Part Nine
Ozpin sat under a tree in his small backyard enjoying the warming weather. It was still cool enough that no one questioned his turtleneck, but it was warm enough to want to be outside the house. He wasn't reading, like he wanted to, of course. He was on the phone with the dean.
"So you won't be teaching summer courses this year?"
"No," Ozpin replied, shifting slightly to stretch his bad leg. "Walking around campus on crutches is proving difficult as it is."
"We could make sure the classes are near your department. The students love you."
"Nevertheless, I need more time to heal. And a summer of not running across campus sounds ideal."
"Of course, that is understandable. Enjoy your Spring Break."
Ozpin couldn't help but glance to the book by his side. "I intend to."
"See you next week."
"Goodbye."
He hung up and let out a contended sigh. Such moments of peace were often rare in an average person's busy life of running hither and yon. Ozpin had come to enjoy such quiet moments of contemplation and tranquility. Where other professors might plan lavish vacations during their time off, or go into the private sector to earn more money, over the years he had come to enjoy simply being home with Oscar. Before, when he was still with Salem, he had stayed home out of necessity. It was expected. They wouldn't go on outings or trips or anything. And while Ozpin had happy memories of crawling across the floor with Oscar before he could walk, or spending a day baking with Oscar and occasionally Salem, those weren't times he looked forward to as he did now.
Oscar came out as Ozpin was adjusting again to place his bad leg up on the bench.
"Hey, Dad."
Ozpin smiled. Oscar had brought out a tray with hot chocolate.
"You will spoil me, young man."
Oscar gave his usual, gentle smile. "How's the leg?"
"Better every day," he replied. He deliberately rotated his ankle beyond the cast. "No pain today, so you can stop fretting for now."
"Tsch." Still, Oscar was smiling as he set the tray down on the small patio table and sat down in a fabric lawn chair he had pulled out earlier. "You never say when you're hurting."
Ozpin offered a sad smile. Once upon a time, it has been inadvisable to show hurt. But he didn't want to bring it up. "With you being so perceptive I don't need to."
Oscar offered a smile that saw right through that.
"Hello!" came a call from the front of the house.
Oscar immediately soured, and Ozpin offered a questioning look as he responded. "We're out back!"
Qrow came around the house and Ozpin allowed himself a smile.
"Hey, Oz," he greeted. "How's the leg holding up?"
"Quite well," Oz replied. "As I was telling Oscar, no pain."
Oscar just scowled back and forth. Ozpin held in a sigh. His son clearly hadn't forgiven Qrow for being angry at him (justifiably) for disrespecting his and Tai's wishes regarding Yang. No amount of Ozpin explaining it had helped Oscar understand, so Oz had just accepted it. Best to avoid any sort of engagement. "Oscar? Do you want to get another mug for Qrow?"
"No," Oscar said shortly, before getting up. "But I will. I have homework to finish this weekend anyway."
Ozpin didn't call out the blatant lie. Instead, he turned to Qrow. "Please, have a seat. Pardon me for not getting up."
"I'd shove you back down if you did," Qrow replied. Then winced. "That sounded better in my head."
He couldn't quite hold back a soft chuckle. "I hadn't thought anything sexual about that. Thank you, for putting that into my head."
Qrow sat in the foldable lawn chair that Oscar had vacated, blushing lightly. "I haven't been that tongue-tied since Clover," he laughed. "God, that's been what, six years?"
"Yes, you've mentioned your sponsor," Ozpin let that hang. He had to admit, he was curious. But now that Qrow was talking to him again and had accepted his mistakes (and what a miracle that was…) he didn't want to push. He'd pushed too far with almost everything in regards to Qrow's sister, so he didn't dare step out of the very clear confines that had been set before everything had gone bad.
"Hmph, yeah," Qrow gave a soft laugh. "One of my biggest bisexual disasters."
Oscar came out with the mug, bypassed Qrow entirely and ignored him, to put the mug on the patio table, before turning and marching back into the house.
Qrow offered a low whistle. "Now that's a stonewall. He could give lessons."
"Oh, that was him being subtle," Ozpin offered lightly.
A barked laugh. "Then what's not subtle?"
"What poor Mr. Arc received," Ozpin said sadly, feeling a twinge along his leg and the new pin. "Now that he can express himself, he will. But it will go to extremes."
"Oh, I know how that goes," Qrow snorted. "Geez, bringing up Clover and then seeing that takes me back."
