People in university will know it's that magical time of the year~finals season!
The next update will be late af because I have finals starting next week. I'm also super excited to finally end this story. This is the longest I've ever invested into a fanfic and it's tiring! Idk how authors with 40+ chapters do it lol
"Wow, the toast sure is tasty this morning!" Ruby's forced cheerfulness sounded like nails on a chalkboard. No one seemed to hear her, choosing to eat their breakfast in silence.
Blake and Yang weren't on speaking terms as far as Weiss could tell, though they both seemed to agree on ignoring Weiss altogether—Yang out of spite and Blake out of guilt. Jaune was taking the news from yesterday much harder than Ren and Nora. While the other two still awkwardly greeted Weiss, Jaune seemed adamant to ignore her and Blake's very existence.
Ruby was seemingly the only one who bothered to speak with them both.
"Y-yeah. Sure is good toast." Oscar chimed in weakly. That at least earned an amused snort from Maria.
"I bet we can convince Atlas Military to get us over! I have a good feeling about today!" Ruby continued to press on, her strained smile no longer reaching her eyes.
"I sure hope you're right, kiddo," Qrow murmured. While he hadn't gotten his hands on any drinks last night, he still stunk of alcohol this morning. His response did manage to cheer Ruby up a bit, however.
The awkward tension didn't get any better when they left to confront Atlas Military about their request. Ren and Nora followed them while Jaune made up a weak excuse about having a headache to stay behind.
Weiss quietly kept to herself at the back of the group, following just shortly behind Blake. She looked over her shoulders several times over the short walk, feeling as if someone was watching her.
'Maybe it's just Adam.' She tried to reason with herself. Still, she'd never felt this uneasy even when Adam was stalking her through the forest.
She was shaken from her thoughts when they arrived at the military base. It was here they found themselves meeting Cordovin, a comedically short woman with an ego that could rival the tallest skyscrapers. It was this impossibly large ego that clashed with Maria's like oil and water.
Weiss tuned out the verbal lashing both the older women exchanged until she heard herself being directly addressed.
"If Miss Schnee has finally come to her senses and wants to return to her family, Atlas Military would be glad to take her back." Cordovin had said after her brief spat with Maria.
"What about the others?" Weiss asked.
"I will not let mere civilians into Atlas Military ships." She insisted. "Especially not with a flea-infested beast."
Weiss couldn't help but remember that horrible encounter she witnessed between the train station guards and Daisy. She noticed Blake sheepishly shrinking away from the woman.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Weiss challenged Cordovin tightly.
"You should know better than to befriend an animal, Miss Schnee," Cordovin said matter-of-factly. "Getting friendly with…questionable outsiders is one thing, but it's dangerous to get close to feral beasts. Your father would be disappointed to see–"
"I don't give a damn about what my father thinks!" The words left her mouth before she could think.
Her outburst caught the commander off guard, leaving her gawking like a fish out of water.
"And don't talk to Blake like that ever again! I don't care what rank you hold, I won't tolerate that kind of language!" Weiss went on hotly. She caught Blake staring at her out of the corner of her eyes.
"Your father has tasked all of Atlas Military to look out for you, young lady!" Cordovin shrieked furiously. "You should be grateful for everything he has down for you instead of cosying up with barbaric beasts!"
Her scar pricked like needles and the slight chill in the air froze her down to the bone. She could still hear the blizzard from that awful night roaring in her ears.
Weiss laughed humourlessly at the older woman. "Grateful? The only thing I'm grateful for is being far, far away from him!"
"There are kids who would kill to have a family like yours! I suggest you straighten up your act and return home like an obedient child!"
"I'd rather die than go back!" It would be safer for her to rot in the wilderness than to step foot back into her house again.
Ruby silently stepped closer to Weiss' side.
"I pity you and your naivety towards your father's love." Cordovin sneered. "Until you decide to act like a respectable lady again, we're done here."
The iron doors to the military base slammed heavily in their faces. Weiss hadn't realized her hands were trembling until she felt Ruby's hand grab onto hers.
