Inheritance, Chapter 13 (Jensen/Danneel/Jared, NC-17, WIP)
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Title: Inheritance (Chapter 13/?)
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: Jensen/Danneel, Danneel/Jared, Jensen/Jared, Jensen/Danneel/Jared, Jared/OMCs, Jensen/OMCs, Osric Chau/Genevieve Cortese
Description: In a world where environmental disaster had created genetic abnormalities and mass infertility, Jensen and Danneel lived a modest life with no desire to have children by the only means available to them - a government allotted fertile breeder. When playboy millionaire Miles Padalecki died, Jensen and his wife Danneel were shocked to discover that they were named as heirs to the Padalecki mansion and most of his fortune. Nothing comes without a price though and they must decide whether it was worth harboring the dangerous secrets that were Miles's legacy.
Warnings: kid!fic, dystopia, het, slash, polyamory, self harm, past incest, graphic violence, dub- con, non-con, MPreg
Beta: Thanks go to fufaraw for making this better and being incredibly patient with my slow, slow progress. All mistakes are my own. This chapter's edits have been lost and redone too many times, so I am sure there will be typos lurking.
Disclaimer:This is fiction, pure fantasy folks. Nobody here belongs to me and they’re not likely to get in my van for candy any time soon.
***
Danneel and Jensen went back to eating their breakfast in the kitchen. Christian glared across the shiny-clean space at them but didn't comment. Their fresh fruit muesli and polite conversation wasn't a patch on pop tarts on the floor in front of toddler T.V.
Jared avoided them and they decided not to push him. Jensen logged into his work email and cursed his suppliers before making several calls to reorganize his teams. Danneel put on sensible shoes, found Travis polishing cars and took the journey to the City Grind to help with the lunchtime rush.
A few days later, Jared nodded politely as he passed them in the hall and invited them to help make play-doh figures with Milly. They rolled pastries and cut shapes and pretended to bake and Milly laughed and Jared smiled at her, but the adult conversation was mundane comments on the weather and how clever Milly was. When it was time to clear away, Jensen suggested that Milly help him tidy up while Danneel made coffee.
They took Mumps for a walk together again. The sun was sickly pale in a hyacinth blue sky. All around them fresh leaves burst from rolled buds but their breath puffed tiny clouds in the air and their words stuck to their tongues.
Samantha Smith was working in the rhododendron garden where early flowers made a wall of bright color on healthy shrubs. She stood up and stretched her back when she noticed their approach. Mumps ran to sit by her side and he wriggled his whole body while his tail wagged enthusiastically. She rewarded him with a fuss.
“Wow, these are looking great, Sam,” complimented Danneel.
“The secret is in good soil and hardy varieties,” she said.
There was glance between Sam and Jared, something unspoken that was gone in a moment.
“It's all about the fertilizer,” said Jared with a hint of humor.
Sam punched his arm playfully, “It's all your bullshit, Jared.”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Milly threw a ball and Mumps heaved himself up to chase it.
Sam watched her fondly, “She's a pretty little spitfire. Reminds me of you at that age.”
Jared blushed, “So, I get hyper when I scarf sweets.”
“And you were pretty!” laughed Jensen.
Jared flicked his hair dramatically, “I still am.”
There was no comeback for that. Sam tipped her head at Jared, “C'mere,” she said, and he let her take him into a squeezing hug, “It's lovely to see you together. I was worried.”
He relaxed into her hug and patted one huge hand on her back, “I'm good today,” he reassured her. He wasn't exactly good, but it was a fine spring day and nothing awful had happened so far. He was good enough, he supposed.
It was an affectionate exchange, almost domestic and Jared must have sensed Jensen and Danneel's curiosity.
They untangled themselves and Jared explained. “When Miles and I were growing up, father didn't believe in coddling us with any maternal influence but Samantha was cool. She would to listen to us and she let us race the lawn mowers.”
“I most certainly did not, boy!”
Jared grinned, “Well, you forgot to hide the key to the store anyways.”
Sam gave a genuine laugh. “You better get after that little spitfire before she gives you the slip.” She winked, “Bring her over one evening. It'll be fun for me and you can have fun too.”
“I will, “ he promised.
He paused for a moment to snap a branch of frothy pink blooms and then another in white. Beside him he knew that Danneel and Jensen were waiting for an apology, or an explanation, or at least some sign from him to explain his behavior in the days before. The longer he waited to give it, the harder it became. He kept walking, instinctively heading for the familiar cold stone of the family crypt.
