Chapter 6: A New Home and a New Family
The small, two-story house wasn't much, not compared to the sprawling, hyper-modern apartment Adam had called home in his old life. But to the 14-year-old boy, fresh from the cold, institutional walls of the Hawkins Children's Home, it was a palace. It smelled of fresh paint and new wood, a stark contrast to the stale, dusty scent of the orphanage. The living room, with its plush, secondhand couch and a clunky television set, was a testament to his new, hard-won freedom. The kitchen, with its avocado-green appliances and Formica countertops, was a vibrant, cheerful space. It was his. All his.
"Who knew a little blackmail and a hefty trust fund could buy you a life? I'm living the American dream, 80s style. Complete with the horrible fashion and the constant threat of interdimensional monsters. It's almost perfect. Almost. Because, let's be real, a bachelor pad in the Upside Down adjacent territory isn't exactly the kind of retirement plan I had in mind."
His internal monologue, a constant companion since his transmigration, was a mix of self-congratulation and dry cynicism. He had done it. He had a home. He had a family, in a way. The paper-thin legal bond with Mr. Abernathy was a farce, a necessary evil, but it was enough to give him legitimacy. The trust fund he'd established gave him a buffer, a safety net that he'd never had before. He was finally a survivor, not a victim. He could breathe. He could plan. He could, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, simply be. The lingering scent of the orphanage, a mix of antiseptic and despair, was slowly fading from his clothes, replaced by the faint, comforting aroma of his own existence in this new, strange world. The silence of the house was a luxury, a vast emptiness that he could fill with his own thoughts, his own plans, his own small, defiant acts of normalcy.
The System, in its usual detached way, confirmed his progress. Its holographic text shimmered into his mind's eye, cold and factual.
[SUB-MISSION: ACQUIRE A GUARDIAN AND FUNDS][STATUS: COMPLETED][LEVEL UP: 1][NEW MISSION: BUILD A NEW FAMILY][STATUS: ACTIVE]
"Build a new family. Seriously? The System thinks I'm a Sim? Does it want me to get a dog and a white picket fence too? Maybe a tragic backstory for the dog? Fine. I guess a family is a good thing to have when the apocalypse rolls around. Which, knowing this place, is probably on Tuesday. And by Tuesday, I mean, like, next Tuesday, because the universe seems to have a flair for dramatic timing."
He spent the first week in a state of suspended animation, a strange, surreal blend of relief and paranoia. The mundane tasks of setting up a household felt oddly profound. He bought clothes that didn't smell of mothballs, the stiff new denim and brightly colored t-shirts a stark contrast to the worn, anonymous garments of the orphanage. He filled his fridge with food that wasn't mystery meat, the vibrant colors of fresh fruit and the promise of a homemade meal a small victory. He bought a new record player, the crackle of vinyl a comforting soundtrack to his quiet evenings. He just… existed. It was a luxury he'd never had, a quiet moment of peace before the storm. He knew, with a chilling certainty that settled deep in his bones, that the calm wouldn't last. The calendar on his wall, a garish thing with a picture of a kitten chasing a ball of yarn, reminded him every day. Late October, 1984. The beginning of Season 2. The beginning of the end. The subtle shift in the air, the way the shadows seemed a little too long, a little too deep, whispered of impending doom.
His first visitor burst through the quiet like a joyful, toothy explosion. It was Dustin Henderson. He knocked on the door with a frantic, enthusiastic energy that could only belong to him, a rapid-fire series of thumps that vibrated through the floorboards. Adam opened the door, and the boy, with his trademark curly hair bouncing and a missing front tooth creating a charming gap, was a whirlwind of exuberant energy. He stood on the porch, a wide, genuine grin splitting his face, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and awe.
"Adam! Dude! I can't believe you have your own place! It's so cool!" Dustin exclaimed, his voice a mix of awe and unbridled excitement, practically vibrating with it. He practically ricocheted inside, his eyes wide as he took in the small house, his head swiveling from side to side like a human periscope. "It's like... a bachelor pad! I mean, a kid bachelor pad. This is awesome! You've got a real living room! And a kitchen! I bet you can even make your own Eggos!"
