"You shouldn't push yourself so quickly," Fiona advised as Weiss inched down the narrow hallway.

"I feel a lot better today. It'll be okay," Weiss half-lied. While she felt much stronger, it still hurt to walk all by herself.

Weiss was tired of being in bed all day, especially when Father was punishing the entirety of Mantle for Whitley's disappearance. He was doing everything in his power to paint every single Faunus in the kingdom as a terrorist, and people who were already on edge from the White Fang's antics weren't going to scrutinise his words. It was time to get better and figure out their next move. The shields in Mantle could only hold for so long.

That's why she insisted on walking back after freshening up that morning. It was the perfect opportunity to build her strength again.

Weiss winced when a sharp pain shot through her stomach. Her legs buckled beneath her. Fiona cried out in surprise as she tumbled forwards. A pair of strong arms caught her by the waist.

"Would it kill you to take it easy for once?" Adam chastised her.

"I'm feeling stronger today," she protested, grateful she had her back turned to him so he couldn't catch her blush.

"I tried to warn you." Fiona shook her head. "You need to be patient with yourself."

The people in Mantle didn't have the luxury of waiting for her to get better, but she murmured an apology regardless.

"I can take care of her from here. Thanks for looking after her." Adam scooped her up in his arms despite Fiona still being there to see them.

If word got back to Blake, she won't let Weiss hear the end of it. Weiss avoided Fiona's eyes as they passed her, her face flooding with warmth.

"I almost wish we had Sapphire here to keep you from wandering," Adam said, placing her back in bed.

"I just think it's a waste of time to sit around and do nothing. Father's making a mess of things, and who knows what Tyrian–"

"Your only job right now is to recover. We'll worry about that kind of stuff for a while."

"But–"

"Weiss." He rested his hands on her shoulders. "The best way you can help us is by taking care of yourself. So for the love of gods, relax."

"But if there's anything I can do in the meantime, let me know. I'll be glad to help."

He shook his head, exasperated. "You're impossible."

Whatever protest she had on her mind went silent when he kissed her forehead.

"I'm glad to see you're getting your fire back, though," he said before pulling away.

Weiss thought it was her imagination at first, but he undoubtedly was more affectionate towards her now. From lingering touches on her arms and occasional kisses on the forehead, it was like living in a dream.

He's been happier since his talk with Yang, so his good mood may be influencing his mannerisms. Her heart desperately believed it meant more. The chances of completely ruining what they had now kept her from testing the waters. Weiss wasn't complaining, though. The only downside was that it nourished her attraction toward him.

"Do you think you're strong enough for a small field trip tonight?" he suddenly asked.

"We're going somewhere tonight?" No one mentioned an evening trip out to her.

"Yeah, it'll be just the two of us. You haven't had a proper tour yet, and I figured it would be a good chance to give you a change of scenery."

The only thing she heard was 'just the two of us'. It sounded so much like a date. Her heart was ready to burst with excitement despite the logical side of her brain warning her it was only an innocent offer. Adam was likely doing this because he remembered how much she hated being stuck in bed at Sapphire's place.

"I understand if you want to rest, though." The disappointment in his voice made her decision for her.

"Let's do it. I was getting bored of this place anyways."

"We'll go once the others have gone to bed. This place is a lot easier to get around when it's quiet anyway."

A quiet trip in the middle of the night with no one else around. Weiss' head spun at the thought of it.

She was putting more weight into it than warranted. They'd spent plenty of nights together without it turning into something romantic. Tonight wasn't going to be any different. The only big difference was that she was hopelessly attracted to him, but that shouldn't get in the way of their friendship.

Despite telling herself it was only a fun platonic outing, she was restless throughout the day. Her eyes kept drifting to him at dinner, always looking away at a second's notice when he caught her staring. He talked mainly with Jaune, without an ounce of tension in his posture. Seeing him so relaxed convinced Weiss even more that this outing had no romantic intentions attached. No matter how much she wanted there to be one.

When her friends decided to call it a night, it felt like an eternity had passed. She blushed when she caught Adam's gaze as he followed the others out. A playful grin flashed on his face for a second before he resumed talking with Jaune like nothing had happened.

If Fiona noticed the extra time she spent in the shower, she didn't say anything about it.