"The disaster?" Oz raised a brow as he sipped his chocolate.
"Bisexual disaster." Qrow gave a lopsided grin. "This story requires knowing both the bisexual and the disaster."
Ozpin raised a curious eyebrow. "Oh?"
"Oh yeah," Qrow chuckled. "See, this was back when I was getting on and off the wagon. I was managing sober for maybe two weeks before I was getting drunk. Clover, you have to understand, is hot. Same height as me, bright green eyes, redhead, and curves. Trim waist but big, strong arms. He's everything I notice in a guy. Hell, l notice curves on both guys and girls."
Ozpin stilled, but let that wash over him, shaking his head minutely.
"Add on to that that he was giving me a lot of attention," Qrow continued. "And not the negative kind. He's supportive, attentive, listens and remembers, and if you ever hear him talk, it's all innuendo and flirting."
"I believe I see where this might be going," Ozpin said neutrally, offering raised brow.
"Of course," Qrow said with a bright smile. "I'm making my side obvious. So I finally had a stint of sober where I was starting to notice Clover beyond the 'he's-taking-my-drink-away' kind of way. I'll very ardently and shamefully admit that I was falling for him."
Ozpin took a sip of his chocolate, ignoring the feelings roiling inside of him with a practiced ease. "And yet, you prefaced all of this with the word 'disaster'."
"Yep. So there I was, sober but still not a functional adult. Just one bad day away from diving back into a bottle and not realizing that that feeling is a permanent feature."
Ozpin did raise both brows at that and filed it away. He knew about alcoholism and recovery in an abstract sense, but it was different to hear it from one who was living it. To always know one bad day would have the alcohol back? Ozpin would just have to make sure Qrow always had a distraction. Bad days were unavoidable. Ozpin had learned that the hard way.
"And because I wasn't a functioning adult and I sort of was making an effort to not be plastered all the time, I was sleeping around. Anything was better than diving back into a bottle. Let me tell you, a tumble with a good fuck is a great distraction, but the problems are still there in the morning."
He nodded solemnly, remembering the nights he'd please Salem in an effort to help her feel better, but then she'd still be dour the next day. The few hours of respite would always evaporate in the morning. By the end, he didn't even try, hadn't for years, and she hadn't tried either. "Yes. Problems won't go away unless they are dealt with."
"Wise words, Prof," Qrow gave his usual rakish grin.
Ozpin smiled back.
"Anyway, like I said, I was finally waking up to things. I wanted a good fuck, yeah, but random hook ups weren't doing it anymore, because they didn't really mean anything. Looking for someone was going to be a nightmare because I knew I was a mess and didn't even have my life back together yet. I'd only just got my job because of Clover and I was still waiting to get fired at any moment. But Clover was there, he was hot, and he seemed interested. It seemed like a win-win. I start falling with someone who's giving a damn about me outside of family, and he'd make sure I stayed sober."
"You do realize that partners in relationships aren't there to fix you, correct?"
Qrow ran a hand through his graying hair. "Yeah, now I do. Remember, this is a disaster story."
"Indeed."
"Now bear in mind, our banter, when I was sober, was always kinda flirty, once my head was on straight. So I started flirting more. And Clover, he flirted right back with a twinkle in his damn clover-green eyes."
Ozpin tried to picture it. The Qrow he knew was open and charming and honest, but he never seemed flirty. Oh, he'd slip in what he said, sometimes made double entendres, but that was never on purpose, always followed with a quick apology. Unfortunately no image came to mind. Really, what was Qrow like when he was flirting?
"So I start thinking Clover's as into me as I am into him." Qrow offered a self-deprecating look. "After all, who the hell would be into the drunken mess that I was once they knew me?"
"Qrow…"
"So after hitting on him for a while, I pulled Clover in tight and kissed him." Qrow gave a lopsided grin, wiggling his eyebrows. "We had been flirting about sausage lengths and the like and I took that as an invitation. Full tongue, working to get my hands onto said sausage and everything."
Ohhh, he must be so red right now.
"I would assume," he said as calmly as possible and ignore how flushed he must be, "that Mr. Ebi did not wish for your… advances."
"I believe his exact words were, 'My sausage is too hot for you to handle'."
"Ahhh..." Oz winced.
"Yeah, not the clearest refusal. He wasn't expecting that and he was hardly his usual self with me all over him. Did a damn good job of making me hard as a rock."
