"Gah!" Adam's gasp of agony was quickly followed by painful wincing while he very slowly sat up clutching his ribs. His rage filled green eyes burned indignantly at the untied shoelaces that were still out of his reach due to his injuries. I hate everything!
"Adam! What did I tell you, if you need something ask me, you're still healing!" His caretaker slash captor walked right towards the living room couch where he was seated.
"Don't scold me human! I don't need you to-"
"I thought we've been over this, my name is Ruby. Not 'human' not 'woman', Ruby!" She snapped, silencing him instantly while she knelt down in front of him, feeling around for his shoes.
"Grrr… fine, Ruby, do you even know what you're doing?" Even as angry sounded, he still moved his foot ever so gently until it bumped against her hand. No one in my entire life has frustrated me as much as this damn human.
"You have so little faith in me. There, already done." She grinned triumphantly before standing up. The knot itself, however, was rather sloppy.
"It'll have to do, I guess." With an resigned shake of his head he compelled his body to stand. "So, where are we going?"
"To the store, I need to do some grocery shopping and a walk will help you heal." Without another word, Ruby turned around and grabbed a reusable shopping bag from the counter in the kitchen.
"Go by yourself, I'm not going to be dragged around all day by you!" He folded his arms over his chest with a bitter huff before the sharp pain in his side forced his body to relax. Damn it, she's not wrong, I won't heal quickly or correctly if I stay lounging around. Even so, if I go out and someone recognizes me I won't be able to get away. I can't even fight, I lost Wilt and Blush after my fight with the Schnee witch.
"But Adaaaaam!" A pathetic, whimpering whine caught the wounded terrorist off guard, leaving him vulnerable to a terrifyingly effective puppy dog face. Ruby stared not quite at him with those big damn glistening eyes.
"Fine! Just stop with those annoying sounds!" Once again, he was defeated by the little, fragile, blind woman. Despite his indignation and embarrassment, he found himself struggling to stand anyway.
"Wait, let me help y-"
"I don't need your help or your pity!" He snapped, gritting his teeth while he forced himself up from the couch… before collapsing back down… painfully. 'I hate this! It wasn't this bad yesterday, why does it hurt more now!? I can't stand being so weak and-'
"It's not pity. It's compassion." Ruby's voice sounded so unlike anything he'd heard from her before that for a moment, Adam forgot about his suffering. She stood over him, her expression complex and her eyes fixed on where she assumed his would be, only a little bit off. She slowly extended her hand out to him while her other found the arm of the couch to brace herself.
"Let me help you, please." It wasn't an order, it wasn't blackmail or manipulation like she had used to get her way with him before. This was an honest, earnest request…
For my sake… It was a strange realization, the words felt like they resounded just as much from his chest as his head and together it felt so overwhelming he was frozen in place, staring into her eyes for a long moment before whatever spell she had cast finally broke.
"Fine." His brain, still trying to understand exactly what just happened, could only manage to speak that one word as he gave Ruby his hand.
"Thank you." The genuine gratitude and relief in her voice hit him with another tsunami of emotions he didn't understand. He was helpless to do anything other than let her slowly ease him up.
"Hooray! Hah-hah! We did it!" Way too excited and jubilant, Ruby did her little victory dance, jumping and twirling back towards the kitchen, stopping abruptly in front of the counter to grab her bag. "Let's get this show on the road!"
"Let's just get this over with." Adam begrudgingly followed a humming, happy Ruby out the door.
The hot summer sunlight bared down, reflecting off of everything before scorching
Adam's eyes. It was the first time he'd been outside since he was found by Ruby. And between her blindness and my night vision, we rarely have the lights on. Actually, maybe a pair of sunglasses will help keep me from being recognized.
"Aaah, It's so beautiful out!" Ruby spread her arms and took a long, deep breath of the clean island air, staring up toward the sun with her eyes closed, soaking in the rays. "It's this amazing?!"
"Yeah…" his arms relaxed at his sides and through squinted eyes, he tried taking in the scenery, but his vision was too blanched from the sudden increase in brightness. I don't see what's she's-
His thought stopped as he looked at the girl bathed in brilliant white light, taking in the bleary site of her shape before everything faded to darkness. With his eyes now closed, everything was different.
