The new travelling arrangements made their journey significantly more tolerable. Adam was solely on hunting and cooking duties and Weiss was responsible for starting the fire and foraging.
With the dust finally settling between them, Weiss continued her efforts to make small talk with him, especially after dinner when they had a bit of downtime. After their conversation the first night, she found the courage to push the boundaries between them.
Her efforts were usually met with silence or one-word answers at best. Sometimes, when she caught him in a good mood, she managed to coax a short conversation out of him. Adam was always the one to put an end to their talks once he remembered who exactly he was speaking with.
When she wasn't trying to get more than one word out of him, she took the time to study him more closely. It wasn't like she had anything else to look at.
She learned early on that Adam was very meticulous about his cooking. They'd come across several herbs on their journey, which always affected what sort of animal he brought back. And if the berries and fruits she picked fit his recipe, he'd promptly include them in his cooking. If he couldn't find anything to complement the available herbs, they left it alone.
Weiss had suggested they pick some herbs to bring with them, but he insisted it wouldn't taste the same as freshly picked ones.
She also learned he had a habit of straightening out his blazer after every fight. Their Grimm encounters never left them a mess, but he went through the process of fixing his jacket regardless. He always adjusted the cuff of his sleeves first before smoothing out his collar. Finally, he ended the routine with a light tug on the bottom of his blazer to smooth out any final wrinkles. It was weirdly endearing to see his efforts to maintain a nice appearance.
Weiss couldn't blame him for obsessing over his clothes. His outfit was classy, it was nothing like the clothes typically worn by White Fang grunts. Even in combat, he maintained elegance in every move.
Adam's outfit would be perfect had it not been for the hideous Grimm mask he wore day and night. She figured it was just some White Fang dress code he was unusually attached to. It was a shame he had no intentions of parting with it in any shape or form, though. He has beautiful blue eyes that would complement his clothes perfectly.
Their quiet routine was interrupted on a particularly cold and windy evening, forcing them to end the day early and seek shelter. They spent the rest of the day looking for an alcove or cave to hide in, but the forest proved uncharitable. All they could find were trees and overgrown bushes while the storm clouds above them grew thicker by the hour.
Weiss caught the scent of rain in the air when they spotted a yellow light in the distance. The impending storm was quickly staining the evening sky black, making the distant lights stand out like a beacon. When she suggested investigating it, Adam was quick to object.
"We might run into more trouble," he reasoned. "It could be a bandit camp for all we know."
"Or it could be a warm place to avoid the storm. It'd be more comfortable sleeping with a roof over our heads."
"You need to learn how to be afraid for once in your life."
Weiss was wary, but his presence helped to mellow out any fears she had – not that she would ever admit that out loud. It was simply reassuring to know she had backup now.
"There's no harm in checking it out. It might be safer to see who's living nearby anyway."
"Fine, but we're leaving if they're trouble."
They crept towards the light until the forest opened up to vast farmland. The source of the light came from a small farmhouse nestled at the far end of the field. A faded red barn house and rusted mill stood on the house's right. Two individuals were still working far out into the wheat field.
"It doesn't look like a sketchy place," she said. "We could spend the night here."
"For all we know, these people could be serial killers."
"Or they're a family of friendly farmers."
A powerful gust of wind knocked into their backs, nearly sending her flying forwards.
"I don't think we have much of a choice about staying," she said over the howling wind. "It might start raining soon."
He cursed, looking up as a flash of lightning turned the world white. "Let's get into the barn while they're distracted."
"You want to stay in the barn?"
"It's safer than revealing ourselves to a bunch of strangers."
"But…" She looked over at the tiny farmhouse longingly. If they could convince the family to help them, that would mean having an actual bed to sleep on and a hot meal in the morning.
"Look, I entertained your stupid idea to camp in someone else's territory. It's only fair that you'll meet me halfway."
She couldn't argue with that logic. With great reluctance, she followed him to the weathered barn house. She stuck close to Adam as he carefully cracked open the barn door and peeked inside. The building released a pungent stench right into Weiss' face. She covered her nose with her mouth, aghast.
"It's clear," Adam said, seemingly unmoved by the smell.
"You can't seriously think we can sleep here, right?" Weiss could hardly endure a minute of the stench, there was no way she was spending an entire night with it.
"We can sleep in the rain if that's what you want."
"But the farmhouse–"
"We don't know who lives there. What will you do if they're hostile to us? Beat them up and take over their home?"
