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A glad sigh left James’ mouth as he finally made it back to his apartment that night. The day had been long, far longer than he could have imagined, and now they had one last full day to prepare before attempting one of the most ambitious projects on Remnant. The Atlas project would be the death of him.
He took off his jacket, hanging it by the door, then slipped out of his boots. One hand tugged on his tie before pulling it off over his head. It felt good to finally relax. To be out of the spotlight and finally able to unwind.
The General headed over to his drinks cabinet, pulling out a bottle of whiskey along with a tumbler. Before he even had the chance to start pouring out his drink, a knock on his door made him pause.
People knew well enough not to bother him at his apartment after working hours, unless it was something important. He left what he was doing, walked quickly to the door and opened it, surprise coming to his face as he saw Qrow standing there.
“Hey, Jim.” The other man spoke first, a soft smile resting on his face. “Can I come in?” He asked. James blinked once before nodding, quickly stepping aside.
“Uh- Yes, of course.” He replied, falling back into his air of professionalism as he did in company. Qrow walked inside, eyes looking around the place.
It was nice, spacious, everything he expected the home of both an Atlesian General and Academy Headmaster to be. The large window that spanned across the living area gave a nice view over Atlas and the night sky, the light of the moon illuminating the room.
“Can I get you a drink?” James asked, heading back over to where he’d left the whiskey. Qrow looked over his shoulder at the other man before nodding.
“Yeah, that’d be great.” He answered. There was something different about Qrow’s tone, something James couldn't quite pick up on, something he assumed related as to why Qrow was there in the first place.
He grabbed another tumbler from the cabinet before pouring out the two drinks, glancing up as Qrow took a seat on his couch.
James couldn't work out what had been going on between the two of them the past couple weeks, but there was certainly something. Qrow had been acting differently, and honestly, James had sensed a change in his own demeanour too around the other.
Once the drinks were poured, he collected the glasses into his hands and headed over to the living area. He handed Qrow his drink and sat down onto the couch himself, the other man thanking him before taking a quick sip of the drink, nodding his approval.
“You’ve got good stuff.” Qrow complimented, James smiled in response.
“You didn’t think I’d really bring that horrendous stuff you drink in the bar back here did you?” James teased, earning a small chuckle from Qrow.
“Hey, we don’t all have big money to blow on fancy Atlesian whiskey.” He returned just as playfully. James found himself smiling back warmly, just taking in the man beside him.
After a brief pause, James spoke once more.
“As much as I enjoy your company, Qrow, why are you here?” He asked, watching as a few emotions passed over Qrow’s face before he answered.
“I wanted to talk to you about Atlas.” He answered, if not a but unconvincingly. “Not as coworkers, but friends.” He clarified, Qrow’s red eyes meeting James’ blue ones as he said this. If there was any time to try and talk to James while he wasn't holding that military poise, now was it.
Qrow had to stop his eyes from roaming in that moment, the other man was practically a gourmet dish, it was hard not to eat him up. Tie and jacket gone, his sleeves rolled up to the elbow, and the top two buttons of his shirt now open exposing the most delicious bit of collarbone.
“Atlas?” James asked, slightly surprised. He’d known Qrow wasn’t fond of the idea, he hadn't even tried to keep that a secret, but he’d remained professional and got along with the job. However, now with Qrow in his apartment, a much more casual setting, he expected that decorum would be going out the window.
“Yeah.” He answered, taking another large swing of his drink. “I’m worried about what’s going to happen once Atlas is in the air.” He said honestly. James let out a small huff of a laugh as Qrow said this.
“You’re not the only one.” He returned and took a sip of his own drink, only to have Qrow shake his head.
“I’m not talking about the grimm, James.” Qrow clarified. “I’m talking about the people. The divide that’s going to come from this. You’ve heard Oz, Salem wants division, surely we're just giving her what she wants.” James averted his gaze at that. He’d been hearing similar things since the project was announced and it certainly didn't help hearing it from someone who he felt he was close to.
