They arrived at Magnolia early that evening, following a quiet road to the sleepy city. The only other signs of life she saw were a couple of squirrels chasing each other down the dirt trail.
"It's quiet," Weiss said nervously.
"Better quiet than busy," Adam said, keeping one hand on the hilt of his sword.
"You don't think we're walking into a trap, right?"
"The White Fang doesn't come here often. There's too much security running about to cause problems."
"That hasn't stopped them from attacking before."
"It'd be a waste of manpower to try and cause trouble in a useless city. Still, I don't think it's smart to walk around undisguised either. There's a chance Sienna stationed people here to look for us."
The first hint of civilization revealed itself in the sound of cars passing to and fro. Despite the main road being empty, Adam signalled her into the thicker growth of foliage on the side. They proceeded the rest of the way to Magnolia from the sideline, stopping when the city finally came into sight. Unlike in Azaleas, no fence stood between the forest and the city.
Magnolia was unlike the other settlements she'd been to in Mistral. It was clean and completely urbanized. Though it looked peaceful, Weiss couldn't stop fidgeting with her sword. Almost every settlement she's walked into wanted her captured or killed. It was too early to drop her guard.
"What are you going to do about your disguise?" she whispered. Although he was less noticeable without that awful mask, his height and bright hair made him stand out like a beacon.
"I'll steal something from one of the locals," he answered.
"Adam!"
"It's not like I can bargain with any passing travellers."
"Didn't you say this place is running with security?"
"It's not a problem if we cover our tracks."
Weiss shook her head in disbelief. She refused to let their mission get foiled by a burglary attempt gone wrong.
"I could go in there and buy something for you," she suggested instead. It would be fitting considering he had gotten her such a nice scarf.
"That's more trouble than it's worth."
"So is trying to rob some stranger on the street. At least my idea won't get us arrested," she argued. "If you're worried you can always contact me through my Scroll."
He folded his arms and studied their surroundings as if expecting to catch another passing traveller.
"I can look after myself out there," she assured him. "Besides, it'll save us a lot more time than robbing someone."
"Fine, but be careful," he answered with a sigh. "If you think something is off, trust your gut instinct and get the hell out. If you're not back in an hour I'll come looking for you."
After hiding her hair beneath the red scarf, she used her Scroll to guide her to the nearest boutique. She zeroed in on a store that specialized in clothes tailored for Huntsmen and Huntresses.
Despite her reassurances to Adam, Weiss still felt uncomfortably exposed in the city. The streets buzzed with activity, with civilians surrounding her at every corner. Most people had their heads down, occupied on their Scrolls, while others were too caught up in their daily lives to notice her. It was unnerving how normal the city felt. She was half-expecting someone to pull out a gun and declare their undying loyalty to the White Fang. All she heard was passing conversations and cars zooming by.
Her stomach grumbled when she passed a cute cafe. The sweet scent of coffee was almost enough to completely sidetrack her.
When she arrived at the boutique, Weiss knew what to get the moment she saw it in the display window. It was a black overcoat with the inside dyed a beautiful rose red. The wool fabric, while being thick, was lightweight to accommodate combat. It came with a removable hood which was perfect for hiding Adam's identity.
After completing her purchase, she hurried back to the forest.
"That was fast," Adam said when he saw her.
"I got lucky and found the perfect coat," she said, pushing the new coat into his arms. "Go on, try it."
"You didn't have to buy something so expensive." He frowned, staring at the price tag he ripped off. "I only needed something simple to disguise myself."
"As long as it looks nice, who cares? Besides, if I'm going shopping, I might as well get something worthwhile."
"I'll never understand rich people."
He shrugged on the coat, leaving the front unbuttoned for easy access to his sword. It fit him better than she imagined.
The overcoat ended at his midthigh, harmonizing well with the existing colours of his clothes. While his usual clothes hugged him in all the right places, perfectly sculpting his toned build, the overcoat left a touch of sophistication that kept her eyes curiously roaming his figure.
She only wished the coat came with a simple floral pattern to complement his blazer. She imagined he would be even more stunning with the added flare.
Weiss tore her eyes away when he caught her staring. The vivid blue in his eye was the only thing that interrupted the blacks and reds in his outfit.
"How do I look?" he asked.
"You look good in it," she told him honestly, playing with the end of her skirt. The evening was warmer than she expected. "Here, see for yourself."
She fished out her Scroll, activating her front camera and handed it to him. His eye lit up as he studied himself in the camera. Weiss couldn't help but smile when he used the opportunity to also fix his hair. Though she thought his hair was perfect already, it was always endearing to see the care he put into his appearance.
