A/N: About to reach the climax (hah)...Apologies for the delay (gasp) but I took some time off and then when I came back work piled up so...this chapter took longer. Also, it went very differently than what I'd originally planned, so...I'm not sure if I'm 100% satisfied with the direction, but when the muses want something, there's not much I can do about that. I think it turned out all right, I hope it feels natural and not too...'perfect fantasy' scenario. Or out-of-character.
Warning, some mature content this chapter (masturbation) but not super explicit.
She stared at the text on her screen, debating if she really wanted to send the message, or simply relegate it to her 'unsent drafts'; where it would join the hundreds of other ramblings that never made it to Asao.
[Sio]: I'm screwed; I seriously think I've got more than just a 'crush' on Adam...like, I literally spend all my time obsessing over whether or not he LIKE likes me ? and even if he does, what if we get in trouble? orz||||
"Ugh...mendoukusai...why do I always make things more complicated than they need to be..." Sighing, the sniper looked mournfully at the message, wondering if it was a good idea to spill the beans. Even though Asao was her best friend and had been a godsend this entire time, somehow just declaring it—even in text form—seemed to cement the idea somehow, instead of remaining this nebulous fantasy that she could always dismiss if things got too tricky.
For sure though, as the third week passed through, Sio noticed a definite change in Adam's attitude towards her. He rarely made sarcastic or snide remarks anymore, and even his quips about her inexperience felt more like gentle teasing instead. No, there was something there, for sure...the real question now was whether it was a cozy, platonic friendship, or the stirrings of something deeper and more passionate. Shaking her head, she took one last look at the message, then hit 'send' before she could change her mind. She half-hoped Asao wouldn't see it until the next day; if she responded now, Sio wasn't sure she could sleep without another all-night rant session.
In the meantime, if she needed a way to wind down and get sleepy... Sio glanced at the phone one more time, before turning off the lights and pulling the covers up. With a practiced hand she casually slipped off her panties, preferring to touch herself directly. If she was feeling particularly horny and wanted to spend a little extra time stretching it out, then she kept them on, teasing herself through the fabric until she couldn't stand it anymore and then plunged her fingers straight into her core. This time though, it was more a nightly habit than anything else; a little 'me time' and a good way to relax before bed.
She sighed as her fingers slipped through her curls, reaching that warm, secret spot. It usually took a bit of friction to coax her sensitive little pearl out from its hiding place, but that could definitely be helped along by just thinking about a certain tall, white-haired e-gene holder. "Mmn...A-Adam...I bet, your hands would feel pretty good, t, touching me down there..." Just the other day he'd put his hand over hers while helping her lift correctly, and the difference in size, along with those calloused, but gentle fingers, did not go unnoticed. Her own slim digits rubbed the outer hood, Sio shivering as she felt her folds getting moist from the stimulation.
'Seriously, I don't know how much longer I can keep it a secret...' There was only about another week left on their quarantine, and Sio was simultaneously excited and depressed about it. On one hand, she couldn't wait to return to some semblance of normalcy, but on the other, what if they went back to acting as if this time never happened? Boring as it was (save for a minor skirmish that did occur, and where Adam actually admitted her aim had vastly improved), a part of her was genuinely sad that there might never be another time where they would all be like this: acting like close friends and maybe even a family.
But most of all, what if these feelings she was developing for Adam never went anywhere? Or what if they faded, after things went back to normal? The twinge in her heart hit harder than expected, and her arousal dropped a little, to Sio's frustration. 'Ugh, just stop overthinking things, Sio...now's not the time for it, anyway.'
She focused on her fingers instead, on the physical sensations this time rather than her mental fantasies. It was surprising how quickly she'd become familiar with her own body, and where it felt good for her. Her breasts, for instance, weren't as sensitive, but it was still nice to massage them gently, and when she got really horny her nipples were nice to tweak with. Given that she was masturbating on a near-daily basis (and sometimes more than once a day), it was easy to experiment with different areas and techniques. After a while, she'd even worked up the courage to stick a finger inside, which wasn't nearly as difficult or even painful, unlike most of the gossip she heard. It just felt a little weird, except the few times her fingers managed to brush a particular spot—though it hadn't happened very often. Mostly she just like rubbing her clit, and it usually only took her a couple minutes to reach a satisfying climax.