Ozpin hid behind his mug, hoping against all hopes that his face wasn't as red as he knew it likely was. He coughed politely.
"Ahhh, shit," Qrow looked abashed. "Sorry, Oz, that was probably too much detail."
"That would be one way of putting it." Ozpin never was overly interested in such carnalities. "Still, I remind you that I teach hormonal young people who are finally out from under their parents wings. They talk sex frequently with little regard for what anyone might overhear."
"In other words, your ears aren't overly virgin?" Qrow offered with a wry grin.
"Quite."
Qrow laughed. "Not much else to say. Clover pushed me off, dragged me to my room and I started getting more ideas, then he dumped me in the shower and hit the ice water."
"I'm certain that got your attention," Ozpin offered lightly.
"And gave me a seriously bad case of blue balls."
Ozpin allowed himself a snorting laugh.
Qrow chuckled himself, even though he was clearly embarrassed by the whole thing.
He was embarrassed and he still shared it. Qrow truly was an amazing man.
"After all that, Clover sat me down and explained in clear non-flirting terms that as my sponsor he didn't feel it was particularly ethical to also be a lover. He was there to support, not fuck. I fell off the wagon again."
"Surely your family helped as well."
Qrow's smile was soft and gentle. "Of course they did, the girls held a freaking intervention after that. But they were used to seeing me drunk more than sober. I was pulling myself together for them and I always will, but there comes a point that you also have to do something for yourself. Getting shot down in an ice bath was my wake up to not just pulling my stitches together enough to be there for them, I also had to stitch myself back together for me. I didn't really care about me at that point, but between the Clover disaster and the intervention..."
"You value yourself more."
Qrow nodded. "I'll fall apart at a moment's notice, but I'll always stitch myself back up."
Something deep in Ozpin's heart shifted as that one line seemed to pierce through him.
I fall apart, but I pull myself back up.
Ozpin closed his eyes and dipped his head. Because that struck a chord in him. A very familiar, very close chord.
I will always get back up, Oscar. Even when he couldn't.
"Oz? Is this a point I need to apologize for my foot-in-mouth disease?"
"No," Ozpin said roughly. He coughed to clear his throat. "No, ah… I just…" He pushed up his shades to hide. "We are more alike than I had initially thought."
They sat in silence for a moment. It was an easy silence, and Ozpin enjoyed the quiet without the need to say anything, nor the need to avoid saying anything.
Qrow had been honest and forthcoming since they had first met months ago, and Ozpin wasn't sure if he had truly done the same. True, Qrow knew of Salem, but only in the most broad sense. He didn't know the details. The nuances. The stories. He knew she existed and that the police needed to be called in for him to leave with Oscar. That it took a year for his hair to go white.
That left a great deal unknown.
Qrow had once said that he wanted to be there for Ozpin as others had been there for him. No doubt back when Raven had been arrested, or later when Tai's wife Summer took ill. By then Qrow had a supportive network of his brother-in-law, nieces, sponsor, likely quite a few friends.
Ozpin owed Qrow something. Qrow would deny it, of course, but Ozpin still felt he owed something. Something to their friendship. Something to the man who upended his own life to spend the night, the man who went to lengths to protect his nieces, including ensuring his own sister was in jail.
To the man who was probably the best and only friend Ozpin had ever had.
"It was four years ago," he said, staring at his almost empty mug of chocolate. "I worked at Berkley, but I was giving a lecture at UCLA. I had finished but still had about four hours before I needed to get to the airport for my flight."
"Hn," Qrow offered in Ozpin's pause. "You know, living in New England, we're used to driving everywhere. Only takes an hour or two to cross to another state, if that."
"And yet, to go from Buffalo to New York is a flight," Ozpin offered lightly.
"New York isn't in New England, technically," Qrow said cheekily. "It's just lumped in with us."
He smiled. "I'll have to remember that." Oz looked down, various images starting to flit around his mind. "I had decided to go to the Getty Museum. I rented a bicycle and made my way into the hills. It was a gorgeous day. Cool, ascending above the Los Angeles smog to a crystal blue sky… And that was perhaps my mistake."
Ozpin looked up to the tree above him, to the clear blue spring sky above the buds. "I had stopped to view the beauty around me." He looked to Qrow, slipping easily into his teacher mode. "Hills are a fascinating geographical phenomenon with peculiar effects on such sciences as the doppler effect. The sounds of sirens echo off of various hills and valleys, distorting and making judging distance or direction difficult."
