Thank you for all the continued support! Hope you enjoy the chapter!
Opal returns from her rough trip to Argus. Meanwhile Adam struggles with something he's paid no mind in years.
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Opal opened the door, letting out an exhausted sigh as she unceremoniously dropped her backpack on the floor. She blinked tiredly before letting out a scream, grip tightening on her walking stick. Adam was settled on the corner couch, coffee mug in hand. He raised a brow, taking a sip,
"What happened to the tough act? Scared to see someone in your living room?"
"What are you doing down here!? What if I hit you!?"
Adam rolled his eyes, placing the mug on the table. He flexed his fingers, a faint red crackling across them,
"I highly doubt your swing would hurt me, considering."
He still felt a bit weak on his feet; however his aura was in much better shape. Adam quirked a brow as he looked at her. She looked… off. Leaning back into the throw pillows, he began picking apart her current state. There were cracks in her facade now; she didn't bother to smile childishly at him. No good mood, no happy go lucky additude.
He'd usually pass it off as being in a sour mood- he wouldn't blame her. Cities were horrid, especially those that contained pretentious citizens. However… his eyes narrowed at her; there was a slight puffiness around her eyes, her brows knitted together uncomfortably.
"What's your problem? Find a dead puppy on the road?" He jeered, kicking his feet up on the table.
Opal began to head upstairs, not even looking at him,
"I can't deal with you right now. I'll make you something to eat later tonight, pending you're even here."
Adam was a bit taken back at her response, the sound of the creaking stairs ending with a slam of a door. That was unexpected. He got up from his seat, looking to the stairs. She was usually quite good at keeping her happy face on, but he highly doubted a simple trip to Argus would be enough to break her down. He pondered for a moment, a noise of curiosity leaving him. Might as well be nosy; he could find out something something useful.
Attempting to make his way up the rickety case stair quietly, he made his way to her door, leaning against it. Soft, muffled sobs came from the other side, catching him off guard. Was she... crying? Why? It's a shitty city, full of shitty people at that-
'But crying?'
The sound made his skin crawl. His stomach burned, as if someone had lit a fire inside him. Why? Adam quietly stepped back, brows furrowing. He must have been disgusted; weakness always disgusted him. Making his way back downstairs, he attempted to disregard the thought.
Heading over to the small kitchen, he ignored the nagging in the back of his head. Adam knew he was being arrogant. He knew his stomach wasn't twisting in disgust; his skin wasn't crawling because he was revolted by her quiet sobbing. He wasn't disgusted; he was angry. Angry for the sake of some human woman. Though he'd never accept that.
Adam clung to his original conclusion. He began rooting through her cabinets, deciding to make himself his own dinner. He was never one to be dependant, and that included cooking. For living in the middle of nowhere, the woman had a decent selection. Seeing as he'd been served mostly soups and stews, he was desperate for something solid.
Settling on fish, he began a new search for utensils, along with quietly questioning why everything in her kitchen was so old. Watching the pan heat up, he leaned against the counter. His brow furrowed as he stared blankly at the oven. He could be leaving- Why wasn't he?
'Because you have no place to go.'
Adam rubbed his temples, shaking his head.
'Because you don't want to leave.'
He closed his eyes, letting out a breath.
'Because you're afraid.'
He quickly snapped himself out of it, frowning deeply. Turning on the sink, he wet his hand, flicking water droplets into the pan. They hit the surface with a sharp sizzle, evaporating almost instantly. Adam pushed away all unwanted thoughts, placing all his focus on the task at hand.
Cooking had been something he rarely did anymore, considering how much he moved around. Regardless it was one of the few life skills he actually enjoyed doing. Dropping some butter into the pan, he glance up at the ceiling. It still was puzzling though. The woman seemed so independent and carefree-
Adam blinked, his brows furrowing further; he didn't even know her name. She'd always just been 'human' or ''woman'. Portioning out a few hefty chunks of fish, he laid them in the pan, casual pondering. If he could figure out what cause her to act that way, it could be used to his advantage.
'But that's not why I want to know is it.'
He closed his eyes, listening to the persistent sizzle. When did his conscience decide to come back- and why? Letting out a grunt, he poked the fish with a spatula. Being in this house really was driving him mad. Adam began to chop up some lettuce, maybe a bit too aggressively as intruding thoughts of guilt and concern bounced around his head.
'Why did I say something like that?
'Because she's one of them.'
'But she's different than them.'
'Why do I care?'
Adam swung down hard, getting the knife stuck in the cutting board. He was getting quite tired of arguing with himself. Letting out a breath, he took the fish off the heat. Looking at the knife he frowned, flicking it with his finger. Well now he was destroying her kitchen; wonderful. Finding a plate, he portioned out his meal, sitting down at the small dining table.
He pieced together that she lived alone. One dining chair, one recliner, one set of dining wear within arms reach. However he didn't miss the family portrait framed next to the couch he'd been sitting on earlier. Adam eyed it as he ate, brows furrowing. He wouldn't deny it, he enjoyed sticking his nose in others business.
Forking a leaf of lettuce, he let out a quiet 'hm'. Where was her family? The portrait was obviously taken during her childhood. He'd heard no visitors during his time here. Which in his case was convenient, considering it meant no one knew he was in the area.
Though that didn't make it any less peculiar. No friends, no visiting family; things weren't adding up. Perhaps she was an outcast- seeing as she clearly had no discrimination against faunus. Her family may have disowned her for even the thought of associating with his kind. He frowned bitterly at the thought as he finished his meal.
Adam got up, heading back to clean up the mess he'd made. After a quick wash of dishes and dislodging the knife from the cutting board, he looked at the leftovers on the counter. He wasn't about to throw cuts of tuna in the trash. Pondering for a moment, he hummed to himself. Frowning, only one thought came to mind.
Placing the leftovers on a new plate, he rummaged through her things for a scrap piece of paper and a pen. After finding a blank sheet sticking out of a nearby book, he grabbed the plate and a fork. The stairs creaked at his weight as he headed up to the first floor, stopping in front of her door. He couldn't believe he was doing this.
'There's no point in wasting food. That's why.' He grumbled, justifying his uncharacteristic actions.
Placing the plate in front of her door, he folded the paper over and tucked it underneath. Adam gave a decently loud knock before heading up to the next floor, the sound of a door closing second after. He refused to deliver anything to her face to face. She didn't need another reason to be smug.
Opal slowly opened her door, peeking out. She looked down at the plate for a moment, brows furrowing. Picking it up, she unfolded the note, smiling a bit.
'Made too much, didn't want to waste it. Eat.' - A
She sat down on the small couch in her room, leaning back. Who would have guessed that Adam Taurus would have brightened her mood.
