Disclaimer: RWBY and all affiliated characters/titles belong to Rooster Teeth, those wonderful geniuses.
Also, Qrow swears some, so yeah, be warned.
"Hey Uncle Qrow." Ruby collapsed Crescent Rose to her side, "Can I ask you something?" Qrow collapsed his sword as well, returning it to his back.
"Of course kiddo. What's up?" He leaned against a nearby rock and pulled out his flask. These training sessions with Ruby were still so special to him and anything to make them last a little longer was always a welcome respite.
"Well, I've been asking a lot of people for advice but I felt like you might know best." Ruby kicked at the dirt beneath her with her boot, the same way she used to before she asked to try out Qrow's war scythe. This must be something serious.
"I'm not sure if I'm the best one to ask. I mean, have you seen me?" Qrow gestured at his disheveled clothing and beaten travel boots and finally the flask he had immediately reached for, then took another swig to emphasize his point. "I'm not exactly all put together."
"Yeah but you're the best Uncle Qrow." Ruby lifted those beautiful silver eyes up to him, just like Summer used to and Qrow melted inside. He could never say no.
"Alright, what's on your mind?" Qrow let himself slide down the rock until he was setting on the ground. Ruby plopped down opposite him, crossing her legs and laying Crescent Rose across her lap.
"Well, I have a crush someone and I need advice." She got all the words out much more controlled than Qrow had expected from her. Apparently she really had given this a lot of thought already, she wasn't as nervous about it as she was about these kinds of things. That was good, maybe she was starting to grow up a little.
"Really, a crush already? You haven't even been there a whole year yet." Qrow laughed. Beacon had always been a hotbed for romance and anguish. So many hearts were devoted and broken on that campus Qrow never even had to wonder what made poor Glynda such a callous woman. It was probably the same reason he was such a damn drunk after all.
"Yes," Ruby set her jaw, "I really like them, like I like them like them." Ruby started in.
"I get it pal, you're interested in being more than friends." Qrow chuckled and took another drink. Her first crush, he couldn't explain how absolutely touched he was that she had come to him and not Tai Yang. Just wait until he told that poor blonde bastard about this.
"Right, yeah. More than that." Ruby started to lose some of her confidence and Qrow smiled. It was good that she wasn't that grown up yet.
"Well I'm proud of ya." Qrow shifted against the rock. It was tough to be comfortable when wearing a giant weapon, "So, when are you gonna ask 'em out?"
"Well. That's actually what I wanted to ask you about," Ruby shifted uncomfortably.
"Now, I'm willing to help you. You know that. But really, I've never been the best at this sort of thing myself." Qrow chuckled good naturedly, "Really you should have gone to Tai with this, he's the lady killer." Always had been, a fact that would haunt Qrow for the rest of his whiskey addled days.
"No, no. I…" Ruby trailed off again. Qrow had to remember to be more supportive. This one hadn't gotten any of Tai's fire. "I just have some questions about it I guess."
"Well shoot kid." Qrow leaned back, happy to let her take the lead here.
"I'm really worried about what other people will think. " Qrow took another swig of his flask as she continued, she had been asking other people about this first. That meant that whatever she had come to him was real, not just a lack of confidence or something. "But, well. They're kinda related to me." Qrow spit up whiskey all over himself.
"What was that?" Qrow shook his hands off and brushed at his shirt. Well, at least he had already smelled like alcohol before. "What do you mean? How closely related?" What was she going on about? It wasn't possible that she had misinterpreted anything he had said was it? Qrow ran through all their interactions as quickly as he could in his head.
"Well… uhh…. I'm not sure how it works. I think you might be more closely related to her than me." Ruby looked off into the distance, thinking hard. Qrow breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't him. Hell it wasn't even a guy. So there was no worry of kids or any of that. Plus if he was more closely related…. Who was she talking about?
"Now Ruby." Qrow sat up, ignoring the liquor staining his body, "How sure are you about how you feel?"
"I'm really, really sure." Ruby clenched both her tiny fists and pounded them on her knees.
"So tell me about her." Qrow opened up.
"Well, she's a huntress and she's really really strong. Plus she's beautiful and tall and has the most amazing hair." Ruby started to blush, "But I think I look up to her most because of how hard she fights. She never backs down and she's always willing to fight even the biggest scariest monsters. That's the kind of Huntress I want to be." Ruby looked back down at the dirt again. "I know, it sounds silly."
"Actually kiddo, you sound pretty damn sure." Qrow nodded and relaxed back against the rock. "You know, if you know how you feel. If you are absolutely sure. You should go for it." Ruby glanced up at him, unsure. Her eyes were still shimmering, though if it was nope or nervous sadness he couldn't tell. But, how could anyone ever say no to those eyes? How could anyone refuse changing their entire world just to see happiness reflected in those endless pools of silver? He went to take another drink but found his flask empty, most of it splattered on him and the ground. He sighed. "If you don't tell her how you feel, you will live your entire life regretting it."
"Thank you Uncle Qrow." Ruby darted forward on a stream of rose petals and threw her arms around his shoulders. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
"No problem pal. Now go get 'em." Qrow was glad he had forgotten how to cry or he may have broken down right there in her tiny arms.
A/N - Oh wow… I did not expect that to end like that. Came out much stronger than I intended. I just love Qrow's character sooo much. Maybe I should work with him more.
Oh well. Onwards and forwards, to glory we march!
Chapter five is the final chapter. Please read and let me know how much you hate me =)
-Zach
