"What the fuck are you doing here?"

Jade looked at two monoliths of men who stood before him. Although he wasn't that far off, they were sort of exceptional. And now he wanted to pull them by the ears and drag them out of his apartment.

"What part of we're not doing this anymore wasn't crystal? Because I'll be happy to repeat it for you."

"We wanted to see if you were alright, and we just... we wanted to see you too."

All of Jade's walls went up in that instant. He did not miss the way Sean had said 'we', it was like their whole demeanor had changed. Just a while ago they couldn't bear to be in each other's presence and now it was almost like they couldn't bear to be a few feet apart.

They also looked scared of him, not exactly scared but he couldn't quite  put a finger on it, it was almost like caution.  Usually when people thought twice to cross the line, it made Jade feel wonderful. But now that it came to Sean and Met, he hated it.

"We. Are. Not. Going. To. Have. Sex."

"We're not here for sex Jade."

"Then fucking leave, there's possibly no other reason why you could be here. I don't have the time for either of you, nor do I want anything to do with you. I meant what I said, what's done is done.

Sean flinched slightly at the venom in Jade's voice but Met gripped his hand in his and drew slow circles with the pad of his thumb. Jade couldn't for the life of him figure out why Sean looked genuinely hurt.

Jade unconsciously raised an eyebrow at the display of affection. He wanted them out, as fast as he could. All his life he'd looked at people who held each other in public, kissed and shown each other acts of love. All they taught him was to accept that he would never be a part of that. Maybe he was scared or maybe he didn't deserve it but either way it was never going to happen. And right now, this was really making him uncomfortable.

"We're here because-"

"Why you're here is of no importance to-"

"Jadey-Jade!" the damned cheery voice drew closer. "Guess who freaking aced-" Brady stopped short because he came into view of three men in the room, when he'd only been expecting one.

The two strangers stood side by side and a little distance away from Jade. One was slightly taller than the other and had a really intense look on his face. The other one stood at almost the same height with extremely defined features and a look Brady couldn't place. And Jade...well Jade looked like he was schooling them with his stare alone, there was clearly a connection between the three of them, and it was nothing near the surface.

Three pairs of eyes now turned to him, adding to the tension in the room, the other two made him feel like he was in an interrogation. They had him questioning whether he had any lucky stars. What in the world had he walked in on? Brady's words got stuck wherever they were coming from. He had a moment while everything was still, he only spoke when the shock wore off.

"Woah okay," Brady cleared his throat. "Got it, bad time," he said as he raised his hands in mock surrender and retreated. Slowly walking backwards till he disappeared where he'd just come from.

He might have asked but Jade wasn't going to say or give anything away other than the next thing they could talk about. He just hoped with all of his heart that Jade was okay and not just physically.

Brady didn't have much insight into Jade's life but he believed deep down they were meant to be friends. Maybe it was a hunch or just his awesome intuition as he liked to call it but that was it. And he believed it, he just had to be patient.

It didn't take long before the strangers were walking out. They didn't look happy, they looked like a mixture of worry and sadness. Normally this would the part where Brady would say hi and probably a hundred words at once. But he watched in silence as they made their way out, slowly closing the door behind them.
The mystery that was Jade only got deeper.

_________________

The days went by after that, as they always would. Except this time they were different for Jade. He couldn't go on as he normally did, not with the way Met and Sean kept pestering him.

They were the embodiment of what he disliked the most, lovers who got attached.

Relentlessly so, he heard from them every single day, sometimes out of the blue, They were so persistent. All up in his business, they didn't for one day stop checking up on him, and it was always out of no where, always unexpected. Sometimes Met would come without Sean, and most times they were there together.

And sometimes they'd text him, at different times, but they always did. He never replied, but they always did. They apologized if they couldn't make it as if Jade had asked. As if he was dying to see them.

'hey i'm coming over'

And before Jade could escape, either Sean or Met would be there.

'sorry i'm running a little late today, but i'll definitely see you'

And they definitely did. Then Jade did something that surprised even himself. He called Sean.

"What do you guys want from me? How difficult can it be, to just stay away?" Jade asked immediately he picked up.

The goal had been to ignore them and eventually their madness would die out. But they proved his thoughts wrong with their undying diligence. Never once did he allow himself to imagine what if. He didn't want to know and he really needed to do away with this.

"It's not difficult, it's impossible. We might not mean anything to you, but you mean a lot to us, more than you can imagine."

"Then I suggest you get over it, because that's how it's always going to be, I'm never going to care about you guys."

