Shadows: A Tauradonna Collection

Drabble: Crossroads of destiny

Rating: K+

Summary: Blake and Adam reencounter after many years after he left Blake and the island to join the White Fang in the human kingdoms. They have changed and their feelings too, but how will they react when they meet again in a White Fang party?

A/N: As you see, this was the less voted option in the poll I made a few weeks ago. I changed the title from 'Unexpected Reencounter' to Crossroads of Destiny'.

The options of the last poll are all posted so down below at the end of the chapter you will find the answers to the reviews and a new poll to vote which drabble I should post next.

Expect fluff and angst mixed all together!

The garden of the Belladonna's had never been so majestuous before. There were flowers everywhere, cut in symmetrical shapes and torches all around to illuminate the night. With her help and Kali's talent, mother and daughter had managed to make the place be captivating. The eyes of the guests to the event couldn't lie. Despite being them mere soldiers of the White Fang, the little sensitivity they had left was shown by their surprised faces when saw that the garden was so beautiful. Maybe it was because they were back home after a long struggle in the human kingdoms. That was why they were in the chieftain's garden, to be promoted for their efforts.

"Go eat something from the buffet, sweety. Have fun." Kali said to her daughter, who felt out of place being surrounded by so many strangers.

She had no other option. Her father was too busy congratulating personally the faunus fighters and her mother was meant to be by their side. Maybe the crowded garden wasn't a bad idea after all, Blake could wander around without dragging much attention. Well, if it weren't for that new dress her mother had bought for her with illusion and she was forced to put on. It was still difficult to walk in the grass with high heel shoes. Struggling, Blake managed to reach for the table that had some drinks on it. She filled a glass with fruit juice and thought for a while if she should add some alcohol just to make the night more fun.

Suddenly, a hand was placed on her shoulder. Belladonna immediately left the alcohol bottle on the table again and turned faking a smile, thinking it was her father who would scold her for even considering drinking alcohol in an official act. Nevertheless, who she found made her heart pound harder than the speculated situation.

"A-Adam?"

Adam was too focused on his duty that forgot Blake being on the same room as him. It had been like that lately, but their relationship was still the same when they met casually. Belladonna stared at him from the sofa while he tried to print some papers related with the White Fang. Taurus gave her a quick glance and smiled. The shine on her eyes reminded him of a loyal dog waiting for its owner. Nevertheless, it was him that had to come into her dad's office to take care of the paperwork.

"Would you like to have some tea with me when you finish?" She asked sweetly.

Adam put the paper in the printer and used the computer to download the formulary. He spent a few seconds doing so and then reminded his friend's words.

"Coffee is better." He replied, trying to figure out how Ghira's computer worked. "If you don't mind preparing me one, of course."

"Alright. Let me get it for you." Belladonna sentenced getting up from the sofa. "I'll let you work in peace meanwhile."

Adam muttered a low 'thanks' and didn't take his eyes off Blake until she left her father's office. Then his sight rested on the keyboard as he read the first lines of the letter he had written before emailing it to the Vale branch leader.

"I'd like to express the reasons for my sudden decision: I wish to be moved to another faction of the organization because there's not much work to do in the Menagerie brotherhood. I'm trained and qualified to be in human kingdoms to fight for our rights and I'd feel more helpful in the first line of the rallies in the big cities."

That letter, of course, had to be accompanied with the document that he had just printed where he had to write all his personal information down. Luckily, his petition would be accepted a few days after his 16th birthday, his coming of age. He pressed the send key knowing that it would mean leaving behind all he had in the island: Blake.

Although he didn't express himself enough, he cared deeply for his childhood friend. And she was very fond of him as well. She knew something wasn't right and Adam's didn't like to admit that he was absent during their afternoons together. Seeing her only reminded him that one day he would have to leave and say goodbye. But he also didn't want to start enjoying too much their time together and showing affection because that would result even more suspicious. Nevertheless, he could say that Blake had been the one more affectionate despite being shy. She was too embarrassed to speak freely and Adam too cold to show his emotions.

Taurus continued thinking in a cycle about his decisions while writing in the formulary. He was young and it was the right time to leave his homeland and join the faunus fight. Nothing could hold him back, not even Blake.