Weiss wrung her hands nervously as she waited for him to arrive. He didn't specify what time he'd come, only that he wanted to spend the night alone with her.

Weiss raked her fingers through her loose hair. Was there enough time to style it without a mirror? No. Stylising her hair would make her look over the top for a simple tour around the building. He might get weirded out by the effort she put in for a casual outing.

If she didn't style her hair, she could at least change out of her second-handed t-shirt. Or would she be overdressing? It wasn't like they were going out of the building. Surely it was okay to walk around in pyjamas.

Weiss didn't have time to make a decision when the shower curtain drew back. The scent of shampoo clung to him when he approached. He smelled like pine and something fresh she couldn't quite put her finger on. Her stomach was doing flips at the mere proximity of him.

"Get on my back. I'll carry you tonight," Adam offered when she threw the covers off.

"I-it's okay. I can walk."

"You're still recovering. Let me spoil you tonight." He grinned when he threw those familiar words back at her. They hadn't even stepped out of the med bay yet, and the butterflies in her belly were already going crazy.

Weiss sheepishly thanked him and climbed on his back.

Adam toured her through the small building, carrying her down a maze of narrow hallways. He showed her everything. From the coffee break room to a cosy library populated with books on combat. Weiss could hardly take in all the information when her mind was preoccupied with him.

She blushed when they entered an occupied meeting room. It was a small rectangular space with four long tables pushed together. It reminded her of Ironwood's office. Papers, maps, and newspaper clippings plastered the walls and spilt across the tables. Bookshelves took up the rest of the space, its shelves stuffed with thick binders.

Humans and Faunus members occupied the room. Some of the Faunus had faded White Fang tattoos on their arms, but that didn't stop them from working with their Human colleagues.

What surprised Weiss the most was how familiar the Human agents acted around Adam. They greeted him by name and were happy to meet Weiss in person. The Faunus agents were more reluctant to address Weiss, mostly speaking to Adam and smiling politely at her. Only a few were comfortable enough to talk with her.

"He's told us quite a lot about you," a young Faunus woman said to her. "I never thought we would ever have a Schnee in our base, but that's not the weirdest thing I've seen all year."

Weiss wanted to hide her face when the woman eyed the both of them with a smirk.

"You make it sound like that's all I talk about," Adam retorted lightly. The woman burst out laughing.

"Don't let me hold you two up. Have a fun date!"

Weiss wasn't sure what made her heart race more, the fact that his new friends likely thought they were a couple or that he made no move to dispute the misunderstanding.

Weiss quickly forgot her embarrassment when he showed her a large blueprint pinned on the back wall. Neon sticky notes clung onto parts of the floorplan with additional notes detailing guard rotations.

"This was one of the buildings we infiltrated right before you guys arrived," he explained. "It was tough despite being in Mantle. I don't remember the last time I had a mission like this, but May's Semblance was a complete game changer."

"Were you guys digging up dirt on someone again?"

"It wasn't just one person. We found a goldmine of evidence."

Pride welled in his voice when he recounted their recent success in locating an active Faunus trafficking ring deep within the black marketplace of Mantle. All that remained was to sabotage their next big auction, and the media will have another massive story to tell. The Silver Robins were already preparing supplies for the rescued victims.

"It sounds like you like it here," she said at the end of his story.

"I do. It's nice to be able to do something impactful for my people. Not that your team isn't doing anything."

"I get it. It's a different kind of impact." She grinned. His joy around this topic was infectious. "I hope the last part of this mission will be a success."

"Me too. I'm glad you're taking this so well. I was honestly a bit nervous to tell you at first."

"Why? It's not like you guys are targeting innocent people."

"I know, but I didn't want you to think I was returning to my…old ways."

"I did promise to support you if we ever needed to use creative ways to serve justice. Besides, I've seen how different you are now. I never thought you'd go back to hating Humans."

"Yeah, well…your friends taught me a lot."

She had the strongest urge to kiss him on the cheek and tell him how happy she was to see him fighting alongside Humans. She chose to rest her head on his shoulder instead, whispering how proud she was to see how far he's come.

Weiss was sure they'd reached the end of the tour once they left the meeting room, but he insisted there was still one more stop he wanted to take her to.

