At the risk of sounding like a broken record, any statements/opinions expressed by characters in this story do not reflect the opinions of the author. More specifically, I do not condone, favor, or otherwise support the idea of a 20 year old dating someone who is 15. If it wasn't for their relationship in canon, it wouldn't be here at all.
Adam Taurus had a girlfriend.
Nothing about that made sense, least of all that Blake was said girlfriend. She wasn't the same little girl he'd been harassed into training a few years ago, but she was still young. Younger than him. Young enough that they made lists of people like him in the Kingdoms. He could just imagine the field day the media would have adding this to their coverage.
Fifteen. A teenager. Even if he wasn't that far from being a teen himself, that was still a quarter of his life in difference. A third of hers, his mind unhelpfully added. Figures that this would be the one time it could do math. She wasn't that far off from adulthood - legally, anyway - but those few years made a heck of a difference. The Kingdoms had very strict rules regarding what someone her age could and couldn't do. Most places wouldn't hire someone her age, and those that did had special rules regarding everything from shifts to tasking and even how long they could go without a break. She couldn't drink, drive, vote, or even stay out past a certain time.
And yet, in the White Fang, she'd done all that and more. Curfews didn't exist out here, especially with how often they operated at night. She'd voted in the election that saw her own father replaced by Sienna, and he could still remember the horrible sounds of one of the drivers trying to teach her to drive stick. He'd even shared a few drinks with her before, though her taste in alcohol needed work. She'd basically done everything that children weren't allowed to do, so could she really be called a child? Blake was already far more experienced and mature than plenty of people older than her. And it wasn't like they were running off to get married or anything. They were just dating.
Which led him to another problem. What exactly did that mean?
Adam knew what dating normally looked like. Okay, so he knew what he thought it looked like, mostly from a mixture of films and books, but that had to be close enough. Dating meant going on dates. Ignoring the circular reasoning, dates were usually simple things, right? Taking her to dinner. Going to see a movie. Playing games. Long walks in the park.
If that was dating, then he might as well have been dating half of Reyno. They all ate together. Reyno had a room with a projector that showed a movie every night. He'd been to a few that looked interesting, cramming into the darkened space to enjoy everything from gritty action to deep drama. Personally, he loved the psychological thrillers the most. He'd tried joining in on some of their sports, but it was hard to tackle someone with aura, so he'd been rather bluntly asked to sit out. He'd even taken the men on long walks together.
Marching was a form of walking, right?
The point was, he'd done all of that with everyone, even Blake. Heck, he'd done more with Blake than anyone else. They trained together more. Sparred more. Sat together at meals more. On top of all that, they still hung out from time to time just to read, sketch, or even just talk about everything and nothing at once. They'd been close like that since back in Menagerie. If that wasn't enough, then what was?
He couldn't exactly take her out anywhere. The classic trope of going to some fancy restaurant was out. There were downsides to being the most wanted faunus ever, it seemed. In fact, pretty much every date idea he'd ever heard of was out. Anywhere outside their camps would be asking for trouble. Blake might enjoy a good fight, but fighting off every overconfident idiot with a gun wouldn't exactly count as romantic. Not to mention the possibility of Huntsmen showing up. Call him old fashioned, but ending the night in a jail cell didn't sound like a good date. All he had left was stuff they already did together. How could their relationship change if nothing else did?
Finding answers proved harder than expected, so Adam went in search of something else he needed - food. He hardly paid attention along the way, too lost in thought even as he mindlessly piled his plate high with breakfast. Someone called out to him, and before he knew it, he was sat at a table full of familiar faces.
Not Blake's, thankfully. He'd rather have some answers before facing her again.
"Grits on waffles?" Adam finally looked down to see the strange assortment of food on his plate. Sure enough, he'd dumped a heaping scoop of grits right on top of a waffle. An apple sat unceremoniously atop a pile of jam, while his eggs were decorated with an assortment of bright marshmallows from some overly sweet cereal. "Weird combo, but you do you."
"I'd try it," Azure offered, earning an eye roll from his sister.
