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crowrean fic: pieces instructor au
Title: Pieces
Tags: Crow Armbrust/Rean Schwarzer, one-sided Crow Armbrust/Towa Herschel, one-sided Crow Armbrust/Cedric Reise Arnor, Crow Armbrust, Rean Schwarzer, Valimar, Ordine, Olivert Reise Arnor, Victor S. Arseid, misc pairings will be included as i get to them, no major csiii spoilers
implied future Jusis Albarea/Millium Orion, Machias Regnitz/Alisa Reinford, Gaius Worzel/Emma Millstein, Laura S. Arseid/Elliot Craig, Olivert Reise Arnor/Scherazade, Lloyd Bannings/Elie, Agate Crosner/Tita, Kurt Vander/Juna Crawford, Patrick Hyarms/Elise Schwarzer, Stark’s in love with Crow, can’t convince me otherwise sorry
—
—Cedric sneaking off to see Crow, but Rean’s there being Tender with Crow and he gets embarrassed and eavesdrops
How he and Crow are in the same general vicinity after the civil war nearly escapes Cedric early in his stay in his family’s villa, but a part of him understands. Crow is friends with the Ashen Chevalier’s Awakener and together, they both saved Cedric and stopped Duke Cayenne— without Crow, the war would’ve still started.
Without Crow, Cedric would have never been saved.
And it’s not that riding inside of Testa-rossa, quiet in the ghastly atmosphere of the Divine Knight’s core, is something that lingers on Cedric’s mind. He might think about it every now and again, but months after the fact he’s taken it upon himself to venture through the quiet halls— he’d found out about Crow a month before and visited then, and now he’s thinking of popping in with Alfin, but—
The two of them walk in passed the guards while they’re switching out - one of them trailing in afterwards - while Crow’s bandages are being changed by a woman with reddish hair, and a rueful smile. She’s wearing the Church’s garments and red lipstick, and if Cedric looks closely enough it seems like she and Crow are fairly comfortable with one another.
The moment breaks with Alfin’s audible squeak.
Crow’s surprise is palpable, but his mouth quickly quirks up into a smile and he greets them with a quick wave from the hand on his good side. “Huh... You’re back already?”
Cedric’s visited him frequently. His entire face starts to flush from the tips of his ears to his cheeks and his eyes dart to Alfin, only to see her smiling back in her usual Princess-like manner. It’s a placating, pleasant smile, her cheeks a pretty pink and her eyes closed.
“Crow! I see you’re being tended to,” she says, clapping her hands together. “Should we come back later?”
Crow’s eyes veer off to the sister next to him who’s tying off his bandages, his smile going crooked and sly.
“I dunno. I don’t think it’s proper for royalty to come sneaking in to a criminal’s room while he’s only half dresses, but hey— who am I to judge, right?” And with that, Crow’s reaching to his left to pick up a black shirt, his brow creasing when the sister takes it from him and tuts. “...come on now, Scarlet—“
“Not a chance. ♥ You can’t even raise your arms over your head— what makes you think you can put this shirt back on after we struggled to take it off?”
Cedric and Alfin watch as Crow visibly grimaces as the sister - ‘Scarlet’, now - gives him a wider, cheerier smile, saying, “I’ll get you a shirt that buttons up instead! How does that sound?”
Without waiting for Crow’s reply, Scarlet gets right to work bulldozing over his opinions. Cedric is helplessly confused by this, but Alfin is proper enough to keep her giggle quiet; the Railway Police that came in with them don’t seem to know what to do with two wayward Royals, one nun, and a disgruntled Awakener.
Crow eventually sighs, soft and slow as if anything more will rattle his body (it likely will), and directs his attention back to them with the same crooked smile he gave Scarlet a few moments ago.
“So— was there something you needed? I know Cedric likes to pop up on me, but I see he brought a cute girl with him, too.”
