We Were All Monsters and Bastards, and We Were All Beautiful

A place for fanfics & drabbles. You'll mostly find Doctor Who fics here (& of those, mostly Rose/the Doctor), but I do post fics from other fandoms sometimes. Some fics are mine, but most are written by others (and always credited and linked to the original as is due). Please enjoy!

[ddraco]

[artschoolglasses]

I will never forgive them for cutting out this scene.

[mytamakomysookee]

Tumblr app doesn’t show this gif set but I already know what it is. No need to hesitate to reblog.

[midoriko-sama]

And he did this just before a road trip, stuck in the car with his parents asking what he was thinking.

[keepcalmimspidey-deactivated201]

The look of utter defiance Dudley gives Vernon as he steps over the fence though 

[itsmevicky]

And how he does it really slowly as well as if to say “What you gonna do about it huh?”

[thebibliosphere]

The phone rings. It was an absurd wedding gift from his father in-law, and one which much to Harry’s surprise, had actually worked when he’d plugged it into the landline. Arthur had taken to phoning him on it, just for the pure novelty of the thing—though how they’d managed to get a BT engineer out to the Burrow without causing an incident, Harry doesn’t know. He’s not sure he wants to.

“Hello?”

“Uhm,, is this…is this the Potter residence?”

There’s a beat of silence as Harry adjusts the receiver against his ear, not quite sure he’s heard who he thinks he has. “…Dudley?”

“Yea…uhm, Harry?”

“Dudley.” Harry repeats numbly, turning to look at Ginny who is looking at him expectantly, eyebrows raised. “Uh…Christ, Dudley, hi how did…how did you find this number?”

There’s another beat of silence and the crackle of static that might have been a sigh or simply just the line breaking up. “Hi, sorry I know you probably…sorry this was stupid. I uh, I put your name in the computer and this was the only thing that came up.”

“Oh.” Harry breathes, still trying to recover his equilibrium. Ten minutes ago he’d been using his wand to clear away dinner, he’d been getting ready to sit down and read through some reports before putting the kids to bed, and now somehow, he’s talking to his muggle cousin who he hasn’t seen since… “How, how are you?”

“Good, yea” Dudley replies, seeming to rally, “You?”

“Yea, uh, doing well…”

The conversation lasts maybe a half hour, faltering and awkward. But they’re going for a coffee at the end of the week and Harry supposes…that’s…that’s a thing that is happening.

*

“Harry…”

Harry turns and looks up, and looks up some more at the looming figure blocking out the light. 

“Dudley,” he says, standing up and hoping the pang of something awful doesn’t show on his face. For a moment he thought he’d been looking at Vernon. “It’s good to see you.”

Dudley gives him a look that says he clearly knows Harry is lying, but is thankful for being humored. “You too, you’re looking good…”

They pass the  first few minutes with awkward pleasantries and even more awkward silences. But it’s…nice would be too strong a word, but it’s not bad either. He even manages to get a smile out of him when he calls him Big D, the other man shaking his head with a self depreciating eye roll.

“Dad died,” Dudley says after a while, and Harry feels an icy hot flash go down his spine, curdling in his gut.

“Oh,” he says, not quite sure how he’s supposed to feel about that, “I’m sorry to hear that.”

Dudley snorts into his coffee. “Somehow I doubt it.” and it’s not accusing, but Harry still can’t help but feel like he should defend himself. The words they locked me in a cupboard are on the cusp of his tongue but Dudley gets there before him. “There’s a lot of things…looking back…lot of things…” and it’s not an apology, not really. “Took me a long time to realize certain things weren’t right…too long.” 

Harry nods at that, because yes, it had also taken him a long time too to understand the full of extent of what had gone on in 4 Privet Drive. He still doesn’t like tight spaces.

“You realize things though, when you have kids,” Dudley carries on, shaking his head, “Like they’re just kids, how can you do that to a kid? They need you for everything.”

And Harry can relate to that too. Lily is three and Ginny is pregnant again and James already has an alarming alacrity for finding trouble and with or without magic Harry doesn’t have enough hands to deal with it all. But he loves it, and he loves them, and the thought of anyone ever treating his children the way he remembers his first eleven years of life is enough to make the electric lights over their head flicker. 

“You’ve got kids?”