The stinging pain in his burning retinas and the constant fight against his eyelids had taken away from all the other things that he wasn't focusing on. The breeze was cool and just humid enough, carrying the nostalgic scent of sandy beaches. The birds were singing and chattering while cicadas hummed throughout the forest.
He realized, the world he was experiencing was even sharper and more vivid to her. Even so, he felt strangely isolated, finding himself, just for a moment, unsure of where Ruby was. For reasons he couldn't even begin to fathom, the briefest spark of fear ignited within him before his eyes opened, only to find himself staring painfully at Ruby once again.
"I guess it is."
"Mhhh, I don't wanna go! I know we need to but… hey! Why don't we have a picnic today! It'll be nice, maybe we could go to the beach if you're feeling up to it!" She was glowing, brimming with life and excitement as she walked down the dirt path that cut through the forest towards the road. With a brief shake of his head and the tiniest smile on his lips, he followed her.
Click!
The noise immediately caught his attention as it sounded off right next to him.
Click!
His eyes darted around the forest, his chest tight as his warrior instincts put him on edge.
Click!
"Ruby?"
"Oh, sorry, is that bothering you? It's my clicker, I use it to hear my way around." She held up a little box with a single button under her thumb. "It's a little easier than using my cane but it's not perfect."
"You do you 'hear your way around' with that?" He was dubious at best, but at this point he was pretty sure she wasn't just screwing with him.
"I hear the echoes bouncing off of things. My driveway is usually okay but sometimes branches and things fall from the trees and I want to make sure I don't trip." The ever so subtle hesitation in her step after saying that made Adam think that it was something she had to learn from painful experience.
"That's… clever." He didn't feel the normal violent repulsion he expected to feel when the complement sipped passed his lips. He was impressed. Faunus with especially acute hearing can use echolocation, but to think a mere human can do it as well.
"Thanks! It took me a while to pick up but it's super useful so I'm glad I learned it." She kept clicking as she spoke, only stopping at the threshold of the pavement where the road began. "My Dad and Sister petitioned the mayor to put a bus stop near my house so we won't have to walk far."
"Good." He grumbled, following Ruby down the street while she pulled a thin, collapsible cane out of her bag and began sweeping it back and forth in front of her. Just as she said, it only took a minute for them to reach the bus stop, a little bench with a back wall and hood coming up from the ground to give it shade.
"Routine is one of the best tricks I have. The bus should be coming in a couple minutes so we won't be sitting here too long." With a smile as warm as the sun, she took her seat, feeling around until her fingers found the edge of the seat. She quickly pulled herself to the side and giggled before patting the empty space beside her.
"It better be, I don't want to be here all day." Less than thrilled, he took his seat, feeling the minor impact of his weight on the bench send another wave of pain through his body. It's taking me so long to heal… that witch nearly killed me didn't she? Well, I'm alive and once I recover, I'll rip out her pretty little throat.
"Well, nothing we can do to make it come sooner. Wanna talk?" She smiled towards the woods on the other side of the street while he legs swayed back and forth.
"Talk about what?" He wasn't sure why, but he got the feeling he was being set up for talking about something he would rather not.
"Hmmm… oh, I know!" She blurred out excitedly with a playful grin on her lips. "Tell me where you're from. I mean, I've been on Patch my whole life, I'd love to hear what other places are like."
"I-" He hesitated, choosing his words carefully, not wanting to accidentally give away his real identity. "I was born on Menagerie. It's an island, not too different from here. A lot warmer and the sun shines brighter. If you went down to the markets it smelled like exotic imported food and local fish and fruits. I remember playing on the beaches a lot when I was young, the waves were warm and inviting all year long. If it got too hot, my friends and I would cool down under the palm trees."
By the time he trailed off, his chest filled with so much nostalgia that his words failed him, he realized… That's the first time I've talked about any of that in… I- I don't remember. I can't even remember the last time I thought about all of that.
"Oooh! It sounds so beautiful, I hope I can go someday and-"
"It's not for humans!" Ruby recoiled at the pure spite and unbridled rage as a large shadow cast over her. "No! You humans think you own everything, you think you can just give us a piece of land to make up for everything you've done and then act like you still own it! Still own us! You don't!"