Though charmed and aware of Crow’s wound (grave, gaping only, sealing by—?), Alfin keeps her distance and folds her hands in front of her with a hint of red gracing the tips of her ears. Why Cedric is watching them both so closely, he doesn’t know, but seeing them interact like they’ve met before is a little odd.
Maybe that’s why she was so eager to come with me. She met him before... back on the Pantagruel.
“Oh, I just wanted to check up on you! Dear, sweet Elise has been asking about you,” she says, her tone candy sweet. Scarlet scoffs by the dresser and closes the drawer she’s using with shirt in hand, starting to make her way back over to Crow’s side. “I thought I would see for myself that they were treating you right. You did help save my brother, after all.”
It’s Crow’s turn to raise his eyebrows - not quite Scarlet’s scoff, but a tell that Cedric’s seen more than once - but he wisely chooses his words carefully, obediently holding an arm out for Scarlet when she begins to help him into the shirt.
“You should be directing your thanks over to Rean, shouldn’t you? He pulled most of the weight.”
Typical, Cedric thinks. He doesn’t know why, doesn’t know Crow that well, but his words scream it.
“That’s not what I heard! ♥ Class VII all agree that you and Ordine were doing your very best to save Cedric.”
The other arm, a quasi-embrace, and Cedric’s eyes squint.
“It’s no big deal.”
Huffing, Alfin’s cheeks puff out and she grumbles
“Y’know, I’m really starting to worry about you, Rean. This kind of devotion can’t be healthy.”
Crow’s snide remark is followed by him shaking his head, but from what Cedric can see - Rean’s back, tense and closed off to everything that isn’t his fellow Chevalier - Rean takes it in stride.
Really, Cedric probably shouldn’t even be here right now with his eyes in the small opening on the door. He really, really shouldn’t be here, ditching therapy to visit Crow of all people, but—
Crow’s kindness has saved him plenty of times now and he really needs to talk to him today. Because... the Chancellor—
“Cut the crap, Crow,” Rean grits, closing in on the bed and sitting on the edge of it. Crow’s bandages are peeking out from the top of his shirt, cleanly changed from an hour ago, and the small movement the bed makes doesn’t disturb him. Even when irritated, Rean is kind.
Cedric can’t see Rean’s face, but he hopes it’s softening, hopes he’s being mindful of Crow’s wound. He can probably cut the tension with his just his voice, though he’d never dare.
Too soft, too weak. Do you think this Empire can be changed for the good by your weakness?
Rean’s sigh shakes his entire body and he reaches out, his arms finding purchase around Crow’s shoulders as he leans in and seems to cling to him. Cedric’s heart immediately starts thudding as he watches Crow’s face slacken into shock
—Crow recovered and sitting on Ordine w Rean on Valimar, brunching when Rean breaches the subject of being an Instructor and that Prince Olivier invited Crow as well. Rean expresses concern over Crow and Crow consults Ordine, and they end up agreeing to give it their best.
—Drunk shenanigans
It was a late, cold Leeves night when Rean Schwarzer suddenly began slamming shots down with Crow Armbrust, rising to the challenge Crow gave when he suddenly flashed a sly smile and said, “I don’t think you can outdrink me anyway, so just take it easy! Relax. I’ll carry you home if you get too tipsy.”
And, usually, he was so good at controlling himself, but tonight - two nights before their first day teaching at Leeves’s Thors Military Academy Branch - he and Crow sat at a round table near the stairs at Barney’s, and Crow gave him that little lop-sided smile with that glint in his pretty red eyes—
The last thing on his mind was how ludicrous the situation was, or how stupid it would be to get drunk when Rean still had absolutely no idea what to do about the fluttering in his stomach and chest when Crow so clearly wanted nothing to do with a relationship with a man.
On top of that, there was Crow’s health to take into account. He hid it well, but the phantom pain still haunted him right down to his marrow, and Rean— had no idea what to do about that, either. Rean trusted that Crow knew his body best, but he was still concerned.
“Rean?” Crow’s voice brought him out of his thoughts and he watched Crow set the growler down after pouring them both another another round, the curiosity clear on his face. “Fifty mira for your thoughts?”
