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"Silver, I-"  

But before he can say a word, Silver, quickly stopped him once again as her instinct as a woman screams told her to. 

"The reason why I think our relationship can work out... In fact, it wouldn't be wrong to say we are a match made in heaven."   

"Hmm, what's that?" Carl asked with genuine curiosity.          

"Let just say... I'm confident I can live without sex for the rest of my life. 

"I'm not saying this just so I can be with you, this is the truth. I truly believe our relationship can work, that our future marriage will last for eternity. I'm sure." Said Silver with confidence as she have already checked long ago when she was introduced to the concept of procreation. 

She, just like many children who are in puberty, was curious about sex, thus the safest and easiest way to know more about it was through porn which is actually a horrible way to learn about sex as many porn myths are thought to be fact because people take porn as real-life experience. 

Silver's, just like Carl's upbringings are typically conservative, to a reasonable degree depending on how you see it and who you ask. 

The last thing nobles want are multiple bastard grandchildren all over the world or their daughter to bear a child who doesn't know the name of the child's father. 

Nobles care more about their reputation more so than normal people, not because they are arrogant people, well that too to some certain noble but also because they are constantly in the spotlight, unlike normal people.  

But this is the 21st Century. You will have easier access to pornographic material than people living a century ago or longer. And Silver or Carl parents aren't too conservative nor are they controlling that the word sex is prohibited inside their household. 

After all, Silver mother teach her about the concept of sex herself. And she did not hold back. Much to Silver dismay, wishing to dig a grave and die in it. 

When she finally have her hands on pornographic material or rather have access to a porn website link, she didn't understand what was so interesting about sex. She finds kiss scenes in a romantic movie more appealing if she were to be sincerely.

When Carl heard from Silver that she can live without sex. The first thing that came into his mind was her being asexual. 

An asexual is a person who doesn't have a sexual attraction to other people, whether people of opposite gender or same gender. Generally, every asexual person is different compared to other asexual, thus they are more of a spectrum.  

"Are you perhaps asexual?" Carl asked without consideration, perhaps a mistake on his part.  

"I- have no idea what is that..." Said Silver with slight nervousness hinted in her voice.  

"She doesn't know what asexuality is?" Carl thought to herself. 

Which was understandable when he thought about it, school generally doesn't teach the student about sexuality, at best school merely teach the student about the concept of sex, they are lucky if the school teach them how to use a condom. 

Children will be fortunate if their parents give them a proper talk about the bees and the bird. The concept of sexual orientation is still somewhat new in the early 21st century, at least to the mass public.  

The average western society has yet to accept homosexuality when compare to the future in ten or twenty years. Most people don't even know asexuality is a thing. 

The only reason Carl know about asexuality is that the knowledge he receives from his past life, and even then he or rather his former self barely understand the concept and seem to have a misunderstand it, so Carl have to check it on the internet to see if it is accurate or not, which is something Carl does a lot with the knowledge he receives from his past life. 

This is why Carl will be the one who will explain the basic definition of asexuality to Silver, as much as to his discomfort. He even explains to her other common sexual orientation such as bisexual, heterosexual and homosexual just to have a clear understanding of what asexual is really about. 

Carl feels like someone has to explain to her, so she knows whether or not she is truly asexual right now if not the near future, even if it has to be her eight-year cousin to explain it. 

After some amount of time explaining, the only thing that came from Silver was her reluctant acceptance of her sexuality, "I guess... I'm asexual."

During Carl explanation, he notice she was becoming more and more worried, but now it was more obvious than before. "Silver... You seem anxious. What's wrong?" 

"I..." She was unable to finish what she said even after giving her a few seconds to finish.      

Carl wanted to finish her question by himself but he didn't, but for now, he wanted her to tell him the reason by herself, so he patiently wait instead.  

It wasn't long ago their bodies stuck to each other like glue. Minutes ago her hand were still holding onto his... Now they are completely separated. Her body is fidgeting and her eyes were looking everywhere but his. 

Obviously, such body language wasn't something that Carl failed to notice even if he is legally blind because of his low DEX. 

So he did his best to calm her down. He gently grabbed both of her hands and caress them with his thumb, and it seems to work.  

