Smoke & Lightning, Heavy Metal Thunder [9/?]
It's almost Wednesday! Still have visitors here, so posting this last thing on Tuesday night since I'll probably be busy again. The lovely Adorable will take care of comments! ~kishes her~
Title: Smoke And Lightning, Heavy Metal Thunder (9/?)
Authors: bloody_adorable and eviltwin
Fandoms: Supernatural RPS
Pairing: Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki.
Rating: PG all the way to NC-17 in future chapters.
Wordcount: 4,069
Summary: AU. Jared's a classic case of rich kid gone wrong, whose only sense of family comes from his motorbike, the guy he rents a garage from to live in and the precinct cops who know his face better than most already. Jensen's a hard-working student whose family are helping push him towards great things. What happens when their two worlds collide, and will Jared's troublesome nature be too much for Jensen to handle?
Disclaimer: None of the following is true in any way, and no profit is made from this work of fiction.
CHAPTER NINE
It was Bachman-Turner Overdrive that woke him up, halfway through a song when the alarm finally kicked in. It took Jensen a full twenty seconds or so to pull himself out of sleep. Taking a deep breath, he rolled over and hit the snooze button on top of the alarm clock. The song cut out and would be silent for another nine minutes.
His thoughts were still fuzzy, his head clouded with sleep. Still, he blinked his heavy eyes and stared over at Jared, whose nose was pressed against the pillow, all soft breathing and gentle snores. He wanted to wake him up and ask Jared if he would come to the swim meet. But he felt like a love-sick teenage girl, begging her jock boyfriend to show up to her cheer practice. Frowning, he reached down to Jared's arm as it lay draped over Jensen's stomach. The bandage was still wrapped around Jared's arm, but there was not a hint of blood. Jensen had thought for sure, the way the tattoo had bled while it was being done, that there would be at least a drop or two still there.
"You have seven more minutes."
Jensen looked across at Jared. The words had been muffled, spoken against the pillow at his head. "What?"
"You have seven minutes," Jared said again. "Just stay here a little longer."
"I have practice," he told him.
"I know," he almost snapped. "But shut up for seven more minutes."
He tried to suppress his smile, but failed. Settling down again, he watched Jared sleep for those seven minutes. Their combined body heat started to lull Jensen back to sleep, so when the radio alarm went off again, his eyes popped open, startled by the sudden jolting sound of music. This time he sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and setting his feet upon the floor. Jared moved behind him, turning onto his side and hugging his pillow.
Jensen turned and leaned down on an elbow, resting his chin at Jared's shoulder. "You going to get up?"
"Mm, why?"
"Come on," he smiled. "Come to practice with me. Please?"
WIth his back towards Jensen, Jared squeezed his eyes shut and wriggled further under the covers. "Too fucking early," he grumbled.
Jensen frowned again, gazing down at him. He gave in and got up from bed, gathering up some clothes and heading into the house. Jeffrey was up, standing beside the kitchen sink and eating a piece of toast. Beside him was the morning newspaper and a half-full glass of orange juice.
"Hey, kiddo," he said, talking around the toast in his mouth and dusting the crumbs off of his fingers.
"Morning," Jensen greeted, his voice still thick with sleep.
"You're up early."
"I have swim practice later," he explained.
"On a Saturday?"
"Yeah. Not normally. Coach got mad at us last practice, so we have to make up for being slack."
Jeffrey motioned upstairs. "Get up there and do your thing," he said. "I can be a little late for work this morning. I'll drop you off."
Jensen smiled sheepishly and nodded, scratching at his head. "Okay," he agreed with a yawn.
After he was finally ready, Jensen took one last look up at the bed on the second floor of the garage. All he could really see was Jared's foot and his right arm, where the blankets had rumpled up and exposed his skin. He couldn't hear the man's snoring, but Jensen knew it was there all the same.
The ride over to school was quiet for the most part, but Jensen didn't mind this kind of quiet. Between him and Jared and Jeffrey, the silence was not strained. He never had to search for something to talk about, whereas at home he was always afraid of what the silence could lead to between him and Alan.
"He might show up, you know," Jeffrey spoke, breaking the comfortable stillness.
Jensen looked over at him. "It's okay," he said.
"Jared's just not a morning person," he continued. "But don't sell him too short. He knows what's important to you. And you're already important to him, so he may yet show up."
Jensen smiled and nodded. He wasn't sure he really believed Jeffrey. They'd not been friends that long, he thought, that he would really make a difference to Jared. At least not much. "Okay."
It was silent for a moment more, Jeffrey glancing out of the driver's side window as he parked up. "Of course, he could be a total asshole too, and sleep through the whole thing," he reminded the young man.
"I know."
"If I could, kiddo, I'd stay," he offered. "But I have a huge-ass deadline that'll come down on my head if I don't manage what time the company has left to wrap up this job."
"It's okay, Jeff," he grinned. "Really."
"But we still got the game, right?"
Jensen nodded. "Yeah, if you want," he agreed. "Tonight at six."
Jeffrey returned the nod. "Six o'clock then."