"I think I can guess where this was going," Qrow said sadly.
"Sadly, my story is predictable," Ozpin nodded. "I knew that segments of Los Angeles had a seedy criminal underbelly, but I wasn't exactly going down darkened alleys. I'd been to UCLA before on speaking engagements and have never had any trouble. I'd even biked up to the hills before without any issue. But a car crested the hill, barreled into the car in front of it, and both careened into me."
"Shit, Oz."
He shrugged. "I survived. The bystander in the car died. So did the criminal. We all went over the side of the road and down the hill. I lacked the weight and momentum to keep tumbling down the hillside, so I'm told. I only remember seeing those two cars come over the hill and then waking up in the hospital." Ozpin pulled up the sleeves of his turtleneck to look at the scars. "Obviously I was hit predominantly in the legs. It would seem I was able to protect my head on the way down, and it apparently took only two hours to rescue me and get me to the hospital."
"Two hours?"
Ozpin shrugged. "So I'm told. That was the start of the worst year of my life. They kept me unconscious while they tried to sort out the damages to my leg, arm, and ribs, to say nothing of my hip. The most obvious to anyone who sees me is that my leg never healed correctly. The arm is weaker, but no one ever sees that. And of course, the scars."
Qrow reached out and put a hand on Ozpin's knee.
Ozpin didn't say anything. He didn't care for touch from the majority of people. Touch was either painful or thoughtless, either Salem or someone brushing by him without meaning to. Oscar was the only one who gave gentle touches to Oz, and it always brought him a smile. But Qrow touching his knee was neither painful or thoughtless. Ozpin didn't know how to feel, other than perplexed that he didn't feel anything.
"There were many things that were ghastly during that year. But looking back, I think the worst part was that it took two weeks to finally see Oscar."
"Wait, what?"
"My phone was gone after the crash, and I had to stay in Los Angeles to recover enough just to be flown back to Berkley."
"They couldn't come to you?"
Ozpin hesitated. Then let out a sigh. "My wife did not think it possible."
Qrow's look was flat, then went angry, furious, and he took a deep controlling breath. "If you haven't already left the bitch, I think I might go slug her."
An unexpected laugh burst out of him and he couldn't quite stop. Ozpin tried to control the giggles, but they just kept spilling out.
Qrow was smiling, clearly confused on why Ozpin couldn't control the mirth, but he wasn't sure how to explain that surprised delight that such a single line of support had swept through him. It was like a broken damn and feelings were just rushing out and Oz just couldn't stop giggling.
"I can't wait to see you when I actually try to be funny."
Oz was finally starting to control himself, still smiling from ear to ear. "I apologize-"
"Don't ever apologize for laughing-"
"-but I don't think anyone has ever been that direct in their support."
Qrow chuckled. "You've been hanging out with the wrong people, Oz."
He looked into wine-colored eyes. "Perhaps I have."
Qrow looked at the clock when he finally got off his double shift - 11 a.m. - and knew the time it took to go home, wash up, eat, and go to bed he'd only have about an hour before it was time to wake up and pick up his nieces. At that point he threw his hands up in defeat and decided to skip sleep all together, he had Memorial Day weekend to catch up, and if he just drove to the middle school now, the weather was warm enough that he could sleep on the car. So instead, he stopped off at a diner for breakfast, skipped coffee in lieu of his upcoming nap, showered and changed at home and then drove to the school. He took his usual spot, stretched out on the hood of his car, and settled in, secure in the knowledge that Oz would wake him up before the bell.
He shimmied a little bit to get comfortable, arched his back onto the windshield, lifted an arm up to be a pillow, and just relaxed. The sun was warm, the pollen smelled nice, and there was a bird somewhere tweeting and making him smile. He drifted in a warm haze, quiet and content, and he could float there forever….
"There are laws against loitering, you know."
Qrow ignored the interruption, refusing to lift himself out of the soft haze of rest, deliberately undoing his focus, he wanted to drift, thank you, and he wasn't going to let a voice that wasn't Oz's interrupted him.
"Hey. Are you drunk?"
And then a poke.
Any thought of sleep was yanked away with the poke, and Qrow groaned, now irritated. "Shut up," he muttered, "I'm trying to sleep."