The bull Faunus huffed with out of control anger boiling his blood. Beneath him, the small, blind human woman trembled in shock.
"Th- the bus… it's here." Her words came as little more than a shaky whisper while her body gave out, head hung low and shoulders slumped with the most sorrowful look on her face.
The fire of anger slowly snuffed itself out and Adam was left, towering over this meek human, someone so frail he could kill her easily with his bare hands. Even so, even with all of that, she didn't look scared, she wasn't afraid. Don't look like that, don't look so sorry! It's a lie, it's a manipulation. She's just trying to keep me from being justified in my hatred! So why? Why do I feel like I just did something wrong?
Of course, Ruby was right, before Adam had any more time to process, he too heard the bus coming up the road. Getting to her feet, Ruby pulled out a small plastic card and stepped forward, lifting her head up and taking in a long, steadying breath.
The bus pulled up, screeching to a stop in front of them, seeming to deliberately make sure that the door was right in front of Ruby to ease her navigation onto the bus. The doors opened with a pneumatic sound and a stocky old man greeted her with a smile from behind the steering wheel.
"Good morning Ruby, I see you made a new friend." He laughed warm-heartedly as Ruby walked in with Adam close behind.
"Good morning! Sounds like your allergies are treating you well today, hope that means you'll be taking advantage of this beautiful weather." Ruby beamed with light and friendliness as she swiped the card twice.
"That's the plan, heh-heh. Hey Pal, you sure are lucky to have a friend like Ruby and any friend of hers is a friend of mine. Welcome aboard!" He gave an affirming nod and big smile to Adam as they walked by.
Everybody on that bus, men, women, children, human, even a couple faunus, they all brightened up upon seeing Ruby. Her fellow passengers gave her warm welcomes and she returned them in kind. They were all so focused on her, that they barely gave him attention save for a few smiles and one old, decrepit human who winked and nodded at him, for some reason.
The two took their seat near the back of the bus, quiet and away from everyone else. As soon as they were out of sight from everyone else, Ruby's smile disappeared with a soft sigh while she slumped in her seat. Still, she patted the seat beside her own with a cautiously hopeful look on her face. The tiniest spark of relief overcame her expression as she heard him sit beside her.
The pair sat together in silence as the bus's engine revved up. Adam could feel his nearly ever present rage struggling to stay lit. Kept his gaze fixed on the back of the seat in front of him, refusing to look at the human who enraged him so much only minutes ago.
She's just like all the rest of them, they think they're entitled to everything. They think that they can do whatever they want. She thinks she can just sit there looking pitiful and I'll shut up!? She thinks I'll apologize!? She has no right to-
"I'm sorry."
A soft a compassionate voice stole him from his growing malice. As his head turned, he found a pair of stunning silver eyes looking not quite into his, but trying their best.
"I should have considered how that would make you feel, but I didn't. I know humans have done awful things, I can't begin to understand what you have gone through. So, I'm sorry." She was steadfast and unyielding, Ruby wasn't being meek or soft, but he just knew she was sincere. Her eyes, her voice, her expression and her words, everything unified in telling him that she was genuinely sorry.
"If you think I don't care, you're wrong. I know I don't understand, but that doesn't mean I don't want to try. You don't owe me a chance… but I want to do better regardless because it's the right thing to do." Her strength began to fail her as she fell back against her seat.
Adam… wasn't sure what to say. He just stared at her, the bright light of the sun shining against her face and breaking dazzlingly off her mirrored eyes. He could tell she was holding back sadness, forcing her expression to be as neutral as she could, but she was bad at it. Maybe because she's never seen anyone else's expression she's bad at changing her own intentionally.
Once again, Ruby took his expectations and ripped them apart without even trying. In that moment, he was glad she couldn't see the very fleeting and faint smile that he forced away within a moment.
Letting out a steady breath, Adam relaxed in his seat, and watched the island scenery drift by through the window. Every so often, he'd shift his gaze to the soft face of his strange companion, and watch her instead.
"Hmm…" Ruby hummed to herself for the dozenth time that minute. She held two potatoes, one in each hand, exploring their surface with her fingers, feeling for imperfections.
