Smoke & Lightning: Born To Be Wild (EPILOGUE)
MASTER POST
Title: Smoke And Lightning: Born To Be Wild (EPILOGUE)
Authors: bloody_adorable and eviltwin
Fandoms: Supernatural RPS
Pairing: Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki.
Rating: Adult.
Wordcount: 4,790
Summary: AU. A look at the boys several years down the line, and those around them.
Disclaimer: None of the following is true in any way, and no profit is made from this work of fiction.
THE EPILOGUE
NEARLY FIVE YEARS LATER
It was insane how fast time went by, even when things were tough. Even when you'd rather just give up on life, on people, on everything. Time has a way of healing all wounds, though. You pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and soldier on. Which is easier said than done for a lot of people.
Jared, in desperate need of a shave, drove his adoptive father's muscle car down the quiet streets. The streets wouldn't be still for long. Kids would be getting out of school. More importantly, Holly would be getting out of school.
Pulling up to the curb in front of the elementary school, Jared turned off the rumbling engine and pocketed the keys. He pushed the door open, setting his booted feet upon the pavement. He slammed the door behind himself before walking around the front of the car, up onto the curb, and then up to the school.
The bell rang; kids were set free. Teachers milled around the area, making sure to meet up with parents as they came to pick up their kids, watching others get on the school buses that were lined up in the circular driveway. Jared scanned the pigtails in the area until he saw a familiar tiny head.
"Jay!" Holly squealed, running towards him.
Jared smiled brightly and caught the little girl as she sprinted nearer, hefting her up in his arms and giving her a very sloppy, noisy kiss. "Told you I'd be here to pick you up," he chuckled.
"Yep," she giggled.
"Did you have a good day?"
"Yeah," she nodded. "'Cept Billy Miner painted my pigtails."
"He did?" Jared laughed.
"I got as much of the paint out as I could at the moment," a voice said sweetly. "She wouldn't sit still long enough for me to get it all out."
Jared turned, seeing Mrs MacGregor, Holly's teacher, walking nearer. "Oh, okay," he nodded. "I'm sure she'll be getting another bath tonight anyway."
Holly's eyes widened. "Not another one."
"Painted pigtails call for it, half-pint."
"But it's Friday!"
"Maybe you'll think of that next time, and behave for your teacher."
She sagged, still propped up on Jared's hip. "Bummer," she sighed.
Both Jared and Mrs MacGregor laughed at the little girl. Jared thanked her for taking care of his little sister, and wished her a happy weekend. As Jared carried her off to the black muscle car, Holly waved to her teacher and called out a good-bye. She was put into the back seat of the car, buckled into her booster seat, for she was still small for her age, and then Jared angled himself behind the steering wheel. "Ready, kiddo?" he asked, looking at her reflection in the rear-view mirror.
"Ready!" she said, clapping her hands. "Where're Mommy and Daddy?"
"Mommy's at work still," he explained, glancing at her in the mirror now and then as he drove. "Daddy, too. It's just you and me."
Holly didn't say anything, instead looking out the window, watching the scenery pass.
"Is that okay, half-pint?"
She didn't seem too sure. "Yeah," she answered after a moment of thought. "I guess."
Jared smiled. "Do I bore you?"
"No," she returned. "It's okay."
She looked so grown up, sitting in the back seat, worrying over something unmentioned. Jared could feel and see the tension in her little face, looking five, going on thirty. "What's wrong, kiddo?" he asked.
She was quiet again, heaving a great sigh, as if the weight of the world rested upon her shoulders; and indeed she thought it did. "I just miss Jensen," she said.
Jared smile faded. He stared straight ahead at the traffic, taking a moment to think before he nodded his head in agreement with her. "I know, Hol," he said. "Me too."
Back at the house, Holly ran around the yard once she was freed from the restraints in the car. Jared could hear Shelby barking inside the house and unlocked the door to let her run around with Holly for a little while. The dog had grown considerably in the past five years. She was the size of a Rotweiller, but had the goofy, giddy temperament of a Lab. She and Holly were inseperable most times.