They didn't go inside. He didn't want Milly to see the stark coffin on bare rock - wanted to let her imagine a house beyond the doors, with tea-parties and cosy armchairs. Milly pouted and yelled that it wasn't fair, that she should be allowed to go in, to play with her pa. It was bad of pa to hide from her. Jared consoled her and she cried a little but she took the pink rhododendrons and they each laid a branch of flowers at the mausoleum door for her pa to see when the stars shone.
Milly was easily distracted, her frustration melted when a pigeon landed heavily on the grass and strutted toward her. She walked after it, called it to come to her and then chased it into an inelegant take-off when it wouldn't.
Jared stood in silent contemplation for a few minutes, no longer angry but scared and alone. It was as if his skin no longer fit him and he itched to feel the pain and release of it splitting, of his blood dripping wet from him. He clenched his fists, ground his teeth and bit the inside of his lip instead.
“We should have brought proper flowers,” he heard Danneel say, through a haze of his thoughts.
There was a soft touch on his shoulder, then Jensen's large hand rubbed a soothing circle on his back. “I don't know what to say. I can't imagine how much you must miss him,” Jensen said.
“He liked when we picked flowers from the grounds. He'd stick 'em in an old beer bottle and put them by our bed,” said Jared. He leaned into Jensen's touch.
It was an intimate detail and Jensen didn't push him for more. “Do you want to stay a while? We could take Milly back to the house,” he suggested.
Jared shook his head, “No. I don't really know why I came.” He turned away from the crypt. “Let's go. I could make cocoa with mini marshmallows in.”
Milly's eyes went wide at the suggestion. She grabbed Jared's arm and swung around him, “Yes, yes, daddy's mushmally cocoa.”
“You'd better run ahead and wash your hands and face and make sure your room is tidy then,” Jared told her.
Thumb in mouth she skipped ahead of them as they turned back toward the house. Jensen dropped his hand from Jared's back and Jared felt the loss of its warmth. His own fingers searched out Jensen's, intertwined with them and held on. Stay with me he wanted to say, but it felt awkward. “Are you two okay?” he asked instead, not sure what he would do if the answer was ‘no’.
Jensen squeezed his hand a little. “Yeah, we are. We talked. We’ll work it out y’know, all of us together.” He bumped shoulders with Jared and Jared leaned into him, needy for the contact. Jensen didn’t pull away and they walked, side by side, with matching steps.
Danneel looked at them both and her lips curved upwards. She fitted perfectly pressed into Jensen's other side with her hand around his waist and his hand resting on her shoulder. They walked together, at an easy pace and Jensen and Danneel waited for Jared to speak again and break the wall he had started to build.
“It's not love,” Jared said eventually, as they reached the house and they broke apart. Door hinges squeaked as they spilled into the warmth of the boot room and Milly clattered ahead into the main house to tidy her room. “I mean, me, not you. You two, that's love and it seems so easy for you. With me, it's an arrangement. I wanted to start a fight. I felt confined and envious. Living this way - it gets to me sometimes.”
They scraped the mud off their boots and the air reeked of wet dog and grass. Mumps let Jared towel the dirt from him.
“It could be more than an arrangement,” protested Danneel.
“But it isn't. I’m cool with the arrangement, so it seems silly to argue about it. It can be fun and there are things I want to try, but I'm not important enough to break up what you have. You should be able to relax and be intimate without asking my permission. Don't you see?” Jared shook his coat and placed it on a hook.
Jensen helped Danneel out of her coat and placed their coats on the hooks beside it. “We're not breaking up,” he sighed, “I was being petty and stupid.”
Danneel nodded, “We can have fun and be friends and see where it goes from there. You can pick a room where you'll be comfortable with us when you want to join us, and we can move that huge bed in.”
Jared looked devastated, “I thought we were already friends,” he choked out. He knew it had been bitchy of him to start a fight between them and they couldn't be expected to just brush it off. It still hurt to think they needed to start over.
Jensen's firm grip closed around Jared's wrist, grounding him.
“We are friends Jared, but we have so much to learn about each other. We want to know everything about you and about Milly. We want to be a real family.”
Jared chewed his lip, his other hand tore at the fabric of his pants. Don’t panic, don’t panic, “What if you don’t like what you discover? I’m not a good person,” he replied.
Jensen could feel Jared’s pulse racing against his fingers and it somehow felt urgent that Jared know he was wanted - that for reasons Jensen couldn’t properly explain, even to himself, Jensen cared for Jared, really cared and needed him to be happy. “Jared, we may not have known you for long, but we know that’s not true. What is in the past stays there. Nobody is ever perfect but you are in control of the pace and direction we take with this.”
