Heartwarming / The Beast of Beacon

• While their relationship is abrasive, Adam and Weiss come to some understandings and tolerance that bleeds into respect. When a school brawl breaks out with several students ganging up on Adam under a rash misunderstanding, Weiss fights tooth and nail to try and help him; having to be held down by other students.
  • Doubly so as unlike in canon with Weiss and Blake for most of Volume 1, Weiss has known Adam is a faunus from the very start. And yet despite them butting heads, she's the first to rise to his defense.
  • A potential Fridge Brilliance: Adam kept taking the beating until one of them tried to remove his eye-patch. Now, what would've happened to Weiss if everyone in the school saw the SDC branding on his eyes? Adam may have unintentionally saved her entire future career.
  • His first concern when he learns that he and Yang took pictures while drunk, showing his scar, was to ask if Weiss saw it. At this point, she's the only member of his team who doesn't know and it's clear he's doing it to shelter her from seeing it.
• After the Bedmate Reveal, Yang and Adam both remain relatively calm and collected, not pushing the blame onto the other or pressing the issue.
• After her confrontation with Blake, when Adam swears that he never laid a hand on her Yang believes him straight away.
• In chapter 30, when accused by a White Fang member of betraying fellow White Fang members for a Schnee (Weiss), Adam replies that he would gladly do that for "a friend." This is one of the first moments where he verbally admits her being his friend.
• Chapter 35:
  • When Adam is suffering from Cinder hijacking his shock collar, Weiss actually tearfully begs Winter to stop.
  • Also, in a case of Everyone Has Standards, even though a sizable portion of the audience is at best cautious and at worst outright contemptuous towards Adam, the entire audience immediately condemns Atlas for such a cruel behavior.
• In Chapter 40:
  • After Cinder's death, Adam is to be put on trial for his crimes during his tenure with the White Fang, much to the anger and shock of the others. Blake, who finally managed to mend her relationship with Adam somewhat, wants to attend the trial and speak up as a Character Witness, even if it means revealing her past affiliations. Adam's response is to tell her not to attend or even watch it, as he doesn't want her new life to get screwed over because of him.
  • Almost all of Ozpin's final words, but this line in particular:
    Ozpin: I have made... I have made many mistakes in my life... but... I do not believe accepting you was one of them.
• Chapter 41 has quite a few sweet moments, the highlight of which is the court decision to have Adam more or less fulfill his sentence by serving the Kingdom and remain in Huntsman custody. On the one hand, Glynda thinks the result is the Vale council trying to snub Atlas in the face. On the other hand, Adam isn't going to jail and can spend his "sentence" with his friends from Beacon.
  • Yang delivers a Big Damn Kiss to Adam the second he's out of the courtroom, uncaring that everyone and their mother is watching. If that does not scream Official Couple status, then I don't know what will.
  • The end of the chapter has a much-needed talk between Blake and Adam. While things are awkward between them, both realize they rushed things and made more than a few mistakes. The talk culminates in them officially breaking up and their relationship mended and starting over as friends.