We're up to chapter 7 now! Which means you all made it through chapter 6, yay! This chapter is the last one I have prewritten, so the chapter 8 won't be out for a couple days. Regardless, I hope you enjoy a lighter chapter as a reward for getting through the last one.

Song Mentioned: Warbringers: Daughter of the Sea

--

The two sat quietly in the living room, the sound of forks clattering against porcelain bouncing off the walls. Adam had woken up early to make breakfast; though it was unsure if he couldn't sleep or was trying to make up for his episode the night prior. It wasn't hard to notice Opal's constant glances in his direction, even if she usually had been very subtle. They both kept relatively quiet as they ate as per usual; though that didn't stop the obvious unrest in the air.

"Ad-"

"No, I do not want to talk about it. Drop it."

Adam took no time in cutting her off, turning his attention to the window. He did not want to deal with this right now, nor did he care to share it with anyone. Faunus or human, his business was his business. He saw her lean back in the corner of his eye, her frown covered by the mug being held up to her lips.

"You know, a bottle can only hold so much."

Adam rolled his eyes, pushing the discarded piece of toast on his plate around with his fork,

"Well I guess it's a good thing I have a big bottle."

Opal let out a disgruntled noise, sipping her coffee,

"You can talk to me; you know that right?"

He raised a brow at her, frowning. He had absolutely no desire to tell her anything about himself or his demons; the last thing he needed was to be stabbed in the back, again.

"Hn."

She puffed out her cheeks at him before returning to her meal. She knew Adam was going to be a pain about this. If he would just tell her what he was struggling with, maybe she could help. Though that didn't stop his pride from getting in the way; and it was her fault for letting him hold onto it.

Opal felt bad for him, and she didn't think humiliating him was the answer. She had done her best to be understanding and not to pry, but while his body was recovering, his psyche was getting worse. The paranoia and knee jerk reactions were bad enough, but night terrors? Screaming himself hoarse and clawing at his own face? He still looked exhausted, the scratches over his scar still a slightly swollen red.

Adam took a sip of his coffee, slightly gagging into his cup. Opal cocked her head, leaning back in her chair,

"Something wrong with your coffee?"

"It tastes like acid. How strong did you make this?"

She stifled a bit of a laugh, covering her mouth,

"I guess I just thought you'd drink it black like I do."

Adam's face flushed a bit as he frowned, hiding behind his mug. Contrary to popular belief, he did like things on the sweeter side, even though he rarely went out of his way to treat himself. He never really thought much about how ironic it was he preferred sweet over bitter. Ignoring Opal's snickering, he headed to the fridge to find anything to dissipate the bitterness in his mouth.

Finding some cream in the corner of the fridge, he dumped a bit of coffee from the mug, making room for his ungodly amount of cream and sugar. Opal cringed from her seat, shaking her head in disapproval,

"Would you like some coffee with your cream?"

"I don't know, would you like some sugar with your tar?" He shot back.

While the light moment was nice to have, Opal's worry still lingered. She hummed quietly to herself, looking out the window. Adam raised a brow, making his way back over. He eyed her curiously as he sat down, setting his mug on the table,

"What is that; what you always hum."

"Hm? Oh! It's an old Argus folk song my mother use to sing to me." She mused, smiling.

His brows furrowed, resting his chin on his hand,

"What's it called? I've never heard it before."

"Well that's because it's probably Argus exclusive; it's called The Daughter of the Sea," she looked back out the window, humming, "It's about a daughter who betrays her father during the war, resulting in his demise, and a warning to his people to be wary of her."

Adam frowned, leaning back in his chair,

"That's cryptic."

Opal chuckled a bit, taking a sip of her coffee,

"Not when you know the daughters story."

"What?"

She looked at him in the corner of her eye, smiling,

"While her father was good to his people and her family, he was cruel to those in the world different than him- so she stood idle as the enemy overtook him," she paused, picking up her mug, "But most people in Argus don't know that part of the story."

Adam looked down at his mug, raising a brow. Strange. She was very, very strange.

"What about you?"

He looked up, letting out a hum,

"What about me?"

"Did you have any childhood things you remember?" She cocked her head, "I know a lot of your life wasn't exactly pleasant, but is there anything?"

He shrugged loosely, chewing on a piece of toast; he figured sharing useless facts wouldn't cause any harm,

"I liked music." He responded simply, not having anything notable to think of.

Opal smiled, cocking her head,

"Music? What kind?"

Adam munched on his previously discarded toast,

"Piano. Fosters had one for a while."

Seeing the possibility of an unsavoury memory, she quickly changed the subject,

"I used to love playing in the snow. It was always fun."

Adam let out a grunt, muttering,

"I hate snow."

"Well, you hate most things so…" she stood up, leaning over the table, "We should have a snow day!"

"Did you not hear what I just said." He deadpanned, grumbling.

Opal smacked his shoulder roughly; though he was used to that. She smiled at him, pinching his cheek,

"Well that's because you haven't had a good memory yet," she began to head upstairs, waving her hand, "Go get something warm on!"