But as Jensen got out of the car and stood, watching Jeffrey drive off, he realized that it wasn't okay. He wanted someone there to watch him at the pool. He couldn't remember ever having anyone come to a meet for him, which sounded incredibly dramatic when he thought about it. But honestly, Josh'd had his own team stuff to deal with (and now he was taking college courses); Kenzie couldn't have cared less; Dad was always busy; and Mom always had some sort of functions to go to, or lessons at the Club.
His thoughts turned to Chris - he had shown up for a meet or two at least.
Sighing, Jensen made his way into the school. The smell of the pool was unmistakable. He loved the smell - it seemed clean and yet humid and heavy. He changed in the locker room, smiling and laughing with his teammates. Jared had told him the previous night, just before they fell asleep, that Jensen was selling himself short; more people liked him than he gave them credit for. As he and the other swimmers got ready for the practice, Jensen wondered if he could call any of them friends. He was pretty sure some of them liked Josh when he'd gone to school there, and everyone knew his Dad. He was also pretty darn sure that not one of them would stand up for him in a fight, or try to protect him like Jared had.
He wasn't popular and never had been. He'd decided right there, however, that he was a man of few words and fewer friends. Chris and Jared. And Jeffrey. The end.
The loudest part during practice was the splashing of water and the encouraging shouts from teammate to teammate. The onlookers, the few that there were, never really got as excited about swimming as they did football. They were scattered throughout the stands. Some ignored the practice, merely waiting for their sons to be done with the interruption of a Saturday. Others were clapping politely when a diver came up for air, or a swimmer finished his lap. Some of them cheered, of course. Jensen just had this underlying feeling that none of them really thought of this as a very manly sport, regardless of the fact that a key player from the football team was also on the swim team.
After finishing his last relay, Jensen grabbed the edge of the pool and turned to look at his time. He pushed his goggles up to his forehead and waited impatiently. He was fast enough to beat some, but slow enough to only have come in fourth. Frowning, he sighed and inwardly scolded himself. Stupid, stupid! he thought. Of course you lost. You always do. Closing his eyes, he reached up and ripped the swim cap from his head, dunking his head under the water. He spat some of the water from his mouth when he surfaced again, still grumbling inwardly.
Interrupting his thoughts, two of his teammates reached down to him, offering their hands. He took them, mumbling a thank-you to their encouragements of a job well-done. He didn't agree with them, however. He shook the water out of his ear and, as he did, his gaze fell to the stands. Straightening, he took a second look.
Jared was in the stands, wearing torn jeans and a clean but worn Harley Davidson teeshirt, his hair hidden underneath a Dixieland skull cap. One leg was raised, his biker-boot-clad foot propped up on the seat in front of him. He was lounged back, stretching out comfortably, his leather jacket resting beside him on the bench.
Sniffling against the chlorinated water that had managed to get up his nose, Jensen neared him. He felt suddenly self-conscious and curled his arms around his waist as he walked.
Jared saw him walking closer and smiled. "Hi," he greeted, as soon as Jensen got close enough.
Practice was over and people were milling about, leaving the warm pool room to instead wait outside for their sons. Jensen took a quick look around before he leaned up against the dividing wall between the bleachers and the tile floor. "Hey," he said back. "You came."
Grinning, Jared sat up, setting both feet on the floor. "Don't say that too loud," he returned, winking.
Jensen could feel his face turning red, the hot flash making his ears burn. "I mean I just didn't expect you to, is all," he said.
Jared got up from his seat and crawled over the dividing wall, his leather jacket in tow. Long legs dangling down to the bench where the swimmers sat, Jared smiled at him. "And miss you in trunks?" he teased. "Are you crazy?"
Jensen hooked his thumbs into the waist and tugged gently. "More like Speedos."
Jared nodded. "More like, better."
Laughing, Jensen scratched the back of his own neck, looking down at his feet for a second or two. He felt the heat returning to his ears again and knew his face was probably horribly beet red.
"So can you jet now?"
Looking back up, Jensen nodded. "Oh, yeah," he agreed. "I just have to change."
Jared jumped down from the wall, leaving his jacket draped over the ledge. "Then go get changed," he advised. "I've got plans for you for the afternoon."
Jensen didn't know why, but he felt panic grip at his throat when Jared's words sank in. "P...plans?" he repeated. "What kind of plans?"
"Me to know, you to not," he smirked.
Jensen laughed and shook his head at him, his momentary panic gone. "You're such a jerk."
Jared chuckled with him before crooking his finger at him. Jensen barely moved though, Jared instead being the one to close the distance between them, regardless of his gesture. Leaning down the few inches to Jensen's ear, he spoke softly.
"You look fucking sexy in that," he told him. "And it's pretty much taking everything I got not to follow you into that locker room."
As Jared backed away, Jensen tried to swallow past the sudden lump in his throat that he thought just might be his heart. He knew Jared was teasing. He had to be. But that didn't mean that his legs shook any less as he walked to the changing room. And it didn't stop him from glancing back at Jared just before he went in.
Jared chuckled as he watched Jensen, shaking his head. The guy was way too easy to make blush. And it was fun.
Either he lost track of time, or Jensen changed the fastest of anyone else in the history of Man. His hair was still wet, but at least combed through, and his collar was damp. Patches along his button-down shirt were wet, but nothing that wouldn't dry while on a ride on the bike. He carried his backpack with him, slung over one shoulder. "So did you win?" Jared asked. "I can't tell."
