Fate and Gravity (CW RPS)
For the warning and info, see the master post.
Part 2.1
When Jensen woke up he felt like crap. He was not sure if he was pissed at himself for kicking Jared out, inviting him in or even agreeing to try dating him at all. He guessed that he was mostly pissed because he wasn’t sure where they stood now. Did he have to call Jared? Did he have to wait for Jared to call? Or perhaps kicking Jared out when things were actually going in the opposite direction meant that there would be no more calls? The fact that Jensen wasn’t sure if he should be sad or happy about that last option only confused him further. And Jensen hated being confused.
He was just trying to explain this whole mess to Danneel, who on the other side of the phone call very unconvincingly tried to sound sympathetic, when the sound of the doorbell rang through the house.
“Okay, I’m glad I’m a source of amusement to you, but I need to go, someone is at the door.” Jensen said dryly, already moving through the whole apartment from the garden, where he sat drinking his coffee.
“Sure there is, Jenny.” Danneel mocked. “Call me when you’re ready for the second round of humiliation.”
“There is someone at the door!” Jensen protested vehemently.
“I know. You’re a shitty lair,” laughed his friend and Jensen hung up without another word, already opening the door.
He blinked-- surprised-- when he saw the tall figure at his doorstep. He definitely didn’t consider this option. He guessed it meant he was not free of Jared just yet. To his surprise, he wasn’t exactly sad about that. He tried to smile at his guest, but the awkwardness in Jared’s posture and expression made him uneasy, guessing what exactly was going on here.
“Hi, Jen.”
“Hi,” answered Jensen shortly, deciding to play it calm and just let Jared ramble out what was on his mind.
“I didn’t mean to come over so quickly, I’m not that pathetic stalker. I know how to lull the stalked person into a false feel of security,” Jensen breathed a small laugh and Jared grinned somehow relieved, obviously proud of himself. “But the thing is, I kinda need to speak with you, so… uh… Can I come in, perhaps?”
Jensen nodded hurriedly, somehow embarrassed that he didn’t suggest it earlier. He opened the door wider and went into the living room with Jared following him, closing the door quietly behind them. Jensen retrieved his coffee mug that he left on the table on his way to the door. He took a sip quickly and then motioned at Jared.
“You want coffee or something?”
“No, no. I’m good, thanks.” Jared assured him hurriedly and Jensen was getting more and more sure that Jared was actually nervous about something and quite a lot embarrassed. It made Jensen somehow uneasy. It was not a good look on Jared. “Listen, it’s kinda embarrassing and I can only beg you not to be mad… Or at least not at me.”
Jensen snorted at this correction, but he could feel his insides clenching.
“Will you finally tell me what’s going on before I manage to imagine a dozen worse scenarios?” he asked finally, only half-joking.
“I guess.”
“Well, then, your time is running out.”
Jared chuckled quietly and Jensen smiled tightly. It couldn’t be so bad, right? If Jared was still chuckling and smiling? Unless, of course, Jared was some kind of a psycho killer, because then Jensen was pretty much screwed. And not in a funny way.
“Do you remember the wagon with bracelets you told me your grandma left you?”
“Yes?” answered Jensen unsure, his tone suddenly cold and guarded.
Jared took a deep breath, obviously uneasy with the subject. Well, join the fucking club, thought Jensen angrily.
“Well, I kind of mentioned it to my friends… You know, the two psychos that were here with me the first time? And Misha kind of had a freak out. You know, how you were apparently wasting the potential of those bracelets and so on, and so on. I thought he was just being his usual freaky self who has some platonic crush on your grandma, which trust me is freaky even to me, and I love the woman. But apparently it was much more serious and those two idiots got high yesterday and broke into your garage and stole your wagon. I’m so fucking sorry, can we please pretend I do not know them?”
Jensen stared at the man before him, with his mouth opened and eyes unblinking for a very long time. He moved his mouth a few times, but finally shut it, because obviously no words were going to come out anyway. Finally he just shook his head and moved past Jared to the garage to check if it wasn’t some big joke. And if it wasn’t, he needed to check if he wasn’t sleeping with his garage wide open and a clear way to get into his house the whole night. Not that Palm Harton was known for its crime scene, but Jensen was not keen on becoming the very first victim of some disgusting crime around here, thank you very much.
To his surprise the garage looked pretty much untouched. Somehow they even managed to close the garage door behind them without setting off any kind of alarm or breaking anything. If not for the fact that yes, the small wagon with bracelets was missing from the mess inside the garage, Jensen wouldn’t even be able to tell someone was ever there.
“Why… why the hell would they do that?” He finally snapped and Jared sighed behind him.
“I told you. It turns out Misha believes this mojo stronger than I did when I was six. He made himself believe that you cannot waste the potential those bracelets have… And that you don’t want them around anyway… He actually plans on staying here for… God knows how long and sell them.”
Jensen blinked at Jared in shock, but the higher man only shrugged. He looked so unsure and confused that Jensen didn’t really have the energy to blame him for taking any part in it.
“Is he insane?”
“Yes,” Jared stated with sureness. “But apparently he already managed to rent some shitty apartment, he’s willing to share and I’m running short on cash, so I guess I’m gonna play friends with him for awhile.”
Coffee. Jensen needed more coffee to deal with it. He shook his head at Jared and walked back towards the house, pouring himself some more coffee in the kitchen and finally making his way back to the garden. He sat on one of the chairs set outside the patio, on the evenly cut grass, and only then he looked at Jared who followed him like a confused puppy.
“This is insane,” Jensen stated strongly. “Why the hell would you even want to stay here?”
“Well, for one I love this town more than any other place in world,” Jared stated firmly, unable not to smile. Jensen just stared at him. He’d never get it. “Second of all, there’s this plan I have on winning you over eventually.”
Jensen snorted.
“All because of some stupid magical bracelet?” he asked bitterly.
“Jensen,” sighed Jared, but Jensen ignored him.
“You see that huge oak over there? When I was eight and my mom bought me this bracelet, I hated it so much, but I knew she wouldn’t listen to me. So I sneaked to the garage, where my grandma’s wagon stood and I stole the matching bracelet. I figured - no matching bracelet, no annoying soulmate. I buried it under this tree. Pretty deep and in a metal box, I may add,” he said bitterly.
Jared stared at the tree and the spot underneath it that Jensen pointed at. There was fresh dirt lying around it.
“You tried to dig it up?”
“Yeah. There’s a box, fair enough. But it’s empty.” Jensen stared in space. “I was always sure grandma knew I took it… Perhaps she dug it out and…”
Even to his own ears he didn’t sound convinced.
“Or perhaps it just found me,” Jared said simply. Jensen glared back at him, but Jared only smiled peacefully. “Sandy… My almost-fiancé said she tried throwing it out, throwing it into the river and it always came back and just sat on her dresser.”
“Jared, I…” Jensen closed his eyes. He knew this story. Or thousands similar to it. His mother used to tell him them as goodnight stories, his grandma liked to share them, when she was working on new bracelets. Jensen hated them almost as much as he hated biting his tongue about the stories when he visited his father.. “I can’t be with you because of some stupid bracelets. No matter how magical they may be. That’s just not… that’s not me, I’m sorry.”
Jared stared at him as if he were crazy. Perhaps he was: he heard it from few people in his life.
“Jen, I don’t want you to drop your life and be mine forever, because of some stupid bracelet!” Jensen blinked at him. “I… I don’t really believe they make us a perfect couple or anything. I think… I think they’re more like a sign, you know? They say, hey, fate thinks you two would work great together, give it a try! And I want to give it a try… If it works… I think it’s gonna be magnificent and perfect and most awesome thing in the world. If it’s not… Well, you will have one more argument against the bracelets and we’ll both have one more failed relationship on both our accounts. Shit happens.”
Jensen closely watched Jared’s eager face and hopeful smile, so close to him since the taller man leaned over from his chair while talking. Trying to get closer and make his point across. Jensen felt a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as his hand found its way into Jared’s messy hair without his conscious effort. He ran his fingers through too-long strands of hair and smiled, slightly lost in thought.
“You’re just saying that so I won’t sue your stupid friends.”
“Yeah, I really need a place to stay, you know?” Jared answered seriously and Jensen smacked him on the arm, making him loose it and laugh loudly.
Jensen tightened his hand in Jared’s hair on the base of his neck, and he brought him close enough to kiss slowly. Jared smiled into the kiss and Jensen could feel himself answering it without even wanting to.
“I guess I can agree to another date.”
“And then another and another and another…”
“Well, if you play your cards right,” Jensen answered and Jared kissed his smirking lips.
~
The very first thing that was placed in their freshly rented apartment was the wagon with bracelets. Which was seriously ridiculous considering the stairs were definitely not wagon friendly, but it’s not like they really had any place else to leave it. Misha was pretty sure he was eventually going to brainwash the baker’s wife into letting them keep it in a garage, but so far Chad kept messing his game with cheesy compliments and sleazy smiles. Misha’s mojo couldn’t work in that setting apparently.
Finally they moved all their things, including Jared’s since he abandoned them to ‘make sure Jensen will not call the police’. Or just to stare adoringly at his beloved soulmate, depending on whether you trusted Jared himself or Chad. Personally, Misha strongly believed Jay could multitask.
“Dude, you’re getting creepier with every passing second, you know that, right?” Chad asked sounding serious. “It was somehow fun yesterday when I was baked, but tonight? CREEPY.”
Misha turned his head to blink at him, surprised. It’s not that Chad thought he was being a weird creep that Misha heard in different forms from different people pretty much his whole life. But only rarely it happened that he was not exactly sure what it was he was doing to be considered weird.
“You’re fucking staring at those stupid bracelets with a smile that suggests you’re seriously high and I know you aren’t! And stop freaking petting those things!” Chad exclaimed, horrified.
The quiet chuckle was his only response as Misha slowly moved his hands over the thin, golden bracelets hanging on the round hanger hang few inches under the material roof of the wagon. They clinked lightly bumping into one other, so delicate and beautiful. They sounded almost like they were laughing cheerfully. Gold was always so optimistic and warm, bound to energetic, loud people…
“Dude?!”
“Sorry,” Misha answered slowly, smile still tugging at his lips. “They’re captivating.”
“You seriously creep me out, which I guess means you have that part of the job requirement figured out. But how the hell will you fake your way through giving people the right bracelets? I mean, if you believe this crap, won’t it be a bad thing to do?”
Misha laughed out loud at that. He always knew that given enough of time, Chad could find the way to the right, moral thought.
“Yeah, Chad, it’d be. But I will know which one goes to whom.”
“Yeah? You’re some bracelet guru now?” snorted Chad dismissive.
“Maybe…” Shrugged Misha. “I think I get them somehow.”
Chad rolled his eyes dramatically.
“Yeah, mister spiritual? How about you tell me then, why instead of finding my soulmate I got married to Sophia?” snapped the blond man and his friend finally turned his attention to him, thought his eyes still seemed pretty unfocused.
He extended his hand, palm up and Chad rolled his eyes again, but he put his wrist with the bracelet in Misha’s palm. The new proud owner of the wagon full of soulmate finding bracelets tightened his fingers around Chad’s wrist, brushing against his bracelet. Chad’s bracelet was pretty big, but made from thin strings of leather. Colorful strings tied around them, a silver cross with four same length arms attached to one of the strings. It was crazy, colorful and messy. Perfect for Chad.
Misha smiled at that, though, wondering how much Sophia was different from his friend, even though so very similar. Just like theirs bracelets. Misha frowned suddenly, staring into space somewhere above Chad’s right ear.
“You had to get through this marriage… It was probably the only way to make you wait.”
“Wait for what?!” exclaimed Chad, snatching his hand back and frowning at his crazy friend.
“For it to be legal,” answered Misha quickly with a shake of his head. “Dude, your soulmate is barely fifteen as we speak… tell me you’re still too freaked out to look for her.”
“Oh, trust me,” said Chad, sounding choked. “I’m plenty freaked out.”
Misha frowned at him, but Murray just waved him off and stood up shakily to make his way to the other room. Misha sighed at turned to his wagon with a much less happy smile. He ran his hand through the cheerful, golden bracelets. Their laugh sounded strained in the middle of a darkened, silent room, but Misha thought it’d do.
~
Walking with coffee was a good plan to spend time with Jensen. Jared could walk around his beloved town and perhaps project some of his feelings onto Jensen, while Jensen was just simply content because of the delicious coffee in his hands and Jared taking his mind off how he has to be the center of attention for the bored small-town people right now. He actually really liked walking, he just felt quite stupid doing it by himself, partly scared he looked like an idiot and everyone was staring at him, partly worried somebody would want to join him or God forbid, talk to him. With Jared-shield he could move around the town not paying attention and nobody would even give him the evil eye, when he’d forget to tell them good morning, lost in thought. Jared’s charm kept everyone’s bad moods away from Jensen and so he could sip at his coffee and enjoy the salty, sea wind and warm sun.
He frowned finally noticing that Jared had stopped babbling. Jensen turned to him and met his warm gaze and small, dreamy smile. The shorter man blushed slightly and turned his face to look at the sea before them.
“So how is your bracelet selling friend doing?” He asked, hoping Jared hadn’t babbled about that yet. He was about ninety percent sure he hadn’t.