Adam growled, rubbing his cheek. Her and the touching. It made him...uncomfortable. He wasn't one for intimacy in any regard. Whether it was platonic or his… passing interests. It was already off putting having her overly caring behavior focused on him every passing day; the fact she was so comfortable with touching him made him feel as if he was failing in some way.

His pride and ability to intimidate was all he had; both of which had been as wounded as he had been previously. Ever since he was a child, he never relied on anyone- it was better that way. No one to let him down, no one to stab him in the back; nobody to leave him behind.

'RUN ADAM!'

Adam shook his head, brows furrowing. He didn't understand why all these memories were resurfacing. If this is what people meant when they said 'You see your life flash before your eyes.', he might as well be seeing white at this point. The sound of the creaking stairs pulled him from his thoughts, a disgruntled Opal standing in the doorway,

"You haven't moved!"

"I have no desire nor intention to go outside. Chores and fishing is a necessity, however I'm not going to willingly go out in the snow."

Opal frowned, stomping up to him. She looked like a pouting child; it was almost cute to an extent.

'Wait, what?'

She grabbed him by his ear, producing a quiet 'ouch' from Adam. He growled as he was pulled out of his chair, snapping at her,

"What the hell is wrong with you!?"

"You're going to get dressed and we're going to go out and have FUN!"

"You're insane!" He growled, pulling her hand free from his ear.

Opal placed her hands on her hips, pointing to the stairs,

"My house, my rules. Now go get dressed."

He took it back; she was not cute. Adam begrudgingly headed upstairs, not wanting to face anymore of the woman's wrath. He didn't have time for fun; more importantly it was a complete waste of time. In the past he had plans to make, missions to scout, attacks to execute. Fun was a luxury he didn't care for.

He grabbed a simple long sleeve shirt, along with some black jeans. He glanced at himself in the mirror, brows furrowing. His roots were showing. The slight unruly strands of brown poked out from his scalp. His fingers brushed over the newly forming scars on his chest, a frown on his face. It had really been over a month since then.

Just another two for his collection. With how many scars he had, it was a miracle he wasn't dead yet. Maybe he was just too spiteful to let the world take him. Regardless, he pulled on the long sleeve and pants, taking a few more moments to pull on the fluffy wool socks Opal had given him. Did they look ridiculous? Yes. Were they probably the most comfortable thing he'd ever worn? Also yes.

Adam couldn't believe he was doing this. When did he become such a pushover? He was going to go out with a human woman to 'have fun' in the snow. On top of that, he HATED snow. It was cold, stuck to everything, and managed to get you soaked in the process. There was a reason he avoided doing missions in Atlas.

Trudging down the stairs, he grumbled to himself. As he made his way back into the living room, a beanie was yanked over his head his horns poking through the large holes that had been cut on each side.

"Oh perfect! My idea worked out well then."

He smacked her arm away, growling,

"Get your hands off me."

At least it covered his roots. Adam grabbed the coat he'd been lent off the hook, shrugging it on. Opal had already been dressed and ready to go, just waiting on him. He pulled his also lent boots on, begrudgingly taking his time in an attempt to delay the inevitable. As soon as his boots were tied, he was quickly grabbed by the sleeve and dragged out the door.

He let out a grunt, the snow crunching beneath their feet. Opal released his arm, turning back to smile at him,

"So what do you want to do?"

"Go back inside."

She rolled her eyes, crouching down,

"How about a snowman; have you ever made one?"

"Do I look like someone whose built a fucking snowman." He muttered.

Opal yanked him downwards, pulling him into a crouch,

"You're going to make a snowman with me whether you want to or not."

Adam grunted, rolling his eyes,

"Fine, what the hell do you want me to do."

She perked up, smiling happily,

"Okay so first you start with a snowball…"

--

Opal jammed two pinecones into the to the top of the snowman's head, stifling a laugh,

"Look, it's you! We just need to give him a frown!"

She happily arranged some small stones into a frown, glancing back at Adam,

"See, you're twins!"

He frowned, grumbling. It wasn't as bad as he expected, but still wasn't completely dissolving his desire to coop up in the house. Opal clearly wasn't satisfied with his attitude. Adam was busy making an attempt to brush the snow off his jeans, rubbing his hands together as an attempt to warm them up. She smirked a bit, scooping some snow up in her hands.

"Hey Adam,"

"Wha-"

Adam looked up at her, only to be swiftly hit in the face with a snowball. He jumped, angrily wiping the slush off his face, growling,

"What the fuck is-"

He was quickly cut off by another snowball to the head; Opal smugly tossing a freshly made ball between her hands,

"I thought this would be more your speed. I think it's about time you show me what you've got, Taurus."

"I'm not going to do something so child-"

Another snowball was thrown at him, this time being blocked by his arm.

"Would you piss off?!"

"What, can't take on a little Argus girl?" She shrugged, tipping her chin up, "But if you want to give up and go back inside I completely-"

Opal was promptly hit in the face, snow sticking to her hair. She brushed herself off, raising a brow. She had an even more smug smirk on her face; she knew Adam would be petty enough to take the bait. The faunus looked disgruntled as usual, snowball in hand. He chucked another snowball in her direction, narrowly missing her.