"We'll have to be quiet," he warned. "It's where the guest quarters are."

He carried her up a narrow stairwell and down another short stuffy hallway. She held her breath when they passed a door with Yang's muffled snores on the other side. The last thing they needed was for Blake to catch them alone like this.

"This is my favourite room," he whispered as they arrived at an innocuous wooden door. "We rendezvous here after every big job."

The room was dark, save for the string of fairy lights washing everything in a gentle golden hue. A wooden coffee table sat at the heart of the space, surrounded by two recliners and a weathered loveseat facing a long rectangular window. Large, leafy houseplants crowded the window. Golden streetlights weaved between the leaves and onto the table where two slices of chocolate cake sat unattended.

"I know it's not much, but I thought you'd find it cosier than the med bay," he said. The sudden shift in his voice made her heart race.

The pride in his voice faded into a quiet, almost scared tone. Was he nervous?

"Did you set this up for me?"

"Yeah. I-I'm sorry if it's a bit underwhelming."

"I love it." She hugged him tighter, wanting to kiss him more than anything. "Thanks, Adam"

"There's more in the fridge downstairs. I just figured we weren't going to finish it all tonight."

"I always have room for dessert." She laughed. "But maybe eating an entire cake in one sitting isn't the smartest idea."

He chuckled, the tension in his shoulders melting. "We can have more tomorrow night."

After settling on the couch together, they dug into the cake. Weiss beamed at the first bite, catching the subtle taste of coffee mixed with chocolate. After days of hospital food, the cake tasted like heaven. She was careful not to finish it too fast, wanting to savour every bite.

She caught Adam staring halfway through her cake. She self-consciously licked her lips in case there was chocolate stuck to her face.

"Do I have frosting on my face?" she asked when he didn't look away.

"No," he said, returning his attention to his cake. "You're cute when you're enjoying yourself."

Weiss almost choked at his blunt response. She didn't know how to interpret that. A part of her was convinced he meant it romantically. He'd never called her cute before.

"How did you get your hands on these anyway?" Weiss asked in a desperate attempt to change the subject.

"The guys working downstairs struck a deal with me. If I helped with some cleaning, they'd let me borrow the kitchen."

"You made this?"

"I wasn't going to treat you to cake from a grocery store. Food always tastes better when it's homemade."

Weiss took another bite of cake. The chocolate was so much sweeter on her tongue, and the hint of coffee richer than ever before. She'd tried plenty of desserts from gourmet chefs, but nothing compared to the cake in her hands.

It was so hard not to voice all the things that stirred in her heart. No one had ever gone so far for her. Her first relationship, while nice and drama free, wasn't even this sweet.

Adam did most of the talking as her brain was too fried to contribute anything meaningful. The fairy lights were just bright enough for her to make out his features. Every time she glanced in his direction, he rendered her speechless with how handsome he was underneath the dim ambience of the room.

Weiss was never going to get over him.

It wasn't fair for someone to be so thoughtful and good-looking at the same time. Her heart didn't stand a chance.

They stayed even once their plates were both empty. The room grew more chilled as the night went on. Adam must've caught the goosebumps on her arms as he offered his coat to her.

"I'm sorry about stealing your clothes all the time." Weiss laughed nervously as she slipped her hands through the sleeves.

"I don't mind sharing. It's technically your coat since you bought it."

"No, you wear it better than me anyway."

"I'll have to disagree. You look gorgeous in my clothes."

Weiss turned to him in surprise – overwhelmed with the scent of his shampoo and the chocolate cake he'd just eaten. Her eyes trailed the light that kissed the side of his face and caressed his jawline. The warm fairy lights accentuated the colour of his hair. Her fingers itched with the urge to comb through his red locks and tug him down to close the distance between them.

Her eyes flickered down to his lips. Did he taste like the cake he made? Were his kisses as gentle as his hands? Her lips parted at the thought of it.

An invisible force pulled her to him. The scent of pine and cake beckoned her to come closer. She expected him to back away as the space between them grew smaller and smaller, but it never happened. His breath kissed her cheeks, sending shivers down her spine–

Weiss snapped out of whatever trance she fell into with a startled gasp.

"I-I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, jerking back.

