Boundaries Understood
I have sent myself insane trying to remember the mafiau @lostcephalopods and I have because today was all about Summer from it
Summary: Summer thinks over his boundaries and why he's comfortable with teaching Roman to fight hands on after Janus asks about his aversion to touch
/\/\
Before Remus and Virgil, before the leaders of the Mafia were replaced and Summer chose his name, he'd been many many things. Only things though, because the old leadership were against androids being people.
And none of them left him very happy when Roman kept offering him hugs from the first time they met. They were at least slowly getting more comfortable that he was accepting their refusals easily each time.
Except then Roman mentioned he didn't know how to safely throw a punch, and the conversations about stilettos and how to make fashion include weapons took a detour into getting this person he was responsible for guarding more prepared for the situations Summer was meant to keep him out of.
Those lessons had to change, with Roman's skills growing, from simply showing and having him repeating the actions to taking hits. Then to showing how to throw others. Summer never minded it at all. It made sense for what he was teaching and he didn't register it as changing his boundaries, even when he accepted a hug that Roman offered.
/\/\
“I hear you've been teaching Roman hand to hand combat.” Janus stated from the doorway.
Summer and October had been spending some time together, sharing the new things they'd been learning and how they were enjoying their new roles in the mafia. He shrugged at the statement, seeing no reason to deny but also wondering why it was being brought up, why Remy had spoken about it as if Roman was doing something they had tried to avoid.
October laughed however, “How long did it take for you to hear, and why interrupt my time with my sibling for this?”
“I'm just curious. So far as Virgil knew Summer had resolved never to let another human lay a hand on him and now he's encouraging Roman to practise violent throws and actions on him. It's unexpected.” Janus moved further into the room, but sat down at one of the tables.
Now Summer nodded. “If I ask him not to do something for a while he won't. Why would I be concerned when the man I guard respects and actively watches to ensure no boundary is crossed and for some reason didn't know the best way to punch a person?” His tone remained neutral, calm as the awareness that Janus was basically the head of their organisation was hardwired into him still, no matter how he'd have made a sarcastic comment if it was Roman, or possibly Remy as the humans he knew best of the new mafia.
“He doesn't need to defend himself. He has you, me, Remy, Remus and Virgil. Roman has no need to fight.” Janus stated.
“Are you ordering me to stop the lessons?” He checked. He would change the lessons if they agreed but preferred to ask bluntly rather than running any analysis over the possible meanings behind the conversation.
October snickered at that, head already shaking. “We all know Roman will make guarding him the worst thing for months if you did that, Summer. I don't think Janus wants to risk their lover from taking any tips from Remus.”
“He's already asked for explanations of some of the fights and nonsense Remus has done.” Summer replied, adding on at Janus's concerned look, “Actually about fights any of our management have been in but he knows Remus enough to ask about specific incidents while you avoid giving him many details and Roman isn't sure if Virgil has actually been in any fights at all. Remy has apparently already tod him about some of his assignments from his secondary employers.”
That phrasing made Janus blink before smiling, “You mean the people who actually employ him, rather than the partners who made him leader of a mafia he was meant to bring down? Nice to know Roman and I take precedence over them.”
/\/\
For some reason that conversation, and October's following praise of Janus made Summer want to check his memory processors and see if it was logical that he was helping Roman in such a way. After all, there was no lie spoken when Janus mentioned his aversion to touch, even from the other androids at first and many others felt the same.
He'd had many roles in the mafia since being activated and very little down time. Even when the businesses were closed the androids were meant to please various members of the previous human workers, or act as arm candy and body guards in one. If Summer had been in other departments, or perhaps built with another body structure he'd have had to continue the drug productions over night and ensure no products were stolen or discovered by the police.
He hadn't had that fortune, although the androids who had claimed it wasn't a fortune. Summer doubted that since none of those had aversions to touch quite as strong as his and others who'd had similar roles to him.
But Roman was, well, Roman. He didn't want to learn to fight to hurt people, only because he'd realised his brother and lovers were now taking over, practically in charge of a mafia which made them all need to know how to fight. Plus when Summer thought about the things that had been said, Roman was actually more likely to be attacked now they were exploring the world of fashion and weaponising it than he was. He had the body type thanks to his manufacturing that people expected to wear almost all types of outfit, but Roman didn't.
Perhaps it was an unusual form of logic that made Summer go through his memories implanting his perception of Roman into the places he'd worked, but it made it abundantly clear that he'd never have made Summer uncomfortable on purpose. Before he was sentient or not.
Among the humans working in the businesses they'd taken over there were few Summer found he'd actually avoid if taking those jobs again in this computed simulation. Remus or Janus would have fired anyone for treating any android the way the customers used to treat him when in the strip club. Virgil would discover anyone likely to be violent in background checks and had extensive questions and tests in place to measure how much therapy would be needed to help ensure that violence remained directed away from others. Those who refused it were refused the job, and referred to places more suited to them.
Summer might not understand how the management talk about processing trauma, and he might still be reading through the chapter on boundaries in Remus and Roman's manuscript for 'So You've Become Sentient' but he knew this was a safe place and he was helping Roman whether that was by guarding him, teaching him to fight, or simply going shopping and trying out new make up looks with him.
The rest could be understood later, as he grew more used to sentience.