Wren

(I don't think I've said this, or at least for a while, but thank you guys for reading. I appreciate you coming along for my stories :) Snowman was going to help me write this one, but he thought a nap was a better idea.)

Jade-

Seeing Jake so distracted over the past few days had Jade uncomfortable. He wasn't used to feeling jealous, and certainly not over Jake texting Adam when they were hanging out together. It wasn't obnoxious, just, it seemed strange.

But of course you can't just ask why he's texting him so much, because that would be overstepping boundaries, right?

He'd been trying to scale back his obsessive rules, but he was having quite a bit of trouble dealing with the loss of power. Jake had been submissive to him since day one, but they both knew that the level of Jade's rules were too much for him to manage. He'd never bent a single one for any of his subs, but he was trying his best to be lenient with some of them.

"Hey, um, Jade?"

Blinking out of his thoughts, Jade focused his attention on Jake, offering a small smile. "I'm sorry, I was lost in my thoughts, what did you ask, Jacob?"

He had also let Jake use his real name more often, even when they were alone, but it was hard not to hear Master or sir coming from the younger man. Granted, Jake still called him that and sir more often than not, but it was still a bit strange to hear his own name on the young man's lips.

"It's bothering you, isn't it?"

Jade's smile dropped and he rolled his shoulders, looking away for a moment before returning his gaze to Jake. "Of course not. You aren't ignoring me for your messages and when we are doing something together you don't mess with it. I have no reason to be bothered by it."

Jake sighed, scooting closer to Jade. They had been being lazy today watching movies, which had given him a chance to speak with Adam about his little brother more. Somehow, Adam had managed to get Wren to give him his number by the end of their awkward conversation at the coffee shop, but Wren's replies to Adam's messages were sporadic and usually just one or two words. They also came at such random times, and so rarely, that Jake couldn't help but want to read them as soon as Adam forwarded the messages.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, bowing his head slightly. It had been something he'd come up with to silently ask Jade if he could touch him. Sometimes he messed up and did it anyways, but so far, he'd gotten very minimal punishments for his mistakes, unlike their first try living together.

When Jade gave a slight nod, Jake carefully climbed into his lap. He let Jade move him around a bit so that they were both comfortable, then wrapped his arms around the smaller man. "I promise I'm not mad, Jacob."

Jake allowed himself to relax against Jade at his reassurance. "Would you like to know what Adam is messaging me about, sir?" He asked.

He wanted to know, yes, but it was also none of his business. "I can see it in your eyes, master. You want to ask me, but you think you shouldn't." Jade glared at the ceiling for a moment, frustrated that Jake was getting used to reading his emotions. He had a fairly good poker face. At least, that's what he'd thought. It seemed like Jake was slowly beginning to be able to read subtle hints in it now. Ones that Jade didn't even realize he was giving off.

"Well, I..." Jake began, pausing for a moment just to see if he'd stop him. Curiosity was one of Jade's downfalls, and he couldn't help but bite his tongue, though he knew that he should have told Jake that he didn't have to tell him. "I went out to eat at a small coffee shop with Adam and we ended up running into my little brother."

Wait. Little? "Jana is older than you, Jacob."

Jake raised an eyebrow up at him, making Jade keep his mouth closed. He hated being interrupted, and he knew that Jacob would expect at least that much courtesy from Jade in return. "I apologize, continue."

Jake lifted one of Jade's hands and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. "My little brother from my adoptive family. He was waiting in line to buy coffee and I noticed him."

Jade hugged him tighter when he hesitated.

"Well, I went over to him and, things didn't quite go so well." He mumbled out, his words a little hard to decipher since he spoke them against Jade's warm skin. "I tried to get him to at least shake my hand, but he froze and wouldn't move."

Jake gave a quiet sigh as he nuzzled against Jade's chest, making him draw the guy even closer. "Adam took over from there. I was about to cry and couldn't think straight. He stepped in and cheerfully guided us over to a table where he'd moved our food, then sat down and began having a careful conversation with him."

Leaning down, Jade pressed a kiss to Jake's soft hair. "Were you able to talk with him?"

Shaking his head, Jake yawned, though Jade knew that it was likely from stress and not from actually being tired. "No. He barely even looked at me, but I could tell that he was really stressed out just sitting with us. He kept looking around and when his phone chimed with a text message, he nearly jumped out of his seat."