"Knock yourself out." Adam pushed the tray over, much to Azure's surprise. Adam hadn't meant to call his bluff, but with everyone watching and his pride on the line, Azure had no choice but to follow through.
"Y'know, it's not half bad." Adam reminded himself to never take food advice from Azure.
Azul, on the other hand, seemed to take it as a challenge. "Lemme try," she demanded, snatching the tray away. Siblings. Inevitably, everything became a competition with those two.
And just as inevitably, it always went poorly for one of them.
"Blech!" Azul wretched, clearly less impressed with Adam's culinary discovery. "How can you eat that?"
Azure considered it for a moment. "You're right. Needs something." He looked around before his eyes settled on the missing ingredient. "Perfect."
"I think I'm gonna be sick." She wasn't the only one questioning Azure's taste as he drenched the whole thing in syrup and took another bite. Judging by the satisfied hum, the new combo worked.
Never a dull moment. Not with his band of misfits, at least. Nag slipped away during the commotion, coming back with a fresh tray that looked a lot more appetizing and sliding it in front of Adam, earning her the temporary position of best squadmate. She forced her way between him and Bane, the bigger guy sliding aside without much of a fight.
And then Nag burned all her new brownie points at once. "Heard you had a big night last night."
That was way too pointed a comment, especially coming from Nag. Adam looked up to find the whole table suddenly very interested in him. Even Azul and Azure had stopped fighting, eager for him to spill the beans. Looked like there was no getting out of this. "Guess you all heard?"
"About you and Blake becoming an item?" Yep, they'd heard. He should've known better than to underestimate the rumor mill at Reyno.
"So, when's the wed- ow!"
"Thank you." Azul nodded, ignoring the glare from her brother. At least someone was on his side. "We just talked. That's it." That was all he'd admit to, at least. The last thing he needed was them finding out about the-
"Oh, I think it was more than talking." So much for keeping that quiet. Did Nag have to look so smug? And since when did she get involved in drama like this? She'd always been too serious for that, or so he thought.
They knew then. Not just that they were dating, but that they'd…kissed. It hadn't exactly been the most passionate kiss ever. Nothing like the movies made it out to be. First kisses rarely were, at least in his experience. Heck, that had been more of a lip collision than some super magical moment that faded to credits in those sappy love stories.
And yet, the memory of it was still fresh on his lips.
He swore to chop off his hand if it so much as moved toward touching his lips. Thankfully, no such treachery occurred. He had a feeling Nag would've caught it if he even flinched. "So, you and Belladonna."
"Looks like it." He wasn't about to give them anything to work with. As far as he was concerned, his relationship was between him and Blake, as weird as that still sounded in his head. Dating, that was, and not just because it was Blake. He'd pretty much abandoned the idea of dating anyone. He'd even turned Indie down a while back.
Indie. He sneaked a peak at his not-so-secret admirer, and while she didn't look crushed, he could see the disappointment on her face plain as day.. He could still remember her finally convincing him to go out for drinks with her a while back. Eventually, bolstered by her liquid courage, she'd finally come out and said it. She liked him and wanted more than just being on the same team. She'd also been a little more direct on exactly what she wanted, offering to go back to her place where they could talk more.
He'd shut that down before it could go any further. Whether it was Indie or just the booze talking, he knew jumping straight into bed would be a mistake. Just as he knew dating him would be a mistake. He'd made sure she understood it wasn't her. Any guy would be lucky to have her. He just wasn't ready for any type of relationship and probably never would be.
Yet here he was, talking about dating Blake. Talk about hypocritical. He'd tried shutting Blake down just like he'd done with Indie. She'd just proven far more stubborn. In the end, despite everything he'd said, he was still dating someone after refusing Indie. He would've loved to pull her aside and explain it to her - make sure she knew it wasn't her - but he didn't even know how to explain it to himself at this point.
"Remnant to Adam."
"Huh?" Adam flinched at the interruption, only to realize he'd sort of zoned out. Worse, his glance at Indie had turned into a blank stare, making things even more awkward for both of them. So much for being discreet.
No way Nag missed that. She just mercifully chose to ignore it. "I asked what you planned to do for your first date."
