A/N: Probably gonna have sexual content scattered throughout the chapters...warning, ero content this time includes some masturbation (though not super explicit)
Gosh I'm amazed I've been keeping to a pretty good weekly update schedule...O_o
The ocean breeze felt wonderful; Sio enjoyed the cool, briny mist as the car zipped along the shoreline. At last they were taking some time to get out of the house, and although the beaches were closed, it was much better than spending yet another day cooped up inside.
"Aaah, this feels soo nice...it really is too bad we can't go down to the beach itself." Sighing, the sniper rested her head against the window, letting the wind blow through her hair. There were few other vehicles along the road, and though Mahesh jokingly suggested to Adam (who was driving) that he should test the limits of this car, they only sped up a few times on straight stretches when nobody else was around.
The car wasn't exactly designed to be sporty, but Adam revved the engine a few times as he shifted the gears with amazing accuracy, Sio shrieking with delight as they blew down the straightaways. "Who would've thought you'd also be a speed freak," Mahesh teased in good humor, the sniper blushing but she wouldn't deny it was thrilling.
"W-Well, it's not like I'd go around doing that, normally...besides, Tokyo's no place to drive, not with all the public transit. Not that I can drive anyways..."
"Sounds like London, honestly. Though I suppose if you had a motorbike it'd be a tad easier to get around. Like Adam—you had one back in London, didn't you?" Jess queried.
"And so what if I did? 'S not like it'll do us any good out here."
"No, but maybe when the opportunity comes up you can take Sio-chan for a ride; I'm sure she'd enjoy it." The sniper turned red as a tomato at that comment, and Adam made an odd noise in his throat.
"A-Anyway, we can worry about that later; is there a place where we can get out for a bit? Or are they all closed?" Sio desperately changed the subject, not wanting to get into yet another fit of 'why do I feel so hot when talking about Adam'.
"According to local news, we may be able to get off and walk around the trail head, so long as we have masks and maintain distance," Mahesh reported. As soon as they parked to a stop Sio opened the door and breathed in the fresh air. Adam's driving was impeccable, especially for stick-shift, but she had to admit the winding hills of San Francisco were making her just a touch carsick.
"Oy squirt, don't forget your mask; can't be careless," Adam chided as he handed the sniper hers, "let's not get complacent." Sio blushed with embarrassment, but was grateful Adam didn't make snide remarks anymore. In fact, ever since he granted her permission to call him by his real first name, he seemed to have mellowed out quite a bit. There were several instances where they'd even been able to have small talk, mostly during times like cleaning up or when she insisted on helping with cooking (so she could learn was her argument), but it no longer felt as forced or awkward.
'Hopefully this quarantine will get him to open up a bit more...'cause Adam, he's really not a bad guy once you get to know him...sure he's a little rough around the edges, but who doesn't have something they're trying to improve?'
"What're you thinking about, Sio?" The blonde suddenly appeared in her view, Sio jumping back a bit on instinct; luckily ever since that discussion, she'd been a lot better about giving the girl her space. After that outburst, Adam called for a squad meeting to lay down some ground rules, including very explicit warnings that harassment of any kind, malicious or otherwise, was not to be tolerated.
"An' I don't give a shit if that's what you're used to, but I will not condone any such behavior moving forward, pandemic or not; do I make myself clear?" The other three members nodded solemnly as their leader gave them all a stern look.
Both Jess and Mahesh were unusually serious for once, perhaps even remorseful as Adam lectured them on their unsavory behaviors. The sniper couldn't help but feel a bit guilty; but afterwards, when they were all going to bed and both came by personally to apologize, she knew she'd done the right thing.
"Ah, n-not much...just once again, kind of amazed at how Adam can do...well, pretty much anything," the girl muttered. "Stick-shift, motorcycles...that's so cool. Maybe I'm just too young to learn about all these things, right now..."
"Hmm, I wouldn't say that, dear. You were in your last year of secondary, correct?" Sio nodded. "He's not that much older, you know. Adam, I mean. If I recall, they picked him up right after he got into university, a year or two before we discovered you."
Sio's eyes widened in surprise. So Adam really wasn't that much older than her, though he sure acted way more mature. "Really? I didn't know that...I'd always assumed, he'd been with DOGOO forever..."
"Some people grow up faster, depending on their circumstances. That's all there is to it," Jess shrugged. "I'm actually one of the earlier members of DOGOO...well, the first among the Second Platoon, anyway."
