Not Unlike You
Chapter 13
After Adam met Mero the day prior, and later having heard about it over the phone from Smith, Yukino was getting more worried than usual. Sure, chaos tended to follow the boy wherever he went, but lately, it was getting worse. She wanted to blame someone, anyone at this point, but couldn't bring herself to do it.
These girls had been trouble at first, though not unwanted in the slightest. They all had started to create a positive change in her little brother. He was making more eye contact, becoming more outgoing, and the smiles just kept coming.
Centorea helped keep him emotionally steady, which Adam did in turn for Miia, who attracted stares quite a lot in public. On the other hand, Miia helped Adam be more socially aware, which helped him avoid certain topics which might be uncomfortable for some, and pay attention to certain trends in society. Suu was an uncertainty. Nevertheless, she seemed to be learning from Adam and the others, which was a plus in everyone's book.
What was she worried about again? Oh yeah, the increasing amount of chaos following Adam.
A deterrent was needed, and there was only one person she could call for help, though she'd have to phrase it in a way that revolved around the girls.
One call and an hour later, help had arrived in the form of Tionishia. She insisted on being called Tio. She understood the need to fudge the truth a bit, though her reasoning as to why Yukino did it was a little off. " I understand completely! He gets all sorts of unwanted attention because of how cute he is, which could cause trouble for the others. But with Tio around, you won't have to worry about that! I'll make sure Adam and the girls stay safe!" As Tio said her piece, she had grabbed Adam and brought him into the strongest hug he had ever felt (besides Miia), his head pressed firmly into her grand bosom.
Instincts of an older sister aside, Yukino had a feeling that back-breaking hugs were the least of her concerns with her newest guest. But Smith promised that Tionishia was her best force deterrent, and her strength was unmatched in a scrap. Sighing in resignation, Tio was welcomed into their home once again. This time though, it would be as a roommate.
The trouble wasn't a long list, so much as a noticeable few.
Tio's strength was no exaggeration by Smith. While the door frames had been risen to fit Centorea, Tio was a tad taller than her, and her horn had plowed through a few frames, leaving bits of the walls and door frames littering the floor in several places around the house. She apologized, but admitted that she didn't know how to fix walls.
The hunger was another point of worry. Being taller, stronger, and more muscularly gifted, Tio's appetite had lengthened the grocery list by a hefty sum. If the government hadn't been helping to pay for hosts food bills, this girl probably would have eaten them out of house and home.
Despite all this, Tio turned out to be a pleasant roommate. She was a good cook when everyone else was too tired to fix anything, loved to listen when someone needed to vent, and had an aura about her that inspired serenity and happiness. Not to mention; her hugs were addictive.
No one knew the last fact more than Adam, as he had been a "victim" of random hugs throughout the days since she came to live with them. No complaints were had, mind you, but the more time he spent with her, the more Adam came to a realization. Every girl that had entered his domain as a home stay student had been taller than him. Whether by an inch or two, or several feet, with Suu being the exception (depending on how much liquid she absorbed). They all had become good friends in the short amount of time they knew each other, but perhaps there was something more?
Thinking back to that time in the shed with Centorea and Suu, Adam had felt a raging inferno in both his mind and body. Especially in his loins. Miia kissing him was less wild, but that same feeling was there. Mero hadn't given him any weird feelings, but who's to say it couldn't happen? Last on his list of concerns was Tio.
Tio was a combination of buxom, tall, and muscular, which seemed to get a reaction out of him, both mentally and physically. Like an amalgamation of all his feelings toward the others, it flooded him with emotion and a need for closeness, but it also scared him. He had no experience with romance, and if love was what blossomed forth in his heart, who would he end up hurting? Adam hadn't even known Tio that long, but the same could be said for the others as well.
Memories of not so long ago flashed through his head.
An instinctual need to hold his knight in the bath, and the embrace that followed.
A kiss amidst the ruby coils of a love-starved lamia.
An unintended wild romp between himself, his knight, and a hungry slime.
The sounds of bells and the smell of flowers in the embrace of a caring Oni.