"For someone with one eye you've got good aim!" She jeered, throwing one back.

Adam dodged, quickly picking up another clump of snow,

"You learn to adjust."

As snarky and aggressive as he may be at times, she could tell he was starting to enjoy himself. Combat was his comfort zone, even if it wasn't lethal. Their battle went on for a good while, each of them moving in slightly closer for a better chance at shots. Opal quickly rushed him, jamming a handful of snow down the front of his shirt.

"Fucking!- Fuck!"

Adam jumped, quickly attempting to shake the snow out of his top. She covered her mouth as an attempt to stifle her uncontrollable laughter. He quickly grabbed her by the back of her coat, yanking her into the snow. Opal grabbed him by his sleeve, dragging her down with him. The faunus managed to smack some snow in her face on the way down.

They both rolled onto their sides, a quiet laugh escaping them. Opal blinked, smiling a bit at him,

"You laughed."

Adam blinked, before sitting up and turning away. She sat up with him, dusting herself off,

"You know, you don't have to hide when you're enjoying yourself."

He let out a quiet noise, brows furrowing. The two stood up, both brushing themselves off. Opal made the suggestions to head back inside and warm up, which Adam greatly appreciated. Regardless of their fun, he was beginning to get cold, and all that ice accumulated on his jeans was beginning to melt.

They headed back into the house, pulling off their snow-caked boots and coats.

"Why don't you make up some more coffee and I'll light a fire?"

He raised a brow, frowning,

"Since when do you have a fireplace?"

She shook out her hair, pulling her gloves off,

"It's in my bedroom, I have a couch in there too. Just come up when you're ready."

Adam frowned, not sure how to feel about that. He opened his mouth to retort, but Opal was already halfway up the creaking stairs. He groaned, making his way to the kitchen. Putting on the coffee pot, he leaned against the counter, breathing into his hands. Shit he was cold.

He originally had no intention of going to her room, but god damn did fire sound good right now. The coffee dripped into the pot, his eye watching the repeated drips hit the bottom. This wasn't good; He was losing focus. What was he thinking? Snowball fights? Having coffee with the exact thing he swore to wipe out?

Grabbing two mugs, he filled nearly half of one with cream and sugar, leaving the other untouched. For once, he was ignoring what he viewed as the 'logical' part of his brain. After filling up the two mugs with coffee, he headed upstairs. He stood in front of the door for a moment before kicking it with his foot. Opal opened the door, raising a brow,

"I told you to just come in, you know."

"Do I look I have 3 hands to you?"

She was wearing an oversized sweater now, along with some loose sweatpants and her usual fluffy socks. Taking a mug from him, she pulled the door all the way open, the soft warm light from the fire flickering behind her.

"Why don't you go change into something more comfortable? She chuckles a bit, "Since I know that shirt of yours may be a bit soaked."

Adam shrugged, handing her his mug. He would admit, the feeling of now ice cold water soaking the hem of his jeans wasn't comfortable.

"I wonder why that is." He shook out his damp shirt, quirking a brow at her.

Opal grinned at him, being followed by an inconspicuous whistle. She slipped back into her room, calling back to him,

"You better come back down! I'm not drinking your sugar bomb!"

Adam let out a loud enough grunt for her to hear, making his way back up to his room. His… room. When did he start calling it that? He shook his head, quickly pulling his soaked clothes off in exchange for some warmer, more comfortable clothes Opal had given him. He'd never been one for complete comfort; if it was functional and he could move in it, then it was a match.

However fleece lined sweats and a flannel button up was definitely an upgrade. Making his way back downstairs, he took a moment before stepping into the room. It was quite big, honestly. There was a small nook couch in the corner of the room, multiple rugs all over the floor. Large trunks were stacked up as a table, wooden hearts and rustic paintings along the walls. Off in the corner of the room was a large canopy bed, surrounded by windows.

Opal was sitting on the small purple couch in front of the stone fireplace, mug in hand. She looked over at him, scooting over on the couch and patting next to her. He was tempted to sit on the floor; just to bother her. Regardless, he plopped down next to her, grabbing his mug off the floor.

She was sitting with her legs up on the couch, comfortably crossed. He took a sip of his coffee, crossing his leg over. Opal made her usual random small talk, Adam giving his usual sounds of recognition. The sat together for a decent while, sipping their drinks and watching the fire.

"Adam."

"Hn."

She glanced up at him, smiling weakly,

"You do know I want to help you, right?"

Adam stared at her for a moment, before looking back at the fire. His lips pursed as his brow furrowed. He could practically feel the rising disappointment coming off of her. Don't trust anyone. Don't get attached.

You will never amount to anything.

He glanced back at her, making sure to respond clearly enough,

"I know."

Opal blinked, smiling at him. She looked content now, even a bit cheerier than usual. Bringing her mug to her lips, she blew an unruly coil out of her face, happily sipping her coffee. He smirked a bit, when she wasn't looking of course. Leaning back into the couch he closed his eyes, letting out a content sigh.

Maybe she was a bit cute after all.