Fifty mira.
He still had Crow’s fifty mira sitting on his desk in their shared room, right between the pictures of Rean’s family: Class VII, Angelica, George, Towa, Celine, and the Schwarzers. Crow still lamented paying back the interest even though it was already over and done with on the Pantagruel and Rean had to admit it was sort of cute to watch Crow pout when he teased him about his debt. He wondered if Crow ever noticed when they were in the middle of moving their belongings in early.
Fifty mira held them together as strongly as their Divine Knights did. Fifty mira held all of their memories, their experiences, their two years of blood, sweat, and tears as Crow fought to just live as vividly as he did before— Rean never wanted to let it go, even if it tore Crow in two after the war.
Rean understood more than anything that a part of Crow Armbrust still lived in the civil war at the exact moment that Testa-Rossa ran Ordine through with his tail. He could only imagine how that sort of agony felt, and to have survived it—
He shook his head and smiled for Crow, however strained it was.
“...it’s nothing. Sorry, Crow.”
“What are you apologizing for?” Crow asked, his smile widening as he stood and reached over the table to ruffle Rean’s head. “Drink! We’ve finally got respectable jobs. We’re regular members of society— live a little, man!”
Crow was the very definition of ‘life’. He was floral white and blood red, vibrant and outgoing even when his partner - Rean - was not. He made up for all of the things Rean lacked, giving his second life his all the way that he should’ve been able to back at Thors. The chance to see Crow alive and free was enough to make even Rean’s shoulders sag, Rean beaming as he took his pail by the handle and laughed.
“Haha... alright, alright. I can’t drink a lot tonight, but I’ll stay and have a few more with you.”
Crow laughed along with him and sat back down, slamming a hand on the hard surface of the table while his other hand reached for the pail holding his prized drink. “Now that’s what I’m talking about! Don’t worry, don’t worry— I’ve got your back.”
Tonight, the concern flushed out of his system with a few pails of what Crow called ‘The Good Stuff’ courtesy of his growing, easy friendship with the owner of Barney’s himself. All Rean was aware of was the light conversation, the gentle jabs, and the sound of Crow’s laughter (music to his ears); all of it blended together until the bright lights were bleary and Crow’s arm was around his waist, warm and gently urging him to his feet as he immediately clung to Crow under the pretense of drunkenness.
He could walk just fine himself, but Crow didn’t need to know that. It was embarrassing, but if this was how he could be close to Crow— he could blame it all on the alcohol and no one would be any the wiser.
It made him feel devious and sly, but Crow’s warmth made up for all of his dishonesty in the moment.
(Granted, he was starting to think about how nice it would be to
—
“Hey, Crow?”
“Yeah?”
“I think I’m in love with you.”
—Sequel to drunk shenanigans in Crow’s POV.
Crow was blaming it on the alcohol.
All of it— the cold tip of Rean’s nose against his throat, the warm wandering of his hand over Crow’s back as he walked him back to the dorms, the little nothings Rean whispered against his skin, everything, all of Rean’s tenderness was blamed on the settling of the alcohol in his stomach.
“You smell good, Crow,” and, “That’s not the same stuff you used to use, is it?”
To top it off: “Your skin smells good, too...”
Aidios, help me, Crow prayed, saying a few different prayers to Aidios before hoisting Rean up higher in his arms.
—Stark!!!!! STARKKKKKK wants to break out of formation to flutter around Crow
—Stargazing outside of Leeves, leading to sex
“Haha... you look like you’re on cloud nine,” Crow gently points out, his hand in Rean’s as Rean looks off into the distance with dazed eyes and red cheeks.
Snorting, Crow tilts his head up and plants a wet kiss in between Rean’s brows, curling his arms further around Rean when he feels Rean’s body cuddling closer to his. Their legs entwine and Rean rubs one hand against Crow’s chest and the other over his side, and Crow thinks there might not be much wrong with the world in the moment.