"Nah," Jensen smiled. "If I'd known you were here though, I might've tried a bit harder."
"No good there," he said, his eyes glittering with more than a touch of mischief. "Then you'd be tired out for later."
Jensen's smile faded and he swallowed again. He didn't know what was in store for later, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Not yet anyway.
"Goddamn, you're fun," Jared laughed, slinging one arm around Jensen's neck and pulling him along with him. They headed out of the building and down to the parking lot where Jeffrey's Harley awaited them.
The wind was cold. Of course, it usually was in November, but lately the southern half of the US had been having unseasonably warm days. Today was a reminder that cooler weather was still coming. Since finding his way to Jared and Jeffrey's, Jensen had been fully outfitted with motorcycle gear. He had an old leather jacket of Jeffrey's, brown and soft, and black leather gloves that Jared had gotten two Christmases ago and never used.
With the gear on, the wind wasn't as biting as it could have been. And the sun was still warm on their backs. They drove along the freeway for a decent measure before turning off on an exit that looked rarely used. The pavement was cracked and broken in places, the yellow lines almost worn completely off. Trees lined either side of the tarmac, and the shade smelled cool and fresh. Finally, they came to a little brick bridge that looked like perhaps it had been standing there for hundreds of years. Jared pulled the bike over and parked beside a boulder that served as a rough guard rail.
Now, they stood beside the motorcycle, removing their helmets and breathing in deep the clean, fresh air.
"What are we doing here?" Jensen asked.
Jared only smiled. "You'll see." He dug into the saddlebags on the bike, pulling out a roll of what looked like extra clothes, and then crossed the road.
Jensen followed Jared as the man made his way along a worn path beside the bridge. The water that ran below the bridge looked murky and low enough to walk through.
"The water comes down the falls," Jared said over his shoulder as they walked. "Gets churned up when it goes over the rocks and looks kind of cloudy."
"Yeah?" Jensen didn't know why Jared was telling him this. Still, he followed him, the path now at enough of an incline to make him lean forward slightly. "You going to tell me what you're up to?"
Breathing a bit harder, Jared laughed, his tongue skating along his bottom lip. "You'll see when we get there," he grinned.
To Jensen, it felt like they'd walked way too far into the woods. He wasn't sure they could make it back. He could hear the constant rushing sound of water, overpowering the sounds of nature. Jared finally broke into a clearing and smiled down at the huge pool of water that the falls cascaded into. The picture was serene, not another soul in sight.
Staring, Jensen took a few heaving breaths. "Wow," he said. "This is beautiful."
Still grinning, Jared reached out and playfully punched Jensen's shoulder. "Get undressed."
He quickly tore his gaze away from the picturesque scenery before him. "What?"
Jared unrolled the clothes he had with him, producing two pairs of swim trunks. "We're going swimming," he told him.
"I just got done swimming," he reminded Jared. "And you want me to go back in?"
Slipping off his jacket, Jared then tugged at the button on his jeans. "This place has something that swim practice doesn't."
Jensen wasn't following his example. Instead, he watched Jared pull his shirt up over his head. "Really," he said. "What's that?"
"Well," he said thoughtfully, yanking off one boot. "No chlorine, for one." He tugged at his other boot, letting it fall to the ground beside the first. "No timers." He ripped off the skullcap, unfastened his jeans and shimmied them down. "But best of all," he grinned, hooking his thumbs into his boxer briefs. "Me!"
Jensen watched as Jared whipped down his boxers, clearly not ashamed of anything he had. Not that he should be, Jensen decided. Still, it brought out the shy teenager in him, and he turned away from the naked man. He didn't turn back around until he heard the whisper of the nylon material of the swim trunks and the snap of elastic. When he looked back at Jared, he had the spare pair of shorts thrown in his face.
"Get changed, lame-ass," Jared grinned. "We're going for a swim."
"Jared, it's too cold," he complained.
"No excuses," he refused. "I want you naked and into those swim trunks yesterday."
Sighing, Jensen took off his leather jacket and scowled harshly at Jared. "Don't look, you weirdo," he said.
Only a matter of minutes later, Jared screamed playfully and ran along the path to the water. He jumped off of a boulder and did a cannonball into the deep pool. A second later, he emerged, shaking his head and huffing a breath. He cried out triumphantly, his laugh contagious. "Come on in, man!" he called. "The water's perfect."
"Like hell it is," Jensen chuckled.
"Watch your mouth," he teased. "You'll ruin my fucking morals."
"You don't have any."
"Oh, yeah." Jared laughed and swam away, giving Jensen room for his jump. "Come on, pansy-ass," he encouraged.
"You reference my ass an awful lot."
"It warrants it," he shrugged. "Get in this water, or I'll come out there and get you."
Sighing again, Jensen gathered up what miniscule courage he felt he had and stepped out onto the boulder that Jared had dived from. He took a deep breath, centered his concentration and made a perfect dive into the water with minimal splashing. Emerging, Jensen tried to breathe, but found it difficult. "Holy crap," he finally managed. "This water is freezing!"
Swimming closer, Jared felt his own teeth chattering just slightly. "It won't be in a minute," he told him.