Jared warned Holly to get inside and change out of her school clothes. "Mom and Dad aren't made of money, pipsqueak," he told her. "Get in there and get your play clothes on."
He wondered where and when he'd become such a responsible adult. His thoughts sobered, when he realized he knew exactly when and where. And at whose hand. He thought of Jensen again, but only for a moment, before turning to fix him and his sister a drink to take outside. He grabbed a couple of Shelby's toys and asked Holly if she was ready.
"Ready!" she called, hopping down the stairs. "But I can't find my sneakers."
Jared found them, underneath the sofa. He helped his sister put them one, then tied them for her. They got outside and Holly asked to throw the frisbee for Shelby. She loved to try, but hadn't quite mastered the whole frisbee-thing. Shelby was happy to just take the disc from her and run around the yard anyway.
It was the sound of a car that interrupted their good time. Jared had hoped to see either Jeff or Stevie returning home early. He turned, his smile bright as the late afternoon sunshine. The light in his eyes faded, however, when he saw John Lang behind the wheel.
In the passenger seat, Jensen sat, looking out the window.
With his smile gone now, Jared watched the two talk quietly. Finally, Jensen got out of the car. He leaned down to get a box that John fished out from the back seat, handing it to him. Jensen hefted it in his arms, nudging the door closed with his foot.
"Hol," Jared said over his shoulder. "Be right back."
Jensen held the box out to Jared. "I hope that's everything."
After looking at him for a second, Jared looked at the contents of the box. "Yeah," he nodded. He took the box, holding onto it with one arm. "Thanks."
Holly came at them at warp speed, crashing into Jensen, her arms around his waist. "Jensen!" she cried out.
"Hey, you big thug," Jensen said. He hefted Holly into his arms and propped her up on his hip. "How was your day?"
"Wicked," she giggled.
"Awesome."
Jared threw one last look back at the car that still sat beside the curb, before he reached out to Jensen, taking the man's face in his hand and pulling him closer. He gave him a kiss, lingering for a moment. Jensen smiled at him, Holly still in his arms. They laughed at her declaration of "ew!"
"You gonna tell the good doctor he can leave now?" Jared asked.
Jensen turned, waving to Lang. "Thanks, John!" he called out. "I'll see you tomorrow." Holly waved too, returning the doctor's quiet good-bye as he pulled away from the curb.
Jared looked into the box that rested in his arms. "Man, this is a lot of food."
"What is it?" Holly asked.
"Chinese," Jensen told her. "Nothing for you in there."
"I want my crispy noodles!"
Chuckling, Jensen reached into the box and got her a wax-paper bag of the crispy treat. He put her down and let her run around the yard with the noodles, Shelby not leaving her side for fear of missing a hand-out.
"So, how was your trip, Mister Top Pediatrician?" Jared asked. He fished an eggroll out of the box, crunching into it right away. "Fuh--hah!"
"Yes, fuck -- hot, genius," Jensen scolded. "And don't talk about Top Pediatrician anything. You'll jinx everything."
"Jinx, my ass," Jared snorted through a mouthful of cabbage and pork. "You're the top of the class."
Jensen arched an eyebrow at him for a split second. "At least I'm on top somewhere."
"Mm, I've missed you and your wit." Jared swallowed and kissed him again, his lips greasy. "Did you and John have a good time?"
"We had an informative time. He introduced me to a lot of people that could be pretty useful to know. He was good to have around. Nobody tried to come on to me at the beach since they all thought we were attached."
Jared bared his teeth at that remark and Jensen shook his head.
"My God, I'm kidding. I had a bunch of guys and girls try it on with me, but you know what I told them? I said, 'no thanks, I'm here getting this all over tan for the only man that matters to me.' And then they left me alone."
"Good to hear that you were working so hard. Don't go away again any time soon, okay?"
Jensen moved the box of food into his hold and wrapped an arm around Jared's neck. He pulled him down and kissed the end of his nose. "I won't. Do you have any idea how much I was wishing you were there with me? Every single night. It sucked being away from you."