She opened her mouth to protest but failed to find a good counterargument. He wasn't completely wrong about the worst-case scenario. At least this way, it guarantees everyone gets to sleep in dry clothes.
"Come on." Adam eased open the old door. "It's not as bad as it looks."
Weiss took one last breath of fresh air before following him inside. Adam helped her navigate up a rickety ladder to a second landing loaded with what felt like piles of hay. She regretted agreeing to Adam's idea when she realized how itchy it was to simply sit.
"This place is awful," she complained as he settled beside her.
"Then you shouldn't have suggested coming here in the first place," he said.
"My idea was to sleep at the farmhouse. I had no intention of sleeping in some gross barn. It smells like shit in here."
"It probably is."
Weiss looked at him in horror. When he didn't say anything to assure her it was a joke, she had the strongest urge to jump in a boiling tub of water.
"It's not that bad. Could've been a serial killer's den instead."
"Shut up," she hissed. Of all the times he could find a sense of humour, why now?
They both went still when the barn door squeaked open, washing the barn in a dim grey light. Adam gestured for them to lie on their stomachs. The two figures she'd seen from the forest sauntered in to drop off their tools with tired grunts. Weiss used this opportunity to observe her surroundings.
They were hiding in what appeared to be an extra storage area above the horse stables. Wooden railings kept the hay barrels from rolling down on the main level. Weiss was certain none of the farmers could see them, but she gingerly shuffled back to be safe. Her arm bumped into Adam's in the process.
He didn't seem to mind her proximity, but it didn't stop the embarrassment from flushing her face. Weiss didn't know she was so close to him. She could practically feel the warmth radiating off of him.
Weiss wanted to shift over to create space but she worried she'd bump into something else along the way. She chose instead to squeeze her arm close to herself, her skin still tingling from where she touched him.
"Ready to make that delivery next week, Pa'?" the shorter of the two farmers asked.
"Bah! Your Ma's crazy for makin' us drive to Orchid." The taller man scoffed, haphazardly dumping his tools against the wall. "Don't they have enough animals to carry that stuff? Just slap a harness on 'em and send 'em off. It'll save us the trip and gas money."
"Isn't that a bit…inhumane? Orchid's a long walk from here." The shorter man laughed nervously.
"The fuck do you mean by inhumane? These are animals we're talkin' 'bout, not people! The folks down in Orchid should lock 'em up like they do in Atlas. It's only a matter of time before one of 'em goes completely feral and kills somebody."
"I-I think all those articles you're readin' are uh...inaccurate, Pa'. I made some Faunus friends in the city, and they're nothin' but friendly," the shorter man murmured. "I-if ya' met them, I'm sure–"
"Those animals are poisonin' your heads with their bullshit propaganda. This is why you never shoulda have gone to school in the city. Even your Ma's gettin' caught up in their nonsense now. Animals should be treated like animals, it's simple as that. At this rate, they'll expect us to free convicted murderers next."
"It's not the same thing, Pa'–"
"You youngsters are so brainwashed from their horseshit, you've forgotten how ta' think straight. Lemme remind ya' how badly those beasts fucked with our Kingdom."
Weiss' heart dropped when Adam slowly rose from the ground, his hand on the hilt of his sword. Weiss caught him by the wrist before he could cut the unsuspecting farmer, and possibly his son for being a witness, into ribbons. Weiss felt his glare piercing her, but she refused to budge.
The older farmer continued to discuss his views of proper Faunus control without knowing the danger his life was in.
Weiss didn't let go even once they left, slamming the doors shut behind them. Neither of them moved a single muscle as droplets of rain started knocking against the building.
"Why did you stop me?" Adam asked in a deceptively calm voice.
"What would you have accomplished by killing him?" Weiss shot back. "You'd only traumatize his poor son."
"So you're defending what he had to say?"
"No! You should know better by now." She couldn't keep the hurt out of her voice. "I'm just saying it's stupid to murder idiots for being idiots."
"That bastard had it coming."
"I agree he deserves something, but it's not being senselessly slaughtered. And what about his son? It's not fair to punish him for being related to an idiot."
"It's Human nature to abuse the weak. Sooner or later, he'll start hurting the Faunus too."
"Are you listening to yourself? You sound as bigoted as that idiot!"
"It's not my fault that Humans treat us like scum!" Adam pulled his hand out of her grip. She'd forgotten she was still holding onto him.
The wind outside gave an angry roar, pelting raindrops into the barn like bullets. The building groaned under the weight of the growing storm.