"...You know..." Carl began to have an inner speech to no one but himself. "I'm pretty because this 'simple' affectionate act is one of many reasons that Silver sees me as the opposite sex." 

Carl knows he should stop doing this type of activity when he is planning to reject her love.

One could reason that such physical intimacy is possible within a platonic relationship, but he doesn't believe in that, maybe if he has an average face, but not with this pretty face of his and certainly not with Silver, as he isn't confident that she can ever see him as a "friend". And he isn't comfortable with platonic relationships with this level of physical intimacy, mostly when you become older as you become more conscious of the opposite sex. Especially if his future lover has such a relationship with a man. That is if he can get married in the first place, which he doubts.

But he just can't help doing it with Silver and he knows that's a horrible excuse when Silver will bound to get hurt when she gets rejected by him. 

Carl enjoys physical intimacy as much as Silver does. "This is probably the last time I can do it to her so I might as well enjoy the moment while calming Silver." Thought Carl. 

Carl doesn't know how long has he been caressing her hand but it was enough for her face to go red when he look at her face.  

He can't help but crack a smile at her sight, he patiently tells Silver, "I can wait", again.  

That smile was enough to bring back some sense to her mind. And his comment was enough to remind her what was it they talking about. 

"Umm... Do you- Is it... Is being asexual normal?"  

Carl didn't stop stroking Silver hardened knuckles and her callused palm, no doubt from her martial arts training. He look at her in the eyes and said. "Everybody is different. Being different isn't necessarily a bad thing. Asexual is just that, sexuality."  

"Silver, no matter there's nothing that can make me dislike you when you did nothing wrong in the first place, even if the rest of the world sees asexuality as a curse- for whatever reason, I can't and never will be able to hate you for it." There was obvious relief in Silver expression but he didn't stop.  

"Silver..." Carl called her name once more. "Do you really not trust me, that I won't hurt you?" Carl asks as he lowers his head and shortens the distance between their face so she won't be able to avoid looking at him in the eyes.  

It sounds like he is upset at her for not fully trusting in him in the beginning but he is really not mad, not even a bit.  

Carl is genuinely happy enough with the fact that Silver fully trusts him for his word alone, even if she has to ask multiple times.  

"Are you afraid that I will dislike you for being different and not normal?" Carl asks as he emphasizes the word "normal" by making an air quote gesture with one of his hands as his other hand stopped caressing Silver hand.   

"Do you not trust me?" Carl playfully questions her once more as he exaggerates my upset expression. He even pouts excessively to show her he is just playing around.   

If this was Cartoon or Anime, Silver chest would have been stabbed by dozens of imaginary pink arrows. 

Carl doesn't realize this but what he just did was the cutest thing Silver has ever seen. 

In Carl's eight-year of living, most of the time, he would act far more mature than his actual age, not because of the System influence or because he know he is a reincarnate. This is simply who Carl is. 

He doesn't throw a tantrum when he doesn't get what he wanted, although he actually did throw a fit once, but only one time, and maybe a few, nor does he cry excessively for the littlest reason, thus, Carl rarely shows his childish side to anyone, even to his closest families and friends and never to a stranger, people he doesn't trust. 

Thus, the childish act that Carl show without realizing was more lethal than Silver imagine. 

If Carl can read mind people's minds, he would be able to hear multiple voices, squealing with excitement. 

"Wait. I'm sorry it's just that-" Carl wanted her to laugh but instead she becomes worried instead. 

"I'm just joking around, Silver. Don't worry. I'm not mad at all." Carl hurriedly convinces her. He guides her back into his arm once again, somehow closer than before. With her head laying on his chest, he was able to hear her heartbeat from the distance. Either that or Silver heart is loudly beating like never before. "I'm glad you ask though. It is never good to keep such thought to yourself..."        

"...But seriously..." Thought Carl. "What is with this physical intimacy?" 

He wants to blame Silver or someone but himself for his excessive desire for physical intimacy. Maybe aunt Anatasha or his own mother but the thing is, he isn't sure who started it or brought his need for physical intimacy to the next level. 

 He realizes it will be hard to break this habit of his. But never mind that. For he has a girl that he must emotionally comfort.  

"It is nothing to be ashamed of nor will I dislike you for it. It is such a simple matter after all." 