“Not all that great,” grinned Jared and Jensen raised his eyebrows in question. “He somehow managed to scare Chad off by telling him how old his soulmate is and why he shouldn’t find her just yet.”
Jensen blinked surprised.
“Wow. He’s a natural.”
“Yep, apparently. Anyway, I think he somehow freaked himself out a bit, because he swears he’s gonna wait until Monday before going out with the wagon to sell bracelets. Apparently Mondays are good to start things.”
“Mondays aren’t good for anything,” grumbled Jensen and Jared laughed out loud.
Go figure Jensen would be one of those people who hated Mondays even while doing nothing on those particular days. He called him out on it, but Jensen stared at him like he’d been demanded before seriously stating it was a case of principles. Jared only laughed louder.
“Your disgusting happiness, cheerfulness, and optimism make me cringe,” stated Jensen slowly and sipped on his coffee.
“You know, Jensen, you should watch your words. One of this days you’re gonna tell me you’re not awed by my sparkling personality and I may just consider believing you.”
“Oh my god, now you even sparkle?”
Jared smacked him in the arm and Jensen smiled happily, feeling that of all the things that weren’t so bad about spending time with Jared, this one was the best. He finally didn’t have to worry about what to say and how to phrase it. With Jared all the words just came naturally. Fair enough, they were usually mocking insults, but it was not Jensen’s fault that Jared was so clearly begging for it.
“You wanna grab dinner tomorrow?” Jared asked lightly, leaning with his back and elbows on the railing and tipping his face up to the autumn sun.
“I can’t,” sighed Jensen and Jared looked down at him, curious. “I have a job interview in Cliffton. It’s pretty early in the morning, so I’m staying at Danneel’s the night before… She was bugging me to visit her forever.”
“Wow, you’re dumping me for your pretty female friend. If I wasn’t jealous of her before I am now,” laughed Jared and Jensen just looked back at him, unimpressed. “Sorry. But, shit. Cliffton? It’s pretty far from Palm Harton.”
Jensen let out a small laugh.
“Yeah, that’s kind of the point.”
Jared stared back at him looking slightly like a kicked puppy and a lot like a mischievous puppy that is planning something. Jensen rolled his eyes at him and Jared just smiled brightly.
“You are prejudiced,” he announced. “And we’re gonna change it! Today, you’re learning about my Palm Harton and you are gonna love it!”
“Oh, bring it on, Sasquatch.”
~
Jensen could feel sure of himself, but Jared? Jared was practically a tourist guide of this town since before he learned to read . Faced with his bright and strong enthusiasm, Jensen’s prejudices didn’t stand a chance. Especially since he knew exactly how to show the city to the particular person he was showing around.
He started by dragging Jensen again to the Patti’s coffee shop, carefully picking his path right past uncle Ernie’s ice cream parlor. Jensen seemed a bit surprised at this choice, but Jared only smiled at him.
“Here you can buy the most delightful ice-cream in the history of ever. Also, by going this way you can reach the small Cedar’s Street following which we can get to Patti’s and avoiding walking by the market. I know how much you love crowds, so I will walk you through this town in the way you will barely meet any people at all.”
“That’s impossible. Trust me, I tried.”
Jared just smiled and patted Jensen on the arm with superiority.
“Amateur,” he murmured and led the way, waving through the huge window at uncle Ernie.
They went through the trees separating the ice cream parlor and other shops from the Cedar’s Street, where there were barely any houses at all and absolutely no people at all. The open garden with outside tables at Patti’s was completely deserted and they quickly moved through it to the main shop.
That was actually the part Jared was most unsure about. As much as he loved Patti and her shop, the woman was like a local gossip page. She always had to know everything and was always concerned with everyone’s private lives. She was like the complete opposite of Jensen and Jared gave up on all hopes they’d ever get on. Thankfully he also knew that if he’d distract Jensen with fresh coffee and Patti with his babbling, everyone would be able to survive the meeting unharmed.
He noticed Jensen smiling slightly as they got out of the coffee shop and looked at him questioningly. The shorter man just shrugged, his smile now much brighter.
“I think that’s the first time I’ve been at Patti’s and didn’t have to say a word.”
Jared smiled brightly at that, steering Jensen away from the main street again and towards a much quieter path.
“See? You just need to keep me around,” he said and Jensen chuckled quietly, shaking his head.
“Who would have thought that to finally get some peace and quiet I would need the loudest person on Earth.”
Jared smacked him lightly and led the way further into the town, finally passing the main street and one side of the market. Jensen smirked, probably thinking of how much Jared would fail on his as-few-people-as-possible plan right now, but was surprised when he noticed that the side of the market they passed was practically deserted at this hour. Jared just gave him a proud smile, knowing exactly what was going through his head. Jensen just rolled his eyes right back at him.
Jared led him through the street running next to the elementary school and made him visit the book shop that Jensen was always avoiding, but now fell in love with after barely a few minutes. He stared back at Jared, looking somehow spooked by this.
“How did you know?” he asked quietly.
“That you would like it?” Jared clarified and then smiled at another man. “You said you like books. Here are books. You don’t like people. There are never many people at the old bookstore. You don’t like the owners of the shops watching you constantly and old Al couldn’t care less whether you’re here or not. I mean, yeah, he probably will glance at you more often at first, just to check if you’re decent human being and won’t hurt his books, but after that, you’re free as a bird here.”
Jensen shook his head. He saw this place a couple of times, but it was on another side of the city and too close to school for his own comfort. Not to mention the very creepy souvenir shop right next to it.
“Also note worthy is that the pizza at Joe’s on the corner is ridiculously delicious. But avoid Frank’s souvenir shop: it does not only look creepy, it is in fact very creepy.”
“Agreed.”
The comic books standing neatly on the shelves by the doors, were calling for Jared, but he refused to show his geekiness while Jensen was still watching his moves. Noticing that Jensen was engrossed in the books before him, Jared finally made his way to his favorite shelves and ended up siting in the armchair by the window, reading Batman and Robin and waiting for Jensen to get over the first phase of fascination.
It actually took him over half an hour, but eventually Jensen came to Jared with four books stacked in his arms. Criminal novels, noted Jared with a smile, and only stuck his tongue out when he noticed Jensen’s shake of the head at the sight of the comic book.
“You’re such a dork,” stated Jensen before walking over to Al with his precious novels.
When they walked out Jensen seemed to be in much better mood and Jared noted that apparently books were good bribing material.
“So, how do you plan on avoiding walking by the school?” asked Jensen curiously and Jared laughed at him.
“Um, I don’t?” He only smiled brighter, when he noticed Jensen’s scowl. “Oh, come on. You can’t hate elementary school! It’s as safe of a contact with people as it gets.”
“No, it really isn’t. There’s a lot of them and they’re young, loud, and unpredictable.”
Jared laughed loudly, putting one of his long arms around Jensen and leading him right past the school and through the street next to it that later passed the bigger street and through the labyrinth of family houses that led right towards Jensen’s place. Jensen kept looking around as if just waiting for young, evil children to attack him. Jared held him closer.
“At Saturday and at this hour,” he said quietly, almost right to Jensen’s ear, “barely any kids are around school. Actually, at this hour men from the city are playing football at the field. It is pretty great. There are two teams, one from Palm Harton, another from Saint Louis. They change games every year, but it doesn’t really matter. Basically it’s just a reason to run around, yell a lot, laugh and eat some grilled meat.”
Jensen snorted and Jared nodded with a smile that said more than words how much he loves this whole idea.
“They said if I’m gonna stay for longer I totally should join in. Wanna come over and watch me run around and flex my muscles in the sun?”
“Oh, I can’t think of anything better to do with my free time,” drawled Jensen and Jared nodded slowly, agreeing. “So you are gonna stay for longer?”
Jared shrugged, his gaze automatically falling on the school building. It was easy to say: do you want to stay or not? Are you going to stay or not? As if the answer wasn’t obvious. If Jared only could, he’d permanently move to Palm Harton in a blink of the eye. If only this school would want to hire him. If only he finally decided to go in and actually ask principal Kripke about it.
“It’d be great… But I doubt they have a place for me…” he finally said, looking away.
“You hadn’t asked?” asked Jensen surprised and Jared almost cursed. Of all the times for Jensen to join actively in the conversation, he had to pick now.
“I… There wasn’t really an opportunity. I mean, it’s not as if they’re gonna hire me now, anyway.” Jensen just stared at him. Jared sighed loudly and pushed against Jensen to make him finally move away from the school. “Yeah, yeah. I know. I will talk with Kripke next week.”
Jensen smiled and Jared led him towards his house, proud that he managed to not bump into anyone on the way and even managed to pass miss Polly’s house without her noticing and coming out to gossip. He just hoped she didn’t spot them through the kitchen window and they wouldn’t be the main topic in tomorrow’s gossip news of Palm Harton. On the other hand, if Jensen seriously worried about those he’d have bailed on Jared long time ago. Sometimes, thought Padalecki with a smile, Jensen’s ignorance of the gossip came in handy.
~
Coming to Danneel’s house felt like coming back home. Even though Danny’s apartment, filled with photos in thick frames, magazines threw around the tables and small dog full of energy, was nothing like Jensen’s home. Jensen grew up between thick walls, old paintings, smooth music and magical stones placed strategically on the shelves. But Danneel and her house were freedom that tasted like the crappy apartment they lived in during studies. Jensen felt safe in here, like he was in some kind of sanctuary, which was so emotional and ridiculous he was almost glad that Danny proved she was still her old evil self, when she sat him down on the couch after dinner and begun cooing over him and Jared. Apparently he mentioned the guy too often to avoid the friendly interrogation.
“Aw. He has his own version of your town? And once he showed you it from his point of view, you suddenly noticed the only thing this place is missing from paradise are two gay unicorns shitting rainbows? That is so adorable!” exclaimed Danneel and Jensen looked at her from across the couch.
“Remind me again: why are we friends?”
“Cause I am awesome and you’re too adorable not to love,” stated Danny firmly. “But seriously, obviously his presentation failed if you’re still here?”
“As if you’d let me live if I hadn’t showed up… What?”
Danneel just stared at him, suddenly more serious. He met her gaze firmly, tired of jumping around the subject and shying away. If there was one person he trusted to judge his personal life it was Danneel. Mostly, because usually she agreed with his own judgments.
“You are actually considering not taking that job? In a clinic? As a physical therapist? Away from Palm Harton? Like you always wanted?”
“It’s a crappy job under stupid boss! I could have my own clinic, if I only stayed in this beautiful place that apparently just misses two fucking unicorns.”
“Oh my god.”
“What?!”
“You fall so hard and quick you must be even fatter than you look. Seriously man, gravitation is your only excuse at this point.”
He smacked her with a pillow, but for the sake of argument, he followed that up with a long explanation about how he is a smart and responsible person who does not build his whole future on a stupid fling. Of course just then Danneel had to prove that under the cynical smirk Jensen so loved, she hid a secret craving for two rainbow-shitting unicorns. Jensen just rolled his eyes with her statement that he should just do what he felt was right. What he did do was change to sleep, set the alarm clock, and fall asleep almost too quickly to worry about anything.
When the alarm clock went off in the morning the decision was much easier to make, even if it was prolonged by at least seven hits on the snooze button. Danneel was smirking at him all the way through the breakfast, so he just got his stuff and left early. And it had nothing to do with Jared waiting in Palm Harton.
~
“Hi,” Jensen said simply, mentally kicking himself very, very hard in some very, very painful places.
His mantra of ‘I’m not pathetic enough to call him so quickly, I can call him from home’ lasted for less than half of the ride from Cliffton to Palm Harton. He really wanted to hit himself, but was afraid that Jared would think he was even more nuts than he let on. He tried to smile into the conversation. It never was hard to do, while talking with Jared.
“Hi, handsome,” Jared answered lazily. “What is a boy like you doing calling a boy like me at this god forsaken hour?”
“… It’s after noon, you lazy shit,” Jensen answered with a small shake of his head.
“Said the guy who usually refuses to face the sun before two PM and at least three mugs of coffee.”
“And yet here I am, calling you from the road, already half way home, while you’re rolling on your other side in bed. What is with that?”
Jared laughed quietly and as much as Jensen loved the sound, he just realized he really hated talking to Jared on the phone. All those smiling dimples going to waste with no one there to watch them.
“Must be karma, bitch… Hey, wait, you’re on your way already? How did the interview go? Was it bad? Tell me it was bad.”
And perhaps Jensen was questioning his impulsive decisions and calling himself an idiot, while he was left alone with his thoughts, but now he could not stop himself from chuckling.
“You could say that… Anyway, I was calling to ask if you wanna come over for dinner, I was thinking around seven? Maybe grab a movie or something?”
Jensen frowned at the lengthy silence. He wasn’t used to hearing that from Jared.
“Jay?”
“Are you… Are you actually asking me out?” asked Jared with his bright, sappy smile so obvious in his voice, Jensen could only roll his eyes.
“Yes,” gritted Jensen.
“Wow. I guess there’s a first time for everything.”
“I hear Mondays are good for starting new things,” Jensen smiled and even without another word he could bet Jared was smiling back.