First date? That was the problem. He didn't know the first thing about dates, and even less about first ones. Did it need to be something super special and romantic, or would that make things awkward? Or maybe he should start simple and not set the bar too high for future dates. But if he went too simple, would it look like he didn't care enough to plan something better?
More importantly, what would a date even look like in the first place?
On the back foot and with absolutely no clue what to do, Adam did what any guy would do in that situation. Namely, admit nothing. "Isn't that none of your business?"
They were already far too involved in his personal affairs as it was. His relationship had nothing to do with anyone but him and Blake. They weren't some spectator sport for everyone else's amusement.
At least, that's what he'd thought. "He's got nothing," Nag summarized, shaking her head.
"Men." Azul wasted no time piling on.
Azure, through a mouthful of food, rushed to the defense of half the population. "Hey! What did we do?"
"Nothing," Azul answered. "And that's the problem."
"We're not that bad," Marcus tried, uncomfortable that the roast of Adam had now drawn them all into the firing line.
Azul didn't give an inch. "You really are. That's why no one bet on Captain Numbskull over here figuring it out himself." Wait, was he Captain Numbskull?
"I did."
"Fine. No one with a brain." At least Adam wasn't the only one getting insulted, though he didn't miss another important detail they'd let slip.
"You were betting on me?"
For being the center of attention, Adam sure got ignored a lot in this conversation. "I'll call Trifa later and let her know she won. Sorry, Bane. She beat you by two days."
Traitor. At least Bane had the decency to look embarrassed.
"So we're just going to ignore the fact you all were betting on my love life?" Because that felt like a pretty big deal.
"Pretty much." Never had someone fallen from grace so spectacularly as Nag right now. Someone was in for a spar later. "Oh, relax. We were just bored."
"Yeah. Not a lot to do around here for fun," Azul echoed. She wasn't exactly wrong, which was part of his problem at the moment, but that didn't mean they should use him for entertainment.
"Maybe you should work on your own love life instead of mine." A little petty, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. They'd brought this one on themselves.
Instead of being offended, Azul just looked annoyed. "Which brings us back to the main problem."
"Boredom?" Adam guessed.
Incorrectly. "Men." Wow. They were really taking a beating today. "Maybe if somebody," Adam pitied whoever that somebody was, "would grow a pair and ask me out already, I wouldn't be so gods-danged bored!"
"Moving on." Nag ignored the ridiculous display, somehow bringing it back to Adam. "Look, boss. We're happy for you and all. Just…try and put a little effort in. For her sake."
Easier said than done. Why was all the pressure on him, anyway? Blake had been the one to push for this. Shouldn't she be the one on the hook to make things work? She should be courting him, not the other way around. And yes, he knew exactly how old that phrase made him sound.
"Speaking of your better half…" Hey! How come they automatically assumed she was better? "Haven't seen her around this morning. You must've really worn her out last- hey! Quit it or I'll-"
"You'll what?" Azure knew better than to challenge his sister at the moment. Whoever this mystery guy was, she clearly had a lot of pent up frustration at him dragging his feet and was just dying for an outlet right now.
Azure gulped, wisely choosing not to volunteer. "N-nothing."
"She slept in."
Adam hadn't even noticed Ilia at the table, hidden on the other side of Bane. Unlike everyone else, she seemed completely uninterested in the discussion about him and Blake. No, more like annoyed. That made two of them. Either way, apart from her sudden words, she kept her focus on the bowl of oatmeal in front of her.
"Don't mind her," Nag cut in, leaning to block his view. "She was up all night listening to Blake go on and on about you."
Poor Ilia. And poor him. He knew Blake liked him - only because she'd told him in no uncertain terms - but that sounded more like an obsession. He hoped for both his and Ilia's sake that Nag was exaggerating.
It also explained how everyone already knew all the details before breakfast. Either Ilia leaked the info or someone overheard. Either way, word spread like wildfire in Reyno about even the most mundane things. Relationship drama would be the talk of the camp, especially when it involved someone they all knew. Looking around, he saw more than a few people watching them. Watching him. Some even sent him a nod.
And not just any nod. The knowing kind.