"Weiss…" Ruby addressed her carefully as if expecting her composure to shatter at a moment's notice.
"I don't want to talk about it." She jerked away from Ruby, scratching the scarred half of her face irritatedly.
Yang shot Ruby a questioning look, but thankfully Ruby didn't seem keen on giving her more context.
"L-let's go back and regroup at Saphron's place. We need to think of another way to get to Atlas."
Ruby didn't need to tell her twice. Weiss stormed away from the Military Base without waiting for the others to respond, the scar left by her father burning like fire.
"Can I come in?"
Weiss perked her head up in surprise when she heard Blake's muffled voice from the other side of the closed bedroom door.
She'd chosen to lock herself away in their team's shared bedroom the moment she arrived back at the house, using that time to try and forget about what Cordovin had said to her. It was probably smarter to stick with her team and learn about their next plan of attack, but she couldn't stand the thought of being trapped in a meeting with them—not after everything that'd happened.
"I-I can come back later if you want," Blake added when Weiss didn't respond right away.
"It's...fine" She answered back after a short pause.
Weiss took a keen interest in studying the window when she heard the door creak open. Blake crept in like a thief, taking careful steps to not make a single sound as she walked to Weiss' bed. She took a seat at the very end of the mattress.
"Are you okay? You seem…tense." Blake asked her gently.
"I'm better now," Weiss said truthfully. "I don't want to talk about it."
Muffled shouting could be heard from just downstairs. Weiss pretended not to notice the noise, and Blake followed her lead.
"Thank you for standing up to her. You…you didn't have to." Blake breathed.
"I don't care what's happened between us, it doesn't change the fact that you deserve to be treated like a person. Like the rest of us."
"Thank you. It means a lot to me..."
Weiss glanced over at Blake who was staring dejectedly at the ground. This was the most she'd heard her speak since their fallout yesterday.
"How are you?" Weiss asked her. "Is everything okay with you and Yang?"
"We haven't spoken…." Blake hugged herself. "S-she hates me right now and I can't blame her. I feel the same way."
Weiss silently scooted closer to Blake's side until their shoulders were mere inches away from each other.
"I'm sorry I blurted something so personal to the rest of them," Weiss said. "We should've talked about this in private."
"I-it's fine," Blake quickly wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. "I had it coming. I shouldn't have invaded your privacy like that."
"It still doesn't make what I did right," Weiss argued gently.
They sat in another awkward silence as the angry voices downstairs grew louder. A part of her wanted to go down and see what all the commotion was about, but she didn't want to end this conversation with Blake. It felt more important than whatever spat the others were having.
"I ended it with a single gunshot." Blake suddenly said. "T-that night with your aunt."
Weiss nodded, she'd already known that much from Adam. Still, she couldn't quite find the words to respond.
"Sienna asked me to deal with her. I'm not sure how the others got to their targets, but I snuck into the bedroom from their balcony. She was reading at the time and didn't notice me until I'd entered her room."
"She didn't fight back, did she?" Weiss asked numbly.
"No. She tried to call for help but I…I threatened the life of her daughter." Blake appeared visibly disgusted at her past actions. The cruel irony wasn't lost on Weiss either. "She begged for her life, tried to offer me money."
"What did you do?"
"I told her to get out of bed and on her knees."
"And then you shot her?"
"I-I told her exactly what Adam and Sienna were doing to her husband and daughter." Her answer sent ice down Weiss' back. " I-I shot her in the head when she tried to beg for her daughter's life."
Weiss couldn't begin to imagine what her aunt's final moments were like. It was surreal to hear in detail how Blake had acted in the past. It felt like learning about a completely different person.
"I'm sorry." Blake buried her face in her hands, shoulders trembling. "I-I don't have any excuses for what I did to her and s-so many others. I'm sorry."
Weiss gently wrapped her arms around Blake, which only seemed to make her cry even harder.
