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Chicken and Orzo pasta in a cheesy sauce with peas and broccoli.

Who is enjoying some padded time this lovely Sunday evening? I know I am. Pamped up and watching my football game.

Spaghetti Pie 

Did people not like Zhang?! 🤭 Chapter Forty-Eight: Jeong Jeong crawled all the way to the ball pit and threw his new stuffed tiger over the side of its wall. There was a set of foam stairs that now made sense; he could have climbed in without them (though Adam wouldn’t be able to), but they were necessary because of his crawling. The Tweener looked over at Adam, who hadn’t moved an inch. He felt frozen in place as he watched a grown man who once drove a car, taller than Sisi (for now), seemingly forced to crawl to move. He felt his brain spinning through all the stories he had heard growing up of the technological horrors Amazons used to render Littles into their crawling babies, both out of horror and morbid fascination with how this happened. He knew hypnosis could accomplish this, and, of course, surgery… He realized he had been gaping when he caught Jeong’s eye, and the poor man’s face had turned red. He looked down at the ground, appearing ashamed, and this pulled Adam out of his shock. Whatever the cause, he didn’t need to make Jeong feel bad for it. “Well, what are you waiting for?” the blonde forced a grin as he threw his arms out and slapped them against his sides as they fell. “Jump in!” Jeong flashed a grateful smile as he twisted his body, falling into the pit on his back and let out a laugh. Adam chuckled as he ran forward, bringing Little Boja with him, and tossed him in, aiming to get him to land on the Tweener. He pumped his fist when he heard a laugh, indicating he had achieved success and ascended the stairs. Jeong did some exaggerated strokes to pretend he was swimming away to give Adam room, and the Little cannonballed in, letting out a mix of a cry and laugh in surprise at how much he descended and was instantly submerged. “Whoooa!” he blurted out in surprise, throwing his arms up as if he had descended rapidly in water. “It’s so deep!” Jeong cackled in delight as he reached his arms in, grabbed Adam’s arm, and began pulling him towards the edge. “There’s, uh, bench… around the wall,” he snickered as he released the blonde when he found footing on the foam seat. “I think, hmm… this for all sizes.” “Oh, well then,” Adam laughed as he ran his hands over his hair, trying to clear the static buildup. “Let’s invite everyone else in.” “Well, all-sized babies,” Jeong rolled his eyes and threw a ball at Adam’s head, and they both cackled at the hollow sound it made when colliding with his skull. “Adopted, thank you very much,” the blonde corrected as he put a hand on his chest. “We’re Adopted.” “Uh-huh,” the Tweener mocked sarcastically, grabbing Laohu and Little Boja and setting them on the edge of the wall to watch. He looked over the edge down at the collection of toys and his lips puckered in thought, then nodded. “Okay, so, there are, um, ten, uh… different balls, I think. Some are animals, some are patterns, like, uh… stripes.” “Okay,” Adam nodded in understanding as his eyes immediately began scanning the balls, getting a sense of the usual colors. “So how about… um, we see who can get, uh… the most first?” the Tweener suggested with a shrug. “You’re on!” the Little shouted as he dove into the balls, and Jeong let out a laugh as he began sweeping his arms over the top layer, moving them around to try to reveal the next layer. Adam opted to try to feel the textures, which landed him some initial luck as he grabbed one with print on it and surfaced, holding up the ball. “Got one!” he announced as he struggled to find footing on the bench, but emerged within a few lingering seconds to Jeong, grinning, holding up his two. “Pft, home field advantage,” Adam rolled his eyes playfully, tossing his out of the ball pit, and continued digging as Jeong laughed. Within a few minutes and varying tactics, Adam found his fourth as Jeong tossed out his sixth. “Ten!” he celebrated as he pointed to the rotund panda ball Adam held up. “Gaah,” the blonde tossed the ball out with a smile, pulling himself to the edge as they looked over to the approaching Amazons. Both of them pursed their lips as they shared the look of kids who didn’t want their parents around. Zhang set down the playhouse wall component and easily unhooked two wall pieces to make room for it. Adam’s eyes lingered on Joomi, who wore a thoughtful expression; in fact, his gaze quickly