"It wasn't much fun here, either," Jared told him. "Especially knowing who you were with. At least he behaved."
"He knows what would happen if he didn't. I'd kick his ass and then you'd kick his ass, and then the hospital would fire his ass. But he did, so... Can we get inside and eat? I've got something I want to talk to you about."
"Talk to me." Jared reached into the box for more food until Jensen smacked his hand away. It was clear that he was going to go straight into the house with the food whether Jared followed or not, and Jared knew where his priorities lay. "Alright, time to come inside, pipsqueak." Holly looked round at him with a piece of noodle in her hand, and Shelby latched onto the other end of it. He shook his head, but said nothing.
Once they were all inside, Jensen put out plates on the kitchen table and set out the food for them. Jared lifted Holly up by the side of the sink and they washed their hands together, and then both sat at the table.
"So what is it?" Jared asked again, stabbing his fork into some fried beef.
"I got called in to see the Pediatrics consultant today, the minute we got back to the hospital. Apparently I really impressed them over in LA."
"That's not news, Jen. You impress people wherever you go."
"I impressed these guys so much they said that once I finish all of my schooling, they'd like me to go work with them. Private practice. I told them I couldn't make any promises. That I'd have to speak to you first."
Jared frowned. "They want you to move to LA?"
"Not without you. That was my condition, not theirs. But it's still a few years away, at least. Things might change."
"They might. I mean, look at the last few years."
Jensen nodded, knowing what he meant. All the times they'd come so close to losing what they had for one reason or another, somehow pulling it back together before it ever went that far. He was glad they always had managed that. He would have said something, but now Holly was watching them both so intently that he couldn't help but smile round at her. He reached across the table and chucked her under the chin, wiping up a little of the chilli sauce she had managed to spill. "So how come we got baby-sitting duty?"
"Kenzie's out with her boyfriend," Jared said, at the same time as Holly piped up, "I'm not a baby!"
"Funny, you eat like one," Jensen told her, poking his tongue out. She poked her tongue out right back at him and he upped the stakes with both hands either side of his head, waving his fingers at her. She was all set to scramble up onto the table and scrap with him, he was sure, but Jared put his arm across and kept her in her chair.
"Children, children. Not at the dinner table, all right? Finish your food, Hol. Then we need to get you in the bath."
Jensen groaned. "Bath night? I'm definitely going back to LA..."
"Someone got their pigtails painted at school today," Jared explained, and tried not to laugh as Holly looked with big, wide eyes at Jensen and mouthed, 'it was me' at him. "Stevie said that she'll be home in the next hour. She has to go get Corey from the daycare on her way back."
"And what do you have planned for the rest of the night?" Jensen wanted to know.
"Hmm. You."
"No work?"
Jared looked at him like he was crazy. "I knew you were home tonight. You think I wouldn't organise a little time off for that? I missed you."
"I missed you too."
"I figured that out from all the texts. What did LA think of all the ink?"
"They didn't seem to mind. Don't appreciate it as much as you do, though."
"And where's this new one that you told me about?"
"You can find it later," Jensen promised.
After dinner was done with, Jensen cleared away and Jared draped his shirt over the back of the couch. There was no point wearing it up to the bathroom; it would just get soaked. They knew this from experience. Holly was a boisterous five year old and her baths often ended up in splashing fights with whoever was nearest. Jensen claimed she'd inherited the trait from Jeffrey, who flatly denied it and said she'd just spent too much time with Jared and the bad behavior had rubbed off on her. Whatever the reason, there was no doubt between them that tonight's bath would be the same as all the others.
Jensen came up a short while after that, when Holly was already in the water and Jared was leaned over the edge of the tub, pushing a rubber shark around after her toes. She was squealing and wriggling, yelling that she didn't want to get eaten, and he was humming the theme from Jaws at her and cackling. There was water and suds all over the walls, toilet lid, and Jared's front. Jensen stood in the doorway for a moment, shaking his head fondly at the both of them.
