Reckless

When You Were Young

(Thanks for all the comments o.o they help the story more than you think. And Jana refuses to give the POV back to Domino or to evidently let this be a once a month updater. I can't really argue with him, so... more Jana. LifeHouse-Broken is the video)

Jana-

Row row row your boat, gently down the stream...

Merrily merrily merrily merrily...

Life is but a dream.

Row row row your boat...

"Gently down the stream..."

Merrily Merrily...

"Merrily merrily..."

Jana's eyes opened slowly as he heard Domino's deep voice. Instead of sitting up right away to get ready to take Tera out, Jana nuzzled his stiff pillow and yawned, letting his dark hair fall over his eyes slightly.

"Good morning." Domino said from where he sat on his own bed, having just earned it the day prior.

He'd been sleeping leaning against Jana's bed the past few days. Having him across the small room on the mattress somehow felt odd now, but he refused to voice the thought. He would never let the man in his bed with him. He'd been far too close even being near it, so it was good that he had his own bed now.

Not wanting to dwell on any specific thing currently running about his mind, Jana got himself up and clipped Tera's leash on. He was tired from studying, as he'd already gone through two chemistry books and written about fifty pages of meticulous notes. Most of them being on the chemistry 2 book, as the first one was mainly what he'd already memorized from high school and still remembered.

"Good morning, Jana... Domino." Tommy said as he approached and began unlocking the cell.

One other thing Domino had earned in the past few days was the right to not be handcuffed. He was due out one week after Jana's next hearing, so they were slowly loosening the reigns to be sure he could act responsibly.

"Morning." Jana replied, taking both of them by evident surprise since they paused, Tommy sliding the cell door shut and Domino walking.

Jana eyed them both, then grunted and turned back around to head down the hall with Tera. When they got outside he hurried to their private area and unfastened Tera's leash. The dog was quite hyper for once, and after a quick pee bolted off into the far field.

"Hey Jana."

Hearing Domino's voice, Jana acknowledged him with a nod, then began walking off toward where Tera was frolicking in the grass.

"You were singing that children's song when you were asleep. Mumbling it. Can I ask where it's from?" Domino said as he easily caught up and they set a pace together.

He hadn't known that Domino had heard the song he'd been dreaming of... He definitely didn't want to think that he had been singing that childish song while asleep.

Without hesitating, Jana bolted off toward his dog, bare feet easily eating up the ground. He felt something welling up in his chest that he didn't want to feel. Remembered something that was oddly positive, but at the same time, it just made everything that much more negative.

Jana didn't stop until the electric fence was within feet of him. He skidded to a halt, then stumbled backward several steps. Then he dropped into the thick grass, chest heaving as the cool green bristles pressed against his back and outstretched arms. The sky was overcast with several dark clouds beginning to form.

"It's going to rain." He whispered to himself as Tera wandered over and settled down, resting her muzzle in the crook of his neck.

"The forecast in the lunchroom yesterday said rain was expected anytime this morning." Domino said as he took a seat beside him and looked up.

Almost as if on cue, a tiny raindrop tapped Jana's nose as it fell from high above. The pattering increased as more drops joined the former, dancing along his overheated skin. Closing his eyes, Jana gave a quiet sigh and felt himself finally relax into the grass.

"My... mother. She used to sing that to me when I was a child." He stated quietly, the words almost deafened by the increasing sound of the rain falling around them.

"Mine, too. Though she liked to switch it up a bit. Never knew what that crazy lady would start belting out. One time, when I was four, she started rapping Usher." Domino said, making Jana grin, even though he had no idea who Usher was.

He allowed silence to take over for several minutes as they rested, then continued where he had left off, having not finished what he'd meant to say... and if he didn't, he knew he wouldn't try to bring it up again. "She stopped singing it the first night she started doing heroin."

Feeling Domino's gaze on him, Jana slowly tilted his head to the side, then opened his tired blue eyes. He had flipped onto his stomach and was holding himself up on his right elbow while reaching slowly forward with his left hand. His thumb gently ran beneath Jana's right eye, wiping away a tear he wasn't sure he'd even shed.

"My mother still loves to sing. I'm sure, if you ever want to visit, she'll sing it for you... but you may have to sit through quite a bit afterward. She likes to show off, even if she isn't that great at singing. Guess I encouraged her a bit too much when I was young." Domino joked, chuckling as he finished speaking and withdrew his hand.

The offer was a simple one he'd heard others give to friends many times, but it had never been extended to him. No. He was too dangerous. Volatile. No one ever wanted him around their loved ones. Hell, if they could, they'd probably keep him away from themselves completely, too.

While Jana was thinking, Domino pushed himself up. Glancing down, Domino noticed that he was soaked, but there obviously wasn't much to do about it. Jana watched him silently, taking in his features until Tera suddenly jumped into his arms. The dog had warmed to him, but it still preferred Jana over Domino in most cases. When she really wanted affection, however, she usually chose to give it to Domino. That didn't actually bother Jana at all, as he wasn't a fan of being licked or pawed at.

In seconds Domino had Tera tugged tightly into his arms and was getting tons of licks in return. The dog was squirming like crazy, yet at the same time, clearly loving the attention she was getting.

Affection. Jana thought curiously. He'd only ever gotten any kind of affectionate attention from his father, and it sure as hell wasn't positive. It didn't make him laugh or smile, like Domino was doing from Tera's licking and excited barks. It had hurt, both his body and mind.

Wary, Jana pushed himself up into a sitting position and watched the two with narrowed eyes as the rain grew heavier. His head tilted unconsciously from one side, to the other, then back. Unfamiliar jealousy nudged at his chest as Tera snuggled in, enjoying the bear hug she was getting.

Jana's head tilted again and he inched closer, blinking several times to keep his vision clear of raindrops. His heart began to quicken its pace, its beat soon matching the loud pattering of rain as he got even closer.

Do you need Mamma to sing you a song that will keep the monsters away, Jana?

Yes! I'm 'fraid they come from under the bed! I see'd one!

Alright. I'll sing for you, little one. But I need you to remember something for me, okay Jana?

Okay Mamma. What is it?

That real monsters only live inside your head.

Jana wasn't sure how he'd wound up with his arms wrapped tightly around Tera and Domino. They settled around Domino's neck as he rested his left cheek on the man's shoulder, face nuzzled into Tera's sopping wet fur.

His heart was beating so loudly that it drowned out the rain. It drowned out his shaky, panting breaths. It drowned out even the voices that normally drove him mad. The only thing he could hear over it, just barely, were the words Domino was calmly singing to Row Row Row Your Boat.