If There's A Rocket Tie Me To It - Chapter Three
Chapter Three
Several weeks went by and school settled into a rhythm. Jared's classes didn't get any easier, but he did work out a good research routine with Sandy, and also got ready to accompany her on the Rush events that were happening in the upcoming weekend. She'd filled him in on a few more details. Apparently one was an actual formal, so Jared had his mom ship his suit from home. He could tell he'd grown even taller since he started school, but since the pants didn't highwater and the sleeves still fit, he resolved to get one last wear out of it before selling it on Craigslist.
The other event, more minor than the Saturday night formal, was, of all things, a type of field day on Friday afternoon. Rushers and their dates were encouraged to come play games like "three-legged run," "bob for apples," and other activities Jared remembered doing in elementary-school. He was amused by the whole concept of the matter, but also glad that Chad had readily agreed to be his wingman in the face of all the sorority girls. Jared actually couldn't figure out why Chad hadn't pledged, and when asked, Chad simply shrugged and said, "Too much structure, not enough unstructured porn."
Jensen had insinuated he had a hot date on Saturday (and wouldn't mention who the girl was, only saying, "I don't kiss and tell," which prompted Jared to respond, "So there will be kissing?"), but had Friday wide open, so Jared asked Sandy if Jensen could come along to Field Day. She agreed enthusiastically, and things were set.
It wasn't only the social aspect of his life that seemed to be improving. Professor Morgan had made good on his promise to bring in experts on many of the students' Crafts, and Jared had been able to sit down with a woman named Samantha Ferris, who was Empathic like he was. They'd had an intense week of practice before she had to return home to Alabama, and Jared had been able to ask many questions about how his Craft worked, how it was used to influence people, and why it was widely regarded as one of the stronger Crafts to exist. Samantha had tasked him to practice as often as possible to see if he could subtly influence a crowd of people, to change the atmosphere of a tense situation, and even to continue to try and get some kind of sense out of his Null roommate.
Samantha had also taught him other techniques, such as amplifying his own emotions, taking all emotion away from a crowd, and reaching deeper into someone's emotional state using his Craft to try and discern where an emotion came from. It was all becoming very apparent that his chosen major of psychology was the right thing for him to do.
He’d broached the subject of Empathy and ethics with her only once. Samantha clearly wasn’t as concerned as he was about the moral aspects, and had reassured him that he was “a good kid with a strong moral background.” She had told him that the more he practiced, the better he would get at telling which emotions were surface and more available to him to read, and which were more private. He hoped that was the case.
Friday rolled around, and Jared found himself out on Farrand Field, a large grassy area surrounded by dorms. A large bouncy castle had been set up in one corner and was charging admission to any interested student who wanted to bounce, but the rest of the event was for Rushers and guests only. Around the field were various games. Jared spotted piles of burlap sacks for sack races, several large tubs where people were bobbing for apples, and an area where a number of croquet stakes had been put in the ground. There weren't actually any croquet players; instead, people were using what looked like giant chopsticks to roll basketballs around the stakes in a pattern Jared couldn't figure out.
Jared had chosen a pair of knee-length jean shorts and a salmon pink polo for the event, figuring he'd look preppy-causal enough that he wouldn't immediately get pinged as "non-Fraternity material," although he wasn't wearing the little badge on his chest that indicated he was a Pledge or Rush candidate. Jensen had gone with a pair of blue soccer shorts and a tee shirt advertising a local brewing company, New Belgium, and Jared had almost collapsed in a fit of hysterical laugher at him. He'd been sure that Jensen wouldn't fit in at all, but was apparently wrong.
Together they wove through the throng of Sorority and Fraternity members, spotting at least one person trying to drink covertly from a flask. They were supposed to meet the girls at the three-legged race, which entailed running across a field in pairs with their legs closest to each other tied together. Both Sandy and Sophia were already there, each wearing what seemed to be a popular outfit for the female Rushers: short shorts, a tank top, knee-high sport socks, and tennis shoes. Chad was hovering next to them wearing plaid shorts and a yellow polo. Jared wasn't sure who the most ridiculous of them was, and he kind of loved it.