"I still think it's overpriced, but you're right about it looking nice," he said, giving her Scroll back.
"See? There's no harm in indulging every once in a while."
"You know, I've always wanted to get something like this. Thank you." His smile made her heart flutter with joy. "I'm surprised you know my style so well."
She blushed, remembering the amount of time she spent studying him. It wasn't too difficult to figure out how he wanted to present himself.
"I-I guess we have similar tastes in fashion." She laughed nervously.
"I'll have to take you with me whenever I get new clothes," he joked, throwing the hood over his head. "Come on, we should get moving."
A wash of magenta and orange painted the sky when they arrived at the train station. Her gut twisted into knots at the sheer number of people waiting inside. A single security guard stood on the side of the booking counter. His bored expression gave little reassurance that he would be of much help if something did go wrong.
Weiss bought their tickets quickly as Adam stood protectively behind her. If he heard that she bought them both first-class tickets, he didn't comment on it.
"Our ride won't be leaving until about nine," Weiss said, handing him his ticket. That left them a couple of hours to kill before it was time to go.
"We're in for a long wait," he noted, studying the crowded station. The tightness in his jaw tensed the longer he took in the number of people surrounding them.
"Do you want to grab anything to eat before then?" she asked.
They already ate before arriving in the city, but Weiss always had room for dessert. She also hadn't forgotten that sweet-smelling cafe. It was better than waiting in an overcrowded station.
"I don't know if we should spend extra money when we don't have to."
"Oh lighten up, I have more than enough left. Besides, after everything we've gone through to get here, we deserve a treat."
"You sound like you already have a place in mind."
"I promise you'll like it." She took his hand and led them back out to the street. She didn't realise she was still holding onto him until she caught their reflection in the cafe's storefront window.
The cafe was busy despite the time of day. It was a cosy square space decorated with fairy lights and an assortment of hanging glass terrariums. After purchasing two cinnamon rolls, they isolated themselves at the furthest corner of the building. It gave them a perfect view of the entire cafe and the flat-screen TV mounted on the wall.
Weiss devoured the cinnamon roll, savouring every sweet bite for as long as she could.
"You've got one hell of a sweet tooth," Adam said when she'd gone through half her dessert.
"I'm a complete sucker for anything sweet." She shrugged. "It's too bad they didn't have any chocolate cake left. It's been forever since I've treated you with cake."
"You already have. Back at Sapphire's place, remember?"
"T-that doesn't count." She cringed when she recalled the awkward frosting pattern all her cupcakes ended up having. She was still mortified Adam went out of his way to pick out all her cupcakes to eat. "Besides, the cake here probably looks nicer than the mess I made."
"I don't care about the presentation. It's the thought that counts. I really enjoyed your cooking."
"Technically, Saffron had to walk me through every little step…"
"You still helped out so it's also your cooking." He smiled, sending a warm jolt through her chest. "I wouldn't mind having it again."
Weiss stared down at her cinnamon roll, the tips of her ears burning. She was far from being an experienced cook, her meals always took on a messy appearance compared to his. It never bothered her as long as they were both full at the end of the day. But hearing what he had to say made her want to try and improve her skills. She wanted to wow him with something visually stunning and delicious.
"Do you have the biggest sweet tooth out of your team?" he asked.
Grateful for the change of subject, she told him about Ruby's unhealthy obsession with chocolate chip cookies.
"I should treat the girls to something nice when we meet up," she thought out loud. "I don't think we've had the chance to sit down for a meal together in forever."
"Did you guys used to eat together often?"
"We lived together, so it was hard not to share meals. I wish we went out to restaurants more often, though. I didn't like eating in the cafeteria much. The only exception was when we had our legendary food fight."
Weiss eagerly told him about the mess they got themselves in with team JNPR. The warmth in her chest grew when she managed to make Adam laugh at certain parts of the story.
"You have an…interesting group of friends," he said once she finished.
"They're idiots, but they're my idiots."
Her smile faltered when she remembered the lie Blake had harboured during that time. She wondered if Blake ever felt guilty when they made those happy memories together.
"A-anyway, I'm lucky I met them. They all stuck by me even when I was a jerk at the beginning."
"I'm glad you were able to find a good group of friends to fall back on." He prodded his dessert with his fork. "I'm sorry I ended up hurting one of them."
"I know." Not knowing what else to say, she finished off the rest of her cinnamon roll in silence.
