Senseless

Confusion

(This song ; ;)

A.J.-

Confusion swam within his mind as A.J. sat in the back of Adam's car. He hadn't been told to, but he'd felt that it was appropriate to do so. Besides, there had been an umbrella on the front seat. 

They had stayed at the club for an hour or so more before Adam offered to take him to his home. A.J. watched out the back window as Adam drove carefully through traffic. The distance seemed about as far as the drive to the club had been with Jade, but in the opposite direction. When Adam pulled into a small attached garage at an apartment complex, A.J. licked his lips and fidgeted with his hands for a moment, before remembering that Jade didn't like when he did that. 

"A.J.?" 

Jerking his eyes up from his lap, A.J. realized that Adam had already turned off the car and was holding his door open for him, a hand that had been offered to help him, hovering awkwardly between them. 

Not wanting to seem rude. Or really, more rude, A.J. hurried to grasp the man's hand, then slid from the car. "Thank you, sir." He said, his head down and eyes on Adam's shoes. There was silence for a moment before Adam cleared his throat, then wrapped his fingers around A.J.'s hand where it still rested against his palm. 

"Come on, A.J.. One step at a time, hm?" 

A.J. bit back a sigh as he nodded, then allowed the man to lead him inside a first floor apartment. He honestly had no idea what to expect, though his short time on the street made him wary. He thought when Jade offered him a place, that sex would be the price for whatever he would give in return, but that hadn't ended up being the case. Rules. That had been the man's vice. 

I don't know which I'd rather have to live with. He didn't mind rules, but the extent with which Jade's were enforced was unnerving. A.J. knew that he'd messed up, and consequently been thrown out, but he didn't understand how it could have been so simple for Jade. A few mistakes, none of which were dangerous or intentionally disrespectful, caused the man to get so stressed that he had to get rid of him. 

And A.J. had seen it, too. The worry lines in the man's brow. His stress levels had been rising ever since he'd brought A.J. to his home. He wasn't too surprised that the man had let him go, but it had just been so sudden. He'd been given a chance to relax and actually sleep in a bed, and eat some food that he hadn't had to dig out of a garbage can. 

Looking up as Adam locked the door, then faced him, A.J. was instantly worried about what rules the man would have. He couldn't see any immediate signs of stress, but it couldn't be an easy decision to just bring some random man into your home. When Adam crossed his arms over his chest and straightened his back, A.J. steeled himself. 

"I'm sure you're wondering what my rules are, as that man tends to be quite famous for his strict list of them." 

A.J. licked his lips nervously and nodded, shrugging a little to try and appear a little smaller without even realizing it. There was a pause for a moment, making A.J. fidget until he heard Adam blow out a quiet breath. 

"A.J., my only rules are to respect my property and myself. I don't need you to call me master, or anything besides my name. I also don't need you to ask me for permission to do most things. I would like it if you let me cook for you, though, if you would like a hot meal. As I greatly enjoy feeding others." 

Blinking out of his surprise, A.J. shifted from foot to foot, waiting for there to be more. When Adam just shrugged, then walked over and rustled his hair before walking past, A.J. realized that the man really had no other rules. It was a bit odd after having stayed with Jade. When Adam disappeared down the hall, then around a corner, A.J. hesitantly followed after slipping off his shoes by the door.