2011

Chapter Forty-Five: Guide, Never Solve “I am curious,” Joomi began as she lowered a naked Adam into the water for his morning bath. He let out a satisfying hum as he relaxed in the warm water, closing his eyes as he reclined in the seat, but nodding to acknowledge her. “You haven’t asked how long your grandparents are staying.” Keeping his eyes closed, he grinned. “Well, yeah, as long as they’re here, I know I’m not getting drugged.” “Agaya!” Joomi gaped and chuckled, flicking her fingers on the water’s surface to splash him, and he laughed, sliding down in the seat so the water came up to his jawline. “I don’t mind them staying,” he shrugged honestly, his eyes tracking her hands as she grabbed the shampoo and lathered it in between her massive palms. “It’s been nice getting to know them.” Joomi’s hands slowed down as she stared down at the growing suds, her face flushing, and a smile crept across her lips. “That warms my heart,” she replied softly, her eyes flashing to meet his, and they shared a smile. She reached her arms out and began massaging the soap in. “I believe they, too, are enjoying getting to know you better.” Adam hummed in response as his smile softened from relaxation and his eyes closed, leaning into the moment. Thankfully, Joomi had learned by now not to ask any questions or say anything too important during this part, often opting for silence or a quiet hum. Her thumbs rubbed against his temples, and he let out a satisfied groan, feeling his shoulders slump in utter relaxation. He couldn’t help but be slightly disappointed when she stopped, and he let out a sigh, dunking himself under the water to rinse off his hair. He wiped the water from his eyes as he emerged, seeing she was already sudsing the soap. He sucked on his teeth for a moment, trying to decide if it was worth asking or not. “Is Halbo okay?” he blurted out before he had really confirmed his decision. “He’s been a little off since…” “I think so,” Joomi replied honestly, frowning in thought, but nodded to some thought, then reached out and began running her hands over his chest. “Father takes his responsibility to the family very seriously.” “And my dream… changed something?” he asked as he lifted his arms as she moved her fingers under his armpits. Joomi pursed her lips in thought, running her hands behind his back, and he bit his tongue after a finger ran down the small of his back and between his butt cheeks. “I think it gave much to consider,” she commented coolly as she ran her hands around his waist and began moving south of his belly button. He looked up to the ceiling, swallowing. “Such as?” he squeaked uncomfortably, closing his eyes as he winced and raising his shoulders as her fingers brushed just above his penis. “Here, agaya,” she chuckled as she presented both of her palms to him above the water. He blinked down, then looked up at her; she simply nodded. He ran his hands across hers to pick up the soap and reached in, rubbing around and making sure to be thorough enough not to get questioned. She left her hands there for him as she looked up in thought. “I think… at first… Father’s acceptance of you was out of love for me.” Adam nodded to that in understanding, flashing a smirk; he had done the same. “But the spirits have sent you a strong message of family, and that has touched him deeply,” she continued thoughtfully, but with caution; he could tell she was choosing her words carefully, though the intention was not immediately evident. Sometimes she spoke in this tone when guarding a particular perspective or secret, and other times when she was simply processing her answer in real time. He went to grab another round of soap for his legs, but Joomi quickly smirked at him, plunging her hands into the water and playfully grabbing at his thighs. He let out a surprise yell, but quickly laughed, squirming and kicking around in the water. Though he wished to continue the topic, he let it drop, rather than ruining the playful mood. --- Adam was pleased to be dressed in decently adult looking attire for the day, with jeans and a polo shirt that covered up the cream onesie beneath. He didn’t think to question it; with each passing day, he routinely released the choice of dress to his mother when she offered, though he made a note to thank her when she chose something more mature and remained silent or rolled his eyes at the cutesy stuff (the second reaction being the most common, of course). On the one hand, deep down, there was still an irritation present. On any given day, she could select something that said “Stinky Baby Walking” on the butt (goodness, he hoped nothing like that was in his dresser), and he’d be stuck in it. On the other hand, he had to admit… it was nice not to have to think about it. None of it. Previously, laundry had been the bane of his existence; he’d let dirty clothes pile up in front of the washing machine, and left clean clothes sitting on top of his dresser rather than folded up in it. Once every few months, he got a bug in him to do laundry properly, but it was a rare occurrence. Then choosing clothes for the day was an exhausting prospect, both on principle and as a Little. They couldn’t be too bulky lest an Amazon suspect he was trying to hide a diaper, nor too tight lest they