"And you call me childish?" He asked, as he stepped into the room and grabbed the bottle of shampoo from above the sink. "All right, princess, time to get out. We need to get your hair cleaned up before mommy gets home and banishes us." He held the bottle out towards Jared, who just looked round at him.
"C'n Jensen wash my hair?" Holly asked, as Jay helped her out of the bathtub. "Ple-e-e-ase?"
Jared grinned, wrapping a towel around his little sister and pushing her gently in Jensen's direction. "Oh, be my guest." He made to leave the bathroom, mostly to get out of the way, and patted Jensen's behind as he passed him. "Have fun with that."
Jared was downstairs with the TV already turned over to Cartoon Network, Shelby sitting at his feet, when Jensen finally made it back down with Holly under one arm. She was in pyjamas, her hair wet and combed neatly against her head, and she was laughing and screaming in between trying to catch her breath. Jensen had soapy hand-prints smeared across the front of his black shirt and he very unceremoniously dropped Holly onto the sofa next to Jared before muttering something about going to get changed. There was still a small stock of Jay's teeshirts here, in case the boys decided to stay over or babysat overnight, and Jensen went to find them as he pulled off his shirt.
"Ooh, found it," came a voice behind him, and a thumb pressed against the soft jut of bone behind his right shoulder. He tilted his head to the side as Jared slipped a hand around his neck, pressed his lips to the new tattoo. Jensen shuddered.
"Mm. Did you just leave Holly in front of the TV so you could-"
"She's fine. She's watching the Road Runner."
"What do you think?"
"I like it. Should've had the Queen of Hearts, though."
"Ha ha. You're not funny, Jay."
The new tattoo had been incorporated quite well into the ink that Jensen already had and depicted a tarot card drawn in minute detail. It was titled 'THE LOVERS', with two men entwined, and a motorbike stood behind them. Jared blinked when he realised that, although the two men weren't exactly photographic, they both had tattoos wrapped down both arms and one had them on his legs. It was clearly meant to be them.
"It took a couple of visits," Jensen told him, head hanging low as Jared traced his fingers over the lines. "He was really good. If we do end up in LA I think you have to pay him a visit."
"It's a big 'if', Jen. At the moment, at least. I just think about leaving Holly and Corey here and-"
"Yeah. I know." Jensen turned, not looking up, and kissed Jared's chest, his hands against his lover's shoulders. "I'd miss them too. It probably won't even happen, so don't worry about it."
Jared closed his eyes. "You know that no matter where you go, I'll follow you. You know that, right?"
"I know. It's good to hear you say it, though." They both moved, until it was their mouths pressed together, and they kissed briefly, sweetly. "We need our own kids," Jensen sighed, pulling away. "I spent the whole week working with..." He trailed off. "We just-"
"Next you'll be asking me to marry you," Jared said, going for joking although he sounded a little too hoarse for it.
"The thought has crossed my mind," Jensen told him. Not joking at all.
Jared looked at him, chewing on his bottom lip as their eyes searched each other's. "I can't, Jen. We can't. Not with where we are, not with how things are."
"I know that. It'd just be nice, you know?"
"Chick," Jared told him, pulling him in close.
They were still holding one another when the door opened beyond where they stood and Stevie bustled in, Corey rested against her side. His thumb was lodged firmly in his mouth and his eyes were shut. Stevie stopped when she saw them, smiled as they pulled apart.
"Don't get a room on my account," she said, murmuring her gratitude as Jared neared her and took Corey from her, lightening the load. "He's had a busy day. Guess it just got the best of him. I take it Holly's watching cartoons already?"
"Mommy!"
Stevie braced herself as the little girl raced at her, grabbing her around the legs. She lifted her up, rubbed noses with her. Then she noticed that her daughter's hair was wet. "Uh oh... Did your mean big brother give you a bath again?"
"I told him! I said I didn't-"
"She had a paint-related incident at school," Jared interrupted. "We thought we'd get her cleaned up before you saw the candy-floss pink hair."
"Well, thank you." She set Holly down, told her to go back to her cartoons for a minute. Then she gave Jensen a hug, told him it was good to see him back. "Jared just turns into a hobo when you're not here."