Adam didn't say anything else, moving to lie down somewhere away from her. She glared in the direction where he went. The argument left Weiss more weary than usual. After being on civil terms with Adam for so long, she'd almost forgotten why they could never be anything more than acquaintances.
Weiss shouldn't have been so disappointed. It wasn't like they were good friends after tolerating each other's company, but the silence still left her heart heavy. She understood their current circumstance stemmed from a strained truce, but a foolish part of her still hoped to regain what they once had.
The rain outside weakened to a drizzle when Weiss stirred from her sleep. The wind continued to howl like a pack of hunting wolves, clawing against the creaking barn aggressively.
She rolled onto her back, ready to settle into unconsciousness again when she caught a subtle noise masked beneath the raging storm. It was heavy breathing coming from the area Adam had gone to sleep in.
"Adam?" Weiss sat up, hand on her sword. He didn't answer, but she still heard his laboured breaths. "Is everything okay?"
"Fine." He sounded completely breathless.
The slightest tremor in his voice made Weiss even more worried. If something could make even Adam scared, then it was an emergency.
"Was it Grimm? Sorry, I just woke up and didn't catch it."
"It's nothing."
"It doesn't sound like nothing." She scrambled up to her feet and turned in the direction of his voice. "What's going on? Are you having trouble breathing? If it's an emergency, we can see if the farmhouse–"
"I'm fine!" he snapped.
His panicked response made her freeze.
"I just…couldn't sleep," he added a bit too hastily.
His familiar words melted her fear into empathy. So he still gets nightmares. What did he dream about to leave him so scared? Weiss clenched her teeth to keep herself from asking too many personal questions.
"Go to sleep, Schnee. I'll be fine."
She looked up, frowning at the black abyss staring down at her. Adam had mentioned that stargazing was what helped to calm him down. How was he coping with only a dirty barn ceiling to look at?
"Back when my brother was little…he used to have trouble staying asleep," she said, finding a comfortable spot on the floor to sit. "It got to a point where he'd always be up at odd hours of the night. Mother used to read him fairytales to help calm him."
Weiss took a breath. The memories, while pleasant, left her heart weary with grief. It was difficult to relive happy moments when she knew how wrong everything turned out to be.
"After Mother started drinking, she stopped caring about us. Winter locked herself away when Mother got…sick, so it was up to me to care for him. Whitley's favourite story was The Hunter's Children. I read it so many times I still have it memorized."
"I don't need you to recite a fairytale to me. Save your breath."
"It might help you fall asleep," Weiss continued, ignoring his comment. "I used to think it was silly until I…I started having some trouble sleeping. It was comforting. There's something nice about losing yourself in a made-up story."
"I don't know what gave you the impression I needed comfort." He spat the word comfort out like it was a curse. "I'm fine, Schnee. Drop it already."
"Sharing stories might be fun. It's better than laying awake all night," she persisted. "So? What's your favourite fairytale?"
"Has anyone ever told you that you're annoyingly stubborn?"
"What can I say? I don't know when to quit."
He didn't say anything at first, but Weiss continued to stare in his general direction. At last, she heard him get up and approach her. He slid down next to her. Her heart quickened when his arm pressed next to hers.
She expected him to move and create space between them, but he remained still. Weiss played with the collar of her dress, unsure if the heat was from his presence alone.
"You ever heard of The Shallow Sea?" he asked.
Weiss shook her head. She didn't trust herself to speak at the moment.
"Not surprising. It's an old Faunus fairytale." He paused, allowing the rain to take over the space between them. Weiss waited for him to continue. "My mom used to recite it to me before bed."
It was the first time he brought up his family. Weiss couldn't describe the joy it felt to hear him disclose that information to her. This was the closest she felt to him in a long time.
"Can you tell me?" Weiss asked gently.
The Shallow Sea was an origin myth about the Faunus. Like the stories she heard from Violet, even a simple children's tale featured themes of Human hatred in the core narrative. The myth ended with the Faunus living on an island completely free of Human hatred.
Adam confirmed the island described is based on Menagerie. Weiss was familiar with the name. It's a Faunus-only island said to be riddled with crime, poverty, and drugs. The island in the fairytale painted a completely different picture, though. Weiss imagined a secret paradise with golden sand, crystal clear water, and tropical trees thriving with colourful fruits and flowers.
"Violet told me some stories about a Faunus God," she said once he finished. "I think his name was…Pan? Is that the same god in your story?"