He still didn't fully understand it himself, but for all their complaints about men being idiots, he had yet to see women develop a universal language based solely on head movement. He'd tried explaining it to Blake on time when she started to notice the subtle signals. It seemed so obvious to him, yet to Blake, it might as well have been calculus. Direction. Speed. Facial expression. Things any man could interpret without a thought, yet when he tried to spell it out, all he got was more questions than understanding from her.
Regardless, right now he was getting far more congrats than he appreciated.
So much for keeping things between the two of them. On the bright side, he hadn't been the one to let it slip, so Blake could only get mad at herself.
"So c'mon," Nag insisted. "Let us have it."
"Have what?"
"The story," she answered, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I want to hear how Blake conquered the mighty Adam Taurus."
What? Conquered him? That was going a bit far. "Didn't you say you already knew?"
"We know her side of the story. I want yours." His side? He didn't have a side.
Adam shrugged. "She asked. I said no." Hopefully, that would ease some of the concern with Indie. He'd shot Blake down at first, just like he'd done with her. The only difference was, Blake hadn't taken no for an answer. "She asked again. Eventually I said yes."
Simple. Complete. Straight to the point.
And not good enough. "Bor-ring. Sheesh, could you make it sound any more pathetic?"
"He is a man," Azul reminded Nag.
He really needed to find a way out of this conversation before half the population died of embarrassment. Nag refused to show any mercy to the less gentle sex. "True. Amazed Blake managed to get it through that thick head of his."
"Y'know what? Maybe she had the right idea." Azul downed the rest of her orange juice in one go, slamming the cup down as she stood up and marched away. Adam may have felt bad for whoever he'd just doomed, but at least it hadn't been someone in the team. They really didn't need to embroil the squad in a mess of complicated relationships.
"Attagirl." Nag watched her go with a grin, unashamed of the terror she'd just turned loose. "Well, congrats anyways, boss. Just know, if you ever do anything to hurt her, we'll kill ya."
As if they could hope to-
One look at Nag made him question his safety. He knew she was just being supportive and all, but if looks could kill, she would've vaporized him and every male behind him. He hadn't been planning to break Blake's heart or anything. Even so, he'd be extra careful with her now.
It was sweet, in a way. They were clearly on Blake's side should anything happen. The women were, at least, though he doubted any of the guys would stick their neck out for him if he angered the female portion of their team. So much for that old saying. Bros before…well, you know. Loyalty died in the face of an angry woman.
"Isn't she a bit young for you?"
Speaking of angry women.
"What?" He'd heard her. He was just too shocked at the anger in her voice to process what she'd actually said.
"Blake. She's too young," Ilia repeated, eyes fixed on the empty bowl before her. "Too young for you."
There. Someone had finally said it. Whatever his thoughts about Blake as a person - and he had a lot - she was only fifteen to his twenty. He'd been struggling with that all morning and still didn't have an answer. How could he date someone so much younger than him? Did that make him a creep? She'd asked him, though. It wasn't like he'd gone chasing after Blake.
Did that actually matter?
Word flew through his head. Groomer. Predator. Creep. And those were the nicer ones. No matter which way he looked at it, he knew it was wrong. He'd never been a fan of numbers, but those two were glaringly obvious. Twenty and fifteen. Adult and teenager. He'd been in one of those relationships before, but on the other side. He dreaded to imagine history repeating itself here.
Maybe in three or four years, it wouldn't be an issue, but she hadn't asked him to date her then. She'd asked for now, and like an idiot, he'd foolishly agreed without stopping to fully consider what she was asking. He'd been too lost in the moment. Now, with a little time to think, all he could see was problems. Problems that he couldn't rationalize his way out of.
Blake may have asked him to treat her like an adult, but that didn't change the fact she wasn't one. She was Ilia's age, not his. If it was Ilia asking, he would've refused in a heartbeat.
So why hadn't he refused Blake?
As if all that wasn't bad enough, another rather glaring problem decided to jump in, grabbing his wrist tightly. Tight enough that she snapped him out of his spiral for a moment. "Outside. Now."