“Wow, I’m impressed. You asked me out!”
“Well, technically since we’re not actually going out, I’d say I’m asking you in.”
Jared’s chuckle sounded much lower now and Jensen gulped suddenly, surprised at all the differences there were in Jared’s laughs. This one sounded positively hot.
“Oh, I’d love that very much,” he said in a deeper voice and Jensen suddenly blushed, surprised.
“I mean…” he quickly said, but failed to follow it with anything and Jared laughed at him again, this time all careless and mocking again.
“Sure, I know, Jenny. And I’ll be there and I’ll even grab a movie, because something tells me your taste sucks ass.”
“Well, considering how you have no taste I can see how it may be too much for you to comprehend. But fine, fine. You can bring your own beloved movie. As long as it’s not Lion King.”
“You know, just for that, I totally should bring that one!”
Jensen laughed out loud riding in his car through the empty road, not even remembering he was supposed to fake smile his way through this conversation.
~
“Hey there, handsome stranger.”
Jared smiled happily, looking at the wagon and Misha seated next to it. People were walking by him and staring pretty openly, but Misha just sat on his stool, sipping something from his warm keeping cup and tipping his face partly covered by shades, towards the exceptionally bright sun. He looked so much in place Jared decided to abandon all possible thoughts of him not being sure of this project. He walked over quickly wanting to talk to his friend before he’d catch a train to the town to buy some more clothes and rent a movie while he was there. Palm Harton did actually have a rental of DVDs, but since Jared had to finally pick his car anyway, he figured it’d just be easier to do it all at once.
“I see dimples, I see light in your eyes and the bounce in your walk. Did lover boy say hi or did you steal my weed?”
Jared smiled even brighter.
“Ah, so it is the lover-boy.”
“He called and asked me out.”
“Wow,” said Misha sounding definitely not impressed. “Must be the beginning of the new era!”
“He invited me for the dinner and a movie at his house,” replied Jared calmly with a smile of a winner.
“Oh, that changes things. It actually is a goodbye to blue balls era. … Well, for one of us at least and did I lately mention your disgusting happiness makes me loathe you?”
“Not since yesterday,” responded Jared with a bright smile and Misha just gave him a small smile back. “So, how is the business?”
“Boring, cold and did I mention boring? So far I managed to sell a proud number of one bracelet.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.”
“Did you try with this couple that stayed next to us in the hotel? I think I saw them walking around here somewhere… What?”
Misha looked at him as if he was the most idiotic human on the earth and it personally hurt Misha to see that much of stupidity in one person. And to tell the truth, Jared knew that look very well, but he somehow always associated it with an elder lady and it creeped him out even more on Misha. Maybe it was the bracelet thing, the crazy thing or just simple the blue eyes thing, but Jared nearly always froze in place when given that look.
“They don’t need the soulmate finding bracelets, I swear! They’re just like Vicky and Pauline, who called yesterday in mother hen mode and told me to get a job or at least get them some pretty bracelets!”
“Uh, and what’s wrong with that?” Jared asked in a small voice.
“Jay, those are bracelets that help you find your soulmate. They are supposed to help you find them not announce to the world that you already did. Things for that are called wedding rings.” Misha snorted, shaking his head and Jared gulped.
Sometimes he was almost tempted to ask Jensen if his grandma didn’t have more than one grandkid. Or maybe they mixed them up or something. Either way he couldn’t be gladder, when after a second Misha looked back at him and it was the good old bored Misha look Jared had been getting for many years in many different classes.
“Stand here with me for a while?”
Jared smiled reassuringly.
“Not for the very long time, I need to catch a train to Saint Louis, but I’ll stay for a while.”
Misha smiled back at him gratefully.
It was not that he hated his new crazy job. He loved it with every fiber of his being. Sure, he had some doubts, because he was still just on the edge of craziness and that somehow made him doubt his most crazy and most genius ideas. But in the end? He knew that felt good and right and he was good at it. Perhaps he just needed some more proof of that and less time to think and talk to his voice of reason. Which sounded weirdly like Vicky and that was just wrong.
When Jared left him again to catch the train to the city, Misha leaned against his wagon, tipping his face to the sun and smiled. He could feel all the stares, people walking by slowly enough to catch a good look at him, he could feel the bracelets humming quietly in the wagon. He smiled wider, he loved this job.
It was another two hours though before someone cleared his throat, standing next to the wagon, and Misha’s thoughts came down to earth to finally realize he was not only being stared at, but that someone actually wanted to buy something from him. He smiled happily at the guy, barely seeing his silhouette when he stood against the sun. Misha pushed his shades higher, covering his eyes fully and catching a good look at the smiling eyes, full lips and clearly shaven head. The guy definitely looked interesting, but that was just something about him that Misha felt weird about. As if there was something tugging at his attention that he couldn’t notice. He smiled brighter, at least partly recognizing that pulling feeling. He definitely had a bracelet for him somewhere in the wagon.
“Hey there, Grandma, you changed.”
“Magic, my boy, magic,” answered Misha in a hoarse female voice, making the guy chuckle in surprise.
“Well, let me tell ya, it did you some good,” the higher man stated with a wink and Misha just kept on smiling at him.
He suddenly felt like he’d got slightly high, perhaps from all the sitting under the sun or drinking way too much coffee. He just couldn’t not smile at this guy. He blinked suddenly, looking at the wagon and reminding himself he was not the one on sale here. He wondered if adding himself as a bonus would be too unprofessional.
“So, looking for a bracelet that will help you find your soulmate?”
The guy gave him a small, somehow bitter smile, obviously thinking of something Misha was not privy to.
“Kinda. My mother tried to set me up again, so maybe the bracelet will help her organize her search for the love of my life,” he snorted. “Seriously, I visit here like few times a year and it’s a pretty small town you know? And yet, whenever I come home there’s like a line of girls and lately boys that just want to be set up with the son of the owner of the souvenir shop. Is it really weird or I don’t get something here?”
Misha frowned at the guy and he suddenly seemed to notice he was ranting to a complete stranger, which considering the size of Palm Harton was pretty hard to achieve. He scratched his head, awkwardly.
“Sorry about that, I was just…”
“You’re Mike?” Misha asked, interrupting. He looked the guy from head to toes; his mother was so not doing him justice in her descriptions.
Mike blinked at him surprised, before rolling his eyes and groaning.
“Oh my god, don’t tell me she managed to set me up with you for a blind date too? You’re name isn’t Tom, by any chance?”
Misha shook his head, amused by the horror in the other man’s voice.
“Nah, it’s Misha. And I said no to the blind date, but I guess after starting the conversation she decided I’m too much of a freak to describe you properly.”
The smile on Mike’s face was purely mischievous.
“Oh, so there is a guy my mother does not approve of,” he said, with a dark enjoyment in his voice. “Sell me the bracelet magic boy.”
Misha’s chuckle was cut short and he stared at the wagon with a shocked expression. He almost turned over some of the boxes with bracelets while looking for the one hidden underneath the ones on display.
“You okay?” asked Mike, watching Misha’s rapid movements with raised eyebrows.
Misha laughed a bit maniacally, shaking his head and extending his hand holding the bracelet towards the taller man. He was more than okay, he was abso-fucking-lutely perfect!
Mike slowly took the bracelet, smiling and obviously liking it, even if it was at least a bit unorthodox and a lot inconvenient. It was made of chained together, wooden circles with some letters and many small amulets hanging off of it.
“How much?”
“Nothing,” Misha answered, gulping slightly. “It’s all paid for. The deal is, when someone buys the first bracelet of a pair, he pays for two. The second one is given to the soulmate of the buyer, when the opportunity presents itself.”
Mike frowned and looked up at Misha.
“Ain’t this one exactly like yours?” he asked, nodding at Misha’s wrist and Misha just smirked.
“Yeah, so it’d seem.”
Mike kept on watching him closely, small smile forming on his lips.
“Are you proposing?” He asked seriously.
“Maybe,” answered Misha, matching his tone and wondering briefly when they started playing gay chicken. And how awesome was his soulmate if they actually were playing it?
“Well, I can’t blame you, I look dashing in a wedding gown,” stated Mike, flicking his non-existant hair with one hand and Misha laughed loudly, not really concerned at this point how much he was losing his image.
Mike laughed right with him, shaking his head at the idiocy of this situation. He finally took the bracelet and snapped it shut around his wrist. Misha stared fixedly at it and then quickly shook his head and grabbed Mike’s palm, picking up a pen lying on the wagon with another hand. He quickly wrote down his phone number on his forearm before the bald man managed to protest.
“Call me, so we can talk about how will we make the flower girls dress,” he said with a bright smile.
“Well, I don’t know. Is dating a magical guy all that wise? I mean, is it a permanent job?”
Misha looked thoughtful for a second, before nodding slowly.
“Yeah. Yeah, I guess it is.”
“Oh. You know that means never ending jokes about your wand right?”
“Oh, as long as you’ll help me with polishing it regularly you can joke all you want.” Misha winked at him and Mike chuckled again.
Misha really, really, really loved his job and there was nothing like watching his soulmate laugh, wink and spill cheesy innuendo like a pro, to drive this home. Fate was so fucking awesome.
~
This time Jared managed to be right on time even though he was smirking on his way from the car, wondering if Jensen still freaked about all the details when they’re meeting at his house. And perhaps it was ridiculous, well, actually it really was, but the knowledge that Jared had known Jensen for not even a full week and could already bet his head on the answer to that? Made him slightly surer that perhaps the bracelets were right this time.
Jensen opened a door looking even more perfect than usual. Tight, light jeans and a black button up fitted him like a second skin and Jared briefly clenched his fists to stop his hands from wandering. Jensen smirked at him, obviously pleased with the reaction and Jared smiled tightly back walking after him into the house.
“Mmm. New shirt, you make me feel special,” Jensen mocked and Jared glared at him slightly.
“Please, don’t. I was planning on returning it tomorrow.”
“Oh, now I feel cheap. And that’s the thanks I get for the awesome dinner?” laughed Jensen, leading Jared towards the kitchen which was so clean that if it wasn’t Jensen, Jared would start suspecting the dinner wasn’t really home-made.
“Now, don’t be like that. Think of it this way: if you get me dirty and messy enough, I won’t be able to return it.” Jared smiled knowingly, seeing as Jensen’s eyes darkened.
Oh, yes. The blue balls era was so yesterday. He smiled even brighter and Jensen cleared his throat awkwardly before quickly changing the subject. He nodded at the six-pack in Jared’s hand.
“You plan on getting me drunk?”
“I figured a bit of alcohol would do you some good and then I thought you’re probably one of those freaks they show on sitcoms that drink only wine, so I thought I would try to prevent that disgusting mishap.”
Jensen laughed at that explanation and shook his head.
“With all your faith in fate and us being the two halves of the same apple, you thought we could clash so badly?”
Jared glared at his mocking tone, but brightened when he noticed Jensen put the six-pack in the refrigerator next to another one. He smiled and Jensen rolled his eyes when he noticed Jared’s happiness.
“I’ll go to hell for my lack of faith.”
“Don’t let it get to your head. I like wine very much. I just figured you to be too simple of a guy for that.”
“Uh-uh. As long as my simplicity gives you excuses.”
Jensen turned smiling towards the fridge and got them both a cold beer, opening it with one of the rings on his hand. Jared realized he must be really gone for him, if such a small act looked attractive to him. And the fact that Jensen seemed so tidy, like a perfectionist, and uptight at first was not a very good excuse.
“So, what movie do I have to suffer through?”
“The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring,” Jared announced proudly and Jensen blinked at him.
“Seriously?”
“Dude! It’s a classic!”
“Dude,” mocked Jensen. “Everyone and their grandma saw that movie!”
“Exactly! Classic!” Jared announced happily.
“And the Middle Earth landscape was boring even the first time! After an hour of re-watching of this movie you wish you had anything better to do!”
Jared smiled as if he’d just won the argument.
“Exactly.”
Jensen blinked at him, before he caught on and then he rolled his eyes, making Jared laugh again.
“You’re such a geek, you picked a date movie!”
Obviously unfazed by Jensen’s reaction, Jared carried the DVD and the beers to the living room, while Jensen grabbed the plates and the salads to put them on the dining table.
“If I was a geek,” Jared said slowly, looking through the movies next to the DVD player. “I’d pick Star Trek. Okay, I actually considered that, but I figured it would be hard to make out with you when you’d be helping Spock speak his lines.”
Jensen’s monotonous ‘ha ha ha’ was muffled as he entered the kitchen to grab the rest of their meal. Jared looked up from the collection of Harry Potter movies for which he was going to mock Jensen forever and gasped out loud. The dinner not only smelled delicious, which Jared could confirm the moment he stepped into the house, it also looked absolutely amazing. Jared gulped, finally forgetting the mocking and the flirting and started concentrating on important things. Jensen smirked at him when they sat opposite each other and Jared licked his lips while staring at the food.
“Help yourself, you look worse than those starving kids on the charity posters.”
“Very funny,” Jared responded quickly, taking the plate to get some potatoes before he decided which part of the roasted meat looked best for him. They were all too delicious. “You’re just trying to kill me. Pretty, funny and now you can cook. If you were more perfect, I’d seriously consider that you were a hallucination.”
