Smoke & Lightning: City Of Angels (30/32) (eek!)

[eviltwin]

Title: Smoke & Lightning : City Of Angels (30/32) (eeps!)
Authors: eviltwin and bloody_adorable
Fandoms: Supernatural RPS AU
Pairing: Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki.
Wordcount: 6,001
Rating: Adult.
Summary: Jared does something he's been wanting to do for months.
Disclaimer: None of the following is true in any way, and no profit is made from this work of fiction.

MASTER POST



CHAPTER THIRTY

The night before Matty was due to come to them, Jensen didn't sleep. Jared slept - he could sleep anywhere in any circumstances - but Jensen gave up turning over and over in their bed and went downstairs to lay on the couch so he wouldn't disturb the other man. Maya sat with him while he flicked through nearly every channel on the tv, but even she seemed to grow tired of his wakefulness and she left him to himself and went to her bed. At five in the morning, Jensen gave in. He double-checked that everything was clean, that there was nothing embarrassing out on display, and he went through the cupboards in the kitchen to make sure they had everything they could possibly need.

Jared found him at the kitchen table three hours later, hunched over it and staring into a mug of coffee like it held the secret of eternal life.

"I see the coffee's fascinating today," he said, going past Jensen to fill his own mug up. "Did you get any sleep?"

"I think I dozed off for five minutes during a Judge Judy rerun."

Jared rolled his eyes as he sat opposite Jensen. "I'm really not surprised. Why are you so nervous? Matty's coming home to us. What exactly is worrying you about this?"

Jensen shrugged. He couldn't answer, because he didn't know.

"So I'm guessing since you've been up all night that absolutely everything is in order, huh? Well we have until eleven. Go and get a shower and maybe a nap. For me. You look like shit."

Again Jensen said nothing, but he didn't have to. His expression said it all.

"Do I have to drag you up there? Because I will, you-"

"Fine!" Jensen cut him off, getting to his feet. "I'm going. Don't mess anything up."

"This is a home, not a hospital. I think we're allowed a little bit of dust. They're not gonna just take him away again if there's a dirty dish in the sink." Jared watched Jensen go for the stairs and then scraped his chair back, standing. "You know what? I haven't had a shower yet either. Think I'll join you."

Jensen stayed at the bottom of the stairs at that, waited until Jared was right behind him, arms wrapped around him as he kissed Jensen's neck.

"Might be a while before we get the house to ourselves like this again."

"It might."

"I think we should make the most of it."

Two suitcases and a Batman backpack. Matty's life was packed in those three bags and it saddened Jensen to see that, but he still had a huge smile on his face as Matty jumped out of Kimberly's car and ran up the path to meet him. The hug he received was so fierce that Matty ended up off the ground and Jensen nearly ended up flat on his back. He laughed at the boy's enthusiasm, and then watched as Jared received the same treatment.

"I'm really happy to see you three together," Kimberly said, pulling one of the suitcases behind her to the door. Jensen quickly went for the other one as she chatted to Jared and followed both him and Matty inside. They got all of the bags stowed in the kitchen for now and he offered Kimberly a drink. She turned the offer down. "That's okay, I have to get back to the office. I should leave you to show Matty around and spend some time with him. Do you have any questions before I go?"

Jensen couldn't think of anything. They'd been given all they needed to know, all the relevant information - Matty's school, the names of his teachers, the phone number of his dentist, his doctor - everything. "I think we're good to go," he said. "Thanks so much for everything."

"My pleasure." Kimberly gave Matty a hug then and told him to be good and take care.

Once she'd gone, Jared said that he would fix up some lunch if Jensen wanted to show Matty his room.

"Anything you don't like, Matty?" he asked, opening the refrigerator.

"No, that's okay."

"Well, all right then. While we have lunch we need to go over your school vacations. I mean, you're definitely off for Thanksgiving, aren't you?"

Matty laughed. "Yeah, I am. Everyone is." He looked at Jared like he was crazy, and that made him laugh. Before Jared could tease further, Jensen put a hand against Matty's shoulder and led him towards the stairs.

"C'mon, I'll show you where everything up here is and then we can have lunch and go out somewhere this afternoon."

"Okay!"

It was strange at first, Jensen thought, like showing a guest around your home, but completely different because Matty wasn't going again after a few days. He pointed out the bathroom, his and Jared's room, and then opened the door to Matty's room. Jared came up behind him while Matty was still exclaiming at the decoration on the walls. He ran his hands over the surfboards, and touched the waves that Jared had painted.

"You like it, huh?"

"This is awesome! This is all mine?"

"Yep, everything in here. We'll bring your cases up later on and we can get all your stuff put away."