Whether it was the confusion or just the shock of seeing the normally so cheery Indie looking so serious, Adam was on his feet before he knew it, ready to do as she commanded. Before he could take the first step, however, Azure just had to interject, "Uh oh. Someone's in trouble."
"You will be if you don't can it," Indie growled back. For possibly the first time he could remember, Azure shut his mouth. Good to see he wasn't the only one terrified of intense Indie.
In fact, the only person who seemed unfazed by her sudden change was Nag. "He's not the only one in trouble."
Adam followed her gaze across the room.
Just in time to watch Azul grab some guy he didn't recognize, haul him out of his seat, and pull him into a kiss that made last night's look pathetic in comparison.
Ah, so that's what she'd meant earlier. Adam would've gone to apologize to the guy, but by the looks of it, he was enjoying the results. That, and Indie's death grip tugged him in the opposite direction, away from the hooting and hollering of a suddenly energized chow hall. Had it not been for his own problems, Adam might've felt grateful Reyno would have something new to talk about for a while.
His own looming demise far outweighed any small victory.
Indie led him away from the building, practically dragging him until they were well out of sight of anyone who might peek out to see what they were up to. Even so, she pulled him around a corner, hiding them from the entire camp. As far as quiet places went, this felt like the perfect one for committing a murder.
"We need to talk," Indie started ominously. His mind was screaming for him to run. Never in the history of mankind had those four words led to something good.
His only hope was to get ahead of the coming storm. "Indie, listen. I-"
Indie pressed a finger to his lips, cutting off his desperate attempt. "Let me try that again. I need to talk. You listen. Got it?" Adam nodded quickly, too afraid to speak. "Good."
So this was how he died.
"You're a real idiot. You know that?"
Not a great start. "Indie, I-"
"Uh uh. No talking." Oh yeah. Oops. "Bad enough she had to flat out tell you how she felt, but now you're not even sure what to do?" Wait, what? She wasn't mad about him being with Blake after turning her down? That was a relief. He had enough issues to sort through right now. "Are all men this helpless, or just you?"
Personally, he blamed genetics. Well, not genetics, since Father Bernard wasn't actually blood related. But still, nurture over nature and all that. His father had been just as useless when it came to Mazarin, completely oblivious to her feelings and useless at planning dates. It looked like the apple hadn't fallen far from the tree.
"I can't believe I sat around hoping for this."
"That's not fair." Indie shot him a look, but consequences be damned, he was going to defend himself. "Look, it's not my fault." Indie arched an eyebrow. "Not entirely my fault. I told you, I'm not really looking to date anyone." Not her, Blake, or anyone else. "If I was, I would've said yes when you asked."
"Flattery won't get you out of this," Indie shot back, though her anger cooled briefly. "But thank you for the compliment." His reprieve lasted barely two seconds. "Now tell me why you're not taking this seriously."
"I am!" The fact he was worrying about it so much had to be proof. "It's just…I don't know. She's fifteen. I'm twenty." Do the math. "Ilia's right. She's too young."
"Rule number one, don't listen to Ilia. She's too invested in you and Blake not working out." Ugh. This again. Was there anyone in the White Fang that wasn't in love with him? And should he be concerned that he seemed to attract all the teenagers? "But yes, she is a teenager." And he wasn't. "But it's not like she's asking you to…you know."
He did? It took him a second to figure out what she meant.
A second too long. "Adam Taurus!" Indie slapped his arm. "If you even think about laying a hand on that girl-"
"No! Nothing like that!" Gods. Did they really think he'd do something like that? "I'd never-"
"Good. That was a test, and you passed." Could she cut him a little slack already? "Alright then. Tell me what happened."
This again. "I told you. She asked, and I eventually said yes." With how much they were grilling him all morning, he was beginning to regret agreeing.
Indie slapped his arm again, harder this time. "I don't want the cliff notes. Tell me everything. Right from the start."
Fine. If that's what she really wanted, then he'd give her the truth. The whole truth. Even the nasty bits. He talked about Katai. Alyssa. Indie bounced between pity, anger, and disgust along the way, but she'd opened this can of worms. He went on with promising Blake a favor. Their talk last night. Her wanting to be treated like an adult. Their kiss.
