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Summer was sitting on the teacher’s desk in an empty classroom. She sent Qrow a message ten minutes ago asking to meet her here, she was counting. Right as she checked her scroll again for the time she heard the door open, her gaze immediately averting to it.
Qrow walked into the classroom, making sure the door closed behind him. He looked around the room, spotting Summer at the desk. As he carefully made his way down the aisle and to the desk he noticed her normal carefree, happy expression looked more concerned.
He plopped down next to her with a sigh. “So why’d you need me here? Was it really that important that you couldn’t just call me?” His speech was slightly slurred, his tone annoyed.
Summer took a deep breath, trying not to get irritated with Qrow smelling vaguely of alcohol. “I can tell you’re worried about… the things professor Ozpin said, about that Salem person.” She looked at him in the eyes. “You know I care about you right?”
Qrow looked away. He reached for the flask attached to his belt but Summer grabbed his wrist. They both knew she was stronger than him, there was no getting out of that grip.
“That is what I needed to talk to you about.” She sounded worried and desperate now. “You know you can talk to me, Qrow, so why don’t you? Do you not trust me?”
The last sentence stung. He looked back in her general direction but avoided looking her in the eyes. “You know I do. It’s just…. it’s complicated. There’s shit Ozpin didn’t tell you- didn’t offer you. You don’t understand.”
“I can’t understand if you don’t tell me! I’m supposed to be there for my teammates and I can’t if you don’t let me, so just please tell me what’s going on.” She was begging at this point, finally letting go of his wrist.
Summer then looked down at the ground, trying to hide the tears welling up in her eyes. “You just look so tired and you’ve been drinking almost nonstop for the past two weeks. That isn’t healthy, and if anything happened to you while we were on a mission I don’t know what I’d do. What kind of leader would I be if I just let you destroy yourself like this?”
Qrow watched her, not knowing what to say. He looked at the ground as he fiddled with one of his rings. “Ozpin offered to give me and Raven the power to turn into birds. He gave us time to think about it. We’d have to leave on a lot of missions alone. He said it’s ‘our choice’ but we all know it isn’t. It’s either that or he makes us feel like we fucking don’t give a shit about the rest of the world.”
Summer wiped her eyes and looked back at Qrow as he kept going. He talked in a horrible Ozpin impression as he said “Oh well I know you don’t want to risk your life for a fight that isn’t yours, but if you don’t you’re just a selfish prick. You’ll be responsible for when Salem comes walking up here when she murders your entire team and call you a selfish idiot because you didn’t want to turn into a stupid bird that just mocks the fact you ruin everything you touch.”
Summer’s saddened expression turned confused. “What do you mean ‘turn you into birds’? Like… actual life sized birds? Not like a faunus. An actual bird?”
Qrow huffed. “Yeah. I’d have the power to turn into a literal crow. The one without a Q, the right one. At least I’d have an excuse to cause bad luck everywhere I go.” He ran a hand through his hair as he let out a weak laugh.
Summer stood up. Qrow watched as she stood directly in front of him, crossing her arms. “Qrow Crimson Branwen! You will not say another bad thing about yourself or we will spar and I will not hold back!”
Qrow froze up at the use of his full name. “How the hell did you get my middle name?”
“I have my ways.” Summer smirked. “And those ‘ways’ are having a tickle fight with Raven until she told me.”
“You’re 19, a third year at one of the best huntsmen academies in all of Remnant, and you have tickle fights?” Qrow asked, very amused.
Summer went from looking smug to absolutely devious. “Tough talk for someone within tickling distance.”
As Summer lunged for Qrow, he shrieked as he moved out of the way, almost jumping off the desk with how fast he got off. He’s moved slower when grimm attacked him. Being mauled by a beowolf was more desirable than what Summer would do.
While Qrow moved too fast to fall victim to tickling, he wasn’t fast to evade Summer stealing his flask off of his hip. She held it up with a sigh, her demeanor shifting to be serious. “Jokes aside Qrow, this-“ she shook the flask “- needs to stop. At least not as much. I’m worried. Tai’s worried. Heck, Raven’s worried.”
Qrow saw she was holding it, but still looked at where it was just to make sure it was actually gone, and it was. He held his hand out as any joking manner to him faded. “Summer, give that back right now.”
“No, Qrow. I care about you. I already said this but I’m not going to just sit here as you ruin yourself.”
Qrow huffed. Although already a little buzzed and not having slept since Ozpin gave him the bird deal two days ago, he decided to try and grab it back from her. Even if Qrow was at his best, Summer’s overall physical strength and reflexes were still better than his. His bad luck didn’t help, either.
Summer grabbed his wrist hard, causing Qrow to physically wince.
She put the flask in her pocket. “When you can grab this thing off of me, you can have the fucking thing back.”
Qrow flinched at Summer swearing. She only swore at the team when she was very mad or disappointed. Sure, he was angry at her stealing the flask, but now he couldn’t help but feel bad.
She didn’t let go of his wrist, instead pulling him into a tight hug. “I don’t want you dead before me, you big dummy. Life would be boring without my bad luck charm.”
He sighed, wrapping his arms around her to hug back. “I hate you.”
She laughed softly. “Sure you do.”