"Nng..." Sio bit her lips; for some reason it seemed like she wasn't really in the mood today. It was taking her longer than usual to reach an orgasm, and despite her fingers it felt like she was stuck at the plateau phase. 'Maybe I should just call it quits and go to sleep...but argh, I'm already more than halfway there...' She couldn't decide which was worse: working towards a half-hearted orgasm, or trying to sleep while still tense and aroused. Taking a break she laid on the cool sheets, running a hand up and down her thigh, enjoying how smooth and soft the skin felt.
Funny how she couldn't really remember when or what cause her feelings for Adam to change. Since the beginning, they'd always had this weird, almost love/hate thing going on, possibly since their first encounter in Taiwan. Sio knew she respected his skills on the battlefield, though his manners towards her could've used a lot of work. Even then, even back when he was all sorts of abrasive and prickly at her, she still couldn't outright hate him. Be annoyed and upset, sure, but there was always a part of her that wished she could know him better, to find out what kind of a person he really was.
'Adam...' Just thinking about him, whether it was his physique or his interactions with her, filled her heart with a sense of longing. What kind of person was he like before DOGOO? Who were his friends? Was his 'tsundere' attitude just a facade to protect his true self? She wished she could just work up the courage and confess her feelings, consequences be damned, but she knew it'd probably never happen in a million years. But oh, how strong those feelings were, sometimes...to know him beyond his e-gene and touch his true soul... Slowly, her finger gently prodded her insides, Sio imagining what it would be like if he held her tight in those strong arms; whispering sweet nothings into her ear while brushing her hair soothingly, telling her how much he cared about her and admired her, how cute she was...
"Hnn...! Oh!" To her surprise her body started jerking, Sio so caught up in her romantic fantasies that she didn't notice her orgasm until it literally shook her out of her reverie. "Hah, hah...A-Adam...I wish, I wish we were real..." Suddenly reality came back, and the sniper remembered where she was: in her own room in a borrowed house, in the middle of a foreign city, waiting out a quarantine with her teammates in the hopes that they wouldn't get infected and die. Panting, she pulled her sticky fingers out, wiping them down before putting her panties back on again. Now that the euphoria was fading, she felt an almost crushing sense of defeat.
'Hah, who am I kidding; there's no way I can ever tell him...I just can't! Not to mention, what if he...really doesn't feel the same way? I don't wanna make him feel awkward, not when we've finally established some kind of friendship...' Yet the thought of taking this secret to the grave made her heart feel even heavier, and despite being physically exhausted, Sio sensed the beginnings of insomnia—and groaned.
Suddenly her phone lit up. She must've forgotten to silence it—but the sniper immediately snatched it up, scanned Asao's reply, and hit 'call' without even bothering to text first.
"Moshi moshi? Sio-chan? Is everything alright?"
"Asao-san! I'm sorry for calling you so suddenly, but...I really need to talk to you!" Sio half-wailed into the phone, trying to keep her voice down.
"Oh my, of course Sio-chan. But calm down first, what's going on? Aren't you supposed to be asleep now?"
"Well, I was...but I just can't fall asleep." She heaved a sigh. "It's about...Adam. And well, you probably already saw my text, but..." her friend hummed in understanding on the other end, "and well, you know! I just don't know...what to do about this!"
"I see..." Her friend replied seriously, Sio so worked up she was on the verge of tears at this point. "How do you know it's forbidden? Do you know for sure that fraternization among DOGOO members is illegal?"
"W-Well, no...I mean, I don't know for sure...if it is, then I haven't heard of it," Sio admitted, "b-but even then, like, what if...what if he, doesn't like me back...!"
"Okay, let's take this one at a time," said Asao gently, trying to get Sio to calm down. "Let's not worry about whether or not it's against the rules or whatever—I'm pretty sure even if it is, it wouldn't stop your feelings." Sio grunted in response. "As for whether or not Adam feels the same...I mean, what do you think? What's your instinct tell you? I'm not there, so I can't say anything aside from what I've heard from you—but it doesn't seem like it's completely impossible, right?"
