Qrow was not comfortable when he woke up, he was hot! The brick on his pelvis felt as if it had just been heated and he was wearing far too many layers. The tall man flicked the wool duvet back and set the brick aside, sweat had started to collect on his skin. Qrow sat up and pulled off the toque and the articles of clothes, pausing for a moment when he realised they were Ruby's. Darn foiled again! Glancing around he didn't see Ruby but did notice that his couch had been moved back and his table set to one side. The fire ROARED beside him, it alone would be more than enough to keep him warm. The raven haired man set about removing the outer layers till he was just in his under armour and woolen shirt, with just one pair of socks. Unfortunately for Qrow he didn't see the incoming missile till much too late.
Ruby clobbered him back to the floor, her arms wrapping tight around his middle her face tucked into his neck. "ACK!" Qrow went back down with crash, his ribs complaining as Ruby squeezed him as tight as she could. What brought this on? He didn't understand, his arms remained limply at his sides, Qrow could feel his neck start to get wet as Ruby started to cry. The sensation of her nuzzling his neck was such a strange alien thing, he had no idea what to do. "Ruby, I don't understand, why are you doing this?" Why are you upset? You know what my Semblance is, you'd be better off without me. I still don't know why Tai sent you, this is all so confusing. The red eyed man wiggled under her when she started to sob more loudly, why was she crying more?
"You," Ruby sniffed and shook, "You did it on purpose." she grabbed two handfuls of his shirt and held on like he was going to slip away if she let go even more a instant. "You did it on purpose!" The silver eyed woman squeezed her eyes shut, her cheeks had been stained with her tears long ago.
Qrow tried to turn his head to look at her but instead just ended up scatching his beard on her hair. His brow furrowed he was still confused and he couldn't look at her without having to pull her off of him. "I-." Qrow started then snapped his jaw shut trying to figure out what to say and flopped back onto the fur covered floor. Why was she upset? Her hold loosened incrementally like her arms were getting tired but she refused to let go. "I don't understand." No one but Oz had ever cared, maybe Summer and Taiyang but that was so long ago he barely remembered. He wasn't worth anything, he knew that, during the war he had a purpose but now he was just existing, bringing misfortune wherever he went.
"That makes it even worse." Ruby sobbed and moved letting her weight rest on him pinning him down in place, her hands moved from around his middle to his shoulders grabbing his shirt again. The petite woman had figured out what he had tried to do while he slept, she put a name to the action and it frightened her. How could he try to do that? He was so nice and kind, just so good, why would he see the need to do that? Just give up? "Why?" Her voice cracked as she spoke softly to his neck. "Why did you do that?"
Wasn't it obvious? He'd run his whole life and he was tired of running, tired of looking in the mirror every morning and seeing a life of regret staring back at him. Qrow was done, he was tired of it all, tired of living with his pain, with this accursed Semblance. It was only a matter of time before it hurt her too, better he leave now before it did. "I'm just a good for nothing bad luck charm, I don't understand why you are upset. I bring misery wherever I go, I'm tired of it. My sister made me leave the team because of it. I don't have a reason to stick around anymore, at least in the war I was useful but now I am just a dusty old crow, bringing misfortune wherever I go. Everyone who has known, has hated me for it at one time or another. I have no friends anymore, no family, my existence brings nothing but harm. Bane, is what I am to every life." Qrow spoke calmly he was so used to these thoughts that they didn't even really bother him anymore, the aching pain in his chest had long since become an old friend. "You will too, it's just a matter of time." For some strange reason he couldn't put his finger on that thought made him sadder than the rest. He needed to push her way, his Semblance would inevitably hurt her. "You should trust one thing," Qrow paused and near pleaded with her. "Take my advice, if you linger close it's a hefty price. You and I are not the same."
Ruby hiccuped and coughed her tears drying out in the warm room, her nose running she sniffled loudly. How could he think such things? How could be believe such things? Who had done this to him? Made him think these things so naturally that his pulse didn't even elevate when he said them. She let go of his shirt just long enough to grab his hands and put them around her back. The petite woman felt him hesitate before his hands slid over her to rest in a loose hug. Does he think I'm going to agree with him? Push him away? Ruby turned her head so they were cheek to cheek, his beard scratching her soft skin. "I don't think so, we are the same." The redhead whispered softly. "You may be unlucky but I like you. I want you to stay around, you're not just a dusty old crow to me."
Qrow grabbed her by the waist a picked her up off him while sitting up and placed her beside him. Ruby instantly reached for him again, but he grabbed her little hands in his and held them tight. The raven haired man found himself distracted by how cool they felt and dry, like she needed a cream. The red eyed man studied her, trying to figure this out, this was all so new and strange. Her silver eyes were red and dry from tears, tears that had caused long tracks over her cheeks, her nose was red and she sniffed as he watched. "I… don't understand. You've only been here for three days, you don't know me. I don't understand why you care, why you are crying. People don't care about me, I don't understand." He trailed off looking away but squeezed her hands when she tried to pull away.