think he didn’t know how to pick the correct size or fit. The clothes had to be sufficiently boring and practical, and meticulously clean. Stains were a bad sign. Any stain caused the article of clothing to go into the “stained” pile, to be washed again and again until it was gone or ruined enough to throw out. It started any day he was planning to leave the house wrong. It was too much to think about, too much consideration for such a simple task. It was nice to have that step gone from his day, even if it was replaced by the quiet fear that she would choose something embarrassing. It was somehow less exhausting than the alternative. After breakfast, from which Kang was absent, Adam moved to his translation work. He wasn’t positive, but he had a sense that today was not a lab day, and he thought to distract himself from the disappointment while she and his grandmother cleaned up the kitchen and table. Setting up at the wall, he smiled at his progress, thinking back to how long the first line took him. He thought to ask Boja to time him for the next line, but didn’t want to risk getting a lecture from him (or anyone, really) about it not being a race. He slightly regretted this choice, however, as he felt he translated the first line of the third stanza with blinding speed. What once took him hours he estimated took him ten minutes, at most. But he only slightly regretted it, because he was far more distracted by the translation than anything else. “Guide, never solve,” he read out loud and stared at the words, his mouth slightly agape. He stared at it for a full minute before he looked at Boja, who was watching him, and the fur above his eyes shifted as he arched a brow. “That –” Adam began, then spun around, seeing his mother wiping down the table; he pointed to her, then to the wall. “That’s why you never give me direct answers!” “Hmm?” she hummed, looking up curiously. “This! The scroll!” he clarified as he thrust his finger towards it. Chana turned around curiously while wiping a bowl dry. “‘Guide, never solve’: that’s why you’re always so - so - obtuse! About everything! Both of you!” Joomi stared at him for a moment, as if hurt or confused… but the facade broke quickly when she smirked, and silently continued wiping down the table. Chana let out a giggle as she turned around to face the sink again. Adam’s jaw dropped as his arm dropped to his side, and he looked to Boja, who chuckled. “Wha…” he heaved, looking between the two of them, who both kept smiles on their faces but otherwise went about their business. He slapped his hands against his sides as he turned back to the wall, glaring at the words in righteous indignation. He wasn’t a child, damnit! He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath, and growled it out. Then again, but with less of a growl the second time. He reminded himself that Joomi wanted him to translate this. She meant for him to read this eventually. And despite his irritation, he had to admit… he had - at times - appreciated being forced to think and reason something out for himself. There was respect in there. This made Adam pause; he crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow in thought… someone like Seo-ya would never have looked at this scroll and treated him like Joomi and Boja have. He was curious… would she just have ignored it? Or was there a way to read this scroll in a way that would suit a baby-crazed Amazon mind? He snorted quietly as he stepped closer to the wall, squinting at it; maybe that would be a fun exercise once he was done. He furrowed his eyebrows; maybe not fun, but… an interesting challenge. “They are here,” Boja announced suddenly, and Adam’s attention snapped towards him, then over to Joomi. “Thank you,” she bubbled, flashing the blonde a wide smile. “Who??” “I’ll give you one guess,” Joomi teased as she lifted a single finger, her eyes flickering towards the front door. “But hurry, because it’ll be spoiled very soon.” Adam thought to ask another question, but he grinned, realizing she had just given it away. “Jae-yung??” “Well, not just him,” she giggled, but nodded. “Yes!” Adam celebrated, turning around to turn off his translations; he barely got to it when he heard it: “AADAAAAAM!!!” Adam burst out in a laugh and made all haste to the front door, grinning as he heard Mung’s laugh and Bak’s groaning. By the time he got there, the door opened, and he flung his arms out to his sides, which was mirrored by Jae-yung, who was once again in his stegosaurus jumpsuit. “STAE-YUNG!” the blonde bellowed. “STADAM!” his cousin replied from Bak’s arms, and pointed to a bag dangling from the Amazon’s wrist. Adam’s mouth opened, then snapped shut as he looked over his shoulder at Joomi, whose eyes widened in pure delight. “Is that it?” she gasped. “Yes,” Bak snorted, shooting a sympathetic look down to Adam as he handed the shopping bag over to her. Adam pursed his lips, squinting his eyes at his mother, whose eyes lit up when she peeked in. “That’s why I got to wear this!” Adam accused as he pointed up at Joomi. “You were buttering me up!” “Really, agaya, you’re being paranoid,” Joomi chided in a teasing tone, giggling as she handed her mother the bag, who immediately peeked in and made a giddy noise. “It’s not paranoia if it’s true,” Bak deadpanned, but as Mung bowed to Chana in greeting, he quickly joined. 