Jensen was speaking, but it was just words. Jared thought their boots made a wedge pattern all lined up - Jared's huge foot, Jensen's slightly smaller, Danneel's dainty size, and Milly's tiny green frog-face boots. It was a distraction yet still his lungs seemed to freeze and his chest tightened. Some ugly, violent secrets should stay in the dark. His mind supplied a memory, the smell of wet earth and cold touch of a shovel, the scrape and thump of digging. His hands shook and he closed his eyes.
Jensen's grip on Jared’s wrist remained and the stroke of his thumb gradually reassured him. Jared remembered the rhododendron flowers, pictured the bushes full-grown and sturdy. He let himself take a breath.
“Unless you're telling us that you can't make cocoa with marshmallows, because that would be a deal breaker,” joked Danneel.
Jared saw her as if through a fog of unreality, smiling softly at him. He took deep breaths, in and out, counted seven times like Miles had taught him. Jensen's thumb continued to smooth back and forth over his wrist. It was soft and warm and Jared could feel his pulse through the pad, or was it his own heartbeat? It didn't matter, it was a steady thrum-thrum. He snapped back to himself. “Cocoa, right. I can do that.”
“Good. Well, I gotta pee. See you there.” Danneel rushed off.
“Are we good? Are you good?” Jensen lifted their arms together, indicating Jared's scarred wrist and his green eyes seemed to bore into him.
Jared knew then that Jensen's actions hadn't been a coincidence. Jensen had noticed his panic. He had cared and acted on it. It was unexpected empathy. He blinked back a tear. “Yeah. Bring on the sugar. I'll be fine.”
Jensen loosed his hold, ran his hands through his short hair, spiking it a little. “I'll come with you,” he offered.
“Gotta catch me first.” Jared teased and set off running with Jensen hot on his heels. They slid around a corner, socks on polished parquet, only to have to swerve around Travis who was using a floor buffer.
“Mind the... oh, crap!” The buffer clattered to the floor.
Jared and Jensen came to a halt, bumping shoulders, “Sorry,” they said in perfect unison.
“Hey, it's nice to see you together, I guess.”
“Right. Good,” said Jared, looking at Jensen, “Well, I'm winning, anyway.”
“Oh, really?”
They set off again, racing for the stairs.
***
The laughter was unexpected. They spent the evening eating pizza, drinking beer and playing picture dominoes with Milly. When she cried because her Pa would have let her match a ladybird with a teddy bear it was Jensen who scooped her up and blew raspberries on her tummy and made her laugh again. Jared tucked her into her bed with her bunny, had her say goodnight to Fred and Mumps and then they took turns to read Old MacDonald, with Jared making the stupidest animal noises.
The moon was high when the curtains were closed against a chilly night. Wine and Trivial Pursuit eased them into a relaxed conversation. The squeak of Fred’s hamster wheel faded into background noise and snippets of Jared's life slipped from his tongue. He was animated when he spoke, reliving happy moments with a gleam in his eyes. There was the time that Jared pretended to be Miles in school and the teacher called their father because he was suddenly right handed where Miles had always been left handed. Then there was the week when Jared caught mumps because his father had only cared to have Miles vaccinated. Miles had been angry and worried and he refused to leave Jared's side to attend school unless their father gave Jared a puppy to keep him company. Miles had been so persistent that their father had caved in and acquired the ugliest mongrel pup he could find. Of course Jared and Miles had adored him, and the name Mumps had stuck forever.
Mumps heard his name mentioned, woke and ambled to them, wagging his tail and knocking wine over the board game, ending it in a confused tie. Danneel asked if Milly had Twister, and playing it seemed like a great idea.
When yet another bottle of wine stood empty, bourbon replaced it. The game pointer whirled and Jensen and Jared were giggly and competitive.
“You and me. Winner takes all,” suggested Jared.
“All of what? You offering something special?” Jensen asked with a cheeky grin.
Jared's tongue poked between his lips and licked them to a shine. He combed his long fingers through his perspiration-damp hair. Oh, yeah , Jensen thought, he could take all of that, with his stupidly long limbs, firm ass and sex-puppy face.
Jared's answering chuckle was wicked, his eyes gleamed hazel-gold, “Pop-tarts in the morning. As many as the winner wants.”
Danneel stuck her hand up, “Oh, oh, me too. Loser makes Pop Tarts for everyone,” she paused for a moment, “In bed,” she added.