"I...well, I mean..." Her instincts, huh? More than once the others had pointed out how Sio sometimes just seemed to know things, yet be unable to explain how she knew afterwards—except that it just came to her, like an instinctive pull. "I...feel like he's aware that there's something more than just, friendly camaraderie between us...I-I mean for sure, I've noticed he's changed how he acts towards me and speaks to me...s, so, that's a positive sign, I guess..."
"Mm hmm, that's good." Asao encouraged from the other end. "So he's definitely not avoiding you or anything."
Sio shook her head. "No, if anything we've actually been spending a lot of time together, lately...heh, who would've guessed," she gave a small laugh. "But, I guess it's just...I just can't be sure, right? Who knows if he likes me like, that, or what if it turns out he's just a really nice guy, underneath all that Jack the Ripper e-gene crap?"
"...Well, that wouldn't be so bad, would it? At least you know he's a decent guy then," offered Asao, but that didn't seem to console the sniper much, if at all.
"I know, but that's not what I want!" She lamented, even though she knew how lame it sounded. "I know I know, at least he is a good person, and for sure, I am really glad that he's not the asshole I thought he was. Trust me, if all we did end up becoming was just good friends, then I guess I'll accept it, but..." Sio sighed heavily, scrunching up on the sheets.
"...I really like him. Like, I...want to be with him, for real," she whispered, surprised at the sudden wave of emotions it triggered in her. "I-I mean, maybe it's too early to say this, but...i-is this, what it means to...fall in love?"
"Ah...Sio-chan..." Even Asao seemed to be at a loss for words, Sio clutching the pillow to her chest as she tried to get rid of this heavy ache. "...If you have such strong feelings for him, then, I think there's really only one thing to do."
"What?"
"You should tell him," was Asao's response, Sio having frozen at the blunt suggestion. "I'm serious, Sio-chan. I know you, and the longer you keep holding it in, the worse you'll feel."
"B-But, but...what if he—argh—doesn't...like me back?!" The poor girl nearly sobbed into the phone, still caught up in her emotions. "I just don't know if I could handle that kind of rejection..."
"Now Sio-chan, you're stronger than that," her friend's voice took on a stern tone. "Even if he rejects you, so what? Life goes on; trust me, if that happens it won't be the end of the world. You'll encounter a lot more challenges later on, after this. You can't let this one thing dictate the rest of your life."
Sio sniffed and wiped her tears, knowing Asao was right. "...I, I know... You're right, Asao-san...I-I mean, I'm already half-resigned to just remaining friends anyway, so..." She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "...You're right. The worst part about this is just not knowing the truth. If he really isn't interested in me, then fine; at least I can say I tried, and hopefully we'll still be friends."
"Sasuga, Shio-chan. I know you can do it." Sio smiled at her friend's encouragement. "Now you should be getting some rest. Tomorrow'll look a lot better through fresh eyes."
"Hai...oyasumi, Asao-san."
"Oyasumi nasai, Shio-chan."
"Mornin' Ogura. You sleep alright?" Adam greeted the girl as she came down the stairs, a huge yawn tearing from her mouth.
"Hnn...ohayou, Adam-san..." She rubbed her eyes, Asao's words from last night still turning themselves over in her mind. Tell him... hah, as if she could just blurt it out. If only she could plan it out beforehand, but no; experience told her that whenever it involved her and Adam, nothing ever went according to plan.
"Sunny-side up eggs alright with you?" The sniper nodded in thanks, before wandering over to the cupboards to fix herself some tea. "...Everything alright?"
"H-Huh? Wh, what do you mean..." She nearly dropped the cup, but caught it just in time. "I'm just, tired...stayed up too late talking to Asao-san again..." Adam's perception was incredibly sharp; she'd have to watch herself to make sure she didn't give anything away.
"...I see. How's she doing, by the way?"
