Smoke & Lightning: Born To Be Wild (3/?)
Everything seems to be going smoothly...
MASTER POST
Title: Smoke And Lightning: Born To Be Wild (3/?)
Authors: bloody_adorable and eviltwin
Fandoms: Supernatural RPS
Pairing: Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki.
Rating: Adult.
Wordcount: 3,522
Summary: AU. They're born to be wild. At least, Jared is. Jensen's learning, though, and this road-trip that they're on will teach him plenty of lessons. It's a good thing, too, because he'll need what he's learnt when they return and venture onto an altogether more serious step in their relationship. Trust is a major aspect for the both of them and Jensen's will be tested to breaking point as the boys learn how they'll cope together on the road...and off it.
Disclaimer: None of the following is true in any way, and no profit is made from this work of fiction.
CHAPTER THREE
Jensen shifted and mumbled a complaint when Jared woke him the next morning with a light kiss to the back of his neck.
"C'mon, Jen, time to get up."
Turning onto his back, Jensen threw a hand over his eyes and groaned again. He could feel Jared pressed to his side and... "Are you dressed already?"
"And showered. So get your lazy butt out of bed and do the same. Everything's ready so we can head on over to the ranch and have a look."
"Do we at least get breakfast first?"
Jared didn't answer, just balanced himself so he could lean over Jensen and kiss his mouth. He stayed where he was for a moment or two, studying Jensen's still-sleepy eyes. "Up. I'll get you a coffee."
"That's kind of like you saying you love me."
"Jensen."
"I'm up! I'm up! Jesus..." Jensen threw back the covers and eased himself up into a sitting position. He still felt wrung out from the previous night's activities, but he wasn't about to admit to that. Jared was smug enough at the best of times, he didn't need ammo. He heard Jared get up behind him and sighed, making himself stand and cross the room to the bathroom.
"Don't be long," was Jared's parting shot, before he headed out to get breakfast.
Jensen set the shower going and quickly relieved himself while he waited for it to heat up. The shower woke him up, made him feel better, and he shampooed his hair and rinsed it out. Once he felt clean all over he turned the water off and stepped out, reaching for a towel. Jared was stood in the doorway and grinned at him, his gaze taking Jensen in. He ignored him, going to the sink to brush his teeth and shave.
"You look hot."
"Jay, we're not having sex now. I just got cleaned up and I still haven't had my coffee."
Jared pushed away from the doorframe and moved to stand behind Jensen, running his hands over wet skin. He leaned forward and kissed the side of Jensen's neck playfully. "I just said you look hot. Not that I want sex."
"Good."
"Although since you-"
"No. Did you bring me coffee?"
"If I say yes will you at least let me blow you?"
"If you say no I'm ditching your ass. Maybe Randy will let me ride pillion." Jensen squeezed toothpaste onto his brush and watched Jared in the mirror. He smiled to himself when he saw the other man's expression. "I'm kidding, Jay," he told him, giving in. "But can you just save the blowjob until later? Maybe at the next motel we stay at?"
"I think we should camp out tonight," Jared said, stepping back to give Jensen room. "We brought the tent so we might as well, right?"
Jensen finished brushing, spat out toothpaste and frowned. "Is that why I have no clothes? Because you thought it'd be a good idea to pack a tent?"
"It is a good idea to have a tent," Jared insisted. "We already spent several hundred dollars and we're going to run out of money in a week if we stay in motels every night."
Jensen felt his stomach drop. He'd been trying not to think about that. The truth was, they did only have limited funds. The fuel wasn't a worry, he knew that would be paid for on the credit card and that his mom would make sure they'd be okay for it, but the cash couldn't last as long as this trip looked set to. He'd figured they could hustle some more up in bars, find temporary work at one of their stops along the way, something. But Jared had also packed a tent because camping out was free, mostly, and it would mean they'd be able to eat. "Okay," he muttered. "You can blow me in the tent."
"Don't do me any favors, huh?"
Jensen turned, halfway between worried and annoyed. "Just because I don't want to have sex every five minutes-"
"Yes you do," Jared interrupted. "All the fuckin' time, it's all you think about. Having sex with me. And then I offer and you just shoot me-mmph." Jared stumbled forward as Jensen yanked him into a kiss by the back of his neck. He held him there for a good minute, breathing through his nose as he kept Jared's mouth crushed against his. When he let him go they were both panting and he felt dizzy.
"Shut up," he said. "Just... Shut up."