"C'mon!" Sophia barely spared a glance at Jared before grabbing Jensen's arm and tugging him toward the start of the race. "Let's be partners!"
Jared glanced at Chad, who he expected to be jealous, but the blonde gave Jared a thumbs up and mouthed, "Dare." Jared grinned and grabbed Sandy's hand. "You up for it?"
"Let's kick their asses." Her brown eyes were full of happiness, and Jared found himself giving a full-throated laugh as they got in place next to Sophia and Jensen.
A sorority sister affixed Jared and Sandy's legs together, and they waited until the referee blew the whistle, and took off down the grass. It didn't take more than a second for them to end up flat on their faces as Jared's long legs and Sandy's short ones didn't meet up on their second step, sending them toppling into each other. They squirmed around, and Jared saw Jensen and Sophia were in a similar predicament just a few feet away.
Several other couples were making much better time, probably because they were more similar in height. Jared twisted around and got his free right foot on the ground, then tugged Sandy up. "I'll take shorter steps, go!" They moved again, this time doing better, and Jared was glad to see that they were beating Jensen and Sophia, who were apparently using the same technique. Neither of them was about to win, though, so Jared simply made it his personal goal to get some ammo with which he could tease Jensen.
They toppled across the finish line just a second or two before Jensen made it and all collapsed to the ground, giggling hysterically. After unwrapping their legs, they made their way to the start, where Sophia had already found Chad, and the two were planning a "3-leg domination" over the other entrants.
"Let's go again, too!" Sandy said. "I just want to get a soda!"
"Ok, I'll be here." Jared waved at her and she set off across the field toward the big food stand that was selling hot dogs, hamburgers, and all sorts of carbonated sugar.
He leaned back against the nearby chain-link fence, arms crossed. Jensen stood next to him, and after a minute, kind of leaned into Jared. It was odd until Jared realized Jensen was getting heavier and heavier, and they stumbled to the side, laughing again. "Let's try the race together against Chad and Sophia," Jensen said as they regained their balance.
"You're on."
The race was just about to start, so they quickly got tied together, and when the referee yelled for them to start, Jared found this was much easier with a guy almost his size. He was pretty sure he had another inch or two to grow - his father had always said that he hadn’t stopped growing after graduating from college - but right now he and Jensen were almost even.
Jensen was howling like a madman beside him, this time in control of the right leg. Jared knew he was grinning from ear to ear, and they raced down the field ahead of the other groups. He couldn't even spare a glance behind them to see where Chad and Sophia were in the race; this was about winning. A few steps from the end, one of them rushed a bit and they stumbled, going down on top of the finish line. Jared ended up lying on top of Jensen, who was still giggling helplessly over the whole deal. Jensen's face was so open and free, and Jared almost felt his heart ache for want to feel the happiness coursing through his roommate's body.
He joined Jensen in the laugh, and when Jensen's eyes popped open he examined Jared, a strange look in his eyes. Jared realized he was just lying there on top of his roommate, and rolled away, got stuck because he rolled to the wrong side from where his leg was tied, and had to climb back over Jensen to get up on the correct side. Jensen's eyes tracked him as he moved, and Jared couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious.
By the time they got separated and were standing, Jared turned to find Sandy watching them, a drink in each hand, and a strange sense of sadness coming from her. He instinctively tried to reach deeper, to figure out where her emotions had come from, but shied away when he realized he was prying into her personal business.
"Hey," he said, walking over. "You ready to run the race again?"
Sandy glanced over at the area set up for it, and Jared felt a spike of something run through her. He didn't know enough about his abilities to know what it was.
"No," she finally said. "Let's move on to something new."
She was distant a while longer, but Jared put all his energy into cheering her back up, and by the time they made it to the bouncy castle, where they found that any form of continued jumping made Chad sicker than a dog, Sandy's emotions had returned to bright and happy.