"Eh. Same as usual...from the sound of it, Japan's doing okay, except they're not in school right now so she says it's kind of boring staying inside all day." Before she knew it, she had somehow automatically made two cups of tea, even though Adam usually drank coffee in the morning. "Oh, ah...I forgot, you usually drink coffee, don't you, Adam-san?"
He glanced over at the mugs just as the eggs finished and he slid them onto a plate, alongside the bacon, toast, and other trimmings. "Sure, but I don't mind tea, either. Remember, I'm British," he winked at her, "and we take tea very seriously."
Sio found herself blushing at that playful wink, and before she knew it her lips curled into a small smile. Every time he did one of those little quirks towards her, she felt herself growing warm. As they ate their breakfast in a now-comfortable silence, she thought back to what she'd told Asao last night. About how she was resigned to just remaining friends, and accepting it, if he didn't feel the same...
'...But is that really true? Could I really be satisfied with just staying friends?' That was what she'd claimed, but thinking on it now, and especially with the two of them like this already... Biting her fork, Sio was beginning to think she wouldn't be able to settle for anything less than going all in. If she was rejected, then fine—that would be something out of her control, but to not even try...
"Say. You got any plans today?" She looked up with a start at Adam's question. Why would he be asking her this now... Pretending everything was fine (when it was definitely not), she gave a casual shrug.
"Not really. I-I mean, aside from the usual stuff...was probably just gonna try and finish my FF7 file, since we've only got like, a week left..."
He nodded. "Yeh; seems like time was slow and fast all at the same time, didn't it?"
"Heh, yeah it did; oh man, I remember when we first got here, and I was complaining about how I was gonna survive a month with everyone...but, now that we're almost at the end, I'm actually gonna miss it..." She gave a melancholy smile, stirring the leftover bits of eggs.
"Well, I was thinking of just going for a drive along the shoreline. Maybe get out and walk along the beach..." For a few seconds there was only the sound of forks scraping the plates, as Sio's heart started to pound in nervous anticipation, while Adam turned away so she couldn't see his blush.
"...Is it, just...you?"
"...Well, that depends; you wanna come with?"
Their eyes met for a second, and Sio was sure she was probably redder than a tomato—but the strange thing was, Adam was also oddly pink, with an expression she'd never seen before. Later on, she would realize it was a sign that he'd been just as nervous as her, but in the heat of the moment, all she could think of was how to not make a fool of herself.
"U-Uh, I—I um, I...I'd like that," she heard herself saying, though the voice seemed to come from somewhere outside her body. "If it's...okay..."
"Of course; it's definitely more than 'okay'." He got up to clear their plates, Sio grateful he couldn't see her smile.
'He's actually taking me somewhere...just the two of us...! Wait, is this like a...date?!' Her excitement was suddenly replaced with a bolt of fear, as Sio's mind finally realized the possible implications of this. 'Oh no, what do I do...! Maybe I should change—but into what? It's not like I packed anything nice since all we'd be doing was lounging, not going out—'
Luckily she was saved from indecision by Adam announcing that he'd already written a note for the other two, and it would be easier if they left now before they woke up. They packed some water and of course, the usual masks and hand sanitizer; then Adam was easing them out of the driveway and onto the hilly streets, Sio finally sitting shotgun for once.
The car was awkwardly silent, Sio wrestling internally with wanting to start a conversation but not knowing what to talk about. In the end, she simply turned on the radio, and the two listened to whatever the latest hits were as the car wound its way out to the coast. At least the breeze was nice, Sio enjoying the fresh air while she subtly watched Adam shifting the gears; somehow, just watching his fluid actions, and trying to understand how everything worked, was quite interesting.
"Huh...so you have to shift in order..." she muttered to herself, unaware of actually speaking it out loud.
"Eh? You interested in drivin', squirt?"
'Ah! I did it again...speaking my thoughts...!' The sniper tried not to panic, instead pointedly looking out the window.
"N, No, it's just...I'm curious as to how you, uh, drive. Y'know, with the gears and all."