There was some silence on the other side before Sean spoke and Jade thought he had finally struck a nerve.

"It still won't change the fact that we care about you."

Jade didn't reply, he hung up immediately and sighed. There was nothing he could do. It wasn't like they were not giving him space to breathe, he had plenty. It was how they threatened to disorganize the perfectly peaceful world he had created for himself.

No one had ever even come close.

______________

Jade paced back and forth in his apartment, his mind in a jumble. He remembered the phone call he'd received just the same day. He'd ignored it just like Josh knew he would. And of course Josh wouldn't let it go, he'd sent a message instead.

'ignore me all you want but i'm coming over and you better be there'

It was a threat. With Josh, everything was a threat. And he always brought out the weak side of Jade.

What was it that he couldn't just have texted. Being in the same space with his brother was one of his worst nightmares. He hated it and found him utterly revolting.

The door bell rang and Jade flinched. He tried to ignore the moisture in his palms as he went to open the door.

"Jade, hey!" Josh tried to hug him but he moved out of the way, pretending he hadn't seen his attempt.

Sometimes, his brother acted like a psychopath. He could be smiling one minute then get really serious the next, serious enough to even hurt someone. And now he tried to hug him as if he'd always been a loving brother and Jade ought to miss him. Sometimes it was almost like he thought himself a saint. Jade was ever disgusted and creeped out.

I hate you so much just fuck off.

"How are you doing Josh?" Jade asked despite feeling otherwise.

He couldn't care less how Josh was doing, in fact, Josh didn't even deserve such a question. But Josh had demanded he be asked every time.

"Aw, you don't sound happy to see me, but never mind that, you must be having a bad day. You haven't come home in a while, are you sure that Nana is okay?"

Concern tore through Jade, "What is it? Did something happen to her?" Jade knew she had to be alright, they talked regularly after all, or was she hiding something from him?
It was not likely that she would, then he noticed it was one of his sick jokes.

Josh's smile was slow as he answered. "Nothing,  well nothing yet." Jade stiffened.

His brother seemed to revel in the fact that he could say a few words about Nana and it would get a reaction from Jade. It amused him to no end, he always and always used it. And because it was Josh, it got to Jade every single time.

"What the fuck a–"

"Keep your dirty mouth shut when you talk to me!" Jade momentarily saw the psycho come out, then go back in less than a minute. "I'm almost at the end of my rope Jade and Steve has no patience. He'd like to see you soon you know, some unfinished business you have he calls it."

Hazel eyes widened in fear, fear that was hidden right before Josh looked at him.

Even while looking at him, Josh didn't notice that Jade was so slowly beginning to faze out and trapped in his mind, memories of that awful night coming back to him. He had to steady himself, he hated Josh seeing any weakness he had, he'd use it against him, just as he used his grandma. But that couldn't have been helped.

The sound of more than one voice brought him back to the present. It wasn't Josh, it was Met. The timing couldn't have been worse.

"Hey," Met said and worry etched all over his face when he looked at Jade. "Hey what's wrong?"

Met had ignored the fact that Jade wasn't the only person in the room. He'd just walked in directly and Jade was all he could see.

"You can't be here right now Met, get out," said Jade.  And then it finally seemed to strike him as he looked over his shoulder.

"Who the hell are you?" Met spat the question at his biggest brother.

"His brother, who the fuck are you? No, wait I can guess," he gave Jade a knowing smirk before turning back to Met. "I always knew he'd like them built like you."

"Is this why you don't seem thrilled to see Steve? I should have known," he turned to Met. "Has he told you all about his night of passion with-"

"Shut up!" Jade had to shut his brother up and at that moment he didn't care about the consequences.

The first time Jade had told his brother to shut up, he'd earned a split lip, a black eye and a cut on his hand, thankfully the scar had faded. But the memory was alive and perfectly vivid in his head.

Their heads both turned towards the weak and shaky voice, Josh was already walking towards Jade.

"How dare you say that to me... I'll teach you–"

"How about I teach you something?" Met blocked his path. The defeated look he'd seen on Jade's face was more than he could stand. He'd never seen Jade that way before and he never wanted to, not ever again.

"You don't talk to him like that, get that through your thick skull before I do it for you!"

"You don't tell me what–"

In one swift motion he grabbed Josh by the shirt till he was facing him, then using both hands, he vigorously pinned him to the nearest wall.

