Opus
It is hard to believe just how pleasant life could be, but after weeks of finding his own niche within the routine, militaristic way of life in Atlas Academy, even Qrow must admit that he feels happier than he has in years. He still does not like life in Atlas- it is too cold, too guarded, too rigid for his tastes, and the wind is far too cold to allow him the flight he so dearly needs in order to let his mind rest- but the fact that he finds himself looking forward to each day is… novel.
His nieces thrive in their work as Huntresses, their friends providing the perfect allies for any mission which Ruby and Yang decide to undertake. Ruby has taken it upon herself to utilize the resources available to them as much as possible, training with a fervour that Qrow recognizes from her father. She trains and trains, her hand-to-hand combat growing far more polished than he honestly ever could have hoped for. Yang, on the other hand, seems far too smitten with her teammate, and with Blake's increasing shyness around his niece, he knows it must be mutual; when Yang first asks him for his thoughts on their relationship, he merely shrugs, murmuring, "We turn into birds, but my sister always hated Faunus. Too much Mistral in that girl."
Yang's smile cannot grow any wider, and that is that.
Work no longer feels as pointless, either. For the first time since the Fall, it feels like there is some actual progress occurring on restoring the world, thanks to James' plan slowly coming into fruition. Although he still does not agree with all of James' policies- using supplies they could be using to protect the citizens in favour of having just a few days extra advancement on Amity seems almost cruel, and he refuses to budge on that front- but as the weeks pass, the Ace Ops are far less guarded around them than they originally were, too, making him almost feel like he belongs.
This is where he works now. His nieces are safe and happy. Their friends are flourishing in their own right.
No one is leaving Qrow behind anymore.
His headaches come far less often, too. Their intensity has softened. At times, especially during duress or after long nights spent on patrols or finishing up reports, Qrow finds himself instinctively reaching for his old, trusty flask; after these moments, the shame which strikes him is so visceral he almost collapses. Yet, he does not feel upset in the slightest when the urges hit.
Instead, he merely goes to find Clover.
At first, this action is unintentional, almost accidental; he barely registers the movement until he is standing in front of Clover's quarters, hand poised to knock, the other man staring at him wide-eyed and confused from the other side of the opened door. The explanations come quick, and soon enough, the two of them reason that his body is likely unused to not having liquor to dampen the impacts of his Semblance, so instead, his Aura instinctively searches for something to numb his misfortune. He mumbles these words out alongside apologies and clumsy self-rejections, hastily stepping back from that open door the moment his senses are back with him, because not even Taiyang has ever been safe around his Semblance-
But Clover grabs his hand. Brings him inside. Tosses him a bottle of soda, winks, and murmurs, "Don't tell Harriet, it's my cheat day. She judges me a lot," before beckoning him over to sit upon Clover's couch so they may watch whatever inane situational comedy the soldier is rewatching for the nth time.
Qrow feels safe around Clover. Clover is safe from Qrow, after all, and it is so, so wonderful.
Even as things begin to go awry- Jacques Schnee winning the election, James' temper growing more and more short, Winter Schnee becoming almost reclusive, a strange tension lingering around the children in the wake of Robyn Hill's election party gone wrong- he still feels alright. These things will pass, he tells himself.
Clover asks him on his opinion, and Qrow is honest. It is the least he can be for Clover's unending patience and welcome. "Something's going wrong, and if Ruby says that Tyrian Callows is in Mantle, then I believe her. Salem's behind all of this," he says with the utmost conviction.
And Clover smiles- grim, yes, but a smile nonetheless- and nods, his gaze softening as he looks at Qrow's resolve. "Then we'll hunt him down," he replies simply. "We make a good team, after all. I'm sure we'll catch him in no time."
He means every word, so open and honest, his heart worn upon his lapel for Qrow to see and cherish to the depths of his soul. It has been a long, long time since he has felt this comfortable around someone else, he finds.
Life in Atlas is good. He quite likes it. In Atlas- with his girls safe and a goal to work towards and Clover by his side, he almost feels like he isn't so unlucky. It's not an ideal situation by any means, and he knows without a doubt that Summer would've been a better fit in this role as the girls' guardian, but he finds as days pass, he is believing in Clover's words more and more.
"Your girls are lucky to have you," the soldier murmurs, gaze gentle, smile wry. So am I, partner, his eyes whisper.
And Qrow is happy.