‘NOPE NOPE NOPE NOOOOPE NOPE Nope nOpe NoPe NopE No no nu-uh no’

It had to be the neck. Of course, it had to be the neck. I’m not sure what prompted it but Shiro decided to hug me from behind laying one of his arms across my neck.

“Eh? What do you think you’re doing?” Let go, just let go, please just let go. I grabbed his arm. “That’s what she meant by clingy…” Despite the apparent discomfort, he was perhaps too oblivious to notice. He didn’t even notice my nails digging into his arm. “So, are you going to let go or…?” the warning fell on deaf ears, he seemed to be lost in his own world. “I didn’t think so.” I tightened my grip on his arm and flipped him over my shoulder.

He looked confused at first but seemed to get the picture sooner than I expected.

Since I now had his undivided attention I figured I ought to explain myself. I talked in more general terms, rather than going into detail on my own issues and anxieties.

“So now do you understand why personal space is important?”

“Yes.” He smiled still laying on the floor. “Because Orion’s lectures are long and boring!” I glared at him. He had every intent to be sassy about this. “Kidding! I’m kidding!” I hovered my foot over his face threateningly. “It was just a joke, honest.” He said pushing my foot out of the way to try making eye contact, he looked serious enough so I placed my foot back down and helped him up. I quickly came to regret this as he decided to hug me the exact same way in apology, “I’m sorry!”

“I don’t think you’ve learned anything.” I scowled in agitation. At first, I thought there would be no way to ‘fix’ this ‘situation’ without having a panic attack, but then it came to me. “Am I gunna have’ta call Freyaa?” Shiro quickly recoiled and stepped back. I really didn’t want to do this.

“N-no… Please don’t.” He fidgeted with his hands a bit, as if actively forcing to keep his hands to himself.

“I thought the whole five-year-old thing was just because you’re a Falon, but you sure do behave like one.” I taunted, hoping to reveal whether or not he was being willfully ignorant or that he honestly didn’t know better.

“It’s not like that.” He sighed. “██ ███… ██ ███ █ ██- ██ █████-.. █████ █ ████- █ ███- ██, uh, never mind that.” He shook his head in frustration. “Look, I might be childish, but I’m not a child, alright?”

I just stood there for a moment processing. I was about to start walking again but I suddenly remembered. “Before we get going I need you to follow directions. You are not to touch anything in my lab. Do you understand?”

Shiro appeared to have been listening, but as soon as he realized I was waiting for a response he just smiled and said, “You have pretty eyes.”

“Are you even listening to me?” I furrowed my eyebrows glaring at him.

“I’m sorry, what were you saying?” He gave me an apologetic expression in return.

“DO. NOT. TOUCH. ANYTHING.” I said in the most commanding voice I could muster as I pulled at a grip-full of his hair to ensure he was actually listening this time.

“Got it. G-got it.” He winced a little.

“We are entering a BSL-2 lab, you are trained for that sort of thing, yes?”

“Of course. █ ████ ███ █ ████ ███ █ ██ ███ ████ █ ███ ██ ███. ███ ███ ██ ███ ██████ █.”

“Oh. That makes sense.” I nodded relieved that if nothing else I could trust him inside the lab room.