It was too much. Adam's head was pounding, and his heart ached just as much, if not more. Without thought, Adam ran into his room, locked himself in, and sealed the dog door for good measure. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts, and Gregory would only interrupt his process, as much as he hated admitting as such.
On the other side of town, Smith was having just as stressful a time, meeting with her superiors over a change to the Exchange Bill, and the test subject they were proposing to examine, to see if the change could work.
"While the boy is abnormal by certain public standards, this would only prove that if these measures worked for him, they could work for the greater masses just as well, if not more so. Surely, you can see where we're coming from, Smith?"
Said agent kept a neutral mask, but on the inside, she was worried more than normal. Adam was a bright mind, but had been ostracized by many people in the past, especially after a certain incident in high school, and had lots of mental scars that may never have healed properly. To think that they would be pushing something so heavy on someone so young was preposterous. Nevertheless, the decision was made on a vote, with nine for the plan, and three against. Smith just hoped that Yukino wouldn't shoot the messenger.
Gregory sat outside Adam's room, pondering on why he couldn't get in. He tried charging the dog door a few times, but no budge was had. Luckily, a plan came to mind. Yukino was about to be home from work, which meant he could get help. The thought had crossed him to grab the others, but every time he did, they would look at the note Adam had posted on the door and turn away in confusion. It read "Deep Mind In Progress".
Yukino had made a quick stop on the way home for a bag or two of baby spinach, as both Adam and Centorea loved munching their greens after working out. To expect one thing but get another was a regular occurrence. Unexpected though, was Gregory pulling at her pant leg before she could set any bags down.
Odd. Gregory wasn't really the type to try and drag someone away unless something had happened to . . . Adam! Yukino dropped everything and ran upstairs. Seeing the note on his door, she was less tense, but still worried. Miia slithered out of her room to see what the noise was about, but all she saw was Yukino staring down Adam's door.
"I tried knocking a few times, but Darling just ignored me. And what does Deep Mind mean anyway?"
Sighing in resignation, Yukino slumped her shoulders and told Miia to meet her in the living room. It was time for a house meeting.
Smith was not looking forward to this. REALLY not looking forward to this. But if she valued her paycheck, it had to be done. No sooner did she knock on the front door before being dragged inside, forcibly sat on a couch between Miia and Suu, and made to look at a white board.
Yukino bore a stern expression, not unlike a Drill Sergeant, but her tone was like that of a Professor: stern, but not aggressive.
"Thank you for joining me, everyone. Today's lecture will be on the topic of my brother, and what we call his intense meditation. Deep Mind." With that said, she flipped the white board around to show little stick figures, drawn in different colors with dry-erase markers.
"The term was coined by our cousin Zack when we were younger. When entered, this state brings about a sense of peace, letting the practitioner fully commit to his or her own thoughts, as if their mind is drifting through a void. All mind, no body, and able to think freely to help comprehend, or build a chain of thought that helps lead to understanding. At least, that's how Zack explained it."
Miia looked awestruck. Suu wasn't really paying attention. Centorea and Tio had notepads out, and both were writing furiously fast. Smith was lost and dumbfounded. Before the agent could ask any questions, Yukino continued.
"I've never tried it myself, but I've seen Zack and Adam do it a few times. Adam once told me it's like being in a sensory deprivation chamber. All your senses but your mind are cut off from the outside world. The closest word I could think of to define it would be "Zen". The last time he did this, he had been worried about mooching off of me while living here. So I called a few people and got him a few interviews. He's not worrying about money, I know that much. All of you have spent more time with him than me lately. Any ideas?"
Smith pondered, forgetting her original task for a moment. Tio's reports hadn't shown any irregularities regarding the boy, outside of his normal social anxieties. While her primary duties were toward the exchange students, certain hosts needed looking after too. Most cases like this were matched up with suitable students who could help them, and be helped in turn. But something about this household made her think there needed to be more. Tio was the heart of MON, and calmed the hearts of her rowdy teammates on a regular basis with her inexplicable aura of tranquility. Thus, her decision to deploy Tio here. Adam attracted chaos, which caused him to occasionally lash out. Tio's presence had reduced this issue to a noticeable degree. Not to the point where the problem disappeared, but she was definitely helping the poor boy.