Tears flowed forth again, Ruby found that so heartbreaking sad. Sure he was right and they had only known each other for a short time, but she liked him, wanted to spend more time with him. The petite woman hiccuped again as she tried to speak. "I don't know what you've been told for your life or by who. But you aren't worthless, you're good and kind and I like you. I don't want you to… go away." Ruby cried all the harder when she saw his growing confusion.
Good and kind were not words Qrow used to describe himself, worthless, was one he favoured. Unless was another, Raven had made that very clear, unwanted was one that gave his heart a pang whenever he heard it uttered. Ruby was proving to be very confusing and contradictory to what he had believed for all these years. Yet as the tears poured down her cheeks Qrow knew she meant it, that she believed her words to be true. Not to say he agreed with her assessment though. There had been too many who pushed him away, enforcing what he had always been told. So why was this tiny woman, one who hadn't known him for half a week, crying as if he'd been forced upon an injustice by the masses. Qrow watched as a large tear carried along the path of its predecessors, unknowingly he released one of those hands to cup it with his thumb. It was soft and wet and it sparkled like a star as it glittered in the firelight. She cried tears for him, they weren't tears of resentment or of angry and grief but of sadness and caring... They were caring, reflecting her kindness and she cried those honest pure tears for him .
Ruby closed her eyes and leaned into hand, reaching up to cup it with hers, holding it gently to her cheek. "Please don't go." She whispered, opening her eyes after a moment and looking up to him. Her heart went out to him, the confused look was still there though his brow had relaxed. Ruby really did like him, she was growing to like him more and more, the kiss they had shared once rose up in her mind. Would he understand that? Did she want that? Just in three days she found that she liked him more than anyone she had come into contact with since Ozpin.
Qrow jerk back startled when she moved shifting her weight to sit on her knees, he leaned back away from her his hands planted on the ground. He watched her rub her eyes and nose, cleaning her face as best she could. He watched completely still as she reached out and touched his cheek with her finger tips. They were warm now he noticed, Qrow couldn't help but close his eyes partly as they explored over his high cheek bone. Ruby moved to sit beside him and stretch up tentatively pressing her lips to his.
The crimsonette felt him jump startled but he quickly settled again. Their lips were dry but neither really cared, Qrow kneaded the ground unsure of what to make of this. She couldn't 'like' him, like that could she? No one had ever done that before, what did one even do in a situation like this? He liked her, the raven haired man knew that much, but he didn't think she would like him too. She'd leave as soon as the storm had gone, he felt her tongue tease the centre of his bottom lip slightly. Now that was a que he knew what to do with, he parted his lips and deepened the kiss.
As a moan crept up from Ruby the fire snapped and popped a spark which flew from the hearth and landed on her wool shirt. The smell of it burning ended their kiss with a jerk and Qrow reached over and stamped the small blaze out with his hand. "Damn Semblance." He uttered with a growl, trust it to ruin every good thing, he glanced up at her, she was staring at her shirt. There now, she saw what it would be like to be with him, things always breaking around him. "Sorry." He mumbled and jumped to his fleet and fled to his bedroom before he was forced to see the understanding dawn on her face. Now she'll understand, there'll be no more kisses. He walked around his cold empty bed and pulled back the curtain letting light into the room. The snow still fell in a endless white out and the morning light was muted and grey.
Meanwhile Ruby reached over and picked up the still smoldering shirt, she frown turning it over in her hands. So this was the kind of thing he blamed his Semblance for, she had liked the shirt but… Ruby looked up to the bedroom when she heard him pull back the curtain. What worth was there in items? Why does this stop him from loving? Stop others from loving him? The small woman looked back to her shirt and pinched out the remaining embers. She reached up and touched her moistened lips with her index finger while looking back towards the bedroom. What was she getting herself into? You didn't just kiss a person like him casually, she frowned and thought on that for a moment. She wasn't interested in casual, her hand moved down to her chest she could still feel her heart pounding. Ruby could feel the flush of her skin as well, as she slowly stood up she found her legs were a little weak as well. Her cheeks turned almost as red as her hair, one little kiss had done this too her. The silver eyed woman hadn't felt excited like this for a very very long time. That realisation made her giggle maybe she did feel something else here, more than she thought and maybe it was worth exploring.
Dropping the meaningless shirt she walked over to his bedroom and found him sitting on the edge of his bed facing away from her looking out from the window. Ruby picked her way through the cold room, shivering slightly as she walked, noticing how lax and weary his posture was. Like he was just waiting for the worst to occur. Those pale red eyes flicked up to her confused. "Ruby-?"