_____
Jared stared at himself in the mirror. He felt like a reject prom date. It wasn't that the suit was bad. Or that his hair was bad. He just didn't want Sandy to feel like she brought some sub-par date to a function that needed to show how awesome and amazing she was. He sighed, and prodded at his hair again.
"Your makeup is fine, Jared. Stop it with the touch-ups already," Jensen said from behind his desk. The desk was near the back of the room, and Jared couldn't even see Jensen from where he stood.
"But I can't decide if I should go with Innocent or Slutitty Slut Slut for my lipstick choice,” Jared whined.
"Always Slutitty Slut Slut. Or the boys won't kiss you."
Jared heard a paper flip, and he craned his head back, just barely able to see part of Jensen's back and his ear. "I always get the kisses. I thought you knew."
"I must be doing something wrong, then, because my lipstick is always perfect." Jensen’s voice was unsteady with suppressed laughter.
"Does yours smell like grape?" Jared asked.
"No, it's odorless." More paper shuffling.
"That's where you're going wrong, then. Seriously, do I look ok? I feel like I'm going to prom." Jared smoothed down the front of his suit one more time.
Jensen wheeled his chair back and regarded Jared, pen between his lips. Jared felt his throat go a little dry - he was having a love affair with those lips - but he coughed to cover his momentary blankout and gave Jensen an expectant look.
"Dude, you went to prom less than six months ago.” Jensen said. “Did the girls like you then?"
"Uh, sure?" He hadn't actually gone to prom with a girl. But he was positive that if he was straight, he would have been ok.
"Then you're fine."
"So you don't have an opinion?"
Jensen rolled his eyes, not unfriendly, but also softened it with a smile. "You're not an eyesore. Get going. Aren't you meeting Sandy in ten minutes?"
Jared glanced at his watch and yelped. "Shit, yeah. You still going out on that date tonight?"
"Yes, mom, don't wait up."
He grinned, and as he walked out the door said, "I won't, patootie pants!"
Jensen's laughter followed him out of the room.
He arrived with only seconds to spare after jogging most of the way to Sandy's dorm, Sewell Hall, which was a bit off the beaten path. Apparently, a lot of the girls rushing lived there. It was completely across campus from Jared's dorm, but his long legs were damn trusty. Sewell was also on the way to the event house, which was a few blocks off campus in a little neighborhood area called The Hill.
Sandy was waiting out front, looking as adorable as a girl could get. She wore a knee-length black dress that curved to her form in all the right places, and her open-toed heels had little laces up the front. He was glad his suit was also black, so they matched.
"Hey, you look wonderful," he said, trying to be the image of a good friend. "I like the shoes." His mother had taught him long ago to always compliment a woman on something she wore when she looked nice.
Sandy's face blossomed into a huge smile, and Jared realized that compliments with Sandy could be dangerous since her crush on him was still raging strong. "Thank you! I love them too. And you look really nice too. Better than a lot of the Frat guys I've seen who are going to this thing."
"Excellent," He said, trying to recover his aplomb. He grinned, took her arm, and they set off to the event.
"Have you heard from Chad? He was supposed to meet Sophia a few minutes before you and I left, but hadn't shown by the time I went out front."
"You know him," Jared said. "I think he'll be there to sweep her off her feet and have them make a mad dash to the event. More fun or something." He continued to chatter, but inside, as loud as he possibly could, and hoping that Chad could pick it up, thought, Get to Sophia's room, STAT. He had no idea if Chad could pick up projections from non-telepaths, but it never hurt to try.
Sandy had prepped him on the basics for the evening. Go, mingle, probably get a little drunk, and try and show off what a shining star Sandy was to all the sororities in attendance. Jared just wasn't sure what to expect beyond that. Drunken antics? Drinking games? Being snubbed by anyone who didn't like him or Sandy? He knew he was working off all sorts of preconceptions about the Greek system, but didn't want to offend Sandy by asking rude questions.