Adam shrugged, navigating with one hand as they drove along the highway. "Mm, you learn it with practice, like everything else. Why, you want a driving lesson before this is all over?" He teased, shooting the girl a small grin. "Personally I'd recommend starting with an automatic, if you've never driven before..."
"No no, it's fine; I highly doubt I'd need to right now, anyway..." Sio commented dryly. "...By the way, is it true? What Jess-san said..."
"About what?"
"That, you...also owned a motorcycle."
So. She remembered. "...Yeh, it's true. I do have a bike; it's not here right now, though DOGOO has offered to ship it to one of their bases..." The sniper's maroons grew wide at this piece of news, and inwardly Adam cursed at not having the foresight to having it shipped over. 'Perhaps we could've gone for a ride on that instead...'
"Whoa...that's so cool..." Sio mumbled, cheeks flushing. "Man, you're like, perfect...you can do so many things, like—how do you even know all this stuff? And be good at them?"
To her surprise Adam started laughing. "Oh ho, perfect now, am I? That is definitely not the case...and if I really were perfect, then how come I still have trouble with speaking my mind or not being an arse?" He eyed her with a glance and the sniper's cheeks turned pink, to his pleasure. "Besides, I'm pretty sure that was not your impression of me when we first met."
"W, Well, still...I just feel so...I dunno, useless next to you—and everyone else, for that matter, sometimes..."
Adam didn't respond, instead pulling the car into a space as they finally made it to their destination. Sio wasn't sure if he was exasperated at her whining, or something else.
"C'mon Ogura, let's go for a walk, yeh? Think that'll clear your head a bit."
"Ah..." She put on her mask and silently followed him, right along the waves crashing against the rocks. The day had been cloudy for a change, and Sio shivered slightly, even with a jacket. It seemed San Francisco's weather changed as often as her moods; sunny one day, and chilly with fog the next, sometimes in the same day.
"Brr...it sure is cold here," she rubbed her arms, the wind piercing through her thin sweater. "Isn't it supposed to be summer soon?"
"Hmm, reminds me a lot of home, actually. Well, granted it's not nearly as cool, but, the overcast fog..." Before she could say anything else, Adam was shedding his jacket and gently laying it across her shoulders. "Here, this better?"
"Ah, uh...th-thanks..." There wasn't much she could say, without revealing her true feelings—instead Sio simply nodded, hugging herself as she slipped her arms through, the fabric still warm from his heat. 'Mmm...of course it smells like him...it's comforting, somehow...'
"Don't worry about me, squirt," Adam answered before she could even ask. "The cold doesn't bother me much; in fact, I find it rather refreshing."
"O-Oh...w, well, if you say so..." She didn't even need a mirror to know her cheeks were pink at this point—in fact her entire head felt like it was on fire as they walked in silence along the trail, despite the sea breeze. In an effort to distract herself, Sio took in the sights: the grey-tinged clouds, waves that broke along the rocks, and the occasional seagull brave enough to dive into the water. The air smelled briny and cold, similar to Tokyo Bay—but again different. It was mesmerizing to stare out at the waves, how they grew, then crashed, receded and then it started all over again. A few joggers and bikers were out, but it seemed most folks chose to stay indoors when the weather turned.
They hiked to an outlook with a few benches, Sio taking a water break as Adam leaned over the railing, taking in the view himself. She desperately wanted to break the silence, but at the same time, she didn't know what to say. Even if Adam had other reasons for asking her to come with, somehow, it felt wrong to force the question.
"You doin' alright, Ogura?" Adam turned around, nodding at her newly-acquired jacket. "Let me know if you'd rather head back. Wouldn't want you t' get sick."
"I'm okay, thanks to you..." She hugged herself again, as if to remind herself this was real. "U-Um, A-Adam..." he turned around slightly, and Sio felt her heart rate speed up, but she couldn't stop now. "Th, this place...um, s-so...why did you ask me to...come with you..."
"...Hn. That is a good question." He wasn't looking at her directly, but she knew he was paying close attention. "I can't say I really know why, myself...just, I thought you might like some fresh air, for a change." He shrugged casually, and Sio felt her heart drop a bit, even though a part of her was also relieved.