Ruby straddled him and cut him off with another kiss, she could feel him stiffen with surprise. The petite female wove her hands into his hair and pushed a little more in the kiss. Qrow relaxed and laid back on the bed, he'd have to ask her what brought this on but for now he'd just let himself enjoy it. Ruby tilted her head to the side slightly and teased her tongue forward again. Qrow parted his lips and let her explore for a moment before chuckling at her amatuar kissing skills. Her actions were so innocent and flawed, he cupped the back of her head with a hand and slid his tongue over hers and into her mouth. Slowly as not to startle her, coaxed her lips into mimicking his as he withdrew. Then again he parted his lips and teased forward, guiding her gently to copy him.
Ruby moaned, she had forgotten how it felt to be kissed, he commanded himself with skill knowing just where to press his tongue, how to curl it. The redhead was in bliss from the kiss alone, Qrow felt her turn into a puddle upon him, her hands falling from his hair as she rested against him. Tentatively he raised his hands and let them rest over her hips, they easily spanned them and when Ruby moaned again he knew it was okay. They kissed for several more minutes, till Ruby shifted nervously feeling his erection strain against his pants. She drew away and lifted herself to hover above him, the petite woman was very sure she wasn't ready for that yet.
Qrow blinked slowly up at her his eyes dilated, breathe deep as he looked up at the silver eyed woman. He reached up and brushed a thick wavy lock of hair out of her face, he could see she was just as aroused as he was. The red eyed man wasn't sure where to go with this, "My Semblance?" he asked, he had never been kissed after his Semblance acted up before.
"I don't care, I don't get attached to my things. If something breaks you'll just have to make me a new thing and my Semblance lets me become incomporial, so if stuff happens around me I'll just turn into rose petals." She worried her wet lips, biting the bottom one. "Soooo, I guess, well hmm." Ruby frowned trying to put her words together. "I like you, and I'd like to maybe explore this, if you are willing." She blushed when Qrow's jaw slackened and he looked up at her with utter awe.
Qrow was struggled to wrap his mind around her, how could one person be so kind? First she doesn't care about his Semblance then on top of that has a Semblance of her own that will keep her safe from any major actions of his own. She wants to try... his brain slowed to a crawl as he tried to wrap his mind around the idea, it repeated over and over again. His heart did a dance in his chest he hadn't felt since he left Beacon, someone wanted him. The raven haired man's eyes widened even further at that, someone wanted him . Words failed him so he leaned up and kissed her chastely upon the lips again, Ruby's giggle was worth more than all the Dust in Remnant to him. "I'll take that as a yes?" Ruby asked smiling down at him, thinking that he was very cute when rendered speechless. Qrow nodded his voice still having flown away, far away, lost somewhere in the swirling storm.
Ruby giggled again and slowly got off of him, grabbing his hands and pulling him to sit upright. "Come on, we need to fix your living room." She let go of one of his hands and held the other tight pulling him after her into the living room. While they walked Qrow stared at their joined hands, even now he still marvelled at how small she was compared to him. Delicate, the word rose up in his mind, delicate things broke, would she break? He shook his head slightly, no she wouldn't, she had survived a war, it was going to take more than his bad luck to break her. Ruby Rose was a Huntress of the highest caliber, he did not need to protect her, she may look delicate but she was strong. Don't go thinking you have to protect her you old fashioned idiot. You don't even know if this will go anywhere.
Qrow was jarred back into the present when she let go of his hand and started gathering up the clothing strewn around. The red eyed man walked over and picked up the warmed blankets, he shook them out and folded the dense fabric back up. As he set it on the couch Ruby did the same with the clothes then in small armfuls carried them back to the bedroom. Qrow followed with the blankets and his pillow. Ruby wordless returned to him as he set the blankets down and grabbed a sheet. Naturally she helped him unfold the sheet walking around too the far side of the bed, together they remade the bed, Qrow tossing his pillow back into place at the end. The raven haired man watched as she paused tracing a hand over the quilted wool. "Something wrong?" He asked tilting his head to one side like a wolf.
"You should have mentioned your couch is not very comfy. I slept on it while I waited for you to wake up." Ruby perched on the edge of the bed, tracing a green gear on the duvet, then beside it a black crow feather. A smile pulled at her lips, for once the echoed memory did not make her sad, she looked up over the rest of the duvet. Sew with painstaking care was Yggdrasil, the World's tree. Odin sat under it on his shoulder was Muninn, whispering secrets into his ear. Up in the branches of the green tree rested a depiction of the Bother Gods, reaching out to each other in their last act of creation. Below the tree over the roots were Grimm, with Huntsmen and Huntress doing battle against them. Finally the entire scene unfolded over a starry night background, the green gears and black crow feathers accenting the stars.