She turned around in shock. "Wait, you're the first member of the Second Platoon?!"
"Sort of. It's a bit...complicated," the blonde suddenly looked hesitant. "...If you must know, there was actually a 'first iteration', so to speak. Before any of us came along...well, technically that's not true; I was with DOGOO pretty early on, but not as part of the Second Platoon..."
The sniper stayed quiet as the blonde muttered to herself. So, there had been an earlier version of their platoon? 'But then what happened? Where are they now? Are they still with DOGOO?'
"You know old man Capa, right?" Sio nodded. "He, along with e-gene holders William Tell and Christopher Columbus...comprised of the original Second Platoon. But then..."
"Then...?" She definitely had not forgotten (nor forgiven) Capa's trespasses, but she'd only ever heard of William Tell in passing, and Sio didn't even know Columbus existed. "But Capa's retired now, isn't he? Did those two also retire?"
For some reason Jess grew somber at her question. "...William Tell is now part of the Special Squad, same as Hunter and Galileo. And Columbus...he—"
"Oy, what's the hold up you two? Don't fall behind!" From far ahead, their leader's voice barked at the two girls.
"Nevermind. I'll tell you that story some other time. Let's go before he loses his temper, again." Jess rolled her eyes as the two picked up the pace. Sio was dying to know just what happened, but given Jess' reaction, it was probably better she didn't pry anymore.
"Doesn't he ever stop yelling at people?" Sio grumbled as they finally caught up with the guys. "Seriously, and here I thought we were making some progress on being civil with each other..."
"Adam's not the type to have a heart-to-heart, but I must say, you must be doing him some good. In all the time I've known him, I've never seen him quite so relaxed as when he's around you." Jess winked, causing the sniper to blush. "Seems to me you've got a secret touch around him..."
"J-Jess-san...! I-I don't, I don't think so..." Her cheeks were still pink though, even as they wandered around the trail, everyone else taking in the sights of the ocean.
"Hmm? Really...well, regardless he's definitely loosened up a bit. Less scowling, and I think I actually saw him smile the other day! Or was that just a smirk," Jess mused as the two girls walked along the path.
'It can't be; I-I mean, it's only because now we're taking a break from all those battles and stuff that he can relax, so naturally it's a lot easier to chat with him...isn't it? Why would he be particularly nice to me?' The sniper continued to be lost in her thoughts as the group hiked along the cliffs. She hadn't been paying much attention, but now that she thought about it, Adam's behavior towards Jess and Mahesh hadn't changed that much (he was still griping about their lack of modesty), but she definitely noticed a change in his tone of voice and words around her.
No way...it can't be true, are we becoming...friends?!
Even Asao-san brought it up last night, after the sniper spent a solid 30 minutes regaling about how Adam taught her three different ways to make eggs. "So, I see someone's getting cozy with their leader, yeah? Good thing you guys aren't regular military—'cause I'm pretty sure fraternizing with your squadmates would be a big no-no" her friend had teased, which lead to another 20 minutes of sputtering and denial.
'Yeah, well, didn't the Commander say this would be a good opportunity to get to know each other and strengthen bonds? I'm just doing that,' Sio thought to herself, though that didn't exactly explain why her pulse increased and her body got hot whenever she stared at Adam or thought about him too much. 'And yeah, I'll admit he's...pretty hot, and physically I find him attractive...b-but that's completely normal! I'm a growing girl, I have...needs...'
As if on cue her loins throbbed slightly, to Sio's horror. Ever since she discovered masturbating, it had become something of a nightly activity for her; doubling as both a sleep aid and stress reliever. (And also, hey, it felt really fucking good.) Groaning, she forced herself to act normal and tag along with the rest of the group, though she was definitely going to need some 'alone time' as soon as they got back.
"Phew, that was a pleasant outing...see Adam, going out every once in a while isn't going to kill us," Jess commented as they finally made it back to the house, after stopping by for some takeout from a seaside shack. According to the Brits, the fish and chips were almost as good as any chippy establishment in London. Almost. Naturally Sio, not being familiar with British food, found it to be extremely tasty, and even Adam begrudgingly admitted that Americans could do a few things right, on occasion.
"Why's it in pieces though, it's better when the fish is whole..."
"Next time we should try curry; I've heard this area's got a ton of Indian restaurants," Mahesh suggested. "I'd be curious to see if any of them can actually do 'Indian spicy'..."
"I, Indian spicy?" The sniper shuddered a bit at that description. Japanese people weren't exactly the best with spicy food, despite wasabi. "Not sure I wanna find out what that means..."