“Two,” Harry says, “third one on the way. You?”

“Nice. Just the one, so far.” He hands over his phone, the image of a bright young girl with dark skin and tight ringlet curls staring back at him from the grasp of Dudley’s arms. “Effie.” He smiles ruefully at Harry’s obvious surprise. “Dad wasn’t too happy about that either.”

“She’s gorgeous.” Harry says, handing the phone back and pulling out his own wallet to reveal the moving pictures inside. 

Dudley flinches a bit at that, but he guffaws broadly when he spies James. “Cor, he don’t half look like you. No glasses though.”

“No,” Harry says, pushing his own glasses back up his nose. “He’s got his mother’s eyes, thankfully.”

“Actually, Harry, there was something I was hoping we could…talk about.”

And ah, there it is. “What about?”

“It’s…it’s about Effie…”

And when he’s done talking Harry just wants to lean back and laugh and laugh and laugh, because of course Vernon Dursley’s granddaughter is a witch, of course she is. But he doesn’t, because Dudley is doing the one thing he can think of to try and help his child, and Harry can’t fault him for that.

*

They keep in touch after that. Christmas cards, postcards—gifts for the kids on birthdays. The year Effie turns eleven—the same as James—Harry drops a casually long thought out text into the familial void.

“Diagon A this weekend, if you’re up for it?”

The text comes back quickly, a little too quickly for the way Dudders pecks at his phone whenever Harry has seen him typing. “Snds gd, 1st pint on u ;-) - Big D 🍺🍺🍺👌👍”

It’ll be painfully awkward, it always is. But it’s something.

[kaylapocalypse-deactivated20201]

I’m cryin’

[spookymf-deactivated20210608]

I love this too much

[shankss-magnificent-ass]

[thegreatficmaster-deactivated20]

Oh…my…

This might be the most perfect post on tumblr…(minus all the animal stuff)…

[shootingstarsinbloom]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

At first she thinks it’s the Doctor. After all, he does have a habit of leaving things in odd places.

***

...in which Rose finds the Doctor's scarf in many strange places, and wonders why.

That was adorable!!! <3 <3 <3

[shootingstarsinbloom]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

When Rose Tyler was little, she always wrote a Christmas wish list to Father Christmas. As she grew older, the wish list became more of a letter to someone she could confide in once a year, but she fell out of the habit somewhere along the way. Now, as a new mum, celebrating her daughter’s first Christmas, Rose takes up writing her Christmas letter to Father Christmas once again.

Rose’s Christmas letters are excerpts from her life with her beloved Tentoo and their children in Pete’s World, written once a year, for each of 31 years.

OK, these are great! I was a little hesitant about the letters to Santa format, but they’re actually great! The letters build on each other and you get both an overview of what Rose & the Doctor’s life in Pete’s World could have been like, but also some brilliant up close moments, ranging from laugh-out-loud funny to almost heart-breakingly sad moments. 

[chocolatequeennk]

A Strangely Familiar Touch

The Doctor was wandering through an alien market, minding his own business, when he felt a strangely familiar mind brush against his. The strange part was, he knew immediately that he had not met this woman yet–but apparently, he would one day.

Written for Eight x Rose August, with prompts from @legendslikestardust and @doctorroseprompts (Eight x Rose, dimension hopping Rose meets Eight, drabble prompt: touch)

AO3 | FF.NET | TSP

Disorientation. Surprise. Hope. Joy.

The emotions caught the Doctor by surprise—not because he’d never had cause to feel them, but because they were distinctly not his own. His coat swung out slightly from his body as he turned around in the middle of the Falvin market, trying to find the mind strong enough to project their emotions onto him so clearly.

Doctor?

The second surprise of the day was stronger than the first. The stranger knew him, knew he was there, and could communicate with him telepathically without any physical contact. Time Lords were strictly touch telepaths, except…

Oh God, Doctor. I’m here. Please talk to me, love.

The Doctor closed his eyes and opened himself to the bond he could feel between himself and this stranger. Loneliness flooded over him, sharp and painful, and he realised that somehow, she had been separated from his future self.

I’m here, Rose, he said, using the name he’d picked up over the bond. Where are you?

By the fountain, underneath the clock tower.