Jensen chuckled lightly and shook his head as Jared finally glanced up from the food for a second to appreciate the other’s man light blush.
“You’re ridiculous, you know that?”
“I’m not the one with the whole series of Harry Potter movies,” muttered Jared.
“Sure you aren’t. And for the record I just moved in recently and it’s still mostly my grandma’s house, remember?”
Jared’s head snapped up and he stared at Jensen, a wide grin tugging at his lips.
“The Harry Potter movies are Grandma’s?”
Jensen shrugged.
“She says they make her laugh.”
Jared laughed out loud at this vision, because he so could picture Grandma sitting in an armchair next to them, watching Harry Potter movies and mocking the living shit out of them. He wondered if she ever made bracelets in Hogwart’s House’s colors. He’d have to ask, but only when he could find a way to ask without sounding like the creepy geek he was. For now he decided to can the jokes about the geeky tastes before he was discovered. Not that he really thought Jensen didn’t recognize the geek in him already.
When the dinner was finally over - and it took some time to feed a growing boy such as Jared - they moved the plates to the kitchen where Jensen proved he could resign from the title of the most uptight and tidy person in the world if it’d get him to make out sooner, and he left the dirty dishes in the sink. Jared was very proud.
As it turned out, he had excellent taste and Fellowship of the Ring was a perfect date movie. Or perhaps it was just that Jared couldn’t really keep his hands to himself and Jensen was obviously fighting the same urges. Before Frodo even left the Shire Jared was sucking on Jensen’s neck as the shorter man ran his hands over Jared’s exposed chest through his open shirt. Jensen keened loudly and craned his neck to lick and nip at Jared’s ear.
Suddenly a loud yell interrupted them.
“What the fuck?” breathed Jensen looking around somehow disoriented.
Jared blinked.
“I think Frodo just got stabbed.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” snapped Jensen and grabbed a remote, turning the TV off completely. Jared raised his eyebrows at him, breathing loudly. “Can we stop acting like two thirteen-years-olds on a date and just move it to the bedroom already?”
Jared gulped, loving this idea almost as much as he loved how Jensen’s breath caught and how his lips were bruised and wet. He nodded rapidly.
“God yes, please now.”
Jensen gave him a small smile again and stood up, reaching with his hand for Jared. The taller man grasped it and followed Jensen deeper into the house with a stupid grin. Finally, finally, finally… When Jensen stopped for a moment after entering his bedroom, Jared stepped close behind him, breathing in his smell, pressing against him and bending his head to leave a small kiss on the exposed skin on the back of Jensen’s neck.
Jensen gasped, slightly turning around to catch Jared’s mouth slowly again. He got his hand tangled in Jared’s hair and kissed him slowly, almost lazily. Jared grasped his ass in his hands and brought him closer. Jensen moaned, breaking the kiss, hardly breathing for a moment.
“Welcome to my bedroom, I planned a grand tour for tomorrow’s morning.”
“Great idea, I’m not very focused on the architecture sights at the moment.”
A small chuckle vibrated in Jensen’s throat and Jared loved how it felt against his lip. He licked the rapidly beating pulse point and Jensen’s hands went around his shoulders, holding onto him. Jared pushed him forward with his body, moving closer to the bed. Slowly, not wanting to part with Jensen holding so tightly on him. Finally Jared lowered Jensen onto the bed, following him quickly.
Jensen groaned and bucked up his hips when Jared’s frame pressed against him. He finally managed to unclench his hold and tug at Jared’s shirt, trying to get it completely off. When he finally succeeded, Jared pressed tighter against him and sighed, exasperated, before quickly starting to unbutton Jensen’s shirt. Jensen was tracing all the naked skin lazily and only when Jared managed to open all the buttons he helped him take off the whole shirt.
When both of their shirts were off, they started kissing and touching, licking and marking the entire expanse of their exposed bodies, not really in a rush to move on. Jared was somehow surprised at that. Jensen drove him so crazy he thought if finally after all the teasing he would get him to bed, he’d have problems with not spilling into his jeans right this very second. But in reality it seemed different. Yes, he was painfully hard and he kept on pressing against Jensen’s leg to get some friction from time to time, but he was so preoccupied with Jensen’s perfect, exposed skin it took him some time before he was ready to move on.
Finally this thought seemed to trigger some kind of thinking process that could be summed up into a conclusion that if shirt-less Jensen offered so much delightful skin to explore, pant-less Jensen could only offer more. Jared moaned at the thought and his hand moved to Jensen’s zipper. Jensen gasped, obviously eager to get on with the program, even if he’d be just as happy to keep on with this make out session, judging by how he could not stop kissing Jared’s neck and arms. He watched the moving muscles under the marked skin with fascination.
When they finally got naked Jared was breathing hardly, trying to calm himself down and Jensen was reduced to a blabbering mess. He tugged at Jared’s hair, keeping him close, settled between his legs and held himself on his arm to not crash Jensen.
“Come on, Jay… Jay, please…” muttered Jensen and Jared licked at his neck again.
“What do you want Jenny? Tell me what you want, baby.”
Jensen moaned hearing Jared’s deeper voice. It sounded rough and so filled with lust Jensen’s hips twitched unconsciously.
“Please… Please, please, please… Fuck me, Jay… Fuck…”
“Oh, God,” moaned Jared brokenly and took a deep breath, trying to think of something un-sexy to help him hold himself together.
He grabbed at the bottle of lube Jensen took out of the drawer earlier when they’d pulled apart for some time, trying to take off Jared’s too tight jeans that somehow got stuck on his shoes. He slicked his fingers and Jensen put his legs high on Jared’s arms, exposing himself with a pillow under his hips. He moaned loud and broken as Jared slid his finger inside him. The higher man moved closer, kissing his lover’s mouth teasingly as he was preparing him with his fingers, scissoring them and brushing against Jensen’s prostate, making him gasp in pleasure.
“Come on… Oh, God… Come on, Jay… I’m ready, come on…”
Jared only nodded and clenched his teeth before moving his slicked-withmore-lube-hand onto his cock, moving slowly to get himself slick without making himself come with his touch alone. He held onto one of Jensen’s legs with one of his hands, while the other guided himself towards Jensen’s entrance. He slid in slowly, giving Jensen time to adjust as much as he was possible. Jensen’s eyes were closed tight and he was biting on his lips, but he ran his hands soothingly over Jared’s shoulders every time after he clutched them suddenly, pained. He urged Jared forward and when Jared finally was in deep to the hilt inside him, he clenched at his arms and Jared didn’t dare move. He breathed loudly, trying to steady his breath and gather some control over himself, but he waited unmoving until Jensen’s hands didn’t start moving over his arms again.
He moved partly out and then slowly back inside him, making sure that Jensen was just fine. When Jensen only moaned, holding onto Jared not because he was trying to get through pain, but simply from the sheer need to hold onto something, Jared started moving quicker, fucking Jensen deep and hard. Jensen was now running out of his ability to speak, moaned only, sometimes managing to spit a simple Jay or please or yes, probably not even aware of it.
And Jared fucked into him steadily, losing himself in the delightful pressure and the feel of the hot body all around him. Legs tight around him, hands clenching in a tight hold on his arms, beautiful face right before him, contorted with passion and covered with freckles… Jensen, Jensen, Jensen… Jared moaned loudly feeling as if what he had just now was absolutely perfect.
He felt Jensen’s hand working his cock just before Jensen came, moaning brokenly, his muscles tightening. Jared groaned loudly and came after just few more pushes. He laid on Jensen and the thought that he may be hurting him was detached and barely there, but he still slid out delicately and rolled over, trying to catch his breath next to Jensen, who was gasping for air. It was absolutely perfect, he thought again, with a mindless smile forming on his mouth. He thought of fate that apparently somehow managed to bring them together and his thoughts turned into a litany of two words that silenced as he drifted off to sleep.
Thank you, thank you, thank you…
~
The rhythmical clicking of shoes coming closer woke Jensen up and he stared at the entrance to his bedroom, tensing. The figure standing there gave him a big smug smile and Jensen frowned. Jared took this moment to move slightly and draw the attention to himself, mumbling something into the pillow. Jensen’s barely awake brain finally caught up with the situation and he grabbed at the covers, holding them tightly to himself and hoping he wasn’t exposing Jared too much.
“Jeez, gran!” he yelped and Jared jumped, waking up.
Jensen saw his eyes flying, following a similar train of thought apparently, because he too was soon tugging the covers his way, looking horrified at the elder woman. Grandma on the other hand just kept on smiling at them and nodding her head as if we she was pitying their lack of intelligence.
“Took you long enough, dunderheads,” she finally said with a smile. Jensen glared at her and she raised her arms, mocking the surrendering gesture. “I mean no harm, I mean no harm. I’m happy to see you too. Now, if you lover-boys will excuse me there’s an idiot doing my job, thinking he’s a goddamned Harry Potter.”
Jared suddenly looked more worried than embarrassed. If only just a bit.
“Umm… Grandma, you won’t change him into a frog, right?”
Grandma’s eyes shined with mirth.
“I have not decided yet,” she finally answered and nodded at them again, before closing the bedroom door and walking away.
Jensen fell back on the pillows with a suffering groan.
“I hate my life.”
~
Jensen was angry and basically everything annoyed him. It was not one of his best days. The sun was too bright for this time of the year. Throughout the whole breakfast, Jared was more worried about Misha than the typical morning after awkwardness. And now grandma came home with Misha and Jensen could hear them talking about making of the soulmate bracelets from behind the closed doors of grandma’s workroom.
“I tried making some after we first came here with Jay… I kept the ones that felt right, but didn’t think of adding them to the wagon yet. Though yesterday this guy was glancing at all the bracelets, you know, not buying, just staring and I thought one of them may suit him.”
“The one with blue crystals?”
“…Yeah.”
“Yeah, it’d work. By the way this guy is named Kyle and he owns all those crazy slides and things for kids on the beach. I was trying to will him away from the bracelet since I remember. I tried to make him one, of course, but they just never came out right. This one is good.”
Jensen blinked, stopping under the door to listen against himself. Grandma rarely talked a lot, unless she was in a mood for stories or something. And he never heard her talk about bracelets like that. As if she was talking to a person, who yes, knew less than her, but was still on the same level as her. Jensen shook his head with a quiet snort; there was not going to be any frog-turning here.
“You… You’ve made a pink-eyed , octopus bracelet?"
"I was aiming at Kracken actually, and hey, I'm sure it will suit someone. Actually... I'm really sure it will."
Jensen blinked and then stared at the door when instead of dismissing the idea, it sounded as if grandma hummed quietly, lost in thought.
"The scary part is, it will," she said finally and Jensen decided it was too much for him.
He moved quickly towards the garden to lay under the huge oak, pressing his feet against it and pretending the sun was not shining too brightly and that he was not staying out of the house to avoid any more crazy bracelet talking. He started to think he could be fine with things being the way they were between him and Jared. It all felt amazing and he finally managed to forget Jared believed in this relationship only because of some stupid bracelet. He wondered if he should be glad or mad that grandma didn’t come back a day earlier. Now it’d be much harder to make Jared leave.
He blinked his eyes open when the shadow from the leaves of the tree falling on his face turned into a shadow of something much more solid. Jared smiled at him, blocking the sun and looking so much bigger, while Jensen laid on the ground. Jensen patted a spot next to him and Jared gratefully sunk to the grown, taking twice as much surface with his legs through out as far as possible. For some reason (like almost everything else about Jared), that was adorable too. Jensen sighed and, seeing Jared opening his mouth to say something, he spoke first.
“We need to talk.”
Jared frowned and looked at him, shocked and hurt. Jensen made no move to correct his assumptions.
“What… What’s wrong?”
“I… I can’t do this, you know? This whole magical bullshit? Grandma came and drove it right back. Saying that it took us long to get together, because of course she knew we will be together the moment she gave this stupid bracelet to you. I… That’s fucked up, Jared. I can’t be with you, because of some stupid bracelet and…”
“Jen, Jen, hey. Calm down.“ Jensen took a deep breath, trying to stop himself from keeping babbling. “If you hate those bracelets so much, why are you dumping me because of them?”
“I- what?”
“You said yourself things are good between us. I mean, you have to notice how fucking well we click together, right? And yet you want to dump me, because we have matching bracelets, Jensen please tell me, how is that not crazy?”
Jensen stared at Jared. He hated when his perfectly well built arguments were tossed back at him. Jared nodded slowly as if he knew Jensen couldn’t really argue with that. Things were great between them and if they’d break up only because of the bracelets…
“That is some stupid turn around of my arguments,” he finally mumbled, but he didn’t sound very convincing and Jared just laughed cheerfully at him.
“Well, I guess I will have to convince you we’re perfect for each other then.”
Jensen snorted, closing his eyes happily and stretching lazily as sun warmed his hands sticking out of the shadow. He didn’t really mind anymore, it actually felt really nice. Perhaps even better than bright sun did in the middle of summers, after all it was much more craved in the autumn. He smiled slowly.
“I guess, I can agree for one more date…”
“And another one, and another one, and another one…”
“If you play your cards right.”
