Darkest Shadows

12) Detox

"I still love you."--Jaxin

♡

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Ambrose rolls over in bed and checks the time, groaning to see it's seven in the morning and once again Jax is gone, as in not-home gone. For the past two weeks Ambrose has woken up alone and it's pissing him off, he rubs his hands over his face and heads to the bathroom for a scorching shower, his favorite. Jax couldn't stand the extreme heat so whenever they showered together the water had to be turned down some and Jax would find another way to keep Ambrose warm. When he's done his shower, he drags himself down the stairs and into the kitchen to make his morning protein shake, something that all the guys have started doing, especially those who are Asheri or training to be. He feels little arms wrap around his calves and smiles down at Tarver. "Hey Tarver, what are you doing up?"

"Mommy and Daddy are sleeping and I'm hungry."

"Want some waffles?"

Tarver nods enthusiastically and hops up onto the barstool at the counter instead of sitting at the table. "What are you doing up there? Go sit at the table."

"But I want to eat here. Mommy lets me," he argues.

"No, she doesn't." Everyone knows Rhea would never allow her four-year-old son to be up on the barstool.

"Daddy does."

"No, he doesn't." Gemini doesn't have a problem with it but because Rhea says no, he has to agree or face sleeping on the couch or worse...sleeping with all clothes on and taking separate showers. Ambrose can picture the horror on his best friend's face. "Fine. If your mom or dad get mad at me for letting you then I'm throwing you under the bus, kid."

"That's fine, they'll stop the bus from running me over because I'm too cute," he flaunts, smiling brightly. "Waffles please."

"Yeah, yeah," he gripes and returns to making Tarver and his waffles. When the front door opens, he gets a chill down his spine and he knows it is Jax. He is Jax's Catalyst, so he can sense wherever Jax is, not always the exact location but the general area.

"Are you making my boyfriend make you pancakes again, Tarver?" Jax kids, coming over to ruffle Tarver's hair.

"No, he asked me. And it's waffles for your information," the four-year-old sasses. If you didn't know his age and watch his mom go through pregnancy, you'd never guess it, everyone would assume seventeen. He's taller than a lot of kids in his grade but not tall enough to pass for a seventeen-year-old.

"Oh, excuse me. Hey darling." Jax presses a kiss on Ambrose's cheek and stops moving when Ambrose doesn't acknowledge him or kiss him back. "What's wrong?"

"He's upset Uncle Jax and doesn't want to talk to you."

"Says who?"

"That's what Mommy does to Daddy when she's upset. She locks herself in her room and doesn't talk to him and he always looks depressed when he walks past their door. It hurts him but he's understanding of it. Are you understanding of Ambrose, Uncle Jax?" Tarver explains. "Is he Uncle Ambrose?"

Ambrose ignores the question and flips the waffles onto a plate and hands it to Tarver. "There you go. Do you want syrup too?"

"Mommy does that too. She deflects from a topic she doesn't want to talk about and changes the subject. I think you need to talk to Uncle Jax and work it out as Mommy and Daddy do. But yes, I'll take that syrup please."

He hands off the syrup and turns back to the stove to make more. "Do you want some Jaxin?"

"Uh, no thanks, I already ate," he hesitates.