Here we go

Cover Art: JustFun101

Chapter 25

Tsune was as unprofessional as they came, and for that Weiss was grateful. A professional school doctor wouldn't have let her hide the night away, nor kept her mind occupied with ridiculous stories about Adam, other students and even the faculty. A professional doctor wouldn't have cracked a tub of ice-cream out of a cooler meant for blood, nor offered her a second spoon and told her to dig in.

Comfort food. How ridiculous. Weiss loved it.

"It doesn't make sense." Weiss complained. "He's the one who is a terrorist and whatever my family has done, I'm innocent of. Where does he get off making it sound like I'm the one in the wrong?"

"Come now. What can you expect of someone who has solved every problem in their life by fighting it? If he were good with words, he wouldn't be in the White Fang. You confronted him and frightened him, and he reacted by attacking you back before you could get the upper hand. That's a common flaw of men in general," the older woman said. "They like to think they're calm and rational but start to get the upper hand in an argument and they'll revert back to caveman mentality."

"I wouldn't go that far…"

"This isn't a political debate with your reputation on the line." Tsune pointed out. "We're two women gossiping over ice-cream. Exaggerate a little. It will make you feel better."

Exaggerate? Well, as long as it was clear her words weren't to be taken literal.

"Adam is definitely like that." Weiss agreed. It felt good to say it, a little, vindictive, rush of pleasure. "He's such a brutish idiot!" she went on, getting fully into the swing of it. "Team CRMN causes him problems and his solution is immediately to draw them into a fight and beat them. I find out about his past and he lashes out about what someone I've never met did. It's totally unfair. Is it?" she asked, suddenly nervous. "I realise the SDC is my family's company and we hold responsibility-"

"It's ridiculous." Tsune said. "By all means, Adam has every right to dislike the SDC but him showing you his scar was obviously an attempt to shut you up by using guilt to make you feel responsible. He wanted an end to the discussion, nothing more. Or perhaps he was angry and just wanted to hurt you."

That was what it felt like. Yes, she could accept that her family had done wrong – that much was clear – but they hadn't been talking about her family; they'd been talking about the fact he was a wanted criminal. Adam's scar had come out of nowhere and been used as a weapon to shock her into running away.

That idiot. As if you can avoid every problem by intimidating it.

And more fool her for being intimidated. "I can't believe I ran. I have a scar. I've seen worse. I should have stood my ground and asked him what in blazes he thinks showing me a wound would accomplish."

"Every argument is easier in hindsight. Why, I've had some I've lost with Peter where I can't believe I didn't see a chance to end it sooner. Then again, I cheat with him in ways you might not want to with your teammate."

Weiss frowned. "What do you mean?"

Winking, Tsune trailed a hand up her skirt, pushing it higher. "Men are easily distracted by some womanly charm. They lose track of everything they were talking about."

Spluttering, Weiss choked around a mouthful of ice-cream. She didn't want to hear that from someone like Tsune, and she certainly didn't want to imagine any woman using her charms on a man like Professor Port. The images were horrific. They were so disgusting that she dodged the embarrassment of Tsune suggesting she might flirt with Adam Taurus entirely.

"I do not need to know, please!"

"Well I said you probably wouldn't want to use it on him. It works well, though. You'll realise when you're older that rage and lust are emotions that aren't so far apart. Medically, both are fuelled by the same hormonal reactions and they're easily substituted-"

"Back onto Adam!" Weiss said quickly. "What should I do?"

"That's not something I can tell you. What do you want to do?"

"I don't know." Weiss said. "That's why I'm asking-"

"Ah. Ah. Ah. You do know, you're just avoiding it." The doctor leaned forward and jabbing the spoon at Weiss. "Think for a moment and take your time but tell me what the ideal resolution in your mind would be. Don't think about how possible or realistic it is. Just tell me what you think the ideal end to this would be."

The ideal? Weiss was familiar with what Tsune was suggesting, the `working backwards` approach was something her father had taught her back when he cared to pretend his daughters were important to him. By knowing your start and ending point, you could more effectively discern the steps in between. Right now, she knew where she was standing but didn't have an objective to work toward.

What was the ideal, though? For Adam to be thrown out of Beacon? No. Her stomach dropped at the mere idea, especially at Yang and Ruby finding out she was responsible. Did she want him to apologise for being a terrorist? That seemed a little empty. What, then? Weiss clenched her teeth and thought as hard as she could. Tsune gave her time.

