Caged (rewriting) (boyxboy)

Chapter Four

A/N:
This POV is a little different, let me know what you like best okay? Okay :)
***
Jase twisted violently in his sleep, wrenching the comforter off of Dominick, who woke up with a start. He blinked a few moments of grogginess away and then turned to look at his pet, who was completely tense, head thrown back and the small muscles in his neck standing out.
"Shit." This was the fourth time that night Dominick had woken to Jase's nightmares. "Pet," he tried shaking him, knowing that it wasn't going to work. It hadn't the past three times. Jase twitched, still stiff as hell, and bit his lip, fists clenched unconsciously, breathing shaky.
"Please," he groaned, sweat covering his forehead, and Dominick pulled the frightened boy gently into his arms. It was like holding a statue. If statues had felt this breakable.
"Jase wake up," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss to his pet's forehead.
"No!" Jase screamed violently, writhing trying to get away from Dominick's hold, entire body shaking. "no! I.. No! No! Have Master now!" He sobbed, pushing away, and dominick felt his heart tug.
"Babe it's me," he murmured, "it's okay, you're safe, I'm here."
Jase slowly stopped shoving, his eyes fluttering open tearfully, shining.
"Master?" He asked, sniffing and looking scared. Dominick sighed and rested his forehead against the other boy's.
"Yes, pet. Nightmare?"
Jase nodded mutely, looking scared.
"Do you always have nightmares?" Dominick asked in concern, and Jase nodded. "Who woke you up? They seem bad, pet."
Jase stared in confusion. "Woke you up, sir?" He quoted, and Dominick nodded.
"Yes. Who woke you up."
Jase stared for a moment and then barely cringed before answering.
"Nobody. Deal with it myself, sir," he muttered, tears falling, and Dominick sighed sympathetically before pulling the boy tight to him.
"Don't worry, sir. 'M okay, sir," he lied, and Dominick only shook his head.
"No you aren't. I should punish you again for lying," he muttered, feeling Jase freeze in his arms. "But I'm not willing to let go of you at the moment."
Jase hiccuped softly into his Master's chest like a child, shivering slightly.
"Do you want to try and get more sleep?" Dominick murmured, and Jase froze. "I'll take that as a no. Come on, you haven't eaten since you got here. I'll make breakfast."
Normally he would've had one of the cooks make them something, but he'd dismissed all the hired help for a week to avoid overwhelming his new pet.
Jase stood up unsteadily and Dominick wrapped a gentle arm around his waist to make that he didn't fall.
"Put these on," he ordered, scooping the sweatpants from the floor and then helping Jase into them- Jase couldnt do it himself. Dominick tugged a large green t-shirt over his pet that fell off one shoulder, making him smile at how cut it was.
Jase followed Dominick out of the room, but stopped suddenly at the top of the stairs. Dominick kept walking, not realizing Jase had stopped until he reached the bottom and turned. He raised an eyebrow from eighteen steps down, and realized that Jase was shaking.
"What's wrong, pet? Come here," he ordered, and Jase stared with wide eyes at the stairs before stepping down one step, clinging to the railing with both hands and lowering himself so that both feet were on one step and then one lowered, to be rejoined by the other and so on.
Dominick stared in confusion. He had seen Jase climb the steps onto the stage; what was his problem?
It took five minutes for the boy to get down the stairs, and when he did his gaze stayed fixed on the floor, though his face was bone white. Deciding not to question it, Dominick led him into the kitchen and had him stand at a bar; sitting would hurt his bum.
"What's your favorite food?"
Jase didn't look up, still pale and looking scared. Sighing, Dominick pulled out a pan and fresh eggs, along with milk, salt, and pepper. He cracked the multiple eggs in a big bowl, then made scrambled eggs and put a large bunch on a plate for Jase. Then he added two pieces of toast, buttered, and a glass of orange juice.
And it would be a lie if he said he wasn't pretty damn proud of it; he hadn't cooked in years. He slid the plate and silverware across to Jase, then set the glass nearby, looking at him eagerly.
"You like eggs, right?" Dominick asked, but Jase was staring from the food to Dominick and back, quickly. "What's wrong?"
Jase winced at the question but knew better than to not answer.
"I didn't... See this before," he finally answered, and Dominick noticed that his speech was worse when he was stressed out.
"Okay, so try it. I'm sure you'll like it." Dominick smiled encouragingly and sat on a stool next to him. Jase reached uncertainly to pick up a chunk of egg between his fingers, and Dominick groaned at the germs; he didn't want his pet sick.
"Use a fork and knife, Jase," Dominick ordered, and Jase, who looked like he was about to cry, made a small noise in his throat and stiffened, eyes shifting from the fork to knife to glass and back, trying to decide something.
Oh. It hit Dominick like a ton of bricks; the boy had never been given silverware before, of course. How the hell was he expecting him to even recognize what a fork is?