Tags: Crow Armbrust/Rean Schwarzer, one-sided Crow Armbrust/Towa Herschel, one-sided Crow Armbrust/Cedric Reise Arnor, Crow Armbrust, Rean Schwarzer, Valimar, Ordine, Olivert Reise Arnor, Victor S. Arseid, misc pairings will be included as i get to them, no major csiii spoilers
implied future Jusis Albarea/Millium Orion, Machias Regnitz/Alisa Reinford, Gaius Worzel/Emma Millstein, Laura S. Arseid/Elliot Craig, Olivert Reise Arnor/Scherazade, Lloyd Bannings/Elie, Agate Crosner/Tita, Kurt Vander/Juna Crawford, Patrick Hyarms/Elise Schwarzer, Stark’s in love with Crow, can’t convince me otherwise sorry
—
—Cedric sneaking off to see Crow, but Rean’s there being Tender with Crow and he gets embarrassed and eavesdrops
How he and Crow are in the same general vicinity after the civil war nearly escapes Cedric early in his stay in his family’s villa, but a part of him understands. Crow is friends with the Ashen Chevalier’s Awakener and together, they both saved Cedric and stopped Duke Cayenne— without Crow, the war would’ve still started.
Without Crow, Cedric would have never been saved.
And it’s not that riding inside of Testa-rossa, quiet in the ghastly atmosphere of the Divine Knight’s core, is something that lingers on Cedric’s mind. He might think about it every now and again, but months after the fact he’s taken it upon himself to venture through the quiet halls— he’d found out about Crow a month before and visited then, and now he’s thinking of popping in with Alfin, but—
The two of them walk in passed the guards while they’re switching out - one of them trailing in afterwards - while Crow’s bandages are being changed by a woman with reddish hair, and a rueful smile. She’s wearing the Church’s garments and red lipstick, and if Cedric looks closely enough it seems like she and Crow are fairly comfortable with one another.
The moment breaks with Alfin’s audible squeak.
Crow’s surprise is palpable, but his mouth quickly quirks up into a smile and he greets them with a quick wave from the hand on his good side. “Huh... You’re back already?”
Cedric’s visited him frequently. His entire face starts to flush from the tips of his ears to his cheeks and his eyes dart to Alfin, only to see her smiling back in her usual Princess-like manner. It’s a placating, pleasant smile, her cheeks a pretty pink and her eyes closed.
“Crow! I see you’re being tended to,” she says, clapping her hands together. “Should we come back later?”
Crow’s eyes veer off to the sister next to him who’s tying off his bandages, his smile going crooked and sly.
“I dunno. I don’t think it’s proper for royalty to come sneaking in to a criminal’s room while he’s only half dresses, but hey— who am I to judge, right?” And with that, Crow’s reaching to his left to pick up a black shirt, his brow creasing when the sister takes it from him and tuts. “...come on now, Scarlet—“
“Not a chance. ♥ You can’t even raise your arms over your head— what makes you think you can put this shirt back on after we struggled to take it off?”
Cedric and Alfin watch as Crow visibly grimaces as the sister - ‘Scarlet’, now - gives him a wider, cheerier smile, saying, “I’ll get you a shirt that buttons up instead! How does that sound?”
Without waiting for Crow’s reply, Scarlet gets right to work bulldozing over his opinions. Cedric is helplessly confused by this, but Alfin is proper enough to keep her giggle quiet; the Railway Police that came in with them don’t seem to know what to do with two wayward Royals, one nun, and a disgruntled Awakener.
Crow eventually sighs, soft and slow as if anything more will rattle his body (it likely will), and directs his attention back to them with the same crooked smile he gave Scarlet a few moments ago.
“So— was there something you needed? I know Cedric likes to pop up on me, but I see he brought a cute girl with him, too.”
