuckle, finishing off the bottle and standing up. He threw down some lien before he walked away. “No one ever listens. At least you survived, though you might hate me for it later…”
James turned to watch him go, a frown on his face. He didn’t know how he could hate Qrow for saving his life but he had a feeling that trying to get Qrow to explain his reasoning wouldn’t get him far. It wasn’t until after he’d finished his glass and left the building to head to his temporary quarters that he realized he never told Qrow he’d do whatever he could to help the other as thanks for saving him.
~*~
James never did figure out how Qrow expected him to hate him though he would admit to having become completely frustrated with the hunter. It felt like Qrow was going out of his way to start fights with him every time they crossed paths until James seemed to finally give in and gave Qrow what he seemed to want. He threatened to shoot him in a vague and unrealistic manner (there was no way Qrow would ever join the Atlas Military therefore he’d never serve under James to be shot) and strangely enough, the fighting lessened. It didn’t go away and he didn’t expect it too, it was too ingrained in them by that point, but it wasn’t as bad and he would take what he could get.
With everything that had happened, he wasn’t entirely surprised to find that Qrow had changed when he and his children showed up in Atlas though he couldn’t yet put his finger on what it was. It was there in the back of his mind all through the meeting in his office. The entire time he and Winter remained in the same room without a fight breaking out. It was there up until he embraced the shorter man and breathed him in, realizing there was no trace of alcohol in the air around him and James realized Qrow hadn’t once pulled out his flask. He’d offered his guest room when he pulled away, seeking any excuse to keep his friend close, curious and concerned all at once over his discovery.
As happy as he was that Qrow had kicked his bad habit, he knew it would have had to have been something big to cause him to change his behaviour so drastically. He needed to know what it was so he could help, needed to know how long it had been so he could be there for him. He had never forgotten his debt even if Qrow had never acknowledged it existed but maybe now, he could finally do something for Qrow. Maybe now he could finally be there for him when he needed someone to lean on. There was a small spark of hope that flared in his chest when Qrow accepted, one that fanned into flames when a soft blush colored the pale cheeks.
He’d always believed that Qrow wouldn’t ever like him back because of the way he insisted on fighting but now, maybe, if he had changed, if he no longer felt like they needed to fight. Maybe once Qrow had settled in, once James knew he was going to be okay, maybe then he might start to court Qrow in some way. Test the waters to see if he did actually have a chance even with all the time that had passed.