"This is a fork," he said gently, touching the silver piece. "This is a knife, and this is a cup. That's a plate," he indicated each thing as he spoke and Jase payed complete attention to his words, trying to learn.
With the idea of some kind of tutor firmly in his mind, Dominick carefully picked up Jase's fork and scooped up some of the eggs, then looked to his pet.
"Open your mouth," he ordered, and Jase did so immediately, looking mildly frightened and with his eyes fixed on the food. Dominick placed the fork against Jase's tongue, who kept his mouth open, and laughed quietly. Dominick used two fingers to push his mouth shut over the fork and then pulled it out, only for Jase to spit the eggs out and get them on his chin and chest like an infant.
"Jase!" Dominick growled, and Jase cowered back, eyes shining with tears.
"Sorry bad sorry sir!" He gasped out and Dominick shook his head, wiping the food off his pet's chest and face with a soft napkin.
Holding Jase's jaw gently in one hand, he opened his mouth, placed the eggs on his tongue, and shut his mouth over them. Jase chewed slowly, face a mask of confusion.
"Good boy," he murmured, and Jase beamed at the praise, happily and with a better appetite finishing all the eggs, toast, juice, and basking in the praise from Dominick, who was glad his pet seemed to like the food.
Dominick turned and placed the dishes in the sink, but when he turned back Jase looked pale, holding his stomach with one hand.
"What's wrong?" Dominick asked, but when Jase opened his mouth to respond he threw up everything he had eaten a moment before, vomit getting on the bar and Jase sank to his knees, groaning.
Dominick had the phone out even as he knelt and lifted Jase with one arm.
"I need Cortez and send one of the maids in, preferably Maia."
Cortez was the doctor and Maia was one of Dominick's maids. He felt bad calling her in while she was on break, but he was lost and she was naturally maternal enough to help him.
While he waited for them to get to the house, he took Jase upstairs and laid him down on the bed carefully, stroking his forehead in an attempt to comfort him.
"Master," Jase said with tears in his eyes "so so sorry sir."
Dominick shook his head and laid down with the boy, wiping his tears and tugging him close, worry bright in his chest.
"It's okay babe," he murmured, feeling Jase burrow into his chest like he always did.
"Pet?" He asked, and Jase hummed a miserable 'yessir?' into his chest. "Did you have trouble eating in the Market?"
Jase stiffened at mention of the place but took a deep breath.
"don't much in the Market, sir," he muttered softly, and Dominick scowled. Of course they didn't- Jase was tiny, and had probably never had real food in his life.
"Well you have to eat, okay?"
Jase hesitated and then nodded slowly.
"Yessir."
"Good boy," Dominick muttered gently, cradling Jase's face with one hand, holding him against the older boy's chest until the doorbell rang.
"Stay here," he murmured, leaving and then arriving with the doctor a few moments later. Jase winced at the face that he had first seen when he woke up after the Market. It brought back bad memories. Whimpering softly, he shot Dominick a frightened look and scurried across the room into his arms, giving the doctor a wide space.
Dominick looked surprised for a second at Jase's tiny form clinging to him; Jase was never forward, never initiated. Yet here he was, clinging tightly to the fabric of his Master's shirt, whining slightly and using his chest to help him stand.
"Jase," Dominick scolded gently. "The doctor is here to see you."
Jase was quivering, and looked up at his master pleadingly, with wide eyes.
"Lie down on the bed," Dominick ordered, and Jase winced like he'd been hit and forced himself over to the bed, trying to swallow his terror.
Always do as a master says, always do as a master says, always do as a master says.
Once Jase was lying down on his back, wincing at every little noise, Dominick turned to Cortez.
"He's sensitive," Dominick murmured, "he just wants to please though. He's desperately afraid of punishment."
Cortez nodded understandingly.
"He lived in the Market?" He asked, and Dominick nodded, affirming it. Cortez sighed, sounding like he had dealt with it before.
"At least he isn't pushing everyone away, or trying to leave the house in the night. That's what most of those kids do."
Dominick stared for a moment and thing pushed the thought of losing his pet away.
"He can't hold food. I don't know about water. And I need you to just give him a kind of check-up."
Cortez nodded and walked over to Jase, who stiffened and glared at him.
"No need for that, little one," the elderly doctor smiled at his scowling features. "I won't hurt you."
Jase muttered something that the doctor couldn't hear, but it sounded negative.
"Now, now. Pull off that shirt for me so I can hear your heart more clearly," the old man smiled, but Jase didn't move. In fact, he just stared at Cortez with such utter terror in his eyes that the good doctor paused and looked at Dominick in surprise.
"Mr. Blair, I think your pet needs you," he said softly, and Dominick strode over immediately, looking down at Jase, who's eyes were full of tears of panic.
"I...sir, please don't make me," he begged and then reflexively threw a hand over his mouth, realizing how out of turn he had been.