"They look fine, can we hurry up?" Adam had been less than patient since they got off the bus. As it turned out, Ruby's home was more than a bit off the beaten path, the nearby town was a whole lot busier. 'And that means a lot more chances for someone to recognize me.'
"I don't want fine, I want the best. Top quality ingredients make top quality food you know." With that, she returned to sorting through the vegetables and once again, to Adam's surprise, ever one she chose was the best in the bunch. Soon, she had a hefty bagful that she secured with a twisty-tie and plopped into the carriage that she insisted Adam push.
"Aaaalright! Next on the list is… bell peppers." Turning on her heel Ruby headed straight for the produce she was after, sweeping her cane across the floor, more for the other shopper's benefit than hers. She knew where to go, and she seem to be pretty good at telling where other people were, even managing to walk around a few.
So far so good, no one has given me more than a passing glance. Still, I don't know how Ruby can been so cheerful doing something so mundane, the last time I went grocery shopping for myself I wasn't worried about being caught by the human authorities. Yet here she is, I don't think she's stopped smiling since we arrived, she doesn't have the threat of death or imprisonment hanging over her head but she seems excited anyway.
"Adam, come here!" She waved her hand in the air, apparently not realizing that he was only about a meter away.
"Don't be so loud!" Growling under his breath he felt eyes draw to him before falling away, making his heart pound. "What do you want?"
"Close your eyes." That overwhelming playful grin of hers lit up her entire face as she held her hands behind her back, out of sight from her companion.
"What? No!" Adam spat reflexively before the memory of walking through the door to her flower nursery with his eyes closed came to him and quickly stifled his anger.
"Come on, I promise I'm not going to hand you anything that will bite you." Giggling, she took a step closer to him, keeping her side against the cool metal of the shopping cart.
"I already know what you're holding." He wasn't sure if she forgot that other people could see, but she was standing right in front of the peppers she wanted. I wonder what she thinks of other people seeing? She doesn't seem bitter or angry that everyone has something she doesn't, well, maybe she just doesn't know any better.
"Alright, so which one is better? Which should I take home for dinner? Right or left?" Ruby stepped a little closer, only inches away from him. Even standing on her toes, Adam still dwarfed her, Ruby's head barely coming up to his chin.
"Fine…" For some reason, somehow, some way, he just didn't know how to deal with her. All he could do was let her get her way. So, he shut his eyes, and everything went dark. He felt a flicker of immediate anxiety, he could see in the dark, but with his eyes closed that meant nothing. He still felt people looking at him, but now he couldn't be sure if he had been recognized.
This could be a trap! Damn it, what was I thinking, I don't even have my sword and my wounds are still too fresh to fight. She could have set this whole thing up, she could be laughing while her human friends are getting ready to-
His thoughts came to a grinding halt as he felt two warm and very, very soft hands brush clumsily against his. Then, the texture of waxy skin from the peppers took the place of Ruby's. Even though it was just for a moment, he felt reassured when she touched him, and he wasn't sure why.
"So, which one do you think is best?" She was close, she hadn't moved away from him. Still, he felt a need to keep her talking.
"They feel the same, how am I supposed to tell without looking?" He was again growling in frustration, baring his teeth at no one, at everyone. He was in a hostile environment and he was wounded, so when Ruby spoke, he felt reassured that nothing was wrong.
"Here, just feel them." Once more, he felt her hands, this time, enveloping his own. Her fingers guided his around the produce, slowly scanning over its surface. Although he found it a bit hard to focus for some reason, he could still feel the subtle bumps and craters, the smooth and the rough, the firm and soft.
"You feel it? They're pretty different." Her hands gently fell from his, leaving him to finish examining them on his own. "So, which do you think is the better one?"
"I… I think it's… this one?" He was far from certain as he tentatively raised his left hand.
"Heh-heh, I'm blind remember? I don't know which one you're talking about." She was far more amused that he was, Adam finding himself thankful that she couldn't see how embarrassed he looked.
"Open your eyes and see for yourself."
Shaking off his embarrassment, Adam slowly opened his eyes and the busy supermarket reappear. The shoppers were paying them no mind and everyone was busy going about their lives, he was safe. With his anxiety quelled, his attention moved to his hand held up in front of Ruby. The one he picked was perfect, ripe, colorful and free of blemishes. The one in his other hand was far worse off. Did she specifically pick the best and worst ones just so I'd be able to tell them apart?