Her telepathic voice trembled with excitement, and the Doctor felt his hearts beating faster as he strode through the marketplace in search of his future bondmate. Her mind felt incredible against his, like they were two halves of a whole, and he hoped he wouldn’t have to wait too long to meet her properly, in his own timeline.

Keep reading

[shootingstarsinbloom]

Rose Tyler has crossed entire universes, striding parallel to parallel, to find the Doctor again. So why is it that, now she’s finally found him, he’s acting like he can’t see her?

All the characters are pegged sooo well and the author skillfully intertwines all the things Rose & the Doctor would have needed to deal with/talk about upon being brought back together with the revised plot of The Stolen Earth/Journey’s End.

[shootingstarsinbloom]

Rose has always been thoughtful when it comes to her Doctor. That's why she ends up making a cake for his birthday. Mind the alien fruits, though.

Funny and full of fluff. Mind the beautiful angst tho... ;)

[flyingjemsaucer]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

OMFG, I just read Voice and Shadow by @megabadbunny on AO3, and holy shitsnacks, what a story!  If you haven’t read it, stop what you’re doing right now and get over there.  One of the best fics I’ve ever read.  Kudos!

[elsinore-and-inverness]

10,000 Lightning Bugs

@timepetalsprompts: lightning bugs

‘Doctor. That’s the fifth time we’ve heard that song.’ As much as she appreciated the Doctor’s high spirits, the repetitiveness of his playlist was getting on her nerves. He executed something akin to a pirouette, almost falling over. 'Is it?’ 'You used to be able to dance.’ 'That’s not very nice.’ But he grinned, still moving in a peculiar circular pattern across the floor. ’Cause I get a thousand hugs, from ten thousand lightning bugs as they tried to teach me how to dance.’ 'You’re so weird.’ Rose sat cross legged on the jump seat, watching her friend. The look he got in his eyes when he was excited about something was worth everything.  It was a sparkle, a glimmer of something almost beyond comprehension. At the same time you could imagine the neurons firing behind the light in those eyes. ’I’d like to make myself beliiiiieeve that planet Earth turns sloooowly.’ 'Does it?’ The Doctor stopped spinning, swaying slightly. 'Rotation period of 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4.091 seconds. For a rocky planet its age it’s still turning quite quickly. But-’ A slow sad smile played on his lips, 'on Gallifrey a day was eighteen hours long. By your measurement, obviously. So for me-’ 'Is that weird for you?’ 'I live in a time machine.’ The chorus of the song repeated again and the Doctor’s charmingly untrained tenor joined in once again ’It’s hard to say that I’d rather stay awake when I’m asleep, 'cause everything is never as it seeeeeems-’ 'But you don’t sleep, though.’ 'I do. Two hours out of every eighteen if I can manage it. 'That’s-’ Rose paused, calculating in her head, 'two and two-thirds hours out of every twenty-four.’ The Doctor shrugged. ’To ten million fireflies, I’m weird 'cause I hate goodbyes, got misty eyes as they said farewell…’ The Doctor sang more with emotion than strict adhesion to the principles of musicality. It was a pure, raw sound and Rose had to admit it more than made up for any repetitive issues in his choice of music. The Doctor eventually came to the end of the song, 'Long vowels are difficult. I never know what my accent’s doing.’ She looked at him thoughtfully, still thinking about what he had said about Gallifrey. 'Do you ever have nightmares?’ 'That bad?’ 'No. No, of course not. It was beautiful. You’re-’ The Doctor looked at the floor. 'I mean it.’ 'Do you have nightmares, Rose Tyler?’ 'I used to.’ The Doctor reached over to the CD player perched between levers on the TARDIS console to restart the song again.

[shootingstarsinbloom]

Wonderful! 

[shootingstarsinbloom]

5 times Amy Pond silently falls for Rory Williams and the one time he sees it.

Beautiful! Rory is such a great guy, but a little dense sometimes, haha

[kilodalton]

Fic -- Lemon and Strawberry -- Nine/Rose

Summary: Lemon and strawberry, yellow and pink, they go together just like gelato and a hot summer’s day

A/N: shameless Nine/Rose fluff for my lovely friend the-untempered-prism who is as sweet as strawberries =) And please check out the absolutely lovely art that she drew to accompany this here!!

Betababes: the equally sweet as strawberries fadewithfury and whoinwhoville =)

—

The piazza is crowded.