darted between her and Zhang… he squinted; they both looked deep in thought. Jeong leaned against the ball pit wall as he slipped his thumb into his mouth and watched Zhang work. Adam jerked his head to the side, and as soon as their eyes met, the Tweener pulled his thumb out and blushed. He looked down at the balls and flicked one towards Adam, who grinned. He lifted a hand to his nose as if to plug it, and Jeong smiled, quickly following, and the two dove under the surface of the ballpit. Joomi giggled and approached. “Well, that looks fun,” she mused as she approached the edge. “Come in, the water’s fine!” Adam shouted from within the balls, glad to hear Jeong laugh heartily in response. Joomi chuckled and hummed playfully for a moment to sound as if she considered it. “Do you need anything? Are you thirsty?” she asked as she placed her hands on her thighs, leaning forward to peer into the pit. Adam pushed up to poke his head out from the pit and smiled up at her, shaking his head. “You’re okay?” “Yeah,” he smiled at her and gave her a large nod. But his face lit up as he pointed to the balls. “Wait! Can you give us those back, please?” “Ohh, these are cute,” she observed as she reached down, picking up the elephant ball. She stared at it for a moment, then flashed him a mischievous look as she withheld it from his outstretched hand. “What do you call it?” Adam curled his nose up as he held his hand out for it, grousing, “A ball, Eomma.” “Noooo,” she teased with an upward inflection in her tone, raising her eyebrows. Adam pursed his lips as he threw his hands out, realizing she was asking him what the word was in Goryeoan. “I haven’t learned it yet!” he whined quickly, but he stiffened as he saw the corner of her mouth twitch. He stared for a moment, confused; if she wasn’t going to teach him the word, how – He opened his mouth as he made a soundless gasp, realizing what she was doing. He smiled at her, taking a brief second to fully appreciate her, then looked over his shoulder. “Hey, Jeong, how do you say elephant in Goryeoan?” The Tweener emerged from the ball pit as he curled in his lips, making his best elephant trumpeting noise as he blew air out of his puffed mouth and used his arm to mimic the animal’s trunk. Adam laughed, swatting the arm-trunk away as Jeong brushed it against his face, and Joomi chuckled softly. “Kok-kili,” Jeong enunciated clearly as he set his arm down. Adam turned to Joomi and repeated it, holding his hand out, and she beamed at them both, setting it down in his hands. “Well done,” she complimented as she picked up the tiger ball and held it up. She and Adam held a look for a moment; he already knew the word, but that wasn’t the point of this exercise. He turned to Jeong expectantly. “Ho-lang-i,” the Tweener replied slowly, giving a clap to Adam when he repeated it correctly, but Joomi didn’t hand the ball over right away. Instead, she turned her gaze to Jeong. “And in Qin?” she asked, sounding very much like she did in the labs with Adam, and he flashed a grin, grateful to know the language’s real name (and glad he hadn’t gone with Qinnish when he asked earlier). Jeong raised his eyebrows in surprise, blushing slightly as they both looked at him. He glanced over to the stuffed tiger perched on the edge of the wall. “Laohu?” he said, sounding unsure, as he gestured his chin toward the tiger plush. “Well done,” Joomi praised softly as she handed Adam the ball. “Wait!” Jeong blurted out as he reached out for the elephant ball and held it up to her. “I didn’t do this one.” “You didn’t,” Joomi agreed warmly, taking the ball back. “But you don’t know it!” Adam snickered as he gently slapped the Tweener’s shoulder. Then Jeong flashed Adam a familiar look; Adam felt a lurch in his gut at the ambitious, eager face of a man eager to push. He took in a sharp, anxious breath and looked over at Zhang, who raised his eyebrows curiously. He had been standing where the playhouse was already set up, his hands in his pockets, watching and listening. 『 Daddy? 