"You're in a school parking lot. They're not going to let you sleep it off here. There are laws against loitering and you don't want children to see a drunk."
Thoroughly awake now, Qrow bothered to sit up and started rubbing at his eyes. "Lady," he said to the alto voice next to him. "I am not drunk. I am not loitering. I wait here like this every day. Ask anybody."
"Look," the alto said, also sounding irritated. "I'm trying to help you. There are laws-"
"Against loitering, I know. I heard you the first time. Look, get over yourself. If you haven't seen me here everyday waiting for the girls then it's on you for making assumptions. Just go pick up whoever you're here for and leave me alone."
"I'm not going to let my sister see a drunk sleeping on the hood of his car."
Qrow finished rubbing his eyes and turned to glare at the woman. Her eyes were blue and cold, white blond hair pulled up into a bun and a sharp business suit. Qrow felt sorry for whoever the sister was. "Lady," he said, "You're starting to get on my nerves with all these assumptions you're making. If you want to make a case then by all means, smell my breath. Except I don't care what you think, so buzz off." He'd just earned his five-year coin, he was not going to listen to someone condescend to him.
"Listen-"
"No, you listen, I just pulled a double shift and have been up for over twenty-four hours, but I'm still here to pick up my nieces and I don't cotton to you just jumping in and assuming you know everything about what's going on, so take your tiny little ass and beat it."
"Winter!"
Qrow turned around, seeing the flood of students pouring out the doors, and realized that the bell had rung. God, he was so tired he didn't even hear it. He ran a hand down his face as little Weiss all but ran up to them before catching herself and stopping, sliding seamlessly into a curtsey. "Winter," she said in a sophisticated voice. "I'm very happy to see you."
Qrow looked over to the lady, and then back to Weiss. "This is your sister?" he asked, incredulous.
"Wonderful! The two of you have met!"
Qrow shook his head. "I don't envy you," he muttered, sliding off the hood of his junker.
"Uncle Qrow!"
"Uncle Qrow!"
"Weiss is that your sister?"
"Where's my dad?"
Ruby and Yang predictably ran to Qrow, hugging him so ferociously in an attempt to knock him over - and he was tired enough it nearly worked but he managed to hold his ground, hugging them back. Blake was being introduced to the alto, Weiss gleefully proclaiming it was her sister, and Oscar trailed behind, eyes darting around. It was his question that made Qrow look over to the handicapped spot and, indeed, the green sedan wasn't there. He caught Oscar's eyes and shook his head; he didn't know.
"Mr. Qrow, this is my sister, Winter Schnee."
Qrow turned to give a flat look to the alto. "We've met," he said, before turning back to the Schnee he actually knew. "You didn't tell me she was a judgmental know-it-all."
Weiss looked horrified. "Perish the thought! I'll have you know that Winter was valedictorian, both in high school and at Berkley, and is now the chief financial officer of Atlas Industries."
"She also thinks I'm a drunk loiterer."
And Qrow smiled as Weiss looked horrified a second time, immediately turning to her sister. "There is clearly a misunderstanding here," she said quickly. "Mr. Qrow has recently earned his five year coin, meaning he's no longer a drunk, and he always sits here to wait for us."
Winter smirked. "So he was a drunk."
"Okay, that's enough," Qrow said. "Weiss, I take it you're not coming with us?"
Weiss dithered, looking between her sister and her friends, but Ruby was smiling already, and being Ruby. "Go on ahead," she said, "We know you don't see her as much as you want. Spend all the time with her and then give us all the details later! Call us if you think you're near the danger zone."
Weiss smiled and curtseyed again. "Well then, I will see you all next week."
Just as she was saying that a green sedan pulled in, and Oscar wilted in relief. "Dad!"
"Very sorry I'm late. There was an accident on the highway and it took awhile to get to an exit," he said as soon as he stepped out. Oscar waited patiently before he could hug his father. "I couldn't find a good place to text and I just wanted to get here."
Qrow watched the two reunite and smiled, happy to see the soft image.
"Wait," Weiss' sister said, "Repeat that again."
"I said that's Professor Ozpin," Weiss said. "Remember? You said you had class with him?"
Qrow turned to see a look of genuine shock at the alto, eyes wide as she stared at Oz. She broke away from her sister and moved around Qrow's car, stopping just in front of the professor.
"Professor Ozma…"
Oz looked up, blinking only once before giving a gentle smile. "Miss Schnee," he said, "It's a pleasure to see you again." He offered a hand.