"So?" Qrow asked and sat on the other side of the bed turned towards her, his fingers reached out to trace over a depiction of himself. Oz never could resist putting his life into what he wove.
"So why don't we share the bed?" Ruby said softly and didn't look up, her fingers wandered over to a Beowolf being slain by a Huntress with a red cape and a scythe.
"Uhh, cause if I remember right that's not the polite thing to do." Qrow's eyes fell upon Ruby's fingers, pale white and graceful.
"Well I think it's better then getting no sleep because you're cold and your couch is uncomfortable. I have clothes I can set aside for pajamas, it would be much warmer as a whole." Ruby said, she didn't think it was fair to kick him out of his own bed and it was more then large enough for them to share. "I don't mind, up till the war ended I spent most of my life sleeping with other people around." She rested her hand against the blanket and glanced up at him out of the corner of her eye. "It would be nice to have that back again."
Qrow wasn't sure about it, he hadn't spent with anyone in a very long time, he had almost crushed her earlier. "I don't think that would be a good idea, I almost crushed you before." Guilt stabbed at him, had she already forgotten that? His stomach turned as he remembered that she had to activate her Aura to protect herself from him. Qrow wrapped his arms around himself and looked at the floor, stupid dream letting her see to much. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay, we all have nightmares, I'll just have to get better at waking you up." Ruby shrugged, she really didn't mind, she didn't know why it bothered him so much. She looked over to him and smiled, trying to ease him. "You'll probably have to wake me up too at times," The redhead lifted herself up onto the bed and crossed her legs. "I don't sleep very well either. Hunting usually makes me exhausted enough that I have to sleep, but I doubt that will last much longer."
"What do you dream about?" Qrow asked, copying her moving into the bed, he looked down to the bed his calloused fingers finding a root of the tree. Oz had put so much time into this, it had been his last gift to Qrow. The details were endless even in a root, textures, shadows, lighting, every imaginable detail had been added and it never frayed or broke, it was almost as if Oz had woven magic into it as he worked. One thing in this world that Qrow's Semblance could never harm.
"The war mostly, Grimm, death, watching it all burn around me. I don't want to talk about it, it just brings it back more rather than helping me set it aside." Ruby had talked about the war to much, she didn't want to relive it, just wanted to live in the present move forward.
"That's a good thing, I think. Sometimes talking just stirs it up, rather than helping us move forward." The raven haired man knew that all to well, in many ways he was much too far gone for talking to aid in his problems. He looked over to Ruby, it was so strange having someone with him, in his space… on his bed. The silver eyed woman looked up to him and smiled shyly, but for some reason he liked having her here. The little woman made this tomb of his feel a little less cold and empty, something in the present rather than the past.
"I'm glad to have met someone who understands that, people say talking helps but it's been so long now and it only hurts. All my friends have families now, scattered all over the world. I think they don't hurt so much anymore, they are too distracted with their happy lives." Ruby shivered drawing her legs up and resting her chin between her knees. Her heart ached, just remembering her friends made her feel left behind and forgotten.
Now that was a position that Qrow as very familiar with, all the nights he had sat up like that staring out into the darkness feeling small and insignificant. Words were flawed things, finding the right ones is near impossible. Add lies and half truths, mix misinterpretation and intent in and words were a battle one never really won. The red eyed man moved over into the middle of the bed and sat across from Ruby. He barely had to touch her before she was in his lap an arm tucked to her chest the other reaching out across his to hold him. Qrow wrapped his arms around her loosely as she rested her head on his chest.
Unlike words, touch was much harder to muddle, to lie with, if a picture is worth a thousand words. Then a touch is worth a million, in touch so much more can be communicated. Be it a hold, a brush, a tease or a whisper of touch, hesitant or firm. With a touch one can say 'I love you' a thousand different ways. Touch is honest, touch is clear, for thought is reduced with touch and intent is weighed more heavily. To calm, to please, to simply enjoy, the feel of skin upon skin meaning more than all the words in every language, an action that transcends every language. Qrow lifted a hand and gently slid his dry fingers over the corner of her chap lips to cup her cheek. The dry sound of skin on skin, filled the room as his thumb rested on her cheek bone, his fingers lightly over her ear. Qrow held her gently as Ruby's hand moved from his chest to his neck, laying delicately over the defined strong muscles.
They closed their eyes, as Qrow tilted his head to rest his cheek against her head. Her skin was soft and it was comfortable to hold her, he didn't want to leave her alone to her memories. It was a slippery slope he had fallen down many times, with no one to rescue him. Even if she leaves and this doesn't work out, I don't want her to become like me. The red eyed man breathed deeply filling his nose with her sweet rose scent. I may be a harbinger of misfortune but if I can do right by just one person, let me help her.