』Jeong asked as he pointed to the elephant ball. Adam gulped nervously; this was a crucial moment, and he glued his eyes on Zhang, searching for any sign this would not end well. He worried the pivot was too soon… perhaps Jeong should have engaged with Joomi more, shown the benefits of her kindness and teachings… But as Zhang smirked, he breathed a quiet sigh of relief, and had to admit… Jeong might know what he was doing. Like many who would join a mafia, the Yamatoan likely sought power, prestige, and authority, and nothing made one feel more powerful than having someone utterly dependent and deferential to you. And Jeong was proving he’d prefer to give him that, rather than lean too hard into the kindness of a stranger who wouldn’t be here tomorrow. “Da xiang,” Zhang articulated clearly and slowly, more deliberately than he had before when teaching the word for tiger. Jeong repeated it, but kept his eyes on Zhang for approval, and they went back and forth two more times before Zhang gave the nod. “Da xiang!” Jeong repeated to Joomi, and she beamed in delight, handing him the ball quickly. “Well done, Jeong,” she praised softly, and he blushed in response, holding the ball with both hands and staring at it with a goofy smile on his face. She reached a hand out and gently brushed some of Adam’s hair down that had shot up due to the static generated by the ball pit. “Your fort is ready, boys. What do you say?” “Thank you, Zhang-nim,” Adam chirped as he turned towards Zhang and bowed, as best as he could. Briefly glancing between his mother and the Yamatoan, he pursed his lips in thought, then decided it was best to follow Jeong’s example, and he looked to Zhang. “Can we please keep playing in here for a while longer?” “Of course,” Zhang nodded, frowning his approval and gesturing his hand over it. “It’s ready for when you’re done.” 『 Thanks, Daddy, 』Jeong smiled as he hung his arms over the ball pit wall, trying to reach for one of the balls. Zhang flashed a smile, and Joomi beamed, seeming genuinely happy and semi-relaxed for the first time since stepping out of the complex. Before returning to her towering height, her long arms swept inward and poked around at the state of Adam’s diaper without warning; he tensed up slightly, causing Joomi’s expression to shift slightly in surprise, but she made no other reaction. “Still good, agaya,” she purred as she kissed his temple, and he smiled while flushing. He had grown accustomed to the routine of her checking him; he could rely on her as if it were scheduled in her mind. But this new setting shifted that dynamic and, as he briefly thought of their discussion in the bath, she seemed to take stock of his reaction. He gritted his teeth, hoping she wouldn’t use that against him for going out afterward. She lingered for a moment, ran her fingers through his hair with a slight hum, then finally straightened her back and made her way back towards Mung and Zhang. Looking up, he watched her glide away, and his mind (eager to drop its current topic) latched onto the curiosity in her change in demeanor; something had shifted for both her and Zhang from the tour, and, surprisingly, it seemed to be for the better. He sucked on a canine tooth, worried for a moment what that could mean, especially given Jeong’s warning. Though he grinned as he took solace in knowing that even if Zhang made a good impression on her, Halbo didn’t like him. Ahhh, how the tables had turned in that he could now enjoy and depend on Kang’s authoritarian complex. Glancing back to Jeong, who once more had his thumb in his mouth and was leaning over the edge, and finally flicked the ball outside of the pit close enough to grab. Smiling triumphantly, he lifted it up to inspect the panda ball. He briefly glanced over the Amazons, tempted to ask for the word. But when he made eye contact with Adam, he flashed a grin and tossed the ball at his forehead, causing a hollow bunk sound, and they both cackled. They played for about twenty more minutes in the ball pit, swimming, practicing Goryeoan, and Parko Molo (which, due to size differences, was much easier for Adam to win). They attempted a balancing game with balls on their heads, but quickly realized hair was a bit of a benefit. Glancing over towards the playhouse, where a few pillows and blankets had been tossed in as well, Jeong smiled as he pointed to it and asked, “Ready?” “Yeah!” Adam chirped, digging his hands into the pit to fish out Little Boja, who had gone diving with Laohu. Pulling both up, he handed Jeong his tiger and then pulled himself up to the foam staircase. He quickly descended onto the floor mat and glanced over his shoulder, spending a few seconds watching Jeong use his legs just fine to get over the wall, then proceeded to crawl down the stairs. This, of course, re-engaged his curiosity on the crawling situation, with the much-needed distance from the initial shock to actually give it some consideration. He pondered how he could navigate the topic without outright asking, which would likely be considered rude to Jeong, but might cause issues