Things We Said

…when you were scared

The sudden gasp of pain and the body lurching in his grasp startled Clover into wakefulness. He jolted upright as well, one hand reaching out automatically for Kingfisher whilst the other landed upon Qrow's back. "What is it?" he said, voice thick with sleep, frazzled and weary.

Qrow's borrowed shirt was damp under his touch, the man's gasping breaths enough to give away his fear. Immediately, Clover ignored Kingfisher and instead flicked on the lamp at his bedside, wincing against the light. His annoyance quickly shifted into worry, though, as he saw the drawn, tense, terrified expression on Qrow's face. "Qrow, what happened?" he asked gently.

The elder man propped his elbows up onto bent knees and buried his hands in his hair, fingers clutching tightly, as if desperate to drag himself back to reality. He didn't speak, instead focusing on regulating his breathing, panicked inhales and exhales only quickening despite his best efforts.

Clover pushed his long hair out of his eyes, gently wrapping an arm around Qrow's shoulders. "Nightmares?"

Mutely, Qrow nodded.

Clover said, "Okay. Breath with me." Then, he began to breathe in, out, in, out- sleepy mind reaching back into the far corners of his memory to latent training in his early days as a cadet on conflict de-escalation. "Hey. Just breathe."

Finally, Qrow's shoulders began to move up and down in time with Clover's breathing, and eventually the man collapsed, laying his sweat-streaked brow on Clover's shoulder. "I should go," he muttered.

Clover shook his head instantly. The amount of convincing it took for you to stay the night, that I wasn't going to abandon you, that we were going to be okay, that I meant what I said-

"What was it about?"

"…Ruby and Yang."

Losing them. Okay. "They're safe, Qrow. And they'll continue to be safe. They won't go down that easily."

"I've never spent this much time with them before," Qrow whispered. Clover stroked damp hair absentmindedly, trying to ignore the ache in his heart as he realized just how much Qrow shook- and how much shame shone on his face. "I don't know if things are going to get worse now because of that."

"If anything does happen," Clover mused aloud, "it won't be your fault. After all, I've been with you even more than they have; that's got to neutralize something, right?"

Qrow barked out a laugh. "Something's coming, kid. You're all just too comfortable here to realize it."

He didn't know how to respond to that, so Clover continued gently, "Do you think your Semblance has actually hurt people before?"

"…Summer."

He couldn't save her, then. He was there, and he couldn't save her. After all those years being her partner… how did he move on? Clover wouldn't ask. Instead, he offered, "You won't hurt me, Qrow. And you won't hurt your nieces. We're allies here."

But Qrow never responded, instead shakily pulling himself up and out of Clover's bed. He trudged to the bathroom to shower. Clover sighed, settling back against the headboard, content to read while he waited for the other man to calm himself down.

Next thing he knew, it was morning, he was cold from sitting up in his bed all night, and Qrow was gone.