Jared did as he was told, going back into the bedroom and sitting on the edge of the bed quietly while he waited for Jensen to finish up in the bathroom and get dressed. When Jensen came back in, he pointed towards the dresser where a thick paper cup sat, full of still hot coffee. "I brought you coffee."
Jensen ignored it, went right over to Jared and dropped down into his lap, one leg either side of him. "I'm sorry if you're pissed at me, all right?"
"I'm not pissed at you-"
"I just. Christ, you do me in. Sex with you, it just ends me and I can only take so much, Jay. Last night was incredible. Again. But we can't do that every night. I don't think my ass can hack it."
Jared was smiling now, and at that he laughed aloud, his head tilting back with it. Jensen took the opportunity to lean forward and kiss his throat.
"I love you."
Jared's laugh turned into a moan at the kiss, and at those words he brought his arms up and wrapped them around Jensen, holding onto him tightly. "Me too."
Jensen had to admit; the ranch was worth seeing. Stanley Marsh must be one hell of a guy, he thought, to come up with something like this. Randy and his crew stayed by the bikes in a large group, talking and laughing as they watched the road. Jensen and Jared were wandering between the cadillacs, stopping every few seconds so that Jensen could take another picture. Jared had brought a can of spray-paint with him and he stopped by the outermost caddy to add some artwork to the already ruined shell. Jensen knelt down beside him, framing a shot of the artist at work. That was what he told Jared, anyway. The way the morning sun was hitting his skin was too much for Jensen to resist, in truth.
"You're not bad at that," he said, when Jared was done with his graffiti.
"I had a lot of practice in my youth. Cops didn't share your appreciation, though."
"I'll bet you weren't painting ripped out cadillacs, huh?"
"Not exactly," Jared admitted. "What do you think to the place?"
"I like it. It's certainly different."
"And now you can cross another thing off your 'thousand things to see before you die' list."
"I guess I can. Thanks for bringing me here." He reached up and kissed Jared's cheek, feeling only a little self-conscious with Randy and the gang such a short distance away. They hadn't seemed to mind on the ride over, but he still wasn't comfortable about it.
"I've got plenty more to show you yet," Jared promised. Jensen really didn't doubt it.
They walked back to the bike with their hands itching.
Riding on the back of the Harley was still a thrill to Jensen, whether it made his ass sore or not. Jared liked speed, but Jensen still felt safe with him even when the bike was eating up the road like life depended on it. He was getting used to every sound the bike made, the way it felt on different surfaces, and the best grip to keep so that he felt like nothing would move him. They'd gone a couple of hours from the ranch already and he could feel his stomach starting to protest about only having had coffee for breakfast. There were some small towns coming up, and he squeezed his fingers into Jared's sides, an indication that he wanted to stop off soon.
They pulled up outside a diner that looked like it hadn't changed much since the 50s and Jared cut the engine, the lack of noise and vibration making Jensen feel momentarily disoriented. Randy and the few of his clan that had stayed with them pulled up a couple of minutes later, as Jensen was running a hand through his sweat-slick hair and grimacing.
They filled up a couple of booths between them and the waitress flirted with Jared while she took their orders. Jensen glared at her the whole time, even though she didn't glance his way once, and Jared was trying hard not to laugh when he caught sight of him. Randy's right hand man, Ed, was smirking too.
"Calm down, son," he said, nudging Jensen in the ribs. "Good thing looks can't kill."
He flushed red, looked down at the table. "I guess."
"Didn't peg you for the jealous type."
"I am when he encourages it," Jensen replied, looking up when he felt Jared's foot connect with his shin under the table.
"I don't encourage anyone else but you. Seem to remember you told me to get lost this morning, though."
"You gotta shout that out?"
Jared was about to say something else when their waitress returned with a tray full of cups and a large pot of coffee. She smiled at Jared and moved away, her hips swaying. Jared ignored her, but Jensen watched her go with narrowed eyes.
"You're being ridiculous," Jared told him, dragging a cup towards him and pouring out coffee.
Jensen didn't answer. The others were talking amongst themselves, not caring what argument their two companions were having, but he didn't want to fight with Jared here all the same. He pulled his phone out of his pocket instead, checking to see if he had any messages from his mom or little sister. His sister had sent him a photo of herself, grinning like a dork, with a message to him to stay safe and make sure Jared didn't break the speed limit too much. There was also a message saying that he'd missed a call earlier in the day, probably when he'd been on the back of the Harley and unable to hear it ringing. The number was Jeff and Stevie's. He showed the message to Jared.
