#supposedlyjunkoenoshima

"It's a great idea, Oz, just you wait. The girls make Tai and me Thanksgiving cards every year—you'll definitely be getting one too—so it's only fair that we give some back to them, yeah? Don't get your boxers in a twist over the mess, I'll clean it all up before I go, and—” Qrow suddenly cut himself off. “Motherfuck. Okay, did I actually cross some sort of line?"

Ozpin had been keeping his gaze firmly on the far wall but now he whipped his head back, finding Qrow staring dejectedly down at all the table. He'd gone from teasing to unsure in the span of a heartbeat which, Ozpin had learned over the past few months, was a fairly normal occurrence for him. It took Ozpin a moment to realize what exactly Qrow was staring at: a bottle that had rolled to the very edge of the table and popped its cap. Pink glitter now covered his previously white carpet.

"I'll fix this," Qrow sighed, running a hand through this hair. "Shit, Oz. I didn’t mean to—I just wanted to give you some of the stuff you missed out on as a kid. You're right though. It's stupid."

Ozpin felt his chest constricting. Ha, perhaps he was having a heart attack. It had only been a few weeks before that he had finally told Qrow a bit about his past. Nothing Earth-shattering like most people assumed given his supposedly "enigmatic" nature. Just what so many children dealt with still: inattentive parents, a general lack of care. He'd mentioned it solely because the holidays were approaching and the last thing Ozpin wanted was for Qrow to be blindsided by his general indifference to them. Especially while dating a man who had surrounded himself with family and friends, two young nieces dragging him into all manner of festivities. His honesty had been in preparation only. Ozpin had hardly expected Qrow to try and do something about it.

His hand shot out to stop Qrow before he could stand.

"Leave it," he murmured, squeezing. "I was merely joking with my anger. Teasing you, Qrow. Quite badly it seems. I apologize."

Qrow's whole body sagged. "You're not just saying that?"

"Certainly not."

"Jeez. Well then we’re both just a couple of badly communicating assholes, huh?"

"I would say so, yes."

Qrow shook his head and Ozpin was thrilled to see that smile return, slow as it was. He left the glitter as requested and pulled out sheets of cardboard paper instead, tapping the page.

"Ruby still likes those turkeys," he said seriously. "The ones you make with your hand? Gets a laugh out of the kid every time. Give her one of those and she’ll love you for life."

Was that so? Qrow’s expression said that the act might well secure his love as well…

Interesting.

"I'm afraid I don't know how to make those."

Qrow paused while sketching something onto his own paper. He slowly raised his gaze, eyes disbelieving. There was, 'I've never done these holiday traditions before' and then there was, 'I don't even know what they are.' Ozpin was too smart for the latter.

Still, Qrow tested the waters. “You really don’t know?”

“Mm.”

"I could... show you?"

And Ozpin made sure that his grin was just this side of sultry. He slid down the couch a bit, patting the space between his legs.

"I think you'd better."

Ah. Qrow getting it—that was satisfying.

His own grin lit up his face as Qrow came around to the other side, taking the offered seat. It was a tough squeeze, both their knees pressed up against the table's edge now, but they were willing to make it work. Especially when Ozpin was a warm weight pressed flush against his back and Qrow could tilt his head to drag a quick kiss along Ozpin's neck. He smiled against his skin before laying the paper flat against both their thighs.

"Well, you start by tracing your hand..."

"No, no. I'm afraid I'm a very slow learner, Qrow. You'll need to show me."

"... Heh. Alright then."

Biting his lip Qrow started with his knuckles grazing Ozpin's cheek, reveling in how he immediately shut his eyes; a little, breathy sigh drifting past his lips. Stroking, he trailed fingers down and over Ozpin's shoulder, walking the length of his arm, reaching for his hand—intertwining their fingers. Honestly Qrow meant to move their hands together and actually start drawing... but somehow he never quite got that far. Probably because Ozpin had started nuzzling Qrow's hair and shifting his legs in a rather obscene manner.

"Fuck it," Qrow muttered and cut off Ozpin's laugh with a kiss. He'd never been much for gentle, but he could do devoted just fine. Qrow shifted to frame Ozpin's face between his hands, using tongue and teeth to drag a high-pitched moan out of him, grinding once to collect a whimper as well. When Oz pulled back for breath Qrow set to giving the man a hickey well above his collar. No doubt that was another rite of passage the nerd had missed out on.

Ozpin tilted his head back, huffing. "I do want to create cards for the girls. Just—just not right now, perhaps."

"Mmm, good to hear it. Good taste too..."

"Qrow."

"What? Let me have my meal now. God knows Tai's probably gonna fuck up the turkey."

"Quite alright, considering there's a good chance that turkey wasn't actually a part of the first feast. In many respects a night of fasting would be far more appropriate, as a means of atonement for our genocide of countless indigenous people in the creation of this country."

Oz was surprised when Qrow suddenly stopped his lavish attention. He blinked up at the ceiling. Wait.

"I've ruined the mood again, haven't I?"

"...a little bit, yeah."

"... Sorry."

"Well I'm sorry about ruining the carpet, so that makes two of us."

Qrow pulled back and slid down a bit, cuddling Oz instead. The perks of dating the stupidly tall. After a moment he felt Ozpin begin playing with stray strands of his hair, the two of them staring contentedly down at the unmade Thanksgiving cards and the bright spot of pink on the rug.

"It's only glitter," Ozpin said. "It will vacuum right out."

Qrow pat Ozpin's knee. "Yeeeeeah. About that. You ever tried to remove glitter paint?"

"...oh dear."

“Exactly.”

The girls did eventually get their cards—sporting hand turkeys and as much glitter as Qrow could scoop out of the carpet.