~
The End
~
NEXT: Author's Notes
Part 2.1
When Jensen woke up he felt like crap. He was not sure if he was pissed at himself for kicking Jared out, inviting him in or even agreeing to try dating him at all. He guessed that he was mostly pissed because he wasn’t sure where they stood now. Did he have to call Jared? Did he have to wait for Jared to call? Or perhaps kicking Jared out when things were actually going in the opposite direction meant that there would be no more calls? The fact that Jensen wasn’t sure if he should be sad or happy about that last option only confused him further. And Jensen hated being confused.
He was just trying to explain this whole mess to Danneel, who on the other side of the phone call very unconvincingly tried to sound sympathetic, when the sound of the doorbell rang through the house.
“Okay, I’m glad I’m a source of amusement to you, but I need to go, someone is at the door.” Jensen said dryly, already moving through the whole apartment from the garden, where he sat drinking his coffee.
“Sure there is, Jenny.” Danneel mocked. “Call me when you’re ready for the second round of humiliation.”
“There is someone at the door!” Jensen protested vehemently.
“I know. You’re a shitty lair,” laughed his friend and Jensen hung up without another word, already opening the door.
He blinked-- surprised-- when he saw the tall figure at his doorstep. He definitely didn’t consider this option. He guessed it meant he was not free of Jared just yet. To his surprise, he wasn’t exactly sad about that. He tried to smile at his guest, but the awkwardness in Jared’s posture and expression made him uneasy, guessing what exactly was going on here.
“Hi, Jen.”
“Hi,” answered Jensen shortly, deciding to play it calm and just let Jared ramble out what was on his mind.
“I didn’t mean to come over so quickly, I’m not that pathetic stalker. I know how to lull the stalked person into a false feel of security,” Jensen breathed a small laugh and Jared grinned somehow relieved, obviously proud of himself. “But the thing is, I kinda need to speak with you, so… uh… Can I come in, perhaps?”
Jensen nodded hurriedly, somehow embarrassed that he didn’t suggest it earlier. He opened the door wider and went into the living room with Jared following him, closing the door quietly behind them. Jensen retrieved his coffee mug that he left on the table on his way to the door. He took a sip quickly and then motioned at Jared.
“You want coffee or something?”
“No, no. I’m good, thanks.” Jared assured him hurriedly and Jensen was getting more and more sure that Jared was actually nervous about something and quite a lot embarrassed. It made Jensen somehow uneasy. It was not a good look on Jared. “Listen, it’s kinda embarrassing and I can only beg you not to be mad… Or at least not at me.”
Jensen snorted at this correction, but he could feel his insides clenching.
“Will you finally tell me what’s going on before I manage to imagine a dozen worse scenarios?” he asked finally, only half-joking.
“I guess.”
“Well, then, your time is running out.”
Jared chuckled quietly and Jensen smiled tightly. It couldn’t be so bad, right? If Jared was still chuckling and smiling? Unless, of course, Jared was some kind of a psycho killer, because then Jensen was pretty much screwed. And not in a funny way.
“Do you remember the wagon with bracelets you told me your grandma left you?”
“Yes?” answered Jensen unsure, his tone suddenly cold and guarded.
Jared took a deep breath, obviously uneasy with the subject. Well, join the fucking club, thought Jensen angrily.
“Well, I kind of mentioned it to my friends… You know, the two psychos that were here with me the first time? And Misha kind of had a freak out. You know, how you were apparently wasting the potential of those bracelets and so on, and so on. I thought he was just being his usual freaky self who has some platonic crush on your grandma, which trust me is freaky even to me, and I love the woman. But apparently it was much more serious and those two idiots got high yesterday and broke into your garage and stole your wagon. I’m so fucking sorry, can we please pretend I do not know them?”
Jensen stared at the man before him, with his mouth opened and eyes unblinking for a very long time. He moved his mouth a few times, but finally shut it, because obviously no words were going to come out anyway. Finally he just shook his head and moved past Jared to the garage to check if it wasn’t some big joke. And if it wasn’t, he needed to check if he wasn’t sleeping with his garage wide open and a clear way to get into his house the whole night. Not that Palm Harton was known for its crime scene, but Jensen was not keen on becoming the very first victim of some disgusting crime around here, thank you very much.
To his surprise the garage looked pretty much untouched. Somehow they even managed to close the garage door behind them without setting off any kind of alarm or breaking anything. If not for the fact that yes, the small wagon with bracelets was missing from the mess inside the garage, Jensen wouldn’t even be able to tell someone was ever there.
“Why… why the hell would they do that?” He finally snapped and Jared sighed behind him.
“I told you. It turns out Misha believes this mojo stronger than I did when I was six. He made himself believe that you cannot waste the potential those bracelets have… And that you don’t want them around anyway… He actually plans on staying here for… God knows how long and sell them.”
Jensen blinked at Jared in shock, but the higher man only shrugged. He looked so unsure and confused that Jensen didn’t really have the energy to blame him for taking any part in it.
“Is he insane?”
“Yes,” Jared stated with sureness. “But apparently he already managed to rent some shitty apartment, he’s willing to share and I’m running short on cash, so I guess I’m gonna play friends with him for awhile.”
Coffee. Jensen needed more coffee to deal with it. He shook his head at Jared and walked back towards the house, pouring himself some more coffee in the kitchen and finally making his way back to the garden. He sat on one of the chairs set outside the patio, on the evenly cut grass, and only then he looked at Jared who followed him like a confused puppy.
“This is insane,” Jensen stated strongly. “Why the hell would you even want to stay here?”
“Well, for one I love this town more than any other place in world,” Jared stated firmly, unable not to smile. Jensen just stared at him. He’d never get it. “Second of all, there’s this plan I have on winning you over eventually.”
Jensen snorted.
“All because of some stupid magical bracelet?” he asked bitterly.
“Jensen,” sighed Jared, but Jensen ignored him.
“You see that huge oak over there? When I was eight and my mom bought me this bracelet, I hated it so much, but I knew she wouldn’t listen to me. So I sneaked to the garage, where my grandma’s wagon stood and I stole the matching bracelet. I figured - no matching bracelet, no annoying soulmate. I buried it under this tree. Pretty deep and in a metal box, I may add,” he said bitterly.
Jared stared at the tree and the spot underneath it that Jensen pointed at. There was fresh dirt lying around it.
“You tried to dig it up?”
“Yeah. There’s a box, fair enough. But it’s empty.” Jensen stared in space. “I was always sure grandma knew I took it… Perhaps she dug it out and…”
Even to his own ears he didn’t sound convinced.
“Or perhaps it just found me,” Jared said simply. Jensen glared back at him, but Jared only smiled peacefully. “Sandy… My almost-fiancé said she tried throwing it out, throwing it into the river and it always came back and just sat on her dresser.”
“Jared, I…” Jensen closed his eyes. He knew this story. Or thousands similar to it. His mother used to tell him them as goodnight stories, his grandma liked to share them, when she was working on new bracelets. Jensen hated them almost as much as he hated biting his tongue about the stories when he visited his father.. “I can’t be with you because of some stupid bracelets. No matter how magical they may be. That’s just not… that’s not me, I’m sorry.”
Jared stared at him as if he were crazy. Perhaps he was: he heard it from few people in his life.
“Jen, I don’t want you to drop your life and be mine forever, because of some stupid bracelet!” Jensen blinked at him. “I… I don’t really believe they make us a perfect couple or anything. I think… I think they’re more like a sign, you know? They say, hey, fate thinks you two would work great together, give it a try! And I want to give it a try… If it works… I think it’s gonna be magnificent and perfect and most awesome thing in the world. If it’s not… Well, you will have one more argument against the bracelets and we’ll both have one more failed relationship on both our accounts. Shit happens.”
Jensen closely watched Jared’s eager face and hopeful smile, so close to him since the taller man leaned over from his chair while talking. Trying to get closer and make his point across. Jensen felt a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips as his hand found its way into Jared’s messy hair without his conscious effort. He ran his fingers through too-long strands of hair and smiled, slightly lost in thought.
“You’re just saying that so I won’t sue your stupid friends.”
“Yeah, I really need a place to stay, you know?” Jared answered seriously and Jensen smacked him on the arm, making him loose it and laugh loudly.
Jensen tightened his hand in Jared’s hair on the base of his neck, and he brought him close enough to kiss slowly. Jared smiled into the kiss and Jensen could feel himself answering it without even wanting to.
“I guess I can agree to another date.”
“And then another and another and another…”
“Well, if you play your cards right,” Jensen answered and Jared kissed his smirking lips.
~
The very first thing that was placed in their freshly rented apartment was the wagon with bracelets. Which was seriously ridiculous considering the stairs were definitely not wagon friendly, but it’s not like they really had any place else to leave it. Misha was pretty sure he was eventually going to brainwash the baker’s wife into letting them keep it in a garage, but so far Chad kept messing his game with cheesy compliments and sleazy smiles. Misha’s mojo couldn’t work in that setting apparently.
Finally they moved all their things, including Jared’s since he abandoned them to ‘make sure Jensen will not call the police’. Or just to stare adoringly at his beloved soulmate, depending on whether you trusted Jared himself or Chad. Personally, Misha strongly believed Jay could multitask.
“Dude, you’re getting creepier with every passing second, you know that, right?” Chad asked sounding serious. “It was somehow fun yesterday when I was baked, but tonight? CREEPY.”
Misha turned his head to blink at him, surprised. It’s not that Chad thought he was being a weird creep that Misha heard in different forms from different people pretty much his whole life. But only rarely it happened that he was not exactly sure what it was he was doing to be considered weird.
“You’re fucking staring at those stupid bracelets with a smile that suggests you’re seriously high and I know you aren’t! And stop freaking petting those things!” Chad exclaimed, horrified.
The quiet chuckle was his only response as Misha slowly moved his hands over the thin, golden bracelets hanging on the round hanger hang few inches under the material roof of the wagon. They clinked lightly bumping into one other, so delicate and beautiful. They sounded almost like they were laughing cheerfully. Gold was always so optimistic and warm, bound to energetic, loud people…
“Dude?!”
“Sorry,” Misha answered slowly, smile still tugging at his lips. “They’re captivating.”
“You seriously creep me out, which I guess means you have that part of the job requirement figured out. But how the hell will you fake your way through giving people the right bracelets? I mean, if you believe this crap, won’t it be a bad thing to do?”
Misha laughed out loud at that. He always knew that given enough of time, Chad could find the way to the right, moral thought.
“Yeah, Chad, it’d be. But I will know which one goes to whom.”
“Yeah? You’re some bracelet guru now?” snorted Chad dismissive.
“Maybe…” Shrugged Misha. “I think I get them somehow.”
Chad rolled his eyes dramatically.
“Yeah, mister spiritual? How about you tell me then, why instead of finding my soulmate I got married to Sophia?” snapped the blond man and his friend finally turned his attention to him, thought his eyes still seemed pretty unfocused.
He extended his hand, palm up and Chad rolled his eyes again, but he put his wrist with the bracelet in Misha’s palm. The new proud owner of the wagon full of soulmate finding bracelets tightened his fingers around Chad’s wrist, brushing against his bracelet. Chad’s bracelet was pretty big, but made from thin strings of leather. Colorful strings tied around them, a silver cross with four same length arms attached to one of the strings. It was crazy, colorful and messy. Perfect for Chad.
Misha smiled at that, though, wondering how much Sophia was different from his friend, even though so very similar. Just like theirs bracelets. Misha frowned suddenly, staring into space somewhere above Chad’s right ear.
“You had to get through this marriage… It was probably the only way to make you wait.”
“Wait for what?!” exclaimed Chad, snatching his hand back and frowning at his crazy friend.
“For it to be legal,” answered Misha quickly with a shake of his head. “Dude, your soulmate is barely fifteen as we speak… tell me you’re still too freaked out to look for her.”
“Oh, trust me,” said Chad, sounding choked. “I’m plenty freaked out.”
Misha frowned at him, but Murray just waved him off and stood up shakily to make his way to the other room. Misha sighed at turned to his wagon with a much less happy smile. He ran his hand through the cheerful, golden bracelets. Their laugh sounded strained in the middle of a darkened, silent room, but Misha thought it’d do.
~
Walking with coffee was a good plan to spend time with Jensen. Jared could walk around his beloved town and perhaps project some of his feelings onto Jensen, while Jensen was just simply content because of the delicious coffee in his hands and Jared taking his mind off how he has to be the center of attention for the bored small-town people right now. He actually really liked walking, he just felt quite stupid doing it by himself, partly scared he looked like an idiot and everyone was staring at him, partly worried somebody would want to join him or God forbid, talk to him. With Jared-shield he could move around the town not paying attention and nobody would even give him the evil eye, when he’d forget to tell them good morning, lost in thought. Jared’s charm kept everyone’s bad moods away from Jensen and so he could sip at his coffee and enjoy the salty, sea wind and warm sun.
He frowned finally noticing that Jared had stopped babbling. Jensen turned to him and met his warm gaze and small, dreamy smile. The shorter man blushed slightly and turned his face to look at the sea before them.
“So how is your bracelet selling friend doing?” He asked, hoping Jared hadn’t babbled about that yet. He was about ninety percent sure he hadn’t.
