A/N: https://youtu.be/31GVLRI1j_M?si=SQtYREsC2mPCKJkd

It was Anna who noticed it first.

Adam was moody for a really long time. He'd snapped at everyone multiple times, he seemed restless and stressed since they'd pulled back on their band to let new artists come in.

He'd even started punching through walls. One day Adam completely lost it, he got so mad he couldn't speak to respond to Jacob's flirting that he started throwing things. He still went mute sometimes and it embarrassed him so badly. Steven had to bubble him until he calmed down and then he refused to be touched for days. He'd disappeared for three only for the cameras to show he was laying on the roof the entire damn time starving himself.

It happened six more times. Even through therapy he didn't seem to know what was wrong with him either. Maybe he was depressed. He couldn't tell when he could hardly think past the fury under the surface.

When Anna flinched at one of his rampages, he'd backed away as tears sprung to his eyes and didn't return until three in the morning. Anna had pulled him closer and first noticed the smell.

Adam smelled drunk.

It wasn't that he didn't drink often, he did, but this was different. He smelled like he'd been at the gym too, like he was... vigorously working out. But they had a gym in their basement. He didn't like to go to the gym outside of the house. And he was shy too, she'd seen it many times! He was the first one in the shower and to do morning routine like he knew it would be suspicious if they showered together.

Now it was happening so often Hazel and Jacob noticed. She was frustrated, what the hell was he doing? He came back sweaty and sighing with satisfaction. It was sickening, his sex drive had dropped massively too. There was no denying that. Usually he was handsy with whoever, but he was getting to become touch independent.

He'd even started staying out until the next morning and coming home hungover and sick to his stomach. At breakfast. They'd called him out on it and he promised he'd slow down, and he did. But then sometimes he'd disappear for an entire day or so, and come back so exhausted he crashed on the couch.

He had a schedule; most Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays he was gone at random hours of the night, sometimes right at 9pm with an excited chuckle as he checked his phone as if he were talking to someone. Anna caught him smiling at his phone, and when he left Hazel squeezed her. "I see it too," was all he said.

He'd be gone until 2am. Speaking of phones, he changed his passwords and took their faces off the recognition. He was definitely hiding something, and something big. Adam was honest to a fault. Unfortunately that seemed to be over for him.

Anna sank into Connie's arms and she couldn't help her crying. "He's found someone else. He's giggling at his phone, he's coming home sweaty or showering right away, he won't even let me play on his phone anymore."

She shushed and rocked her, but Anna could hear her crying too. "We don't know anything. We have to trust he wouldn't."

Jacob drew in a shaky breath and then another. "I'm so hurt I don't know how I'll ever recover."

Jasmin squeezed his hand. He slumped over onto her lap and buried his face to try and compose himself. "You know how much he loves us, guys. He's probably just... doing goth things like raising wolves or feeding crows."

Alex nodded shakily. "Yeah he's probably just having blood binges like a lil vampire. It's probably nothing."

Steven was holding Hazel in his arms while he went through every stage of grief in his tears. "I refuse to believe it until I see it. We should follow him out one time."

The rest of the day with him they were depressed, and Adam seemed confused and even concerned about where the "random behavior" had come from.

Hazel wanted to curl up into a ball and die. He was so suicidal and as hard as he tried during therapy that day to work it out into a less toxic form of self loathing, he was just so broken. This had all come about so suddenly. His own husband, cheating four years after their marriage. How could he have failed so badly? Had he pushed him away? At the very least he would've felt better if Jacob was sneaking out with him, he could get over that but this wasn't that. It just wasn't fair.

Anna could barely eat, and had almost revealed through a stand off that they all knew he was cheating. He was coming back home with random bruises by then, she could hardly stand it. He was so much more distant than she'd ever seen him, it frightened her and made her want to scream at him.

Jacob hardly spoke. No matter the amount of sleep he'd gotten he would nod off at random times. He started making himself sick again by smoking too much weed, and Jasmin had found multiple nicotine vapes stashed around the house. He was fiending for it so badly he started to get frustrated easily too. He was barely holding the pieces of himself together, but he couldn't help but be liquid whenever Adam touched him for fear he'd never have that touch again.