if Zhang overheard. He set Little Boja down outside the playhouse and began laying out the pillows and blankets. The interior walls were plain in color but sculpted to resemble a house interior: one wall had kitchen appliances, one had a couch and TV, and one had a bed. The roof was pitched and vented, with large slats to let light in, and there were large square windows (with no glass) on each of the three walls for an Amazon’s viewing pleasure (Adam could only assume). Glancing to his right, he saw Jeong had diverted towards the books, and Adam squinted; the Tweener’s diaper was much more swollen than before and sagging ever so slightly. Not that he expected an announcement of when it was used, but it was another notch in his mind of morbid curiosity; had Jeong known he was using it, or had he already lost that awareness? Adam sucked on his teeth as he grimaced, but rapidly forced a smile when Jeong turned towards him, crawling with two books under his hands that he slid while Laohu’s tail was in his mouth. “Let me help,” Adam laughed, waddling a few steps forward quickly to grab one of the books, but Jeong shook his head, swinging the stuffed tiger forward. Nodding, the blonde took the plush. “This part easy,” Jeong grinned and slid the books forward, pushing them along the carpet towards the playhouse. “Do you watch TV?” Adam asked curiously as he eyed the play area, noting the distinct lack of electronics. “Yeah, but in there,” Jeong nodded, pointing across the way, through the glass-walled garden to a closed door. “Private, uh, family room.” “What do you watch?” The blonde asked in a semi-forced innocent tone as he set Laohu down next to Little Boja. To really sell the attempted nonchalance, he added, “I watch Star Trekking a lot, but we started the, uhhh, animation of the Odyssey of Hugh.” “Ooh, I know that one,” Jeong nodded, flopping onto his back on the pillows. “I watched before Adoption. Super good.” He adjusted himself to get more comfortable, his eyes briefly glancing down to the swollen diaper, but he pulled a blanket over his legs. “Daddy likes action stuff, but all in Qin,” he continued with a slight shrug as he leaned forward, grabbing one of the books. “What about you?” the blonde asked with a slight frown. “If I’m good, I watch, um, Bunny Holmes,” he replied as he opened the book in his lap. “It’s a cartoon with, um, a bunny who solves problems.” “Oh yeah?” Adam smiled as he finally plopped inside the playhouse, relaxing against the pillows. Cartoons, he noted. Those were the easiest ways to hide hypnosis. “Like a detective?” “Yeah! She uses big eyes and ears to, uh, find clues,” he beamed and quickly launched into explaining one of his favorite episodes. Adam smiled throughout, nodding and asking a few questions, enjoying seeing the man talk at length… but it also highlighted yet another curiosity: his speech was very choppy, not because of his accent or his sometimes missing articles in Albionic. He had been fluent enough when they met previously, but now his speech was peppered with uhs, ums, and other fillers that hadn’t been there before. It had been there the whole time, but early on he attributed it to nerves… now, hearing him more relaxed and engaged about something he enjoyed, it stood out. “Can we watch it?” Adam asked with a wide smile. No, technically, the earpiece’s hypnosis neutralizing abilities hadn’t been tested yet, but he trusted Joomi’s work… and if it did fail, he trusted she would believe him. “That episode?” “Ohh, uhh,” Jeong hesitated as he looked up in thought, then shook his head. “TV for family only and, uh, we should use this more.” The Tweener flashed a smile before looking down at the book, and Adam slowly nodded. Zhang had gone through the trouble to set this up; it made sense to honor that effort by using it, but Adam blew an annoyed sigh out of his nose. Real babies and toddlers got distracted. Just because you put in effort to set something up for them, didn’t mean they played with it for a commensurate amount of time. Freaking hypocritical giants; wanting them to be babies, but just adult enough to make good and considerate choices. Or maybe that was why they were called Adopted in Goryeo. Adam hummed in thought as he leaned back, looking up at what he considered. Adoption was an honor, and Adopting was highly respected, so it made sense to label them as Adopted to further highlight kibun. But it also isolated them linguistically. Adam opened the book as a means of pretending he was joining Jeong while he ruminated on the various mysteries, flashing a grin as he pictured a bunny dressed up like Cherlocke Holmes, amongst the more famous fictional Tweeners who solved Little and Amazon problems alike. He grinned slightly, picturing himself in her hat, trying to solve the diapered mysteries of Jeong’s life. He chuckled to himself, grabbing his pacifier and holding it up to his mouth to pretend it was a pipe, smacking his lips against the end as he playacted out Cherlocke’s ruminative mannerisms while trying to decide his next move. Ding-dong. Jeong and Adam’s eyes met; the background noise of the Amazons’ conversation halted. 