"And, well...truthfully it's because, I guess I've come to enjoy spending time with you, is all."
The sniper froze again, at that comment. 'No way...it can't be, is he really serious...is he, really saying what I think he is...!' She wasn't even sure what to respond, how to respond—to anybody else perhaps, it would've been plain as day that Adam was admitting he liked her, and yet, her insecurities wouldn't let her believe it.
"A-Ah, y-yeah...um, I, I do...like being out of the house, once in a while..." She was stuttering and trembling, all limbs going numb because there was just no way this could be real, it couldn't be what she'd really wanted, all along...
"Well, that's...good to know." He was coming over now, hands tucked inside his pockets as he sat down next to her. "By the way, I apologise for being blunt, but...I hope I'm not botherin' you, dragging you out like this. It's just...well, you often seem so glum about your inexperience and such, I...wanted to see if I could take your mind off that. Y'know, you're doing quite well, for a rookie. "
"Eh? N, no, not at all..." Sio wasn't quite sure what to make of his words; of how he wanted to try and cheer her up, and to know she wasn't doing as poorly as she constantly thought... "I'm, glad to hear that...b-but, if I'm doing so well, then how come you're still teasing me about messing stuff up? And don't even get me started on before...you used to yell at me all the time, or complain about this or that..."
To her surprise he began to laugh slightly, Sio feeling her cheeks burning in a mix of indignation and embarrassment. "Heh, you aren't wrong; I admit communication isn't exactly one of my better skills...and here you were saying how I was perfect," he turned towards her at last, a small smile on his face. "But spending time with you, like this...has changed my mind."
"Um..." Her voice quivered before she knew it, Adam quirking a brow at her sudden nervousness. "U-Um, I, y, you..." There was no way she could weasel out of this one, now. They were literally sitting next to each other, Adam had all but confirmed that he liked her and didn't think she was a mere 'half-baked squirt'; so why was she still trying to deny it?
"Y, You...probably shouldn't say things like that," she uttered quietly, picking at the sleeves of her borrowed jacket. "You don't have to baby me, you know...I can handle the truth..."
Now it was Adam's turn to look astonished. "...Beg pardon? You think I'm just buttering you up for something?" There was slight cough, as if he couldn't quite grasp her logic. "I meant what I said, Ogura. I wasn't joking around or talking shit just to make you feel better," she winced slightly at his words. "If there is one thing I wish you would improve, it's your confidence. And I'll admit, I haven't been conducive to that, especially in the beginning...but surely you don't have that low of an opinion of yourself? After all you've accomplished in such a short time?"
"B, But, I...it can't..." The sniper shook her head, frustrated because she knew Adam was right. Even before DOGOO, speaking up for herself and having self-confidence was always hard for her. Even if it caused her loneliness, it was easier than stepping out of her comfort zone, dealing with those awkward looks and moments where people never seemed to know what to do with her. "I...how, how can someone like you see that in me?"
"...What exactly do you mean by that?" His gaze was piercing, but not cruel. "What do you mean, 'someone like me'?"
"Y-You, you're...you're the leader of the Second Platoon, you can do pretty much anything you want—cooking, cleaning, killing EIOs without breaking a sweat, driving, riding a motorbike, video games, keeping us on track..." She was rambling now, she knew, but Sio couldn't stop. "How can I...possibly be good enough?"
"'Good enough?' For what? To be a part of this platoon?" She didn't need to see his face to know Adam was upset. "That's certainly not the case—you really think you'd still be here if you weren't good enough—"
"—I know that! That's...not what I'm talking about..." How was it that someone who was so smart could also be so dense? Did she really have to spell it out for him...!
"Then what are you talking about?" Adam sighed, starting to become irritated with her half-answers and nonsensical words. "Can you not just say it straight, Ogura, for once?
"—How can a hanninmae like me possibly be good enough for you?!" She burst out at last, not even thinking about anything else other than what she had to say, at the moment. She felt the man next to her instantly stiffen at her words, the sniper herself too emotional to look.