『 Sister, 』Mung greeted as he bowed deeply, and Jae-yung gasped, throwing his hands over his mouth in surprise at how rude he had been (though Adam was almost positive that was just for show). “Ah, so this is what all the noise is about,” Kang mused from behind upon approach, and everyone chuckled, but greetings and bows were repeated for him. “Hi, Keunappa Big Daddy!” Jae-yung bubbled, and Adam lurched forward as he slapped a hand over his mouth to stop himself from bursting out laughing. ‘Glad you enjoyed that,’ Boja commented in his ear, and Adam turned to face him, his eyes widening as the tiger lifted his head in a laughter motion. He briefly glanced up at the crowd, who continued their conversations, and the blonde broke off to head towards the tiger with the locked-in excuse that he was grabbing Little Boja in case anyone asked. The tiger watched, adding, ‘It’s the literal translation, but it means Elder Uncle.’ Adam subtly nodded, having assumed it was something like that. Once he reached the circular tiger bed, he reached his hands up for the stuffed version. “Can you make updates on the fly?” he whispered, smiling when Boja nodded. “Can we bypass words for specific people? I’d like to ignore Jae-yung’s Appa, Papa, and Appapapa.” “Agaya?” Adam spun around again, his shoulders tensing as he realized everyone was staring at him. ‘Done,’ Boja replied. “Yes, Eomma?” Adam replied with glee, giving a thumbs-up behind his back as he smiled widely. “Would you like to put on Jae-yung’s gift?” she asked as she lifted the jumpsuit with both hands for him to see. He blinked at it; it wasn’t exactly like his cousin’s. It was beige, and the material looked a little thicker. There was a series of bamboo buttons running from the neck down to the crotch, and the hood was flopped forward so he could see the dark, muted-brown dinosaur spikes that started at the top of the hood and ran down the spine. Jae-yung beamed happily, and Adam smiled, grateful that it somehow looked less childish, despite being a costume of sorts. “Iiii,” Adam started dramatically as he put a hand on his chest, his eyes moving between Joomi and Jae-yung, both of whom looked equally excited. He took in a loud breath through his nose and locked eyes with his mother, telepathically sending her an eye roll before flashing a grin. “…Would love to.” --- From the moment he had stepped out of his room, it had been mild chaos. Jae-yung was eager to get to the playground and made that very clear, while Chana and Joomi gushed over the jumpsuit and attempted to coordinate photos of the two Little dinosaurs. However, Bak came to the rescue, asking Mung to get the Littles to the playground before their son had a meltdown; Jae-yung’s grin suggested that he had, indeed, been preparing for just that. As before, Mung neared the front of the house and supplied his large palms for them to grab. While his cousin grabbed first and eagerly, jumping and pulling at the Amazon’s hand to start swinging, Adam paused as he neared his great uncle, seeing that Kang was joining the walk. He swallowed, realizing the prospect of playfully swinging on Mung’s arm was less appealing now. “Just walk?” Mung asked warmly, apparently having accurately read the dilemma on his face. “Noooo,” Jae-yung complained, desperately yoinking on his father’s arm, as if he could pull him out the door. “We’ll walk,” Kang asserted as he put his hand out for Adam, whose eyes widened in surprise, but he didn’t dare linger in it. Taking the large and warm hand, he smiled up, and his grandfather flashed one back down at him. As surprised as he was, Adam was still able to catch Mung’s look; his eyebrows rose in surprise as he looked to his eldest brother, his mouth gaping for a second before being replaced with a smile. This small interaction gave the blonde a burst of joy and energy in his chest, so much so that he almost regretted not accepting Mung’s hand to swing. 『 How did the shaman visit go? 』Mung asked as they stepped down the stairs, Jae-yung belting out an excited yell as he swung forward. 『 Good, 』Kang replied as he kept his gaze down towards Adam, being careful and slow as they descended the steps. 『 Your son was in the dream. 』 『 Really? 』Mung puzzled curiously, his mouth shrugging as his eyes darted over to Adam, who almost fumbled on a step from hearing this. He gripped a little harder at Kang’s hand and stared down at the ground. 『 Well, in spirit, of course, 』Kang grinned, gesturing to the swinging boy. As if on cue, and proving to Adam that his cousin was always listening, Jae-yung began chittering like a monkey. He curled his other arm under, hooted, and then made a monkey-like screech on another swing. Adam’s eyes widened, but he kept his face angled down at their feet to hide his realization.『 As were a great many in the family. 