"I don't know if I can forgive you for killing my aunt, but I'm not going to hate you for things you've done in the past. You were misguided back then and it's understandable why." Weiss told her when her cries began to calm down. "Thank you for telling me how it happened."
"I-I don't deserve this. Y-you should hate me for…for everything" For the first time since they started talking, Blake looked at her. "Why?"
"I can see that you're trying to make things right now," Weiss explained. "We both did stupid things in our past. I shouldn't have been so close-minded to your people's pain and you shouldn't have hurt innocent humans. I think we're both better than that now."
"Weiss..."
"It's okay. I trust the person you are today."
Blake finally hugged her back, holding onto her so tightly that it became difficult to breathe.
"Thank you." Blake whimpered. "I promise I won't hide something like that again."
"And I promise I won't dismiss the Faunus' suffering ever again." She felt Blake hold her tighter in response.
They stayed like that for a minute or so before breaking apart.
"Do you mind if I ask something?" Blake murmured shyly.
"It's about Adam, isn't it?" Weiss predicted.
"He's Sienna's right-hand man, she's trained him to kill since he was a kid!" Blake explained desperately. "I-I don't know why he's choosing to let you live, but it can't be for any good reason. If anything, he's only playing with you so he can break you down later! Y-you can't trust him, Weiss."
Weiss could see the genuine concern reflected in Blake's face. She smiled warmly and placed her hand on top of Blake's cold ones.
"Blake–"
"I-I've been on countless missions with him! Y-you don't know how many innocent people he's killed for just being human. He's taken out people we weren't even supposed to target when–"
"Listen to me," she gently squeezed Blake's trembling hands. "Did I ever tell you about the first Faunus I'd ever met?"
Blake stared at her like she'd just grown two heads. Weiss took her moment of speechlessness to delve into her history with Adam and their recent journey together. She purposefully skimmed over more personal details of their time together—some stories weren't her's to tell.
By the end of her tale, Blake was looking at her in utter disbelief.
"That's why I trust him," she continued softly. "He's not a monster, he's trying to change his ways. He's proven that over and over to me."
Blake looked as if she wanted to respond, but she couldn't quite find the right words. Weiss kept to herself to let Blake sort out her thoughts.
"I-I don't know what to say." Blake finally said in a soft whisper. "I thought that side of him died a long time ago."
"What do you mean?" Weiss asked, genuinely intrigued.
"I met him when we were kids. When he was still...innocent." She elaborated. "He always kept to himself, but he was nice. I uh…I liked him."
Weiss held back the urge to tease her when she noticed Blake's cheeks flush with embarrassment.
"A-anyway, the way you just described him reminded me of when we were little. He wasn't as affectionate as he is to you, but he was selfless and thoughtful. It was only after my parents stepped down that he became angry all the time, it was like every little thing set him off.
"He used to take it out on random humans we encountered on our missions. It didn't help improve his mood, but Sienna was pleased with what he was doing.
"That's what made me want to leave. Seeing him change into someone who could take an innocent life without blinking an eye…i-it was scary how similar he was to the humans who hurt us. I-I didn't want to end up like him—like them. I-I had to find another way to tackle this problem."
Once again, Weiss was familiar with his story after the Dust Mines, but hearing it from another perspective further solidified the tale in her head.
"Were you two close?" Weiss couldn't help but ask.
"No. He was willing to teach me how to fight with a sword, but that was the extent of it." Blake frowned. "That doesn't mean it didn't hurt to see him turn into a monster."
"He's not a monster, at least not anymore."
"I-I still find it difficult to accept. After everything I've seen him do…"
"You still found a way to turn your life around," Weiss reminded her. "Is it so farfetched to believe he can too?"
Blake didn't respond right away. The arguing downstairs had somehow gotten worse. From what she could make out, it seemed Jaune was the one doing most of the yelling.
"I wouldn't have believed you if you hadn't described his past self so perfectly." Blake finally broke the silence. "It still sounds too good to be true, but…I'll trust you on this. You seem to know him a lot better than I do."
"Thank you," Weiss smiled despite the burning in her eyes. "I'm sorry I was so cryptic about my friendship with him."