Mahesh winked at her. "Well, you'll just have to find out for yourself, Sio. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll be fine." The sniper doubted that, but Indian curry did sound good. Hopefully there would be milder options as well.
"What should we do about dinner? Do we want to do delivery again, or is our esteemed leader going to grace us with his home cooking?" The Indian managed to once again dodge a fork from the silver-haired man. "Hey now, I'm being serious! You're becoming quite the cook, Adam. It's a wonder we went all this time without sampling any of your dishes.
Adam grumbled, but Sio noticed his ears were turning slightly pink. Was he...bashful? It was bizarre to see their acerbic leader act so shy, but it was nice for a change, she decided. And kind of cute.
"Do you know how to cook, Mirza-san?"
The Indian turned to their sniper with a start. "Me? Cook? Oh, well I can...but I have to admit, ever since I joined DOGOO I haven't had much time. Or a reason. It's a lot simpler when someone else prepares things for you..."
"Like your servants?" Adam snorted, hinting at the Indian's wealthy background. "You just snap your fingers and someone comes running, eh?"
"I'm not that dependent," Mahesh's gaze narrowed, slightly offended. "Just because I grew up with hired help doesn't mean I can't do things for myself. I just prefer doing things in the most efficient manner. In any case, if you are interested in trying my cooking, Sio-chan, I'd be happy to make something."
"O-Oh, well, I don't want you to go out of your way or anything—"
"Nonsense; after all, it seems like we're all using this time to try new things, no? Plus it might be nice to give it a go...maybe we can even have some kind of group cooking night."
The rest of the platoon murmured in agreement, though Sio was a bit nervous. She'd barely just managed to cook eggs decently, there was no way she could whip up something as fancy as Adam or probably even Mahesh could.
"Well, you can count me out, unless you want food poisoning," Jess commented dryly. "I'm not going to deny it, but cooking is definitely not one of my stronger skills..."
"You can be my sous-chef," Mahesh gave a cheeky grin, which was met with a napkin to the face. "Oof, I'm sure you'll do fine. Just leave the actual cooking part to me. So, it seems we've decided then? We're cooking?"
Sio nodded, starting to warm up to the idea. It might even be fun, if everybody pitched in. "I-I mean, I can only make eggs, but...I'd be happy to help."
"You can never go wrong with eggs. Don't worry Sio-chan; now, to make sure I don't decimate your taste buds with vindaloo...I guess I'll make tikka masala as well. What're you thinking of cooking, Adam?"
Their leader gave a noncommittal grunt. "Eh, don't expect anythin' fancy. Probably Shepard's pie tonight, glazed carrots."
Even though they'd just eaten lunch, Sio's mouth was watering just at the descriptions of those dishes. Dinner was bound to be good tonight; she couldn't wait to try and sample some more Indian and British cuisine, and vowed to do her best to make enough fried eggs and toast for everybody.
"By the way, do you think we can do something before dinner? I kinda wanted to try some of those board games we found..."
"Oh, that's a brilliant idea Sio! I think we've earned a bit of entertainment. One can only watch so much Netflix..." The group had played a few card games already, but board games were the next level. Sio wasn't familiar with any of them beyond Monopoly, but the other members assured her there were much better prospects.
"Mirza, Beckham, how about you two clean up for a change; Ogura and I aren't your servants," Adam gave the two a knowing look. "Speaking of which Ogura, you wanted me to spot you today at training, right?"
"O-Oh! R, Right, I almost forgot...thanks." The petite girl quickly changed into her workout clothes and the two trooped into the exercise room, Mahesh and Jess staring and waiting until the two of them disappeared from view.
"...Oh yeah, there's definitely something going on between the two. I'll bet you a quid before the end of this quarantine they'll be shagging."
Mahesh laughed. "That's a pretty bold assumption; I don't doubt they'll get together eventually, but in only a few weeks? That's pretty quick...for both of them." It was pretty obvious that Sio never had a boyfriend or even much friends before all this, and despite how secretive Adam was with his private life, Mahesh was pretty sure if their leader ever had a lover, he'd have caught wind of it by now. "I have a pretty good hunch this would be a first time for both of them...and given that neither of them are great with their feelings..."
"You don't trust my feminine instincts?"
"I never said that. In any case, you're on."