Jensen felt the wake of water from Jared's strokes and shivered. "Why, because we'll die of hypothermia?"
Not answering him, Jared touched Jensen's face and kissed him. He loved the fact that Jensen readily opened his mouth to him, letting him in right away. Even in just a short time, the young man had become more comfortable with such closeness.
Jensen tried to remember to tread water, but it was difficult with Jared's tongue sliding against his. Jared was right though; the chill in the water faded as warmth spread out from Jensen's belly, all the way out to the very tips of his fingers. He chanced faltering in his swimmer's rhythm and touched Jared's face in the same fashion that he was being touched.
Backing away slowly, Jared smiled at him. "Better?"
Jensen swallowed, feeling his heart pound mercilessly in his chest. He nodded instead of speaking, so sure that he wouldn't be able to if he tried.
"Now," he continued. "I want you to get out of the water, and dive back in."
"Why?"
"Because your first try was lame."
Jensen was stunned. "That was a perfect dive!"
"Exactly." He poked Jensen's shoulder with one finger. "You have to stop being so fucking rigid. Get out and do a goddamn cannonball."
"Why?"
Jared leaned in closer, smiling. "Because it's fun," he explained. "Be a kid for once."
"I'm not a kid."
"Shut up," he snapped. "Come on."
Back out of the water again, the air felt colder than it had before. Jensen could see the chills on his skin and wanted to be back in the water, even though it had felt cold at first.
Jared crouched down in a sprinting stance. "Ready?"
Laughing, Jensen shook his head. "I guess."
Jared reached out and took hold of Jensen's arm, assuring that he would follow. "Alright, go!"
They both took off like a shot, running down the path and onto the boulder. Jared was doing some sort of war cry that was catching. Jensen laughed and joined in, shouting as loud as he possibly could. They leapt off of the boulder at relatively the same time, curling their legs into themselves. Their splash created a large wake that crashed up onto the shore, wetting the boulder and grass.
Jensen started laughing before he even reached the surface of the water. He ended up choking, but only coughed with a bright smile upon his face. Jared was right - it was good to be a kid again now and then.
After a few more cannonballs, both boys decided that they were done. The sun was out in full force, and the boulder was warm when they settled down upon it.
"You didn't bring towels?"
"Oh, my God, you baby," Jared scolded. "You'll dry."
Jensen sighed and rolled over onto his stomach, resting his head on his arms. His eyes drifted closed as Jared sat down beside him, stretching out his long legs.
The sound of the waterfall was soothing. Jared liked to hang out there whenever life felt a little too hectic. He was glad that he had shared it with Jensen. Gazing down at him now, Jared smiled. He leaned down and placed a kiss on the young man's shoulder. "You look happy," he almost whispered.
Opening his eyes, Jensen looked up at Jared. He propped himself up on one elbow, resting his head in his hand. "I think I am," he agreed.
"You don't know?"
"Well, I've just never really been happy before, I don't think," he admitted. "That sounds really exaggerated, but...I mean, I had moments of happiness, but I don't really think I've ever been completely at peace with things."
"Are you now?"
Jensen smiled and nodded. "I think so," he agreed. "Because of you." His smile lessened as his gaze fell, landing on the glittering silver rings that adorned Jared's chest. "Is it true, what you said about these?"
Grinning, Jared eyed him. "Why don't you find out?"
Jensen had never touched the rings. The invitation to do so made his heart pound in his chest, blood rushing through his veins and throbbing in his head. Slowly, he reached out and brushed his fingertips over one of the metal rings. He traced underneath it, and then over it once again. Gently. Warily. Afraid that he might hurt Jared. When he glanced up into Jared's eyes, he saw that he wasn't hurting him at all. As a matter of fact, Jared's pupils were dilated and his chest was rising and falling a little heavier than before.
He wasn't sure what made him act so forwardly, but Jensen wondered what the metal tasted like against Jared's skin. He leaned in closer, keeping his gaze locked with Jared's until he couldn't any longer, and opened his mouth.
Jared watched Jensen lean in to him, purposefully making sure he took measured breaths to keep himself calm. He felt Jensen's wet, warm tongue skate across his nipple and the rings, making his breath hitch in his lungs for a moment. He reached up and set a hand to Jensen's head, wanting to hold him there forever, pull him in so that he bit down just enough for it to feel perfect. Jensen was shy though, and the fact that he had started this on his own was surprising enough. Jared didn't want to push him.
He tasted like clean, cold water with a gentle tang of salt. Quickly, Jared's skin and the metal pierced through it warmed to Jensen's tongue.
Instead of encouraging Jensen to do more, harder, Jared took hold of Jensen's hand and slid it down his belly, south of the elastic waist on the swim trunks. "Look what you're doing," he told him, speaking in breathy tones into his ear.
Jensen's hand formed to the bulge in Jared's trunks, but he did not move to stroke him. Instead, he backed away and looked up into the man's eyes. With his hand still resting upon Jared, he looked up into perfect blue-green eyes. "We should go," he said. "Jeffrey wants to go to the game with us."
Jared wanted to protest, tell Jensen that what he was doing wasn't fair, but he didn't. He took a deep breath, sighed, and nodded his head. "Okay," he agreed. "Yeah. Let's go."
