"Has anyone ever seen Adam angry before?"

The polycule turned and stared at Hazel, who had a perplexed and slightly hurt expression on his face. "I mean like, yelling, stomping, slamming doors, actual argument?"

It was so sudden and out of nowhere, but they all had the same answer. "No."

Connie frowned her confusion. "Wouldn't that be something you'd wanna avoid?"

Hazel looked at Anna curiously. "Is that a red flag?"

She opened her mouth to say of course it wasn't and to drop it but then she hesitated; Was that a red flag? Partners had arguments, and it wasn't like they didn't ever disagree or butt heads. But Anna couldn't think of a single time he'd raised his voice at her, or anyone for that matter, when upset. His definition of yelling was half a step above his normal voice which was already quiet even as it was. It made her think about Adam telling them he struggled to emote really badly sometimes. If that were the case, that he struggled to show anger, didn't that insinuate it had to be being shoved down somewhere where it might just explode out one day? "I dunno..." She mumbled unsurely. "Maybe like a pink flag..."

Steven snorted. "General experience says that might be worse, but that's not our Adam. He's just careful..."

Jacob thought hard, sifting through his memories again. "I don't know. Some people can't feel certain emotions really strong, it's like going numb."

Alex plucked at the carpet as Steven rubbed at his hair. He really liked laying on Steven's lap. "I don't think we should attempt to make him mad at us, not gonna lie."

"No one said that!" Hazel protested quickly. "It's just that sometimes you can be in a building but not through the front door."

He stood and walked off, leaving the rest to ponder that. They could only hope the disconnection between the two didn't last.

Adam turned to see Hazel staring at him again with those brown sad eyes. "Alright, what do we need to talk about?"

"Why don't you ever get actually angry at me?" Hazel blurted. "Sometimes I feel like I don't know what you're feeling and it's scaring me!"

The corner of Adam's lips curled until he was giving him a full on Oh You Sweet Summer Child grin. "Come down to my level with me for a second." He pointed him to sit on the bed so they could be eye to eye.

"Sorry. I was just reading this article about relationships." Hazel met his eyes confidently, but his mask was nothing to Adam. He knew he saw right through it when his grin dropped and eyes narrowed. "You know sometimes I worry."

Adam pulled Hazels head against his chest. "I'm still learning to feel things. Can I say something really sweet?"

Hazel nodded, purring in content at his slender fingers massaging his scalp. "Please."

"When I shut down, more often than not it's because one of you guys did something little that made me feel loved and it overwhelmed me," He admitted quietly. He felt Hazels arms wrap around him and he smiled a bit. "Do you want me to try yelling at you?"

His ebony lover rolled his eyes. "I get it, I'm stupid."

"Stop that," Adam snapped. "I'm serious!"

"Okay, go ahead."

Adam hesitated, glancing around before looking Hazel dead in his eyes. "I don't think I ever have yelled at someone out of anger. But I'm learning I'm quite angry through therapy. Does that make me scary?"

Hazel giggled and pulled him close, wanting to soothe away the genuine fear in his voice. "You're only scary to people who don't know you like to sleep on top of me when Anna's missing."

Adam glared at him but it wasn't angry, it was more a mix of longing and embarrassment. "I don't know what you're talking about."

His boyfriend laughed and laid back down to pat his chest. "Come cuddle." He made the kissy sounds, the "Spspsps", and everything, causing Adam to watch achingly. He teased him like this every time and for some reason it made him a little eager to please. "Adam, come on. I miss you."

"I'm less than six inches from you," He giggled, crawling over top of him and resting on his chest to bury his face in his neck. "Is this what you want? Are you content with me not yelling now?"

Hazel nodded, taking his turn to play with Adam's hair. "By the way, we don't think you're a sociopath that can't feel emotions. You're not allowed to spiral about that."

Adam's face grew hot and he sighed. "I didn't think that."

"So you're blushing because you wanna get your face fucked for lying to me?"

The shorter grinned to himself, a million responses tumbling around his head. "So you got sad I wouldn't yell at you and now you wanna fuck me? Pick a lane."

Hazel rolled to the side and tossed him off. "I just figured out a way to make you mad."

Adam raised his eyebrows. "Be my guest."

