Way Off Track

Twenty-fourth Introduction

"Why don't you just move in with me?"

Clover froze, almost dropping his coffee cup; as it was, the liquid sloshed around dangerously as his grip weakened for a moment, threatening to spill onto his lap. He righted himself at the last minute, but his twisted expression was caught by Qrow, the elder laughing at his shock.

"Seriously, Clover," Qrow murmured, turning his gaze back down to the paper he was currently reading over through thin reading glasses perched upon the end of his nose, "why don't you just move in with me? Once the kiddos go back to their place, I mean." With a snort, he added, "Maybe then they'll think twice before taking over the whole goddamn house like the usually do."

Clearing his throat, Clover finally managed to put aside his shock, his heart swelling at the very thought of Qrow's offer. "What," he chuckled ruefully, "are you not a fan of this place?"

Qrow's deadpan stare could have killed a lesser man. "A hot water pipe burst. Again."

"The landlord's trying her best," Clover said with a wry shrug. "It'll be fixed by tonight, I think- I saw the repairman coming in a while back."

Qrow let out a sigh, his breath forming steam in the chilly apartment. "I mean it," he said, pulling his glasses off his nose, smiling tenderly at Clover. "I've got room. You're not a fan of this place- at least at mine, you won't have to pay rent, so you can save up." He pouted. "And then I won't have to deal with freezing showers anymore."

"Okay, okay," Clover laughed; rolling his eyes, Clover tilted down the screen of his laptop upon which he had been checking over an upcoming presentation, leaning his chin onto a propped-up hand. "You'd really be okay with that?" he murmured.

Without hesitation, Qrow leaned forward across the corner of the dining table where they had both sat down to work, kissing Clover lightly. "If you don't want a mortgage from hell later, it's probably a good idea," the elder teased. "Save up some more. Stay with me." Pushing Clover's hair out of his eyes, he added coyly, "Or don't bother buying a place at all. You can stay as long as you like."

Flushing, Clover sighed, stretching his arms above his head. The tension in his back released, but his arms and chest still ached from his morning workout. "I'd like that," he said softly, looking up at his plain white plastered ceiling. "You and me."

Qrow settled the glasses back onto his nose, the utter image of peaceful domesticity seated at that table with papers strewn in front of him. "You and me," he affirmed. "Why not, right?"

Clover turned back to his own work, a small question rising up his throat before he could stop it. "Have you lived with anyone before like this?" Immediately, he regretted the question; he sank into his chair, bracing himself for an answer he knew would not be pleasant to hear, even if it was all something in the past.

To his surprise, Qrow shook his head, a light flush dancing across his cheeks. "I, uh…" With an embarrassed chuckle, he explained, "Before the girls were born, I was… um… a bit of a player, you could say."

"…They're in university now, though."

"So?"

"That's… it's been twenty years."

Qrow shrugged. "You try going clubbing after babysitting for hours. Turns out those brats still need it, that's all- blame them for turning me into an old man." The two men laughed, the sound ringing into the chilly air comfortingly, warming up the tiny apartment effortlessly. The elder added, "And honestly, by the time I realized I was probably a bit too old for that kind of scene, I was already comfortable."

Clover hummed in agreement. He understood what Qrow meant- before meeting the elder, he hadn't thought of finding a partner in years after his constant rejection in Atlas. With that thought in mind, he reached out, placing his hand atop Qrow's. "You're sure you'd be okay with that?"

The elder beamed. "Pretty damn sure, boy scout." His laugh caused a flash of silver to appear between his teeth, the image immediately causing Clover to flush despite his intimate relationship with that tongue piercing at this point. "Unless you don't want to?"

"I'm more worried about what your nieces would think," Clover admitted wryly, finally reaching the last slide of the presentation. "Will they be okay with it?"

"What, two men?" When Clover nodded, Qrow could only lean his head back and veritably cackle. Breathlessly, he said, "They'll finally stop bitching at me to bring you around, at least."

The confidence in his voice was stunning. "You know they'll be okay with it."

