WHO: Adrian and Jayden Delacroix (Can be open to Jesse and/or Isaiah if he's there for the weekend) WHAT: Being bros WHEN: Backdated to last weekend WHERE: Their place WARNINGS: Some talk of sexual assault but not much
Jayden had only just come back home after being released from hospital and then spending a week with the Kemps. In the weeks he had been away, Adrian had moved in, convinced by Nicholas who resolutely stated he wouldn't take no for an answer.
The guilt Adrian felt for leaving Jayden and Isaiah alone with their father was insurmountable, but that didn't meant he wasn't going to try to assuage it at least a little bit. He gave his youngest brother a few hours to settle back into his room and then he popped his head around the doorjam, knocking on it lightly. "Hey, Jay," he said softly, "mind if I come in?"
Jayden turned and offered Adrian a bright smile which nearly broke Adrian's heart in two. Jayden still looked so fragile, weak and pale. The smile looked so out of place. "You can come in," Jayden said, pushing several gigantic bottles of water off of his bed to make room.
"What are those for, you going camping with your friends?" Adrian asked as he made his way over to the bed.
"Oh, uh...no." Jayden's ears turned red and Adrian could have kicked himself. "No, I just- I don't want to be thirsty again so I was going to keep them in here-"
"Sorry, I- I understand." He needed Jayden to stop explaining. He was all too aware some horrible thing had chained his baby brother to a bed and left him there for days, he didn't need the visceral reminder.
"Nicky got them for me," Jayden explained before leaning back against his pillows. "He said you're staying here? How long until your next mission?"
And there it was. Adrian was fairly sure it was going to take a long time before Jayden would really believe he wasn't going to take off again, but Adrian was willing to give him that time. "No, Jay. I'm not going back out again. I shouldn't- I shouldn't have gone-" He was silenced by Jayden's hand on his knee, and shocked by his brother's next words.
"I know why you left, Ade. John Wilson."
That name caused a shiver to run up Adrian's spine and he froze, horror building in his belly. "Oh god, not you. Not you, he didn't-"
"No," Jayden shook his head firmly, and Adrian thought he might vomit simply from relief. "I mean, I was damaged goods or whatever. He never looked twice at me, but I never walked in front of his house if I could help it. I crossed on the other side of the street. I figured out what he'd done to you and Isaiah. I'm sorry, Adrian."
"You're sitting here, hoarding water because a demon abducted you, and you're sorry?" Adrian said, with quiet awe. "I'm so relieved he didn't touch you, Jay. I want to kill him for hurting Isaiah."
"I want to kill him for hurting both of you," Jayden said, as calmly as ever. "And if you need to leave again, I'll understand-"
"Jay, no. Look, I- I ran once. That's not how I'm going to deal with my problems any more. If I had stuck around Isaiah might not have been hurt and I might have been able to protect you. It was a mistake. I'm not leaving you."
"Everyone leaves me."
The comment was like a punch right to his heart and all Adrian could do was stare at his brother for several moments before pulling him, carefully, into a hug. "I'm sorry, Jay."
"I'm not mad." Jayden pulled away, and he reached out for Adrian's face, holding it between his bone-thin hands. "I was never mad, Adrian, just sad. I'm always sad."
His poor little brother. "Well. Let's see if we can change that, okay?" Adrian finally settled on, because what else was there he could really say? "I've moved into one of the guest rooms and apparently JJ's taking me shopping next week? I shudder to think what she's going to force me to buy."
"Probably something leather. Leather sheets," Jayden said, and Adrian was almost scared until he realised Jayden was smirking. "For the missionary position."
"Jayden Delacroix!" Adrian mock-yelled before laughing loudly.
"That's what living with JJ will do to you. I have learned a lot about things like ball gags. The mind boggles."
Adrian snorted and after a moment he leaned back on the bed beside his brother. "Ball gags?"
"Yeah, and riding crops and something called a St Andrews cross? I don't know, I'll settle for just kissing my...my girlfriend." Adrian noticed Jayden's hesitation, and the fact that his ears were now bright red.
"What's your girlfriend's name?" Adrian asked, wondering just what was going on here.
"Err...David," Jayden said, before biting his lip and looking over at his brother, clearly worried about his reaction. And Adrian could have hugged him forever.
"Well David is a very nice name. What's he like?" Jayden's face immediately relaxed, and thus, so did Adrian.
"He's a dancer," Jayden explained, his eyes lighting up. "And oh...he's so beautiful. I'll show you a picture!"
"I'd love to see one, Jay. How about I go get us something to eat and you tell me everything about your boyfriend, okay?" He was going to do everything he could to help Jayden put some weight back on, and to his relief, Jayden beamed.
"Okay! Pizza?!"
"Pizza it is, kiddo." Maybe Jayden would still worry Adrian would leave, but only time could prove that wrong. Adrian was going to give him time.