"Silver is still Silver in my eyes regardless of your sexuality. Even if I found out you are actually an alien being or a metahuman, I can never hate you." As Silver lay on his chest, he was able to affectionately rub Silver head his my chin. This is something he has never done before.  

He can assume she likes it since she purring like a cat and affectionately rubbing his neck and chin with her head and forehead. Similar to when cats rub their body on people's legs. But Silver suddenly stopped mid-way to look at Carl and ask, "Metahuman?"  

  "A much more respectable pronouns for mutants. Don't you think? It sounds more human. Then again I'm not a mutant myself so I can say whether the term of metahuman is respectful or lame than mutant." 

One of many things that Carl learned from his past life is the term of metahuman from a story written by a fan, that was based on this universe or part of it. Which is the X-Men Universe.  

Whenever a normal human use the word mutant. Most of the time, they said with negative emotions. 

Fear, anger, disgust but never with trust, love or pride.  

Thus, the term mutant becomes contemptuous. Similar to that of the n-word for the black people given by the white people in the olden days where human slavery was still a thing in North America and racism was at its peak.  

  "I think... I think they would like it." To which Silver continue rubbing Carl neck with her head. 

After a minute or so, as Silver fuel for physical intimacy from Carl was full for the moment, she ask him a question with a somewhat emotionless voice, as she stare at his face, with slight voidness in her eyes, trying to read his true thought and expression, an act that Carl failed to realize, "Carl, will you really won't leave me for being different?" 

"No. No. I will never... Not for this. Not for anything. Never." Carl assures her as to give her a peck to her forehead as he closes his eye doing so, which makes it even more impossible for him to notice the voidness in Silver's eye. 

"Really?" She asks again. But this time, Carl was able to sense her calming down just by her voice. 

"Really." I reassure her.         

"Really-really?" Silver ask once more.  

"Really-really." And so Carl reassures her once more.      

"Really-really-really?" Silver ask one last time. 

"Really-really-really." So Carl reassure her one last time.  

To completely remove any more doubt in her heart. Carl told her as he wrap her arms around her back as they hold onto each other, "I won't leave you just because you are different from what is considered normal. That would be incredibly stupid of me if I were to do so. I can promise you this. You are my most important friend."   

"Most important?"  Thought Silver to herself. 

"And I will never leave you."   

"Never?" As her eyes widen. 

"You will have to do more than that to make me alienate you." I said to Silver as I gently pull her left cheek with my right hand.  

Carl expression that was smiling a moment ago suddenly turned serious as he said to her. "You don't have to tell me this, Silver but do you have a bad experience with people knowing you are different from most people? Again, if you are uncomfortable talking about it or if you just simply don't want to. I won't ask again. I just want to let you know I'm here to lend you my ear if you want someone to talk to."   

If Carl were to be honest, he doesn't like some of the possible answers Silver can give to him. Specifically, he really doesn't want to know about Silver sexual history with another boy, or girl.  

Even though that should be nearly impossible as Silver seems to be completely inexperienced with kissing. Especially since Silver is only but twelve, but you can never be sure... unfortunately.  

Plenty of people lose their virginity before they reach adulthood, some teenage girls even become pregnant because of unprotected sex. Among those unplanned pregnant teenagers are 12-year-old girls or even younger.  

Carl can't help but shudder at the thought of Silver who is still young doing it, he sighed but still understand that if talking about it can help Silver and improve her mental health, he will endure the minor discomfort.   

"It was with some of my classmates-" Silver answer my question.  

"Oh, boy..." Carl really doesn't like where this is going as he cringed internally. He doesn't want to let Silver know that he feels uncomfortable talking about. Something that he successfully hides from Silver. 

Just like how parents endure the embarrassment when giving their kids the "talk", Carl is willing to do the same for his best friend. 

"They talk about sex, boys and stuff, and I told them I'm not interested in any boys but- you, my little brother." Silver can't help but grin from ear to ear as she also hides her red face out of embarrassment for directly declaring her love to her crush, again, right in front of him, while she plants her face onto Carl's body. This is why Silver missed Carl early discomfort. Silver is literally in cloud nine.