"They're pretty good kids." With a wicked gleam in his eyes, he added, "And besides, they've been bugging me to find someone since they figured out I was single, but they caught on that I'm with someone now. They'll be happy to meet you." His face fell slightly. "…you any good at gaming, though?" Clover nodded hesitantly- he was decent enough, if he remembered his earlier college days- and Qrow grinned further. "Good. That's all they need."

Before Clover could ask why in the world that would be their metric, of all things, Qrow suddenly lit up. "You wanna check out the place?"

"Right now?!"

Clover's heart simultaneously sank and warmed as Qrow raised a knowing, teasing brow. "You can meet them, too."

He wants me to meet his nieces. He groaned, but he could not wipe the smile off his face. "I can't win against you, huh?"

"Bold of you to assume you could at all, kid."

And that was that. The two men threw on warm clothes to fend off the icy chill outside, relishing in each other's warmth as they prepared to leave. It was still fairly early on that Saturday morning, so the roads were empty as they walked down to the subway station side by side, coffees in hand. The station was oddly serene; without the hubbub of the usual morning commuters, the platform at the start of Clover's line was almost lonely, the chill numbing away even the scent of waste and litter which usually permeated the air.

They were the only ones to board the train. Rather than his usual seat, Clover sat by a window with Qrow next to him. For some ungodly reason, the air conditioning was still on in the creaking cabin, freezing them both further; however, his hands were warm, one comforted by the feel of the coffee in his hand, the other wrapped up in Qrow's touch, hidden between their thighs side-by-side in the back of the carriage.

Five stops flew by, and immediately, Clover could feel the difference between this district and Clover's. From the moment they exited the station, his eyes fell upon the clean streets, pressure-washed sidewalks and perfectly-landscaped greenery standing out in such stark contrast that his stomach fell in shame. The businesses were mostly boutiques, high-end brands on display in each shop window they passed on their way towards Qrow's home.

It was so unlike his own neighbourhood. He felt pathetic.

Qrow seemed to understand his stiff smile right away; he reached out and squeezed Clover's hand, murmuring, "It looks nice, but just as much shit happens here as anywhere else. Don't worry about it." Snorting, he added, "If you wanna be worried about anything, get ready for Yang and Ruby."

Clover appreciated the distraction, focusing on Qrow's profile and the heat of his touch rather than the tranquility of each and every pristine block they traversed through, so different from his own. "You mentioned we were dropping by, right?"

"I did. Told them to clean up a bit." He sighed. "We'll see how that goes. If it's filthy, blame them."

The two of them exchanged light banter about his nieces and what they would potentially find for the next few minutes as Qrow led Clover on their way, passing by quaint stores and wealthy housing projects with every step, until eventually they came to a stop in a small pocket of townhouses. Clover gulped as he looked up to the three-storey suite before him, the deep grey paint fresh and clean, the white windowsills and trim accents giving the sleek building pops of brightness. It was a place that was far bigger, and likely far pricier, than what Clover had in mind when thinking of his own place; after all, the only thing Clover had been truly looking for was an apartment building closer to the downtown Vale area with a gym inside, nothing more.

Qrow did not hesitate to walk up to the front door, unlocking it with ease before beckoning Clover inside. "Ruby? Yang?"

As Clover followed the elder inside, the face which appeared atop the front entrance stairs was neither of the nieces whose faces Clover had seen in Qrow's photographs; instead, it was the student he had seen all that time before outside of the Department of Sociology's building. Marrow's cousin's still here, he thought as he gave her a friendly nod.

She froze when she saw him, but was quick to smile at Qrow. "Thanks again for letting me stay here, sir," Blake murmured quietly, brushing her black hair behind her ear. "Ruby and Yang are in the middle of a match."

Leaning over to Clover, Qrow muttered, "I told you all they did here was game." As he slipped of his shoes and began climbing the stairs, he called loudly, "Kiddos, I'm back."

"Hey Uncle Qrow!" two bright voices cried out unanimously.

With no other choice but to follow, Clover slipped off his own shoes and walked up the stairs, nervousness causing his heartbeat to hammer inside his ribcage.

It only took two steps into the living room for him to be noticed. However, before he could say a word, a controller was flung into his face, the man managing to catch it just before it smacked into his nose. He faintly registered Qrow scolding the thrower, but all he could focus upon was a strong, confident voice saying, "Yo, you're Qrow's boyfriend now, right?"