Jasmin got her first single kiss from him and as soon as he was gone, broke down. It hurt her feelings, it was like he didn't love her anymore. Steven had come to swoop her in his arms and rock her. "I was being nosy. Now I regret it. Come here, Jazzy."

The next time Adam disappeared, they woke up just after him as Jacob pulled out his phone. "The tag is working, he turned left."

The car ride was miserable and silent. Most were fidgeting but there was nothing to say. They tried not to feel betrayal as best they could, and at Jacob's direction after 20 minutes they found where he was sneaking out to so often.

Jasmin wrinkled her nose. "The Closet? Isn't this that problematic queer club?"

Steven pulled his hair into a messy bun. "Good thing I told you guys to dress like sluts, huh?"

Connie glanced down at her liberal cleavage. "Smart boy."

"I figured it had to be a gay bar, but that doesn't sound like him anymore," Steven mused softly as they watched him get out of his car and get ushered into the back. "Adam is a club kind of man."

Hazel sat up and gasped. "Wait, we've gotta go in."

Jacob nodded. "I've got a gut feeling, and if Hazel has the same one we've gotta go for it."

Security was tight. Even explaining who they were they got little leniency. TiBNAALD hadn't come out with an album for a six months though they had another two lined up, but with their ID's being a modified government ID from Steven's diplomatic immunity, they were quickly let in.

Jasmin had to actually scream to be heard over the hundreds of people. "Okay, now what?!"

Hazel looked around at all the tiny little people and shrugged helplessly. "It's a party for ants?" Connie swatted him playfully and he interlaced his free hand with hers.

Jacob did a full 360. "We have to think like Adam! He'd hate this! We've gotta find a corner or something!"

Anna gasped. "Oh! Up near the DJ booth it's always pretty scarce because of the walls. People just lean against them and watch!"

Alex gripped Jacob's hand harder. "Okay...! Just so you guys know I'm facing a very big fear over a cheating accusation that's now clearly not happening!"

Jacob pulled him closer and kissed over his cheeks. "If you leave my sight—,"

Alex cupped a hand over his ear as they pushed toward the stage. "What?!"

"I SAID IF YOU LEAVE MY SIGHT, I WILL START GUNNING DOWN STRANGERS TO FIND YOU!" He bellowed as his hands pulled him by his jean loops to press against him.

Alex nuzzled into his cheek, loving the protective vibe that was pulsing off of him in waves. "Thank you, Daddy."

"Hello, everyone, and welcome back to your worst nightmare, the place where all of who you are comes to light, welcome back..."

They swiveled their heads as the lights started flashing rainbow colors and fog machines billowed massive clouds near the DJ booth.

A figure could be seen behind the smoke and Hazels jaw dropped. "Oh my stars."

Adam burst through the fog and pumped a fist in the air shouting, "Welcome back to The fucking Closet!" His hand went to his throat as the crowds cheered and he smiled, lowering his voice again to what his polycule was used to. "No more yelling. How are you guys tonight?" He paused and chuckled at their enthusiasm. "I don't know what you said but I'm just gonna say that's fucking metal! My day was... interesting." He glanced to the side and tipped his head like he was considering revealing more. "My polycule is sad, but you know what I'm saving for!"

The response was so loud they couldn't even hear what they said. They exchanged shocked glances, most confused but some annoyed. What the hell was he hiding this for? Why worry them so much?

"We're gonna start with my all time favorite, if I don't see you dancing you're insulting my queerness!" He wagged a finger and the lights shut off, made more exciting only by the squeals of the audience.

Of course Everything Black (sang by Heaven in an attempt to woo him) would be his starter, that's how they'd know he was manning the stations. But even Alex was in awe of the way he managed to remix and play with the lights. Instead of using the colors to flash to the beat, he used the opposite. Every time the word 'black' was sung the lights completely shut off, but soon another song was faintly playing under it and as he mixed the beats it faded away into his next track.

They couldn't believe it. Adam was DJ'ing at an awesome, loud, ultra queer nightclub not 20 miles from their houses. Not only that but he was dancing, grinning from ear to ear and bouncing along with the music. He was hyping up the crowd even as soft spoken as he was, with an occasional whoop of pure energetic release.