"Gonna call 'em back?"
"After lunch. Before we get going again. Jay, I'm sorry, all right? I just hate that-"
"It's okay."
"It's not. I trust you, I do. It's everyone else I worry about."
Jared half-stood from his seat and leaned across the table, dragging Jensen up into a brief kiss. When he fell back into his seat, he realized that the waitress was staring at them both and that the others had stopped talking.
"There," Jared told him, leaning back against the vinyl of his chair. "Now if I do that everywhere we go, you don't have to worry about anybody at all."
Speechless and red-faced, Jensen tried to shrink back into himself and concentrated on the pepper pot in the middle of the table with an intensity usually reserved for his studies. He did notice, despite not looking, that when the waitress brought their lunch over she wasn't nearly as chatty. He ate quietly while Jared talked to the others about the plans they had and what he wanted to see. Jensen didn't really listen.
"Does he do that a lot?" Ed asked, when they were back outside.
"More than I'd like him to," Jensen admitted. He started as a warm body pressed against his back and Jared's hand slid into his pocket, tugging his phone free.
"Talkin' about me again?"
"You're surprised?"
Jared opened the phone up and quickly dialled Jeff's number into it, keeping one arm around Jensen's waist.
"I got it!"
Jeff raced for the phone, picking it up before Stevie had even managed to get through the door.
"I got it," he said again, as he pushed the accept button.
"Didn't realize it was a race," Stevie said, laughing as she got near him and leaned in for a kiss.
"It wasn't. Hey." There was a pause and he smiled. "Put your feet up, baby. It's Jay. I'm gonna put you on speaker, okay?" He did so, sitting next to Stevie with the phone between them so they could both hear. "What's going on?"
"You called us. Everything okay back there?"
"Everything's fine, Jay. We just got back from the hospital."
"Hospital? What happened?"
They could hear Jensen then, asking what was going on. "Stevie had another scan today. You want to know what sex the baby is?" Jeff looked over at Stevie, who was smiling so wide that he couldn't help but lean over and kiss her.
"Damn right we want to know. Come on, man, share!"
"You're going to have a little sister."
"A little sister? Really?" Jared's voice sounded softer. Happy. Jeff was glad to hear it that way.
"Yeah. So now we have three months to argue about names. Where're you guys?"
"We went to Caddy Ranch. You remember when we brought mom to Amarillo and you bought us hot dogs?"
Jeff laughed. "You went all the way to Amarillo and all you did was get hot dogs?"
"Hey, we've got plenty other stuff to do. Met a few guys on the way. Riding with this guy called Randy right now."
"Randy, huh? Where's he from?"
There was a pause and then Jensen answered, "Joliet. He wants to know if this is JD Morgan, worked on a build in Lubbock ten years ago."
"Holy shit. Randy Krause?"
Stevie leaned her head against Jeff's shoulder as a deeper, older voice came over the phone. "Very same. Small damn world, huh?"
"Sure is. My boys behaving for you?"
"Good as gold, man. Thought I recognised JT, but I didn't want to feel like an ass if I was wrong. How's life?"
"I got married this year," Jeff answered. "Got a kid on the way. Turned 40, too."
"Shit," Randy said, his voice full of humor. "Making me feel old now."
"You ever find yourself on the 410 near San Antonio then stop by. It'd be good to catch up."
"Absolutely. Here, let me pass you back to your boy." There was a shuffling sound and Jared's voice came back over the line.
"Jeff, do you know everyone in the world or something?"
Chuckling, Jeff called his boy an idiot and asked if he was riding carefully. "Don't need you having an accident. How's the Harley holding up?"
"She's doing fine. Better than Jensen."
Alert, Jeff sat up, moving the phone from his knee. "What's wrong? Did something happen with you?"
"I don't know. I think he's getting tired of this already. Maybe of me." They heard a curse in the background and the sound of Jensen landing a soft punch on Jared's body. "Goddamn!"
"I'm not getting tired of anything, Jeff," Jensen assured him. "Jay seems to think the world revolves around sex. Is there anything I can do to make him go to sleep instead of bothering me all night?"
Stevie snorted out a laugh. "Do we really need to hear this?"
"Hey, Stevie, you know what I mean, right?"
Jeff shut the speaker off and brought the phone up to his ear quickly. "Listen, both of you. I know that being on the road like that together can get tiring and it's worse on a bike than in a car, since you can't talk to each other. But if one of you ends up murdering the other one, I'm not covering either of your asses. So just deal with it, got it?"