"Ugh...twenty-seven...twenty-eight...twenty...nine...thir...thirty!" Heaving a sigh of relief, Sio let the weights clash onto the stand, her arms feeling like limp noodles after that rep. Her limit had increased by 5 lbs since the beginning, and she could now do 30 reps without stopping, but that was nothing compared to Adam; last time he did 50 reps with almost twice the weight, and barely broke a sweat. "Whew, my arms are gonna be sore tomorrow..."
"Not bad, Ogura. You've improved; I can tell your form is much better than when you first started," Adam nodded in satisfaction as they switched spots. "This should help with your accuracy, so you can better control your shots—instead of firing all over the place."
"H-Hey! I'm not that bad anymore...not that I'm hoping for an attack to prove my point," Sio muttered, helping Adam lift the bar up as she spotted for him.
"No, you aren't...but you've got a ways to go, squirt," he grunted as he started his set. "If we let our guard down for even a second...I don't wanna think about that."
"...Do you think this war is going to be that bad?"
Adam eyed her with a stare as he lifted the weight. "...Honestly, I don't know. It's not something I like to think about...but I'd rather prepare for the worst case scenario, in case this does end up being some long-term fight."
Sio nodded. "Yeah, you're right...heh, it's strange; out of everyone, I probably have the best e-gene suited for warfare and strategy...and yet, when I really think about it, like, it hits me—holy crap, we're actually fighting against freaking aliens from outer space, who really are out to just destroy us all. How the heck am I supposed to figure that out..." The sniper grew melancholy as she recalled that conversation with Asao in the hospital, right after Taiwan. "...Even now, I still can't believe...this is happening. That, this is the state of our lives, now..."
"...Do you regret joinin' DOGOO?"
"Huh? W-Well, no...I," the sniper paused, looking away slightly. "I...even though I was scared, I also knew in my heart it was something I wanted to do. No, it was something I needed to do," she emphasized. "If I just went back and pretended nothing changed...I'd never forgive myself."
"Heh...a sense of...duty, 'ey?" Adam let out a breath as he finished the rep, Sio helping him return the bar to its resting place. "I think that's what drew most of us here, in the first place. No matter what folks say about other motivations or whatnot...in the end, if you don't have that kind of inner conviction, you wouldn't have lasted this long."
"Mn." Though he wasn't directly complimenting her, for some reason, hearing his words made her feel warm. "You definitely have that, Adam-san."
"Oh, uh...sure." If the sniper was looking his way, she would've seen a slight blush on his cheeks; but as it was she was busy wiping down the equipment and looking at the pull-up bar with dread. "Anyway, let's see if you can get more than 5 today."
"Aww, seriously? I just did a bunch of weights too..." She whined, but one stern look from Adam and she sighed, and got into position. "S, Seriously...h-how do, people, do...this...! O-One...!"
"Less talking, more breathing. Don't waste your breath; remember your breathing patterns," Adam coached, as Sio strained to lift her chin over the bar. "C'mon, yeh that's it, three more to go."
After the fifth one Sio gasped as her hand slipped, her grip too weak to hold on. "Whoa—!"
"Careful—!" Adam caught her just in the nick of time, Sio squinting her eyes open. "You alright, squirt?"
"Un...y-yeah, sorry about that...guess I'm pretty tired out." She laid there for a bit, palms stinging from exertion. Adam nodded, but interestingly he didn't set her down, instead letting her rest in his arms for a bit.
There was something soothing about it, being held by someone; granted this wasn't the first time he'd held her, but that had been during a mission, with plenty of stakes and yelling. This time though, Sio became acutely aware of everything else; including how strong his arms were, and the sound of his breath, the heat from his skin, his heartbeat... Suddenly those odd tingles came back again, Sio now squirming with the uncomfortable realization that she was feeling 'this' again.
'Seriously body, you do this to me now?! Screw you, hormones...'
"A-Ah, I'm feeling better now...thanks," she stood on wobbly legs as Adam set her down. "Well, at least I did five..."
"Yeh. Anyway, if you're tired, you can go up and take a shower first. I'm just gonna finish up here," Adam launched himself up onto the bars.
"O-Oh, it's okay, I can wait. I mean, it'd be rude of me to not finish spotting for you, since I asked you first..."
There's not much to spot for pull-ups, Adam thought, but he didn't say anything. If the squirt wanted to hang around, it was her choice. Though, he felt a bit self-conscious with her just staring at him; for some reason he felt like he had to impress her, even though he was dead tired himself and suddenly 15 seemed almost impossible.
But his pride would never let him live it down, and so 15 pull-ups it was.