"I'm not exactly in the position to scold you about keeping secrets." Blake grinned sheepishly.
"Let's call it even?"
"Yeah. That sounds good." Blake's hands held onto hers. "I'm glad to hear he's doing better now. Thank you for helping him."
"I didn't do anything. It's all on him."
A loud bang from just down the hall made them both visibly jump, shattering the moment of peace between them. Weiss exchanged a worried glance with Blake before out of the room, their swords drawn.
Jaune's door was the only one that was locked shut in the hall. When they knocked on it, they got no reply.
"Maybe something happened downstairs?" Blake suggested.
Weiss wasn't sure what she was expecting to see when she got downstairs, but when they finally reached the bottom of the stairs the house felt like a warzone. Ren and Nora were quietly murmuring to each other while Ruby had secluded herself against a wall.
As far as she could tell, Yang and Oscar were nowhere to be found.
"What's going on?" She quietly asked Ruby.
"We just told them about Ozpin and Salem," Ruby whispered back, eyeing the remainder of Jaune's team worryingly. "Jaune isn't taking the news very well."
"W-where's Yang?" Blake piped in meekly behind Weiss.
"She went to go after Oscar," Ruby replied with a heavy sigh. "Jaune uh…got a bit carried away with him."
Yang came back announcing she'd lost Oscar several hours later. They all set out to look for him. Blake had volunteered to look with Weiss, which at least earned a genuine smile from Ruby and a blank stare from Yang.
Considering Yang wasn't accusing either of them of conspiring against the team, Weiss took that as a good sign.
The temperature outside was miserable. The longer they searched the streets the colder the air became until it completely chilled her to the bone.
Maybe it was the growing shadows playing tricks on her eyes, but Weiss swore she'd seen someone lurking just out of the corner of her eyes several times during their blind search.
'I'm just feeling a bit paranoid.' She thought when she couldn't sense Blake picking up on the same thing.
So she kept her suspicions to herself and pressed onward until the sky had gone completely dark. By then she could barely feel her face from the cold. She sneezed when a particularly nasty current blew past her.
'I really need to get thicker clothes.' She thought miserably. Argus wasn't nearly as bad as Atlas in terms of the cold, but she felt like a walking popsicle regardless.
"I hope it isn't this cold in Atlas." Blake desperately hugged her thin white jacket close to her body.
Weiss didn't have the heart to tell her that Atlas would make the current temperature feel toasty warm.
She felt her Scroll buzz with an incoming call. For a second she thought it was Adam, but it was only Ruby.
"Did you find him?" Weiss asked Ruby right away.
"Yeah, he's back at the house," Ruby said, sounding breathless. "He's making hot chocolate for us, so get your butts back here and warm up!"
Hot chocolate sounded heavenly right about now. After relaying the message to Blake, they hurried back to the house at a much faster pace. By now a light snowfall was beginning to sprinkle down on them.
She heard Blake curse under her breath when their paths led them right to Yang. They all froze in place when they saw each other. Weiss wasn't sure what to say. While she was on much better terms with Blake, she wasn't sure if Yang would extend the same generosity. Especially when all she knew about Adam was his cruel act against her.
"You got the call too," Yang was surprisingly the first to address them.
"Yeah, just now," Weiss answered when it appeared Blake wouldn't be talking any time soon.
"Cool." Yang looked at Blake, who seemed to shrink away from her eyes. Weiss, however, couldn't sense any more hostility on Yang's face. She wasn't sure if it was just because Blake was here or if Yang had lost a bit of her rage for the both of them.
"Do you two want some time alone?" She decided to confront the topic directly. Blake looked at her like she'd just sentenced her to death while Yang peered guiltily down at her feet.
"Only if Blake wants to," Yang said shyly. "I...I want to talk."
Blake's ears perked up almost immediately. Though she appeared visibly excited at Yang's offer, she still stood like a deer in headlights. The overwhelming strain between them brought her back to that long conversation with Adam.
