The chiming of the grandfather clock stirs Sorano awake early the next morning. He had passed out while writing, and as such he was currently slouched over in his new chair, surrounded by balled up paper, and still holding the pen he wrote with. At first he's confused as to where he is. But after a solid minute his brain's fully caught up with his body and is fully awake as well.

It still takes another few seconds for him to fully process the events of the previous day and make sense of what's going on. Even with all that done he's still largely perplexed by how much his life has changed in such a short time. To any other man it'd be a truly humbling experience. To Sorano, it's just another hurdle to jump over.

After a deep yawn and a stretch he's fully awake. He pushes himself out of his chair, glances at the clock to confirm it's not too late for breakfast, and, confirming it is in fact not, stumbles out of his room and to the kitchen. The fact that it's empty makes him frown a little. It also causes his stomach to loudly grumble in annoyance. Clearly voicing its displeasure that a plate of food isn't awaiting its beginning of a new day.

Assuming that his housemates are still asleep, and actually being decent enough not to wake them, Sorano decides to cook for himself. Then he remembers the last time he tried that. The fire department would never come to understand how one could manage to set an unplugged toaster on fire simply by touching it. Perhaps it was black magic. Or maybe Sorano simply had a special way with electrical appliances. Calling him the anti-Fonz wouldn't be too much of a stretch. Technology always seemed to spontaneously combust at his touch. Which is why he never upgraded past a gramophone. For all he knew a boom box would literally go boom in his hands.

Another stomach grumble reminds Sorano of what he was about to do. Deciding his safest course of action is to simply be a dick and wake Kurusu up, he walks around the house in search of his room. Kurusu probably won't mind, and if he does it doesn't really matter. It's a better choice than the alternative. Which would basically be Sorano setting the house on fire by only touching the start button on the microwave.

It takes him a good five minutes before he's soundly concluded he's found Kurusu's room. Sorano made sure to check every room leading up to this one just to be sure it was the right one. Now he was standing before the door to his salvation. At least in matters food related that is. He knocks twice. Light knocks, but audible nonetheless.

When he doesn't get an answer he knocks a tad harder. Still not receiving an answer he starts to pound on the door as hard as possible. No answer.

It's possible they've already woken up and left the house. Though I doubt the kid would leave without leaving a note or something.

Logically this brings me to only one other conclusion.

"I hope you at least are using protection!" With this glorious war cry Sorano storms into the room. Instead of catching two young adults making passionate love to one another he encounters something even more disturbing. So much so that Sorano secretly hopes it's all a dream. Somehow he thinks Kurusu feels the same.

Currently he's tightly entwined by a sleeping Miia. It's literally a bone crushing embrace. It looks a lot like a python suffocating a rodent it's about to eat. The thought makes Sorano shiver. His exact thoughts on the matter are dryly summed up with one simple sentence. "It's too early for this shit." The words alert Kurusu to Sorano's presence.

A muffled cry is heard, but Sorano can't make sense of what he's trying to say. Though he assumes it's something along the lines of "help me!" Right now Kurusu's trying to save himself by any means possible. This includes jerking off the tip of Miia's tail. Sorano can't even begin to process what's going on. The moaning doesn't help.

Instead he slowly backs out of the room, closing the door behind him. Another muffled cry reaches his ears, along with something that vaguely sounds like a fracturing pelvis. It causes Sorano to feel a bit guilty so he decides to actually intervene in some way. Though his method of doing so, in hindsight, is probably not the best idea.

He rushes back into the room like Superman swooping in to save the day. Miia seems like she's at the point of no return. In less than subtle terms, it seems like we're almost at the climax of this story. With Kurusu's life hanging on the edge, and Miia, well, reaching an actual climax. Into this wonderful setting Sorano charges ahead. Despite every thought in his mind telling him this is going to be a bad idea, and that there has to be a better way to do this.

However no thought comes to mind as to an alternative, so instead Sorano goes through with his brilliant plan. It involves him simply attempting to push Miia off of the bed. This went about as well as one could imagine. Miia's weight made it near impossible, and the only result Sorano got was a terrifying crack from his back that ended with him hunched over in pain.

After taking a moment to recollect his posture he glanced at the ever worrying state of Kurusu. Sorano could see the kid's face turn purple. It would be funny if it weren't so scary. Still Kurusu struggled in his vain attempt at a tailjob. If it could be called that. Miia kept moaning, Sorano kept massaging his back, and Kurusu kept suffocating. It was an odd little beginning to the day.

