SenseLess

Taking a young man, barely out of his childhood, home with him wasn't what Jade had planned for his evening as he got A.J. situated in the front seat of his car. He could tell that the guy was nervous as he buckled him in. Well, nervous would be putting it lightly, but Jade wasn't one to dwell on other people's emotions. He did what he did and if they didn't like it, they could leave. He wouldn't hold A.J. against his will, nor was he forcing the young man to come home with him.

As he got himself situated and got them headed toward his house through the light rain, he thought about telling A.J. to not mess with the window, radio, or any other general electronic device in the car, but with a good deal of effort, Jade bit his tongue. The guy clearly wasn't going to mess with things, considering he was just twisting his hands into knots in his lap as his eyes remained fixed on something out the window that was likely nonexistent.

Being used to subs that knew exactly what they wanted, be it his money or his dominance, Jade was already feeling slightly bothered by the guy. He wouldn't ever consider himself nervous, as he couldn't remember a time in his life where he really had been, but A.J. was definitely not the type of submissive he normally saw at the clubs. Ever.

He definitely was a sub, though. What kind, he had not a single clue. All of them like attention... but does he like pain or dominance more? Jade wondered as he focused on the road. He normally never even glanced away from it when he was driving, but... Those darn hands.

Without looking, Jade reached over and slid his hand along A.J.'s arm until it grasped A.J.'s left one, effectively forcing him to stop fidgeting with the other. He felt the guy tense at the gesture for a moment, but then his right fingers wrapped gently around Jade's wrist. He hadn't given the guy permission to touch him, but since the rules weren't established yet, he forced himself to keep from correcting the action.

When he pulled his car into his garage and turned it off a few minutes later, leaving them in the dim glow provided by the dying overhead light he had forgotten to change, Jade took a deep, calming breath, then slid out of the car. He was glad to see A.J. didn't move as he made his way around to the young man's side. He waited an extra few seconds before opening the door and leaning in.

A.J. remained perfectly still as Jade undid his seatbelt, but he could tell that something was starting to bother the young man. As he'd expect with most people, Jade figured that it was just the sudden close proximity, and doing something for him that he could easily do himself. However, when Jade leaned back to allow A.J. to step out of the car, the guy just stared up at him through his too-long, dark red bangs. Jade reached down and gently brushed aside A.J.'s bangs, then let his fingers continue to move against his soft skin until he ended up cupping the young man's cheek.

Immediately, A.J. tilted his head into the touch and his eyelids fluttered downward slightly as a sigh left his lips. Ah. Right. Remembering how the young man had reacted to Domino's love, made Jade's lips lift with the hint of a smile.

"Come, A.J.," he said as he slowly moved his hands. One slipped behind A.J.'s back, while the other slid beneath the bend of his knees. With little effort, Jade had him in his arms.

Too light.

As he turned and nudged the door closed with his hip, Jade was already thinking about a diet plan he would get A.J. onto as soon as possible. He actually set A.J. on the counter and grabbed a small notepad and pen when they entered the kitchen, and began writing. Most of what populated the list after a few minutes were vegetables, proteins, and a lot of different vitamins.

"Master Jade."

Hearing his house keeper's tired greeting had Jade straightening, then facing the older woman. She was in her sixties, but she kept herself well and could have easily passed for early fifties.

"I apologize for waking you, Rose. We have a guest. Would the room beside mine be available?" He asked as he easily scooped A.J. back into his arms. The guy literally cuddled into him, even nuzzling his head against his chest as he yawned.

"Yes sir. I even added fresh towels to the bathroom and dusted it this morning." Rose replied, stifling her own yawn.

Jade nodded to her, then began walking past as he spoke. "Thank you. Please see to it that the list I left on the counter is taken care of tomorrow. Go ahead back to bed for now, though. Sleep well."

He proceeded up the stairs as he heard Rose bid him a goodnight. Stepping into the second door on the right, Jade carefully shifted A.J.'s weight so that he could easily hold him while opening the door. The room he walked into was spotless and smelled like lavender. He wasn't a big fan of the scent, but Rose had a certain smell for each room, and no matter how many times he told her that he preferred everything to be one scent, she never listened.

