Born from a comment under a fanart on Reddit, the story captures my view on Adam's ability to capture the hearts of the main trio and the repercussions he has to face for it.
"You know, Adam, I'm basically a god at this point, you know?" — says Kiana, flicking his hair with the tip of her finger. If she wanted, she could flick his head off with the same amount of power.
Adam audibly gulps down.
"...And?"
"And I see everything."
Adam looks up at Kiana, both irritated and scared by her attention to his hair and, well, himself. He felt that, somehow, he'll become bald after this.
"Good for you?.. Could you also, like, stop it?" — the man tries to push Kiana's finger with his hand off his head, but the instant his skin touches her, he feels his honkai irradiation scars flare up, instantly feeling dizzy.
"Oh, but Mei sure loved playing with your hair.", — with intoxicatingly sweet and dark chuckle, Kiana said, — "I'm just trying to figure out why she did that."
Adam, feeling his potential lifespan reducing considerably, lets out a nervous laugh. What do they say? Confess your sins in the face of god and you shall be spared?
"So... You know how it is after, well... It's not the only thing that we d~"
"Yes, Adam, I know. I know." — Kiana's finger presses on his head, as if she were trying to squish a bug, — "What I don't know, is why you get to get to know that, too! How dare you touch my Mei?!"
"Y-you didn't speak?.."
"About you? Hah!" — Kiana pinched Adam's cost between her fingers and raised him to her eye level. What Adam saw in these eyes was horrifyingly beautiful mix of jealousy, anger and curiosity, — "Who are you to intrude on our private time?"
Adam, almost certain that he will not survive this encounter, gulped down his dry saliva, and smiled innocently. "Someone who knows how your girlfriend is in bed".
A long pause followed.
Kiana's gaze traveled along the Adam's body, as if she were trying to understand just what kind of death should she deliver the man — not a painless one, for sure — or if she were trying to guess just where does his unbound, suicidal confidence stems from. She should really talk with Mei. Perhaps something happened then, when they were fighting with World, a few years ago? She saw a glimpse of a reckless figure almost killing himself to save her dear Mei.
Nostalgic, in a way.
Damn. Is that how it is?
"And I know something else about you, Adam. That you value your paychecks more than anything", — says Kiana with an unnatural smile on her lips, — "So let's make a deal".
"What? What kind of deal?" — Adam's ears almost visibly perked up. Come on.
"I'll pay you with your life back. You, in exchange, won't go near Mei ever again."
"I want to negotiate my salary." — as if it wasn't life-or-death situation, Adam crossed his arms. Amusing.
"You don't get to, you fuck." — Kiana said with cold glare. Adam shuddered, yet continued.
"It's not for you to decide, don't you think? Also, she's my superior."
"Adam, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. You either comply and go back to earth or I throw you like a podless helldiver into the atmosphere."
"Oh, you play, too?"
"...Are we clear?"
"You can throw me down however you like, but it won't change the fact that miss Raiden did what she did. And you'll have to talk to her, anyway, so let's decide my fate after you figure out your relationship, no?"
"You are so annoying, have anyone ever told you that?"
"Usually I'm the one who says stuff like that, though."
Kiana sighs, not having mental strength to deal with this irritatingly brazen man any longer, and teleports him back where she took him, accidentally breaking a few bones in the process. Yeah, for sure, accidentally. He should be grateful.