Eventually Sorano decided enough was enough. He wasn't going to let this kid die the first day he was in charge of him. The room and meal plan was too good to pass up. So Sorano attempted a second plan of assault. This one almost as stupid as the first. Except instead of pushing he'd let gravity do the work. Trying to wake her up by shouting would probably have worked better. Unfortunately that rational idea was lost somewhere in Sorano's mind. His brain was still processing the hand motions on Miia's tail. That wasn't something he'd ever let them live down.

Sorano's next plan required a running start. So he prepared himself by backing up into the hallway. Then he again charged into the room, this time in a full sprint. It only lasted a few feet before he broke down into a fit of coughing. I really need to get into better shape. That thought graced his mind for a moment before he remembered his current problem.

Somehow Miia was still asleep. Blissfully unaware of all the pandemonium occurring because of her. Forgetting about the running start Sorano merely enacted his emergency plan. It involved kicking Miia as hard as possible. No this was not rocket science by any means.

The force of the kick pushes her tail slightly off of the bed, and from there the resulting mess can only be described as chaotic. The part of her that's off the bed ends up dragging the rest of her off, and this includes the tightly embraced Kurusu. She doesn't wake up until she's flailing off the edge, a loud screech and a thud are the start of her day.

Kurusu manages to wiggle himself free in the struggle and crawls out of the wreckage not as a triumphant hero, but as a scarred survivor. Sorano briefly considers if this could be considered domestic abuse. Not for long however as the dull cries of pain reach his ears shortly after. Both from Kurusu but also Miia. Apparently when she landed she hit the ground face first.

The entire awkward scenario is a far cry from what Sorano had expected, though really his expectations hadn't been that realistic, so instead of sticking around as the savior he had been he rightfully decides to sneak out of the room. Closing the door behind him he briefly thinks about how awkward the breakfast conversation will be. Next time he'd just toss a bucket of cold water on them.

About a minute later Kurusu exits the room. From his slight limp and hunched back Sorano can tell he's hurting from that snuggle session. Though the crick in his own back doesn't allow Sorano to feel much pity for his younger counterpart. The leg he used for kicking Miia had actually gone numb as a result. Rubbing it did little to help. Sorano really hoped he wouldn't have to go to a doctor because of this insanity.

Thus ended the First Cuddle War. With all three parties sharing their own battle wounds. If the small lump on Miia's forehead was anything to go by. She came out of the room a few minutes later. Kurusu had already started cooking breakfast. Despite the pain he was in he still managed to put on a smile. He'd greeted Sorano with a look of pure gratitude. Sorano had simply waved it off.

Miia had seated herself across from Sorano. She hadn't greeted him, nor had she said anything to Kurusu. It was obvious that she was embarrassed. It was also obvious that her head was killing her, if the temple massage was anything to go by. After doing this she glanced at Sorano from the corner of her eye. She had attempted to do so subtly, to avoid drawing his attention, but she severely underestimated his observation skills.

For her benefit, Sorano pretended not to notice. After this short interaction, Miia folded her arms on the table and buried her face in them. At first Sorano assumed she'd fallen back asleep, but the deep sigh from her confirmed she was awake. Sorano didn't try to make conversation with her, instead letting her be. They waited in silence for Kurusu to serve breakfast.

When the food arrived it was eaten in silence. Sorano had correctly predicted that this morning would be awkward. Twice Kurusu tried to start a conversation, but both times were answered by grumbles from Miia and grunts from Sorano. Miia picked at her food, while Sorano practically inhaled it. As such Sorano was the first to finish. He got up with a nod to Kurusu, washed and dried his own plate, and left the kitchen.

After his departure, he started to hear the beginnings of conversation between Miia and Kurusu. It was nothing more than a few mumbles from Miia answered by Kurusu. Sorano couldn't pick up the overall tone or context of the conversation.

Though he did pick up a brief part of what Miia said. "Darling, why are we eating first?" Followed by Kurusu saying something along the lines of "Sorano looked hungry." The huff from Miia following this response caused him to briefly consider the fact that he might have angered Miia. Having tossed her out of bed and whatnot. Interrupting her 'heartfelt' moment with Kurusu as well.

Sorano briefly considered this. Then he quickly shoved the thought aside. Smith had tasked him with doing the exact thing he had done. Well, maybe not the exact way he did it. But the act was justified in Sorano's mind. It had possibly saved Kurusu's life too. Though Sorano wasn't sure about that exactly. The kid looked like he could have taken it.