"Yessir," Jared said, mimicking Jensen's normal response. "Can we talk to Stevie?"
"Sure. Stevie, here. I'll make us some lunch." He passed her the phone, giving her belly a soft pat as he stood.
"Hey, boys," Stevie said, sitting up in an attempt to get comfortable. "You both all right?"
"Yeah, are you? Is Jeff looking after you?"
"Yes, Jay. He's doing a great job. You should tell him that next time he speaks to you, since he seems to be more worried about having this baby than I am."
"Sounds like Jeff, all right. Kind of wish we were there with you, just to keep an eye on him."
"Just enjoy your trip and don't worry about it. I'll make sure he calls if he needs to." They talked a few more minutes, Stevie making both of them promise to be careful and to call again in a few days to check in. She hung up and then pushed herself up from the couch, going through to the kitchen where Jeff was busy cutting bread for sandwiches. He looked around as she came in, frowning and going to her side.
"You should have just stayed where you were," he told her, directing her towards a seat.
"I'm fine, Jeff. Not an invalid yet."
"Just pregnant."
"You don't have to keep reminding me. I think my stomach is reminder enough, believe me."
Jeff slid a hand over her bump, kissed the side of her head. "You look beautiful, sweetheart. And I love you."
"Which direction are you boys heading in now?"
Jared looked up as Randy sat opposite them at the bench table outside their campsite for the night and shrugged. "Not sure. I want to visit Chicago, but we both want to go to the beach. Might head east and then double back. We've got all Summer."
"Nearly all Summer," Jensen reminded him. "I need to be home a few weeks before school starts and get to work. I've got a lot to do."
"Nerd," Jared said, affectionately, and squeezed Jensen's waist where his hand was resting. "Maybe we'll go to Chicago another time. I reckon we're heading west then, Randy. For now."
"I know a guy outside Santa Fe, might give you a couple nights' work and board if you want it. Here..." Randy reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn, white business card, which he handed to Jensen. "Him and his wife run a ranch and they've always got work needs doing this time of year. Pretty much whatever you can put your mind to. We're riding on as far as the border with New Mexico, but we've got a stop there for a while."
"Thanks, man."
"No problem. Just tell him Randy Krause sent you and he'll see you right."
"You're a good guy, Randy. I'll second Jeff's invite if you're ever nearby again."
"Sure thing. Who knows, maybe we'll pass each other tomorrow. I'd camp out with you, but I'm not as young as I used to be. Home comforts get more of a necessity every year."
Jensen smiled and nodded. He guessed it could get like that if you spent so long on the road. "We'll see you again, I hope."
"Doubtless you will." Randy got up and pulled his jacket back on, reaching in his pocket for the key to his bike. "Have a good trip, boys. And if you make it to LA then check out the Satyrs. Think you'll appreciate it."
They watched him leave and then headed over to where they'd pitched their tent. It wasn't dark yet, but Jensen was still tired already and just wanted to crawl inside and sleep until morning. He knew that Jared wouldn't leave him be that easily, though, and before he could even get the flap unzipped there were arms around him, pulling him back against warm and solid flesh. He didn't resist, just let Jared hold him and turned his head to accept the kiss he was given.
"We'll give it a rest tonight," Jared whispered, breath tickling Jensen's neck. "Get some sleep and rest up for tomorrow. If we can get work in Santa Fe then we're good on the money. So we can stay over a couple nights somewhere tomorrow and just take it easy. Give your ass a rest from the bike. Get drunk. Sound good?"
Jensen moaned in what he hoped was an affirmative way.
"Great. C'mon." Jensen let Jared take care of getting him into the tent and felt glad when he was allowed to lay down without being molested. Jared pulled his boots off for him and set them at the end of the bedroll. Then he unfastened Jensen's belt and fly and tugged his jeans down his legs. Jensen let him, too tired to tell him he would do it himself. He lay on top of the thin makeshift mattress in his teeshirt and boxer briefs and watched from sleepy eyes as Jared stripped down to the same. He rolled onto his side when Jared lay down next to him, and then settled back as the other man's arm came around his waist and pulled him closer. Jared was warm, as always, and his mouth was warm too. His hand stroked circles onto Jensen's shirt and Jensen fell asleep with Jared still kissing his skin.
--TBC--
While I was writing this, I was also playing in photoshop (which I finally have again, YES!) and made a little present for you guys.
for your info page or wherever you want...
and textless...
