Work Text:
"Summer, please- you can't do this, not to Taiyang and your daughters. They need you more than they needed me." Qrow pleaded to his friend, to the one who felt like his family for such a long time, he pleaded for her to stay.
She smiled softly at Qrow, reaching her hand to cup Qrow's cheek as a comforting act. "I have to do this if it means that they'll be safe, that you'll be safe," Summer said in a gentle and quiet voice, with her teary silver eyes.
"I don't know if I'm coming back, but promise me that you won't be scared or sad. Promise me that you'll be there for my girls and Taiyang, and promise me that you'll be happy."
"I promise."
Looking back at that painful memory, the last smile he ever saw of Summer Rose, and breaking those promises that Qrow swore to Summer, he felt Summer's shadow taunting him, shaming him for the broken promises. Qrow grips onto the bottle of booze, with the burning desire of drowning himself until his body felt numb, until he forgets the pain and torments of his life.
To forget all that blood scattered he came across for his entire life, to only see red.
To forget the suffering that he went through to be here.
Forgetting Summer.
Qrow then felt tears trinkling in the corner of his crimson eyes, his numb body shuddering in fear, flashing visions of the screams and cries, the blood and suffering all crawled into his mind to haunt him.
"Stop- stop!" Qrow screamed, his breathing becoming stiffened as beads of sweat run down from his forehead. Qrow looses his grip onto the bottle of booze, only letting to fall and shatter into pieces.
Qrow fell to the ground, sobbing to himself and shaking while the fear and that pain in his chest cause distraught in him, to urge himself to scream atop of his lungs. Qrow desperately to hold, to cling onto anything, but his body couldn't do anything to help him, all he could do was shudder in fear and sob.
The taste of the intoxicating drink consumed him, the flashing visions of the pile of lifeless bodies, bloodied and numbness that haunted Qrow. And of course Summer, the woman who brought light and became his family, the same pretty rose that caused grief into him suffering and drowning himself in guilt.
Qrow lets out a blood-curling scream, as the tears fall from his crimson eyes.
And finally, Ozpin came home and found the breathless and frantic man lying on the floor. "Qrow!" The headmaster hurried himself to Qrow, kneeling down to him and hesitantly reaching his hands to him. Qrow tried to gently slap away Ozpin's hands.
Ozpin furrowed his brows in such worry for his dusty old crow. "Qrow, darling please look at me." Ozpin gently spoke, his hand finding its way to hold onto Qrow's hand, brushing his thumb atop of Qrow's hand.
Qrow's crimson eyes wandered to see Ozpin's gentle brown eyes, his breathing still heavy with the burden of his fears.
Although, as soon as Ozpin spoke once again, Qrow takes in a shaky breath. "Take a deep breathe, with me now." Ozpin carefully demonstrated by taking a deep breath, Qrow nodded his head and tries to follow along Ozpin's breathing.
"You're doing great, you are doing perfectly well my Qrow." Ozpin extolled, gently smiling at Qrow as finally his breathing became more calm and collective.
Qrow shook his head, feeling the guilt of Ozpin's comfort for putting up with the frantic bird. "You don't have to do this." He rasped at him.
Ozpin gently brushes his hand on Qrow's cheek. "You don't have to do this all on your own, darling I know how painful this must've been," Ozpin tenderly said. "I'll be here with you for as long as you need, now take a deep breath with me again." Ozpin gently strokes Qrow's hair, still with a gentle smile drawn on his lips.
For a few moments, Ozpin and Qrow practiced on their breathing, and with the headmaster praising and comforting Qrow, stroking his black hair until Qrow was held in Ozpin's arms with Qrow's tears staining on the headmaster's coat, but he didn't care. Ozpin wanted to do the best he can to comfort Qrow.
"Come along now, let's get you somewhere to rest." Ozpin carefully stood up from the ground, holding Qrow in his arms as his body still shook in fear, the headmaster didn't expect a response from his beloved bird, not when Qrow is distraught.
Leading the way to their bedroom, Ozpin gently lays Qrow onto the bed, only to climb onto the bed and join him. Although, Ozpin was sitting up from the bed, inviting Qrow to rest his head against the headmaster's lap, and with a small smile drawn on Qrow's lips, he rests his head on Ozpin's lap.
Ozpin softly threaded his fingers through Qrow's hair, massaging his scalp by just the tip of his fingers, Qrow quietly hummed in content and leaned into the warm touch. Ozpin warmly smiles at Qrow, and leaned in to plant a little kiss on the temple of his head.
"Love, may I ask what was the cause of your panic attack?" Ozpin calmly asked of Qrow, without any intention to push anymore questions to cause anymore distraught.
Qrow lets out a quiet breathy laugh. "I-It's just the usual hurt, y'know?" Qrow's voice was still hoarse, raspy from all that screaming and sobs. "Loosing her and- and breaking her promises, to be happy or some shit." He felt tears trickling in the corner of his crimson eyes once again.
Ozpin's thumb comes across to gently wipe away his tears. "Qrow, darling I know how difficult and tragic it is to deal with such loss, especially someone you've held onto for so long. It's okay to still feel grief and sorrow, but Summer just wanted you to be happy, and I believe you and the others have given her a truly amazing gift, her family. But of course, grief is not something to rush, it's very different for many and in time it will get better, you've got your nieces and Taiyang- and me, you've always known I'm there for you, Qrow." Ozpin adorned each word he spoke with such care and comfort, just as he kept gently stroking Qrow's hair.
"Fuck- you always have your way with words." Qrow croaked, weakly smiling at Ozpin with teary eyes, the headmaster softly smiles at Qrow. "You deserve the kindness and comfort, and in our relationship, I'm more than happy to do anything just to see you smile." Ozpin adoringly says, pressing a kiss on Qrow's forehead.
Qrow held back a chuckle from his lips. "Gods, now you've gone all sappy on me." Qrow teased his partner, all to adore Ozpin and his fond words.
Ozpin softly chuckled at Qrow, a small chuckle that Qrow always love to hear. "I suggest you get some rest love, I promise to be here when you wake up." Ozpin assured him, his voice still gentle and comforting.
Qrow nodded his head as his heavy lidded eyes finally rest.
"Oh those poor eyes." Ozpin quietly said to himself, gently brushing his hand on Qrow's cheek while he was asleep.
Just as Ozpin promised, he held Qrow close to him and was happy to be there in the morning, where he can admire Qrow's features and scars, but perhaps that will happen after Ozpin takes care of Qrow.