Shame and embarrassment consumed her like a tsunami. She could hardly breathe beneath its weight. There was no hiding it now. Nothing screamed I like you more than I should than a moment of impulsiveness that almost resulted in a kiss.

"What–"

"I'm such an idiot. I'm so sorry." Weiss buried her face in her hands. She couldn't bear to see the betrayal on his face.

"I don't understand what you're apologising for."

She flinched away when he reached out for her hands.

"I-I don't know when it happened. If I'd known earlier, I would've done something to stop it. Now it's getting all out of control–"

"You're not making any sense. Calm down and breathe for a moment." He didn't try to reach out to her again.

"Don't get mad - a-actually that's not my call to make. F-forget it. I'd be pissed too if–"

"What are you even talking about?"

"I like you." The words tumbled unceremoniously out.

It was more humiliating than she imagined saying it out loud. It felt like she'd confessed to a horrible crime, but no weight lifted from her shoulders by telling the truth. It only made her feel more constrained.

The deafening silence that came afterwards forced her to stew in shame. The soft traffic beyond the window went mute over the drum of her heartbeat.

"I-I know it's wrong," she rambled to fill in the silence. "I have no right to think of you that way after everything my family did. I'm so sorry. I promise I won't tell anyone what happened. I completely understand if you want to distance yourself from me. It must feel disgusting to know that I–"

"Do you know what scared me the most after I told you what happened to me?"

Weiss snapped her mouth shut. His gaze locked onto her, but she had no courage to meet it. She clasped her clammy hands together and turned her head away.

"I was scared you would treat me differently. It's why I don't like showing people my scar. Once people see it, I stop being Adam, and I become the poster child for Faunus slavery.

"Suddenly, certain topics aren't mentioned around me. People get weird when discussing anything related to Dust, Atlas, my appearance, or whatever they think would set me off. I hate it when people walk on eggshells around me."

Weiss clasped her hands tighter together. She never considered how the world treated him because of his scar. She never would've imagined this was what he'd endured for so long.

"I always thought you hid it because you felt ashamed…"

"That was more of an issue when I was a kid." He took a breath. "'I'm glad you never treated me differently after seeing it. I feel like a normal person for once in my life."

Weiss wasn't sure what to say. The fact that Sienna had used it to motivate other White Fang agents to fight made her sick. Did he ever ask Sienna to stop?

"Can you look at me? Please?"

Weiss wasn't expecting his eye patch to be gone. The SDC brand was as sickening as the day she first saw it, but beyond the furious burn, she saw him.

He looked smaller than she ever imagined was possible. She wanted to take him between her arms and assure him that she did see him – that he was more than just his scar. In her eyes, he was always just Adam.

"I understand where you're coming from, Weiss. This scar…it's taken a lot from me." He studied her hands but didn't try to reach out for them again.

"What…?" She paused, not sure if it was her place to ask him something so personal.

"It's hard to have close friends or keep partners for very long when people treat me like…I don't know…some freak that'll go off at the mere mention of Dust."

"You're not a freak."

He smiled. "I know. Ironically, being around your Human friends makes me feel normal. I expected Jaune to treat me differently after seeing it…but that didn't happen. I'm more than just a victim for once. I never thought that was possible.

"I'm tired of letting this thing control me, Weiss. I'm tired of my past getting in the way of what I want. And I want my life back. I want people to know me for me. I want to be something other than a victim of the SDC. I want…"

Adam couldn't look at her anymore. He tried, but every time their eyes met, he averted his gaze elsewhere. Weiss wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light, but she swore his face looked more red than usual.

"What do you want?" Weiss asked softly.

Adam tensed. He took a breath before straightening his back and looking at her again. The expression on his face was unreadable, but he stared at her with such intensity she felt completely exposed.

"I want you. I don't care what people might say about us. You mean more to me than anyone can ever imagine."

Weiss forgot how to breathe for a second. His words lingered in her head even as he fell silent. She studied his scar again. Knowing what she knew now, it wasn't such an impending wall separating them anymore.

"I'm not expecting you to be with me if our past makes you uncomfortable," he added when she didn't respond. "I'd hate it if you chose to be with me out of guilt or pity. I want you to be happy, even if it means being with someone else.

"If you don't feel comfortable with us being together, then tell me. I'll never bring this up again. I promise."