“Not all that great,” grinned Jared and Jensen raised his eyebrows in question. “He somehow managed to scare Chad off by telling him how old his soulmate is and why he shouldn’t find her just yet.”
Jensen blinked surprised.
“Wow. He’s a natural.”
“Yep, apparently. Anyway, I think he somehow freaked himself out a bit, because he swears he’s gonna wait until Monday before going out with the wagon to sell bracelets. Apparently Mondays are good to start things.”
“Mondays aren’t good for anything,” grumbled Jensen and Jared laughed out loud.
Go figure Jensen would be one of those people who hated Mondays even while doing nothing on those particular days. He called him out on it, but Jensen stared at him like he’d been demanded before seriously stating it was a case of principles. Jared only laughed louder.
“Your disgusting happiness, cheerfulness, and optimism make me cringe,” stated Jensen slowly and sipped on his coffee.
“You know, Jensen, you should watch your words. One of this days you’re gonna tell me you’re not awed by my sparkling personality and I may just consider believing you.”
“Oh my god, now you even sparkle?”
Jared smacked him in the arm and Jensen smiled happily, feeling that of all the things that weren’t so bad about spending time with Jared, this one was the best. He finally didn’t have to worry about what to say and how to phrase it. With Jared all the words just came naturally. Fair enough, they were usually mocking insults, but it was not Jensen’s fault that Jared was so clearly begging for it.
“You wanna grab dinner tomorrow?” Jared asked lightly, leaning with his back and elbows on the railing and tipping his face up to the autumn sun.
“I can’t,” sighed Jensen and Jared looked down at him, curious. “I have a job interview in Cliffton. It’s pretty early in the morning, so I’m staying at Danneel’s the night before… She was bugging me to visit her forever.”
“Wow, you’re dumping me for your pretty female friend. If I wasn’t jealous of her before I am now,” laughed Jared and Jensen just looked back at him, unimpressed. “Sorry. But, shit. Cliffton? It’s pretty far from Palm Harton.”
Jensen let out a small laugh.
“Yeah, that’s kind of the point.”
Jared stared back at him looking slightly like a kicked puppy and a lot like a mischievous puppy that is planning something. Jensen rolled his eyes at him and Jared just smiled brightly.
“You are prejudiced,” he announced. “And we’re gonna change it! Today, you’re learning about my Palm Harton and you are gonna love it!”
“Oh, bring it on, Sasquatch.”
~
Jensen could feel sure of himself, but Jared? Jared was practically a tourist guide of this town since before he learned to read . Faced with his bright and strong enthusiasm, Jensen’s prejudices didn’t stand a chance. Especially since he knew exactly how to show the city to the particular person he was showing around.
He started by dragging Jensen again to the Patti’s coffee shop, carefully picking his path right past uncle Ernie’s ice cream parlor. Jensen seemed a bit surprised at this choice, but Jared only smiled at him.
“Here you can buy the most delightful ice-cream in the history of ever. Also, by going this way you can reach the small Cedar’s Street following which we can get to Patti’s and avoiding walking by the market. I know how much you love crowds, so I will walk you through this town in the way you will barely meet any people at all.”
“That’s impossible. Trust me, I tried.”
Jared just smiled and patted Jensen on the arm with superiority.
“Amateur,” he murmured and led the way, waving through the huge window at uncle Ernie.
They went through the trees separating the ice cream parlor and other shops from the Cedar’s Street, where there were barely any houses at all and absolutely no people at all. The open garden with outside tables at Patti’s was completely deserted and they quickly moved through it to the main shop.
That was actually the part Jared was most unsure about. As much as he loved Patti and her shop, the woman was like a local gossip page. She always had to know everything and was always concerned with everyone’s private lives. She was like the complete opposite of Jensen and Jared gave up on all hopes they’d ever get on. Thankfully he also knew that if he’d distract Jensen with fresh coffee and Patti with his babbling, everyone would be able to survive the meeting unharmed.
He noticed Jensen smiling slightly as they got out of the coffee shop and looked at him questioningly. The shorter man just shrugged, his smile now much brighter.
“I think that’s the first time I’ve been at Patti’s and didn’t have to say a word.”
Jared smiled brightly at that, steering Jensen away from the main street again and towards a much quieter path.
“See? You just need to keep me around,” he said and Jensen chuckled quietly, shaking his head.
“Who would have thought that to finally get some peace and quiet I would need the loudest person on Earth.”
Jared smacked him lightly and led the way further into the town, finally passing the main street and one side of the market. Jensen smirked, probably thinking of how much Jared would fail on his as-few-people-as-possible plan right now, but was surprised when he noticed that the side of the market they passed was practically deserted at this hour. Jared just gave him a proud smile, knowing exactly what was going through his head. Jensen just rolled his eyes right back at him.
Jared led him through the street running next to the elementary school and made him visit the book shop that Jensen was always avoiding, but now fell in love with after barely a few minutes. He stared back at Jared, looking somehow spooked by this.
“How did you know?” he asked quietly.
“That you would like it?” Jared clarified and then smiled at another man. “You said you like books. Here are books. You don’t like people. There are never many people at the old bookstore. You don’t like the owners of the shops watching you constantly and old Al couldn’t care less whether you’re here or not. I mean, yeah, he probably will glance at you more often at first, just to check if you’re decent human being and won’t hurt his books, but after that, you’re free as a bird here.”
Jensen shook his head. He saw this place a couple of times, but it was on another side of the city and too close to school for his own comfort. Not to mention the very creepy souvenir shop right next to it.
“Also note worthy is that the pizza at Joe’s on the corner is ridiculously delicious. But avoid Frank’s souvenir shop: it does not only look creepy, it is in fact very creepy.”
“Agreed.”
The comic books standing neatly on the shelves by the doors, were calling for Jared, but he refused to show his geekiness while Jensen was still watching his moves. Noticing that Jensen was engrossed in the books before him, Jared finally made his way to his favorite shelves and ended up siting in the armchair by the window, reading Batman and Robin and waiting for Jensen to get over the first phase of fascination.
It actually took him over half an hour, but eventually Jensen came to Jared with four books stacked in his arms. Criminal novels, noted Jared with a smile, and only stuck his tongue out when he noticed Jensen’s shake of the head at the sight of the comic book.
“You’re such a dork,” stated Jensen before walking over to Al with his precious novels.
When they walked out Jensen seemed to be in much better mood and Jared noted that apparently books were good bribing material.
“So, how do you plan on avoiding walking by the school?” asked Jensen curiously and Jared laughed at him.
“Um, I don’t?” He only smiled brighter, when he noticed Jensen’s scowl. “Oh, come on. You can’t hate elementary school! It’s as safe of a contact with people as it gets.”
“No, it really isn’t. There’s a lot of them and they’re young, loud, and unpredictable.”
Jared laughed loudly, putting one of his long arms around Jensen and leading him right past the school and through the street next to it that later passed the bigger street and through the labyrinth of family houses that led right towards Jensen’s place. Jensen kept looking around as if just waiting for young, evil children to attack him. Jared held him closer.
“At Saturday and at this hour,” he said quietly, almost right to Jensen’s ear, “barely any kids are around school. Actually, at this hour men from the city are playing football at the field. It is pretty great. There are two teams, one from Palm Harton, another from Saint Louis. They change games every year, but it doesn’t really matter. Basically it’s just a reason to run around, yell a lot, laugh and eat some grilled meat.”
Jensen snorted and Jared nodded with a smile that said more than words how much he loves this whole idea.
“They said if I’m gonna stay for longer I totally should join in. Wanna come over and watch me run around and flex my muscles in the sun?”
“Oh, I can’t think of anything better to do with my free time,” drawled Jensen and Jared nodded slowly, agreeing. “So you are gonna stay for longer?”
Jared shrugged, his gaze automatically falling on the school building. It was easy to say: do you want to stay or not? Are you going to stay or not? As if the answer wasn’t obvious. If Jared only could, he’d permanently move to Palm Harton in a blink of the eye. If only this school would want to hire him. If only he finally decided to go in and actually ask principal Kripke about it.
“It’d be great… But I doubt they have a place for me…” he finally said, looking away.
“You hadn’t asked?” asked Jensen surprised and Jared almost cursed. Of all the times for Jensen to join actively in the conversation, he had to pick now.
“I… There wasn’t really an opportunity. I mean, it’s not as if they’re gonna hire me now, anyway.” Jensen just stared at him. Jared sighed loudly and pushed against Jensen to make him finally move away from the school. “Yeah, yeah. I know. I will talk with Kripke next week.”
Jensen smiled and Jared led him towards his house, proud that he managed to not bump into anyone on the way and even managed to pass miss Polly’s house without her noticing and coming out to gossip. He just hoped she didn’t spot them through the kitchen window and they wouldn’t be the main topic in tomorrow’s gossip news of Palm Harton. On the other hand, if Jensen seriously worried about those he’d have bailed on Jared long time ago. Sometimes, thought Padalecki with a smile, Jensen’s ignorance of the gossip came in handy.
~
Coming to Danneel’s house felt like coming back home. Even though Danny’s apartment, filled with photos in thick frames, magazines threw around the tables and small dog full of energy, was nothing like Jensen’s home. Jensen grew up between thick walls, old paintings, smooth music and magical stones placed strategically on the shelves. But Danneel and her house were freedom that tasted like the crappy apartment they lived in during studies. Jensen felt safe in here, like he was in some kind of sanctuary, which was so emotional and ridiculous he was almost glad that Danny proved she was still her old evil self, when she sat him down on the couch after dinner and begun cooing over him and Jared. Apparently he mentioned the guy too often to avoid the friendly interrogation.
“Aw. He has his own version of your town? And once he showed you it from his point of view, you suddenly noticed the only thing this place is missing from paradise are two gay unicorns shitting rainbows? That is so adorable!” exclaimed Danneel and Jensen looked at her from across the couch.
“Remind me again: why are we friends?”
“Cause I am awesome and you’re too adorable not to love,” stated Danny firmly. “But seriously, obviously his presentation failed if you’re still here?”
“As if you’d let me live if I hadn’t showed up… What?”
Danneel just stared at him, suddenly more serious. He met her gaze firmly, tired of jumping around the subject and shying away. If there was one person he trusted to judge his personal life it was Danneel. Mostly, because usually she agreed with his own judgments.
“You are actually considering not taking that job? In a clinic? As a physical therapist? Away from Palm Harton? Like you always wanted?”
“It’s a crappy job under stupid boss! I could have my own clinic, if I only stayed in this beautiful place that apparently just misses two fucking unicorns.”
“Oh my god.”
“What?!”
“You fall so hard and quick you must be even fatter than you look. Seriously man, gravitation is your only excuse at this point.”
He smacked her with a pillow, but for the sake of argument, he followed that up with a long explanation about how he is a smart and responsible person who does not build his whole future on a stupid fling. Of course just then Danneel had to prove that under the cynical smirk Jensen so loved, she hid a secret craving for two rainbow-shitting unicorns. Jensen just rolled his eyes with her statement that he should just do what he felt was right. What he did do was change to sleep, set the alarm clock, and fall asleep almost too quickly to worry about anything.
When the alarm clock went off in the morning the decision was much easier to make, even if it was prolonged by at least seven hits on the snooze button. Danneel was smirking at him all the way through the breakfast, so he just got his stuff and left early. And it had nothing to do with Jared waiting in Palm Harton.
~
“Hi,” Jensen said simply, mentally kicking himself very, very hard in some very, very painful places.
His mantra of ‘I’m not pathetic enough to call him so quickly, I can call him from home’ lasted for less than half of the ride from Cliffton to Palm Harton. He really wanted to hit himself, but was afraid that Jared would think he was even more nuts than he let on. He tried to smile into the conversation. It never was hard to do, while talking with Jared.
“Hi, handsome,” Jared answered lazily. “What is a boy like you doing calling a boy like me at this god forsaken hour?”
“… It’s after noon, you lazy shit,” Jensen answered with a small shake of his head.
“Said the guy who usually refuses to face the sun before two PM and at least three mugs of coffee.”
“And yet here I am, calling you from the road, already half way home, while you’re rolling on your other side in bed. What is with that?”
Jared laughed quietly and as much as Jensen loved the sound, he just realized he really hated talking to Jared on the phone. All those smiling dimples going to waste with no one there to watch them.
“Must be karma, bitch… Hey, wait, you’re on your way already? How did the interview go? Was it bad? Tell me it was bad.”
And perhaps Jensen was questioning his impulsive decisions and calling himself an idiot, while he was left alone with his thoughts, but now he could not stop himself from chuckling.
“You could say that… Anyway, I was calling to ask if you wanna come over for dinner, I was thinking around seven? Maybe grab a movie or something?”
Jensen frowned at the lengthy silence. He wasn’t used to hearing that from Jared.
“Jay?”
“Are you… Are you actually asking me out?” asked Jared with his bright, sappy smile so obvious in his voice, Jensen could only roll his eyes.
“Yes,” gritted Jensen.
“Wow. I guess there’s a first time for everything.”
“I hear Mondays are good for starting new things,” Jensen smiled and even without another word he could bet Jared was smiling back.