』 Mung cast a look at his brother, and whatever information they shared in that look was presently impossible for Adam to decipher, though if he had to guess, it was to discuss it later. He spent the rest of the deliberately paced walk, grateful for it so he didn’t feel he was sprinting to keep up, wondering what the most important thing to discuss between them would be. On the one hand, it seemed obvious: Shik. Yet Kang didn’t strike Adam as the type of person to become so evidently brooding over someone else’s disposition or actions. He was decisive and authoritative when it came to responding to others. No, Adam suspected his own presence in the dream was what was weighing on him, and Mung was his grandfather’s close confidante, perhaps even more so than his own wife. 『 I met with Zhang about his son, 』Mung added after a few silent steps with a question in his tone, his eyes flickering down to Adam. 『 Let them play first, 』Kang instructed with a hint of a sigh. Adam flashed a smile, both happy to hear there was an update for him, but also grateful it could wait. “Appa, you have coin?” Jae-yung asked as Mung opened the gate for them. Arching an eyebrow and frowning curiously at his son, he dug a hand into his pants pocket. “Yeah?” he replied as he found one and pulled it out. “Stadam, call it: dino-head or dino-tail!” his cousin declared as he pointed to Mung’s hand. Pursing his lips, Adam nodded in understanding, though he wasn’t sure what this was deciding. “Dino-heads,” he declared. Mung made a small gasp in understanding and flipped the coin, then nodded to Adam. “It’s heads.” “Great! You’re it!” Jae-yung declared as he broke out into a run. “But – I WON!” Adam blustered as his hand was released and he immediately began chasing his cousin, barely clocking the chuckles from behind. As had occurred with the previous visit, Adam and Jae-yung spent the first hour purely exerting energy through tag, swinging on the monkey bars, making games out of the slides, and a variant of hide and seek where it wasn’t enough to find the hider, but you had to chase and tag them to fully win the game. It was some much-needed exercise and thoughtless fun, though unfortunately for Adam, the more subdued dinosaur jumpsuit was made of a thicker material that made him overheat more easily. But he had been reduced to only a onesie beneath it, so he wasn’t even tempted to take it off. “Ey-ey, here, we’re gonna play ssireum,” Jae-yung instructed as he pointed to a grassy area, but his eyes were assessing the jungle gym’s position. He stepped a few ways to the left, then to the right, and grinned, nodding. “Yeah, here.” “What, uh, is that?” Adam questioned cautiously, looking towards the equipment in an attempt to understand what he was looking for. “Wrestling,” the cousin replied with an impish grin on his face. “Like, uh, sumo. You know?” “No,” Adam frowned, shaking his head. “Ohhh, really? It’s huge in Yamatoa,” Jae-yung marveled. “Oh, well,” the blonde scoffed. “Littles in Libertalia do everything we can to avoid learning about Yamatoa.” Jae-yung barely paused to consider this, giving a knowing grin and nod. “Fair,” he snickered, then put his foot on the ground and began drawing a line with it, folding the grass over in the process. “Okay, in sumo, you push or throw out of the ring to win. But in ssireum, the ring is just the border, and it means reset. You win by lifting opponent in the air and dropping them on the ground. Any part of the body that isn’t knee that touches means you lose.” “Ohh,” Adam acknowledged as he spun around, grinning in recognition of what he was looking at before; he wanted to make sure the equipment blocked the view of them. The odds of anyone approving of them throwing each other to the ground were very low. “Big wrestlers wear belts you grab,” his cousin continued, explaining, then slapped his hands on his waist. “We grab diapers.” Adam burst out into a laugh as he spun around to face Jae-yung, who was grinning, looking rather proud of himself. “Ready?” the Little asked as he crouched into a ready position. “Not in the slightest,” the blonde admitted cheekily as he mirrored the crouched position. At the word ‘go’, the two collided and, far more aware of the rules and premise, Jae-yung was the first to grab at the waistband of Adam’s diaper, but found getting a grip hard through the thick fabric of the jumpsuit. His grip on the diaper itself kept slipping, as there was a slickness between the jumpsuit and the onesie. Adam, looking down and quickly grokking the process, grabbed at Jae-yung’s waist, and his grab made purchase on the waistband after a few failed attempts as the two were pushing against each other. Tightening his grip on the two layers of fabric, as Jae-yung likewise had a onesie on underneath, though his jumpsuit was thinner, he felt a firm grip and heard the accompanying crinkle of crumpled plastic waistband. Letting out a cheer, Adam summoned up the strength and crouched down to plant his legs properly and hoisted. Jae-yung let out a yell and began kicking his legs wildly, which caused a dramatic and uncontrolled shift in their combined weight, and the two of them fell backwards into the grass, shouting. “What are you doing?” Boja asked curtly as he turned the corner, finding Jae-yung and Adam laughing maniacally as the black-haired Little rolled off of the blonde and into the grass. “Wrestling,” Adam snorted as he sat up and began brushing himself off. “Wrestling?!” Bak snapped as he turned the corner from behind Boja, and Adam shrank slightly, grimacing. Jae-yung let out another laugh, this time at Adam’s expression. Bak glowered as he crossed