"I own him!" Steve said defiantly.

Met wanted to control his anger, he really did. But some people were really begging to be put in their place.

"I'm sorry about this Nana," Met said while getting up.

Then he pulled Steve forward from across the table, tie and collar, causing the man to displace a few dishes and cutlery as his weak form stumbled forward.

June got up so fast and left the table, fear all over her face as she went to stand by Nana's side. Nana wasn't shaken in the least bit. She just watched it unfold. There were two more siblings who didn't attend because they were busy and out of the country, but Jade still wondered how it would turn out if they were present. It could have been worse, it could have been better.

Met landed a hard punch against his face. "Look at him," he referred to Jade despite Steve's grunts. "Does he look like an object?"

Steve didn't speak.

Met punched him again.

"Maybe you can't see him properly, let me help you with that," he dragged Steve closer until he was now lying flat across the table. He looked pathetic.

"I'm going to need an answer before I bloody up your face. Answer wrongly and I will fuck you up."

For the first time, the defiance left Steve's eyes. He looked completely petrified of Met.

"Does he look like a fucking object?" Met asked.

"N-no..." said Steve.

Josh forgot about Jade and rushed to Steve's side. "Let him go! Do you know who this is?"

Josh helped Steve off the table where he was lying like a fish out of water after Met had let him go.

Sean put a protective arm around Jade.

"This is Steve Cross!" Josh exclaimed.

"The Steve Cross?" Sean was amused. "The laughing stock of the business world? You're a fucking joke!Do you know how many times I could have shut you down without lifting a finger?"

"You're all talk! Getting cozy with his leftovers," Josh laughed. "That's right. Your Jade isn't as innocent as you thought he was, not after he let Steve here bang–"

The slap echoed across the room and it went quiet. Everyone stared at Nana after she slapped Josh. He looked dumbfounded and shocked into silence.

"Get out! This dinner is over."

"Nana–"

"Don't try me tonight Josh. Take your spineless Steve and get out!"

"Stay June. The three of you, follow me," she pointed to Jade, Met and Sean.

Her voice was so commanding they followed quietly behind her.

Jade watched as Nana closed the door to the study.

"You're hiding something Jade," she got straight to the point. She didn't call him buttercup, he noticed.

Jade's hands trembled slightly.

"It's not that important N–"

"Jade, look at these men," she motioned to Met and Sean. "I see love every time they look at you. You know I love you with all my heart, and I hate that you could ever keep anything from me. Especially if it keeps hurting you so much. The eyes my love, they never lie."

"You're in a room full of people who love you. You don't have to be afraid," she added.

A tear rolled down Jade's eye as he looked to his two men. He searched for any sign that maybe he'd made a mistake, maybe they didn't truly care. But all he found was warmth in their eyes. They rushed over and embraced him.

"It's okay," Met said and Sean gave him a small nod. Somewhere in that moment, they gave him courage. Courage to finally let go of his demons.

Jade finally turned to Nana finally, then he let every detail out.

Nana looked like she was about to have a stroke. "All these years! It's all my fault!"

"He raped you?!" Sean bristled. "And Josh repeatedly hurt you!"

"It's not your fault, and he didn't rape me. I agreed to it." Jade shook his head. The tears just wouldn't let up.

"I can't– there's no way I can let this go!" Met said but Jade just shook his head.

"It's gone now."

"Not when you're literally shaking like this, goddamnit I can't stand to see you like this," replied Met.

"Neither can I," added Sean.

Nana cried too, her legs had given out after hearing it all. "I did this," she wept quietly. "I'm so sorry Jade. You've been hurting for so long, I'm really sorry baby."

Jade hugged her and shook his head. "Don't say that Nana! It's all me okay?"

And then Met and Sean joined in the hug, holding the man they loved and his Nana really close and letting them cry their hearts out. Some things couldn't be helped with words. It hurt to see him so hurt, but all they could do was be there for them as they let go of an ugly past that they didn't deserve.

____________

On the drive home, Jade didn't say a word. And as soon they arrived, he rushed off saying he needed to take a shower.

By the time Sean and Met had undressed and were only left in their underwear, Jade still wasn't out.

"It's been a while hasn't it?" Sean asked Met as he got up to check on Jade.

"Hey Jade?!" Sean called.

The shower was still running but other than that, there was no other sound. Jade didn't answer even though Sean was loud enough.

Met joined Sean. "Is everything okay baby?"

Jade still didn't answer. But they didn't push. After a while the water turned off. But Jade didn't come out.

"Don't you find me disgusting now?" he asked from within the shower.

"Aww Jade... Nev–"

"This is the real me," Jade sighed. "I'm not strong like you think I am, I'm not the guy who's so sure of himself. I'm not the same Jade you fell in love with. I'm just–"

"What are you talking about?" Sean asked as they got into the shower. Jade's eyes were bloodshot as the water from his wet hair kept trickling down his face.

Sean cupped Jade's face in his hands. "I fall in love with you every single day. I fell in love with you yesterday, I fell in love with you today...I'm falling in love with you right now as we speak."

Met went to hug him from behind. "I learned something today."

Jade covered Met's hand with his own and closed his eyes. "What?"

"You have a very big heart. And I'm really proud to be yours."

Jade felt so shy that all he could do was bury his face in Sean's neck.

It had been a really long time since someone said those words to him. He was so in love he didn't know what to do with it all.