He got his answers soon enough. They strolled through a neighborhood that seemed to be peppered with an array of tiny houses followed by voluminous mansions, and arrived at a lit up sorority house. Pink, black, and white balloons littered the fence around the front yard, while yard sconces glowed on each side of the walkway up to the house. The door stood wide open, and the inside was even more outlandish. Ribbons and bows and decor of all kinds - but only in pink, black, and white - hung around the walls. The throng of people inside surprised Jared, but they were all animated and happy, and he could only read excitement with his Craft.
A girl standing near the entrance took a pair of tickets from Sandy, then handed her two cups. With a "have fun!" she sent them off into the crowd. Jared was pretty sure the beer that ended up in his cup wasn't supposed to be served at a party for freshmen, but he rolled with it and escorted Sandy toward the back where a crowd of girls stood. He wasn't quite sure what to say, or if Sandy wanted him to say anything, but she burst into the crowd all on her own, introducing him as her friend, then getting introductions from all the girls there. That's when Jared realized he wasn't really there to do anything. He was there to be eye candy. It was rather obvious with the way the girls all gave him a strict once over with their eyes.
He had to stop himself from squirming, and vowed to stick close to Sandy to keep any advances from happening.
That whole plan fell to shit about an hour later, when Sandy disappeared into the crowd with a few new friends, and Jared found himself wandering aimlessly around the party, a little drunk and more than a little bored. This lifestyle just wasn't for him. He'd never had any trouble making friends, and didn't really require a pre-set group of friends to be given to him after he passed a bunch of tests. That's how he saw it, anyway. He knew that the resume opportunities that the Greek system gave were supposed to be good, but it was just not who he wanted to be.
After swallowing one last cup of beer, he deposited his cup in the trash, resolving not to get drunker than he was, already aware that his ability to sense emotions was muted. He then fought off the advances of a cute Sister who didn't seem to get that "no" meant "no." In an attempt to escape her, he went upstairs, expecting to see more partygoers, but found the area to be conspicuously silent. It also put him away from the throng of drunken emotions, and that was when he felt the first tinge of outside panic. It wasn't strong, like it was buried under a layer of blankets, but he recognized it as not his, and definitely nearby.
On autopilot, Jared began to open all the doors, trying to find whoever was in trouble. He was afraid that in a house like this, with numerous bedrooms and several stories, he'd be looking forever. The panicked emotion he felt was so strong, though, he "accidentally" broke the frame on one door and pushed his way inside a room, the scene inside justifying his vandalism.
Sandy was lying on a bed, two tall guys on either side of her. One was leaning over the top of her body, holding her wrists, while the other one had his hands between her legs. Her dress was shoved up around her waist, but Jared was relieved to see that she still wore underwear.
The two guys whipped their heads around as he burst into the room, and the one holding her wrists released his grip enough that Sandy squirmed away and off the side of the bed.
"Jared!" she screamed, and his drunken haze fell away. The subdued emotions were coming stronger now - Sandy's fear, the lust (now anger) of the two men - and Jared knew that he'd gotten lucky to find her.
"Get outta here," he said, and stood up to his full height. Jared could hold his own in a fight. He'd had enough brawling experience with his older brother that he knew how to use his height to his advantage, and he'd been picked on enough as "that Padalecki fag" in high school that a two-against-one situation had ceased being scary long ago.
"Dude, kick his ass," the blonde guy on the bed told his friend. The friend, a brunette with acne scars, rushed Jared, who weaved to the side and snaked out an arm, punching the brunette hard in the face. The kid went down cursing and clutching his face, and Jared regarded the blonde again.
"Leave or I will mess you up. And take him with you." Using every bit of knowledge he had, Jared sent a wave of fear toward the guy, trying to diffuse his anger into something Jared could manage. It seemed to work, as the guy slid past Jared, grabbed his friend, and hauled him out of the room and around the corner.