And bloody hot.

Even the stucco buildings bake under the unrelenting scorch of the August sun, their façades parched from the arid Sicilian air and starting to flake off, more reminiscent of overcooked croissants than heavy paint. He and Rose are among the myriad souls out and about despite the oppressive heat—and he gets more than a few stares from shoppers out on their errands. He doesn’t pay them any mind, of course, instead rolling his eyes inwardly at the ape tendency to stare at things they don’t understand. He knows what they’re likely wondering—how on earth can he stand to be wearing a black leather jacket on a day like today?

Keep reading

[shootingstarsinbloom]

The mirror maze. It's a relic of an older time; before the plastic alien cups and the glow-necklaces and Spongebob Squarepants inflated on a stick. It's a bit out of place. He can appreciate that. He stands closer and reads the sign.

Read it. Ugh, it’s great and a little trippy. That’s all you need to know!

[shootingstarsinbloom]

AU in which Rose (and multiple other prominent Doctor Who characters) is in a pysch ward and while there, she meets a man who calls himself the Doctor.

Author’s Notes: Warning: This story deals with mental disorders and their effects. Please don't read if any of that is triggering to you. Title from the Enya song. 

Normally, I don’t read totally unrelated AU’s. 

I’m just not a fan. Part of what I like about fanfiction is all the stories that could exist within the same universe as the show (or very similar ones). But every once in a while, I’ll stumble upon a good AU and this one is brilliant! It’s both dreamy and down to earth, and Rose and the Doctor are, frankly, freakin adorable.

(I only just realized this seems to be by the same person as the last fic I posted. Obviously, they’re a great writer for this kind of fic!)

[shootingstarsinbloom]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

I have written many triggering things and this story is potentially one of the most triggering that I have written. Please read this with caution as it deals with mental health concerns and hospitalization.

This is a hard fic to summarize without spoiling since it’s so brief and portrays a Rose in an... unusual situation/state (for lack of better words that don’t spoil - like I said, hard to summarize). That said, It’s beautifully written with such a simple, gorgeous end! They did a great job and it’s totally worth the few minutes it’ll take to read it!

[shootingstarsinbloom]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

After another adventure with aliens and Rose inevitably saving the day, the Doctor is met with the longest night of his life. Can he ignore the barriers between them just for one night, and maybe the morning after.

Wow, my heart...

[caedmonfaith]

Tentoo x Rose - Tentoo finds his first grey hair :)

He found her in the lounge, flipping through a magazine. 

“Rose?”

“Hmm?” she answered, not looking up.

“I wanted to show you something.”

She set the magazine to the side and followed him with her eyes as he sat down beside her. “What is it, Doctor?”

“Here. Look.” He leaned towards her and pointed towards his hairline, in the general area that the hair had appeared just now. “See it?”

“Oh, Doctor. You have a grey hair…”

“Isn’t it brilliant?” he smiled up at her. 

She looked confused, and he was glad. He’d wanted the chance to explain it to her.

“Why is a grey hair brilliant?”

“It’s symbolic,” he said. “Welllll…. Maybe ‘representative’ is a better word. ‘Illustrative’, perhaps.”

“Doctor…” she said in the same tone she always got when he was being exasperating.

“It’s proof of what I promised you on the beach. I’m growing older, with you. That grey hair is proof that our forevers match.”

He watched her, waiting for her reaction. He was surprised when it came in the form of two fat tears splashing onto her cheeks.

“Rose?” he asked, alarmed. “What is it?”

“I just can’t believe you. Nobody else gets excited about a sign of their mortality.”

He gathered her into his arms and held her close. “Ah but you see, Rose Tyler, nobody else ever had to face immortality without you.” 

[shootingstarsinbloom]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Before there was RWBY, there was STRQ: a complete mess, a united force, and a broken family. A collection of one-shots, all related but not necessarily in order, pertaining to the adventures of Team STRQ, the coolest team to ever graduate Beacon.

This collection of one-shots is easily some of the best Team STRQ writing out there right now. The stories cover both a variety of time periods in the lives of Team STRQ and a variety of tones. I’m eagerly awaiting more!

As a side note, it’s rated Mature, but nothing has happened so far (Chapter 12) that I would consider to really be mature-rating. That may change, so here’s my warning to you.

