When James woke up, he was incredibly sore.

His body felt like it had been bent for an extended period of time into positions that it shouldn't have been. There was a consistent wave of pain that rushed up his back and into his skull. His head pounded, and his stomach ached for him to eat something. His mouth was dry, and his eyes felt dry and tired as well.

Needless to say, he wasn't exactly feeling well.

He didn't open his eyes for a few minutes- largely because he wasn't sure that he actually wanted to face whatever the morning was supposed to bring. The fact that there was a weight bearing into his side- left side, his mind managed to vaguely register- wasn't much of a comfort, as comforting as that weight almost was.

It reminded him of better times. Of times before things had started going wrong in his life.

He really didn't want to have to wake and lose that. For now, he just wanted that temportary comfort.

It was comfort that could almost drown out a hangover.

The weight that was pressed up against him shifted and even sniffled, albeit quietly.

James tried not to move, for fear of ruining everything.

"Jim?" A voice said, too quietly and too ragged. They shifted again, and James even winced slightly as the other presence- he didn't want to think about whose it was- moved. "You up?"

James cracked one eye open and finally had to face what was going on.

Sure enough, pressed against him and now sitting up, Qrow was there. He looked tired himself. He also didn't look like he'd gotten out of the clothing that he'd decided to wear the night before. Like taking care of anything was just not in the question once the drinking had started.

James didn't want to think about how bad his own state of disheveledness had to be.

"Yeah." He finally managed, though the word felt more like he'd had to croak it out than speak. "Do you mind?"

Qrow blinked, sleepily before sitting up properly so that he was no longer pressed against James. He looked around the room, before his eyes landed on the glasses and the now empty bottle of scotch that sat on the table just in front of the two of them. James watched him, realizing that Qrow as trying to piece things together, to some small degree.

James sat up properly now, almost feeling his bones and his robotic joints creak and want to lock up with the motion. Everything ached, and he couldn't help but to wonder what time it was. Normally his phone would have gone off but-

The night before flashed through his mind.

He finally looked over at Qrow directly.

There was an elephant in the room.

James, for one, was more than content to ignore it. He and Qrow didn't have to acknowledge the fact that they'd apparently started talking the night before, and then gotten carried away with drinking enough that this made sense. It had made sense at the time for sure, but now that it was time to deal with it James didn't want to acknowledge that.

But he knew Qrow. If there was anyone that wasn't going to be willing to let any of this go or ignore that it had happened, it would be Qrow.

It was only slightly nerve wracking to think about.

Maybe if James had even the slightest chance of getting away from this without being questioned, then it wouldn't have been so bad. But that wasn't going to be possible. Qrow wasn't going to give him the chance to do that again.

He straightened his body out as best as he could and tried not pay attention to the way that his body was screaming at him for neglect the night before. He knew fully well that he really shouldn't have gone ahead and let himself be so careless, but at the same time-

There had just been something so relaxed the night before that James hadn't wanted to let it go.

He forced himself upright, and reached out for the couch so that he could hold onto it, if only until he got his bearings about him properly. James forced back a wince, and began to hobble over in the direction of the kitchen.

He couldn't let himself think about anything other than the fact that there was going to be a package of painkillers in his kitchen just waiting for him.

"Jim?" A voice asked over his shoulder. James couldn't bring himself to look back at Qrow or say anything to him- he was too tired, too exhausted. Instead, he focused every scrap of energy that he did have into taking the next step forward, then the next, and then the next after that until he was finally in the kitchen.

Qrow had followed him in. As James went to get his pills, Qrow was also there, just over his shoulder and trying to get him a glass of water so that James could at least manage to wash it all down without too much trouble.

James was grateful, at least on some level, for that small kindness. He hadn't really expected it. But seeing as he and Qrow had apparently gotten a little closer than James would have expected the night before, he wasn't so sure that he really minded it that much at all. He could take the small things, it was the bigger things that worried him most.

He managed to get the bottle of pills open and poured a few out onto the kitchen counter, only really taking the time to make sure that none of them ended up rolling away and out of reach, if only because he didn't want to have to deal with the cleanup effort later on. His body was already angry at him for sleeping on the couch with Qrow, and James didn't want any further punishment for it.

Qrow set the glass of water down next to James and leaned back against the counter. He looked sheepish, almost, James recognized. He tried not to think about it as he picked up the pills with his left hand and popped a few into his mouth before washing them down with the water.

He wasn't able to relax back against the counters though. James knew that he wasn't going to be able to do that until the medication kicked in and brought him away from this sort of place- hopefully it would be soon. He wasn't sure how much longer he could go on his feet before he buckled over in pain.

Qrow spoke up again, this time sounding all too quiet. "You think you'll be okay to get me out to Vale?" Qrow mumbled, scratching at a space at the collar of his shirt. "Or should I stick around here?"

James didn't know how to respond. He figured that in theory, he would be able to make it back out to Vale that day without too much trouble, it was just a matter of making sure that his body didn't fight him too much along the way.