He'd worried that part might upset her, only to remember they'd already kissed before. A drunken kiss, but it still counted, even if she didn't remember at the time. He'd eventually worked up the courage to tell her. He'd never seen someone nearly pass out in embarrassment before.
"And then she asked to start dating?" Indie finished for him.
"Yeah." Despite the shock at the time, he could still remember her saying- "Wait. No."
"No?"
"No." He'd thought it at the time, but looking back, she'd been very specific. "She said…she said she wanted to be with me. For me to give her a chance." Us. To give us a chance. Which was basically the same as dating.
Indie thought otherwise. "You imbecile." Now what did he do? "You men don't really understand anything, do you?" Apparently not, since nothing today made sense. "She asked for a chance, you moron. That's completely different."
"It is?" How? She wanted to be together. That sure sounded like dating to him.
"She wants a chance," Indie stressed, as if the word actually meant something different. "All Blake wants is for you to take her feelings seriously. Be open to the idea of a deeper relationship down the road."
"Deeper?"
"Romance," Indie explained, as if she were talking to a toddler. Right now, he sort of felt like one. "She's not saying you have to sweep her off her feet, ride off into the sunset together, and live happily ever after." Oh good, because despite their joking before, Adam was hardly some noble knight. "Just spend time with her."
"I already spend time with her." Every day. In fact, they had a training session in an hour or so.
"Not as a soldier. As a person. A woman." A woman? I want you to see me as a woman. Wasn't that what Blake had asked for? "Spend time with her for her. Not just for missions or training. For her."
Oh…
Yeah, he still had nothing. "Meaning?"
"Meaning stop being an idiot and do something for her." Indie's slaps were really getting old. "Plan something for tonight. Nothing romantic," she hastened to add. "Just something you know she'll enjoy. A movie. A walk around the camp. Whatever that weird kid's into."
An idea immediately came to mind. "Reading?"
"Sure. If that's what she likes." She most certainly did. But just reading? Was it really that easy? "Talk to her after training. Tell her you want to meet up later tonight and read together or something. Just make it clear you want to do it with her specifically. She'll think the world of you for it."
"I just…ask her to join me for reading?" How was that special? They did that all the time. "Make it something for just the two of you. After dinner. That way, you won't be hungry or have to stop early for food." Good point. Staying up late wouldn't be an issue, either. Not like they had school in the morning or anything.
"Is that really all it takes to impress a woman?" Just hanging out? How could it be that easy?
"You'd be surprised." Clearly. "All a woman really wants is to know she's special. Important. Do that, and we're yours."
Wow. The secret to wooing women. Somehow, he'd figured it would be a lot more complex than just paying attention to them. Should he share his newfound wisdom with the masses? Help his fellow man unlock the key to a woman's heart?
Memories of Yuma and Azure making fun of him came to mind far too readily.
Nope. They were on their own. He'd keep this secret to his grave.
Even with the pressing issue of what dating looked like solved, he still didn't have an answer for the more important matter. Easy dates or not, she was still just a teen. He brought up his concern again, hoping Indie would have an answer.
"I dunno." So much for an easy way out. "But like you said, you're already spending time together. That's never been an issue before, has it?"
"No, but this is different."
"Is it?" Indie questioned. "You're just reading together. Nothing wrong with that." True, but that brought them back to the previous question. Were they dating or not? "Just take it slow. Hang out together. As long as reading isn't code for making out…"
"It's not." Absolutely no faith. He wouldn't do that. Heck, he wouldn't do anything even remotely like that. No one was putting any moves on here.
Satisfied, Indie pressed on. "Then what's the issue here? Besides, I'm not sure the rules apply the same out here. I mean, Blake's already gone through more than most people twice her age. She's practically an adult in every other way, so maybe she's got a point. Maybe we need to start treating her like an adult more. Not like that." Whatever she was thinking, he hadn't been. "Just…be open with her. Tell her your concerns. Talk to her like she's not just some kid. She'd probably appreciate that more than dancing around the topic anyway."
Finally, an actual plan. "You don't think she'll get upset?" After all, he'd already promised, and now it sounded like he was considering going back on his word.