"Well, did you pick the right one? Be honest!" She was already smiling proudly and excitedly without him even having to tell her.
"Yeah. I did, honestly." Adam couldn't help but laugh, forgetting for a moment, about the pain and danger he was in.
"Great, come on, we're almost done! To the next aisle!" Ruby did a one-eighty, keeping her cane touching the floor immediately around her before marching forward.
"Can- can we get oranges?" Adam's very unusually sheepish tone brought Ruby to an instant stop. For a moment, her expression was worried and caring, but then it softened into a compassionate and reassuring smile.
"Of course we can. Would you mind getting some strawberries while you're at it as well?"
"Yeah… I can do that." With those softly spoken words, he made his way towards the fruit while Ruby patiently waited for him. "Thanks."
The pair had returned home after a long day of shopping and the sun was beginning to set. Adam felt the strain of his day out throbbing in his ribs but he didn't mind so much, the delicious smell of Ruby's home cooking that filled the house didn't hurt either.
"Here, I figured you'd want a snack since dinner will take a bit." Ruby happily took a seat in the comfy chair across from Adam in the living room. She placed a plate of orange slices, already peeled in front of him while she set a bowl of strawberries drowning in whipped cream in her lap.
"I know, I know, I have a bad habit of spoiling my dinner but these are my favorite. Hah-hah, I can't help myself." Ruby wasted no time in eating her favorite treat, sucking off the whipped cream before biting down on the delicious fruit. Still, even as she gorged herself on the sweets, she couldn't help but notice what wasn't there…
"Adam, is something wrong? I don't hear you eating?" Her voice was dripping with concern and a worried frown pulled her lips down. A long, uneasy span of silence grew, making Ruby almost wonder if he was okay, her only solace was that his breathing still sounded normal.
"My mom." He finally said in the softest voice Ruby had ever heard Adam use. "My mom used to feed me these when I was sick. They always made me feel better."
"That's really sweet… so why do you sound so sad?" Ruby couldn't see it, but Adam flinched. He was doing his best to hide it, like he always did.
But she saw straight through me. A weak shake of his head cleared his thoughts as he looked back up to the human woman in front of him. She sat there, silently and patiently waiting for him with a look of caring and fear.
"I sound like that because… my mom died, when I was a kid." Those words left him with a sigh so heavy it seemed to suck the life right out of him.
"Oh Adam, I'm so sorry." She spoke gently and warmly, but the empathy in her eyes, even though they weren't looking into his, was so deep it struck him with awe… but only for a second.
"I don't need your pity, human!" His fist slammed down on the table, the glass rattled and Ruby jerked back in instinctual fear. "You have no idea what I've been through, what your species has taken from me! So don't look at me like that!"
His enraged growl sent shockwaves of pain through his bones, the agony only stoking the flames of his fury harder and his teeth bared down in defiance at the entire world. All the pent up aggression and the hatred that burned in his heart, all of it impotently leaking out at the woman across from him who just listened and took it all in.
Adam watched, huffing and fighting to keep his anger alive. Ruby however, didn't react to his anger, she didn't shrink back in fear or even hang her head in guilt. Instead, she took in a soft breath, placing the bowl of strawberries on the table before bringing her knees to her chest and tucking her dress down as she sat in a little ball on the couch.
"You're right," Ruby spoke softly, looking into nothing as she listened to the sound of her roommate's frantic breathing and the anguish he was hiding just beneath the surface. "I can't ever experience the hurt humans have caused you, I know I can't fully understand the pain you're in… but I do know a little about loss."
The way she looked, sitting there curled up on that couch, the way her voice sounded so gentle and small… it just disintegrated his resolve. Something in the way her voice carried a dull, deep ache just felt so familiar to him. Whatever was left of his rage in that moment compelled him to look away from her, to spare himself letting this girl take any more of the fury from his heart.
He almost did, he almost turned away from her… but a flash of thought, the memory of following her into her garden compelled him to take a deep breath… and close his eyes.
Once again, Adam was in darkness. His vision blocked out completely and he could imagine, just for a moment, that in some small way, they shared something. He could hear her breathing, the smell of her fragrant cooking hung in the air like it did every day, always something new and warm with strong and pleasant aromas. I wonder if she cooks so many herbs and spices so she can smell it more strongly?