his arms over his chest, shooting his son a disapproving look, while Boja sat with a bemused expression. “No wonder you’re hiding.” “I’m teaching!” Jae-yung quipped as he sat up, gesturing a hand out and slapping it on Adam’s shoulder. “I teach him ssireum!” “Well, not anymore,” Bak commanded, cutting a hand in the air to end the topic and then gesturing for them to stand. “Come on, up. You’re supposed to stay in view at all times.” “Papaaaa,” Jae-yung whined as he threw his head back. Adam grinned and stood up, unwilling to press his luck with Bak despite his cousin’s resistance. “No,” his father curtly responded, swooping his hands down and gracefully hooking his fingers under Jae-yung’s armpits and hoisting him up on his feet. Bak held him there for a moment, his eyebrows lifting as they stared at each other. “Do you need a break?” “No,” Jae-yung pouted, stomping his feet onto the ground. Then, without letting even a breath pass between them, he pointed upwards to the treehouse. “Tree.” “We’re not doing that again,” the Amazon denied with an eye roll and sigh, pulling his hands away. “You have a playhouse up front you can use.” “It’s not the same,” Adam chimed in, pursing his lips as he looked up at the tree house. He hadn’t meant it to be a challenge; it was more him thinking out loud about the difference between the two. In the silence that followed, he glanced at Jae-yung and Bak, who were both staring at him, waiting for more. Flushing slightly, he gave a sheepish smile and gestured upwards towards it. “It’s nice to feel tall…” Bak took in a sharp breath in surprise, and his eyebrows rose high as he stared at Adam for a beat. Seeing the genuine response from his uncle, Adam opportunistically summoned a pleading expression, which he felt mildly guilty about; sure, it was manipulative, but it was innocent… plus, secretly, he wanted to prove to Jae-yung he was just as capable of maneuvering the Amazons of the family as him. After a moment, Bak blew out a sigh through his nose as his face softened and he nodded in understanding. “Okay,” he relented gently, the corner of his mouth tugging in a smile. Jae-yung shot Adam an impressed look, but that was all the communication that existed between them, as once more they had to coordinate the gate situation. Chana added a secondary layer of concern, which Joomi had to manage by explaining that they had done this before. Once it was done, Kang frowned at the setup and glanced at Mung. 『 Let’s get a permanent solution, 』he stated, and Jae-yung gasped in amazement, while Adam waved at the departing crew, trying very hard to pretend he hadn’t known what was said. “Ooh, Big Uncle’s being nice,” Jae-yung commented once the Amazons were more than halfway out of the playground area. Adam smiled out the treehouse window, watching Mung pull out his phone to begin hunting down, presumably, a treehouse door. He placed his forearm on the windowsill as he stared out, reflecting on how much life had improved over the last week. “What happened?” Jae-yung asked as he looked between the window and Adam. “Uncle Mung didn’t tell you?” “Ooohhh,” Jae-yung mouthed as his eyes widened, connecting the dots. “I’ve heard every day. Papa is so mad. But he also hates them, so it’s a good excuse to complain.” “Shik and Seo-ya?” Adam asked as he shifted away from the window, grinning when Jae-yung nodded deeply. “Have you met them?” “Only once,” the cousin replied, spreading his legs outward as he sat down. “At, uh, Gomo Khee’s wedding.” “They didn’t come to your ceremony?” Adam puzzled, shocked, having quickly presumed the one time they would meet would be then. “No,” he shook his head, but quickly shrugged. “But Papa was happy for that.” “Are they…” Adam paused, looking down as he tried to think how to ask this. “Are they against your fathers for being… gay?” “Ooh yeah,” Jae-yung snorted, which was quickly followed by a distant, wide-eyed look as he absently nodded. “Goryeo like to pretend to be Western to make friends. Maturo-sauce, gays marry - all for government stuff, but people are very slow to accept. Many are polite about it outside, mean in private.” Adam’s lips puckered; he knew as much about Maturosis, but hadn’t applied that logic elsewhere. He wondered, briefly, how many other changes were purely surface-level to appease their new friends and allies. However, he knew he had precious alone time with Jae-yung and didn’t want to waste it. “And Uncle Bom?” Jae-yung paused in consideration as he looked up, squinting. “Fat guy, right?” “Yeah,” Adam laughed. “He’s fine,” Jae-yung shrugged dismissively. “He came to ceremony. But Papa doesn’t like him either – says he lies a lot to make everyone happy. Same with fat wife.” Adam laughed again, leaning back and flopping onto his back. “What about Uncle Mung?” he blurted out as he sighed out his laugh. “You say Uncle Bak doesn’t like them, but what about him?” “Eehh, Appa’s too nice,” Jae-yung sniffed as he too began to lie down and get comfortable, adjusting the blankets they were given. “He nods and listens to Papa, but he doesn’t join.” Adam moved and adjusted Little Boja behind his head to use him as a pillow, and for a long moment, there was silence as the two of them got comfortable. As he let out a sigh and drummed his fingers