"No! No, the pleasure is all mine," she said, transforming into a completely different person: reverent, respectful, polite. "It's been years, I didn't know you had transferred… you look so different!"
Oscar tensed, something Qrow now knew was a reaction to any reference to the accident and the year of hell that had turned the professor's hair white. Oz had no tell like that, just shrugged his shoulders and said brightly, "Well, a lot happened."
"I watched the livestream of your lecture at Oxford, and I read the book you published a few years ago on the philosophy of trauma. Do you have any other dissertations in the works?"
"No projects that big," Oz said cheerfully, "I'm focusing on teaching at the moment; I work at Beacon now."
"A state university? Why? That's so beneath you…"
"I believe your sister asked the same question," Oz said with a soft smile. He shook his head to toss a wisp of hair out of his eyes. "You might want to ask her what my answer to that particular question was."
"Oh, yes, of course…"
Qrow watched an idea pop into Oz's head, the slight tilt of the head and narrowing of the eyes. "There's a lot you should talk to your sister about," he said, and Qrow had to quickly turn around to hide his reaction, instead focusing on getting his nieces into the car and stop watching the show. "Why don't you join us for Memorial Day weekend? My son and I are going to be joining the Xiao Long family for a barbecue. Rumor has it they have a net for volleyball, and I find I'm quite enjoying some of the books they have."
Winter blinked, turning her hard eyes to Qrow, who only gave a smug smirk and a wink as he opened his car to get in, hearing her say,
"I'll look at my schedule, but I don't foresee any major difficulties."
When Winter had told Weiss that they were going to join the Xiao Long household for a Memorial Day barbecue, Weiss wasn't entirely sure she'd heard that correctly.
"You do know that I'm not allowed over there, don't you?" she said to her FaceTime.
Winter only raised a brow. "I have heard no such thing, therefore, I can borrow you to go wherever we wish."
And Weiss certainly did not cry tears of joy, she most definitely did not hiss out "thankyouthankyouthankyou" over and over again as quietly as she could so as to avoid anyone hearing her cries of joy, and she would ardently point out the reality that she categorically did not immediately text her friends to say that she was coming on Memorial Day so plan something big! Any screenshots or texts of such things were clearly forgeries.
Honestly, the fact that Winter was even here was a miracle that she was not going to let go or ruin.
Of course, unsurprisingly, Winter was decidedly not staying in the house, but had rented what she called a "summer home" two towns over. "It may be a summer home, Weiss, but I'm still working. I'm just working remotely." And that was fine. Weiss figured if she could play her cards right, she could say she was going over to Winter's and instead go visit her friends.
She just needed to get Winter in on the plan and that was trickier. Winter hadn't been home for anything beyond holidays or birthdays for longer than a week. So Weiss hadn't really seen her sister in five years. A small hello during the family Christmas party didn't really equate to proper bonding time. This was probably going to take finesse and planning.
But for now, barbeque with friends!
Naturally, Weiss had carefully considered how to dress for the occasion. She was in a summer dress and wide-brimmed hat when she left the house, looking like she was going to a social gathering.
Once she and Winter were there, however, Ruby dragged her inside to the bathroom and Weiss delightedly changed. Tank top and shorts, and loads of sunscreen. But if they were going to play volleyball, a dress wasn't going to cut it. She came running outside smiling.
"Come on Weiss! We're setting up the net!"
Naturally she and Winter were the first to arrive. Mr. Xiao-Long was still setting up the grill, there was a cooler next to the picnic table and the table was filled with food that needed prep for grilling. Zwei, the cutest little corgi that Weiss had ever seen was barking around happily. Weiss immediately joined Ruby and Yang by what looked like a ball of string instead of a net and all three immediately sat in the shade of the house to start untangling it.
"We always wait till Memorial Day to set it up," Ruby explained. "Then it's up till Labor Day. Dad always insists we take it down Labor Day since school has officially started and we no longer have time to fool around with work to do. We usually do soccer instead."
Yang chuckled. "Since we use the volleyball as a soccer ball, Dad usually steals it and hides it for the rest of the year. Once we have the net up and secured to his exacting specifications, he pulls out the volleyball like magic and we can officially begin summer."
"Even though we still have a few weeks of school?" Weiss asked, pulling out another string of the knot and extending it. Clearly, the net had been torn a few times over the years and that led to the mess it was in.