Jared rushed over to Sandy, who was huddled in a corner. Her hair was a mess and her makeup running as she cried, but she was safe. "I got you," he said. "Let's get outta here."
"I can't, Jared," she sobbed, and hugged him. "I need to stay and make a good impression."
"Sandy, those guys--"
"Weren't fraternity. They were talking about how they snuck in. Can I just have a hug?" She pulled him in and he wrapped her up, feeling how tiny she was, and resolved to never let this happen again to her. She tucked her face beneath his chin, and he just held her, whispering in her ear that it would be ok.
When her lips touched his chin, he thought that she was just shifting position. He moved his head to get out of her way, but her lips captured his, and he couldn't quite disguise the way he pulled back in shock.
"Sandy, I--" The words died on his lips as he saw the knowing look in her eyes.
"Oh." She sighed, and buried her face against his chest. "I should have gotten it."
"Gotten what?" All he could feel from her was embarrassment and resignation.
"You. You and Jensen. Yesterday on the field."
"He's my roommate."
"No." Sandy stared him in the eye. "The way you guys looked at each other. The way you looked at him. I thought maybe I was wrong, but I'm not. Are you gay, Jared?"
He froze, then nodded, trying to tell himself he'd kept it from her for a good reason.
She sighed, then clutched at the nearby night stand and pulled herself up to sit on the bed. Jared sat down next to her. "I had hoped it was just me being a girl or something, but no. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Fear?" He shrugged, feeling like an idiot. "It wasn't about that, Sandy. You don't have to walk around announcing your sexual preference, so why should I?"
"Wasn't I obvious enough?" A shade of anger entered her emotions. "Wasn't asking you out enough?"
"I thought we could be friends." It was the only thing he could think to say. All the other reasons he’d told himself - that he was being a good friend, that he could ignore away Sandy’s crush - they all sounded so hollow in his mind. He had just scared off two guys, knocked one out, and here he was, reduced to helplessness.
"Not tonight, Jared. Can you go? Sophia texted me. She and Chad are here. I'll hang with them."
"But, what about those guys?"
"I'll be safe, Jared. I'll tell Chad to keep me safe. I just need to get touched up and I'll be fine. I just--I need some time."
He didn't like it, but he knew that she wouldn't be happy around him for the rest of the night. "Fine. But can you text me when you get home so I know you're safe?"
Sandy nodded, mutely, then stood and entered the room's adjoining bathroom. She shut the door and Jared knew a dismissal when he saw it. He went downstairs, couldn't spot Chad or Sophia, and exited the party.
The night was still warm, so Jared removed his suit jacked and untucked his shirt, then took a few deep breaths and stared up at the stars as he walked. He didn't know what to do, especially if his friendship with Sandy was inexorably altered. They still had the project, and if that was all messed up, there went his grade. Not just that, but he had to consider the friendship was permanently over. He thought back to the first time they met and how frustrating he found her interest, but over time it had simply become a part of the creature that was Sandy. He liked her and wanted her in his life, and here he’d gone and fucked it up.
Jared found himself ambling around campus instead of heading straight back to the dorm room. He didn't want to go back and lie there and worry about Sandy, wonder if Jensen was having a great time on his date, while generally feeling alone in the world. He could sense all these emotions, all the time, yet he couldn't figure out his own friendships. He had a crush on his roommate, who was the only person whose emotions were closed to him. The girl he thought could be his best friend was pissed at him for not exploding his gay all over her from the moment they first met, and he couldn't find much else to be mopey about, but wasn't this enough?
He ducked between two buildings and sat down on a bench for a while, trying to ignore the little Jared on his shoulder who was reminding him that he did good tonight, that his Craft had enabled him to save Sandy from a rape. He hated to admit it, but it helped him feel better about the whole proceedings. Even if he lost her friendship, he'd helped her out, and that was a small consolation.
He sent a text to Chat - everything ok?? - and got a quick affirmative in return. It made him feel better that things hadn’t fallen apart any further.
