More than your semblance (Qrow Branwen x Reader)
This is a pretty angsty fic and CONTAINS VOL 7 SPOILERS.
Synopsis: You try to comfort Qrow while in prison- basically just a rewrite of the prison scenes in volume 7, but make it a lovely little Qrow x reader fanfic. This may be a multiple part series Warnings: Strong language, mentions of death, mentions of alcohol abuse
1.4k words
"This is your fault. You realise that don't you?" The voice comes from the cell next to yours. The sound of Robyn's pacing filled the solemn silence of the room, and as you looked to your left, you saw Qrow staring at something in his hands. "All I wanted was to bring people together. To give them a chance at a better life. But you..."
"Me?" You hear a voice that brings a visceral feeling of rage and hatred with just a simple syllable. Great. Not only were you imprisoned by the Atlas Military, but you were stuck in a room with Jacques Fucking Schnee. You were somewhat grateful that you were here with Qrow but something seemed... off with him. You could usually distinguish the differences in each of Qrow's brooding expressions, but this one was new. He looked like someone had ripped his entire soul apart. There was no emotion in his eyes and that worried you.; you both had seen numerous things on your missions together that no amount of drinking could make you forget, but the huntsman seemed as if he had seen something worse than anything you had encountered.
"Qrow," you softly call, he gives you a soft hum in response. "What happened back there? At the crash?" Qrow freezes. He fiddles with whatever is in his hands and doesn't look up at you.
"And although my hands may not be clean, at least I am not a murderer!" You hear Jacques call out in response to Robyn's comments. What was he trying to insinuate? That Robyn was a killer? Robyn stopped pacing and looked at Qrow. Why would she look at Qrow? What did he-?
"He didn't kill anybody." You couldn't quite comprehend what was happening here. You knew he was an asshole but Jacques wasn't the type of man to blatantly accuse someone of murder. So why now? What exactly happened out there? You had now tuned out of the finger-pointing between Hill and Schnee and just stared at Qrow. He knew you were looking at him. You had to have hated him now. You must see him as a monster now. He couldn't bring himself to look up and meet once kind eyes now filled with hatred.
"Qrow, look at me." No answer. "Qrow." He didn't look up. HE just kept looking at whatever was in his damn hands. "QROW, LOOK AT ME DAMNIT!" The outburst took the huntsman by surprise and he finally looked up at you. Your eyes were glossed over as if you were about to cry. Not tears of hatred. Tears of concern, of fear. "Just tell me what happened." Your voice was quiet, timid; searching for an answer and praying it was the one you were hoping for. Qrow isn't a killer. Sure, you two have killed in the past but it was necessary means. Qrow was not the type of man to kill unless it was a last resort.
"I-" Qrow started, but was quickly interrupted by an alert sound and the opening of doors. Three Atlas guards walked in, guns in hand to collect... Authur Watts? What did they need him for?
"You do realise you've already caught me?" He quips, and receives a hard strike to the head from one of the guards, if you were not currently locked up in this fucking chicken coup- you'd be laughing at the sight. You watched them drag his pathetic self out of the room, only turning away when you hear a sigh from Robyn.
"I hate not being able to do anything."
"We can do something." Qrow responds, "We can kill the man who put us here." Qrow's voice is laced with pure rage. His words shock you.
"Kill James? I don't know what the hell happened between you two but you can't just say shit like that!"
"Really? 'Good Ol Jimmy' doesn't seem to think that's the case. Or did you not hear what my niece said? He's going to destroy Mantle. All to protect this floating piece of shit."
"I'm- I don't know what to think of it. James was never the one to simply abandon ship like this. There has to be some meaning behind all this!"
"How do you do that?" Qrow sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose and lying back on the 'bed' in his cell.
"What?" You snap, frustrated with him
"Always look for the best in people- even if they're a lost cause." You hug yourself at this comment.
"You make it seem like I'm naive, Birdbrain" You joke lightly
"You aren't. Your ability to show kindness is admirable. It's one of the things I love about you" He smiles, You at him in shock,
"Can we skip the romantics, please? I'd like to spend however long I have left in here without hearing your vexing voices" Jacques comments from across the room. You start to walk towards the wall keeping you and the weasel apart.
"What did you mean before, Schnee?" You asked sternly, "When you called Qrow a murderer?"
"I meant exactly what I said." He responded. "Qrow Branwen murdered Clover Ebi in cold blood."
"I didn't kill him, asshole." Qrow choked out quietly. You turned to your partner.
"Then what happened Qrow?" You asked
"What always happens" Qrow clutches the object in his hand tightly. "My semblance fucked everything up again."
"It wasn't your fault" Robyn chimes in
"It was though," Qrow sighs "I made a deal with the darkness, and he paid the price. It was all happening so fast but Clover wouldn't let up. We could've worked together against Tyrion if Clover just-" he swallowed the lump in his throat "But the thing that really stings? For the first time in a while, I thought 'Maybe- Maybe I could be around somebody, anybody without my semblance making it... complicated." Qrow finally looks up, only to look at you. "And now, it just feels like a childish dream. Gone. Like everybody else." He looks away from you again. There is a heavy silence for a while.
"I'm still here Birdbrain." You say, walking to stand close to the barrier between the two of you. "And I'm not leaving anytime soon."
"You can't promise that. My semblance-"
"You are more than your semblance." You interrupt, "You are not a bad luck charm, Qrow. You are a strong, kind, funny but deeply troubled man. I wish you would just let someone in, let someone who loves you take care of you for once." You started to tear up at your words, "Let me in Qrow." Hot tears started to stream down your face. Qrow was about to speak but was yet again stopped by the opening of doors. The guards drag in Arthur and lock him in a cell again. The guards are joined by Marrow and Harriet.
"You don't get to keep that" Harriet snaps at Qrow, his hand was no longer clasped around the object in his hand and now you could finally get a look at what it was he was so attached to.
It was Clover's pin. Covered in... was that Clover's blood?
"I didn't kill him."
"Hmph, you keep saying that, but it was your weapon covered in his blood."
"If you really want to know what happened, Mohawk," Robyn chimes in, "Why not open this cell and take my hand?" She challenges Harriet, only to earn a smug chuckle in return.
"If I open this cell, it won't be to shake hands."
"Yeah, because you don't care about the truth. You just want someone to be mad at." Robyn scoffs.
"Easier than taking an honest look at what side you're fighting for." You add. To this, Harriet lets out an angry grumble, looking at the keypad on Robyn's cell, as if she was considering actually accepting Robyn's challenge.
"Har, what are you doing?" Marrow calls out.
"Nothing," Harriet responds with a scoff, shoving past the Faunus boy to leave. Once all the guards leave, Robyn goes to lie on her bed.
"Well, that was... almost exciting."
"Might have had some actual entertainment," you joked. Qrow lets out a small chuckle.
"And he smiles! Did we win?" Robyn teases.
"Hey, it's your game. I don't make the rules," Qrow responds melancholily.
"Way to be cheery, Featherboy" You quip, Robyn chuckles at the nickname.
"Featherboy?" Qrow questions, fighting back a small smile.
"Seem's fitting doesn't it?" you say, laying on your side on the brick of a bed, facing Qrow.
"Whatever you say, dumbass." He jokes back, he still has a sad tone to his voice, but his face is a little brighter. You just let your eyes memorise every bit of his face while you slowly drift off to sleep, the sight of his stubble, his crimson eyes, his greying hair and the soft curve of his lips seem to comfort the deep feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach.
What happens now?