“I’m not going to let a divide happen.” James said with as much confidence he could muster. “I will work with both Mantle and Atlas to ensure that-”
“ James .” Qrow cut him off, their eyes meeting once more. Qrow's gaze was cold for a moment, unbearable, before slipping to something softer. “I’m not the council. I’m not the media. I’m your friend, drop the General act and talk to me like a human being.”
After a few tense moments James sighed once more, placing his glass down on the coffee table before running a hand through his hair. He was stressed, and he knew Qrow knew that too, he needed somebody to lean on. Maybe being honestly with Qrow wouldn't be such a bad thing.
“I’m worried about that too, among other things.” He admitted. “But that doesn't mean I don't believe that Atlas can do a lot of good. Not to mention Oz thinks this is the right thing to do, and I trust him.” James explained, his voice softened now, more genuine.
Qrow listened and watched James intently, desperately wanting to work out what was going on deep in his mind.
“I trust him too, that’s why I’m going along with this whole thing.” Qrow admitted, thinking for a few seconds before speaking once more. “And I trust you. I trust that you are a good man, with a good heart and are just trying to do what you think is best for everyone.” James lifted his gaze back to the other man, a look of surprise coming to his face.
“That doesn’t mean I aren’t going to tell you that I think some of your ideas are stupid, because sometimes they are.” Qrow said with a grin. “But you need someone to be straight with you, Jim.” He continued, a genuine fondness in the huntsman’s voice.
James just stared back, still comprehending some of Qrow’s first words. Qrow trusted him? Qrow thought he was a good man? If all that was true, if Qrow trusted him and his project for Atlas, then why did they need to talk about this.
“Why are you really here, Qrow?” James asked once more, his voice soft and his eyes locking back onto the others. “I don’t think you came here to talk about Atlas, so what’s the real reason?” He asked, only now noticing how close the two of them actually were.
Qrow eyes gazed back at James, the look he gave answering the man's question. The tension was thick, and Qrow knew well that the gears were turning in James’ head. With a small smirk he turned his head away, downing the rest of the whisky in the glass before placing it down once empty on the coffee table.
James could feel his heart beating out of his chest, anticipation practically killing him at the moment. Thankfully, Qrow didn't keep him waiting a moment longer as he finally leaned forward, capturing the General’s lips in a sweet kiss. James immediately responded, returning the kiss as Qrow’s hands moved to the back of James’ neck and the General's moved to the others waist.
All of the tension James once held in his body seemed to dissipate the moment Qrow’s lips connected with his and he couldn't have been more thankful for it. He needed this more now than ever.
However, James was never really great when it came to cutting himself some slack, or allowing himself too much of a good thing. Before things could go any further, James slowly pulled away, tearing his gaze away from the other man. Qrow looked back, confused, but mostly concerned.
“Jim, you ok?” He asked, hand sliding down to the man's shoulder. “I didn't get the wrong end of the stick, did I?” James shook his head in response, eyes slowly returning back to Qrow.
“No, I want this, I really do. I just want to make sure this is something you want.” He spoke softly, a small look of surprise coming to Qrow’s face.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t have made a move otherwise.” He returned with a small grin, one that did make James smile slightly before fading away.
“What I mean is, is that my job can be… difficult when it comes to things like this.” James explained, gesturing between the two of them. “It’s caused problems in the past.” Qrow frowned at that, looking back to the other man.
“I get it, the job comes first, you’re always in the public eye, you’ve got a reputation to uphold.” Qrow went on before smiling once more. “But hey, my job isn't easy either, I don’t get to stay in one place for too long, so I guess they both have to be taken into account. Either way, I’m still willing to give this a go if you are?” He asked, watching as James’ mind seemed to work over the situation before finally giving in.
With a small smile, James leaned forward, kissing the other man once more. Maybe this could work, even against the odds, against the oncoming war. Maybe the two men, the most unlikely of pairs, could find some happiness in one another.