Weiss' concern for Adam grew as the days went on. Weiss saw the lingering tension in his form that others couldn't. It was in his shoulders, his jaw, and even the way he held himself up.
"Maybe you're overthinking it," Blake said when she confided in her about the issue. "We were all a bit shaken when we first heard the news. I think he's still trying to process it all."
"I don't know. It feels like there's more to it."
"If it's something serious, I'm sure he would've said something by now. Give him some space to let it all sink in. At least he's not having an extreme reaction to it."
Blake made a good point. So Weiss kept her concerns to herself while keeping a close eye on him. He wasn't getting any worse, but he also wasn't getting any better. If anything, the only one acting out of the ordinary was herself. Ruby and Nora teased her many times for staring at him more than usual.
"I know it's fun to undress your man with your eyes, but we're in public," Nora chimed one morning over breakfast.
"I-It's not that!" Weiss blushed so hard her entire face ignited with fire. She wanted to crawl into a hole when her outburst drew Adam's attention from whatever Jaune was saying.
"There's no need to be shy," Nora went on in a whisper. "It's perfectly fine to admire how hot your man is. I do that to Ren all the time. Make sure the actual undressing part is behind closed doors."
The depraved part of her head conjured an image of him on top of her shirtless. She imagined what it would feel to run her fingers down his abs, to have his gentle hands glide over her–
Weiss buried her face in her hands when Adam asked why she looked so red. Nora waved him off with an excuse about having important girl talk.
"I think it's cute," Ruby chimed in when Adam returned to his conversation with Jaune. "I've never seen Weiss so into someone before."
"Can we change the topic already?" Weiss begged. There was only so much her pride could take.
"Hey, we're not the ones drooling over our boyfriend." Nora laughed.
"Ruby doesn't even have a boyfriend."
"My point still stands, but that's a fantastic point! Let's dig through Ruby's love life next!"
"I-I'm disqualified from this if I don't have a partner," Ruby said in a heartbeat.
"All the more reason for us to be nosy."
It was a relief for the spotlight to finally leave her, but that didn't stop Weiss from wondering what he looked like beneath his dark clothes. Once the idea was planted in her head, there wasn't anything she could do to stop it from growing.
She wasn't sure whether to curse or thank Nora for the mental images.
Their time in Atlas was up when Ironwood and Winter presented them with the Staff of Creation early one morning. Seeing as they were still floating above Mantle, whatever solution the engineers came up with was a success.
"We've begun preparing the false location to house our decoy Maiden," Ironwood said once Ruby accepted the Relic. "All materials for your journey to Vacuo should be ready by early tomorrow morning."
"We've also purchased new Scrolls for you all," Winter added. "While we've checked to ensure it's not bugged, we still recommend you stay cautious. Throw them out if you ever suspect Watts has gained access to it."
"And if you ever need anything, just ask." Ironwood smiled. "We're all in this war together. I'll do my best to assist you."
"Thank you," Ruby said, hugging the second Relic close to her chest. "I hope Atlas and Mantle can recover quickly."
"As do I."
After receiving their new Scrolls, they were free to go and enjoy their last day in the Kingdom. Their group split off to spend the day as they pleased. She overheard Yang dragging Blake, Nora, and Ren to a club. Ruby wanted to take Jaune and Oscar window shopping at Atlas' hottest weapons store.
"Is there anything you want to do?" Adam asked her.
Weiss' eyes landed on his chest, noting how snuggly his black blazer hugged his upper body. She still remembered the feel of his chest when her hands ran over it. How different would it be if his blazer wasn't in the way?
"Everything okay? You've been spacing out more than usual."
"I-I'm just thinking about the mission" She laughed nervously. "I-it feels like so much more is at stake now."
"That's fair. I can't imagine how desperate Salem will be now that we've got two Relics." He turned his gaze onto the ground. That same tightness in his jawline remained.
Why wasn't he talking to her?
"Why don't we visit Mantle today? I've been meaning to see how the others are dealing with the SDC victims," he suggested. "Your brother might want to know you're leaving soon."
"Sure."
Weiss took his hand and squeezed it. He smiled, though it didn't reach his eye, and squeezed her hand back.
Mantle was still a mess of tents and litter. While the refugee camp was smaller, there were still many displaced families who had no home to return to. There were more Huntsmen on the premises now. She saw Marrow in the crowd, helping to calm a kid down as a Human doctor was rebandaging their arm.
Adam left to find Robyn and get updates on the SDC victims while Weiss looked for Whitley.
Whitley was in the same pavilion as the last time. Today he was sorting through medical supplies with Fiona rather than canned food. They both greeted her with an offer of coffee.
A cup of instant coffee later, she informed Whitley and Fiona about their departure the next morning. She was expecting Whitley to be upset at first, but he responded better than anticipated. He even offered to withdraw extra money for her to take.
"I'm not expecting you to bring me to your missions," he said when she asked if he was okay with staying behind. "Besides, there's a lot of work I need to do here. I wouldn't go with you even if you asked."
"You don't have to lie to me if it bothers you," she said. "I don't want you to think I'm abandoning you again."
"I'm not lying. You don't need to be so worried."
"He's right. Everyone here will make sure he's in good company!" Fiona promised.
"Just…call once in a while." He looked down at the fresh box of bandages in his hands. "I'd like to know you're still alive out there."
Weiss beamed, ruffling his hair. He swatted her hand away and complained about embarrassing him in public.
"I'm guessing Adam's going with you?" Fiona asked.
"He is." Though, she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, considering his weird mood lately.
"We're all going to miss having him around to help out, but we'll be cheering you guys on from the sidelines," Fiona went on.
"Where is he anyway?" Whitely searched the crowd for him. "I thought he'd be here with you."