"I wish I'd never found out…" Weiss whispered.

"Is that your ideal goal?"

What? No, it'd just been her mumbling something without thinking.

"That suggests to me that the outcome of this isn't as important as your desire for the team to stay together. There's nothing wrong with seeking normality. Does that sound about right?"

"I… I guess…" Going back to how things were sounded wonderful. "But how is that possible now? I know and Adam knows that I know. No matter how hard we both try, there's no ignoring that fact."

"But you want to go back to how things were, hm?"

Weiss considered the idea and nodded slowly. It really did feel like she was avoiding the problem. What was the point of doing all that research if she didn't even want the answer she'd found?

In my defence I thought it would be that Winter and Adam knew each other or worked together, not that he's an ex-terrorist!

That was a little more than she expected to find out!

"I suppose it depends what Adam wants as well," she said. "Am I meant to ask him?"

"Not really. Just make an assumption."

"How can I assume on something as serious as this!?" Weiss demanded. "Isn't this a little too serious to be assuming on? Wouldn't it be more real to see his actual reaction?"

"Eh. The world is based on assumptions and everyone makes them. Besides, it's pretty obvious what Adam wants if you think on it. He's a simple guy."

"Equality." Weiss answered. "Change."

"Hmm. Do you think so?"

"Of course. He became a terrorist for those goals, and misguided as I think the decision was, even the worst terrorist starts with a reason. I think they're all cowards and monsters for what they did, but I can accept they believed in their cause."

"Hmm. How kind of you."

Weiss eyed the woman. Was that mockery she detected? "Fine. What do you think he wants? And please tell me you're not going to say he wants sex. I refuse to believe Adam is motivated by naught but hormones."

"You'd be surprised," Tsune teased. "Ask him why he came to Beacon sometime. As for here, well, isn't it obvious? He never once told you about his past, and the moment you brought it up he became aggressive and tried to quash it. What does that tell you?"

Frowning, Weiss said, "Only that he doesn't want it known."

"Bingo!"

"What? But that's obvious. Of course he wouldn't want it known he's a criminal. No one wants to be thrown in prison. What kind of pointless assumption is this? You might as well tell me grass is green!"

"Sigh. So impatient."

"Who says `sigh` like that!?"

"Use that brain of yours and stop complaining." Tsune tapped the spoon on Weiss' forehead. "Adam knew your sister would recognise him and he knew she would find out the moment you were placed on his team. Also, Ozpin and the teachers know, so if he wanted to stay away from a prison sentence the last place he would come is here."

"He still didn't tell us." Weiss said.

"Precisely. So, what does that tell you?"

"That he didn't want it known…"

"Yes. And now that you know the reason for that was not to avoid prison, what do you think his motives for not wanting your team to find out the truth were?"

Honestly, she wasn't sure. Weiss wanted to say it was because he liked them and wanted to stay on the team, but it could have just as easily been that he knew life would be easier without them knowing. Adam's inner workings were as impenetrable as ever.

"I don't know."

"Hmmm. Well…" Tsune shrugged. "At least you know you both want the same thing deep inside. To have had this never happen in the first place. Ignorance really is bliss. The question now is what you're both going to do to fix it. Or more specifically, how you are going to fix it."

"Me? Why? Because it's all my fault!?"

"No. Because Adam is an idiot who knows a lot about how to run a team, inspire people and train, and next to nothing on how to mediate an argument between two parties. Least of all when his emotions are involved."

Considering Adam had gone to the White Fang the last time that happened? Yes, Weiss could see that.

"Ugh. I'm going to have to do this myself, aren't I?"

"Unless you want to leave it to Adam's clumsy efforts…"

Weiss sighed. "No thanks."

/-/

Adam slept poorly despite his best efforts. It was easy to want to ignore a problem by falling asleep, especially when you were angry, but actually managing to was another matter entirely. He sat in bed with his back to Ruby and Yang until they started to snore, then tossed and turned for another hour, wondering if and when Weiss would return.

He must have fallen asleep at some point, but it was well past three, and when Ruby and Yang shook him awake at five for what they assumed would be another training session, he glared balefully at them with one eye.

"Someone's a grumpy old man this morning." Yang said. "Aren't you the one waking us up at this time to train? Now you know how I felt!"

"Release me or die," Adam said.

Predictably, neither of them took the threat with the severity it deserved.

"Pyrrha will be left waiting if you don't wake up." Ruby said.