Adam just smiled. It was a genuine smile, a rare thing for him, a softening of the pragmatic lines that usually framed his mouth. He was a master of masks, a manipulator, a cynical survivor, but with Dustin, he felt a strange, unfamiliar sense of comfort. A sense of a genuine, human connection that resonated deep within his transmogrified soul. "Thanks, Dustin. It's not much, but it's home. And no, I haven't mastered the art of the Eggo just yet. Still working on basic toast."
"Not much? Dude, it's a whole house! I live with my mom, and she's always, like, 'Dustin, clean your room!' or 'Dustin, stop playing D&D and do your homework!' You get to do whatever you want! No parents! No rules! Well, okay, maybe some rules. But not mom rules!" Dustin threw his arms wide, encompassing the entire space with an almost theatrical flourish. "You're living the dream, man! The unsupervised, D&D-fueled, no-chores dream!"
Adam chuckled, the sound a low, rumbling vibration in his chest. "Yeah, well, I still have to do my homework. I have a guardian now, a lawyer, and he's a real stickler for rules. Says I have to, quote, 'maintain a respectable academic standing to uphold the terms of my unique arrangement.' Fancy words for 'don't screw up.' But yeah, no one's telling me to clean my room, which is a definite perk." He leaned against the doorframe, watching Dustin explore, a strange warmth spreading through him. It was a foreign sensation, this feeling of camaraderie, of being seen not as a threat or a mark, but as a friend.
Dustin spent the entire weekend at Adam's place, a whirlwind of boundless energy and unadulterated enthusiasm. They played D&D for hours, their voices rising and falling in dramatic crescendos as they battled imaginary monsters and navigated treacherous dungeons. Adam, drawing on his decades of gaming experience, proved to be an unexpectedly skilled Dungeon Master, weaving intricate narratives that captivated Dustin. They watched old horror movies on the clunky television, the grainy images and exaggerated screams filling the quiet house with a comforting ambiance. They ate way too much pizza, the greasy cardboard boxes piling up in a testament to their indulgence. Adam, the cold, pragmatic survivor, found himself enjoying it. Truly enjoying it. He was a kid again, in a way. He was an adult in a child's body, yes, but he was also, unexpectedly, a child in a child's body, a strange and wonderful paradox that defied all logic. He found himself laughing at Dustin's jokes, marveling at his boundless energy, and feeling a strange, unfamiliar sense of protectiveness over him, a nascent familial bond forming in the unlikeliest of circumstances.
"I'm not a hero. I'm a survivor. But I guess a survivor can have a little brother. A very, very loud, very, very nerdy little brother. And maybe, just maybe, that's not such a bad thing after all. Who knew the apocalypse would come with built-in emotional support?"
He was building a foundation. A home. A family. And for the first time since his jarring transmigration, he felt a flicker of hope. A small, but incandescently bright, flicker in the impending darkness. He knew the threats were coming, the monsters were real, lurking in the shadows, waiting to claw their way into his newly constructed life, but he wasn't alone. He had a family now. A family he would protect, no matter the cost, no matter the sacrifice. The thought, once a cynical calculation, now carried a weight of genuine emotion.
Love [Stranger Things I Control Pheromones]? Unlock More Chapters and Support the Story!
Dive deeper into the world of [Stranger Things I Control Pheromones] with exclusive access to 35+ chapters on my Patreon, plus 5 new chapters every week! Your support starting at just $5/month helps me keep crafting the stories you love across epic universes like [Grimm, Teen Wolf ,MCU and Arrowverse].
By joining, you're not just getting more chapters—you're helping me bring new worlds, twists, and adventures to life. Every pledge makes a huge difference!
👉 Join now at patreon.com/TheFinex5 and start reading today!