"He went to look for Robyn. I can drag him back here to say hi…if I can find him."
"They're probably meeting down east." Fiona laughed, pointing in the direction with the least amount of refugee tents. "It's where we do most of our mission briefs now."
Weiss thanked her for the directions and left to catch up with him. She found Robyn and Adam standing outside a large white tent with their backs facing her. Around them were boxes upon boxes of supplies. Some were already sealed while others remained open. The open boxes were packed to the brim with clothes, food, medicine, and hygienic supplies.
Weiss slowed to a stop when she caught a package of children's toys ready to be sealed and shipped to Dust Mine Number Ten. Her eyes lingered on the new rattles packed amongst the stuffed animals.
"We're going to raid the mansion in a few days." She overheard Robyn saying up ahead. "Our spies got wind of his attempts to flee the Kingdom next week."
Weiss tip-toed further up until she spotted Robyn and Adam talking in front of a white pavilion. They had their backs turned to her, looking down at something on the table in front of them.
"It's risky when we don't have much information about where he stores his files," Adam noted. "He's going to tighten security in and around the property."
"We can't afford to let him get away. It's all or nothing."
"Are you sure your team will have enough people to do this? I know we still have people recovering from the last raid. If some of them feel well enough to join us, we can balance things out better."
"That's for me to worry about. It's not your responsibility anymore."
"Oh…right."
The disappointment in his voice caught Weiss' attention.
"Adam, may I ask you a personal question?" Robyn sounded a bit hesitant.
"What is it?"
"Do you want to go fight Salem?"
"I do," he answered without missing a beat.
A stretch of silence fell between them.
"If you say so." Robyn sighed. "It's just…if you were to change your mind, I'd like to make you a permanent member of my team. With so much happening right now, we could use someone like you leading our missions."
"Y-you'd let me join?" The excitement in his voice was as clear as day.
"Of course. You're an exceptional fighter and commander, and you share the same values as us."
"But my history…"
"You've seen the people I've recruited. We aren't all angels here." Robyn snorted. "What matters to me is what you do now."
"I'm honoured but…I can't right now. I need to be there for Weiss."
He was only going for her sake.
Weiss turned her back on them, coming face to face with the box of children's toys again. The longer she stared at it, the heavier her heart grew.
"I expected as much," Robyn sighed. "My offer remains open. Whether you come back in a few months or a few years, you'll always have a place here. In the meantime, we'll be wishing you all the best."
"Thank you," he answered quietly. "How are the rescued victims? Are the hospitals still short on staff?"
"It's the same old story. We have new doctors flying in, but the patients need them now. We're also trying to get more supplies from Anima…"
Weiss tip-toed away as they delved further into the state of the SDC survivors. She offered to help Whitley and Fiona when she got back, making an excuse that Adam was busy at the moment.
Fiona and Whitley talked as they worked, but Weiss wasn't listening to any of it. It was a relief to know he wasn't hiding anything serious from her, but the fact that he felt obligated to leave Atlas with her didn't sit right with Weiss.
It wasn't like she was forcing him to go. He did say he wanted to help them out.
But she also had to acknowledge that he likely wanted to stay and help his people. The Silver Robins would allow him to take part in charity work and use his experience from the White Fang to take down monsters like Father.
He'd technically be helping the Faunus by fighting Salem too. If Salem wins, there wouldn't be a future to look forward to. But was that the battle he wanted to fight?
Was she selfish for wanting him to stay with her?
Weiss mulled about it well into the evening. Even when Whitley treated them all to dinner, Weiss found it challenging to enjoy the luxurious meal.
"You're quiet tonight," Adam whispered to her as dessert was served. "Is everything alright?"
"I'm thinking about tomorrow," she half-lied. "I'll be fine with some sleep."
He raised his brow curiously at her but didn't press the issue further. Weiss pretended to listen to Ruby's story about the time she tried turning the entire baking pan into a cookie, laughing whenever the others did so.
She'd occasionally glance at Adam, watching as he talked to Jaune, Ren, and Oscar. That tension in his body was still present no matter how much he laughed with the others—knowing where it stemmed from made her feel even worse.
He's going because of her, but she wasn't some damsel in distress. She can take care of herself, and her friends will support her throughout the journey. Was it necessary to force him to give up Robyn's opportunity?
The questions haunted her for the rest of dinner.
Even when she crawled into bed, her thoughts raced too loud for her to catch a wink of sleep. She stared at the ceiling, listening to Ruby and Yang's collective snores.
Tomorrow morning they were all going to leave Atlas with no promises of ever coming back. If something were to happen to him during their mission, he'll never be able to accept Robyn's invitation. He'll never get another chance to help his people the way he's always wanted to.
He knew exactly what he was giving up by going with them – by going with her. He was so selfless when it came to her. It wouldn't be fair if she sacrificed his future for her comfort.
A weight lifted from her chest when she finally accepted what needed to happen, but it didn't stop the bitterness from tempting her to keep her mouth shut.
Weiss snuck out of her room, regretting that she left her jacket behind when her nightgown did little to shield her from the cool air in the hall. She was shivering when she made it to his room.
"It's me," she whispered, knocking on the door.
Weiss stepped back, rubbing her hands against her bare arms. Her heart quickened when the door cracked open for her. Adam was in his usual sleepwear, a well-fitted white t-shirt and sweatpants, but his hair was still tidy.
"Nightmare?" he asked, opening the door wider for her.
"No. I want to talk." She smiled assuringly when he tensed at her answer. "It's nothing bad. There's something I want to talk to you about."
"Come in first. You look cold out there."
Weiss nodded, brushing past him.
There's no turning back now.
Thanks to Iwr1918, BrazeRancor, and a Guest reader for the reviews!