on his chest, which was muted by the jumpsuit, the blonde turned his head to look at his cousin. “Is it… rude… to ask about someone’s Little kibun?” “Not if you know them well enough,” Jae-yung stated as he inspected his pacifier, grimacing at a hair as he peeled it off. “Why?” “Well, last time, you told me about yours for Uncle Bak,” the blonde stated quietly, glancing down at his chest, and thought the inspection was a good idea. Listing his own, he half-grinned, realizing he hadn’t really used his pacifier much lately. “I was just wondering about what you do for Uncle Mung.” Adam’s eyes darted over immediately and met Jae’s, and they stared for a moment; he frowned, worried he had overstepped. “Well,” Jae-yung started with a significant pause, his eyebrows contorting. “Appa… is…” “I’m sorry,” Adam whispered as he looked at the ceiling. “I didn’t mean to…” “No-no, it’s okay,” his cousin shook his head, also opting to look at the wooden ceiling of the treehouse. “Just strange. You’re the only one I can talk to about him and his work, so this is new.” Adam nodded knowingly, finding time in Jae-yung’s pause to repeat to himself his gratitude to and for Boja. “Appa has stressful job, like Big Uncle,” the cousin started up again after the pause, sniffing as he worked through how he wanted to put it. “But Big Uncle is, uh, better at it, I think. Appa hates it.” Adam frowned. “He’s a really nice guy, you know?” Jae-yung continued after a sigh. “Big softie. Like teddy bear in a suit. But… Big Uncle makes him do mean things. Hurt people.” “Why?” the blonde blurted in confusion. “Don’t know, but I think because he’s gay,” Jae-yung frowned as he finally turned his head to the side to look at Adam. “Make him scary, so no one mock him.” Adam stared for a long beat as a sinking feeling settled in his chest. His cousin may have couched it in unsure language, but as soon as the concept was out, it felt right. It felt like something a young, mafia-inducted brother would tell his youngest brother out of a desire to protect him. After all, Adam had fallen for it; he had looked at the quiet and large brother and dismissed him as the brute of the family. Then he felt a sting of pain and regret, recalling that he was also quick to laugh at the idea of him being gay and married when he found out, finding it absurd given that perception. The blonde deflated. Jae-yung looked sideways at the floor before he took a loud breath through his nose. “So, kibun for Appa is to be a good baby,” he stated as he lifted his legs, making a goofy face as he reached out to grab his feet and made a slight babbling noise. Adam chuckled, enjoying the moment of levity. “Be innocent, you know? Stress-free fun for him to come home to.” “That’s…” the blonde paused, staring at his cousin in awe. “Beautiful, man.” “He saved me,” Jae-yung chirped with an exaggerated shrug, shifting the energy to be more dismissive and pull out of the heaviness they had sunk into. “You picked yours?” “Yeah,” Adam replied automatically, then bit his lip as he regretted it. He wasn’t sure he was ready to voice it outside of him and Boja. “Good. Cause it’s working,” Jae-yung replied matter-of-factly, beaming with pride. “What do you mean?” the blonde puzzled, sitting up in surprise, but Jae-yung didn’t follow. He remained on his back, relaxed, and put his hands behind his head. “Big Uncle’s different,” he observed, jutting his chin as if to indicate him. “So whatever you’re doing, it’s working. Keep it up.” Adam blinked in surprise, then looked out the window towards the family and smiled, feeling a sort of high at the validation. --- Unlike the last visit, treehouse time was interrupted by lunch rather than a dirty diaper. And by “lunch,” it was the announcement of lunch, but not the actual serving of – aka, the “adults” didn’t want to sit outside and have to watch anymore. Adam tried to make the case that they could stay outside with Boja, but Chana was quick to deny it and force the entire family indoors so she could work on lunch while remaining close to everyone. After a few rounds of se-sse-she, Adam asked Jae-yung for help with the rules of Go-Go-Stop, causing his grandmother to cackle from the kitchen when he said he wanted to “stand a chance” against her. After a few lesson rounds, his cousin leaned on the plastic table as he stared at Boja, who stared back. “Can we ride you?” Jae-yung asked suddenly. “Jae-yung,” Bak snapped immediately, looking over as he was setting the table. “That’s rude.” “How?!” Jae-yung blurted out defensively, standing upright as he threw his arms out. “I’m just asking!” “He’s not a horse,” Bak replied, gesturing a plate towards Boja before setting it down and continuing his chore. “I ride Appa!” Jae-yung replied, and Bak hesitated, clearly wanting to laugh, but biting his tongue. “He has a point,” Joomi hummed, coyly grinning at Bak, who rolled his eyes. “Mathematically, yes,” Boja replied after a beat, and Jae-yung gasped. “But it would not be terribly comfortable for you, nor could I go very fast. A tiger’s movements are more fluid, less stable for a rider than a horse.” “But we can?” the Little pressed excitedly, and Adam grinned, looking over at Boja, recalling their initial resistance to the suggestion. That felt like a lifetime