“Wow, I’m impressed. You asked me out!”
“Well, technically since we’re not actually going out, I’d say I’m asking you in.”
Jared’s chuckle sounded much lower now and Jensen gulped suddenly, surprised at all the differences there were in Jared’s laughs. This one sounded positively hot.
“Oh, I’d love that very much,” he said in a deeper voice and Jensen suddenly blushed, surprised.
“I mean…” he quickly said, but failed to follow it with anything and Jared laughed at him again, this time all careless and mocking again.
“Sure, I know, Jenny. And I’ll be there and I’ll even grab a movie, because something tells me your taste sucks ass.”
“Well, considering how you have no taste I can see how it may be too much for you to comprehend. But fine, fine. You can bring your own beloved movie. As long as it’s not Lion King.”
“You know, just for that, I totally should bring that one!”
Jensen laughed out loud riding in his car through the empty road, not even remembering he was supposed to fake smile his way through this conversation.
~
“Hey there, handsome stranger.”
Jared smiled happily, looking at the wagon and Misha seated next to it. People were walking by him and staring pretty openly, but Misha just sat on his stool, sipping something from his warm keeping cup and tipping his face partly covered by shades, towards the exceptionally bright sun. He looked so much in place Jared decided to abandon all possible thoughts of him not being sure of this project. He walked over quickly wanting to talk to his friend before he’d catch a train to the town to buy some more clothes and rent a movie while he was there. Palm Harton did actually have a rental of DVDs, but since Jared had to finally pick his car anyway, he figured it’d just be easier to do it all at once.
“I see dimples, I see light in your eyes and the bounce in your walk. Did lover boy say hi or did you steal my weed?”
Jared smiled even brighter.
“Ah, so it is the lover-boy.”
“He called and asked me out.”
“Wow,” said Misha sounding definitely not impressed. “Must be the beginning of the new era!”
“He invited me for the dinner and a movie at his house,” replied Jared calmly with a smile of a winner.
“Oh, that changes things. It actually is a goodbye to blue balls era. … Well, for one of us at least and did I lately mention your disgusting happiness makes me loathe you?”
“Not since yesterday,” responded Jared with a bright smile and Misha just gave him a small smile back. “So, how is the business?”
“Boring, cold and did I mention boring? So far I managed to sell a proud number of one bracelet.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.”
“Did you try with this couple that stayed next to us in the hotel? I think I saw them walking around here somewhere… What?”
Misha looked at him as if he was the most idiotic human on the earth and it personally hurt Misha to see that much of stupidity in one person. And to tell the truth, Jared knew that look very well, but he somehow always associated it with an elder lady and it creeped him out even more on Misha. Maybe it was the bracelet thing, the crazy thing or just simple the blue eyes thing, but Jared nearly always froze in place when given that look.
“They don’t need the soulmate finding bracelets, I swear! They’re just like Vicky and Pauline, who called yesterday in mother hen mode and told me to get a job or at least get them some pretty bracelets!”
“Uh, and what’s wrong with that?” Jared asked in a small voice.
“Jay, those are bracelets that help you find your soulmate. They are supposed to help you find them not announce to the world that you already did. Things for that are called wedding rings.” Misha snorted, shaking his head and Jared gulped.
Sometimes he was almost tempted to ask Jensen if his grandma didn’t have more than one grandkid. Or maybe they mixed them up or something. Either way he couldn’t be gladder, when after a second Misha looked back at him and it was the good old bored Misha look Jared had been getting for many years in many different classes.
“Stand here with me for a while?”
Jared smiled reassuringly.
“Not for the very long time, I need to catch a train to Saint Louis, but I’ll stay for a while.”
Misha smiled back at him gratefully.
It was not that he hated his new crazy job. He loved it with every fiber of his being. Sure, he had some doubts, because he was still just on the edge of craziness and that somehow made him doubt his most crazy and most genius ideas. But in the end? He knew that felt good and right and he was good at it. Perhaps he just needed some more proof of that and less time to think and talk to his voice of reason. Which sounded weirdly like Vicky and that was just wrong.
When Jared left him again to catch the train to the city, Misha leaned against his wagon, tipping his face to the sun and smiled. He could feel all the stares, people walking by slowly enough to catch a good look at him, he could feel the bracelets humming quietly in the wagon. He smiled wider, he loved this job.
It was another two hours though before someone cleared his throat, standing next to the wagon, and Misha’s thoughts came down to earth to finally realize he was not only being stared at, but that someone actually wanted to buy something from him. He smiled happily at the guy, barely seeing his silhouette when he stood against the sun. Misha pushed his shades higher, covering his eyes fully and catching a good look at the smiling eyes, full lips and clearly shaven head. The guy definitely looked interesting, but that was just something about him that Misha felt weird about. As if there was something tugging at his attention that he couldn’t notice. He smiled brighter, at least partly recognizing that pulling feeling. He definitely had a bracelet for him somewhere in the wagon.
“Hey there, Grandma, you changed.”
“Magic, my boy, magic,” answered Misha in a hoarse female voice, making the guy chuckle in surprise.
“Well, let me tell ya, it did you some good,” the higher man stated with a wink and Misha just kept on smiling at him.
He suddenly felt like he’d got slightly high, perhaps from all the sitting under the sun or drinking way too much coffee. He just couldn’t not smile at this guy. He blinked suddenly, looking at the wagon and reminding himself he was not the one on sale here. He wondered if adding himself as a bonus would be too unprofessional.
“So, looking for a bracelet that will help you find your soulmate?”
The guy gave him a small, somehow bitter smile, obviously thinking of something Misha was not privy to.
“Kinda. My mother tried to set me up again, so maybe the bracelet will help her organize her search for the love of my life,” he snorted. “Seriously, I visit here like few times a year and it’s a pretty small town you know? And yet, whenever I come home there’s like a line of girls and lately boys that just want to be set up with the son of the owner of the souvenir shop. Is it really weird or I don’t get something here?”
Misha frowned at the guy and he suddenly seemed to notice he was ranting to a complete stranger, which considering the size of Palm Harton was pretty hard to achieve. He scratched his head, awkwardly.
“Sorry about that, I was just…”
“You’re Mike?” Misha asked, interrupting. He looked the guy from head to toes; his mother was so not doing him justice in her descriptions.
Mike blinked at him surprised, before rolling his eyes and groaning.
“Oh my god, don’t tell me she managed to set me up with you for a blind date too? You’re name isn’t Tom, by any chance?”
Misha shook his head, amused by the horror in the other man’s voice.
“Nah, it’s Misha. And I said no to the blind date, but I guess after starting the conversation she decided I’m too much of a freak to describe you properly.”
The smile on Mike’s face was purely mischievous.
“Oh, so there is a guy my mother does not approve of,” he said, with a dark enjoyment in his voice. “Sell me the bracelet magic boy.”
Misha’s chuckle was cut short and he stared at the wagon with a shocked expression. He almost turned over some of the boxes with bracelets while looking for the one hidden underneath the ones on display.
“You okay?” asked Mike, watching Misha’s rapid movements with raised eyebrows.
Misha laughed a bit maniacally, shaking his head and extending his hand holding the bracelet towards the taller man. He was more than okay, he was abso-fucking-lutely perfect!
Mike slowly took the bracelet, smiling and obviously liking it, even if it was at least a bit unorthodox and a lot inconvenient. It was made of chained together, wooden circles with some letters and many small amulets hanging off of it.
“How much?”
“Nothing,” Misha answered, gulping slightly. “It’s all paid for. The deal is, when someone buys the first bracelet of a pair, he pays for two. The second one is given to the soulmate of the buyer, when the opportunity presents itself.”
Mike frowned and looked up at Misha.
“Ain’t this one exactly like yours?” he asked, nodding at Misha’s wrist and Misha just smirked.
“Yeah, so it’d seem.”
Mike kept on watching him closely, small smile forming on his lips.
“Are you proposing?” He asked seriously.
“Maybe,” answered Misha, matching his tone and wondering briefly when they started playing gay chicken. And how awesome was his soulmate if they actually were playing it?
“Well, I can’t blame you, I look dashing in a wedding gown,” stated Mike, flicking his non-existant hair with one hand and Misha laughed loudly, not really concerned at this point how much he was losing his image.
Mike laughed right with him, shaking his head at the idiocy of this situation. He finally took the bracelet and snapped it shut around his wrist. Misha stared fixedly at it and then quickly shook his head and grabbed Mike’s palm, picking up a pen lying on the wagon with another hand. He quickly wrote down his phone number on his forearm before the bald man managed to protest.
“Call me, so we can talk about how will we make the flower girls dress,” he said with a bright smile.
“Well, I don’t know. Is dating a magical guy all that wise? I mean, is it a permanent job?”
Misha looked thoughtful for a second, before nodding slowly.
“Yeah. Yeah, I guess it is.”
“Oh. You know that means never ending jokes about your wand right?”
“Oh, as long as you’ll help me with polishing it regularly you can joke all you want.” Misha winked at him and Mike chuckled again.
Misha really, really, really loved his job and there was nothing like watching his soulmate laugh, wink and spill cheesy innuendo like a pro, to drive this home. Fate was so fucking awesome.
~
This time Jared managed to be right on time even though he was smirking on his way from the car, wondering if Jensen still freaked about all the details when they’re meeting at his house. And perhaps it was ridiculous, well, actually it really was, but the knowledge that Jared had known Jensen for not even a full week and could already bet his head on the answer to that? Made him slightly surer that perhaps the bracelets were right this time.
Jensen opened a door looking even more perfect than usual. Tight, light jeans and a black button up fitted him like a second skin and Jared briefly clenched his fists to stop his hands from wandering. Jensen smirked at him, obviously pleased with the reaction and Jared smiled tightly back walking after him into the house.
“Mmm. New shirt, you make me feel special,” Jensen mocked and Jared glared at him slightly.
“Please, don’t. I was planning on returning it tomorrow.”
“Oh, now I feel cheap. And that’s the thanks I get for the awesome dinner?” laughed Jensen, leading Jared towards the kitchen which was so clean that if it wasn’t Jensen, Jared would start suspecting the dinner wasn’t really home-made.
“Now, don’t be like that. Think of it this way: if you get me dirty and messy enough, I won’t be able to return it.” Jared smiled knowingly, seeing as Jensen’s eyes darkened.
Oh, yes. The blue balls era was so yesterday. He smiled even brighter and Jensen cleared his throat awkwardly before quickly changing the subject. He nodded at the six-pack in Jared’s hand.
“You plan on getting me drunk?”
“I figured a bit of alcohol would do you some good and then I thought you’re probably one of those freaks they show on sitcoms that drink only wine, so I thought I would try to prevent that disgusting mishap.”
Jensen laughed at that explanation and shook his head.
“With all your faith in fate and us being the two halves of the same apple, you thought we could clash so badly?”
Jared glared at his mocking tone, but brightened when he noticed Jensen put the six-pack in the refrigerator next to another one. He smiled and Jensen rolled his eyes when he noticed Jared’s happiness.
“I’ll go to hell for my lack of faith.”
“Don’t let it get to your head. I like wine very much. I just figured you to be too simple of a guy for that.”
“Uh-uh. As long as my simplicity gives you excuses.”
Jensen turned smiling towards the fridge and got them both a cold beer, opening it with one of the rings on his hand. Jared realized he must be really gone for him, if such a small act looked attractive to him. And the fact that Jensen seemed so tidy, like a perfectionist, and uptight at first was not a very good excuse.
“So, what movie do I have to suffer through?”
“The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring,” Jared announced proudly and Jensen blinked at him.
“Seriously?”
“Dude! It’s a classic!”
“Dude,” mocked Jensen. “Everyone and their grandma saw that movie!”
“Exactly! Classic!” Jared announced happily.
“And the Middle Earth landscape was boring even the first time! After an hour of re-watching of this movie you wish you had anything better to do!”
Jared smiled as if he’d just won the argument.
“Exactly.”
Jensen blinked at him, before he caught on and then he rolled his eyes, making Jared laugh again.
“You’re such a geek, you picked a date movie!”
Obviously unfazed by Jensen’s reaction, Jared carried the DVD and the beers to the living room, while Jensen grabbed the plates and the salads to put them on the dining table.
“If I was a geek,” Jared said slowly, looking through the movies next to the DVD player. “I’d pick Star Trek. Okay, I actually considered that, but I figured it would be hard to make out with you when you’d be helping Spock speak his lines.”
Jensen’s monotonous ‘ha ha ha’ was muffled as he entered the kitchen to grab the rest of their meal. Jared looked up from the collection of Harry Potter movies for which he was going to mock Jensen forever and gasped out loud. The dinner not only smelled delicious, which Jared could confirm the moment he stepped into the house, it also looked absolutely amazing. Jared gulped, finally forgetting the mocking and the flirting and started concentrating on important things. Jensen smirked at him when they sat opposite each other and Jared licked his lips while staring at the food.
“Help yourself, you look worse than those starving kids on the charity posters.”
“Very funny,” Jared responded quickly, taking the plate to get some potatoes before he decided which part of the roasted meat looked best for him. They were all too delicious. “You’re just trying to kill me. Pretty, funny and now you can cook. If you were more perfect, I’d seriously consider that you were a hallucination.”