It took a moment for the shock to leave her system. Adam's heartfelt confession left her mind completely scrambled.

"W-well then," Weiss stammered when she found her voice again.

Adam still hadn't said anything, but she saw his anxiety reflected in his eye.

Weiss leaned in, kissing the left side of his face right beneath where the rough tissue of his scar began. Warmth flushed her chest when he leaned into her. She lingered there for a moment before pulling away.

"There's something I've always been too scared to tell you." Her blush grew hotter when the words she's always wanted to tell him were on the tip of her tongue. "I find you incredibly handsome…especially when you're smiling at me."

The smile that brightened his face was contagious. His good eye sparkled with emotion. Knowing she was the reason for it made her feel on top of the world.

He shifted closer to her until their knees touched, sending an electric jolt up her spine.

"I have something I've been meaning to tell you as well," he whispered. "You drive me crazy when you have your hair down like this."

"O-oh yeah?" She played with the ends of her hair.

An electric wave fluttered through her chest when he slipped his glove off, holding her cheek with his bare hand. His palm was warm, melting all doubts from her mind and heart. A small gasp escaped her when his thumb brushed the corner of her lips. His eyes flickered down to her mouth.

Adam's head dipped down, pausing before the distance between them was completely closed, hot breath feathering her lips. Weiss squeezed her eyes shut and pressed forward.

The world dissolved the moment her lips met his. The only thing that existed was the scent of pine needles, the heat of his breath, and the faint taste of chocolate and coffee lingering on his lips. Weiss was surrounded by him and she never wanted to leave.

He kissed her gently, treating her with such delicacy it surprised her that he could be so tender. This side of him made her heart melt.

They broke away to catch their breaths. Weiss' lips still tingled from his warm kiss. She couldn't believe she'd been denying herself something so wonderful for so long.

Adam closed the distance a second time. This time, kissing her more hungrily than he had before.

His hand snaked to the back of her head, tangling into her hair. Her hands intertwined on the back of his neck to keep him close. His tongue skated across her bottom lip. She gasped, allowing his tongue to slip into her mouth. A low moan escaped her lips. Weiss' face burned with embarrassment.

Adam's fingers curled into her hair, pulling her closer to him. Heat sparked from her chest to her core, leaving sparks running down her spine. Weiss didn't feel all that shy anymore. She kissed him back with matched enthusiasm, her courage building when she felt him smile against her lips.

Weiss was breathless when they broke away a second time. It was impossible to hold herself back from grinning from ear to ear.

"This isn't exactly how I pictured tonight to go down," Adam said breathlessly, resting his forehead against hers.

"How did you think it would go?"

"I was hoping I'd impress you enough to make our next outing an official date. This works even better."

"So tonight really was a date."

"It was something to test the waters. I've been meaning to try this for a while now, but it never felt like the right time."

"Why now?"

He pressed a lingering kiss on her forehead before answering, "Because I almost lost you for good."

It was only after he put it into words that she saw the full picture. His affectionate behaviour around her only started after the whole Tyrian incident. She couldn't believe she'd been so blind for this long.

"Thank you for tonight, Adam," she whispered. "You didn't have to do all this for me."

"Don't say that. You're worth it."

His hands cradled her face as his stunning eye took her in. "I don't think I've ever told you how beautiful you are. I'm not just referring to your looks either."

Weiss' face hurt from smiling so much. Adam's words had a magical quality to them. Only he could make her feel like the most beautiful girl on Remnant while she was only in second-hand pyjamas and an oversized coat.

"If this is how you're going to talk to me from now on, I think I could get used to it," she teased.

"I'm only telling the truth, Weiss."

He pressed a kiss on her forehead, another on her temple, on her cheekbone; on the corner of her mouth before finally meeting her lips.

Aaaaand there goes my reader base lmao. It's a bit risky to have the main couple get together before the end of the story (because romantic tension sells, let's be real), but that's not the end of this romantic storyline. Do you really think I'd have the climax of this plot point so soon? ;)

Big thanks to Iwr1918, Gleaming Onyx, yeaaaahhhh I read, YisusHassan, BrazeRancor, and a Guest reader for the reviews!

Hope you all take care and I'll see you next week for some interesting developments :)