"I'm tired." He rolled over and tried to snuggle back up again. "Go without me."

"Do you think he's ill?" Ruby asked Yang. "He's never slept in this late before."

They brazenly tossed ideas around behind his back like he wasn't there until Adam dragged the sheets over his head, at which point they got the hint. There were some well wishes and backhanded comments from Yang before the two let themselves out and went off to train on their own.

It was half an hour later when the door opened again.

"I'm trying to sleep!" Adam growled.

"We need to talk." Weiss replied.

Shock ripped through him and he was sat up in an instant, eye wide and heart racing. It was just Weiss stood inside the door with it shut behind her – no Winter Schnee or Atlas soldiers in sight. He couldn't help but think she looked out of sorts, messy and unkempt. Considering she hadn't come back all night, he could understand why, but he wondered where she had gone at all.

That curiosity only grew when she reached behind her and twisted the small, silver bolt on the door, locking it with an audible click.

"Where are the others?"

"Training," he said.

"Unlike you not to be with them." Weiss crossed her arms and leaned on the door to prevent any escape. A strange standoff considering he was the far more dangerous one and she should have been the one running. "I'm disappointed in you by the way. I approached you in private yesterday to talk through our issues and you verbally attacked me."

What-? Adam felt his temper rise. "You accused me of being a monster."

"I accused you of being a terrorist, Adam. Which you were. You accused me of being complicit in slavery, cruel treatment of faunus and of branding someone like human cattle." Weiss' lips twisted into an angry scowl. "Which I would like to think you know that I was not involved in."

"Your family-"

"Is not me!" she interrupted. "If you want us to not judge faunus by their heritage than you need to learn to not judge me by mine. I stood up for you in that brawl in the cafeteria, Adam. I took a black eye for you. Did that mean nothing?"

Shame pooled inside him, wrenching his gut into knots he hadn't experienced since Blake abandoned him. "No. I… didn't mean it like that."

"Answer the question, Adam. Did it mean anything?"

"It meant something."

"What?"

"What?" he repeated her question, confused.

"I'm asking you what it meant. What did you feel when I stood up for you?"

"Is this important?" he asked. "Why must it be said-"

"Answer the question, Adam, or I'll go straight to Ruby and Yang and tell them of your past. They deserve to know after all."

The threat worked. Adam swore and answered. "It made me feel… vindicated?" He was unsure and Weiss raised a single eyebrow, making him feel like an idiot. "I can't put it into words. There was a savage sense of satisfaction."

"That I got punched in the face?"

"No," he argued. "That you would stand up for me."

"Did you think I wouldn't?"

"I thought you would be on my side on principle," he said slowly. "I was sure you wouldn't approve of what was happening, but I didn't expect you to wade into it. At best, I thought you would run to find a teacher or Yang and Ruby. I was surprised. In a good way…"

Weiss watched him in silence. He would have paid good lien to know her thoughts, and that was something he'd never thought before about a Schnee. Weiss could ruin him right now, however. His fate in Beacon was very much in her hands.

"If a faunus attacked me in the corridor, pinned me down and started to strangle me, would you intervene?"

Adam's single eye widened. "Of course I would!"

"Even knowing I'm a Schnee? My family has harmed you and yours before. What if the faunus doing it lost a family member because of my family? What if he had every reason in the world to hate me?"

"What kind of question is that? I'd obviously intervene."

"Why?"

"Why?" He frowned. "Because it would be the right thing to do."

"Is that the only reason?" she asked.

"What is with this line of interrogation?" he demanded, glaring her way. "What is it you want me to say? Why all the round about questions? Just ask me bluntly what you want and stop wasting time."

"Why all this anger?" Weiss fired back, eyes flashing. "Why do you lash out at me whenever I ask you something? Why did you try and avoid the situation last night by insulting me and my family? Are you that afraid to talk about the fact you were in the White Fang?"

His lips peeled back. He wanted to strike her. Wanted to make her feel as bad as he had – and that was the precise problem, wasn't it? Adam slammed his eyes shut, reigning the boiling fury under control and stamping it down.

"This is a problem." Weiss said. Of course she'd seen it. "How are we meant to talk if you can barely control yourself? I'm not asking you to justify your every decision, Adam. I don't care if you've made mistakes or even if you think they aren't that. All I'm trying to do is figure out whether we can remain teammates or not."

"Why shouldn't we?" he asked hoarsely.

"Because if you're going to lose your temper and lash out at me every time I talk, there isn't much point trying. Is there?"