Mutely, Clover looked over to Qrow. Then, he took in a deep, controlled breath and nodded.

The girl who spoke- Yang, his older niece, with her long blonde hair spilling down the back of the couch in a mess of waves and loose curls- grinned with a fire that Clover knew well from her uncle's face. "Rad. Let's see if you deserve him."

"Yang!" the other girl cried. "Don't bully Clover!" Ruby smiled sweetly at him, her short brunette bob dancing around her face as she added, "But also, we're going to win."

Clover looked at Qrow. The elder merely shrugged, walking into the kitchen. "I'm making something to drink. It's freezing out there. Go kick their asses, lucky charm."

From her seat on the arm of the couch upon which Yang sat as well, Blake snorted. "That's a cute nickname," she murmured.

Clover's eyes twitched. "Are all college girls like this these days?" he asked, tossing his jacket onto the coatrack by the stairs before walking towards the trio. "That's not exactly polite."

"Meh," Yang huffed. "Qrow says you're cool, so it's fine."

Sighing, Clover sank into the lonesome armchair to the side, facing the screen that was currently showing the character selection screen for the game they were playing. "Fair enough," he replied easily, readying himself to give it a shot.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the two sisters exchange pleased grins before turning to Blake. The quiet girl shrugged. "I told you he seemed okay," she laughed quietly.

Did she tell them about seeing me with him? For some reason, that thought warmed his heart. Clover smiled, watching the trio tease one another. Blake seemed far more at ease than the time he had seen her on-campus; the marked difference was clear, and more than enough to fill him with a sense of pride for the trio.

Qrow interrupted him from his thoughts with a cup of tea under his nose. "If you don't pay attention, they're gonna kick your ass," he commented dryly as he perched upon the armrest of Clover's chair.

Clover merely rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the screen, taking a sip of his tea before setting onto the floor. "I'm sure I'll figure it out," he replied, just as deadpan.

And so, they spent the next few hours like that- chatting and watching the girls holler as they bounced between their games and a television series they had recently begun. Clover and Qrow cooked dinner after Qrow showed Clover around the house- "It's a queen-sized bed, so don't worry," he commented under his breath with a wink right in front of the girls, embarrassing the younger beyond belief as he fought to maintain a calm expression- only for Clover to realize that he could actually, truly imagine living in this house. It was spacious and cozy and neat, with more than enough room for Clover to insert his few belongings into the gaps without causing the place to feel any different, any less like a home.

Maybe I don't need to live downtown after all, he thought to himself as he watched Ruby and Yang bicker over the last portion of pasta. Maybe this is enough.

Qrow's smile certainly was, as was the way that Ruby murmured into his ear, "Take care of Uncle Qrow for us, okay? He's never brought home anyone to meet us," before they left to return to Clover's place.

Maybe this life would be enough.

The two men waved goodbye to the girls standing at the door and headed home, stuffed and weary after dinner and drinks which Qrow had been more than happy to pour for Clover; the elder's liquor collection was almost terrifying in its scope, a fact which Yang was far too proud of, much to Qrow's chagrin. However, at the end of the day, Clover merely felt contented beyond measure, for despite all his years on this earth, this was the first time he had ever been brought home before.

He wasn't something to hide. Despite all his usual cool, collected confidence, that thought was enough to make him giddy. Qrow was proud to have him by his side.

As they walked out of the neighbourhood, however, something caught his eye- a familiar silhouette, a familiar jacket, a familiar hood drawn up, exposing only a few reddish locks and a trail of cigarette smoke which rose into the sky. Clover frowned as he saw the figure across the street leaning against a post, so still he would've thought it was a statue were it not for the glow of a cigarette brightening every few seconds from under the figure's hood.

We're still so far away from campus… why are they here?

Even as they turned the corner to rejoin the main roads, Clover could not shake the feeling that something was horribly wrong. "Hey," Clover asked, unease growing more and more fervent with every breath, with every step, "do you have any younger neighbours?"