"Yup," Ruby replied, walking out a section that had been de-tangled to keep it out of their way. "He keeps saying it will change next year when we're in high school and have to worry about finals, but he loves playing volleyball as much as us. It's usually Team Strawberry Sunrise versus Team Feathered Dragon!"
"Those names make no sense."
Yang looked to Weiss. "Isn't it obvious? Ruby loves strawberries and my hair is the sunrise. Dad's name means 'Little Sun Dragon' and, well, Uncle Qrow."
"Ahh…"
"Oh! We can do Team Winter Rose versus Team Yai!"
"That would be you and Ruby versus me and Dad."
"And Oscar's coming over, maybe we can do Team Rose Garden versus Team Freezer Burn!"
Weiss looked to Yang. "Ruby and Oscar versus you and me."
"How does she come up with these names and how do you get it so fast?"
Yang shrugged.
"Oooooh! Or we can do Team Strawberry Sunrise versus Winter Garden!"
Weiss offered a flat look to Ruby. "You do know my sister's name is Winter and you're going to confuse everyone."
"Hey, everyone!"
"Uncle Qrow!"
Both siblings immediately leapt up to tackle their uncle. Weiss only smiled as she rolled her eyes and went back to the knot.
"Woah! Hey, hey, I'm gonna drop to food if you don't let-"
"Wahh!"
"The cake!"
"Grab it, grab it!"
"Woof!"
"Girls!"
There was the distinct sound of collapse behind her, and Weiss just smiled, letting the normal family sounds wash over her as she focused in on the tangle.
Suddenly Ruby was leaning right over her, grabbing her arm. "Weiss! Weiss! You missed it! We almost lost the cake! The caaaaaake!"
Weiss offered a flat glare, working hard to keep her lips from twitching. "You dolt," she said affectionately.
Ruby dramatically grabbed at her heart, staggering backward.
"Ah! You hit me in my most vulnerable weakness! Synonyms!"
Weiss arched an eyebrow perfectly. "Oh. Nitwit? Dodo? Airhead? Simpleton? Ignoramus? Chump? Boob?"
"Ha!" Yang shouted as she came over. "Weiss said 'boob'!"
"What-" then Weiss's brain caught up and she was certain she turned red. "That's not what I meant!" she shouted. "I was talking about dunderheads, you know-"
"Hey Dad! Uncle Qrow! Prim and proper Weiss said boob!"
"How old are you!" Weiss shouted back. "Seven?"
But the laughter just kept spreading.
Winter came over, hands behind her back, staring down her nose.
"Weiss?" she asked, that tone in her voice.
Oh god, Weiss didn't think she could get any redder. "Ah, Winter! That's not- I was trying to- Argh! Get back here Yang!" With no other recourse, Weiss starting to chase Yang around the yard.
"Weiss!" Ruby called after her. "Come back! We still need to de-tangle the net!"
After much running around the yard, Weiss noted that Professor Ozpin and Oscar had arrived and his food looked to be bread. Weiss followed her stomach right to the picnic table and sliced off some bread. Fresh baked!
"Ah! Weiss! No having food before me!" Ruby came running over.
Mr. Xiao Long tapped his tongs on the grill. "One slice of bread each. None are having all this food until the food's been grilled." He looked very pointedly at his daughters. "Understood?"
"Fine, Dad!" the siblings chorused.
"Oh yeah!" Ruby turned. "The net! Come on, we haven't finished yet!"
And Weiss let them drag her along, smiling with abandon.
Author's Notes: Light chapter finally - 100% fluff approved!
We finally get Qrow and Oz to just talk and share stories - we get some details for Oz's unofficial Year of Hell Bingo Board and we get an idea of what it took to get Qrow sober. Neither of them brought up the biggest parts of those respective stories, but it's a nice start.
Also Winter makes an appearance and obviously hits it off with Qrow. We have more to say about her but that's next chapter. Oscar also shows off that he has a personality, because he's holding a little bit of a grudge to Qrow. More on that later as his arc starts to pick up. Right now we're kind of plate-spinning, because there are a lot of arcs here and while this is predominantly an OzQrow fic the other arcs need proper justice and narrative weight. There really isn't much to say in this chapter, it's a connector as we end the school year and start the summer. Speaking of which:
Next chapter: Memorial Day part 2. The Drama Strikes Back. Wish us luck in school everyone!