"I'm not-" He cut off at her sarcastic expression. He was and they both knew it. Sighing, he cupped his face, feeling every bit the fool. "I don't mean to," he said weakly. "I'm trying not to."

"Then maybe there's hope," Weiss said.

Her mattress flexed and his eyes opened. By coming over to sit down, she'd closed the distance somewhat. Not by much, there were still two other beds between them, but enough that it felt less tense.

"If you're trying then that means you want to fix this."

"I… Yes. I want to fix it."

"Do you want us to be teammates?"

He nodded.

"Why?"

Again with the questions. Adam groaned. "Why not? With the amount of effort we've put in dealing with one another, it would be a waste to stop now. We'd just have to get used to a new teammate, the same for you. It's easier for us to stay on the same team."

The mattress flexed again. "I'll ask Ozpin to remove me from Team RYST."

"What?" This time Adam was on his feet, overtaking her with a single bound to press the door shut with one hand. Weiss glared up at him, eyes burning as if to say that if he didn't remove his hand, she would remove it and his arm from his body. "Where's the logic in that? I thought you wanted to fix this."

"I'm not going to stay if the only reason you want me to is because it's easier."

Adam hissed through gritted teeth. "It's not the only reason…"

"Oh?" Weiss looked victorious. "Do tell."

"I… I…" He couldn't finish it. "Is this necessary? You know what I'm trying to say."

"I have an idea," she replied, "But I'm not certain I'm correct, so I would hear it said all the same. Besides, after everything you said to me last night, I think you deserve a little difficulty."

Arrogant, entitled, aggravating and smug. Typical Schnee. No, not typical Schnee – typical Weiss Schnee. It was something special to her, and something he'd gotten used to having around. And yes, even gotten used to arguing with. The constant fights and squabbles were… fun. Admitting that was painful but it was true.

"I… I care…" Adam's face twisted. "I consider you a companion…"

"A friend?"

"Don't put words in my mouth." His automatic response had her eyebrows rising. Adam glared off to the side. "Yes," he snapped. "I consider you a friend. Are you happy now?"

"Somewhat." She leaned back, smiling smugly. "Was that so hard to admit?"

"If the fact the words had to be dragged out of me kicking and screaming weren't any indication, then yes it was hard. I'm Adam Taurus. I'm not supposed to be friends with a Schnee."

"What about friends with Weiss?"

"Yes, yes, I get the message. You're not exactly subtle." Despite the complaints, he felt lighter. Annoyingly so. "I've judged you as poorly as I accused you of judging me. Worse since you never judged me at all. The irony is not lost on me."

"How about the hypocrisy?"

"Not lost on me either!" he snapped. "Are you done, or shall we list every other flaw I have?"

"We'd be here forever if I did."

"Hilarious." He quirked a reluctant smile, amused despite his best efforts. Weiss could snark almost as well as Blake when she wanted to. "Are we done, then? Is everything back to normal?"

Weiss' smile dropped. "Not quite."

He'd dreaded as much.

"I trust you don't want to harm me," she said. "You've had plenty of opportunities and waiting this long has only made things harder for you. That said, finding out what you were – or who you used to be – was still a shock. First of all, Ruby and Yang deserve to know. And they deserve to find out from you, not from discovering it themselves like I did."

Adam sighed and released his death grip on the door. He moved back to his bed, looking down at the school uniform and pulling off his pyjama top. Weiss turned to offer some privacy.

"I know." Adam pulled on the shirt and began to button it. "I'd already decided I should tell you all, but it came much too late. I've tried to open the conversation with Ruby. I thought she would be the easiest of you all, but she was the first to refuse to listen."

"Ruby is a child despite her maturity. Yang would be the easier by far."

Weiss wouldn't say that if she knew what he and Yang had done. Adam grimaced and pulled on the school jacket. "I'll tell them before the festival begins. I just need to find the right way."

"Fair enough. There is one last thing."

"Oh?"

"I want to know why you came to Beacon." Weiss turned and took him and his uniform in. Her eyes rose to his bandage and narrowed. She didn't bring it up. "It's one thing to be sure you're not going to harm me or the others, but I want to know what your original goals were. Did you come to target me? Beacon? What changed your mind?"

Adam's grimace had little grimace children.

"Is that important…?"

"Of course it is. If there's some White Fang plot, then I want to know. If you came because you realised the error of your ways and wanted away from them then I also want to know what made you realise. Either way, after everything you put me through, I think I deserve answers."