After putting everything in its mental place, Jared resumed his walk around campus. He was near the English building, a very pretty area that had vines growing up the sides of the brick buildings, and very few lights at night. He kind of liked it, so he slowed his walk and took a detour around a building to give him the chance to walk by the school's Shakespeare-esque theater, a small, outside amphitheater made of flagstone, and surrounded by lush greenery.
His brain was so full, when he stumbled upon them, it was a total surprise. Jared became aware that he was walking toward a couple that was standing under one of the barely-there lights, kissing. It took him a moment to register the two male bodies, one slightly grinding against the other. The shorter guy was pressing the taller one up against the brick wall, greenery obscuring the taller man's face. A quiet moan carried to where Jared could hear, and he was transfixed. There was just something incredibly sensual about the two of them, the slow movements of their bodies against one another, the way their breathy enjoyment was so secret.
Jared knew he was intruding, and finally got the wherewithal to back away. He reached out, just a tiny bit, to feel their lust and their happiness, and that was when two things happened. He only found one mind, and the taller man whispered, "Jensen."
Jared's foot scraped across the ground, and the two men stopped. The shorter one, Jensen, turned his head at the noise, and Jared's heart thudded in his chest as he saw Jensen's heavy-lidded eyes and kiss-swollen lips, and Jared had never wanted anything so badly in his life. All he could do was stand there and blink, and try not to explode into a thousand little pieces of want, now.
"Jared?"
Jensen's question seemed to be a few parts confusion, a few parts exasperation, and something else Jared couldn't figure out. It served to break him out of his shock, and he found himself shuffling backwards.
"I - sorry. Uh, room, later, bye." He turned and walked as fast as he could without making it look like he was running, but Jared knew that was what he was really doing.
He arrived at the room in record time, stripped down to his boxers, and went to go take a cold shower. His brain was in a loop, seeing Jensen's tiny thrusts against the other man over and over. It was as if a whole new world had opened up to Jared. His roommate was interested in guys, same as him, and suddenly all his daydreams took on an entirely new meaning. Despite the shower's temperature, Jared quickly brought himself to orgasm, imagining the way Jensen would look, eyelashes fluttering against his cheeks as Jared fucked him senseless.
_____
Jared woke early the next morning, another dream of being chased fresh on his mind, checked his phone and saw that Sandy had made it home safely, and then became aware that Jensen's form was curled up snugly in bed. Jared was used to Jensen being gone by now - the other man had admitted to hating mornings, but didn't want to sleep in on weekends because it would mess up his sleep schedule.
It was already 9:30, and Jared's stomach was rumbling. He didn't want to wake Jensen up - that was one conversation he wasn't sure he could handle before breakfast - so he slipped on his clothing and ducked out of the room, imagining all the while that Jensen was exhausted from the night before from fucking some unknown guy that Jared would kill to be.
He went to the dining hall, got a Jared-sized portion of pancakes, and flopped down at a small table by himself, then stared out the window. The day was overcast, but not yet rainy. Jared liked that it fit his mood.
"If you were a horse, I'd ask, 'Why the long face?'" Chad said, slipping in across from him. Chad was bravely trying the quiche.
"Life suddenly went crazy on me."
"Yeah, what happened last night? Sandy just said that you and she had a bit to work out and it was best you had some space. And also that you saved her butt, but you know that part."
Jared resisted the impulse to face plant into his pancakes. Instead, he picked at one with his fork, and finally took a bite, considering what to say to Chad.
"So. There's this thing you should know about me. I'm gay."
He waited for Chad to blow up or recoil in horror or something, but Chad just took another bite and said, "So?"
"So? That's it. I'm gay."
"Dude, I know. I'm a telepath. Every telepath on campus probably knows you're gay, the way you've been angsting over hiding it from Sandy."
Jared gaped at him, then set his fork on the table so he wouldn't poke his own eyeballs out with it. "You knew. For how long?"