Hope you like it. :D
MASTER POST
Title: Smoke And Lightning: Born To Be Wild (3/?)
Authors: bloody_adorable and eviltwin
Fandoms: Supernatural RPS
Pairing: Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki.
Rating: Adult.
Wordcount: 3,522
Summary: AU. They're born to be wild. At least, Jared is. Jensen's learning, though, and this road-trip that they're on will teach him plenty of lessons. It's a good thing, too, because he'll need what he's learnt when they return and venture onto an altogether more serious step in their relationship. Trust is a major aspect for the both of them and Jensen's will be tested to breaking point as the boys learn how they'll cope together on the road...and off it.
Disclaimer: None of the following is true in any way, and no profit is made from this work of fiction.
CHAPTER THREE
Jensen shifted and mumbled a complaint when Jared woke him the next morning with a light kiss to the back of his neck.
"C'mon, Jen, time to get up."
Turning onto his back, Jensen threw a hand over his eyes and groaned again. He could feel Jared pressed to his side and... "Are you dressed already?"
"And showered. So get your lazy butt out of bed and do the same. Everything's ready so we can head on over to the ranch and have a look."
"Do we at least get breakfast first?"
Jared didn't answer, just balanced himself so he could lean over Jensen and kiss his mouth. He stayed where he was for a moment or two, studying Jensen's still-sleepy eyes. "Up. I'll get you a coffee."
"That's kind of like you saying you love me."
"Jensen."
"I'm up! I'm up! Jesus..." Jensen threw back the covers and eased himself up into a sitting position. He still felt wrung out from the previous night's activities, but he wasn't about to admit to that. Jared was smug enough at the best of times, he didn't need ammo. He heard Jared get up behind him and sighed, making himself stand and cross the room to the bathroom.
"Don't be long," was Jared's parting shot, before he headed out to get breakfast.
Jensen set the shower going and quickly relieved himself while he waited for it to heat up. The shower woke him up, made him feel better, and he shampooed his hair and rinsed it out. Once he felt clean all over he turned the water off and stepped out, reaching for a towel. Jared was stood in the doorway and grinned at him, his gaze taking Jensen in. He ignored him, going to the sink to brush his teeth and shave.
"You look hot."
"Jay, we're not having sex now. I just got cleaned up and I still haven't had my coffee."
Jared pushed away from the doorframe and moved to stand behind Jensen, running his hands over wet skin. He leaned forward and kissed the side of Jensen's neck playfully. "I just said you look hot. Not that I want sex."
"Good."
"Although since you-"
"No. Did you bring me coffee?"
"If I say yes will you at least let me blow you?"
"If you say no I'm ditching your ass. Maybe Randy will let me ride pillion." Jensen squeezed toothpaste onto his brush and watched Jared in the mirror. He smiled to himself when he saw the other man's expression. "I'm kidding, Jay," he told him, giving in. "But can you just save the blowjob until later? Maybe at the next motel we stay at?"
"I think we should camp out tonight," Jared said, stepping back to give Jensen room. "We brought the tent so we might as well, right?"
Jensen finished brushing, spat out toothpaste and frowned. "Is that why I have no clothes? Because you thought it'd be a good idea to pack a tent?"
"It is a good idea to have a tent," Jared insisted. "We already spent several hundred dollars and we're going to run out of money in a week if we stay in motels every night."
Jensen felt his stomach drop. He'd been trying not to think about that. The truth was, they did only have limited funds. The fuel wasn't a worry, he knew that would be paid for on the credit card and that his mom would make sure they'd be okay for it, but the cash couldn't last as long as this trip looked set to. He'd figured they could hustle some more up in bars, find temporary work at one of their stops along the way, something. But Jared had also packed a tent because camping out was free, mostly, and it would mean they'd be able to eat. "Okay," he muttered. "You can blow me in the tent."
"Don't do me any favors, huh?"
Jensen turned, halfway between worried and annoyed. "Just because I don't want to have sex every five minutes-"
"Yes you do," Jared interrupted. "All the fuckin' time, it's all you think about. Having sex with me. And then I offer and you just shoot me-mmph." Jared stumbled forward as Jensen yanked him into a kiss by the back of his neck. He held him there for a good minute, breathing through his nose as he kept Jared's mouth crushed against his. When he let him go they were both panting and he felt dizzy.
"Shut up," he said. "Just... Shut up."