"She might." Indie really needed to work on her encouragement. "But I think you'd be better off talking to her instead of everyone else."
Okay, ouch, though she had a point. Stuff like this ought to be handled between adults. Making these decisions without her would just be treating her like a kid again. She'd confessed her feelings, so it was only right he do the same. Plus, if they ever hoped to have a real relationship, now or in the future, then they should build it on honesty.
"Thanks, Indie." Adam stepped forward to hug her, only for her to dart away.
"Nuh uh. None of that. You're taken now, remember?" Great. Now she was mocking him. He'd let it slide this time for all her help. "Don't do it tonight."
"Why not?" Shouldn't he get it out of the way up front?
"Too rushed. Take some time to think about what you'll say. If it comes up naturally, then great. Let her have tonight, though. See how things go. You can sort out all the details later." If she said so. It also took the pressure off him for a bit. Otherwise, he'd be spending all day in a panic. "One more thing, Adam."
"Hm?"
"Just know I haven't given up," she said with a sly smile. "I'm not some homewrecker, so I won't get in the way, but if anything happens, I call dibs on next."
Did that sound better in her head? "You want to be a rebound?"
"I'll take what I can get. Besides, rebounds are good in basketball." And just when he'd thought he'd started to figure women out, Indie threw a wrench in the whole thing. "But no. I'm saying I want my own shot if this one doesn't work out. Deal?"
As wrong as it felt to be lining up a backup relationship, he couldn't really argue with her logic. He'd turned her down because he refused to date at all, only to apparently abandon that excuse with Blake. He owed Indie a fair chance. "Deal."
/- - - - - - - - - -/
The day sort of flew by after his chat with Indie. Blake had been a little awkward around him during training, but nothing too bad. Little blushes whenever he looked her way. Standing a bit closer. Things like that. She also suffered through the teasing of her friends along the way, but after what he'd been through at breakfast, he felt it only fair she get her turn.
After training, he remembered Indie's advice and suggested they hang out in the evening. She'd been a little hesitant at first until he mentioned just reading together after dinner. That was something they were used to, and just like Indie said, the fact he suggested it seemed to make things even better.
He still felt a little nervous heading to the library with her after dinner. Reading back in one of their rooms would've been way too awkward now, especially considering how little furniture he had. Lounging around on his bed felt like a recipe for disaster. Instead, they claimed a couch in the corner of the library, away from everyone else but still very much visible.
They chatted for a bit at first, and he made sure to pick the topics carefully. Talking about training would make things too formal, like this was just some business meeting. On the other hand, he didn't want to get too personal right out of the gate, even if he knew practically everything about her already. Instead, he asked her about the book she was reading, which felt like a happy medium.
Eventually, their chatter died out and the pair settled into a comfortable silence, quietly reading their own novels together as they'd done a million times before. Adam found it a little hard to focus, though, especially when Blake scooted closer, nestling her back against his side. It wasn't something she hadn't done a few times before, but it felt strangely intimate now.
They stayed like that late into the night, finally calling it quits long after everyone else had left the building. He walked her back to her room, but unlike what every movie dictated, there was no goodnight kiss on the doorstep. No invite to come inside. She simply gave him a hug and slipped inside, but not before pausing at the last second to peek through the door with a pleased smile.
Maybe Indie was right. Maybe dating wasn't so bad after all.
Honestly beginning to wonder how long it'll be until I feel comfortable not posting that disclaimer. The worst part is trying to have characters justify it when I am fully against it, but have to make their arguments reasonable and semi-convincing. Held off as long as I could to start their relationship while still having reasonable time for him to basically develop a co-dependency. As important as this relationship is to Adam's story, it is by far my least favorite part to write. Give me violent attacks and gore any day. Just not Adam and Blake.
Managed to sneak in some lore about the man nod, at least. Still remember when I realized other guys used the same signals and that we all naturally understood what they meant. Even seen posts online detailing a bunch of different meanings, and they pretty much all agree on the basics. Also fun to watch guys at work passing in the halls and deciphering how they view each other solely based on passing nods.
Next chapter: More relationship stuff. Yay! /s