"Dude, you're gay. It's a lot of what you think about, on your very surface thoughts. I pick that shit up. I know you think Professor Morgan in smoking hot - no, don't deny it, I know it's an idle thought - and I know that you have it bad for your roommate." Chad pointed his fork at Jared and squinted. "You think you can hide from me? Nah."
"But, you played along with me. You didn't even mention this when we met Sandy and Sophia that day."
"Jared, it's not up to me to spill your secrets. If you want to be quiet about it, that's your prerogative."
They ate in silence for a while, and then Jared couldn't take it any longer. "And you don't care. It doesn't bug you."
"More girls for me, dude." Chad winked at him and gave a quick, sleazy smile. Jared found himself laughing, and began to explain everything that had happened. By the time he was done, both their plates had been empty for a while, and Chad had a serious look on his face, but no good advice other than, "Just talk to him, Jared. Sandy's out of your hands for now, but you're living with Jensen. You two need to talk."
"That's the weirdest advice, coming from you," Jared said, but left the dining hall feeling more confident in his ability to tackle the issue.
When he entered the room, he found Jensen lying on his stomach in bed, watching a football game on the small tv they had set up in the corner. They locked eyes, and Jared calmly slid off his sweater, then hopped up on his own bed and tried to figure out what to say. There was a large cup of dining hall coffee next to Jensen's bed, and Jensen was wearing his jeans and a maroon tee-shirt, so he must have come and gone while Chad and Jared had their talk.
All sorts of random things popped into Jared's head, like, "So how 'bout them Broncos?" but he knew that being flippant wasn't going to start this conversation off on the right foot. He also considered maybe ignoring the whole deal, sweeping it under the proverbial rug, but even being unable to read Jensen's emotions, Jared could see that Jensen was expecting some kind of confrontation.
"I'm sorry for last night," he found himself blurting out, and could feel a blush coming on. "I, uh, I didn't know you were going to be there, but you know that, and Sandy and I had a fight, so I left early. I was just walking around, totally minding my own business, and I really shouldn't have even stopped. I didn't want to intrude, but I did, and I'm sorry. And I'm babbling. I'm shutting up now." He clamped his mouth shut, watching Jensen's expression go from wary to almost amused. The silence stretched out between them, and he finally cratered one more time. "Say something, please."
Jensen sat up, hanging his legs over the edge of the bed, and finally spoke. "Are we going to have a problem?"
"Why would we have a--oh." Jared suddenly realized he was leaving out something that would help equalize the moment. "Uh, no. It's funny, since the residency office must have incredibly good gaydar or something."
Jensen raised his eyebrows, and Jared sighed. "I'm not being clear, sorry. I'm gay, Jensen. I could care less that you were with a guy. I'm just sorry--" it wasn't me "--I intruded."
"You're gay." The note of disbelief in Jensen's voice was obvious.
"I'm gay. No reason to lie to you. Why else would I not be into Sandy? She's every guy's wet dream."
"So why didn't you just turn around when you saw us? What was that about?"
"Are you serious? I'm walking along, catch two guys making out, and you expect me to have enough wits about me to immediately turn around, and also not just think for a moment that it was hot?" He clamped his mouth shut again as he realized what he'd said. It must have embarrassed Jensen too, because he flushed and ducked his head.
"Can we just proceed as normal, please?" Jared felt himself wincing. He would have given anything to be able to read Jensen.
"You realize I'll never be able to think of you as anything less than a peeping tom, right?"
Jared gaped at Jensen's utterly serious face, until the side of Jensen's mouth twitched and he dissolved into laughter.
"You asshole!" Jared threw his pillow at Jensen, and badly wanted to follow it up with a punch to the shoulder, but unexpectedly realized that there was a new level of awkwardness he felt with Jensen. It wasn't a bad feeling, but more that he was aware of a boundary between them that hadn't existed before, the boundary that was drawn between friends versus flirting. Because Jared didn't know anymore how to tell one from another with Jensen.
He was so fucked.
Chapter Four | Master Post