Telling a master what to do. Jase's tears fell fast and hard, and he started hyperventilating around his hand.
"Master-" gasp "please, please sorry sir, sorry! sorry, sir, bad, bad, sorry sir, Master, so sorry, bad," he couldn't breathe, couldn't think, and his English got worse and worse as he tried to communicate.
"Shh. Jase, Jase look at me. Here, babe. Focus on me, okay." He waited for Jase's eyes to refocus on his face, and then softly pulled Jase's hand from his mouth. "Breathe, baby. Deep breaths, that's it."
Jase struggled violently to do as his Master said, his whole being bent on obeying him.
"That's my good boy," Dominick smiled softly, reaching for the hem of Jase's shirt and tugging it over his head. Jase, of course, didn't struggle or fight against him, merely ducked his head and tried to keep breathing steadily.
Dominick nodded to Dr. Cortez, who pressed the metallic stethoscope to Jase's chest in multiple different spots, while Dominick rubbed his stomach lightly, soothingly, encouraging the frightened boy who winced when the metal touched him.
"Okay Jason, I need you to lie on your stomach for me here," said Dr. Cortez, and Jase jumped at his real name. Dominick grinned down at him and stroked his face. Jase turned over slowly, panicking internally. When the doctor's hands reached for the waistband of the sweatpants, however, he lost it, scrambling back and falling off the bed, landing on his injured bum with a yelp and tears started falling.
"No!" He yelled defiantly, hands reaching back to press the band firmly to his back. "Can't have!"
It took Dominick a second to realize that Jase thought the doctor was going to take the pants he had given him. Trying to maintain patience and some semblance of calm, he walked over to the boy slowly, kneeling and looking him in the eye.
"Dr. Cortez is not going to take anything of yours. He isn't going to hurt you, and he doesn't want to use you. Okay Jase? He's trying to make sure you're okay, baby," Dominick said firmly. "Now go back to the bed and be good. That means no running away, and no telling the doctor what he can and cannot do. Do what the doctor tells you, and be honest with us both. Do you understand?" Jase nodded with his lower lip trembling and kitted out in pain, fear and dislike of the doctor. "I'm serious. If you do it again I'm going to punish you."
Jase's eyes widened to saucers and his stomach clenched painfully. He felt his toes curl up and fought the urge to cave in on himself.
"Yessir," he finally whispered, and Dominick nodded and sat him back on the bed.
"Be good," he said sternly, and Jase cringed, feeling his stomach flip again with painful nerves and choking slightly. The doctor looked at him in concern for a moment and then sighed.
"They've done a number on this one," he muttered, and Dominick threw him a sharp look, but Jase didn't hear.
"On your stomach," the doctor said, and Jase did so this time immediately.
Dominick, standing to the side, watched carefully as Cortez pulled the sweats down to Jase's knees, seeing the way the skinny boy buried his face in the pillow and sobbed miserably as the doctor's hands worked quickly over the stitches which were mostly healed. He knew it wasn't the pain that made him cry. It was the idea of someone touching him when he thought he'd escaped it all when he was taken from the Market. Yet here he was. Under threat of a punishment he was terribly afraid of, being forced to let someone touch him in a way he hated, and order him to do things with his body that he wasn't comfortable with.
Dominick hated himself for it, and carefully walked over and laid down next to his shaking pet, reaching a hand out to tilt his face so he could see that his Master was there.
Jase coughed pathetically, his thin frame trembling, and Dominick reached out to stroke at his wet cheek.
"You're doing so well, my pet," he whispered, making Jase's tears slow. Dominick knew the boy craved nothing more than his Mater's praise. Jase hiccuped quietly, and Dominick smiled.
"Such a good boy for me," he said gently, and Jase sniffled but the tears had stopped. "My beautiful little pet."
He reached down as the doctor gave him the thumbs up, tugging Jase's pants back into place and nabbing the shirt from the floor, pulling it over his scrawny frame. Jase snuggled into it gratefully, feeling instantly protected and surrounded by his Master's scent and clothing.
"Master?" He breathed out hesitantly, and Dominick raised an eyebrow. "Am I g-going to punished?" A few tears dribbled down his cheeks and Dominick immediately shook his head.
"No you aren't, babe." Jase let out a relieved, shaky breath, and Dominick smiled genuinely before turning to look at the doctor, pulling Jase between his legs protectively.
"Can he eat? Drink?" Dominick asked, and Cortez nodded immediately.
"Of course he can. Small, small amounts though; his system isn't used to it, and it won't accept it right away. Start with broth, no dairy or heavy oils yet. Water, no milk or juice. Make sure that he eats slowly, and see how much he can keep down. He'll probably be sick the first few times no matter what you give him, but his body will get used to it. Have patience, Mr. Blair. He's damaged, and he needs you."
"I'm starting to think," Dominick responded quietly, tugging a now sleeping, exhausted Jase tighter to his chest, "that I need him too."