--TBC--
Title: Smoke And Lightning, Heavy Metal Thunder (9/?)
Authors: bloody_adorable and eviltwin
Fandoms: Supernatural RPS
Pairing: Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki.
Rating: PG all the way to NC-17 in future chapters.
Wordcount: 4,069
Summary: AU. Jared's a classic case of rich kid gone wrong, whose only sense of family comes from his motorbike, the guy he rents a garage from to live in and the precinct cops who know his face better than most already. Jensen's a hard-working student whose family are helping push him towards great things. What happens when their two worlds collide, and will Jared's troublesome nature be too much for Jensen to handle?
Disclaimer: None of the following is true in any way, and no profit is made from this work of fiction.
CHAPTER NINE
It was Bachman-Turner Overdrive that woke him up, halfway through a song when the alarm finally kicked in. It took Jensen a full twenty seconds or so to pull himself out of sleep. Taking a deep breath, he rolled over and hit the snooze button on top of the alarm clock. The song cut out and would be silent for another nine minutes.
His thoughts were still fuzzy, his head clouded with sleep. Still, he blinked his heavy eyes and stared over at Jared, whose nose was pressed against the pillow, all soft breathing and gentle snores. He wanted to wake him up and ask Jared if he would come to the swim meet. But he felt like a love-sick teenage girl, begging her jock boyfriend to show up to her cheer practice. Frowning, he reached down to Jared's arm as it lay draped over Jensen's stomach. The bandage was still wrapped around Jared's arm, but there was not a hint of blood. Jensen had thought for sure, the way the tattoo had bled while it was being done, that there would be at least a drop or two still there.
"You have seven more minutes."
Jensen looked across at Jared. The words had been muffled, spoken against the pillow at his head. "What?"
"You have seven minutes," Jared said again. "Just stay here a little longer."
"I have practice," he told him.
"I know," he almost snapped. "But shut up for seven more minutes."
He tried to suppress his smile, but failed. Settling down again, he watched Jared sleep for those seven minutes. Their combined body heat started to lull Jensen back to sleep, so when the radio alarm went off again, his eyes popped open, startled by the sudden jolting sound of music. This time he sat up, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and setting his feet upon the floor. Jared moved behind him, turning onto his side and hugging his pillow.
Jensen turned and leaned down on an elbow, resting his chin at Jared's shoulder. "You going to get up?"
"Mm, why?"
"Come on," he smiled. "Come to practice with me. Please?"
WIth his back towards Jensen, Jared squeezed his eyes shut and wriggled further under the covers. "Too fucking early," he grumbled.
Jensen frowned again, gazing down at him. He gave in and got up from bed, gathering up some clothes and heading into the house. Jeffrey was up, standing beside the kitchen sink and eating a piece of toast. Beside him was the morning newspaper and a half-full glass of orange juice.
"Hey, kiddo," he said, talking around the toast in his mouth and dusting the crumbs off of his fingers.
"Morning," Jensen greeted, his voice still thick with sleep.
"You're up early."
"I have swim practice later," he explained.
"On a Saturday?"
"Yeah. Not normally. Coach got mad at us last practice, so we have to make up for being slack."
Jeffrey motioned upstairs. "Get up there and do your thing," he said. "I can be a little late for work this morning. I'll drop you off."
Jensen smiled sheepishly and nodded, scratching at his head. "Okay," he agreed with a yawn.
After he was finally ready, Jensen took one last look up at the bed on the second floor of the garage. All he could really see was Jared's foot and his right arm, where the blankets had rumpled up and exposed his skin. He couldn't hear the man's snoring, but Jensen knew it was there all the same.
The ride over to school was quiet for the most part, but Jensen didn't mind this kind of quiet. Between him and Jared and Jeffrey, the silence was not strained. He never had to search for something to talk about, whereas at home he was always afraid of what the silence could lead to between him and Alan.
"He might show up, you know," Jeffrey spoke, breaking the comfortable stillness.
Jensen looked over at him. "It's okay," he said.
"Jared's just not a morning person," he continued. "But don't sell him too short. He knows what's important to you. And you're already important to him, so he may yet show up."
Jensen smiled and nodded. He wasn't sure he really believed Jeffrey. They'd not been friends that long, he thought, that he would really make a difference to Jared. At least not much. "Okay."
It was silent for a moment more, Jeffrey glancing out of the driver's side window as he parked up. "Of course, he could be a total asshole too, and sleep through the whole thing," he reminded the young man.
"I know."
"If I could, kiddo, I'd stay," he offered. "But I have a huge-ass deadline that'll come down on my head if I don't manage what time the company has left to wrap up this job."
"It's okay, Jeff," he grinned. "Really."
"But we still got the game, right?"
Jensen nodded. "Yeah, if you want," he agreed. "Tonight at six."
Jeffrey returned the nod. "Six o'clock then."
But as Jensen got out of the car and stood, watching Jeffrey drive off, he realized that it wasn't okay. He wanted someone there to watch him at the pool. He couldn't remember ever having anyone come to a meet for him, which sounded incredibly dramatic when he thought about it. But honestly, Josh'd had his own team stuff to deal with (and now he was taking college courses); Kenzie couldn't have cared less; Dad was always busy; and Mom always had some sort of functions to go to, or lessons at the Club.