Jensen eyed the beard-growth on Jared's face and nodded. "I noticed. Don't worry, I'll soon get him into shape."
"Did you have a good time?"
"I learned a lot," he told her. "And the kids were great."
"I'm hoping we'll hear more about it tomorrow. For now you two can get on home. I can cope. Jeff should be home soon."
"Okay. Thanks." Jared took Corey into the living room and set him down on the sofa beside his sister. She giggled when he put a finger over his lips and 'ssh'ed at her, but he could see that she had no intention of waking the little boy up. He gave them both a kiss on the top of their heads and then went back to Jensen, took his hand, and dragged him towards the door. They said a goodbye each to Stevie and then they were out on the drive, moving to the car, while Jensen protested that Jared hadn't even let him put a shirt back on.
"Don't worry, I'll soon warm you up."
"You want me to get goddamn frostbite?" Jensen muttered, as he got into the car. Jared got in behind the wheel and reached into the backseat, found a jacket that was stowed back there, and tossed it at the other man.
"There, don't say I do nothing for you."
Once home, Jared went upstairs to shave and Jensen went to the phone to call his mom. It was a short phone call. He told her he'd gotten home okay and said that he and Jared would come over tomorrow, kick some sense into Kenzie's new boyfriend.
"Don't worry," Donna told him. "He's met Phin. I don't think he's going to be messing her around any time soon."
Jensen chuckled, told her he would tell her everything tomorrow, and hung up. The next phone call would be longer, he already knew that. He grabbed a sweater of Jared's from a stack of dry laundry on the kitchen table and pulled it on under the coat, then went to the back-door and sat on the back step, looking out at their yard as he dialled the familiar number. This had been another huge change in their lives - moving from an apartment into their own house. Jared was making good money now, and he wanted the garage space for his bikes. As the phone rang and his eyes roamed over the yard, he noticed a new shape by the back of the garage. A tarpaulin over it, but it was obviously another bike. He rolled his eyes, wondering what new project Jared had brought home this time. Made a mental note to find out. After the sex.
"Hello?"
Jensen grinned to himself as he recognised the childish voice of Johnny, Chris and Lynn's son. He said hello, but didn't even get to ask how the boy was before he heard a gentle reprimand and then Chris's voice come on the line.
"This better be Jensen Ackles, cause that's the only son of a bitch I'm waitin' on to call me."
"Fuck you too, Kane."
"I'd say the same, but I got little ears hanging around me. You back home?"
"Yeah. We had a stop at the in-laws," Jensen joked. "Babysitting for H.D."
"How is the family?"
"Really good. Yours?"
"Just as good. Lynn's over with her mom. Wedding plans. You know if it was up to me I'd have her in a bikini and we'd just do it in your backyard. Naked dancing boys and all."
"There ain't room in my backyard right now. Jay brought home another one. Swear to god, we're gonna be moving again before Christmas if he keeps this up."
"Whatever brings in the money, Jen. Did Lang keep his hands to himself?"
"Of course he did. I told you about the little talk we had before we went. He knew. That man needs to get laid."
"Not the only one," Jared said, right behind where Jensen sat. Jensen turned to look over his shoulder, eyes roaming appreciatively over Jared's nearly-naked body.
"I heard that," Chris said, in Jensen's ear. "Tell him your best buddy comes first."
"Chris, you can't see him right now. I think if anyone's gonna come first, it's gonna be me."
"All right, all right," Chris grumbled, half-hearted. "I'm gone. But you need to call me first thing in the morning so that we can catch up. Hey, Johnny! Johnny, c'mere and say goodbye to your uncle Jensen."
Jensen listened to the little boy yell at the phone, smiled to himself even as it sent a twinge of need through his heart. He said goodbye to his friend and hung up, slightly disappointed that he hadn't got to ask what he had wanted to, then got up from the step. He shut the back door behind him and took the two steps towards Jared until they were toe to toe, nose to nose.
"Okay, you have me. All to yourself. What're you going to do?"