The cat faunus entered the room with the tea tray in one hand, trying to close the door as silently as possible. Adam was too busy to notice her presence as it happened lately. Stealthily she left the tray on the table and walled slow towards his best friend in order to sneak and watch what he was doing. Her female senses couldn't be wrong, an important decision was being made. She had known Adam for so many years and he had never behaved so suspiciously. She was pretty upset that he didn't share his thoughts with her. They had never held any secrets from each other and she feared their relationship to become colder.

"I can smell your scent kilometers away, Blake." Adam suddenly said, hiding the document and facing her. "Are you training to be a ninja?"

The only way to stop Blake from doing something was making her feel embarrassed about herself. Adam's words made her feel guilty as he knew she was trying to spy on him and that was just awful.

"I just wanted to scare you." Blake lied with blush on her cheeks, looking away or he couldn't lie.

"What are you so concerned about?" He asked, this time without a smile. "This is confidential information of the Menagerie brotherhood, I'm not planning a murder." He said, joking to make the lie be lighter.

Belladonna felt her heart pounding. He didn't hesitate in lying to her, something Blake felt awful to do. As much as he clarified the situation she knew something was wrong. But if he had told her yet nothing would make him do it at that moment neither.

Adam saw the cat faunus folding her ears in shame and looking down. She looked like a scolded child who was regretting her naughty actions. Nevertheless, she was just a young teenager and despite her mind being developed, part of her was still a child.

"Let's relax for a while and enjoy our drinks, shall we?" He said, rubbing slightly her arm to cheer her up.

When Blake looked up the first thing she saw was Adam's warm smile and as silly as that was, it was the only thing that could make her worries go away. He held her hand and made her follow him to try and get the incognita out of her mind. He almost shoved her down the sofa and sat next to her, closer than he had never sat. That was his only resource, make her feel awkward so she couldn't think straight. And of course, the change from sitting to the frontal seat to resting beside her was obvious and Blake immediately felt overwhelmed to have all his attention on her.

The chamomile tea was the only thing that could calm her down temporarily. After a few sips, she could look straight into Adam's eyes again and control the heavy pounding of her heart.

"I don't understand why you like coffee." The cat faunus spoke to break the ice.

"Give it a try, you'll become an addict." Adam insisted, handing out his own cup.

Belladonna hesitated and left the tea back on the tray before getting a hold of Adam's black coffee. It burned but had two ice cubes inside, something Blake couldn't comprehend but did without questioning him. All to please him.

Her lips met the bitter caffeine and she felt the urge to throw up. Instead, Blake left the cup on the table and made a disgusted face, swallowing down the small sip of coffee she took. Taurus laughed at her and Belladonna wanted to be colder and separate herself from him. But then, instead of keeping making fun of her coldly, Adam touched her.

With one hand placed under her chin holding her face steady, his fingers wiped off the rests of coffee dust in the corner of her mouth. Instead of stopping once she was clean, he kept caressing her lips, playfully pulling her lower lip down to cause a reaction on her. Belladonna felt his warmth, the same temperature as the awful coffee she had tasted. But Adam's touch didn't feel awful, it was comforting. So was his hot breath on her forehead.

When their eyes had been locked together too much time, Adam moved his hands to the tea tray and got up. Usually, he liked to tease Blake that way but now it seemed to have another effect on him. He felt the urge to get out of there.

"I'm going to return this to the kitchen." Adam announced, disappearing quickly behind the door.

Blake stayed on her place, sitting as her fingers touched the spot his warmth had been. There was her heart again, skipping a beat when she realized why she felt these sensations.

The computer beeped and got Blake's attention immediately. She could give a peek at what Adam was writing before and held secretly. She looked around and saw Adam's silhouette outside, he seemed to be taking a break. Maybe he felt the same sensation as her when they touched each other. Blake prayed for Adam to stay outside breathing fresh air for a minute more and walked towards the computer. She clicked on the hidden window and the letter to the Vale faction leader was shown before her eyes.

Taurus entered Ghira's office as if everything was in order. His emotions weren't in order so he took a so much needed minute to relax outside. Nevertheless, when he entered, his heart skipped a beat. Blake was sitting in front of the computer and had both hands covering her face.