Okay, so it wasn't what he was expecting but Jensen wasn't about to turn the challenge down.
“You're on!”
Danneel's vision was starting to swim and her cheeks glowed warm. She and Jensen didn't normally drink much. She stripped to just her old black vest top and red satin panties and sat cross-legged on the floor to spin the pointer and officiate.
Jensen spilled bourbon on his tee shirt trying to prove that he was supple enough to do the almost-splits while the holding a drink. Danneel said they could take it off without anyone forfeiting the game as long as they only moved one hand each. Jared pretended to help, used his teeth to tug the hem of the tee upwards but played dirty by grazing over the nub of Jensen's nipples. He followed up with a swipe of his tongue and a throaty, “Oh the things we could do to you like this, pretty boy.”
Jensen gritted his teeth. Jared was shiny-eyed and loose with liquor, and the emotional distance he usually maintained was gone. It felt entirely too good. “Cheat! Danni, he's cheating!” he complained anyway.
Danneel supported Jensen. “Jared, stop cheating!”
“Why what's the forfeit?” You gonna spank me?” he slurred enthusiastically, as Jensen's shirt finally came loose over his head and landed on top of him.
Danneel puckered up with an adorably crinkled nose. There was an abundance of firm male flesh and she thought it was altogether too far from her own skin. “ Or you won't get a kiss from me,” she threatened.
“But he's trying to unbalance me!” protested Jared, ignoring Danneel's comical face and shaking Jensen’s shirt onto the yellow spot with a shake of his head, his hair flicking like a shampoo commercial.
Danneel spun the pointer, “Quit moaning, y'all. Hand on green.”
Jared and Jensen looked for a green spot and then at each other. This was going to be the decider. They both needed to twist around and Jensen would have to face up and reach an arm under Jared to touch the green. They moved at the same time, competitive and determined. Jensen's hand touched the green just as Jared twisted and his foot slipped on the drink-slick plastic.
“Whoa.”
“Agh.”
They landed in a laughing heap, with Jared on top of Jensen. Jensen's bare chest heaved with the need to breathe under Jared's sudden, hot weight.
“Sorry,” they said together.
In her inebriated state Danneel thought their collapse was way too funny and she dissolved into laughter that wouldn’t stop.
Jared pushed up onto one hand and Jensen breathed out in relief. “Dude, You're heavy.”
Jensen and Jared were face to face, an inch apart, and Jared remembered all the things he loved about Jensen's face. There was a red flush of alcohol and exertion that stained his cheeks but it didn't detract from the symmetry, the chiselled jawline, jewel-green eyes framed with thick lashes and laughter lines and the spatter of golden freckles. Oh and then there was his mouth - pink and plump like a bow to set off the rest of his wrapping. Jared was allowed to kiss that mouth, and he hadn't exercised that prerogative nearly enough. It was such a short distance to lean in and capture those lips, so he did.
It took Jensen by surprise when Jared's mouth crashed into his with an impulsive kiss. It was open-mouthed, messy and uncontrolled and Jensen welcomed it, even while his mind questioned it.
Danneel's stomach ached from laughing but as the kiss continued she quieted and scooted closer to observe them. The boys, her boys, she supposed , were oblivious to her, pressed together kissing lazily after a passionate start. Jensen clutched Jared's hair in his hand, his fingers brushing through it and tugging it in equal measure. Jared leaned on one bent arm . His other hand cupped Jensen's chin with his long fingers stroking his face. It was sloppy-noisy and their breath stank of garlic and alcohol. Whether it was the drink or something else, their actions were strangely non-sexual. She wasn't sure if it should make her horny or envious but she felt peaceful. It took the pressure off her if Jared could fully embrace Jensen's presence in their relationship.
Jared made happy hmm-ing noises. Jensen's eyes were focussed on Jared but he was struggling to keep them open. Danneel felt sleepy and a little nauseous. She lay down next to them and the plastic sheet crinkled under her. It occurred to her that she was drunk, really very drunk and she wasn't the only one. She reached a hand to Jensen's face, twined her fingers with Jared's to touch the roughness of Jensen's evening stubble.
“Hey, you two are looking fine ,” she slurred.
They came to a slow halt, their mouths separated and they licked their spit shiny lips. They looked at her, confused to find her on the floor beside them.
“Don't mind me. Have the sexy. Jus' lyin' here, goin' sleep.” She waved her free hand in the air, before mumbling something incoherent that included the word, “PopTarts.”