Jared slammed Jensen back down against the bed, hands wrapped tight around his wrists, and their mouths collided in a kiss that was all tongues: hot, wet, messy. They moved against one another desperately, Jensen arching up against Jared's body, their cocks rubbing solidly together.
"Don't... Don't-" Jared panted out, dragging his mouth over Jensen's cheek, ear, hair. "Fuck... Don't." His warnings were futile. Jensen had been without this for a week. He came hard, pumping out over Jared's stomach and his own, muttering apologies. Breathless. Wrestled a hand free of Jared's grip and brought it down to Jared's cock. Jerked him off until he came too. Jared swore again, halfway between annoyed and elated.
They cleaned up on the sheet, abandoned it, made out again until their dicks perked up for a second go. Jared got rough then, dragging Jensen into position, hooking the younger man's legs over his shoulders as he bent his head down and lapped at Jensen's hole. Jensen, too turned on to fight it, let him do what he wanted. He shuddered as Jared's tongue slipped inside him slightly, brought one of the pillows down over his face and bit into it when Jared slid a couple of fingers in alongside his tongue. He moaned, just like he always did, far too loudly, and Jared took it as encouragement to go deeper, harder. Just like he always did. He reached across and fumbled a condom off the nightstand, as he continued to jab his tongue against Jensen's wet opening.
By the time he got the condom on, lined himself up, any hope of slow and gentle had gone. Jensen didn't care. He wanted to be fucked, filled, reminded of everything that this man he shared a bed with was. Jared didn't let him down on anything. By the time they were done, Jensen had come again without Jared even touching his dick, and he felt like he had been ripped open, torn apart, and put back together. They showered for too long and Jared changed the sheets while Jensen ran downstairs and grabbed two beers, then ran back up with them.
They drank in bed, curled around one another, and then Jared set his bottle down on the nightstand and pulled Jensen up against him, leaning on the headboard.
"There was something else, wasn't there?" He asked, lips brushing against Jensen's hair.
"Yeah, there was," Jensen admitted, wondering how Jared always knew. He hadn't wanted to ask, not before he'd had a chance to tell Chris. To see if his friend thought it was a really stupid idea. Too late now, anyway, he thought. He leaned over the side of the bed, reaching for his jeans. Looked in the side pocket for the little box in there. "I know you're just going to call me a girl," he mumbled, turning back over towards Jared. "And I know that we're not going to get married and this won't mean anything to anyone." He opened the box up and placed two titanium bands side by side on Jared's stomach. "I was just..." He sighed, burying his face in the crook of Jared's neck. Embarrassed. His voice was muffled when he spoke again, but Jared understood. "I just hoped it would mean something to us."
"Hey... Jensen, look at me."
He did as he was told, lifting his head and looking Jared in the eyes. Surprised at what he saw.
"We've lasted six years. Suddenly forever doesn't seem like such a long time any more."
"It isn't," Jensen agreed, relieved.
"I still won't make any promises, but-. Give me your hand."
Jensen held his hand up and watched as Jared picked up one of the rings and pushed it onto his finger. He picked the other one up and returned the favor, feeling a flood of relief and something else as Jared held his hand out and looked at the ring there.
"Jensen?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you."
Jensen kissed Jared's chest, drew a circle around his nipple. "I love you too."
"And Jensen?"
He looked up, frowning. Not knowing what else needed to be said. "Yeah?"
"You are a girl."
AND THAT, AS THEY SAY, IS THAT.
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We hope you enjoyed the insight into where the boys are, and where they might be headed!
Don't worry, there will still be ficlets... ;) Also, me and Adorable would like feedback on an idea we had. This is just a rough idea so far, as we want to see if there's any interest...
How would you all feel if we set up a little community contest to make some kind of ficlet or artwork with these characters?? You could email us with whatever you produce and we will post an anonymous poll once everything's in...and possibly think of some kind of prizes or..something for the top three. Anonymous is the fairest way we can think to judge it, since then it's up to YOU and nobody knows who they're voting for.
Good idea, Y/N?
P.S. Brand New Fic Goodies coming your way over the next couple of weeks sometime. :D