Jensen chuckled lightly and shook his head as Jared finally glanced up from the food for a second to appreciate the other’s man light blush.
“You’re ridiculous, you know that?”
“I’m not the one with the whole series of Harry Potter movies,” muttered Jared.
“Sure you aren’t. And for the record I just moved in recently and it’s still mostly my grandma’s house, remember?”
Jared’s head snapped up and he stared at Jensen, a wide grin tugging at his lips.
“The Harry Potter movies are Grandma’s?”
Jensen shrugged.
“She says they make her laugh.”
Jared laughed out loud at this vision, because he so could picture Grandma sitting in an armchair next to them, watching Harry Potter movies and mocking the living shit out of them. He wondered if she ever made bracelets in Hogwart’s House’s colors. He’d have to ask, but only when he could find a way to ask without sounding like the creepy geek he was. For now he decided to can the jokes about the geeky tastes before he was discovered. Not that he really thought Jensen didn’t recognize the geek in him already.
When the dinner was finally over - and it took some time to feed a growing boy such as Jared - they moved the plates to the kitchen where Jensen proved he could resign from the title of the most uptight and tidy person in the world if it’d get him to make out sooner, and he left the dirty dishes in the sink. Jared was very proud.
As it turned out, he had excellent taste and Fellowship of the Ring was a perfect date movie. Or perhaps it was just that Jared couldn’t really keep his hands to himself and Jensen was obviously fighting the same urges. Before Frodo even left the Shire Jared was sucking on Jensen’s neck as the shorter man ran his hands over Jared’s exposed chest through his open shirt. Jensen keened loudly and craned his neck to lick and nip at Jared’s ear.
Suddenly a loud yell interrupted them.
“What the fuck?” breathed Jensen looking around somehow disoriented.
Jared blinked.
“I think Frodo just got stabbed.”
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” snapped Jensen and grabbed a remote, turning the TV off completely. Jared raised his eyebrows at him, breathing loudly. “Can we stop acting like two thirteen-years-olds on a date and just move it to the bedroom already?”
Jared gulped, loving this idea almost as much as he loved how Jensen’s breath caught and how his lips were bruised and wet. He nodded rapidly.
“God yes, please now.”
Jensen gave him a small smile again and stood up, reaching with his hand for Jared. The taller man grasped it and followed Jensen deeper into the house with a stupid grin. Finally, finally, finally… When Jensen stopped for a moment after entering his bedroom, Jared stepped close behind him, breathing in his smell, pressing against him and bending his head to leave a small kiss on the exposed skin on the back of Jensen’s neck.
Jensen gasped, slightly turning around to catch Jared’s mouth slowly again. He got his hand tangled in Jared’s hair and kissed him slowly, almost lazily. Jared grasped his ass in his hands and brought him closer. Jensen moaned, breaking the kiss, hardly breathing for a moment.
“Welcome to my bedroom, I planned a grand tour for tomorrow’s morning.”
“Great idea, I’m not very focused on the architecture sights at the moment.”
A small chuckle vibrated in Jensen’s throat and Jared loved how it felt against his lip. He licked the rapidly beating pulse point and Jensen’s hands went around his shoulders, holding onto him. Jared pushed him forward with his body, moving closer to the bed. Slowly, not wanting to part with Jensen holding so tightly on him. Finally Jared lowered Jensen onto the bed, following him quickly.
Jensen groaned and bucked up his hips when Jared’s frame pressed against him. He finally managed to unclench his hold and tug at Jared’s shirt, trying to get it completely off. When he finally succeeded, Jared pressed tighter against him and sighed, exasperated, before quickly starting to unbutton Jensen’s shirt. Jensen was tracing all the naked skin lazily and only when Jared managed to open all the buttons he helped him take off the whole shirt.
When both of their shirts were off, they started kissing and touching, licking and marking the entire expanse of their exposed bodies, not really in a rush to move on. Jared was somehow surprised at that. Jensen drove him so crazy he thought if finally after all the teasing he would get him to bed, he’d have problems with not spilling into his jeans right this very second. But in reality it seemed different. Yes, he was painfully hard and he kept on pressing against Jensen’s leg to get some friction from time to time, but he was so preoccupied with Jensen’s perfect, exposed skin it took him some time before he was ready to move on.
Finally this thought seemed to trigger some kind of thinking process that could be summed up into a conclusion that if shirt-less Jensen offered so much delightful skin to explore, pant-less Jensen could only offer more. Jared moaned at the thought and his hand moved to Jensen’s zipper. Jensen gasped, obviously eager to get on with the program, even if he’d be just as happy to keep on with this make out session, judging by how he could not stop kissing Jared’s neck and arms. He watched the moving muscles under the marked skin with fascination.
When they finally got naked Jared was breathing hardly, trying to calm himself down and Jensen was reduced to a blabbering mess. He tugged at Jared’s hair, keeping him close, settled between his legs and held himself on his arm to not crash Jensen.
“Come on, Jay… Jay, please…” muttered Jensen and Jared licked at his neck again.
“What do you want Jenny? Tell me what you want, baby.”
Jensen moaned hearing Jared’s deeper voice. It sounded rough and so filled with lust Jensen’s hips twitched unconsciously.
“Please… Please, please, please… Fuck me, Jay… Fuck…”
“Oh, God,” moaned Jared brokenly and took a deep breath, trying to think of something un-sexy to help him hold himself together.
He grabbed at the bottle of lube Jensen took out of the drawer earlier when they’d pulled apart for some time, trying to take off Jared’s too tight jeans that somehow got stuck on his shoes. He slicked his fingers and Jensen put his legs high on Jared’s arms, exposing himself with a pillow under his hips. He moaned loud and broken as Jared slid his finger inside him. The higher man moved closer, kissing his lover’s mouth teasingly as he was preparing him with his fingers, scissoring them and brushing against Jensen’s prostate, making him gasp in pleasure.
“Come on… Oh, God… Come on, Jay… I’m ready, come on…”
Jared only nodded and clenched his teeth before moving his slicked-withmore-lube-hand onto his cock, moving slowly to get himself slick without making himself come with his touch alone. He held onto one of Jensen’s legs with one of his hands, while the other guided himself towards Jensen’s entrance. He slid in slowly, giving Jensen time to adjust as much as he was possible. Jensen’s eyes were closed tight and he was biting on his lips, but he ran his hands soothingly over Jared’s shoulders every time after he clutched them suddenly, pained. He urged Jared forward and when Jared finally was in deep to the hilt inside him, he clenched at his arms and Jared didn’t dare move. He breathed loudly, trying to steady his breath and gather some control over himself, but he waited unmoving until Jensen’s hands didn’t start moving over his arms again.
He moved partly out and then slowly back inside him, making sure that Jensen was just fine. When Jensen only moaned, holding onto Jared not because he was trying to get through pain, but simply from the sheer need to hold onto something, Jared started moving quicker, fucking Jensen deep and hard. Jensen was now running out of his ability to speak, moaned only, sometimes managing to spit a simple Jay or please or yes, probably not even aware of it.
And Jared fucked into him steadily, losing himself in the delightful pressure and the feel of the hot body all around him. Legs tight around him, hands clenching in a tight hold on his arms, beautiful face right before him, contorted with passion and covered with freckles… Jensen, Jensen, Jensen… Jared moaned loudly feeling as if what he had just now was absolutely perfect.
He felt Jensen’s hand working his cock just before Jensen came, moaning brokenly, his muscles tightening. Jared groaned loudly and came after just few more pushes. He laid on Jensen and the thought that he may be hurting him was detached and barely there, but he still slid out delicately and rolled over, trying to catch his breath next to Jensen, who was gasping for air. It was absolutely perfect, he thought again, with a mindless smile forming on his mouth. He thought of fate that apparently somehow managed to bring them together and his thoughts turned into a litany of two words that silenced as he drifted off to sleep.
Thank you, thank you, thank you…
~
The rhythmical clicking of shoes coming closer woke Jensen up and he stared at the entrance to his bedroom, tensing. The figure standing there gave him a big smug smile and Jensen frowned. Jared took this moment to move slightly and draw the attention to himself, mumbling something into the pillow. Jensen’s barely awake brain finally caught up with the situation and he grabbed at the covers, holding them tightly to himself and hoping he wasn’t exposing Jared too much.
“Jeez, gran!” he yelped and Jared jumped, waking up.
Jensen saw his eyes flying, following a similar train of thought apparently, because he too was soon tugging the covers his way, looking horrified at the elder woman. Grandma on the other hand just kept on smiling at them and nodding her head as if we she was pitying their lack of intelligence.
“Took you long enough, dunderheads,” she finally said with a smile. Jensen glared at her and she raised her arms, mocking the surrendering gesture. “I mean no harm, I mean no harm. I’m happy to see you too. Now, if you lover-boys will excuse me there’s an idiot doing my job, thinking he’s a goddamned Harry Potter.”
Jared suddenly looked more worried than embarrassed. If only just a bit.
“Umm… Grandma, you won’t change him into a frog, right?”
Grandma’s eyes shined with mirth.
“I have not decided yet,” she finally answered and nodded at them again, before closing the bedroom door and walking away.
Jensen fell back on the pillows with a suffering groan.
“I hate my life.”
~
Jensen was angry and basically everything annoyed him. It was not one of his best days. The sun was too bright for this time of the year. Throughout the whole breakfast, Jared was more worried about Misha than the typical morning after awkwardness. And now grandma came home with Misha and Jensen could hear them talking about making of the soulmate bracelets from behind the closed doors of grandma’s workroom.
“I tried making some after we first came here with Jay… I kept the ones that felt right, but didn’t think of adding them to the wagon yet. Though yesterday this guy was glancing at all the bracelets, you know, not buying, just staring and I thought one of them may suit him.”
“The one with blue crystals?”
“…Yeah.”
“Yeah, it’d work. By the way this guy is named Kyle and he owns all those crazy slides and things for kids on the beach. I was trying to will him away from the bracelet since I remember. I tried to make him one, of course, but they just never came out right. This one is good.”
Jensen blinked, stopping under the door to listen against himself. Grandma rarely talked a lot, unless she was in a mood for stories or something. And he never heard her talk about bracelets like that. As if she was talking to a person, who yes, knew less than her, but was still on the same level as her. Jensen shook his head with a quiet snort; there was not going to be any frog-turning here.
“You… You’ve made a pink-eyed , octopus bracelet?"
"I was aiming at Kracken actually, and hey, I'm sure it will suit someone. Actually... I'm really sure it will."
Jensen blinked and then stared at the door when instead of dismissing the idea, it sounded as if grandma hummed quietly, lost in thought.
"The scary part is, it will," she said finally and Jensen decided it was too much for him.
He moved quickly towards the garden to lay under the huge oak, pressing his feet against it and pretending the sun was not shining too brightly and that he was not staying out of the house to avoid any more crazy bracelet talking. He started to think he could be fine with things being the way they were between him and Jared. It all felt amazing and he finally managed to forget Jared believed in this relationship only because of some stupid bracelet. He wondered if he should be glad or mad that grandma didn’t come back a day earlier. Now it’d be much harder to make Jared leave.
He blinked his eyes open when the shadow from the leaves of the tree falling on his face turned into a shadow of something much more solid. Jared smiled at him, blocking the sun and looking so much bigger, while Jensen laid on the ground. Jensen patted a spot next to him and Jared gratefully sunk to the grown, taking twice as much surface with his legs through out as far as possible. For some reason (like almost everything else about Jared), that was adorable too. Jensen sighed and, seeing Jared opening his mouth to say something, he spoke first.
“We need to talk.”
Jared frowned and looked at him, shocked and hurt. Jensen made no move to correct his assumptions.
“What… What’s wrong?”
“I… I can’t do this, you know? This whole magical bullshit? Grandma came and drove it right back. Saying that it took us long to get together, because of course she knew we will be together the moment she gave this stupid bracelet to you. I… That’s fucked up, Jared. I can’t be with you, because of some stupid bracelet and…”
“Jen, Jen, hey. Calm down.“ Jensen took a deep breath, trying to stop himself from keeping babbling. “If you hate those bracelets so much, why are you dumping me because of them?”
“I- what?”
“You said yourself things are good between us. I mean, you have to notice how fucking well we click together, right? And yet you want to dump me, because we have matching bracelets, Jensen please tell me, how is that not crazy?”
Jensen stared at Jared. He hated when his perfectly well built arguments were tossed back at him. Jared nodded slowly as if he knew Jensen couldn’t really argue with that. Things were great between them and if they’d break up only because of the bracelets…
“That is some stupid turn around of my arguments,” he finally mumbled, but he didn’t sound very convincing and Jared just laughed cheerfully at him.
“Well, I guess I will have to convince you we’re perfect for each other then.”
Jensen snorted, closing his eyes happily and stretching lazily as sun warmed his hands sticking out of the shadow. He didn’t really mind anymore, it actually felt really nice. Perhaps even better than bright sun did in the middle of summers, after all it was much more craved in the autumn. He smiled slowly.
“I guess, I can agree for one more date…”
“And another one, and another one, and another one…”
“If you play your cards right.”
~
The End
~
NEXT: Author's Notes