"Go ahead," Weiss encouraged her gently. "It'll be okay."
"B-but what about you?" Blake asked weakly.
"I can take care of myself," Weiss smiled. "Go on. I'll let Ruby know you two are talking."
"O-okay. I'll see you later then."
Yang grinned awkwardly at Weiss as thanks while Blake left her with a quick hug.
After the two of them took off into a random street, Weiss continued the rest of her walk back alone.
The streets, despite Argus' terrible weather, were growing more and more crowded as the night went on. It was magical to see the night showered in golden light from both shops and street lamps. Now that she wasn't worried about tracking down Oscar, it became easier to appreciate the bustling nightlife.
She curiously peeked into store windows, her belly rumbling when she passed by a cute little chocolatier. Weiss hungrily examined the chocolates set out for the display window. Her eyes were particularly drawn to the rose-shaped chocolates that were so delicately crafted that they almost appeared real.
Weiss felt the hairs on the back of her neck before she could admire the sweets any further. Her instincts screamed danger as she quickly rested her dominant hand on her sword.
"You need to be more aware of your surroundings." His voice made the world freeze around her.
"Adam!" The tension melted from her body the instant she turned around to see him.
He was still wearing the traveller's cloak she bought him, his hood pulled up to mask his hair and horns.
"Seriously, it was too easy to sneak up on—"
She tackled him into a crushing embrace. It didn't completely register that he was really there until she could touch him again. Warmth eased the winter chill out of her bones as he returned her hug with equal enthusiasm, pulling her partially into the warm bubble his cloak provided.
"You're freezing." He noted softly, rubbing circles on her back. That only prompted her to snuggle closer to him.
'You're here! You're really here!' She bit her lip, barely holding back the excitement just waiting to come bursting out.
"You can't just run around the cold with a single scarf."
"I'll survive. This is nothing compared to Atlas."
She reluctantly pulled away from the hug, once again plunging herself into the cold.
"How are you doing? Are you settling into Argus alright? Has anyone caused you any trouble?" She asked right away.
"I didn't realize this was an interrogation," he teased lightly. "But to answer your questions, I'm fine. Argus feels like a vacation after the hell we had to go through to get here."
Weiss breathed a sigh of relief. At least one of them was having a pleasant stay in town.
"How are you holding up? You seem tired." He noted.
"It's been rough, but things are better now." She looked over at the rose-shaped chocolates still tempting her from the window.
'I wonder if he still likes chocolate.'
"I saw that you were talking with Blake again. I assume things are at least better?"
"Let's grab some chocolate and catch up." She suggested in a heartbeat. "It'll be my treat."
"Won't your friends be worried about where you've gone?"
"I'll let Ruby know there's been a change of plans. She won't mind." When he still didn't seem convinced she added," besides, I still haven't done anything for my birthday. I think that's a good enough excuse to indulge in some sweets."
That finally seemed to convince him to give in to her idea.
After purchasing a small box of rose-shaped chocolates, they found themselves in a small public park lit only with street lights.
She shivered the moment she sat down on one of the public benches available. It felt like sitting on a block of ice.
"You're seriously going to get sick again." He unclasped his cloak and draped one half over her shoulder while the other half remained around him. "Didn't you guys prepare at all for the snow?"
"The original plan was to stay on the train until we got to Argus." She scooted closer to his side until their arms were pressed together.
"Considering your tendency to fly headfirst out of moving vehicles, I think it would've been smart to prepare for the worst."
"I don't purposefully go out of my way to jump out of trains and airships."
"Could've fooled me."
"I stayed on the ride to Mistral City didn't I?"
"Even a broken clock is right twice a day."
"Whatever." She popped open the box of chocolates and eagerly took one of the delicate roses out before handing him the box.
"I never knew it was your birthday." He said, accepting the chocolates.
"Technically it's already passed, but I was occupied with other things to notice." She curiously looked at him as he took a bite out of one of the roses. From the subtle twinkle in his eye, she could tell he enjoyed chocolate as much as he did in the past.