His thoughts turned to Chris - he had shown up for a meet or two at least.
Sighing, Jensen made his way into the school. The smell of the pool was unmistakable. He loved the smell - it seemed clean and yet humid and heavy. He changed in the locker room, smiling and laughing with his teammates. Jared had told him the previous night, just before they fell asleep, that Jensen was selling himself short; more people liked him than he gave them credit for. As he and the other swimmers got ready for the practice, Jensen wondered if he could call any of them friends. He was pretty sure some of them liked Josh when he'd gone to school there, and everyone knew his Dad. He was also pretty darn sure that not one of them would stand up for him in a fight, or try to protect him like Jared had.
He wasn't popular and never had been. He'd decided right there, however, that he was a man of few words and fewer friends. Chris and Jared. And Jeffrey. The end.
The loudest part during practice was the splashing of water and the encouraging shouts from teammate to teammate. The onlookers, the few that there were, never really got as excited about swimming as they did football. They were scattered throughout the stands. Some ignored the practice, merely waiting for their sons to be done with the interruption of a Saturday. Others were clapping politely when a diver came up for air, or a swimmer finished his lap. Some of them cheered, of course. Jensen just had this underlying feeling that none of them really thought of this as a very manly sport, regardless of the fact that a key player from the football team was also on the swim team.
After finishing his last relay, Jensen grabbed the edge of the pool and turned to look at his time. He pushed his goggles up to his forehead and waited impatiently. He was fast enough to beat some, but slow enough to only have come in fourth. Frowning, he sighed and inwardly scolded himself. Stupid, stupid! he thought. Of course you lost. You always do. Closing his eyes, he reached up and ripped the swim cap from his head, dunking his head under the water. He spat some of the water from his mouth when he surfaced again, still grumbling inwardly.
Interrupting his thoughts, two of his teammates reached down to him, offering their hands. He took them, mumbling a thank-you to their encouragements of a job well-done. He didn't agree with them, however. He shook the water out of his ear and, as he did, his gaze fell to the stands. Straightening, he took a second look.
Jared was in the stands, wearing torn jeans and a clean but worn Harley Davidson teeshirt, his hair hidden underneath a Dixieland skull cap. One leg was raised, his biker-boot-clad foot propped up on the seat in front of him. He was lounged back, stretching out comfortably, his leather jacket resting beside him on the bench.
Sniffling against the chlorinated water that had managed to get up his nose, Jensen neared him. He felt suddenly self-conscious and curled his arms around his waist as he walked.
Jared saw him walking closer and smiled. "Hi," he greeted, as soon as Jensen got close enough.
Practice was over and people were milling about, leaving the warm pool room to instead wait outside for their sons. Jensen took a quick look around before he leaned up against the dividing wall between the bleachers and the tile floor. "Hey," he said back. "You came."
Grinning, Jared sat up, setting both feet on the floor. "Don't say that too loud," he returned, winking.
Jensen could feel his face turning red, the hot flash making his ears burn. "I mean I just didn't expect you to, is all," he said.
Jared got up from his seat and crawled over the dividing wall, his leather jacket in tow. Long legs dangling down to the bench where the swimmers sat, Jared smiled at him. "And miss you in trunks?" he teased. "Are you crazy?"
Jensen hooked his thumbs into the waist and tugged gently. "More like Speedos."
Jared nodded. "More like, better."
Laughing, Jensen scratched the back of his own neck, looking down at his feet for a second or two. He felt the heat returning to his ears again and knew his face was probably horribly beet red.
"So can you jet now?"
Looking back up, Jensen nodded. "Oh, yeah," he agreed. "I just have to change."
Jared jumped down from the wall, leaving his jacket draped over the ledge. "Then go get changed," he advised. "I've got plans for you for the afternoon."
Jensen didn't know why, but he felt panic grip at his throat when Jared's words sank in. "P...plans?" he repeated. "What kind of plans?"
"Me to know, you to not," he smirked.
Jensen laughed and shook his head at him, his momentary panic gone. "You're such a jerk."
Jared chuckled with him before crooking his finger at him. Jensen barely moved though, Jared instead being the one to close the distance between them, regardless of his gesture. Leaning down the few inches to Jensen's ear, he spoke softly.
"You look fucking sexy in that," he told him. "And it's pretty much taking everything I got not to follow you into that locker room."
As Jared backed away, Jensen tried to swallow past the sudden lump in his throat that he thought just might be his heart. He knew Jared was teasing. He had to be. But that didn't mean that his legs shook any less as he walked to the changing room. And it didn't stop him from glancing back at Jared just before he went in.
Jared chuckled as he watched Jensen, shaking his head. The guy was way too easy to make blush. And it was fun.
Either he lost track of time, or Jensen changed the fastest of anyone else in the history of Man. His hair was still wet, but at least combed through, and his collar was damp. Patches along his button-down shirt were wet, but nothing that wouldn't dry while on a ride on the bike. He carried his backpack with him, slung over one shoulder. "So did you win?" Jared asked. "I can't tell."