"No, not now. Later." Hazel grinned mischievously and leaned over to kiss under Adam's ear. He lit up and they started to kiss, deciding that was far better than a full on argument.

*

The second Adam walked into the commons Hazel lifted him off his feet and cradled him. "I love you!"

"Put me down, you son of a bitch!" He bellowed, wiggling to fall back flat on his feet. He ignored the surprised and mildly amused stares and patted Hazels chest. "I love you too."

Anna shuffled over and put her head on Adam's shoulder. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, too. I'm sorry for yelling at Hazel," He mumbled, embarrassment flushing his cheeks. "Clever plan, stupid idea. I almost hurt him."

She giggled. "Oh, no, he totally deserved it that time. I just wanted you to know we still love you even when you're angry at us."

Connie patted a hand over her heart. "We like your feelings, even the bad ones!"

"Hear, Hear!" Jasmin cried.

"Also, I'm just gonna say it: he looks really fucking fine today, so he'd get a pass card anyways from me," Alex admitted.

Adam grinned and shook his head. "You people are the bane of my existence."

"Okay, Alex," Jacob chuckled. "Can I ask why you don't?"

Adam picked Anna up onto his hip to sway and rock her. "Pick your poison: autistic sensory issues involved with how yelling feels physically, I'm not really completely sure I know how outside of extreme pain or pleasure, or because you guys are my babies and you shouldn't yell at your babies." He kissed Anna's cheek and glanced up at Hazel. "Unless you pick me up, especially out of nowhere. Instantly pisses me off to no end."

Jacob grew a smirk that was trouble incarnate. "I know. But picking you up gives us happy feelings and we like it."

Jasmin swatted at his head. "If he does it you're allowed to Little him."

Steven choked on a laugh that spread. "That's so unbelievably cruel but it sounds adorable so I'm for it."

"So is Adam," Hazel laughed.

The cruel being was currently kissing Anna's forehead over and over, unconcerned with how hard she was flushed. "I dare you to pick me up, Jacob. I've explored hypnosis before with you in particular and am confident in my skill." His eyes flickered to his as he pressed more kisses to Anna's cheek. "You won't have enough sound mind to be embarrassed until it's over."

Jacob tipped his head and raised his eyebrows, curious to no end. He was certain he'd never grow out of pushing buttons for fun whether physically or metaphorically. He raised his arms to entice Anna and she went to him for a kiss before he passed her to Steven.

Adam smirked. "Be my guest, then. Test my conviction."

"You wouldn't dare," Jacob muttered. "I actually don't think you would."

Hazel considered that. "I guess he has threatened me before and hasn't done it."

"But I have done it," Adam reminded him. "Jacob is a perfect candidate, followed by Steven and Jasmin."

Jasmin blushed and huddled up to Steven. "Leave us out of this."

Jacob scooped up Adam and grinned. "Aw, you're so handsome. What's it like to be taller than me?"

He didn't respond with words, opting to lock their lips for a few seconds before murmuring, "You really think I'm kidding?"

Jacob dropped him suddenly, feeling the shift in his tone. "I'm... starting to second guess my ability to know when you're kidding."

"I don't think anyone does," Connie laughed. "I thought he was kidding about spanking for the longest time until he actually did." Her butt actually ached a little at the memory. "But I have my own hypothesis, maybe Jacob wanted you to try. Possibly to fail, but far more likely because secretly—,"

Jacob pivoted and hunted her backwards. "You want another spanking? Could've sworn I just heard you ask."

Connie giggled at his predatory gaze. "You're not disproving anything by spanking me."

"I would be blushing if you caught me," He pointed out.

Alex started cackling the loudest and slid down the cupboards. "You ARE blushing!"

He frowned and pulled out his phone. "Weird. I usually can feel it."

They teased him about it for what felt like eons, and he avoided getting too cuddly like the plague lest someone actually try because his worst fear lay in that itself.

If anyone else tried it, they would undoubtedly fail.

But if Adam tried it? He'd undoubtedly succeed every time without fail.

Adam did eventually corner him late in the evening after Rebecca and River departed and pressed a hand to his cheek. He pulled him closer so his lips brushed against Jacob's ear as he spoke. "I know your secret, and it's safe with me. No one has to know."

Jacob's mouth went dry but Adam just walked away as if he had simply told him he loved him.

He kind of did.