"I suppose…" He really didn't want to. His eye flicked left and right, searching for an escape, a diversion, for Yang and Ruby coming crashing back in and saving him. None of those things came. "It wasn't a good reason," he prefaced. "You're not going to be impressed by it."

"Let me be the judge of that, Adam. If it was important enough for you to leave everything behind and come to Beacon, then I'm sure it's a valid reason. I only want to understand you."

There really was no escape, was there?

Closing his eyes. Adam sighed.

And told her.

Weiss' brows drew down the longer she listened, until eventually she stopped him. "Are you mocking me? I'm serious, Adam. I want to know why you came to Beacon."

Miserably, Adam said, "This is the reason…"

"Adam, I trust you. I also consider you a friend. Even if the reason was to harm me or others, we can get past this. I want to prove that we can still be a team. Tell me the truth."

"This… is… the truth…"

Weiss stared at him.

Adam stared at the ceiling, face burning up.

"Snrk."

"Don't you dare laugh."

"Ksst. Snkk." Weiss swallowed loudly. Her eyes were watering. "I'm not, snrk, laughing. Who's laughing?"

"Hnghhh." Adam growled out loud. "It was a stupid reason. I know. I've realised that. I was a complete idiot obsessed with a girl I was in love with. How can I even say I cared about the White Fang's cause if I went after her? How can I even say I cared about her if the only reason I came was to try and prove her wrong?" He ran a hand down his face. "I feel like an idiot."

"No. No. It's… hm… kind of romantic? Sort of?" Weiss tried to smile and snickered instead. He glared at her. "Okay, it's not romantic at all. You're right there. Romantic would be coming to prove you could meet her expectations, not to try and say `I told you so` when she assumed you couldn't do the same. Then again, what she did isn't that much better." Weiss coughed into her hand, or at least she pretended to cough. He heard the laugh. "I can't believe she was right when she said you were hormonal enough to do that."

"She?" he asked. "Who-? Tsune." The name came out a frustrated hiss. "That gossipy, psychotic, failed excuse for a doctor. I'll pin her to the wall with her own hypodermic needles."

"You should be thanking her! I had half a mind to go to my sister instead!"

Adam grumbled. It was a better result he supposed, even if he'd been left thoroughly emasculated by the whole ordeal. What annoyed him more was the relief he felt, proof of a weakness he would have never allowed before. A weakness he felt comfortable having.

"Can I see it again?" Weiss asked.

"Hngh." He knew exactly what she meant and unwound the bandages, letting them fall. Her eyes didn't waver, nor did her posture. Weiss took in the grisly reminder and sighed.

"I don't feel guilty about it," she said. "I can't. I wasn't the one to do it."

"You weren't," he agreed.

"That said, I can understand all the things you've said about my family. Your anger makes sense. I would be just as hateful if it were me in your shoes. I won't ask you to change, but I will ask you to aim your ire at my father's company, not at Winter or I."

"Can't it just be not at you?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Both of us. Winter had no hand in that."

"She's had a hand in a lot of other things that have threatened my life."

"During your time as a terrorist. My sister was doing her job, nothing more. You can't fault her for that."

He could, but he'd be a hypocrite for doing so. Sighing, Adam nodded his head. "I'm not apologising for anything said, though," he said. "And I'm giving as good as I get if she starts insulting me again."

"If my sister decides to be childish, why not rise above it like a mature adult?"

"Because it's not as satisfying as making her act even more like a child."

Weiss sighed. "You're an idiot."

"It has been said before. I don't regret my choices, nor the path I've taken. I also don't regret coming here, even if my reasons at the time were… pointless." He looked away and grudgingly said, "I don't regret being sorted onto this team."

Weiss smiled. "Good." It faded. "But why does every nice word out your mouth have to sound so forced? Really, it's like getting blood from a stone. I pity the poor fool who ends up falling in love with you."

"Hmph." He smirked. "I don't think there's any danger of that happening."

/-/

"You wanted to talk?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah." Yang sat down and looked her sister in the eye. "I think I like Adam."

"I like Adam." Ruby chirped. "He's cool."

"No. Ruby. I think I like Adam…"

"Oooh." Ruby's eyes widened. "Ooooooh!"

A whole chapter for a scene on Adam and Weiss making up. I probably need to look at paring things like this down, there's no way it needs to be a whole chapter.

Next Chapter: 23rd February

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur