Disclaimer: Not mine.
Notes: This was written for the Summer of RAWK challenge on LiveJournal. The idea is to take a prompt from a rock song. Since I know nothing about music that wasn't used as a theme song for a television program, I just went with the prompt that gave me an idea ('Almost Human'). It wasn't until I did a search for the lyrics that I learned that is was a KISS song (you can find the lyrics here: apparently all this time KISS has really stood for Mariko in Domon/Sion fiction's service. Who would've thunk it?
--
There were times when Sion was able to trick himself into believing he was the same as everyone else.
The people of this time... they weren't like the scientists back at the lab. They looked him in the eye; they touched him without gloves. When they looked at him, they didn't see the universe's last Hummardian. They didn't see something that needed to be kept safe for science's sake. All they saw was a young man, and that was why he was so grateful to live in the twentieth century, even if it would only be for a little while. He didn't have to be that helpless experiment anymore. He could be a person with friends, a work schedule, and a purpose.
But he could only trick himself for so long.
No matter how easily he was accepted here, no matter how easily his friends had accepted him, he would never be like them. He would never be human. He wanted to be, he wanted that simple similarity with the people he had become so close to since he arrived in this time... but he knew better than that. He could never be human. He could never just blend in and be like everyone else.
And because of that, he would always be alone.
Sion pinched the bridge of his nose and tried to focus on the computer program. Computers were good-- they were simple. As long as he punched in the right data, he knew exactly what would happen. Humans thought you were one of them and treated you as such, and it was so different from the sterile, solitary world you'd accepted all your life, sometimes you wondered if you would ever get over the shock of that...
The warm hand on his back pulled Sion out of his thoughts. "Sorry I'm late-- Tatsuya decided he wanted to talk tonight. I was starting to wonder if he'd ever go to sleep."
"Domon-san?" It wasn't like him to move so quietly; usually Sion was aware of him the second the door creaked open. "I'm sorry, I guess I got lost in my work." It was sort of the truth.
The older man's brow furrowed in concern as he peered at the computer screen over Sion's shoulder. "Okay, I know you don't need sleep, but don't you think it's time for a break? You've been at that since after dinner."
"I don't mind-- I'm just running diagnostics on our Chrono Changers. And besides, I like being useful."
Domon gave him a long, hard glare. "You're not going to be useful to anyone if you work yourself to death, Sion."
Sion shifted uncomfortably in his seat, staring at the keyboard... and then he pulled himself together long enough to smile up at Domon convincingly. "Don't worry about me. I know there's only so much I can do."
The anger left Domon's face as he leaned against the computer desk. "What's wrong?"
"What do you mean?"
He grinned a little. "Well, for starters it usually takes me half an hour at least for you to even flirt with the idea of taking a break."
Sion couldn't look at him as he turned his attention back to the monitor. "That reminds me, I still need to run a check on Ayase-san's Changer--"
"Hold it right there." Domon grabbed his hands before he could start typing again. "You still haven't told me what's wrong."
Sion attempted to pull away, but try as he might, he couldn't break Domon's grip. Realizing he wasn't going to get away until he said something, Sion made himself look at him again. "Domon-san, I'm fine-- really. I just... I was just thinking about what Tatsuya-san said."
Domon blinked in confusion. "You're going to have to explain that part."
"He told us we could change tomorrow, that we could change our futures. And I still believe that," he added quickly, recognizing the worry flashing across Domon's features. "But I also know that there are things about me I can't change... even if I thought I could at least try to."
Sion's gut twisted guiltily as Domon leaned over, running a rough hand through his hair, eyes uncharacteristically soft... but that was quickly replaced by surprise as he proceeded to shove him in the direction of the couch.
It wasn't until he fell onto the cushions that he was able to speak again. "What are you doing?" He felt foolish for asking, but usually Domon waited a little longer to try this, and he hadn't given him so much as a sign that he wanted to start.
Domon said nothing, choosing instead to kiss him-- warm, slow, and promising much more. "It's obvious that I'm not going to get a straight answer out of you tonight." He kissed him again, fulfilling the promise. "So I'm going to do the next best thing," he pressed his lips against the base of Sion's neck and then broke away just long enough to begin unbuttoning his pajama top. "And relax you enough so you can forget about whatever has you rattled tonight."
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Sion knew that this most likely wasn't healthy. That he shouldn't need Domon this badly, need to feel his body pressed against his, hands tender and demanding at the same time as they glided over his body. He would never be the same as Domon, and pretending that he could hold Domon like a human would was just another way of tricking himself.
But when it was like this-- nothing but kisses and hands and Domon-- he had no choice but to surrender.
--
Domon had fallen asleep on top of him again, but Sion didn't mind (even though the blood circulation to his right arm was currently cut off). Stiff limbs aside, this was the part that helped him get through bouts of loneliness and desperate urges to belong. When he was out working or with the others, he could almost believe he was the same as a human.
But when he was with Domon, like this with Domon... he was truly, fully convinced he was human.
Or at least almost.