The crowd was beginning to dissipate by the time their plates were empty. Weiss checked the time on her Scroll. They still had an hour left to burn before their train would leave. Adam was staring at the TV screen to avoid looking at her. Weiss doubted he was all that interested in watching the commercial reels.
"What about you?" she asked gently. "What are your friends like?"
"I don't have a lot of Human friends."
"Obviously. I meant in the…in your old group."
He continued staring at the commercials playing on the TV. The soft jingle of bells from the cafe door snapped him out of his thoughts.
"My colleagues liked to tell stories over the fire. We don't get the luxury of going out to eat much." He shrugged, turning his attention back on her.
"Your colleagues?" Weiss frowned.
"I don't remember their names but I know their weird quirks. You learn a lot about a person when you're forced to camp together."
"Weren't you close to anyone?"
"Yeah." He folded his arms. "I worked with Blake a lot."
"I'm not asking who you worked with. I'm asking about people you liked spending time with."
"It's the same thing." He glanced over at the TV again. "We needed to get along when we worked all day and night together."
Weiss latched onto the last part of his comment longer than she liked to admit.
"Do you even know anything personal about Blake?" she pressed on despite the bitter knot returning to the back of her throat.
"Of course," he said curtly. "She likes the colour black and she has a...questionable taste in romance novels."
Weiss waited for him to continue, but he didn't have anything else to add. She caught the growing tension mounting on his shoulders.
"Adam…" She hesitated, unsure how she wanted to word her next question.
"Look, I prefer to keep my personal life and professional life separate," he explained a bit too fast. "It's easier that way."
Weiss didn't know what to do with this revelation. She couldn't see why White Fang agents wouldn't want to be close to him. He was strong and he cared about their community. Why was he so isolated from everyone?
"Well…you're always welcome to join my group of weirdos," Weiss offered. "I'm sure it'll be more lively with one more person around."
"I don't think everyone is as forgiving as you." He managed a tense smile. "I'll be fine watching from a distance."
Weiss wanted to say they'd accept him once they knew everything he did for her, but she wasn't certain about it. As far as they were concerned, he was heartless and cruel like Cinder. That was without considering what he did to Yang.
But that wouldn't stop her from finding some way to introduce him to at least one of her friends. She didn't want him to be alone anymore.
Adam returned his attention to the TV, suddenly perking up with interest. Weiss looked over as well.
The commercials were now replaced with a breaking news broadcast from Atlas. The headline across the screen was enough to capture her full attention: Faunus Trafficking Ring Exposed. Weiss skimmed the captions as fast as she could, not wanting to miss a shred of information.
'This just in, Ouranos, one of Atlas' renowned clothing brands, is allegedly involved in a Faunus trafficking ring. Journalists from all over Remnant have received an anonymous package with evidence linking the company to illegal slave labour.
'Atlas authorities have begun to raid the alleged trafficking site identified by the leaks. Authorities have not confirmed nor denied receiving the same package. A group of volunteers offered free housing and medical support to the victims.
'Ouranos and its stakeholders have been a victim of break-ins and thefts for the past six months. No suspects have been named, but authorities have linked these crimes to the White Fang. It's believed this may be a new branch at work as no working personnel was killed during these raids. Currently, authorities have not confirmed if these incidents are connected but experts believe–"
The channel changed before the report could finish. Weiss slumped into her seat, scowling at the nature program now playing on the screen. Patrons who also saw parts of the program murmured amongst themselves. Many voiced their disbelief about the whole event. Some even speculated that the White Fang had staged it to frame an innocent company.
"They can't seriously think the White Fang has anything to do with this," Adam noted quietly. His comment wasn't something she expected to hear, especially when it was still a developing story.
"Why do you say that?" she asked.
Adam studied the crowd before ducking his head and whispering, "if the White Fang could break into their facilities and stakeholders' place, those guys would all be dead right now. It isn't Sienna's style to spare them."
"They did speculate it could be a new branch. Maybe they aren't so well-versed in uh…crime yet."
"It's possible but highly unlikely. Even rookies know what kind of message Sienna expects them to leave behind. Someone else is responsible for their downfall. I'm sure of it."
You need to stop what you're doing right now and give some love to one of my readers. Someone took the time to create beautiful fanart for this project and I want you guys to send them all your love and support:
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Big congrats to any bee shippers here! Although not my otp, I thought the big kiss scene was very cute. I'm an absolute sucker for atmospheric love confessions like that :)
Thanks to CMDR Quillon, LiteralWhiteTrash, SomberFlight, and Gleaming Onyx for the reviews!
Lemme know what you think and I'll catch you again next week!