Jared did as he was told, going back into the bedroom and sitting on the edge of the bed quietly while he waited for Jensen to finish up in the bathroom and get dressed. When Jensen came back in, he pointed towards the dresser where a thick paper cup sat, full of still hot coffee. "I brought you coffee."
Jensen ignored it, went right over to Jared and dropped down into his lap, one leg either side of him. "I'm sorry if you're pissed at me, all right?"
"I'm not pissed at you-"
"I just. Christ, you do me in. Sex with you, it just ends me and I can only take so much, Jay. Last night was incredible. Again. But we can't do that every night. I don't think my ass can hack it."
Jared was smiling now, and at that he laughed aloud, his head tilting back with it. Jensen took the opportunity to lean forward and kiss his throat.
"I love you."
Jared's laugh turned into a moan at the kiss, and at those words he brought his arms up and wrapped them around Jensen, holding onto him tightly. "Me too."
Jensen had to admit; the ranch was worth seeing. Stanley Marsh must be one hell of a guy, he thought, to come up with something like this. Randy and his crew stayed by the bikes in a large group, talking and laughing as they watched the road. Jensen and Jared were wandering between the cadillacs, stopping every few seconds so that Jensen could take another picture. Jared had brought a can of spray-paint with him and he stopped by the outermost caddy to add some artwork to the already ruined shell. Jensen knelt down beside him, framing a shot of the artist at work. That was what he told Jared, anyway. The way the morning sun was hitting his skin was too much for Jensen to resist, in truth.
"You're not bad at that," he said, when Jared was done with his graffiti.
"I had a lot of practice in my youth. Cops didn't share your appreciation, though."
"I'll bet you weren't painting ripped out cadillacs, huh?"
"Not exactly," Jared admitted. "What do you think to the place?"
"I like it. It's certainly different."
"And now you can cross another thing off your 'thousand things to see before you die' list."
"I guess I can. Thanks for bringing me here." He reached up and kissed Jared's cheek, feeling only a little self-conscious with Randy and the gang such a short distance away. They hadn't seemed to mind on the ride over, but he still wasn't comfortable about it.
"I've got plenty more to show you yet," Jared promised. Jensen really didn't doubt it.
They walked back to the bike with their hands itching.
Riding on the back of the Harley was still a thrill to Jensen, whether it made his ass sore or not. Jared liked speed, but Jensen still felt safe with him even when the bike was eating up the road like life depended on it. He was getting used to every sound the bike made, the way it felt on different surfaces, and the best grip to keep so that he felt like nothing would move him. They'd gone a couple of hours from the ranch already and he could feel his stomach starting to protest about only having had coffee for breakfast. There were some small towns coming up, and he squeezed his fingers into Jared's sides, an indication that he wanted to stop off soon.
They pulled up outside a diner that looked like it hadn't changed much since the 50s and Jared cut the engine, the lack of noise and vibration making Jensen feel momentarily disoriented. Randy and the few of his clan that had stayed with them pulled up a couple of minutes later, as Jensen was running a hand through his sweat-slick hair and grimacing.
They filled up a couple of booths between them and the waitress flirted with Jared while she took their orders. Jensen glared at her the whole time, even though she didn't glance his way once, and Jared was trying hard not to laugh when he caught sight of him. Randy's right hand man, Ed, was smirking too.
"Calm down, son," he said, nudging Jensen in the ribs. "Good thing looks can't kill."
He flushed red, looked down at the table. "I guess."
"Didn't peg you for the jealous type."
"I am when he encourages it," Jensen replied, looking up when he felt Jared's foot connect with his shin under the table.
"I don't encourage anyone else but you. Seem to remember you told me to get lost this morning, though."
"You gotta shout that out?"
Jared was about to say something else when their waitress returned with a tray full of cups and a large pot of coffee. She smiled at Jared and moved away, her hips swaying. Jared ignored her, but Jensen watched her go with narrowed eyes.
"You're being ridiculous," Jared told him, dragging a cup towards him and pouring out coffee.
Jensen didn't answer. The others were talking amongst themselves, not caring what argument their two companions were having, but he didn't want to fight with Jared here all the same. He pulled his phone out of his pocket instead, checking to see if he had any messages from his mom or little sister. His sister had sent him a photo of herself, grinning like a dork, with a message to him to stay safe and make sure Jared didn't break the speed limit too much. There was also a message saying that he'd missed a call earlier in the day, probably when he'd been on the back of the Harley and unable to hear it ringing. The number was Jeff and Stevie's. He showed the message to Jared.
"Gonna call 'em back?"