Hugging Jake tighter, Jade put up the footrest for his chair and leaned back, taking Jake with him in his arms. "Perhaps there is something else going on in his life that's made him so jumpy?" He asked, trying to figure out what could possibly be the reason for Jacob's former brother to act so strangely.

"My adoptive parents were quite religious and also grew to dislike me over time as they raised Wren." Jake said, drawing a sigh of his own from Jade. The religious aspect would definitely do some damage to a kid if it was too overbearing. He'd been raised very religious, too, and his parents had not taken well to him saying that he liked the neighbor boy next door when he was thirteen.

The memories began to claw at his mind, making him force them back and lock them away where he'd kept them hidden since his dark teenage years.

"Well, Adam did manage to get his number, and it seems like he's at least responding to his messages. Perhaps there's hope that he'll come around to being the little brother that you knew, in time?"

Shrugging, Jake turned his gaze toward the television, though neither of them were paying it any mind. "I guess... it just hurt, to see him not even want to touch me."

Jade knew how it felt. When he'd first met Jake, he saw how miserable the young man was. If he'd come from a home so disgusted with his life choices as his own had been, it was a wonder that he had managed to be strong. Jade had been forced to make some very hard decisions that had changed him into someone needing control over his life, but Jake had gone the opposite direction. He clearly needed someone there to tell him that it would all be okay, even if things got a little dark along the way.

"Guessing won't help us now, though, will it?" Jade said calmly as he began to run a hand along Jake's back, trying to soothe away the shivers beginning to swim through Jake's body. "Let's take this situation one day at a time. If Adam messages or calls you regarding your brother, don't even think to ask me for permission to look at the messages or answer the phone. Family is everything, even if it's broken and scarred. If you believe that your brother still means you well, then I will do anything I can to help you two get back on solid ground with each other."

When Jake looked up at him, the light flickering from the television reflecting against a tear treading down his left cheek, Jade felt his own cold heart shiver. "We'll fix this, Jacob." He whispered as he leaned down and pressed his lips against the tear. He felt Jake's arms wrap around his neck and reciprocated the gesture.

"I just miss him so much... I love Jana, and I'm so happy that I found him and that we're slowly getting closer, but I've known Wren most of my life." Jake mumbled against Jade's neck where he'd buried his face. "I didn't think I'd ever get to see him again."

Feeling more tears begin to tickle his skin, Jade reached to the side and grabbed one of the spare blankets he left on the sofa. After a bit of careful maneuvering, he had Jake wrapped up tightly in the soft fabric. "You'll see him again. I can promise you that." Jade said softly as he grasped the remote and switched off the television.

The silence and darkness enveloped them, but Jade found comfort in just hearing Jacob's breathing slow to an even pace as he slowly calmed down. They stayed that way for a long while, but neither of them seemed to mind. They had nowhere to be and after such a stressful conversation, Jade was more than willing to spend his time making sure Jacob was okay.

"Would you like to stay here tonight?" He asked after he was sure that Jake had finally managed to relax again. When he felt a gentle nod against his neck, he smiled. "Words, hun." He could only manage to bend his rules so often in one day.

"Yes please, sir. I would very much like to stay with you tonight." Jacob whispered before pressing a kiss to Jade's skin.

"Alright, we'll call Adam a bit later to let him know. Rose will be home from the store shortly and then start making dinner. Would you like to rest until then?"

He felt another nod, then Jacob replied with an already-sleepy voice. "Yes, sir."

Chuckling quietly, Jade nodded, stretching a little before getting comfortable. Jake curled up in his lap, resting his head against his chest as he settled in to take a nap. It took no time at all for Jake to fall asleep, leaving Jade with thoughts about another brother he hadn't anticipated entering the broken picture of Jacob's life that he'd been carefully trying his best to help piece back together.

First Jana. Now Wren.

He exhaled, deciding to focus his attention on Wren for the next few days. Jana and Jacob had been doing well so far, so he would turn his attention to the new piece of the puzzle. I'm going to have to find a way to meet him, soon. He'd add that to their conversation when they called Adam later, he decided before allowing his eyes to drift closed, intent to rest, himself, until Rose returned.