『 My apologies, I will see to this quickly, 』Zhang replied as he stood and bowed, then walked with a purpose towards the front door. Adam and Jeong sat up to watch him leave, and while the Tweener settled back down and buried his eyes back into the book, the blonde spun around to look out the small glassless window. Joomi turned to face Mung, and they spoke in hushed voices; Mung looked irritated, which was noticeable because it was rare. “Do you get visitors often?” Adam asked in a whisper. When he didn’t get an immediate reply, he looked over to see Jeong nodding, but he had put his pacifier in his mouth. Adam blinked, looking surprised, but nodded in reply. Looking back through the window, Joomi appeared to be reassuring him… but as soon as the voice echoed down the hall, both of them stiffened. 『 I won’t be long, Zhang! I just wanted to check in on our little guy, 』the feminine, commanding voice of Yoon explained dismissively as her heels marched down the hall, heralding her arrival. Jeong shrank down in the pillows, and the pacifier began to bob in his mouth nervously. Adam sympathized. The woman was, to date, the only Amazon who shoved an inflatable pacifier in his mouth and was annoyed when his mother removed it. The blonde felt a strain in his chest as she emerged at the end of the hall, stopping up short to take in the scene before her. She looked much the same as she had the previous times Adam had seen her; her hair was up in an elaborate braid at the crown of her head, continuing down the back. She had a distinct, long face with high cheekbones that gave her a severe look. And she wore the same red leather jacket with a high collar she had before. 『 Oh, my goodness, 』Yoon chirped from the entrance, her mouth dropping open as she looked towards Joomi and Mung, then her eyes undeniably flickered towards Adam; he squinted at her suspiciously as her eyes went back to the Amazons, and she put a hand on her chest. He swore it looked like she had known to look for him right away.『 You didn’t mention you had company, Zhang! 』 『 Indeed, 』Zhang replied as he appeared from behind her, glaring at the back of her head before relaxing his face and stepping up beside her. 『 Yoon-nim, 』Joomi cooly greeted as she stood, offering a controlled smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Mung straightened his jacket as he angled his head down, taking a moment to relax his expression back to neutral before he looked up, though there was still something behind his eyes.『 It’s a pleasure to see you again. 』 『 Joomi, dear, it’s marvelous to see you out! 』Yoon replied as she lifted her hands up in the air in some kind of celebration. As if forgetting herself, she made a display of it and bowed.『 What brings you out, my dear? And to Zhang, no less? 』Yoon gave a subdued cackle at that comment, a single shoulder rising and falling in a short sort of shrug; Zhang’s eyebrows furrowed, and his frown became prominent. Adam glared, picking up on the falsities of the conversation, wondering what her game or real intention was. 『 My son is… reacquainting himself with Zhang’s son, 』Joomi replied as she gestured to the playpen, and Jeong let out a small whine as Yoon’s eyes moved towards them. Adam didn’t let his glare go; in fact, he narrowed his eyes at her. 『 I see, 』Yoon replied as she returned a squint at him, but hers was accompanied by a smirk. 『 But we were just leaving, 』Mung announced definitely, in a tone more reminiscent of Kang than him. Adam blinked in surprise, turning to look out the play window, but he could no longer see them, as both his great uncle and mother were on the move. 『 Oh, please, I would hate to interrupt, 』Yoon confessed with an air of amusement. “Agaya, it is time to go,” Joomi stated from the edge of the playpen, offering an attempted comforting smile. “Say your goodbyes and thank yous.” Adam stared at her for a beat, then looked to Jeong, who looked incredibly uncomfortable. 