While everyone else was mulling over the issue at hand, Suu had left to slip under Adam's door. Placing her pseudopod atop his head, she saw everything he was thinking about. While a lot of the things going on in his head were a mystery to her, Suu could tell that Love, Lust, Romance, and Relationships were words that kept repeating in trains of thought that led to Stress.
Sneaking back into the living room, Suu saw everyone was gathered around the white board. The stick figures from before had been erased, and their replacement was one word for each person there. Smith wrote Responsibility, thinking that looking after the girls had become too much for him. Yukino wrote Jobless, insinuating that she thought her brother WAS worried about his financial contributions to the house. Tio wrote People, thinking that the whispers and wayward stares were setting in and making Adam more scared than before. Miia wrote Love, thinking that Adam wasn't getting enough affection (from her, specifically). Finally was Centorea, who wrote Listening, worrying that while Adam was heard, he may not have been listened to all that much.
Suu just walked up to the board and pointed at Love. "Master is sad. He wants to know what love is, but doesn't want to hurt anyone, or be hurt." This statement shocked everyone present, as Suu didn't speak all that much, outside of making the occasional noise or facial expression. More so was their reaction to what she said. Though the only two who were most of note were Smith and Yukino.
Yukino ran upstairs, to try and comfort her little brother, but Smith just looked like someone was about to cut off her head. How was she supposed to give Adam the news from her superiors if it could cause him to shut down in the worst way. This situation couldn't get any worse.
Adam felt something rouse him from Deep Mind. Yukino managed to pick the lock to his room before entering and locking it back. She was hugging him tighter than normal, indicating that she was sad for some reason or another. Deciding to nip this in the bud, Adam reached his hand up to pat the head that was currently perched on his own. "Is something the matter, sister? You don't normally interrupt Deep Mind for just anything."
Her arms squeezed tighter. "It hurts, doesn't it? I should've known this would happen sooner or later, but I just thought things would stay how they always were. Talk to me, little bro. What's got you so hung up?"
Adam never pictured himself as a poet or anything of the like, but Yukino thought the first few words in his diatribe sounded like something she had read once before. "The heart is never simple, is it?"
Smith stood outside Adam's room with everyone else, waiting to drop the bombshell, whether it was good timing or not. She had never gotten close with any of her clients until these two. Adam and Yukino always greeted her with a smile, and didn't hesitate to offer her coffee when she visited, which made her mundane days just a little happier. Don't get her wrong, she loved her team, and all the benefits that came with her position, but some days it just felt like a corporate slog.
When the door finally opened, Adam and Yukino came out with differing expressions. Adam's expression was tense with a hint of shy nervousness, while Yukino just smiled encouragingly and patted him on the back. Adam took as deep a breath as he could, steadying his nerves for what he wanted to say.
"I'm...not good at expressing myself. But ever since meeting you all, I've been feeling happier than I thought possible. I really like spending time with each of you, and you don't treat me like others do. But lately, my head has been fuzzy, and my heart hurts, but not because of cholesterol. I checked. I don't understand why you like me, but I want to say that I really like you all too. I'm just not sure what to do with all these emotions! I don't want to hurt anyone!" His voice slowly got louder and louder before he fell to his knees and started to cry.
In that moment, Smith felt two things: The need to comfort the poor boy, and rage at her superiors for making him their guinea pig. While everyone else gathered around Adam for a tearful group hug, Smith silently signaled Yukino to follow her. Standing in the backyard, Smith told Yukino the reason she was sent here by the suits up top: to make Adam get married to one of the girls as a test for inter-species relationships. To say that Yukino was mad would be the understatement of the century. Livid beyond all recognition would be a better descriptor.
