Small Things

Jake-

Turning the phone over in his hands for the hundredth time, Jake knew that he was in trouble. He hadn't done anything, yet, but he couldn't get Jade off his mind. He knew that he should be mad at the man, and technically, he was. At the same time, though, he'd come to an understanding that what had happened had also been partially his fault, too.

But do I say sorry or is he supposed to?

He couldn't think straight. He'd kind of let the kiss happen, or at least, hadn't pulled away. But then Jade had pushed him. That clearly wasn't okay, but at the same time Jake knew that he shouldn't have put Jade in that situation, either. Neither of them were ready for any kind of... anything, really.

You have to keep your job and start saving money. He has his rules, too. You can't handle all of them.

It was the truth. He liked Jade. Liked the man's personality and way of doing things. It was strict, but at the same time, Jake craved that. He wanted to know what he could and couldn't do. Wanted to be able to go to someone if he was feeling lonely, and not necessarily have to offer his body up for the attention.

He flipped the phone over again, then turned the screen on right as a text came through.

I'm sorry for pushing you.

Jake blinked a few times, then reread the message.

He really did text me and apologize.

Falling back onto his bed, Jake held the phone up and eyed the message, reading it over and over. "He didn't apologize for kissing me." He stated to himself. He'd hoped he wouldn't. That meant that he had meant it, at least.

It was something he could work with... if it was worth it to try.

Do you really want to get yourself stressed out about this again? You came home and wouldn't leave Adam's lap for an hour.

He had no doubt that Adam had at least texted Jade something not-so-pleasant, either, but he hadn't asked what it might have been.

Rolling over onto his belly, Jake heaved a sigh and typed out a lengthy response. When he had finished, he pursed his lips against his blanket, then deleted the message and tried again. Each time he decided to change it, it got shorter. By the time he finally forced himself to push the send button, his message read; Apology accepted.

He groaned when the phone beeped, letting him know that his message had been successfully sent. Jake was going to turn his phone off and wallow in worry for a bit before he went to sleep, as he did have to work again the next day, when he noticed the little dots flashing at the bottom of his text message screen.

He's typing?

Jake's heart gave an odd shiver, his eyes remaining glued to the screen. When the dots suddenly stopped flashing and no message came in, he grumbled into the blanket. When the dots began flashing again a moment later, he perked up, only to be disappointed again when they disappeared. By the sixth time, Jake tossed his phone to the side and crawled beneath his blankets.

Just go to sleep. He won't respond. At least not tonight.

Right as he finished that thought, his phone chimed. Jake couldn't have grabbed it faster if he'd tried. He tugged it beneath the blanket, then pulled the blanket over his head. He wasn't trying to hide the message from Adam or anything, as the man had already gone to bed a while ago, but he felt more comfortable reading it under the covers... for some odd reason.

You're up very late, get some sleep.

Jake's brow furrowed at the message. The undertone of an order was clearly present, but before he could think of a response, the dots began flashing again, then a new message appeared.

Please.

Seeing no reason to argue, as he did have work the next day and was quite tired, Jake replied with a simple Okay, instead of the yes sir he wanted to type. It felt wrong as soon as he'd sent the one-worded text, but there was little he could do to change it. So, instead of dwelling on the small mistake, Jake turned his phone to silent and curled up with a quiet yawn.

Good night, sir.

The next morning came in a rush. Mainly because Jake had slept through his phone's alarm clock. He skipped his shower and grabbed only a piece of bread as he ran out the door, much to Adam's protests. He promised he'd eat a lot when he got home.

The bread was gone before he even made it one block, but it did little for his grumbling stomach. Jake was used to not having food, however, and easily pushed through the pains that developed throughout the day. He might have been hungry, but he also had a home and a meal to look forward to when he got back. It was more than he could ever hope for.

Thankfully, the bowling alley did have several water fountains, and they did allow him a free snack, so the day didn't go too badly. When he sat down for his final ten minute break, about two hours before he was due to leave, Jake was feeling quite ready for an early dinner. Even if Adam decided to just give him carrots and cheese, he'd be extremely grateful.

"Hey kid, someone brought something for you a bit ago." One of the concession workers said. The woman's name slipped his mind, but he was still learning everyone so he didn't feel bad about it.

When she smiled at him and held a carry-out container out to him, Jake's eyes went wide. He grabbed it, trying not to seem too eager or rude, then flipped the lid open. The smell of macaroni and cheese and chicken strips hit his nose, making saliva pool in his mouth in seconds.

"Some businessman dropped it off for you in a hurry, telling me to tell you that my boyfriend just brought me extra. I don't lie well." The woman said, drawing a chuckle from Jake as she handed him a plastic fork.