"Okay let's hear it," Met pressed him harder against the wall. "Fucking say that again. Disrespect him one more time and brother or not I'll bash you through the fucking wall."

Josh's cowardice was the thin line separating his face from Met's fist.

"Let me go!" He almost shrieked. "What's your deal anyway?"

"You make him uncomfortable," Met answered calmly. "I don't like that."

Met let him break free but stayed in his way, he wasn't getting anywhere near Jade.

"Jade I'll call to finish this," he angrily left, fidgeting to right his clothes.

Met couldn't spare anytime for him, or any time to ponder upon whatever had just happened. His attention was for Jade alone at the moment, and he noticed that he was already trying to get away.

"Jade..."

"Leave me alone Met! Just leave, please."

Please? Met couldn't remember a single time and space where Jade had said please.

When Jade got to his room, he slammed the door shut, closing Met out.

Frustration caused Met to repeatedly run his fingers through his hair. He'd take a pissed off and rude Jade any day. Just not the current one, it pulled at his heartstrings. And he felt closed out in more ways than one.

When Met cared for someone, he did it totally, gave it one hundred percent, no matter the reason. Jade had never let him, and that truth hurt more than he let on. Especially now that he was sure Jade needed it, needed someone. Met hid it, but he hurt so badly.

____________

In his room, Jade stared into space with his arms crossed, jaw set so tight he was grinding his teeth. He was so angry he felt weak with it. Why did he have to have a brother like Josh?  Why did Met have to be there?  To see him like that?
No one had to know he could be vulnerable, it was how you got taken advantage of.

Nana is perfect. He silently recited.

Somewhere deep down he knew she was, he knew he was just being paranoid. But he couldn't help it. As far as he knew, there were high chances that Josh was an unstable person. He could do anything just to rile up and get a reaction out of Jade. To a point where it was ridiculous.

The sound of his front door opening and then closing pulled him from his thoughts. He might have stood there for an hour or something.

Finally, Met had left.

Jade let out a deep breath paced a little more. His anger subsided slowly and he could finally think clearly enough to call.

"Buttercup," his grandma said after picking up on the second ring. Relief washed over Jade at hearing her warm voice.

"Tell me you're okay Nana," said Jade.

"I'm perfectly fine baby, you really have to stop worrying about me. Sure I'm getting a little old but I bet I could still disarm two men in ten seconds if I tried to."

Jade smiled at her words, he knew she had joined the army in her younger days and from the number of times she had survived near death scenarios, she had obviously been an exceptional soldier.

"I know, love you Nana," he said.

"I love you more buttercup, and you know what?"

"What?"

"As impossible as it is, I'd love you even more if you snatched yourself a dashing man and brought him home."

Jade sighed. This was Nana being herself. She never missed a chance to always bring up Jade's love life. As non existent as it was.

"You know that isn't my cup of tea Nana, you are enough."

"And it breaks my heart to hear you say that. When did you get like this? You were always my happy little boy and now you don't even smile anymore, tell me who Nana has to beat up."

"I love you, bye," Jade hung up the phone.

He could finally breathe right. As much as he didn't want to, his mind travelled back to what Josh had said about Steve. It suddenly made him feel dirty but he shook it off. He wouldn't let it get to him so soon.

Instead, he went ahead to open the door. Maybe he could fix himself a drink or something.

What he didn't expect was two men right outside his door. They sat quietly on the floor on one side of the door. Sean's head leaned against the wall as he moved his fingers through Met's hair, the other man's head on his shoulder.

Jade was almost tempted to close the door again but he didn't, he had to take care of it eventually anyway.

"Jade what happened? Are you alright?" Sean asked immediately his eyes fell on Jade. They got up and he took Jade's hand in his and he immediately snatched it back. Holding it with his other hand against his chest like he'd been hurt.

"Noth-, none of your business,  but I'm sure you already know. I'd really like to be alone right now so..." Jade cocked his head towards the door.

Sean nodded, which was a surprise. Then he spoke.

"You know you can push us away all you want Jade but that won't stop us from coming back to you, it won't change the fact that we actually care about you or perhaps more than that. So we'll leave, but if you need us at any time we'll be here, you don't have to always be alone and don't you forget it."

"It doesn't feel great you know, being apart from you. Going to sleep knowing you're somewhere out there on your own, what are you so afraid of?" He looked like he was about to touch Jade and the latter took a step back, Sean let out a sigh. "We're not giving up on you Jade."

And with that they left. Jade stared at the closed door even long after they had left.

It was the first chip in the ice block.