A part of him wondered whether or not he'd be able to call Laurel when he got out there- he could offer to buy groceries. He could make sure that Penny was taken care of, and if she agreed to get groceries, it meant that James would have a little bit more time with the girl than he normally would have gotten.

James tried not to let too much hope bubble up in his chest, if only for fear of having it quashed later.

He closed his eyes and tilted his head back slightly in an attempt to relax. He swallowed, trying to make himself comfortable before finally speaking up. "I'm not so sure." he mumbled. "Everything hurts."

Qrow winced slightly. He didn't look like he was feeling at his absolute best either. James figured that there was probably a good reason for that- probably the fact that the two of them had spent the entire night curled up on that damned couch together.

James didn't even know how it had happened, and that was the worst part. The best that he could guess was that the two of them had just gotten too carried away the night before. Drinking until they slept.

Something like that.

But that was the problem- he knew that, and he understood that. It was just that there was something else that had changed the situation for them. Ther had been something that had allowed them to drift close in ways that couldn't just be blamed on alcohol.

Qrow hummed and looked around James' kitchen- definitely looking for something there. James watched him, not really sure whether or not he wanted to ask any questions about it. He figured that if there was something that Qrow wanted to say or do, Qrow was probably just going to go ahead and do it.

"You want something to eat?" Qrow asked, snapping his attention straight ahead to James. "I think I might be able to-" Qrow shrugged, and looked at James' cupboards and fridge. James didn't even know if he'd actually have proper food there for Qrow to cook with- it was possible that he'd used the last of his good groceries the night before.

"Uh..." James started, wracking his tired mind for any sort of answer. "I mean, I'd like something to eat, but I don't know if I-"

"Groceries?" Qrow asked, without any hesitation. He blinked. "We could order?"

"What are we going to order at-" James started, but he had to stop when he realized that he didn't actually know how he was supposed to go ahead and finish that sentence. He didn't even know what time it was, just that he felt like he needed to rest forever. His eyes made it over to his oven- which was displaying the time proudly in blue digital numbers.

When had it gotten to be one in the afternoon?

He swallowed, then sighed. "Never mind. If you want to order something, I guess you can go ahead and do that."

James hesitated. Qrow's suggestion that the two of them should get food definitely wasn't a bad one, and he definitely wasn't in the mood to bother with cooking anything. At the very least, this was going to be a good chance for him to avoid Qrow- avoid the happenings the night before.

"Takeout sounds good." James mumbled, although his words came off as being terribly stilted. "Same place as last time?"

"Sounds good to me." Qrow answered. James watched as Qrow began to move around the living room, probably looking for something that would help him in making the order. It would be easy for James to just tell Qrow what he liked, but he was okay with letting Qrow just search for whatever he was.

"Do you want to call them or-"

"Might as well call and drive to pick it up." James answered. "Save some money."

"Not that money matters..."

James shrugged. "It doesn't but..." He cast a glance around the room. He was a man to live by modest means. "You know how things can be."

Qrow nodded and went back to whatever he was doing. James inhaled deeply, trying to work through his thoughts and the pain that was shooting through him. He forced himself away from the counter he was leaning against and crossed the kitchen, since he was going to have to get them silverware and plates eventually.

It was difficult. He found himself leaning against counters much more than he would have liked, but James needed to get things done.

Qrow came into the kitchen to find James bracing himself against the kitchen counter. He was breathing a bit heavier than he should have, and he wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to stay standing.

"Jim?"

James picked his head up and forced himself to look over at Qrow, who was standing there with his cell phone in his hand.

"Qrow?" James asked, almost hissing the name out. "What is it?"

Qrow stepped up beside James and wrapped his arm around James' waist to offer some sort of support. "Come on, you-"

James raised a hand to try and push Qrow away. He didn't want this sort of closeness. Not when the night before had ended with him and Qrow pressed so close together.

"James?"

"I can do this." James growled at Qrow. He tried not to notice the way that Qrow stiffened at the sound of it. "Please, just..." James guided Qrow away from him with one hand. "Just order the food."

Qrow seemed to go slightly pale, and then he nodded. "Okay." Qrow mumbled, quietly. He stepped away from James. "Do you have anything in particular that you want, or-"

"Just order." James answered. "I don't particularly care right now."

It was too quiet, and then Qrow spoke up.

"Okay." He mumbled. The thin man took a step back, then another, and then James was all alone in the kitchen.

James did his best to collect himself and his thoughts before he finally stepped away from the counter again. He was going to get his feet under him, and then he was going to deal with Qrow and maybe even deal with what had happened the night before.

For the most part, all that James could think to do was to just go ahead and stand there and wait. When the pain finally subsided enough, he took a deep inhale and forced himself to stand upright again. James frowned and got down the rest of the plates that he was still sure he and Qrow would need, and then stepped out to the living room where he knew Qrow was going to be waiting.

Qrow was sprawled out on the couch, which was still rumpled from the night before and looked like it needed for the cushions to be rearranged desperately. He looked up at James and raised an eyebrow as he silently asked whether everything was okay or not.