He'd never looked more handsome, more free or more happy. It started to make their annoyance turn to hurt. Why would he hide this side of himself?

Anna tugged them all to the bar and handed them her card. "Let's see how long it takes for him to realize we're here. Let's get fucked up!"

Hazel smirked. "I guess I'm sort of less upset, so let's fucking do it."

They had three back to back shots, and two cocktails each and by the time they realized the music was changing to repeated back to back hits from their band, they were so drunk and having so much fun it took them a moment to congregate in the middle.

Jacob was red faced and pumped to the very fullest extreme. "This place is awesome!"

Connie cheered as Steven swept her off her feet. "I know! Kinky and queer people like us! No one is being weird!"

"Hold on, folks." The music lowered and the crowd started chanting loudly. "Let's give the asthmatics a second to breathe, take their inhalers, etcetera."

A massive bear of a man came out behind Adam to slap his back with his own mic. "Hello, darlings. How is our DJ Wolf Daddy doing so far?"

"Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

Adam giggled and playfully shoved at the man. "What have I told you guys about calling me Daddy when I already have dynamics with other people?" Adam turned his head to look right at his polycule but must not have been able to see them through the flashing lights. He looked disappointed, then shook it off disturbingly fast. "Speaking of my polycule, Bear says I can play my most recent track." He smiled with a tinge of melancholy. "This next one's for them," He murmured into the mic, barely being able to be heard. "I wrote and composed it myself. Enjoy."

Steven got goosebumps immediately, it was EDM if he'd ever heard it, one of his favorite genres of music of all time if he had favorites. It was magic incarnate, he felt his gem responding in the most dramatic way.

His polycule huddled together, no longer dancing, entranced by the man onstage crying tears of joy as his arms raised.

"Only takes one moment to believe it
Won't trade it for the world
Nothing quite compares to this feeling
Not even fame or fortune

No, I won't take nothing for granted
Holding on to what we can
Always finding myself here again and again
Cause I came for love

I came for love, I came for love
I came for love, I came for love
I came for love, I came for love
Searching all this time and more
That's why I came out here for, I

I came for love, I came for love
So don't you mind me
I gave it all, I gave it all
So don't deny me
I came for love, I came for love
And I've been searching all this time and more
That's why I came out here for,"

He was bouncing along with the crowd and visibly crying. But the centerpiece was a huge smile, and different sections of the song had their color coded lights; red, blues, rainbow, pink, yellow, green, and cyan lights were blindingly bright and intentional. It struck them right in their hearts. Adam was loving them so hard from afar.

This was the furthest thing from cheating he could've possibly been doing.

When the song finished, he bowed and Bear replaced him after a short hug. He took off toward the bar, sat down and ordered four shots. For himself. At the same time.

They edged closer, suddenly worried as he downed them all and wrapped his arms around himself. The bartender stopped and started trying to cheer him up, but he seemed inconsolable. "I was going to tell them to come tonight, but I'm so afraid—,"

He took a sharp breath looking into the mirror behind the bar and swiveled to collapse into Hazels arms. "H-how?
Where—?" He pulled away and buried his face in his hands. "Let me have it outside. I have a reputation here."

Anna marched him out by his ear anyways. The second they got outside she bunted against his chest and purred. "If you ever pull another stunt like that I'll... I don't even know."

He was still crying gently but wiped some of his tears off to glance at them. "I can't begin to hope you missed my single."

Steven burst into tears and looked up at the stars to compose himself. "It's your best one. Above Code Mistake, above Neon Tide—," He choked up harder and sat on the ground. "Fuck, man. We were so scared you were cheating..."

He sucked in a breath and eyed Jacob and Hazel both side by side refusing to look at him. "It never has ever crossed my mind to cheat. I'm... didn't you hear the song?"

Jacob started sobbing and walked off. "Ugh, give me a minute."

"Why would you hide this?!" Hazel erupted angrily. "Why would I not want to see my husband so happy and so different but still my husband? You were so beautiful! And then you come back home distant like you don't care about any of us anymore!" He dissolved into tears too and melted into Adam's arms, then to his knees. "Please stop doing things like this. Not this extreme. Just tell us things even if you're shy and embarrassed. I want you to keep doing this but I have to trust you!"