"Blake…" He said walking towards her. "I know I should have told you b-but…"

"Congratulations." Belladonna suddenly said, uncovering her face and containing her tears. She got up but didn't have enough courage to stare him in the eye. "They replied to your letter. You can leave this damned island you hate so much!"

Taurus had never heard speak with so much sorrow before. Her delicate voice cracked and she was obviously at the edge of crying. He had hidden everything to not hurt her and it only caused the contrary effect. He didn't care about the authorization to leave he had just received.

"Blake…" He said again, trying to reach for her and comfort her.

"Don't touch me!" She yelled, more hurt than furious. Adam didn't obey so Blake ended pushing him backward with a strength she didn't even know she had. "Leave me alone."

Adam knew he was losing Blake. He had never kept something from her so he also never knew if that would upset her. He had the clear answer right before his eyes. Belladonna saw that he didn't take her words seriously so she made an effort and stared into Adam's eyes saying:

"Get out of here." But it didn't cause any effect on him, who stayed frozen.

Taurus didn't even flinch and made a step forward to trap her between him and the desk. Blake broke the eye contact and made a step behind, her back touching the edge of the table.

"You have to understand, Blake." He said, trying to calm her. Deep down he didn't know how to continue as he was as speechless as her. He would have continued speaking but Blake looked up at him and that made his skin crawl.

"I don't care where you go! Leave!" She sentenced. Taurus couldn't believe her. "I don't want to see you again."

Taurus made a few steps backward and tried to process the information. Before he could figure out why Blake was behaving like that, she left. Blake ran outside the office, knowing her tears could no longer be hidden.

What Adam couldn't believe was that she didn't even come to the docks to say goodbye. He guessed all she wanted was to forget him. And he left Menagerie with that thorn nailed in his heart.

"I wasn't sure if it was you." Taurus said, taking his hand off her shoulder to not creep her out. "You have grown a lot, Blake. I almost can't believe my eyes."

Belladonna ignored the compliments coming from her former best friend. The guilt was still on her after not saying a proper goodbye to him when she left. She had been too in love to think about losing him again. But she was sure that Adam was hurt too for everything that happened.

Taurus was too mesmerized to even be worried about Blake not saying anything to him. Her body had changed a lot and that purple dress only remarked the beautiful curves she had developed. And her face was no longer the same of a child, even without the slight makeup she was wearing he could tell her lips got bigger and her eyes were more mature. And for last her hair, it had grown so much. That was why she had it tied up in a high ponytail.

"You are here…" Blake finally managed to say.

How could she speak to him the way they used to if their friendship had ended so bad in the past? She was dying to hug him but the regret didn't allow her to take the necessary steps forward to approach him.

"It seems like you have seen a ghost." Taurus tried to joke, not sounding too tense but deep down worried about Blake's reaction.

"I thought I had lost you…" She said, her voice unstable and her teeth biting her lower lip, a sign of anxiety.

Adam embraced her warmly, now knowing for sure that she wasn't angry to see him again, just sad because he had left her. When he first left he couldn't understand why Blake reacted so violently to the truth. But with some time to cold things out, he found the real reason behind her reaction.

"I missed you a lot." Taurus said, caressing her back in circles and enjoying the sweet smell of her scent.

"I'm sorry." She muttered, sinking her face in Adam's strong chest with sorrow. He was so changed too. With only touching she could feel how strong he had become these years away…

"Forget it, Blake. Let's pretend as if nothing happened." Adam said, taking some distance between them to stare at her and make sure that she understood the message. "We both did something wrong, it's not your fault."

Belladonna stayed silent and looked away. She felt vulnerable and helpless in front of him. Maybe it was for her new appearance. His black horns had grown at the size of an adult faunus, he was taller and stronger and she looked small beside him. That only made her feel defenseless.

"Have you seen my father yet?" She asked, trying to forget her insecurities.

"Yes. He told me to come and catch up with you."

Adam omitted the part when he scolded him as a protective father would. Of course he had hurt Blake but despite that Ghira insisted that he had to meet Blake again after all that time. Taurus waited for her to reply something but she was speechless, her brain too busy processing all the information to think about a topic to speak for a while.

