Marrow and Qrow with a crush headcanons
Marrow
Marrow is a mix between soft and a total showoff when he realizes he likes you - he wants to impress you in whatever way he can, and he’s not going to hesitate to try.
Of course, that’s after the internal struggle and denial that he has to go through when it starts to hit him. It seems like everyone else around him comes to the conclusion before he even does. It’s obvious in how he acts when you’re around - his bravado comes out more, he puffs out his chest as if he has something to prove, etc. Of course all of it is a huge contrast to how his tail wags whenever he notices you.
It would probably be Clover who points it out to him first, to which he denies it. Then Elm and Vine. It takes Harriet straight up calling him out on it though for him to give in just a bit and realize they’re probably onto something. That’s when the internalized panic actually starts. When he’s with everyone else, he’s a showoff if you’re watching. When he’s alone though...
How should he go about this? How might this affect his job? How might this affect his friendship with you? He tries not to let it get the best of him, especially while you’re around, as the very last thing he wants is to let you notice his stress.
Of course, it’s not hard to notice. Regardless of how cool he tries to act he often wears his emotions on his sleeve, and you begin to notice how his tail goes from wagging to drooping a bit when he zones out while you talk. It’s worrisome, to say the least, and though you’d try not to let it get to you it gets hard at times.
It’s when you’re alone together and he realizes something is wrong that he gets concerned and pushes past his own worries, trying to figure out what’s wrong with you. His heart breaks a bit when you answer.
“I just want to know what happened. You were always so… happy? When we talked before. Now you’re not.”
Now more than ever before he wishes his emotions weren’t so easy to read, but he knows not to dwell on that. Now isn’t the time for that. He’s aware of the risks for sure, but it was now or never.
“I just… I realized something.” He starts, and he notices how your attention perks up a bit. He hates how nervous his words made you look, as if you expected bad news. He hoped this wouldn’t be bad news. “Everyone else realized too. I mean, my team. I like you. A lot? I just don’t want to screw this up.” It was almost cute how he worded it, though he certainly didn’t realize that.
Relief only came to him when he saw your worried expression shift into one of surprise and then a sincere happiness that he hadn’t expected, for whatever reason. Apparently just because his emotions were easy to read, he sure wasn’t the best at reading yours when it involved him. When you confirm you feel the same way, his tail finally starts to wag again, and he returns your smile with a softer grin.
From then on, expect him to go a bit overboard in showing off just how cool he really is. He has to make up for lost time after all.
Qrow
Qrow isn’t quite as smooth as he may lead others to think, especially not when it comes to genuine emotion.
This man has been a loner for quite a while. Sure, a lot of it has to do with his semblance and the immense paranoia that must come with it when it comes to getting close to others, but it adds up over time. It’s become difficult for him to process just how to act and what he should do about it.
That’s not to say he’s unbearable to be around once he develops feelings - it’s more an internal struggle with him that he’s very good at playing off. In fact, it may be almost difficult to notice any difference in him. He’ll still probably flirt with you at times, but it comes off as his typical playful, almost teasing way of doing so.
At most, you might notice him slipping away a bit more to drink or being alone with his own thoughts. He doesn’t often drink around you, and when he does it’s not his usual self-destructive amount. Of course if you ever bring this up to him, he’ll wave it off with a bit of a chuckle and a joke.
He can’t deny to himself that you’re right though. Whether it’s because he wants to be more sober in case something does happen to you while you’re in his presence or because he simply doesn’t feel the need to drink as much to distract himself while you’re around, even he’s not completely sure. Probably a mixture of the two though.
You’d notice him occasionally following you in his crow form, too, as by then you no doubt know about it. It’d be almost charming, in a way, and keep you feeling safe.
On that note it’s almost funny how conflicting he’s being towards himself - on one hand the idea of getting too close terrifies him, lest something happen to you because of it. On the other, being too far away from you makes him worry he won’t be there to protect you if you need him. To say he’s torn is an understatement, but he at least handles it well.
Eventually though if you were to bring up how he acts around you, he wouldn’t deny that too much. At most he might just purse his lips in thought, and it’s clear then that something is very much on his mind. It wouldn’t be too concerning just because that’s how he’s always been - the overthinking brooder of the group. Even so you’d find it in you to ask him if something was the matter.
Despite his concerns, he would tell you straight up. “Y’know what? I think your charm is doing me in. There’s a reason I’m always around even knowing you can handle yourself.”
At first, you think he’s kidding. You think it’s just his usual playful flirting with nothing to really back it up. When you see that look in his eyes though, looking so much more genuine than you’re used to… not to mention the fact he’s as sober as you, it starts to hit you that maybe he isn’t joking.
He chuckles when he sees your expression though, his attention shifting elsewhere. It’s obvious at that moment he doesn’t think that you return the sentiment, and he’s trying to take it in stride.
“I’ve… been hoping, actually. I mean, why else would I not tell you to stop following?” Your voice brought him back to the situation at hand, giving him pause. You had a point. You had always been adamant about fending for yourself in a lot of situations, and he had even thought it was unusual you hadn’t told him to buzz off.
After that day… you may just have to tell him to let you be once in a while though. If you thought he was protective and careful before, you haven’t anything once you were an official couple.