The next thing Sorano decided to do was to bathe. He hadn't had a good bath in a while. Sleeping on park benches and in alleyways didn't allow for proper hygiene. However the fact that he was invisible allowed him to get by with missing a few baths here and there. His lack of a scent helped as well.

Maybe this is why some confused his species with ghosts. He lacked the intangibility part though, and he felt blessed that he did. It would have been a pain in the ass to not be able to touch things or be touched. Sorano figured not being ever able to look into a mirror was enough of a burden.

He grabbed a set of clothing from his room, along with a towel, and made his way to the bathroom. Said bathroom was gigantic. The tub itself would have allowed for a dozen Soranos to bathe at once. Sorano concluded it was supersized probably for Miia's convenience. It made sense considering how all the other parts of the house had were just as humungous in comparison. The room that housed the toilet was probably the most obvious example. It so spacious it could be considered empty.

Sorano glanced in the mirror as he undressed. Slowly watching how each layer of clothing stripped away made him less visible. No matter how many times he'd undressed and redressed in his life he never got over the surreal sight of disappearing. It terrified him a little to think about it. He always felt like he teetered on the edge of reality. Fading out of existence like this. It was a melodramatic way of looking at it, but Sorano couldn't help but contemplate over this as he undressed.

Doppel would have teased him over such thoughts. That caused him to fume. He didn't know why. Perhaps it was jealousy that had made his species hate hers. One was a kind that could be anything. The other was forced to remain as nothing.

Sorano shook all these negative thoughts out of his mind. This wasn't the sort of thing he needed to think about while doing something as mundane as bathing. He turned on the tub's faucet. Cold water started to spew into the tub. Sorano slipped into the water. At first he shivered slightly, the sudden change of temperature catching his body off guard. It didn't take more than a moment for him to get used to it though, and he began to casually relax in the tub.

After a few seconds he drifted off to sleep. Slowly sinking into the water and getting dangerously close to drowning. Thankfully the opening of the bathroom door woke him from his nap. Avoiding a rather pitiful demise.

In entered Kurusu. He glanced at the already filled bathtub, scratched his head in confusion, and looked around the room as if he were searching for an answer. Sorano sat in silence, debating whether or not to scare the kid. From behind Kurusu entered Miia. Her lack of dress caused Sorano to raise a figurative eyebrow. However Kurusu didn't notice her nudity until it was too late. She'd already began to press her breasts against his back.

The act startled him more than Sorano ever could have. If the sudden nosebleed he experienced was anything to go by. Sorano quietly watched this interaction go down. Not knowing whether or not to intervene like he did earlier. "Darling is the bath ready?" Kurusu, bless his soul, could only nervously stutter as he attempted to regain his senses. It was at this moment that Sorano decided he should properly enter the conversation.

With the biggest grin on his face he answered Miia's question. "Yeah it's ready snaky. But I'm afraid you'll have to wait your turn." The room was deathly silent. Kurusu stared in the direction of the tub, unsure as to how to respond. His mind connected the dots before Miia's though, realizing that Sorano was likely naked in front of them.

Miia raised an eyebrow, confused as to where Sorano's voice came from. She searched the room for him and, finding nothing, refocused her attention on Kurusu. Her Darling was currently freaking out. Trying to cover his eyes and wiggle his way out of the room. Miia, assuming this was because of her own nudity pried his hands away from his eyes and smiled at him. It was then that Sorano decided to speak once again.

"Ah, I get it. You two are exhibitionists. Listen, I'm not into voyeurism though, so could you get the hell out of here while I'm taking a bath?" With this being said Miia finally realized the implication behind Sorano's original statement. She glanced in the direction Kurusu had glanced at, looked back at Kurusu, and then started to blush profusely as she covered herself as best she could. With a shriek of "Pervert!" she exited the room as fast she could. Kurusu quickly following behind her, bowing and apologizing on the way out.

"Next time knock. I have a photographic memory, you know?" He tossed this final comment their way before busting out into a round of laughter. Or rather a fit of coughing. Followed by Sorano's best attempts at regaining his breath.

What a great start to the day.


AN: Once again thanks for all the support you guys have been giving this story. Considering how awful I've been at updating this, it means a lot to see all these favorites, follows, and reviews. To King0fP0wers, I don't really have a specific age for Sorano. Though he is REALLY old in comparison to a human. If he were visible he'd probably look to be between his mid to late fifties, if that helps.