"Dig in, kid. We're slow right now so don't worry about taking more than your break time."

Jake eyed the food, his stomach growling at the idea of doing just that. Instead, however, he pulled out his cellphone and typed out a quick message to Jade.

Did you drop off food for me?

He wanted to add sir  to the end of the sentence, but thought better of it. Jake didn't think he would reply right away since he was usually so busy, but when the tiny dots at the bottom of the screen began flashing, he smiled without realizing it.

Yes. You need to eat more.

There was nothing for a moment, then another message came up.

Please.

Jake thought about replying, but decided against it. He only had a short time to eat, even if he was being given a few extra minutes. Setting his phone back in his pocket, he picked up the fork he'd been given and got busy shoveling food into his mouth. Sure, it wasn't very classy or good table manners, but he was sitting in a dark bowling alley with mostly everyone there distracted by games.

This is sooooo good.

It seemed like simple stuff from a fast food place, possibly one step up, but Jake greatly appreciated it. He finished the container is ten minutes flat, then sipped at an ice water the older woman brought for him midway through his meal.

"Thank you," he said when he'd finished and taken a moment to relax, his belly completely full. The woman nodded to him, then gestured toward one of the far lanes. "Best go help those guys now, they seem about ready to try and grab the stuck gutter ball themselves."

Jake gave her a chuckle and slid from his stool. "I got it." He was in a surprisingly good mood, though he hadn't technically been in a bad one, just hungry.

The rest of his shift passed by quickly, and soon he was home. It had rained a bit on his way back, but not enough to dampen his spirits. Just his clothes. After slipping his shoes off at the door, he followed his nose to the kitchen. Adam stood by the stove, a dark blue apron fastened around his shirt and his short hair pulled back into a tiny ponytail with a hairband.

"Hey Jake, did you have a good day at work?" He asked, walking over with his arms spread. Jake ran into them without hesitation, loving the closeness that came with the gesture.

"It was great, thank you for asking." He replied as he nuzzled into the apron, then gave a quiet content sigh.

Adam let out a quiet laugh and rustled Jake's hair a bit. "I'm glad. It seems that the rain got you a bit though, wanna go get a shower real quick before dinner is done?"

Jake was already nodding as he hesitantly stepped out of the hug. "Yes sir, that sounds great."

Adam gave him a look, making Jake realize that he'd called him sir again. Unlike with Jade though, there were no further repercussions for the mistake. Adam didn't like being called sir, but it didn't make him upset or anything.

After he took a quick shower to warm up, Jake got dressed and headed right back downstairs. Dinner was homemade ravioli and baked vegetables, and he easily cleared his plate, then a second helping. Adam tried to get him to nibble at a third portion, but after eating lunch late, Jake was completely full.

"You'll bring the leftovers for lunch tomorrow, then?" He asked, getting an immediate nod from Jake. He'd gladly take them.

"Good. I'm not a huge fan of leftovers so I'm glad they will still be enjoyed." Adam replied as they worked together to rinse the dishes and then put them away in the dishwasher.

Once everything was clean, it was nearly nine in the evening and Jake was just barely staying awake. He had settled himself in Adam's lap, a spot he was quickly coming to love being in. "How did you like your lunch today, Jake?"

The question caught him off guard enough for him to look up at Adam. The man was smiling slightly, so perhaps he wasn't mad? "I, uh, it was really good. I didn't realize how hungry I would get if I didn't bring something."

Adam shook his head and ran his fingers through Jake's hair lightly. "It's alright. I'm not mad at you for what Jade did. I'm a bit annoyed at him, but you're both grown adults and you can interact if you wish. He did tell me that he was going to bring you something in case you forgot to bring enough food, though. I just wish you would have told me that he did."

Oh. He's not mad about Jade and I interacting... it's trust.

"I'm sorry, sir. Adam," he corrected.

"Just let me know if you two interact, okay? You don't have to tell me what you say and I won't check your phone or anything, but I'd like to know. Is that alright to ask for?"

Jake thought about his request for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. I can do that."

"Good, and thank you. Now then, I'm going to watch the news for a little bit before bed. Would you like to stay here and I'll carry you to bed when I'm done, or would you like to go to your room before you fall asleep?"

In all honesty, he wanted to stay right where he was, but didn't think it was fare to ask Adam to carry him to his room later. "Just from the look on your face, I can tell that you want option number one. Then it's settled." Adam said, drawing a tired smile from Jake as he snuggled in a little more.

"Get some rest, Jake."

As Adam spoke, his arms wrapped more comfortably around him and Jake found it quite easy to slip away to sleep.

(A little relaxing chapter before more big parts XD)