[shootingstarsinbloom]

Flesh and Blood and Promises

Qrow finally begins to understand what family looks like - and just in time too. Takes place before RWBY begins. [UPDATED. And I think I finally weeded out all the errors.]

“You can come in, you know,” Summer said as she gestured to the door. “It’s unlocked.”

A few crows were perched low in a tree just outside the open kitchen window. One particular crow seemed to respond, ruffling it’s feathers a few times before meeting her eyes.

She gave it only a single arched brow in response. 

With a caw and a shrug of its wings, it glided down and out of sight, in the direction of the front door. She heard the door open and close, and a few moments after felt more of that crisp early morning air flow into the room. A creak proceeded the sound of approaching footsteps.

There was rough laughter. “How do you know it’s me?”

She looked over at Qrow from where she had her arms up to her elbows in soapy dishwater. “You’re my teammate. Of course, I know.” Her signature smile accompanied her words, a look which always reminded Qrow of a sly fox, as if she’d found the secrets to the universe and knew she alone held the truth - but without any of the arrogance that would normally come along with it. And like the smile, it was the same old answer she always gave him. She’d been able to spot Raven too among a flock but never given a satisfactory answer as to how, despite all the twins’ pestering over the years.

He probably would have seemed more amused by her answer if he hadn’t been wondering if there were any knives in that sink and whether or not he should suggest they step out of the kitchen while they talk.

“Now,” she continued as she dried her hands, then moved to the fridge, “you want to share why you were trying to hide rather than just come in?”  She had pulled cookie dough from the fridge and started doling out spoonfuls onto a pan to bake.

Qrow sighed. “Summer-”

“Let me guess: ‘I’m not fit to be an uncle and I’m a hazard all around,’ right?” 

He frowned at the peaceful way she’d said it, like it wasn’t the Grimm in the room always waiting for someone to strike with his curse. As if all he needed was a little talking to and the problem would go away. “You don’t have to make me sound so ridiculous.”

She met his eyes with a quite ferocity in her own. “Then you should stop being ridiculous. You’ve got two nieces and two friends who’d like to see you more.”

He took a step back from her on instinct, but coolly folded his arms across his chest and turned to lean his back against the counter as he did so, making him look simply broody. He stared hard at the wall across the room from them, wondering if she’d notice the truth underneath. “The girls barely know me.” He pretended to himself she wouldn’t notice that he didn’t say anything else either.

“They’d know you more if you were around more. And trust me, they adore you already.” She put the tray of cookies into the oven just to her left and he watched her carefully as she did so, trying not to look as though he were. Cookies in without a problem, she set a timer and then pulled out a plate. Opening a cookie jar that sat on the counter to her right, by the sink, she loaded the plate with the few cookies left from the last batch she’d baked a few days ago.

“Sum, I’m just trying to protect-”

Summer closed the lid to the cookie jar with more force than necessary, making a loud crack! 

Qrow’s eyes widened and his brows shot up, but he otherwise remained frozen. His heart had jumped behind his throat, though. He’d long since realized that quieter, gentler people like Summer had a special kind of terror to them when angry, and he was never keen to see that side of her. He remained quiet.

After a long silence, she said, “Families bear each other’s burdens because they care.” Slowly, she lifted her eyes to meet his gaze. “And they forgive when they’ve been hurt.”

His expression softened along with her words. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “I know that; I just-” His gaze slid over to the window just to the right of where she stood, where he could see the black birds still perched on low branches. She turned to follow his gaze, before looking back at him. “I’m sorry,” he said again, his voice dipping a little lower, a little more broken.

“Not everything is your fault,” she said as she approached him. One hand held the plate of cookies, but the other settled on his forearm. And it had to have been the millionth time they’d been in that moment. Not that he ever tired of the heartfelt way she said it.

He gave her a little smile of thanks.

She led him back into the living room to sit and talk. Setting the plate of her famous cookies down on the table as he slowly ambled into the room after her, she turned to say something more. 

The words didn’t make it out of her mouth. He watched as her gaze shifted up to the top of the stairs, eyes widening in fear. 

“Uncle Qrow!” squealed a little girl’s voice and he turned just in time to see a red blur flying towards him.