Adam leaned down and grabbed his face. "I don't want you to see this as an excuse, I need you to listen to my side of the story."

They nodded and he sighed. "The outbursts were getting out of hand and I was afraid you guys didn't love me anymore. You guys started acting afraid of me first. I needed someone to understand that sometimes we just get angry for no reason. I didn't know what was wrong with me. I needed music," His voice fell off into a sniffle and his eyes welled up. "I used to not understand Steven when he said he was in love with it but I was so miserable without having music to make it just started destroying me. I fell in love with music and I didn't even know it. I'm so autistic, it's just not always visible—,"

"No," Connie interrupted gently. "It kind of is."

He chuckled and snuffled hard. "Fair. But if you guys aren't upfront and clear about things, I don't understand what you need when I'm so in my head. I needed something to do. And you guys were acting sad and distant. I thought you were gearing up to kick me out and divorce me because no one bothered to ask me where I was going. I would have told you I was auditioning to be a DJ. I felt like no one cared and I just kind of fell into that mindset of being Jezibel and no one caring if I came or went. I..." He went mute again. His eyes shut in disappointment and he started to sob. His words wouldn't come anymore, no wonder he was talking so quickly. He was so frustrated.

Steven finally returned his eyes to Adam. "Okay, so a minor fuck up can be avoided if we communicate with each other and we fell off of it in fear of being right about you cheating."

"I just have one question," Jasmin demanded. "Where are the bruises coming from?"

Adam started to sign, then pulled at his hair. He couldn't speak, but he could use his phone to type it out,

'Check your bodies'

Alex raised his eyebrows. "When did I get this bruise?!"

Connie frowned at one on her hip. "Yeah... No, this was totally from being crammed in a tight space dancing. Being elbowed, and kneed." She surged forward and hugged him tight. "We love you Daddy. We're afraid to lose you. We cried all the time."

He sighed and slumped. There was nothing he could say, but maybe someone would know sign language nearby. In fact...

He tapped her hip and she let go. He walked up to the bouncer and signed something to him. He brightened and walked over to introduce himself. "Hello, my name is Jordan. I'll be your interpreter today."

Jasmin held up a finger and went to pick Jacob up off the ground. He'd just stopped, laid down and stared up at the stars to calm himself. He was a space junkie, he adored the beyond. "Okay, all present and accounted for." 

Adam signed rapidly, lips mouthing the words silently as he relayed what he had to say.

Jordan gave him a sympathetic look and patted his shoulder. "He says you guys have every right to say this is it and you've had it. He's... tired of dealing with himself too."

Jacob groaned. "The fucking idiot doesn't know he could cheat on me again and again and I'd still stay. I hate it, but it's the truth. Just... as long as you aren't we don't have to have that conversation. You're not gonna push us away." He grabbed Anna and Hazels hands and the rest gathered to circle around him. "Polycule hug."

Adam shook his head quickly but was surrounded by a tight squeeze that made him laugh audibly. "Ow."

"I'll learn sign language," Hazel promised. "We'll all take classes."

Adam nodded and sighed in relief, straining for his hands to sign again as Jordan dabbed at his eyes. "He says he won't ever love anyone like he loves you guys. He wants you to hear the song again, at home."

Anna pulled back and sniffled. "Ugh! If I had known The Closet wasn't problematic as it used to be I'd have been here every night to cheer you on! I'm so mad!"

He kissed her and planted his chin on her shoulder to give them tired, depressed eyes.

Adam started going every other week with the same schedule, and in the afternoon when he woke up he made an effort to meditate with Steven. Often fused as Pluto, he'd find an inner peace and be able to continue the day without a rage coming to life in him.

Six months later, they dragged him down the stairs and into the recording studio to beg him to make them more love songs. I Came For Love sat on the very top of their most listened to songs ever, and Adam delivered happily to have his first ever solo album put together and released.

He cried as the numbers reached higher and higher. Eventually he pushed his DJ'ing to four days every month to prepare for something else to keep him occupied.

Children.