Though charmed and aware of Crow’s wound (grave, gaping only, sealing by—?), Alfin keeps her distance and folds her hands in front of her with a hint of red gracing the tips of her ears. Why Cedric is watching them both so closely, he doesn’t know, but seeing them interact like they’ve met before is a little odd.
Maybe that’s why she was so eager to come with me. She met him before... back on the Pantagruel.
“Oh, I just wanted to check up on you! Dear, sweet Elise has been asking about you,” she says, her tone candy sweet. Scarlet scoffs by the dresser and closes the drawer she’s using with shirt in hand, starting to make her way back over to Crow’s side. “I thought I would see for myself that they were treating you right. You did help save my brother, after all.”
It’s Crow’s turn to raise his eyebrows - not quite Scarlet’s scoff, but a tell that Cedric’s seen more than once - but he wisely chooses his words carefully, obediently holding an arm out for Scarlet when she begins to help him into the shirt.
“You should be directing your thanks over to Rean, shouldn’t you? He pulled most of the weight.”
Typical, Cedric thinks. He doesn’t know why, doesn’t know Crow that well, but his words scream it.
“That’s not what I heard! ♥ Class VII all agree that you and Ordine were doing your very best to save Cedric.”
The other arm, a quasi-embrace, and Cedric’s eyes squint.
“It’s no big deal.”
Huffing, Alfin’s cheeks puff out and she grumbles
“Y’know, I’m really starting to worry about you, Rean. This kind of devotion can’t be healthy.”
Crow’s snide remark is followed by him shaking his head, but from what Cedric can see - Rean’s back, tense and closed off to everything that isn’t his fellow Chevalier - Rean takes it in stride.
Really, Cedric probably shouldn’t even be here right now with his eyes in the small opening on the door. He really, really shouldn’t be here, ditching therapy to visit Crow of all people, but—
Crow’s kindness has saved him plenty of times now and he really needs to talk to him today. Because... the Chancellor—
“Cut the crap, Crow,” Rean grits, closing in on the bed and sitting on the edge of it. Crow’s bandages are peeking out from the top of his shirt, cleanly changed from an hour ago, and the small movement the bed makes doesn’t disturb him. Even when irritated, Rean is kind.
Cedric can’t see Rean’s face, but he hopes it’s softening, hopes he’s being mindful of Crow’s wound. He can probably cut the tension with his just his voice, though he’d never dare.
Too soft, too weak. Do you think this Empire can be changed for the good by your weakness?
Rean’s sigh shakes his entire body and he reaches out, his arms finding purchase around Crow’s shoulders as he leans in and seems to cling to him. Cedric’s heart immediately starts thudding as he watches Crow’s face slacken into shock
—Crow recovered and sitting on Ordine w Rean on Valimar, brunching when Rean breaches the subject of being an Instructor and that Prince Olivier invited Crow as well. Rean expresses concern over Crow and Crow consults Ordine, and they end up agreeing to give it their best.
—Drunk shenanigans
It was a late, cold Leeves night when Rean Schwarzer suddenly began slamming shots down with Crow Armbrust, rising to the challenge Crow gave when he suddenly flashed a sly smile and said, “I don’t think you can outdrink me anyway, so just take it easy! Relax. I’ll carry you home if you get too tipsy.”
And, usually, he was so good at controlling himself, but tonight - two nights before their first day teaching at Leeves’s Thors Military Academy Branch - he and Crow sat at a round table near the stairs at Barney’s, and Crow gave him that little lop-sided smile with that glint in his pretty red eyes—
The last thing on his mind was how ludicrous the situation was, or how stupid it would be to get drunk when Rean still had absolutely no idea what to do about the fluttering in his stomach and chest when Crow so clearly wanted nothing to do with a relationship with a man.
On top of that, there was Crow’s health to take into account. He hid it well, but the phantom pain still haunted him right down to his marrow, and Rean— had no idea what to do about that, either. Rean trusted that Crow knew his body best, but he was still concerned.
“Rean?” Crow’s voice brought him out of his thoughts and he watched Crow set the growler down after pouring them both another another round, the curiosity clear on his face. “Fifty mira for your thoughts?”