『 Mung, seriously, I will be out in a flash, 』Yoon bemused as her eyes lingered on Adam, but her arrogant mask slipped for a moment as the large Amazon stepped up uncomfortably close to her. 『 I’d like a word before we go, 』 he stated calmly and definitively, gesturing down the hall towards the front door; there was no room for negotiation. 『 Of course, 』she chirped at him, recovering her smile as she spun around and clicked her heels loudly down the hall. Mung nodded to Zhang, who bowed in response, and followed the woman out. Joomi raised her eyebrows expectantly at Adam, who had turned back to watch that interaction, and he nodded, turning back to the Tweener. “Um, thanks for the visit, Jeong,” he said as he bowed his head, which caused Jeong to chuckle as he pulled the pacifier out of his mouth. “You don’t bow to Adopted, dummy,” Jeong laughed, setting aside his book, and gave a shrug as he bowed back. “But, uh, yeah. Thanks for coming.” Adam grinned and stepped forward, giving the Tweener another hug. Jeong hugged just as tightly as before and angled his head down as he dropped his voice to a whisper, “Thanks.” “Anytime,” Adam replied just as quietly and took in a deep breath as they released the hug. “Take care of Laohu!” he bubbled as he spun around, grabbing the larger tiger plush and tossing it back to the Tweener. “I will!” Jeong laughed as he caught it and gave it a hug. Adam smiled and picked up Little Boja, letting him dangle by the arm as he walked over towards Joomi, who smiled proudly at him. Before she could sweep him up in her arms, he made a purposeful pivot to Zhang and bowed deeply. “Thank you for letting me visit and play, Zhang-nim,” he stated formally. “You’re welcome, Adam,” Zhang responded warmly, and as Adam straightened to look at him, he was surprised to see a genuine smile on the Yamatoan’s face. The blonde smiled and stepped forward, now within reach of Joomi’s long arms, and so he was swooped up, and his elevation was now significantly higher. 『 Thank you, Ma Joomi, for gracing us with your presence, 』Zhang stated as he now bowed deeply to them (well, her). 『 Thank you for the honor, Zhang. I have enjoyed my time, 』Joomi responded kindly as she bowed about half as deeply as he did, though noticeably deeper than when she first greeted him. Zhang smiled widely at that and gestured his arm down the hall. 『 Daddy! 』Jeong piped up as he began crawling out of the playhouse, dragging Laohu with him. 『 Can I come, please? Wave bye-bye? 』 Zhang’s eyebrows rose high up in surprise, but he grinned,『 Sure, bud. 』 Joomi quietly hummed in approval as she waited, watching Jeong raise his arms and Zhang effortlessly lift the Tweener into his arms. As the Yamatoan’s hand landed on the sagging, and now distinctly darker, diaper, he gave a chuckle. 『 I’ll get you changed after seeing them off, 』he stated, though sounding more like he was talking to himself than explaining. Jeong nodded, blushing slightly as he wrapped his arms around the Amazon and rested his head on the large shoulder. They walked down the red hallway silently, and Zhang stepped forward to open the door for them. As soon as it opened, it was immediately evident that whatever exchange between Mung and Yoon had already taken place. Mung faced the door, his expression neutral and focused once more, and he turned on his heel and walked immediately towards the car. Meanwhile, Yoon turned to face them and gave a wide smile that sent a chill down Adam’s spine. 『 Sorry to see you go, 』Yoon stated smoothly, bowing her head.『 I hope to see you out more. 』 『 Have a wonderful day, 』Joomi replied gracefully as she inclined her head, and breezed by the much shorter woman, and Adam grinned, enjoying that from his vantage point, he could look over her head. But as his eyes fell to Yoon, his face faltered, and he stared at her, pivoting his head to continue to stare. Something was off. Something was in her eyes… 『 Uh oh! 』Yoon teased as she finally broke eye contact, her smirk remaining as she turned to the Tweener. 『 Did someone make a big stinky? 』 Jeong nodded as his shoulders rose up anxiously, and he turned his red face inward to Zhang. The Yamatoan stared forward at Adam and Joomi for a long moment as Yoon continued to baby-talk his son. Then, as Mung opened the door for them, he quietly said something to Jeong as he tapped his leg. The Tweener looked up, his face still red, but he smiled and waved goodbye. Adam smiled and waved back as Joomi descended into the car. As soon as Mung shut the car door, both Adam and Joomi let out a long sigh.