Meanwhile, back at HQ, the board members who came up with the idea for a "test marriage" were leaving work to go get celebratory drinks. Being a staple celebration operation in office workers lives, it was easy to guess which bars they were all going to. Alas, the Director opted to drink alone, as he wanted to maintain some healthy balance between enjoyment and indulgence. One steak dinner and three mugs of beer later, he sat in his booth with a smile on his face and a hand on his stomach, patting it like one would a dog. The clinking of glasses a few booths away made for a wonderful drunkards symphony. Even though he was only buzzed, he could appreciate the sounds of others reveling without going overboard, like his fellows were often wont to do.
A shadow came to cast at his side, soon joined by another. "May we join you Director?"
Had someone from the office followed him? Sighing in defeat, he put on what smile he could muster and gestured at the seats across from him. After the two had seated themselves, the taller of the two cleared his throat before leveling a heavy stare at his "boss".
"Out of all the host families to choose from for this...test, you chose Him. I was curious for a tad, but once it all settled in, I couldn't help but wonder why?" The shorter of the two reached up to pat her friend on the shoulder before glaring at the man across the table. "You called the young Belmont "Abnormal". While not incorrect, you said it in a way that was strange to us. Furthermore, what makes you think that someone inexperienced in romance would acquiesce to your plan?"
The woman folded her hands, never letting her eyes wander from the target of her inquisition. "By all terms and definitions, Adam is still just a boy on the cusp of manhood, and you are throwing him into an orgy before he even learns how to make love. The ramifications of your actions will be severe, and many will suffer if the poor boy breaks. So, before we depart, I can only hope that Smith can prevent the fire you are about to start, You Foolish Man."
With that, the two left a trembling Director behind and took to the late afternoon streets. Edward removed his hat and brushed his hand through his hair, sighing in frustration. Maria could only pat his back in placation. "We both saw Smith's expression. She won't let any harm come to him. You can rest easy, my friend."
"I know, but I cannot help but be worried. He may not be mine, but he is still family, even if by distance in blood. I don't want a repeat of what happened the last time he...cracked. I had to call in a lot of favors, and my supplier of amnestics went dark after the FBI got on his trail. We can't afford another bloodbath."
Keeping ones voice down is hard to do when angry, but Yukino managed to go on a tirade with as quiet a voice as she could, grunting and cursing, swinging her fists at nothing in her ire. Smith wanted to tell her that everything would be fine, and that she had a plan to fix this, but neither were true. At least, not until her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was a text from the Director. Reading it over and over while listening to Yukino continue to turn feral, Smith saw an opportunity to calm her down.
"We're both pissed, as obvious as can be. But! I just got a text from the big man, and he wanted to apologize for the rushed proposal. He says – and I quote - "I'm not sure what was going through my head, but after reviewing the case files over some drinks alone, I found the idea rushed and not conducive to a positive outcome for any parties involved. Let the boy's heart go where it may, and send along my heartfelt apologies." I can tell when he bullshits, even over texting, but not this. The wording was too clear cut, not long and drawn out, like usual."
While only a little, Yukino's ire was brought down, only to switch to panic a moment later.
"We both heard him up there, right? Clear as day? That was real?"
Smith nodded.
Groaning in frustration, Yukino sat on the back porch, her hands covering her face. "I knew that this might happen with at least one of them. I saw the way they all looked at him, and I thought I could protect that little bit of innocence left in him. Don't say anything. I know it was a dumb idea."
Smith didn't offer up any comment. She just stood and listened.
"But he's getting married over my dead body! If anything, I'd want him to take these girls on proper dates first. Ease him in on these feelings, and make sure romance happens naturally. Y'know?"
Easier said than done, but not impossible. Smith wasn't good at hiding her feelings when it came to smug self-satisfaction, and the look on her face had Yukino both worried and curious. "Dates, eh? I'm sure I could talk things over with the girls and see where this wagon rolls. And before you ask, I'll make sure they don't plan anything that could lead to...ahem, anything too steamy, okay?"
Again, easier said than done, but if anyone could hash it out and make these girls understand the importance of what was to come, it was Smith.
Authors Note:
This went through 3 different versions before I could find something that felt right. And for those asking about Papi...no. Just no. Depression, work, and life in general may get in the way, but I'm not quitting this story any time soon. If I do though, I'll let you know.