At least it's a theme. He thought as he slowly set A.J. down on the closed toilet seat lid in the bathroom. Instead of waiting for the young man to react, Jade dropped to one knee and began carefully removing A.J.'s shoes. They nearly fell apart in his hands, and the laces were only a few ties away from turning to dust.

New shoes then, too.

He definitely wasn't hurting for money, so the food and shoes, and likely new clothes, wouldn't be an issue. What would be, however, were the stoic, sad eyes that met his when he looked up from setting the tattered shoes aside. Water glistened at their edges, but didn't fall. When several silent seconds past, and still not a single tear fell, Jade let out a quiet sigh and reached up, brushing his thumb just beneath A.J.'s left eye. A tear fell immediately, followed by another. A.J. was clearly trying to blink them away, but Jade grasped his chin, forcing him to keep eye contact.

"No more of that, A.J.." Jade said sternly in the darkness. He had a small light plugged into the wall behind him so that he wouldn't trip on something if he had to get up in the middle of the night, but that only allowed for so much light in the small room. "You need to let out some of that stress. I can see it in your eyes, and it's hurting you."

When A.J. hiccuped, then began giving out quiet, stifled sobs, Jade gently tugged him into his lap as he sat back against the wall. He didn't like tears, but he did know how to handle them. He'd seen many subs cry over him letting them go because they had broken one of his rules, and he always managed to make them at least feel better about the situation after a few minutes.

Moving his right hand up, he allowed his fingers to delve into A.J.'s soft hair and let himself relax as the young man continued to cry quietly against his chest. Every time A.J. shifted his weight or nuzzled against him a little more, Jade would stroke his head. Eventually, his hand got into a rhythm as he pet the young man's mop of shaggy hair.

"I know I spoke with you briefly about the rules that come with living here, but we will worry about them tomorrow. For tonight, I want you to take a warm bath, then get yourself to bed. I'll leave one of my shirts out for you but we'll need to go get you some clothing tomorrow."

Jade waited several moments before he felt the man nod against his chest and whisper a quiet "Yes sir." When A.J. didn't move, however, Jade patted the man's head and gently helped him up as he got himself to his feet.

"Good boy." He stated, keeping his tone stern, yet adding a small amount of gratitude as he moved one hand beneath A.J.'s jaw to lift it enough so that their eyes could meet again.

"You are safe here. Don't question that, because it is a fact. If you ever feel uncomfortable or need something, come to me, understood?"

A.J. started to nod, but Jade held his jaw up, forcing him to speak again. "Yes sir."

With a nod, Jade moved his hand and took a step back. A.J. looked like he wanted to follow, but instead, took a tiny step backward.

"Take a deep breath and relax tonight. We'll be busy tomorrow, so I want you well rested." Jade said before reaching for the door handle. He paused with his fingers wrapped around it just long enough to let A.J. know that he was free to use the new toothbrush and toiletries set out on the counter.

When he finally returned to his own room, Jade went through his normal routine. He wanted to fall into bed, but his clothing had to be put into the hamper. The suitcoat and tie had to be hung up. His shoes had to go in a certain space by the door, but not in the way. Once those things were done, he took a quick shower, just to rinse off the stress of the day, then pulled on a pair of comfortable, black silk pajama bottoms.

When he did finally fall onto his covers, he was out like a light. He rarely slept beneath them, as he hadn't had the air-conditioner on much since the weather was getting cooler anyways. It was probably close to seventy-seven in the house, and that was just fine for him.

He was out cold until he felt a gentle tap against his bare shoulder. At first, he tried to ignore it, but when a second tap came, his mind wouldn't let him forego checking on what was causing the disturbance. His eyes blinked open sleepily as a quiet yawn slipped free. When his vision cleared enough to see in the dim light, he let out a tired sigh and scooted away from the edge of the bed.

"Come." He whispered, voice heavy with sleep. A.J. hesitated for a moment, but soon he was crawling into the large queen sized bed and snuggling right up to him. Jade wasn't sure what he was going to do with the man, as he never let subs sleep in his bed with him overnight, but he knew that right then, he wouldn't tell him to leave. He'd told A.J. to come to him. So be it. He thought as he wrapped one arm around the man and allowed his eyes to close again. He fell asleep even faster than he had originally, and for the first time, with a bit of extra warmth beside him.