"Sorry I wasn't able to get you anything."
"Don't worry about it. I have everything I could ever want." She happily began nibbling away at her own rose. Sharing a box of chocolates with him was more than enough to satisfy her birthday wishes.
"Happy birthday. I hope next year you'll be able to celebrate it properly."
"Thank you."
'I hope you can be there when it happens.'
They didn't say anything else as they both finished the remaining chocolates. Once they'd eaten it all, Weiss delved into the aftermath of her talk with both Ruby and Blake. Though she only briefly skimmed over the spat they had with Cordovin, he still picked up on her discomfort and slipped his hand into hers.
"Will you be okay going back to Atlas?" He asked once she was finished.
"As long as I don't have to go back home, yes." Still, she tightened her hold on his hand to remind herself she wasn't alone. "What about you? Are you going to try and follow us to Atlas?"
"I'll try. The security up there is annoying to get around but not impossible."
"That's not what I'm worried about." She eyed the black cloth covering one side of his face. "You can stay here if you'd like. It seems nice to lay low for a while."
This time it was his turn to squeeze her hand.
"And leave you alone to deal with Sienna? In your dreams." While he put on a brave face for her, she could still hear a slight waver in his voice.
"Adam, I don't want you to go back to Atlas if it's too hard."
"I could say the same thing about you." He said firmly. "I'll be fine. I can always retreat to Mantle if it gets too…complicated."
Weiss could see it was pointless to argue with him. Even if she insisted he stay behind, he'd no doubt find some way to follow her regardless.
"Fine, but give me a call if you need someone to talk to." She rested her head on his shoulder. "I know you're strong, but you don't need to be strong all the time. Not with me anyway."
"You're overthinking it, but…thank you." He leaned into her touch. "Is that all that's gone wrong recently?"
Weiss laughed a little, it was almost unbelievable how much misfortune they ran into in the span of just a couple of days.
"Not tonight." She breathed.
As much as she wanted to tell him everything they learned about Salem, it didn't feel right to do it without consulting the others. While she trusted Adam with the true nature of their mission, Weiss still wanted to respect the rest of her group's opinion on the matter. It was their business as much as it was hers.
"It's pretty tonight," Weiss observed the large snowflakes beginning to rain down on them.
"It's just snow," he said. "Aren't you sick of this stuff by now?"
"Sometimes, but that doesn't mean I can't find it beautiful." She took note of the tiny snowflakes landing on the black cloak, admiring their unique patterns and formations.
The last time she thought about snowflakes with him around was when she gave him her charm bracelet. She never forgot about it as Winter was livid when she learned Weiss had mysteriously lost the expensive gift.
"I still have that Red Dust Crystal you gave me." She blurted, lost in their more innocent days together.
"Seriously? After all this time?" He sounded genuinely caught off guard by her comment.
"It's the first gift I've gotten from a friend. I had to keep it safe." She could still remember the exact jewellery box she'd hidden it inside. The maids thankfully never questioned why she forbade them from ever touching it.
"Impossibly sentimental from childhood to adulthood." He murmured in disbelief.
"What about you? Do you still have my snowflake charm?"
"I-I don't see why that's relevant." He folded his arms stubbornly.
"You do have it!" She laughed, tilting her head up a bit to see a fiery blush on his face. The orange lighting only seemed to exasperate it more. "Is it with you right now? I bet it is."
"I thought assumptions make an ass out of you and me."
That only got her to laugh harder. Sometimes he was too proud for his own good.
"Weiss?"
Weiss jerked away when she heard Jaune's voice. He was standing a mere step away from them, staring wide-eyed at Adam. He looked like he'd just gotten out of a fistfight, his hair was completely dishevelled and his eyes were abnormally puffy.
"T-that's him, isn't it?" Jaune stammered, one hand slowly reaching to his sheathed sword.
Weiss felt Adam tensing beside her, though he made no visible move to draw his sword. At least not yet.
"Yeah." She replied slowly.