One, two steps and he stretched out his arms to catch Ruby after she’d leaped from the railing at the top of the stairs. Hands around her little waist, he swung them around as he pulled her in close so her fall wouldn’t end with her cracking her little skull against his.

Summer exhaled and smiled at Qrow before turning stern as she marched over to them, saying, “Ruby, you could’ve hurt yourself! Don’t you dare do that again!”

“Sorry, Mommy,” she said with a sincere sadness, but it didn’t last long when she looked her uncle in the eyes and added, “I knew Uncle Qrow would catch me.” She grinned up at him then, all previous remorse gone.

Summer sighed. “Well, she’s right about one thing at least. ”

Ruby wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. “I love you, Uncle Qrow,” she said into his ear in an overly loud whisper.

His mouth opened, but nothing came out. He looked again at Summer. She simply smiled - again in that humble fox-like way - and said, “I’ve got to finish the dishes.” She left the two of them in the living room with the plate of cookies.

He stood there for a bit before realizing Ruby was begging him to tell her a story. Setting Ruby down on the couch, he sat next to her and regaled the legend of STRQ (sans both the names of the team members and anything inappropriate for a 5-year-old) as they munched on cookies and he thought about the affection little girl had for him.

“Ruby,” he asked, “would you still love me if I wasn’t your uncle? What if I was just your parents’ friend?”

She seemed to think on this for a moment. She grinned suddenly. “Yep!”

“Why?”

“Because you’re you!” she replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world, before pausing to give it a moment’s thought and adding, “And because mommy and daddy love you, and that makes you just like an uncle, doesn’t it?” 

He smiled softly. “Well, maybe it does... Now, does my niece want another story?”

She nodded eagerly. He used his hands to illustrate one of his adventures and Ruby watched them wit intense focus, missing the way his eyes had teared up a little.

For a while there was simply the quiet but enthusiastic voice of Qrow, complimented by Ruby’s little gasps or squeals of joy. Summer finished washing most of the dishes. One batch of cookies was baked and another was started. The sun rose higher and the air warmed as it became late morning.

From the other room, Summer heard a groggy youthful voice say, “Do I smell cookies?” followed shortly after by an excited gasp.

There was suddenly a sound of exclamation from Ruby and the cry of “Again?!” from Qrow. Rushed heavy footsteps came quickly after as she heard Yang cry, “Uncle Qrow!” just as Ruby had. 

Summer was out in the living room just in time to see Yang, who had clearly also jumped from the top of the stairs, slam into her uncle as he tried to catch her too. 

Being a little over two years older and with a less delicate build than Ruby, Yang was definitely bigger than her sister and she’d caught Qrow on the other side of the room rather than just next to the stairs. The force of their collision sent him toppling backward. He crashed unceremoniously to the floor with a thud and an “oof!” as Yang came down on top of him, almost knocking the wind out of him. Ruby giggled from where she sat on the sofa. Summer covered her mouth as she watched him sit up, groaning.

“Was that really necessary?” Qrow asked Yang. His voice was a little more gravelly than normal.

She beamed. “Yep!”

He looked over at Summer rather helplessly, but, being on the verge of laughter, she only said, “Maybe if you’d believed me, you would have been prepared.”

He pouted. “Not fair.”

She shrugged, knowing she was grinning too much when really she should be scolding Yang. “Come around more and maybe you won’t be ambushed.” Before he could respond, she picked Yang up off of him, setting her on her feet and leading her into the kitchen. “You know better than to do stuff like that,” he heard her say.

He didn’t hear Yang’s answer, as a clattering noise told him that Summer had reached into the dishrack, probably enlisting Yang to help dry the dishes that were still wet and to put the others away.

Qrow turned back to Ruby. “How about this: promise not to attack me and convince Yang not to attack me either, and I’ll come around more?” he offered with a grin.

“I promise!” she said with all sincerity and he knew she’d forget she’d promised by the time he left, if not sooner.

He stepped over to her and ruffled her hair. “Then it’s a promise.”

In the kitchen, Summer smiled a little bigger as she and Yang finished with the dishes.

===0===

Qrow made sure that Yang was in bed before going to check on Ruby again - she’d been refusing to stay in bed, often returning to sit in her window. When he’d ask what she was doing out of bed again, she’d continue to look out the window and simply say, “I want her to come back.” 

Then he’d wonder yet again if any of this was his fault.