"I-" A false start, Ruby's words failing her almost immediately until she wrapped her arms around her knees and held herself tight. "I lost my mom when I was little."
Adam didn't say a word, he didn't move, he didn't open his eyes. He focused on her voice, her breathing, the subtle sound of her shifting weight on the couch.
"My dad checked out, he never recovered. My big sister had to practically raise me. She did her best but she was a kid too and she had to take the role of my mom, dad, sister and friend… it was a lot for her, especially having to work around the fact that I'm blind. It's why I learned to be as independent as I could, it's why I moved out here on my own. They both deserve a life that doesn't revolve around me." Her words quivered with head back tears, her through was tight as she kept down the urge to sob. I never told them that… I never told anyone that.
In his mind, Adam recalled the way she had walked through the forest path. Her careful and deliberate steps, the years she told him it took to master 'seeing' with sound. He recalled how she jubilantly celebrated every victory that to him was small and meaningless. The image of her tripping and falling and failing over and over until she got it right, a lifetime of fighting her own limitations… and winning.
His eyes opened, the young woman not quite in his line of sight. With his eyes closed, he was looking off where he thought he heard her, but was far off. Bringing Ruby into focus, he saw her in a new light; every habit, every task all of it the culmination of countless battles.
Before he even realized it… his rage now mingled and collided with a different kind of feeling; Admiration, as short lived as it was.
"I underestimated you." Adam muttered softly under his breath.
"What?" Ruby tilted her head, calming her aching heart as she recomposed herself.
"I said nothing!" He growled back immediately before taking a slice of the sweet oranges into his mouth.
Ruby listened to him eat for a moment before reaching out and picking up the bowl of strawberries, finding it immediately off of memory alone. She held a large fruit covered in whipped cream up to her lips… hiding the warm smile that pulled on her lips. Thanks, Adam.
The sound of heels clicking against concrete filled the halls as a young woman marched down a long, narrow hallway. A pure white ponytail swayed with every step while her rapier chimed at her side. Frigid blue eyes fixed on the door in front of her before her gloved hand reached out for the handle.
"General Ironwood!" She announced her arrival with a flourish of the door, slamming it open, revealing the office of her highest superior officer.
"Weiss… I know why you're here and-"
"No! My request has been 'pending' for weeks! I had him, I put an icicle through the bastard's chest but I am telling you, he is still alive!" She marched up to his desk, her glacier hard gaze never faltering from his.
"I-"
"I don't have any proof, but I know it! You have to let me go after him! You owe it to Winter!" Her whole body shook with rage, he could see it in her eyes, she wanted blood.
"Special Officer Schnee! I'll remind you to mind your place!" The giant of a man, the iron fisted General, stood up, towering over the petite young woman. "Now, are you ready to listen?"
"Yes sir…" Weiss muttered bitterly under her breath.
"Good, now, to address your request. It's been in 'pending' because our investigation hadn't concluded, but now it has… and you're right. Adam Taurus is still alive." He felt almost amused as Weiss' eyes shifted from cold and angry to surprised and hopeful in less than a second.
"Really? How?"
"One of his compatriots talked, telling us the whole story. Apparently Adam was in good enough shape that he plausibly could have survived the shipwreck. However, there was a reported sighting of him where the currents would have taken him had he survived."
"What?! Where!? Sir, please, you have to let me go after him!" She was desperate, looking up to her former headmaster with begging eyes.
"Calm yourself. I'm going to let you do this because you've proven to be a match for him before, but you won't be going alone." Ironwood pressed his large finger to a red button on his desk attached to a microphone. "Send them in."
After a moment of tense quiet, Weiss could hear footsteps approaching from behind her, just outside the door. The handle rattled, before the door gently swung open.
A woman stepped into the room. She wasn't wearing a military uniform and the way she carried herself told Weiss that this woman was definitely not a soldier in her army. Her amber eyes were hard with an intensity that made the heiress immediately take notice, though all of that came second to the cat ears top her head.
"Are we doing this or what?" The newcomer huffed impatiently.
"Weiss, meet your new partner; Blake Belladonna… of the White Fang."