Weiss glanced nervously at Adam whose expression gave nothing away. "Jaune, this is Adam. Adam, this is Jaune."
Jaune was completely frozen in place for a moment before snapping out of his daze and marching over to them. Adam draped the rest of his cloak around Weiss and got up to meet him halfway.
Weiss hugged the cloak around herself and hopped to her feet as well. It seemed like they were both sizing each other up, but neither was making a move to attack.
"You helped destroy Beacon," Jaune stated bluntly.
"I did," Adam answered without hesitation. Jaune seemed to wince at how direct his response was.
"You've helped the White Fang hurt innocent people."
"Correct."
Jaune didn't break eye contact with Adam even once. Weiss noticed his jaw tightening while Adam remained visibly calm.
"Was it really necessary to attack Beacon? You seem strong. Why did you give into Cinder's demands?" Jaune questioned next. Weiss was certain Adam would lose his temper at the touchy subject, the growing tension in his shoulders was giving away his impatience.
"You sound familiar with that witch, you should know how devastating her powers are," Adam answered rigidly. "It was either kill or be killed."
"Do you regret it?"
"Do I regret saving my team from being mindlessly slaughtered? No." He glared at Jaune. "You're full of shit if you tell me you would've done it differently."
Weiss became distinctly aware of the red sash hanging by Jaune's side.
Jaune looked one second away from losing the last of his composure. Adam seemed to sense the same thing as his sword clicked out of its sheath, yet he did not make a move to unsheath it completely.
Weiss held her breath and tentatively walked closer to them, her hand already on the hilt of her sword in case the conversation took a turn for the worse. They didn't seem to notice her presence.
"Why did you help me back in Haven?" Jaune challenged him. "You don't even know me."
"That doesn't mean I should stand back and let Sienna take your life."
"I could've been a real jerk to the Faunus."
"I made a promise not to pass rash judgement on humans and I intend on keeping it."
"And if I was a jerk?"
"I'd make your life hell." Adam lowered his voice dangerously.
"You'd kill me." Jaune accused coldly.
"That'll depend on how many lives you destroyed and how much of an active threat you pose to us—and to her." He glanced at Weiss for a second before looking back at Jaune.
"I heard you saved Weiss' life," The tightness in Jaune's voice loosened just a bit, giving Weiss a glimmer of hope that the confrontation won't end in bloodshed.
"I'll do it again if I have to." Adam proclaimed proudly.
"Even if it means fighting against what's left of the White Fang?"
"Without a doubt."
Jaune didn't react at first. He continued to stare Adam down with a strict expression that could even rival her father's. Finally, she saw his shoulders relax and he held a hand out to him.
"Thank you for saving Weiss' life and my life." Even his voice lost most of the tension from earlier. "I'm Jaune."
"Adam." He accepted the handshake with a bit of reluctance.
The guys retreated away from each other like they'd just touched molten lava. Weiss, however, finally felt her constricting anxiety unwind despite the suffocating silence sitting between them.
"You…h-have a nice sword." Jaune awkwardly tried to change the subject.
"Thanks." Adam looked away from him.
"Why is it…uh…red?"
"That's due to Red Dust," Adam replied, still not meeting Jaune's eyes.
"Red Dust?"
Adam hesitated for a second before unsheathing his sword for Jaune to get a better look. Beneath the amber streetlights, the crimson blade seemed that much more vibrant.
"Red Dust infused with steel." He elaborated curtly.
"That's crazy, I've never seen a sword made with Dust!" Jaune awed at the blade. "So you can just light this thing up like a torch?"
"That's one way to explain it."
"I also like using swords–i-it's nothing crazy like yours, though. I'm not an expert in it or anything but I can hold up in a fight…s-sort of–"
"Let's see it."
"H-huh?"
"Your sword." Adam sheathed his blade. He seemed genuinely interested in learning more about Jaune's weapon of choice.
"O-oh, right." Jaune took out his sword and explained the new upgrades he made to it. The more he went on about his sword and shield, the less guarded Adam appeared. It was the most relaxed she'd seen him around another human.