This time, though, he found her asleep. It’d been a trying few days. Maybe she’d finally tired herself out. He sighed, deep and long. It was a sentiment he could agree with.

From where he stood in the doorway, he could see Ruby’s form tangled up in her blankets. He wondered if she’d have more nightmares tonight. He wondered if Yang would too - and whether or not she’d admit it or not. 

And would he get any sleep at all? Or a drink for that matter? Trying to handle the two girls meant little to no drinking. To say it sucked- well, he could think of a few ways to express his feelings on that which probably weren’t child-appropriate. 

He didn’t want to be anywhere else in that moment, though. 

“I’ll be the best uncle there is, Summer,” he murmured to the quiet room. Closing the door, he moved down the hall towards the room that had been Taiyang and Summer’s - and Taiyang and Raven’s before that. Looking in to find Tai in the same position as he had hours ago, curled up on Summer’s side of the bed staring at the window, he felt his chest tighten. It was like deja vu, but the first time he’d experienced this nightmare he had ran away with a “justified” reason... Qrow still wanted to run. This curse of his had caused enough damage, hadn’t it?

“Not everything is your fault,” whispered the memory of a seventeen-year-old Summer who had been incredibly shy and awkward to start out, but who had paid enough attention to realize why exactly he acted like he did. “You don’t have to be alone.”

No one had ever told him that before.

Now she was gone. And Raven, who for better or worse had been his other half for so long, was still hiding from him. And those bandits he’d once called family were long since buried in the past, nothing but a bloody memory filled with pain.

But Tai was still here.

Qrow slipped back out and went downstairs.

===0===

“Ugh... wha?” Taiyang woke up to the feeling of being shaken. “Sum..?”

The shaking stopped immediately. 

He blinked a few times and looked over his shoulder to see Qrow standing there, looking pale and wide-eyed. Maybe it was just the moonlight. Either way, reality re-inserted itself into his mind. “Hey,” was all he could think to say.

“Hey,” Qrow murmured, shaking his head a little to clear it. The hand he’d shaken Tai awake with was empty, but the other held a tray. “Brought you some food and water. Unless you’ve been managing to sneak behind me while I’ve been with the girls, I’m fairly certain you haven’t eaten or drank anything today.”

“Don’t really feel like it.”

“Well sit up, because you’re going to. Whether that involves me forcing you is up to you, though.” He set the tray on the side table.

Taiyang simply watched Qrow in response, eyes drifting over his expression and taking in his particularly unkempt look. There was tension in the silence. Guilt. Hurt. Open wounds.

“Qrow...”

“I’m not going to just up and leave.”

Tai’s eyes flew back to Qrow’s face.

“I mean it,” Qrow continued. “Made a promise to Ruby. Besides, Yang is all the flesh and blood I have left and... you’re basically my brother.”

He was quiet for a moment before sitting up and saying, “STRQ family till the end, then?” There were tears in his eyes but he looked hopeful for the first time in over a week. 

Old memories surfaced of Summer declaring “a team should be like a family.” She’d said it in frustration long before she’d found out Qrow and Raven didn’t have family and that what family Taiyang had he wasn’t particularly close too. Summer herself was close to her family but didn’t have much of it. 

Over the years that had followed, she’d made their team a true family by hard work and an incredibly caring spirit, in spite of their occasional resistance to it. Even Raven had eventually called their team her family, once upon a time. They had pictures of them all smiling to prove it. 

Qrow offered his fist. “Till the end.” 

Tai met Qrow’s fist with his own. 

===0===

“Oh brother,” said Qrow as he grinned wickedly and watched Tai hit the dirt. “Taken down by a little girl. I think you’re falling out of practice.”

Taiyang grumbled something about “Well she’s my little girl” and “I’m proud of her,” while Ruby folded up Cresent Rose and leaped over him to get to her uncle. It was Tai’s turn to smile, though, when his daughter ended up finding herself in an impromptu scythe battle instead of a hug. 

Getting up and out of the way, he watched closely. She wasn’t as good as Qrow, but she was still damn good. All because Qrow made a point to spend so much time with his nieces. He had trained Ruby in scythe-wielding, offered Yang someone other than her dad to practice hand-to-hand combat with on a regular basis, and was constantly watching their backs, just in case his semblance decided to have some fun of its own. He didn’t know how Qrow did it, especially when the man was at least buzzed, if not drunk, at almost any given moment.