ago. “Yes,” Boja nodded with surprisingly little hesitation. “Later,” Bak amended as he gave a serious look to Boja, who nodded again. “Papa, stop ruining fun!” Jae-yung whined, causing Bak to spin on his heel and shoot his son a stern look, which turned into a playful glare and smirk. “Oh, I ruin fun, do I?” he mused in a teasingly threatening tone, setting down the last plate. Jae-yung’s eyes grew wide, apparently aware of his father’s intentions, and he turned around, breaking out into a short run towards Mung, who let out a laugh and scooped the Little up into his lap. Bak clicked his tongue. “Now who’s ruining it?” Jae-yung let out a knowing giggle as he curled into Mung’s lap, and Adam blew a laugh out his nose as he cleaned up the cards. Mung rubbed his son’s back, glancing to Kang in a questioning look, who gave a nod. “Adam,” he started as he adjusted his position. The blonde looked over, halfway through the cleaning up, and he paused, sensing he knew the topic at hand. “I checked in with Zhang about his son.” “…Yeah?” he asked cautiously, his eyes flickering between his uncle and grandfather, both looking stoically neutral. “He says Jeong is well,” Mung stated in a practiced and measured tone. Adam pursed his lips as he stared at his great-uncle and waited for the rest. Jae-yung peered curiously up at his father, then to Adam, then back up to Mung, who swallowed and gave in, giving a nod. “And he is more than happy for you to visit,” Mung added in a quieter tone. “Really?” Adam gasped, slapping his hands down on the desk. Kang looked at him quickly, frowning in disapproval. “You should know,” Mung added as he glanced at Kang, then back to the blonde. “Jeong is… considerably less mature than you.” Adam swallowed, feeling some color leave his face. Jae-yung grimaced. Mature… mature. It was the catch-all term for Amazons to shunt Littles, or in this case a Tweener, down the infantile ladder, since they couldn’t reasonably say “younger”. He took in a sharp breath when he felt a hand on his head, and he looked up, seeing Joomi’s encouraging smile as she knelt beside him to take a supportive position. She angled her head, a questioning look on her face as she brushed her hand over his hair and then down onto his back. When he didn’t reply, as he wasn’t sure what to say, she gave a subtle nod in understanding. “Let’s have lunch, and give it some thought, okay?” she offered warmly, and Adam nodded.

Chapter 2, The Box The cottage was even better than the photos. We pulled into the driveway just after lunch, the tires crunching over gravel as the car coasted to a stop beneath the shade of tall fir trees. The mountain air was crisp and cool despite the sunlight, and the view from the porch overlooked a wide valley. Emily stretched and yawned theatrically as she stepped out of the car. “Okay, this is already perfect.” Tessa popped the trunk. “Help me with the big stuff first. We can fight over bedrooms later.” There was laughter, clinking luggage, and the familiar juggling of who packed what where. I ended up with most of the heavier bags, including one large cardboard box Tessa gestured toward. “That one’s yours,” she said casually. “Take it to your bedroom, I’ll be there in a sec.” I raised an eyebrow. “Mine?” “Well, yours and Emily’s,” she said, pulling out her duffel bag. “Just be careful with it.” I didn’t think much of it at the time. The box was unmarked, a bit awkward but not too heavy. I lugged it inside and dropped it near the dresser. The place was charming.  Dark wood beams, wide windows, thick rugs, and polished floors. The bedroom was simple but cozy, with fresh linens and a small wardrobe, plus a door that led to a compact en suite bathroom. I was unpacking my bag when I heard a quiet knock. Emily stepped in, smiling, followed closely by Tessa... who was carrying that leather pouch from her purse. “Oh no,” I said, already laughing. “You’re not … seriously?” Tessa knelt down by the cardboard box and peeled the flaps open with slow, deliberate drama. And there it was. A full, unopened pack of Tena Slip Super – Medium. Plain white, folded, thick, and very obviously not teenager bedtime underwear. Emily walked over and placed the bet note, unfolded, signed, dated, on the bed. “Well?” Tessa said sweetly. “Proper diapers. Taped. In your size. Looks like you lost, Alex.” I stood there, stunned. “You... seriously brought these?” I asked, trying not to laugh. Tessa raised a brow. “Did you think I wouldn’t?” Emily added, “I told her you’d think this was just a joke. That’s why we wrote it down.” Tessa gave the pack a firm pat. “And now it’s time to be a good sport.” Two Weeks Earlier Tessa was sprawled on Emily’s couch, legs folded beneath her, phone in hand. Emily sat at the table, nursing a mug of tea. “You’re sure about the bet thing?” Emily asked. “He brought it on himself,” Tessa said. “All that talk about real diapers, tapes, bottles… I mean, he even specified that teenager bedtime underwear doesn’t count.” Emily smirked. “He was so smug about it. He thinks they don’t exist.” “Oh, they exist,” Tessa said. “We sell two brands at my pharmacy. These ones even come with ‘extra night-time security.’” She tilted the screen toward Emily. “And the best part? I already ordered them.” Emily blinked. “You’re evil.” “Only a little.” Emily hesitated, lowering her cup. “He’s going to be so flustered.” “That’s the fun part.” Tessa’s voice dropped slightly as she added, “Also… I switched the booking. We’re not in the cottage Alex found. I found another one, similar layout, same village. But this one has... features.” Emily raised an eyebrow. “What kind of features?” Tessa pulled up the listing and zoomed in on the floor plan. “Accessible accommodations,” she said softly. “Special needs room with a hospital bed, changing table. Discreet, tucked behind the laundry room. If he starts fussing, we move him in there for a ‘reset.’ Just a nap. Or an early bedtime.” Emily bit her lip, eyes sparkling. “You're terrifying. But kind of brilliant.” “I figured it might come in handy.” They sat in silence for a moment before Emily said, “Okay. But only if he really earns it.” “Deal.” Present Day Back in the bedroom, I stared at the pack of diapers like it might vanish if I waited long enough. “You okay there, champ?” Tessa asked, her tone mock-sweet. Emily knelt beside the bed and pulled a fresh diaper from the pack. It unfolded with a gentle crinkle. Thicker than I expected. “This was your idea, remember,” she said gently. “And you did say bottle too.” Tessa patted the bed. “Come on. Let’s get you dressed properly for your little retreat.” I sighed. “So... pants off, I guess?” Emily smiled. “And underwear too, sweetie. These go right on your bare bottom.” I hesitated just a beat too long. I stood there frozen, watching Tessa unfold one of the diapers like it was the most natural thing in the world. It looked bigger in her hands than it had in the packaging. Thicker too. Unmistakably not pull-ups. This was a diaper. “A bet’s a bet,” she said with a shrug, smoothing it out and patting the padded center. “Now drop those pants, Alex. We don’t have all day.” Emily moved closer, arms crossed but smiling warmly. “You made the rules. Taped diapers only, remember?” I sighed, starting to unbutton my jeans. “Right, right... let’s just get it over with.” My jeans hit the floor, then my briefs. The room felt suddenly cooler, more exposed. I climbed onto the bed, trying to keep my composure as I lay back, naked from the waist down, with both sisters standing over me like this was just another morning chore. “Legs up,” she said, no-nonsense. I lifted them, heart pounding. Tessa leaned over with a wipe in her hand. It was cold. Very cold. The first pass of the wet wipe caught me off guard. Not just over the obvious places. Tessa didn’t hesitate, sliding the wipe firmly between my cheeks with clinical precision. “Geez,” I muttered. “Well, someone didn’t do a very good job back there,” she said casually, reaching for another. “We can’t have stinky boys in fresh diapers.” Emily giggled quietly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. The second wipe was even colder, and the deliberate attention made me flush all the way to my ears. Tessa gave me a little extra pat for good measure before tossing the used wipes into a small bin she had pulled from the box. Then came the powder. I heard the soft puff before I felt it. A warm, fragrant dusting that clung to my skin and made everything feel even softer, more babyish. “What is that?” I asked. “Lavender,” Tessa replied. “Relaxing. Great for diaper rash.” She smirked as she guided the diaper beneath me, lifting my hips expertly before pulling the thick padding snugly between my legs. The tapes went on with practiced ease: tight, even, and unmistakably secure. She gave the front two pats, firm and final. “There. All snug.” I exhaled, unsure what to say. The diaper was warm, bulky, and soft in a way that made me feel smaller just from wearing it. There was no mistaking what it was, or who was in control of it. Emily walked over and held something out: a wide baby bottle, empty for now but clean and clearly ready to be used. “You’ll need to wash this before tonight,” she said with a wink. “We’ll fill it up for bedtime.” I stared at the bottle. “You’re serious?” “You insisted,” she said, feigning innocence. “You even added that part.” Tessa was already putting the wipes and powder away. “Sink’s in the kitchen, bottom drawer has a drying rack.” So I stood, diaper rustling audibly with every step, and took the bottle in both hands. The rubber nipple bounced gently against the plastic. “Now be careful,” Tessa added playfully. “You’re padded, not invincible.” Emily laughed. “And don’t try taking it off. You’re not trusted for that anymore.” I opened my mouth to argue, but their smiles were too disarming. Instead, I turned and waddled toward the kitchen, blushing harder with each soft crinkle underfoot. The bet had only just begun.

Hanging out with family for the win

Oh wow, that's the opposite of what I was expecting. I thought Sadie would get in Lucas' head right before the performance and trigger a huge meltdown onstage. I was gearing up for Charlotte's worst day ever, but Alexander showed up and Luci killed it. Really fun dynamics in this chapter. Luci has at last found something she likes about being a princess. I'm most curious how she handles other Littles moving forward, especially if we see Sadie again or if Noah pushes his puppy crush forward.

Supposed to hug your hips better.