"After lunch. Before we get going again. Jay, I'm sorry, all right? I just hate that-"
"It's okay."
"It's not. I trust you, I do. It's everyone else I worry about."
Jared half-stood from his seat and leaned across the table, dragging Jensen up into a brief kiss. When he fell back into his seat, he realized that the waitress was staring at them both and that the others had stopped talking.
"There," Jared told him, leaning back against the vinyl of his chair. "Now if I do that everywhere we go, you don't have to worry about anybody at all."
Speechless and red-faced, Jensen tried to shrink back into himself and concentrated on the pepper pot in the middle of the table with an intensity usually reserved for his studies. He did notice, despite not looking, that when the waitress brought their lunch over she wasn't nearly as chatty. He ate quietly while Jared talked to the others about the plans they had and what he wanted to see. Jensen didn't really listen.
"Does he do that a lot?" Ed asked, when they were back outside.
"More than I'd like him to," Jensen admitted. He started as a warm body pressed against his back and Jared's hand slid into his pocket, tugging his phone free.
"Talkin' about me again?"
"You're surprised?"
Jared opened the phone up and quickly dialled Jeff's number into it, keeping one arm around Jensen's waist.
"I got it!"
Jeff raced for the phone, picking it up before Stevie had even managed to get through the door.
"I got it," he said again, as he pushed the accept button.
"Didn't realize it was a race," Stevie said, laughing as she got near him and leaned in for a kiss.
"It wasn't. Hey." There was a pause and he smiled. "Put your feet up, baby. It's Jay. I'm gonna put you on speaker, okay?" He did so, sitting next to Stevie with the phone between them so they could both hear. "What's going on?"
"You called us. Everything okay back there?"
"Everything's fine, Jay. We just got back from the hospital."
"Hospital? What happened?"
They could hear Jensen then, asking what was going on. "Stevie had another scan today. You want to know what sex the baby is?" Jeff looked over at Stevie, who was smiling so wide that he couldn't help but lean over and kiss her.
"Damn right we want to know. Come on, man, share!"
"You're going to have a little sister."
"A little sister? Really?" Jared's voice sounded softer. Happy. Jeff was glad to hear it that way.
"Yeah. So now we have three months to argue about names. Where're you guys?"
"We went to Caddy Ranch. You remember when we brought mom to Amarillo and you bought us hot dogs?"
Jeff laughed. "You went all the way to Amarillo and all you did was get hot dogs?"
"Hey, we've got plenty other stuff to do. Met a few guys on the way. Riding with this guy called Randy right now."
"Randy, huh? Where's he from?"
There was a pause and then Jensen answered, "Joliet. He wants to know if this is JD Morgan, worked on a build in Lubbock ten years ago."
"Holy shit. Randy Krause?"
Stevie leaned her head against Jeff's shoulder as a deeper, older voice came over the phone. "Very same. Small damn world, huh?"
"Sure is. My boys behaving for you?"
"Good as gold, man. Thought I recognised JT, but I didn't want to feel like an ass if I was wrong. How's life?"
"I got married this year," Jeff answered. "Got a kid on the way. Turned 40, too."
"Shit," Randy said, his voice full of humor. "Making me feel old now."
"You ever find yourself on the 410 near San Antonio then stop by. It'd be good to catch up."
"Absolutely. Here, let me pass you back to your boy." There was a shuffling sound and Jared's voice came back over the line.
"Jeff, do you know everyone in the world or something?"
Chuckling, Jeff called his boy an idiot and asked if he was riding carefully. "Don't need you having an accident. How's the Harley holding up?"
"She's doing fine. Better than Jensen."
Alert, Jeff sat up, moving the phone from his knee. "What's wrong? Did something happen with you?"
"I don't know. I think he's getting tired of this already. Maybe of me." They heard a curse in the background and the sound of Jensen landing a soft punch on Jared's body. "Goddamn!"
"I'm not getting tired of anything, Jeff," Jensen assured him. "Jay seems to think the world revolves around sex. Is there anything I can do to make him go to sleep instead of bothering me all night?"
Stevie snorted out a laugh. "Do we really need to hear this?"
"Hey, Stevie, you know what I mean, right?"
Jeff shut the speaker off and brought the phone up to his ear quickly. "Listen, both of you. I know that being on the road like that together can get tiring and it's worse on a bike than in a car, since you can't talk to each other. But if one of you ends up murdering the other one, I'm not covering either of your asses. So just deal with it, got it?"
