Adrian started noticing it more.
Not the memories.
Not the dreams.
His reactions.
The small things.
Things that didn't make sense unless he thought about them too much.
And he didn't like thinking about them too much.
—
It started in the morning.
Nothing unusual at first.
He woke up in his own room this time, got dressed, and went downstairs like normal.
The house was already awake. Voices came from the dining room, and the smell of food filled the hallway.
Adrian walked in and sat down beside Alessio again.
It was becoming a habit.
No one pointed it out anymore.
That helped.
He reached for a glass of juice, but just as his fingers touched it—
A loud sound came from the kitchen.
Something dropped.
It wasn't even that loud.
But Adrian flinched.
Hard.
The glass slipped slightly in his hand.
He caught it before it fell, but his grip stayed tight for a few seconds longer than necessary.
The table went quiet for a moment.
Not completely silent.
Just enough for people to notice.
Adrian slowly relaxed his hand and placed the glass back down.
"…It's nothing," he said quickly, even though no one had asked.
Alessio looked at him.
Marco did too.
But neither of them said anything right away.
A staff member walked in from the kitchen.
"Sorry," she said. "Something fell."
Dante waved it off. "It's fine."
The moment passed.
Conversation picked up again.
But Adrian didn't reach for the glass immediately.
He waited.
Then picked it up again like nothing had happened.
—
The ride to school was quiet.
Not uncomfortable.
Just quiet.
Adrian leaned back in his seat, looking out the window.
He knew Alessio was watching him.
He could feel it.
"…I heard it," Adrian said without looking at him.
Alessio didn't pretend not to understand.
"I know."
"It wasn't loud," Adrian added.
"I know."
Adrian finally turned his head.
"…Then why did I react like that?"
Alessio didn't answer immediately.
He thought about it first.
"Because your body remembers things your mind doesn't," he said.
Adrian frowned slightly.
"That doesn't make sense."
"It does," Alessio replied. "You just don't like it."
Adrian looked away again.
"…Yeah."
That was true.
—
At school, Adrian tried not to think about it.
He focused on class.
On reading.
On writing.
But the feeling stayed in the background.
Like something waiting.
During one lesson, a chair scraped loudly against the floor.
Again, not a big sound.
But Adrian's shoulders tensed.
He didn't flinch this time.
Not as obvious.
But he felt it.
The reaction.
The quick tension.
The way his body prepared for something that wasn't coming.
He forced himself to stay still.
"…It's fine," he told himself quietly.
And after a few seconds, it was.
But he noticed.
And once he noticed, he couldn't ignore it anymore.
—
At lunch, he brought it up again.
Not directly.
But enough.
"…Do you ever react to things for no reason?" Adrian asked, picking at his food.
Alessio looked at him.
"…Sometimes."
Adrian nodded.
"…It's annoying."
Alessio almost smiled.
"Yeah."
Adrian glanced at him.
"…You know why I'm asking."
"Yeah."
Adrian sighed slightly.
"…I don't like it."
Alessio leaned back.
"You don't have to like it."
"That's not helpful."
"I'm not trying to be helpful," Alessio said. "I'm being honest."
Adrian didn't reply to that.
He just ate in silence for a bit.
Then he said, "…I don't want to react like that anymore."
Alessio looked at him.
"You won't always."
Adrian frowned.
"…When does it stop?"
Alessio shrugged slightly.
"I don't know."
Adrian didn't like that answer.
But he didn't push for another one.
—
After school, Adrian walked slower than usual.
Not because he was tired.
He was thinking.
About what Alessio said.
About what he felt.
About the fact that his body reacted before he even understood why.
It didn't feel like control.
And Adrian didn't like not having control.
When they reached the car, he stopped for a second before getting in.
Alessio noticed.
"What?"
Adrian hesitated.
"…If something loud happens again, what should I do?"
Alessio leaned against the car slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean… should I just ignore it?"
Alessio thought for a moment.
"No."
Adrian frowned.
"Then what?"
Alessio answered simply.
"Notice it. Then remind yourself you're safe."
Adrian stared at him.
"…That's it?"
"That's it."
Adrian got into the car without saying anything else.
But he remembered it.
—
Back at the mansion, things were calm.
Too calm.
Adrian didn't go to his room this time.
He stayed downstairs again.
Nico was watching something on TV.
Dante was on his phone.
Marco was reading.
Adrian sat on the couch, trying to relax.
For a while, nothing happened.
Then—
A loud bang echoed from somewhere outside.
Maybe a door.
Maybe something falling.
Adrian didn't know.
But his body reacted instantly.
His shoulders tensed.
His hands clenched slightly.
His breath caught.
He almost stood up—
Then stopped.
Alessio's words came back.
Notice it. Then remind yourself you're safe.
Adrian stayed where he was.
His breathing was uneven for a second.
Then he forced himself to think.
"…I'm here," he said quietly under his breath.
He looked around.
The living room.
The lights.
His brothers.
No one was panicking.
No one was reacting like something bad had happened.
"…I'm safe," he added.
It felt strange to say it.
But after a few seconds—
His body started to relax.
Slowly.
Not all at once.
But enough.
Nico glanced at him.
"You good?"
Adrian nodded.
"…Yeah."
Dante looked over.
"You sure?"
Adrian hesitated.
Then nodded again.
"Yeah. I'm fine."
Marco didn't say anything.
But he had noticed.
And the fact that Adrian didn't leave the room—
That mattered.
—
Later that evening, Adrian sat at the dining table doing his homework.
Alessio sat across from him.
For once, Adrian wasn't struggling as much with reading.
He still moved slowly.
But he didn't stop as often.
"You're getting faster," Alessio said.
Adrian didn't look up.
"…I'm trying."
"That's obvious."
Adrian paused for a second.
Then said, "…I didn't leave earlier."
Alessio knew what he meant.
"Yeah."
Adrian looked up this time.
"…I wanted to."
"But you didn't."
Adrian nodded.
"…I remembered what you said."
Alessio leaned back slightly.
"Good."
Adrian looked back down at his work.
"…It helped."
Alessio didn't make a big deal out of it.
He just said, "I know."
—
That night, Adrian didn't feel as tense going to bed.
He still thought about the reactions.
Still thought about the memories.
But something had changed.
Not everything.
Just a small part.
He had control.
Not complete control.
But some.
And that made a difference.
He lay down and stared at the ceiling for a while.
"…I can handle it," he said quietly.
It wasn't confidence.
Not fully.
But it wasn't doubt either.
Just something in between.
And for now—
That was enough.