"Come with me, Blake." Adam suddenly said, scaring the cat faunus, making her think that he meant leaving Menagerie and moving to the human kingdoms. He held out his hand for her seeing her worried expression. "We have a lot to talk about."

"Right." Blake said, faking a smile and looking around before following Adam, making sure that nobody saw them getting inside the house.

Belladonna remained silent, not quite sure about how she felt about their reencounter. Of course she was glad to meet him again but she felt ashamed for what she did. She didn't even go to say goodbye to him when he left the island. She yelled at him and that was their last memory together until that day. Adam guided her upstairs to the balcony on top of the house. When they were younger they used to go there and spend time on the roof talking about everything and anything.

"Do you remember how much time we used to spend here?" Adam said, looking up at the roof. "I'll help you climb, come on."

Blake stared at him surprised, not expecting Adam to propose remembering old memories.

"Okay." Blake said, taking off her shoes. "But I don't need your help anymore."

The cat faunus jumped up, got a hold on the edge of the roof and succeeded in pulling her body up. Adam smirked and once Blake was sitting on the rooftop, he made a high jump and reached to be beside her without even making an effort. Belladonna camouflaged her surprise and stared at the sky, the stars shone brightly.

"I really needed to apologize, Adam." Blake said, wanting to relieve her guilt and enjoy Adan's company again. "I acted selfishly and I was immature. You are free to do whatever you want with your life. It's just that… It took me by surprise and shutting you out was the only thing I thought that could stop the anger I was holding towards you."

"Don't say you're sorry again. It happened a while ago, now we have changed." He assured.

Belladonna sat on his knees and faced him. Now she felt capable of looking at him. She had to make sure he didn't hold anything against her.

"But will you forgive me?" Blake insisted, wanting to hear the exact words that would bring her peace of mind.

"I never blamed you. Especially when I found out why you acted that way." Adam started, holding her hand and noticing how cold she was. He needed to express himself too and that was the right moment to tell her. "Emotions can't be controlled. If I had known what you felt for me I would have handled the situation differently."

Blake opened her eyes wide. How did he know that she was in love with him if she didn't even realize it until it was too late? The surprise became shyness and a slight blush stained her pale cheeks. Blake felt the urge to look down but Adam didn't allow her, lifting her chin up.

"I was in love with you too, Blake. You had no idea how difficult it was to make such decision. But I wanted to focus on making the world a better place so maybe someday you could join me and leave the island" He explained.

"A-Adam…" Blake muttered, surprised by his words. If she had known…

"I don't know if it is too late, Blake." Taurus continued.

"Too late for what?" She asked.

Adam remained silent and stared down at her lips, then back at her eyes. Blake's chest trembled as he got closer. Everything had changed so much in one night. She wasn't expecting any of that and hated when she didn't have the control of the situation.

"Adam, no…" She whispered when their foreheads were touching.

"Shh…"

Taurus made her hush by pressing his lips against hers. Blake didn't resist and closed her eyes to enjoy her first kiss. It was sweet and patient, without any urge, just showing affection. He pulled Blake closer and she embraced his neck as his tongue asked to go further. For a moment, Blake pulled away from him to stare into his eyes and seeing how much love was on his glance, she took the initiative and started a round of soft kisses that would make the guilt go away completely.

Adam's hands traveled his way up Blake's smooth legs as the kissing continued. He had longed for her for so many years and she finally was with him. His feelings for her never vanished and he could tell hers neither. Nevertheless, when Adam reached to explore more of Blake, she pulled away from him to recover some breath. They rested for a few seconds but when Adam approached again, Blake pushed his chest backward.

"This can't be, Adam." Belladonna said, almost breathless. "You'll leave and I don't want to lose you again."

"That's the same reason why you reacted that way the night you found out I would leave." Taurus replied. "Our feelings are mutual, why can't we enjoy tonight?"

"Because I'm not like you. You chose to leave the island, I'm in the same right to chose not to be tied to you." Blake replied coldly. "If we mate it only would make things worse."

Blake's sharp election of words made Adam shiver. She had much more personality, she was no longer a dependent little girl. She had learned to protect herself and Adam knew she was making the right decision. Nevertheless, he felt that if he left he couldn't erase her from his mind.

"And if I stayed?" Taurus whispered, looking at Menagerie lights. Then he turned to stare at Belladonna's expression.