As Adam forced himself through the punishment of 15 reps, Sio sat on the bench and watched him. His form was nearly perfect, barely even a tremble as he lifted and lowered himself at an even rate. 'Damn, I wonder how long it'll take before my muscles are that strong...speaking of muscles, holy crap his arms are so buff! No wonder he could carry me like that...also those abs...' She tried not to stare so intensely, but it wasn't her fault all holders had to wear what were essentially crop tops underneath their armor.
'I wonder what they feel like...' Her head flushed and Sio felt her heart rate speed up. 'No no, stop thinking horny thoughts! Bad Sio!' To her relief, Adam finished his set, and she could finally head back up to to the privacy of her own room.
"O, Otsukaresama desu; thanks for helping me out today, Adam-san."
"You did well, Ogura. Who knows, maybe we will get called to action and you'll get a chance to prove me wrong with your aim," he teased, grinning slightly as he wiped off the sweat.
"What?! Oh just you wait, mister, I'll show you!"
Adam chuckled to himself as the girl stomped off with a huff. She really was too cute not to tease. Admittedly he did feel a little bad for always bursting her bubble right at the peak, but he couldn't help it. Her reactions and those pouty lips were just too good.
'An' since when did you start caring so much about that squirt, 'ey?' He took a long, hard look at himself in the mirror. 'Or is it because that's the only way you know how to defuse the situation before you get too close—'
No. Those were dangerous thoughts. While not strictly forbidden, common sense said fraternizing with one's teammates was always a risky affair. Adam shook his head and got in the shower, making sure to turn the tap to cold. Not only was it hot, but a certain...other part of his body was stirring, especially after holding the girl. The feeling of her warm, heavy weight in his arms, the soft skin and even a certain scent; not sweat, but a distinctly human odor...
Adam groaned softly as he took hold of his member. It was already hot and stiff, despite the cold shower. 'Shit, so much for that...you really are a pervert, aren't yeh?' But he couldn't help it; it'd been weeks since he'd been able to let off any steam, and staying in close quarters with everybody else 24/7 made it hard to ensure much privacy.
Hoping nobody needed to use the toilet, he started stroking himself; water poured over his throbbing length as his hand squeezed and pulled, Adam biting back another moan as he slowly jerked himself off. The sniper had definitely been staring at him when they were working out. 'Don't think I didn't notice those wandering eyes, hanninmae...' Initially, he'd been a bit surprised she'd be so bold; but then again when she'd walked in on him the very first time before their first mission, she hadn't looked away, either.
'Does this mean she's...interested? Or am I just another body to her?' His jaw ached from trying to keep his voice down, Adam trembling as he edged towards his climax. 'No, it's only...natural, when you spend so much time together, with the same people...it can't be...'
But what if she is? A little voice rang in his head and Adam, already hazy with lust, decided to indulge that fantasy a bit. What if Sio Ogura really was interested in him, beyond just teammates or even friends? At this point, he didn't doubt that they would be on friendly terms after this quarantine, but anything more?
Is this something she wants? Is this something I want?
To go from comrades to friends, to something more than that... Funnily enough, the thought of entering a relationship with her made him even harder than simply thinking about her lithe, slender body. 'Impossible...am I...actually falling for her?!'
"W-Well, that's why I'm learning now, aren't I? So I can do it myself."
"Th-thanks for helping me, again...heh, it seems like that's all I'm doing these days..."
"You definitely have that, Adam-san. Conviction."
"Guh—! Fuck...!" Hand pumping rapidly, Adam came hard as those large maroon eyes firmly embedded itself in his mind, along with that rare, shy smile she only showed around him. So cute. She was so cute whenever she tried so hard, determined to prove him wrong and do her best to improve...well, anything. A sudden rush of heat bloomed from his core, a low moan tearing from his throat as the last of his spunk shot out, chills running up and down his spine.
The effect one petite sniper could have on him...
"Shit...oh fuck..." Heaving, he rinsed off the mess from his hands and the shower walls, before finally turning off the water. The post-orgasm haze was settling in, causing everything to be slightly out-of-focus as Adam slowly towelled off. "Goddammit Adam, you're really fucked now..."
Even as his mind argued with himself that it was just because he needed to relieve some stress, and she did have a pretty nice body, Adam knew in his heart that wasn't the real reason. No, before his brain even realized it, his heart had already made the decision; perhaps even before all this virus business.
He was falling in love the Sio Ogura. And there was nothing he could do but take it and run with it.