Fifty mira.
He still had Crow’s fifty mira sitting on his desk in their shared room, right between the pictures of Rean’s family: Class VII, Angelica, George, Towa, Celine, and the Schwarzers. Crow still lamented paying back the interest even though it was already over and done with on the Pantagruel and Rean had to admit it was sort of cute to watch Crow pout when he teased him about his debt. He wondered if Crow ever noticed when they were in the middle of moving their belongings in early.
Fifty mira held them together as strongly as their Divine Knights did. Fifty mira held all of their memories, their experiences, their two years of blood, sweat, and tears as Crow fought to just live as vividly as he did before— Rean never wanted to let it go, even if it tore Crow in two after the war.
Rean understood more than anything that a part of Crow Armbrust still lived in the civil war at the exact moment that Testa-Rossa ran Ordine through with his tail. He could only imagine how that sort of agony felt, and to have survived it—
He shook his head and smiled for Crow, however strained it was.
“...it’s nothing. Sorry, Crow.”
“What are you apologizing for?” Crow asked, his smile widening as he stood and reached over the table to ruffle Rean’s head. “Drink! We’ve finally got respectable jobs. We’re regular members of society— live a little, man!”
Crow was the very definition of ‘life’. He was floral white and blood red, vibrant and outgoing even when his partner - Rean - was not. He made up for all of the things Rean lacked, giving his second life his all the way that he should’ve been able to back at Thors. The chance to see Crow alive and free was enough to make even Rean’s shoulders sag, Rean beaming as he took his pail by the handle and laughed.
“Haha... alright, alright. I can’t drink a lot tonight, but I’ll stay and have a few more with you.”
Crow laughed along with him and sat back down, slamming a hand on the hard surface of the table while his other hand reached for the pail holding his prized drink. “Now that’s what I’m talking about! Don’t worry, don’t worry— I’ve got your back.”
Tonight, the concern flushed out of his system with a few pails of what Crow called ‘The Good Stuff’ courtesy of his growing, easy friendship with the owner of Barney’s himself. All Rean was aware of was the light conversation, the gentle jabs, and the sound of Crow’s laughter (music to his ears); all of it blended together until the bright lights were bleary and Crow’s arm was around his waist, warm and gently urging him to his feet as he immediately clung to Crow under the pretense of drunkenness.
He could walk just fine himself, but Crow didn’t need to know that. It was embarrassing, but if this was how he could be close to Crow— he could blame it all on the alcohol and no one would be any the wiser.
It made him feel devious and sly, but Crow’s warmth made up for all of his dishonesty in the moment.
(Granted, he was starting to think about how nice it would be to
—
“Hey, Crow?”
“Yeah?”
“I think I’m in love with you.”
—Sequel to drunk shenanigans in Crow’s POV.
Crow was blaming it on the alcohol.
All of it— the cold tip of Rean’s nose against his throat, the warm wandering of his hand over Crow’s back as he walked him back to the dorms, the little nothings Rean whispered against his skin, everything, all of Rean’s tenderness was blamed on the settling of the alcohol in his stomach.
“You smell good, Crow,” and, “That’s not the same stuff you used to use, is it?”
To top it off: “Your skin smells good, too...”
Aidios, help me, Crow prayed, saying a few different prayers to Aidios before hoisting Rean up higher in his arms.
—Stark!!!!! STARKKKKKK wants to break out of formation to flutter around Crow
—Stargazing outside of Leeves, leading to sex
“Haha... you look like you’re on cloud nine,” Crow gently points out, his hand in Rean’s as Rean looks off into the distance with dazed eyes and red cheeks.
Snorting, Crow tilts his head up and plants a wet kiss in between Rean’s brows, curling his arms further around Rean when he feels Rean’s body cuddling closer to his. Their legs entwine and Rean rubs one hand against Crow’s chest and the other over his side, and Crow thinks there might not be much wrong with the world in the moment.