"Your arsenal is impressive," Adam noted at the end of Jaune's explanation. "Though they seem a bit heavy for you, especially that sword of yours."
"That's probably thanks to the new upgrades. I'm not used to them being this heavy," Jaune explained a bit too quickly. "I-it's a steep learning curve, I guess."
"It's not an issue if you train properly." Adam looked like he wanted to say more, but he held back as if reminding himself just who he was having a conversation with.
Jaune seemed to mirror Adam's thoughts as he suddenly became very interested in checking out his own shoes.
"What are you doing out here, Jaune?" Weiss only spoke up when another wave of silence fell between them. "I thought Ruby called everyone back for hot chocolate."
"I-I wanted some time to myself. It's been a tough night." He looked dejectedly down at his red sash. She hadn't seen him this defeated since the night Beacon fell.
Weiss wasn't sure what to say next. She'd never lost a friend like that before. While Pyrrah's death had impacted them all in some way, no one understood the loss quite like Jaune-no one except Ruby. It was haunting to see how raw his grief was even after so much time had passed.
"Do…you two want some space?" Adam asked when neither of them said anything.
"I'm fine now. Really, I am." Jaune piped in before Weiss could utter a word. He looked between them with a pained expression. "Sorry about intruding. I-I can leave you two alone…"
"I was going to suggest Weiss go back anyway. It's getting late." Adam said at once. "Since you're here, why don't you two head back together? It's safer in a group."
If Jaune hadn't been right there, she would've complained about ending the night so soon. It felt like forever since they had some time to themselves.
"Stay safe, Adam," she said instead, unclasping his cloak and handing it back to him. The night felt so much more frigid than it did earlier.
"Get something warmer to wear. You look miserable out in the cold." He chided lightly, resecuring the cloak around himself.
"I'll be fine. It gets warmer during the day." She said before wrapping her arms around him.
"You can always come back with me if you'd like. Ruby, Blake, and Jaune would welcome you." She whispered to him. "You have more allies on this side than you think."
"I'm not ready for that yet." He returned the embrace. "But thank you, for sticking up for me. I appreciate it."
It was the mournful laugh from Jaune that cut their interaction short. Weiss felt her heart drop when she looked back to find Jaune in tears. She heard Adam shift uncomfortably at Jaune's sudden burst of emotion.
"Jaune?" Weiss gingerly rested a hand on his shoulder. He tensed at her touch but didn't pull away.
"S-sorry," he quickly wiped his eyes dry with the back of his sleeves. "S-seeing you two like this reminds me of when Pyrrah was alive. We used to"—he shook his head and turned away from her—"n-nevermind, I-I'm being stupid. Talk about a cruddy first impression, huh?"
Weiss was certain Adam would leave when he'd thrown his hood over his head and turned his back to them.
"Don't be ridiculous. There's no shame in mourning." Adam added in a surprisingly gentle voice. "Memories may hurt but it's proof they made an impact on this world. As long as you remember them, they are never truly gone."
'His family…'
She felt her heart crushed from the true weight of his words.
"Thank you," Jaune spoke up just as Adam was about to leave. Despite his tears, he still managed to smile.
Adam acknowledged him with a simple nod before disappearing into the night. Weiss continued whispering words of comfort as Jaune tried to compose himself again.
"You're right, Weiss," Jaune said once he'd run out of tears to cry. "He's kind of scary, but he's not a monster."
She chuckled at his description of Adam. "Thanks for giving him a chance. He'll never admit it out loud, but I'm sure he appreciates it as well."
"You did bring up a good point about forgiving Blake yesterday. I wouldn't have bothered to hear him out if you hadn't." He laughed meekly. "Let's go back. I'm tired of freezing my butt off."
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"It's difficult but I'll survive." He smiled assuringly. "Come on, I could use a warm drink right about now."
They set off into the streets together in much lighter spirits. Maybe it was due to the glistening white snowflakes dancing all over the sleepy town, but Weiss thought Argus was pleasantly bright that night.