"I'm surprised you even know that name." Adam sounded taken aback. "My mom never named the god, but I always thought it was Pan."
"I've never heard many Faunus stories until recently. They're nice." Weiss smiled. "Can I ask why you like this story so much?"
"Simple, I liked the idea of living in paradise as a kid."
His response made her unimaginably sad. Knowing the kind of environment he grew up in, she understood the allure of escaping to a magical island where no Humans could ever hurt him.
"Have you ever been to Menagerie?"
"I have." His voice sounded lighter, and his breathing finally evened out. "The fairytale exaggerates how perfect it is. There are issues around land and resources, but it's…peaceful. It's easy to forget about the world when you're there."
"Did you ever live there?"
"No. I couldn't fit in with everyone else. They were too…happy and carefree. As nice as it is, I couldn't forget the crimes happening outside."
He didn't elaborate any further, and Weiss was glad for it. The conversation was inching towards territory that would shatter their peaceful moment like a sledgehammer.
"What's your favourite fairytale?" Adam asked. Weiss was grateful he changed the subject so suddenly.
"Grace and the Grimm."
"Isn't that the story about some lady falling in love with a giant Grimm?" He snorted.
"It sounds bad if you put it like that." Weiss rolled her eyes. "It's beautiful a story about inner beauty, thank you very much."
She recited the tale as best she could. Though she knew Whitley's favourite story in more detail, Weiss still remembered the core story beats in Grace and the Grimm.
"Please don't tell me you like it because you secretly love the Grimm," he said at the end of her story.
"I'm not that obsessed with the story. I like it for the message: what's on the inside is more important than the outside. I liked it more as I grew older."
Weiss played with the edge of her skirt, internally debating how much she wanted to elaborate. Adam had shared more than he usually did. Would it be so bad if she returned the favour?
"I thought people moved on from fairytales as they grew up," Adam said after a particularly long stretch of silence.
"It's just…I always liked the idea of falling in love with someone's personality rather than their looks or social status. Almost every guy who's asked me out only cared about one thing: money. They never cared about me. The most they'll offer is an empty compliment about my appearance."
She touched the long scar running down her eye. Weiss always found it odd no one ever asked how she, the Schnee Heiress, could have gotten scarred like that. Maybe people just didn't care. It was ironic that Neptune, Beacon's infamous flirt, was the only one who asked her about it.
"A-anyway, the second reason I like it so much is the forbidden romance. Father made it clear I could only marry someone who would benefit the business. It's nice to read a story where someone got a happy ending while following their heart."
Weiss blushed, realizing how sappy her explanation ended up sounding.
"So to summarize, you're a hopeless romantic."
Weiss laughed. She couldn't feel annoyed when he was right.
"My friends would never believe it. Me, the Ice Queen, being a hopeless romantic? Impossible."
"Now that's an interesting nickname they have for you."
"It's because I was a huge bitch when I first met them."
"You said it, not me, Ice Bitch."
That managed to get them both laughing.
Weiss felt the unseen wall falling between them once their laughter died out. Even without seeing him, she knew he had a forced frown on his face. She wrapped her arms around herself. The night was growing colder by the second.
"We should get some rest," Adam insisted, his voice devoid of its earlier amusement. They were back on formal terms with each other.
"R-right," Weiss stammered, not bothering to hide her disappointment.
She scooted away and curled onto her side, shivering as icy air seeped through the cracks of the barn.
"It's cold tonight," Adam noted offhandedly.
"Yeah. Sucks we can't build a fire without burning this place down."
Weiss gasped when he lay down right next to her, his back pressed against hers. His touch was electrifying. Whatever complaints she had about the cold night thawed at the sudden wave of warmth.
"It might help deal with the cold. I'll move once it warms up."
"N-no, it's fine." She cleared her throat. "Good night."
"Night."
They got up early the next morning to avoid running into the farmers. Adam didn't seem the slightest bit bothered by their sleeping arrangements. Weiss tried to mirror his calm demeanour, but she couldn't forget the feeling of falling asleep against him no matter how hard she tried.
We have an interesting situation this week. I'm going to be releasing 3 chapters instead of just 2. This will allow some very specific chapters to be released on the same weekend in the distant future. Enjoy your bonus content on Monday :)
Thank you to MadZigness (I appreciate the typo notice), LiteralWhiteTrash, CMDR Quillon, Gleaming Onyx, a Guest reader, Eramis8, Able and Table, TheMaTheMyTheLe, and Saturday4 for the reviews!