James gave a slight nod before joining Qrow on the couch.

"I ordered food." Qrow said, his voice even as he crossed his legs and turned to face James directly. "Should be ready in about twenty."

"How much?"

"Not cheap." Qrow answered, snorting. When James shot him a look that said quite plainly that James wasn't amused with him, Qrow rolled his eyes. "About forty bucks. Hope you don't mind too much?"

"Both of us can afford it." James sighed. He turned his head away, feeling only a little bit more than unwilling to actually face what had happened the night before. "Food sounds good."

"And then we go back to Vale after."

"Yeah." James answered. "Back to Vale."

Qrow shook his head and leaned back against the armrest that was directly behind him. "Do... do we need to talk?"

James frowned and scratched at the hair on his temple. He knew fully well that he was going a little gray there from the stress of everything, but he needed something tangible. Not when he felt like his entire universe had flipped upside down and inside out all in one go.

He had the feeling that the events the night before were probably around equally confusing for the both of them. James didn't know who it was worse for, but he had the feeling it had to be him.

"We probably should." James mumbled, finally. "Look, if you want to just forget this-"

Qrow cocked his head to the side and his rusty red eyes narrowed as he realized what James was doing- which was mostly the fact that James was trying to deflect the incident the same way that both of the times that they'd ended up in the same elevators had been deflected.

"Jim, why would I want to forget this?" Qrow asked, his voice sounding almost husky through the dehydrated rasp that the night before had caused. "I didn't mind it, but-"

"I do, Qrow." James almost growled. This time, ignoring the way that Qrow stiffened at the sound was almost impossible. "I do mind and..." His voice trailed off. James shook his head and looked up at the ceiling. "Look, it was a mistake."

"You're-"

"Qrow, I don't know what this is but it..." James hesitated on the words. "It has to stop."

Qrow blinked. "The only one who thinks that is you." He leaned back into his seat a bit further. "I don't get what the big deal is. So you might be into me-"

"I'm not-"

Qrow shot James a glare so direct that this time James had no choice but to stop mid sentence. It was the look of someone that was so unamused that they might have reached out to slap him on a worse day.

"Are you?"

James exhaled slowly. He clenched his hands together and tried to ignore the way that he put a little too much pressure on his left hand from his right.

"I don't know what this is anymore, Qrow. You aren't..." James' voice trailed off again. "My old partner and I weren't like this. Nobody else is like this."

"Roman and Junior seem to do just fine."

James swallowed. He'd hoped that the two of them wouldn't have come up.

"Junior was my partner, Qrow." He said. "He and Roman weren't anything before..."

"So what's the big deal?"

"It's inappropriate. It's a distraction. It's not... it's jeopardizing everything."

Qrow's expression sank, and James almost felt the need to reach out and apologize. He figured that he was probably the one crossing the lines today instead of Qrow, but at the same time...

"James?" Qrow reached out, though the motion was slow and testing- the sort of motion that was made only by people that desperately wanted to test the waters before going in so deep that they ended up frozen or drowning. "What is this really about?"

James swallowed and searched for the words that he could give as an answer, but none came. He shook his head and stood up, reaching out for a framed photograph of himself and Penny before thrusting it into Qrow's face.

"That." James said, tapping on the glass with a finger. "That's what this is about."

"Your kid?"

"Yes." James answered. "I can't have anything jeopardized for as long as she is around. She's the only thing that matters to me, and I mean that. I can't leave her without a father again."

James stopped, the last word feeling too heavy and real. It weighed down on him so much that it made it hard for him to think, and he couldn't shake the feeling. He'd said too much. He'd said something too true.

"You..." Qrow looked up at James and stepped in closer. He gently guided James' hands away from him, and gently pulled the photo out of James' grip before setting it down on the table gingerly. He reached out for James and tried to get him to sit- even if it was only for a little while. "...You have a guilt complex about all of that, don't you?"

James inhaled sharply.

He pushed himself away from Qrow and stood up before looking at the door. "We have somewhere to be."

Qrow's expression sank even lower than it had been before. James tried not to look into his eyes, for fear of seeing what would inevitably be lying there. Hurt. Anger. Sadness.

"Can't we just talk about this?" Qrow asked, his voice miniscule.

James went to the door and hesitated there, one hand on the handle.

He had two options.

He could say yes, and that would be it. He and Qrow would actually deal with this and that would hopefully be the end of it.

He could say no, and that wouldn't be the end of it. He and Qrow would go back to the same sort of bickering song and dance that they had always been involved in.

He took the third option and didn't answer.

"We have to get the food."

Qrow sighed and got up. He pushed his hair back out of his face in a manner that could only be described as rough, and the two of them went out to the car before driving to the same restaurant that they'd first gotten food together at.

They returned home to eat.

When they were finally done, James and Qrow began to drive to Vale so that Qrow could return home.

Amazingly, not a single word was said between the two of them the entire way.

James was glad for it.