Qrow snorted, cheeks flushed in the chilly night air, the elder clearly slightly buzzed from their drinks. "Honestly, no- this place is mostly wealthy older folk. More and more retirees are coming to the new development a few blocks down, too. I'll fit in in a couple of years, finally," he added with a chuckle. "Why?"

Clover jabbed his thumb behind him, pointing back without looking to where the figure leaned against the lamppost. "I've seen that kid before- pretty sure he's a student in Beacon, that's all. Wondering why he's all the way out here."

Incredulous, Qrow froze, looking back down the road. "Where? I don't see anyone."

What? Clover spun around, only to gawp at the completely empty roadside. Where there had been a figure earlier was now just an empty street. But… Wordlessly, he jogged back, mind racing. Was his mind playing tricks on him? Was he just being paranoid? What was going on?

When he arrived at the spot where he had seen the young man smoking, his heart plummeted to the floor. There was no indication that anyone had been there-

-except for a crushed cigarette, the end still burning red with heat.

He gestured towards it, the cigarette standing out on the otherwise-spotless avenue. "I'm not crazy," he laughed nervously, "see? Same red-haired kid as before definitely was-"

Without a word, Qrow tore off towards his home, and Clover realized at last what exactly was going on.

The next twenty minutes were all nothing but a blur. Clover called the police as he chased after Qrow, clumsily giving Qrow's address to dispatch while praying for Qrow to stay out of the apartment. As he turned the corner onto Qrow's street, however, he could see even at a distance the way the elder's front door was left wide open, the clearest indication of where Qrow had gone. He tore into the house, climbing up the stairs three at a time; dispatch warned him to remain outside, but there was no way he could comply as he heard slamming doors and angry, vicious cries.

Blake screamed, "Adam, how did you-"

No one was on the main floor of the townhouse. He continued upwards, finally finding Ruby and Yang hovering protectively in front of Blake; the latter's shirt had been torn, her hair mussed, her face covered in naught but pure, shaken fear. His body moved without even realizing it; suddenly, he was on the third floor, helping Qrow hold the pantry door shut, ignoring the roars and bloodthirsty screams coming from within the small closet.

And then, the police arrived, handcuffs were placed, and Blake Belladonna was finally given some respite.

It all felt like a dream. Statements were taken long into the night; in his drunken, adrenaline-flushed haze, Clover recounted each time he had seen Adam Taurus, Blake's ex-boyfriend-turned-stalker over the past few weeks. By the time he was finally released, he was sober and exhausted, the sirens and flashing police lights causing a migraine that just wouldn't go away.

They stayed in that queen-sized bed that night. The two men simply slept, with the girls on the second floor, camping out. Ruby called her friend Weiss to join them, the newcomer bringing food for them all as they huddled together in Ruby's room, refusing to leave one another's sides.

"Your nieces are good people," Clover murmured come morning when he was awoken by the scent of pancakes and coffee wafting from the first floor.

"Of course," Qrow replied groggily, leaning against Clover's shoulder. "So are you," he murmured.

When the two men finally came back downstairs, they found a spotless home, breakfast on the table, and a single message in Qrow's phone. "We're going to crash at Weiss' place," Yang had sent. "Thanks, Qrow! Have fun with Clover!"

And just like that, the whirlwind which was Qrow's nieces was gone.

"…your nieces are dangerous."

"They are. I trained them well." However, as he helped Qrow clean up the destroyed pantry afterwards, there was little humour in Qrow's face. Qrow's furrowed brow wouldn't smooth all morning as they tidied up, as they got ready to head out, as they locked the door firmly behind them.

That expression finally eased a little when they got back to Clover's apartment. The elder headed straight for Clover's bed, collapsing into it without hesitation. "Would you mind if I stayed here for a few more days," he murmured into the pillow, "even though the girls are gone?"

Clover took a seat beside him, placing his hand on Qrow's hair. The elder's guilt and discomfort and frustration were clear as day. So, he hummed, stroking dark, grey-streaked locks gently, saying, "Yeah, if you're okay with potential pipe bursts again. You're on laundry duty this time, though."

Qrow growled into the pillow, but the smile on his face was true, more at ease than it had been for the past twelve hours. And that was enough for now.