“Mmm.” Jensen ground his hips up against Jared's, as if he was only just considering sex as an option.
Jared bent his head to nuzzle Jensen's ear. “You look good from this angle, would look good stuffed with my cock. I think Danni agrees.” Jared kissed a trail from Jensen's ear back to his mouth.
Jensen opened his eyes wide and startled, “Yeah? I thought...”
“You thought a breeder wouldn't want that?”
“Yeah, no, I dunno. Do you?”
“Shit Jensen! Look at you, with your pretty eyes and shiny hair and god - that ass! Who wouldn't want to plug that.” Jared caressed his cheek. “Stupid!” he added, affectionately.
Jensen gave a drawn out groan and pumped his hips up again, looking for friction, “You're good.” He bit his lip, “Not here, we need things, I want to try, with you, for you.”
Jared ground down but his cock was taking way too long to get interested and Jensen's reply worried him. He tilted Jensen's face to look him in the eyes. They were the glazed-happy of a drunk man. “Are you telling me you've never bottomed?” He tried to keep the disbelief from his voice.
“I got a wife,” grinned Jensen, “She's the best wife.”
Danneel snored.
Jensen writhed under Jared. “Well, c'mon, your place or mine?”
It was a good question. Jared rolled off Jensen. The combination of floor and plastic felt damp and cold. His vision reeled in an interesting kaleidoscope pattern as he struggled to stand up. He huffed. His drink-soaked brain assessed their situation, a skill he had acquired over the years with Miles. “Mine, I think. He lay down again, side by side with Jensen. “Jen, can you walk? 'Cos I don't think I can.”
“What? Why?” Jensen sat up abruptly. “Holy! Ouch!” He was suddenly light-headed and it had nothing to do with any kissing. He swayed to his feet. “Yeah. M'fine,” he lied, “Want me to get the lube?”
Jared chuckled, “Oh, man! You want your first time to be drunk on the floor.” He shook his head, “Seriously, no, dude. Nothing is going to happen tonight. We are so drunk.”
“M' not,” denied Jensen, standing as straight as he could.
From Jared’s position on the floor Jensen looked like a god on the heights of Olympus, but Jared couldn't let that change his mind. “Good,” he said. “Then you can get Danni into my bed. Mebbe call Chris in case we don't wake up for Milly.”
“You want to fuck me with Danni asleep in the bed?”
“No! Party boy! I'm going to sleep, you are going to sleep and Danni is going to sleep. If you still want my manly cock in the morning, then the fuck party is on.” Jared pointed a finger at the swaying man above him, “I'm placin' my bets that the toilet bowl will be more attractive than me.”
Jensen wanted to argue with him. He was older than Jared, married with a career, more responsible. He could make up his own mind if he was too drunk.
Danni stirred and snored again, long drawn out and gurgling. Jensen thought his heart missed a beat. He practically fell to the floor beside her. “Help me get her on her side.”
Jared was beside him already, somehow revitalized by a sense of emergency. “You take her that side, I'll take this side.
They staggered to Jared's bedroom with Danneel between them and she dropped and bounced on the mattress before they settled her in the recovery position at the edge of the bed. Jared grabbed his trash can, emptied it carelessly onto the floor and put it on the floor beside her. “Sick bucket,” he explained.
Jensen crashed on the bed beside her. The linen was soft and welcoming, the pillows were downy heaven. The room was spinning around him. He didn't want to admit that Jared might be right but maybe he didn't have to. Jared was already pulling the comforter up, tucking Jensen in, like a child.
“Oh. Where will you sleep?” Jensen asked.
“I'll take the couch.”
“Nooo!” protested Jensen. “There’s lots of space for you.”
“I told you nothing is going to happen with you and me tonight, Jensen.” And that was definitely Jared's daddy voice.
Jensen waggled his little finger. “No. I pinky promise. Come to bed. Sleep only.”
Wide green eyes pleaded. Jared's legs were heavy with the effects of alcohol and it looked inviting to have somebody by his side. He missed being held by Miles, waking up as little spoon, not waking alone . He hesitated, reluctant to trust and weighing up his options. He decided he would rather know. If Jensen ignored his refusal, made a move on him, then at least he understood his place in the relationship. He could plan ahead, take safeguards and save himself from falling in love again.
He stripped to his boxer briefs and lifted the corner of the comforter to get in.
“Scoot over, then.”
Chapter 14
{Comments are candy for my soul and give some reason to keep struggling with the craziness of LJ.}