You think she would get used to expressing her love directly to Carl by now but no she does not nor does she care as she is currently nuzzling Carl's body and enjoying smelling his scent as Carl's arms are wrapping around her. 

If Carl simply accept her confession, she would no doubt think she died and is currently residing in heaven.   

"Oh good." Carl thought in relief as he didn't even notice Silver suddenly sniffing his body. If he did, it wouldn't matter as he would think she still has a runny nose. 

 "They then teased me that I am interested in girls instead, to which I retort I only love Carl and only Carl..." Silver finally explain her bad experience for simply not being interested in sex or other boys besides her cousin if not both, which isn't bad as Carl thought it would be.  

"Did they mock you for being different?" Carl asks Silver just to be sure. 

"Wouldn't say mock, but they laugh and- let just say I didn't handle their reaction well." 

She didn't want to let Carl know she cried, not because she was being teased but because they didn't believe her that she truly love her cousin. It really wasn't a fond memory for Silver but it was certainly not the worst. 

Silver really wanted to portray herself as the perfect big sister or cousin that Carl can depend on.

Carl finally sigh in relief. it seems her experience isn't bad as he thought it would be which is truly fortunate. It is nothing compared to what she experienced on that day but that doesn't mean he will just brush it off and let it be.

Carl meant it when her being asexual is such a simple matter, and it should have been treated as such, yet people like Silver is being ridiculed for not being "normal" or rather part of the majority. There are people who have been treated many times worse than Silver for simply not having sexual attraction. 

But still, if people treat asexual and other different sexuality differently, Carl can't imagine how they would treat a mutant.   

Carl suspects her to be a mutant at first but it seems not, if she really is a mutant, he is sure he will be one of the first few people that Silver will tell and ask for help. There's no reason for her not to since he assure her he won't push her away if he found out she is a metahuman. 

Carl still suspects Silver may know someone who has the unfortunate experience of being different, perhaps a homosexual, or most likely a mutant... or maybe an actual alien. Nothing is impossible in this universe. God, Monsters, Alien, Mutant, they all exist and are very real. But for now, he will simply put trust in her, if it was important or she need help, she would tell him. 

"It doesn't sound like they are good friends to hang out with." Carl told Silver of his opinion about her friend.  

"..."  

Silver didn't say anything which makes him a bit uncomfortable. "Did I say something weird?" Thought Carl to himself as he tilt his head a bit.

"..."  

Even when Carl waited for another ten whole seconds, she still didn't say a thing.

Silver has this some sort of poker face, so Carl can't guess what she is thinking.  

Usually, Carl would almost always be able to correctly guess people true thoughts, their expression, their feeling, their characteristics, not the masks that they show to the world, to strangers, to him but for some reason, he can't always seem to do it consistently with Silver, even till now. 

Fortunately, Carl is still able to read her expression, such as whether she is happy or sad so he isn't literally blind. But there are times where he can't read her true thought properly... or rather incorrectly guess Silver expression and the reason behind her action, but he never feels danger when he is with her so he doesn't worry about it.

Carl can only guess he has a weak spot for Silver although she isn't the only one. 

He can't help but break the awkward silence by asking her. "Silver, what's wrong?"   

Only then did Silver sense come back. And when she did, she have this stupid silly grin on her face that Carl can't help but think of wiping it off by stretching her cheek apart... and he did.

Silver was obviously amused by her expression alone. As she pulled Carl hands away from her cheek, she said, "Oh my, my, Carl... it sounds like you prefer me to not have friends. Don't tell me, my adorable little brother is starting to be a bit possessive of her big sister-?"    

She is technically correct about Carl starting to be a little possessive of her but for the wrong reason, so he brashly denies it as he is technically not lying. "I'm just saying, you shouldn't be friends with people who aren't good friends to begin with-"   

Silver squeals like a little girl because she is a little girl, and giggles as she pulls him over to hug him, planting his face to her growing flat chest. "I'm just teasing you~" Much to his distress as he can't breathe which Silver noticed easily, to which she gave him a room, enough to breath.

"Oh, Carl..." Thought Silver as she look at Carl who is still struggling to get out from Silver chest. "If you keep this up, I might actually kidnap you and lock you in my basement, and no one will know~ So for your sake, please don't do anything crazy. I beg you"

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To Be Continue...?