"Adam, please, don't play with me." He reached for her but Blake moved backward. "We both know that I won't leave Menagerie and you won't stay."

The cat faunus was too intelligent to fall for weak promises. Adam didn't mean her any harm but such unexpected surprises had shooked them both and thinking straight was more difficult than ever. Blake was now the one staring at the horizon and he took advantage of the distraction to stare at her. Discreetly, Blake warmed herself with her hands, rubbing her arms. She was cold, Adam could notice.

The bull faunus took off his coat and slightly approached Blake to place it over her shoulders. She accepted the jacket but instead of keeping it over her she put it on. The coat was large and it covered her dress and legs up to the knees. The cloth smelled of Adam, it was clean but still, his scent was on it. He noticed her smelling his clothes, knowing that would only cause her to want to be close to him. Meanwhile, he would lay down and stare at the sky.

As he expected, just a few minutes later, Blake mimicked him and laid on the roof, getting closer to him.

"How are the human kingdoms?" She asked, just to break the awkward silence. She wanted to do something productive or she would return down to the garden, where her father would be searching for her surely.

"Big and bright." Adam didn't need much time to think about his answer. "Not as crowded as here. The air isn't as pure as the one here but you certainly feel alive there."

Belladonna was a little hurt when heard his explanation. He didn't seem to care about her when he left and that was what caused her more pain than anything. He had never written but now that he was back it all seemed as if his world spun around her. She felt used and betrayed but those emotions were all her responsibility.

Blake turned to see Adam and put her head under his arm. He knew she was feeling humiliated for still wanting him despite not being in love with him anymore. She could just picture him as a friend, but not as a lover as she used to dream about before him leaving. Taurus pulled her closer until her head was under his chin. He had longed for a hug and luckily Blake found the cuddling pretty comforting so she didn't move.

They spent the time cuddling like that, Blake with his coat on and Adam staring at the nightly sky. None of them spoke, just enjoyed their company in a way that both thought would hurt less when he left and she stayed. Being so quiet, the cat faunus slowly started to fall asleep and Adam found the sight too adorable to recommend her to get up and go to her room to rest. He also wanted to avoid saying goodbye in a way, now the roles were reversed.

Once Adam made sure Blake was deeply asleep, he carefully got up and lifted her petite body. He jumped down from the roof to the balcony of her dorm and entered to leave her properly. The bedsheets sank with Blake as he left her on her bed. He also decided to leave his coat om her so she could remember him and not mistake that night with just a lucid dream.

Taurus stared down at her and bent over to place a sweet kiss on her forehead, making her shiver on her sleep. He would leave before dawn back to Vale and for then, she would still be asleep.

Answers to the reviews:

merendinoemiliano: Oh, I have such cool things for your drabble! You can help me with one thing: propose some titles, please. I'm going insane trying to title the drabble.

emmaleewhittaker: Glad you liked them, dear. I'm also working on a version from Volumes 1 to 3 with Adam sneaking into Beacon with a very malevolous plan and trying to make Blake his backup inside the academy. You suggested something similar a while ago. Sounds good?

TheBritishRose: I'm planning a second part for Adam's revenge Drabble, I'll give more details on next polls when I start writing it.

Poll: Which drabble should I post next?

There are two options (both are mostly angst):

#1 Hate's seed: Remember when I posted the drabble 'Pregnancy test' and I commented in the end to write another version with different circumstances of the pregnancy? Problems, Adam still in the White Fang and Blake in Beacon carrying his child. Both having to do an arrangement over the baby growing inside Blake. If you go to that drabble you can read the exact details of the idea I gave. This option is not as bitter as the next one, it contains also moments of fluff and sadness.

#2 Tainted love: A drabble full of arguments, guilt, blood, manipulations, tears and secret schemes. A heavy Tauradonna version with a storyline nearest to the actual canon, showing a violent and possessive Adam and his toxic behavior towards Blake, who is between the sword and the wall and doesn't know what to do. Inspired by the song Tainted Love (search for Marta and Natalia's version OT) and Last Day of Magic by The Kills. Not fluff nor romance, a lot of angst and the darkest face of Adam being exposed.

Vote in the reviews! It's free and I read all of them!