"Nah," Jensen smiled. "If I'd known you were here though, I might've tried a bit harder."
"No good there," he said, his eyes glittering with more than a touch of mischief. "Then you'd be tired out for later."
Jensen's smile faded and he swallowed again. He didn't know what was in store for later, and he wasn't sure he wanted to know. Not yet anyway.
"Goddamn, you're fun," Jared laughed, slinging one arm around Jensen's neck and pulling him along with him. They headed out of the building and down to the parking lot where Jeffrey's Harley awaited them.
The wind was cold. Of course, it usually was in November, but lately the southern half of the US had been having unseasonably warm days. Today was a reminder that cooler weather was still coming. Since finding his way to Jared and Jeffrey's, Jensen had been fully outfitted with motorcycle gear. He had an old leather jacket of Jeffrey's, brown and soft, and black leather gloves that Jared had gotten two Christmases ago and never used.
With the gear on, the wind wasn't as biting as it could have been. And the sun was still warm on their backs. They drove along the freeway for a decent measure before turning off on an exit that looked rarely used. The pavement was cracked and broken in places, the yellow lines almost worn completely off. Trees lined either side of the tarmac, and the shade smelled cool and fresh. Finally, they came to a little brick bridge that looked like perhaps it had been standing there for hundreds of years. Jared pulled the bike over and parked beside a boulder that served as a rough guard rail.
Now, they stood beside the motorcycle, removing their helmets and breathing in deep the clean, fresh air.
"What are we doing here?" Jensen asked.
Jared only smiled. "You'll see." He dug into the saddlebags on the bike, pulling out a roll of what looked like extra clothes, and then crossed the road.
Jensen followed Jared as the man made his way along a worn path beside the bridge. The water that ran below the bridge looked murky and low enough to walk through.
"The water comes down the falls," Jared said over his shoulder as they walked. "Gets churned up when it goes over the rocks and looks kind of cloudy."
"Yeah?" Jensen didn't know why Jared was telling him this. Still, he followed him, the path now at enough of an incline to make him lean forward slightly. "You going to tell me what you're up to?"
Breathing a bit harder, Jared laughed, his tongue skating along his bottom lip. "You'll see when we get there," he grinned.
To Jensen, it felt like they'd walked way too far into the woods. He wasn't sure they could make it back. He could hear the constant rushing sound of water, overpowering the sounds of nature. Jared finally broke into a clearing and smiled down at the huge pool of water that the falls cascaded into. The picture was serene, not another soul in sight.
Staring, Jensen took a few heaving breaths. "Wow," he said. "This is beautiful."
Still grinning, Jared reached out and playfully punched Jensen's shoulder. "Get undressed."
He quickly tore his gaze away from the picturesque scenery before him. "What?"
Jared unrolled the clothes he had with him, producing two pairs of swim trunks. "We're going swimming," he told him.
"I just got done swimming," he reminded Jared. "And you want me to go back in?"
Slipping off his jacket, Jared then tugged at the button on his jeans. "This place has something that swim practice doesn't."
Jensen wasn't following his example. Instead, he watched Jared pull his shirt up over his head. "Really," he said. "What's that?"
"Well," he said thoughtfully, yanking off one boot. "No chlorine, for one." He tugged at his other boot, letting it fall to the ground beside the first. "No timers." He ripped off the skullcap, unfastened his jeans and shimmied them down. "But best of all," he grinned, hooking his thumbs into his boxer briefs. "Me!"
Jensen watched as Jared whipped down his boxers, clearly not ashamed of anything he had. Not that he should be, Jensen decided. Still, it brought out the shy teenager in him, and he turned away from the naked man. He didn't turn back around until he heard the whisper of the nylon material of the swim trunks and the snap of elastic. When he looked back at Jared, he had the spare pair of shorts thrown in his face.
"Get changed, lame-ass," Jared grinned. "We're going for a swim."
"Jared, it's too cold," he complained.
"No excuses," he refused. "I want you naked and into those swim trunks yesterday."
Sighing, Jensen took off his leather jacket and scowled harshly at Jared. "Don't look, you weirdo," he said.
Only a matter of minutes later, Jared screamed playfully and ran along the path to the water. He jumped off of a boulder and did a cannonball into the deep pool. A second later, he emerged, shaking his head and huffing a breath. He cried out triumphantly, his laugh contagious. "Come on in, man!" he called. "The water's perfect."
"Like hell it is," Jensen chuckled.
"Watch your mouth," he teased. "You'll ruin my fucking morals."
"You don't have any."
"Oh, yeah." Jared laughed and swam away, giving Jensen room for his jump. "Come on, pansy-ass," he encouraged.
"You reference my ass an awful lot."
"It warrants it," he shrugged. "Get in this water, or I'll come out there and get you."
Sighing again, Jensen gathered up what miniscule courage he felt he had and stepped out onto the boulder that Jared had dived from. He took a deep breath, centered his concentration and made a perfect dive into the water with minimal splashing. Emerging, Jensen tried to breathe, but found it difficult. "Holy crap," he finally managed. "This water is freezing!"
Swimming closer, Jared felt his own teeth chattering just slightly. "It won't be in a minute," he told him.