There was a seemingly endless stretch of silence after that, Sio squirming with embarrassment but knew she couldn't turn away, not after all those words. It seemed like forever before the man next to her moved, Sio staying frozen in her spot.
"...Y'know, you really are something else, Ogura Sio." She didn't dare look at him in the face, not yet. "It's funny you say that...feeling that you're not good enough for me...when I've...been wonderin' the same about myself."
"Eh...?" In one moment she forgot she was supposed to be avoiding his eyes and turned around, only to be met with a strangely bashful and...nervous Adam? "What, you...about me?"
Huh? Huuuh? The sniper's mind flew into a frenzy, suddenly overwhelmed by the revelations—namely that Adam actually 'like' liked her, and he was insecure about himself? "A-Ano...wha, but you, I..."
"Need me to spell it out for you, squirt? Alright then, I'll just say it: I like you, Ogura; a lot. And it's not just friendship. You're no fool, you know what I'm talking about. But I don't want to force you into something if you don't feel the same way. Least of all if you're uncomfortable with the fact that we'll be continuing to work together after all this."
He was right. Technically, as members of DOGOO they still had a duty to work together, professionally. Rules aside, she knew that if they committed to a relationship with each other, it could potentially make things very messy. And yet...
"...I, I...don't care about that. I-I mean, yes, I know it's probably not the smartest or most logical idea, but..." She finally glanced up, trying not to let her tears fall. "I can't change my feelings...heh, I think even if there were some kind of rule in place...it wouldn't change my heart. 'Cause I, I...really like you, Adam...a lot..."
"...Well, let's be real, since when were either of us good about following the rules, anyway?" With that one statement the tension seemed to crack, and Sio couldn't help but burst into giggles, Adam following suit as the two laughed.
"You're pretty when you smile, you know that?"
"Ah—I, uh, mmm..." She blushed as Adam wiped her tears with a tissue. "Y, You should smile more, too...you're much less scary when you do..."
Adam quirked a white eyebrow. "Oh? You found me to be intimidating? Well, I guess that's another thing I'll have to work on, huh?"
"We should both work on it. How to smile better." The sniper screwed her mouth into a smile-grimace, which only caused the white-haired holder to laugh harder. "H-Hey, I'm trying...!" But she couldn't help laughing, too.
It felt like forever since they'd come here for their original purpose of hiking, but as Sio checked her watch, in reality it'd only been about half an hour. And yet everything before that point was now completely different; her feelings, perspective, and most of all what she and Adam were to each other, now...
"U-Uh...Adam-san...? Does, does this mean...well, what are we, now? Does this mean we're...going out? Like dating?" Her face still flushed as she stumbled over those words, unused to saying them out loud.
He smiled at her, before gently taking her hand for the first time, Sio squeaking in surprise as his fingers closed around hers. "Sure, I suppose...I mean, I don't really know much myself...but if that's what you want, then I'm fine with it. Which means...guess I'll be your boyfriend, from now on. Or lover, partner...what have you." Those fingers brushed against her palm and she shivered; at last she could feel him in an intimate manner, but when it actually happened suddenly she felt very shy, even though it was nothing close to what she fantasized about.
"Mmm...I, I want that. Th-then, I'm...your girl...friend, now," she nodded to reassure herself, squeezing his hand tightly in return. "Though, I'm not sure I want to tell everybody about it, yet...you know, like Newton and Gandhi...I, I'm sure eventually I'll be okay, but just, for now..."
Adam nodded, rubbing her shoulder in a reassuring manner. "Same; frankly, it's none of their business, and knowing what gossips those two are..." He rolled his eyes. "I'm sure it's bound to come up, sooner or later...but for now, let's just have this be our little secret, yeh?"
Sio couldn't help but smile as they walked back to the car. "Hai! Oh, and uh, one last thing..." Adam gave a quizzical look as they got in. "U-Um, it's okay to call me...'Sio' now. Just 'Sio'."
Something warm bloomed inside her chest as she said that, more so when Adam's cheeks turned pink (he was so cute when he blushed), before he nodded. "Of course...Sio. But that means, from now on...I'm just 'Adam', too."
"Okay...Adam."