"Yessir," Jared said, mimicking Jensen's normal response. "Can we talk to Stevie?"
"Sure. Stevie, here. I'll make us some lunch." He passed her the phone, giving her belly a soft pat as he stood.
"Hey, boys," Stevie said, sitting up in an attempt to get comfortable. "You both all right?"
"Yeah, are you? Is Jeff looking after you?"
"Yes, Jay. He's doing a great job. You should tell him that next time he speaks to you, since he seems to be more worried about having this baby than I am."
"Sounds like Jeff, all right. Kind of wish we were there with you, just to keep an eye on him."
"Just enjoy your trip and don't worry about it. I'll make sure he calls if he needs to." They talked a few more minutes, Stevie making both of them promise to be careful and to call again in a few days to check in. She hung up and then pushed herself up from the couch, going through to the kitchen where Jeff was busy cutting bread for sandwiches. He looked around as she came in, frowning and going to her side.
"You should have just stayed where you were," he told her, directing her towards a seat.
"I'm fine, Jeff. Not an invalid yet."
"Just pregnant."
"You don't have to keep reminding me. I think my stomach is reminder enough, believe me."
Jeff slid a hand over her bump, kissed the side of her head. "You look beautiful, sweetheart. And I love you."
"Which direction are you boys heading in now?"
Jared looked up as Randy sat opposite them at the bench table outside their campsite for the night and shrugged. "Not sure. I want to visit Chicago, but we both want to go to the beach. Might head east and then double back. We've got all Summer."
"Nearly all Summer," Jensen reminded him. "I need to be home a few weeks before school starts and get to work. I've got a lot to do."
"Nerd," Jared said, affectionately, and squeezed Jensen's waist where his hand was resting. "Maybe we'll go to Chicago another time. I reckon we're heading west then, Randy. For now."
"I know a guy outside Santa Fe, might give you a couple nights' work and board if you want it. Here..." Randy reached into his pocket and pulled out a worn, white business card, which he handed to Jensen. "Him and his wife run a ranch and they've always got work needs doing this time of year. Pretty much whatever you can put your mind to. We're riding on as far as the border with New Mexico, but we've got a stop there for a while."
"Thanks, man."
"No problem. Just tell him Randy Krause sent you and he'll see you right."
"You're a good guy, Randy. I'll second Jeff's invite if you're ever nearby again."
"Sure thing. Who knows, maybe we'll pass each other tomorrow. I'd camp out with you, but I'm not as young as I used to be. Home comforts get more of a necessity every year."
Jensen smiled and nodded. He guessed it could get like that if you spent so long on the road. "We'll see you again, I hope."
"Doubtless you will." Randy got up and pulled his jacket back on, reaching in his pocket for the key to his bike. "Have a good trip, boys. And if you make it to LA then check out the Satyrs. Think you'll appreciate it."
They watched him leave and then headed over to where they'd pitched their tent. It wasn't dark yet, but Jensen was still tired already and just wanted to crawl inside and sleep until morning. He knew that Jared wouldn't leave him be that easily, though, and before he could even get the flap unzipped there were arms around him, pulling him back against warm and solid flesh. He didn't resist, just let Jared hold him and turned his head to accept the kiss he was given.
"We'll give it a rest tonight," Jared whispered, breath tickling Jensen's neck. "Get some sleep and rest up for tomorrow. If we can get work in Santa Fe then we're good on the money. So we can stay over a couple nights somewhere tomorrow and just take it easy. Give your ass a rest from the bike. Get drunk. Sound good?"
Jensen moaned in what he hoped was an affirmative way.
"Great. C'mon." Jensen let Jared take care of getting him into the tent and felt glad when he was allowed to lay down without being molested. Jared pulled his boots off for him and set them at the end of the bedroll. Then he unfastened Jensen's belt and fly and tugged his jeans down his legs. Jensen let him, too tired to tell him he would do it himself. He lay on top of the thin makeshift mattress in his teeshirt and boxer briefs and watched from sleepy eyes as Jared stripped down to the same. He rolled onto his side when Jared lay down next to him, and then settled back as the other man's arm came around his waist and pulled him closer. Jared was warm, as always, and his mouth was warm too. His hand stroked circles onto Jensen's shirt and Jensen fell asleep with Jared still kissing his skin.
--TBC--
While I was writing this, I was also playing in photoshop (which I finally have again, YES!) and made a little present for you guys.
for your info page or wherever you want...
and textless...
Hope you like it. :D