Jensen felt the wake of water from Jared's strokes and shivered. "Why, because we'll die of hypothermia?"
Not answering him, Jared touched Jensen's face and kissed him. He loved the fact that Jensen readily opened his mouth to him, letting him in right away. Even in just a short time, the young man had become more comfortable with such closeness.
Jensen tried to remember to tread water, but it was difficult with Jared's tongue sliding against his. Jared was right though; the chill in the water faded as warmth spread out from Jensen's belly, all the way out to the very tips of his fingers. He chanced faltering in his swimmer's rhythm and touched Jared's face in the same fashion that he was being touched.
Backing away slowly, Jared smiled at him. "Better?"
Jensen swallowed, feeling his heart pound mercilessly in his chest. He nodded instead of speaking, so sure that he wouldn't be able to if he tried.
"Now," he continued. "I want you to get out of the water, and dive back in."
"Why?"
"Because your first try was lame."
Jensen was stunned. "That was a perfect dive!"
"Exactly." He poked Jensen's shoulder with one finger. "You have to stop being so fucking rigid. Get out and do a goddamn cannonball."
"Why?"
Jared leaned in closer, smiling. "Because it's fun," he explained. "Be a kid for once."
"I'm not a kid."
"Shut up," he snapped. "Come on."
Back out of the water again, the air felt colder than it had before. Jensen could see the chills on his skin and wanted to be back in the water, even though it had felt cold at first.
Jared crouched down in a sprinting stance. "Ready?"
Laughing, Jensen shook his head. "I guess."
Jared reached out and took hold of Jensen's arm, assuring that he would follow. "Alright, go!"
They both took off like a shot, running down the path and onto the boulder. Jared was doing some sort of war cry that was catching. Jensen laughed and joined in, shouting as loud as he possibly could. They leapt off of the boulder at relatively the same time, curling their legs into themselves. Their splash created a large wake that crashed up onto the shore, wetting the boulder and grass.
Jensen started laughing before he even reached the surface of the water. He ended up choking, but only coughed with a bright smile upon his face. Jared was right - it was good to be a kid again now and then.
After a few more cannonballs, both boys decided that they were done. The sun was out in full force, and the boulder was warm when they settled down upon it.
"You didn't bring towels?"
"Oh, my God, you baby," Jared scolded. "You'll dry."
Jensen sighed and rolled over onto his stomach, resting his head on his arms. His eyes drifted closed as Jared sat down beside him, stretching out his long legs.
The sound of the waterfall was soothing. Jared liked to hang out there whenever life felt a little too hectic. He was glad that he had shared it with Jensen. Gazing down at him now, Jared smiled. He leaned down and placed a kiss on the young man's shoulder. "You look happy," he almost whispered.
Opening his eyes, Jensen looked up at Jared. He propped himself up on one elbow, resting his head in his hand. "I think I am," he agreed.
"You don't know?"
"Well, I've just never really been happy before, I don't think," he admitted. "That sounds really exaggerated, but...I mean, I had moments of happiness, but I don't really think I've ever been completely at peace with things."
"Are you now?"
Jensen smiled and nodded. "I think so," he agreed. "Because of you." His smile lessened as his gaze fell, landing on the glittering silver rings that adorned Jared's chest. "Is it true, what you said about these?"
Grinning, Jared eyed him. "Why don't you find out?"
Jensen had never touched the rings. The invitation to do so made his heart pound in his chest, blood rushing through his veins and throbbing in his head. Slowly, he reached out and brushed his fingertips over one of the metal rings. He traced underneath it, and then over it once again. Gently. Warily. Afraid that he might hurt Jared. When he glanced up into Jared's eyes, he saw that he wasn't hurting him at all. As a matter of fact, Jared's pupils were dilated and his chest was rising and falling a little heavier than before.
He wasn't sure what made him act so forwardly, but Jensen wondered what the metal tasted like against Jared's skin. He leaned in closer, keeping his gaze locked with Jared's until he couldn't any longer, and opened his mouth.
Jared watched Jensen lean in to him, purposefully making sure he took measured breaths to keep himself calm. He felt Jensen's wet, warm tongue skate across his nipple and the rings, making his breath hitch in his lungs for a moment. He reached up and set a hand to Jensen's head, wanting to hold him there forever, pull him in so that he bit down just enough for it to feel perfect. Jensen was shy though, and the fact that he had started this on his own was surprising enough. Jared didn't want to push him.
He tasted like clean, cold water with a gentle tang of salt. Quickly, Jared's skin and the metal pierced through it warmed to Jensen's tongue.
Instead of encouraging Jensen to do more, harder, Jared took hold of Jensen's hand and slid it down his belly, south of the elastic waist on the swim trunks. "Look what you're doing," he told him, speaking in breathy tones into his ear.
Jensen's hand formed to the bulge in Jared's trunks, but he did not move to stroke him. Instead, he backed away and looked up into the man's eyes. With his hand still resting upon Jared, he looked up into perfect blue-green eyes. "We should go," he said. "Jeffrey wants to go to the game with us."
Jared wanted to protest, tell Jensen that what he was doing wasn't fair, but he didn't. He took a deep breath, sighed, and nodded his head. "Okay," he agreed. "Yeah. Let's go."
--TBC--