Maybe that’s what living a lifetime like that will do to you, Tai thought and even as he did, he wondered if he’d meant the unending razor-sharp awareness Qrow had of his surroundings or the drunkenness that was almost as continual. Either way, Summer had been right.

“I’m glad we have him on our team,” she’d said when Taiyang had rather unintentionally found out what Qrow’s semblance was, and told her about it (or rather, complained that it was probably why he kept messing up when sparring with him). “He’s loyal and always attentive to what’s going on around him, so he’ll spot anything we don’t when we’re in the field.” She had paused, looking thoughtful. “We’ll need to keep an eye on him too, though. He'll hurt himself someday if he keeps burdening himself like that.”

Taiyang hadn’t understood what she’d meant by “burdening himself” back then. He did now.

When their fight came to an end, a significant cloud of dust kicked up and Ruby complaining that it was over already, Qrow sent her inside to clean off all that dirt. 

She pouted but knew the look on her uncle’s face. He wanted to talk to her dad alone. Finally, giving him that hug she’d originally intended to, she bounded towards the house.

“So what brings you here?”

Qrow shrugged, all innocence. “Can’t a man see his family?”

Tai smiled. “I’m the dad, remember? You’re just the uncle.”

“The super cool uncle, you mean.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever.” His expression suddenly turned sly and he took a swing at Qrow.

“Woah!” he said as he jumped back, grinning. “So that’s how you want to play, huh?”

“Well if you’re going to insist on lying to me...” He charged forward, one fist surging toward his opponent, then another, keeping up a rapid succession. 

Qrow kept trying to get outside his range, but Tai stuck close where he was in his element. They danced around the yard until Tai managed to dive under a swift blow that his cocky partner thought was sure to land. The force of his throw carried Qrow just a little too far forward, and Tai got one of his feet out from under him and a hand on his back to push him even further off balance. Before Qrow could faceplant, though, Tai twisted around and caught him by the wrist, forcing his opponent to twist on his foot to avoid both the faceplant and a strained shoulder. 

They faced each other as the dust floated away, both breathing heavily and Taiyang leaning back against Qrow’s weight. The latter had only one foot under him and not far enough back to really be supporting him. Tai grinned and let go.

“Oof!”

He sniggered.

Qrow coughed to clear some of the dust out of his throat. “Thanks for that.”

Tai shrugged. “Serves you right for that comment earlier. I’m still fight-ready.”

He got up and dusted himself off. “Well, that’s good to see. You’ll need to be ready for one.”

His eyebrows shot up at that.

“I’m going on a mission,” Qrow said suddenly. 

Taiyang’s eyes narrowed. “Ozpin?” 

He nodded.

“How long?”

Qrow didn’t look at him. “Till it’s done.”

Tai frowned.

“I may still be able to visit from time to time, but I can’t promise anything.”

“Things are starting to happen then, I take it?”

Qrow ignored his question. It didn’t need an answer anyway. He was looking at the house as he said, “You’ll tell them for me?”

“They know you have work in the field sometimes. You could tell them yourself-”

“I’m breaking a promise.”

Tai remembered Summer telling him about the day he’d been tackled by both girls jumping from the top of the stairs and the promise Qrow had made after to a little Ruby, not knowing at the time that he’d had an eavesdropper. “She doesn’t even remember it, you know.”

Qrow met his gaze with serious eyes. “Summer did...”

“And you’ll keep it to the best of your ability. There’s no letter-of-the-law for you to follow or a contract written out. You’ll still be family... to the end.” Tai offered his fist and smiled sadly.

Qrow’s expression came to reflect his. “To the end.” He brought his fist against Tai’s. 

“I’ll tell them for you, but later. Yang will be home soon and I’m pretty sure it’s expected that you’re staying for dinner.”

“Fine,” he said as he rolled his eyes, grinning. “And thanks.”

Tai gave him a shove. “What’s family for?”

Qrow threw a fist back, but he ducked away. “Fighting practice, apparently.”

Tai chuckled.

Fighting practice, Qrow thought, and bonds that go deeper than anything else.

Ruby’s words came back to him suddenly, her little young voice telling him why she loved him: “Because you’re you.”