Matty went over to the tv that Jensen had put in and switched it on, then looked back at them both. "This is mine too?"

Jensen smiled and nodded. "Everything, yeah. But no watching it after nine pm. If you're staying up late to watch tv, you're doing it downstairs with us."

Matty grinned widely. "Sure thing."

"Hey, maybe we can set the ground rules down after lunch, huh?" Jared suggested, earning himself a playful shove from Jensen.

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, let's go eat."

Over lunch they went over Matty's school schedule and found that they didn't have to worry too much about getting him there since they were on the bus route. Jared would still be home in the morning by the time he left and he would be able to get off the school bus close to Jared's shop if Jensen was still on shift at the hospital when Matty's school day was over. Jared's opening hours meant that Matty wouldn't have to wait long before Jared could bring him home and, as Jensen pointed out, there was a quiet office there where he could wait and do school-work if he needed to. Matty seemed excited by the prospect of hanging out with Jared at work anyway.

Jensen did the dishes when they were done eating and Jared carted the bags upstairs. Jensen could hear them moving around up there, drawers opening and closing as they put things away. He wondered what Jared might be saying now, if he was talking about any of those rules he'd mentioned. When they came back down, Matty had the jacket they'd bought him over one shoulder and Jared followed close behind with one of Jensen's hoodies in his hand.

"Hey, all unpacked?"

"Yep!" Matty said, smiling. "All done."

"He needs more stuff," Jared said. "I think we should go shopping."

"No," Matty interrupted, drawing the word out. "I don't, honest." He looked like he felt uncomfortable with the whole idea of Jared and Jensen buying him more new things that afternoon, and Jensen kind of understood how he felt. Not that he'd been there, but this was Matty's first day with them. To spoil him on the first day would send out the wrong message and Jensen didn't want that.

"He's right, he really doesn't," he said. "But obviously you want to spend some money so maybe we can go look at some bikes."

Jared's head shot up at that. "Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Jensen shrugged. "Sure. You need a new bike. It's about time you stopped borrowing mine all the time. And I reckon Matty enjoyed looking at them last time, so maybe he can help you pick one out."

"Can I, now?"

"No," Matty giggled. He tugged on Jared's hand, pulling him a few steps closer to their destination.

"Now? How about now?"

Matty laughed again, pulling on Jared's hand. "Just wait," he told him. "You're gonna freak."

This time, Jared joined in on the laughter. "I am, huh?" he asked. He could feel Jensen's hand at his back, guiding him. They'd told Jared to close his eyes before they even got to the shop, so he had no idea where they were. He assumed it was a Harley shop, since they were motorcycle shopping, but the bikes revving in the immediate area didn't sound like Harleys. "Now?"

"Jeez, you're impatient," Jensen complained with a smile. He stopped Jared by grabbing hold of his belt and tugging. "Okay, Matty. Ready?"

"Yeah," Matty said, enthusiastically.

"Okay, tell him when you're ready."

Matty looked up at Jared, his eyes wide with excitement. "Okay, open them," he said.

Jared did as he was instructed and looked around. He found himself in the lot of the Indian Motorcycle dealership. He looked around, a little stunned, and quickly eyed several of the bikes.

Jensen could see how speechless he was. Matty could too, and the boy looked a little worried, but Jensen winked at him to reassure him. He leaned in and set his chin on Jared's shoulder. "Thought you might like a change," he said.

Still a little stunned, Jared turned enough so that he could look Jensen in the eyes. "Are you sure?" he said. "These ain't cheap sonsabitches." When Matty giggled, Jared realized that he should probably start watching his language. Again. He reached out and set a hand on the boy's head, pulling him in closer. Matty put his arms around Jared as they stood there, talking.

"Like a Harley is cheap?" Jensen asked.

He smiled, his eyelashes fluttering as he rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean."

"We paid cash for the car," Jensen said, shrugging his shoulders. "And, although it looks like a product of urban warfare right now, I know you'll get it looking great in no time. Set up payments on the bike. The shop is doing way better than anyone thought it would. You're probably going to actually make a profit this year, too."

A thought flashed through Jared's mind, about Jensen just letting him get such an expensive bike because of the trauma that he'd been through just recently. When you almost lose someone, you want to spoil them, to show them how much you love them. But, then again, he remembered that Jensen had always been good to him. This wasn't an unusual thing for him to do. "You know I love you, right?"

Jensen smiled, his eyes rolling up towards the sky for a moment. "Oh, I do," he agreed. "But it doesn't hurt to hear it every now and then."

Jared leaned in and pressed a kiss to Jensen's mouth, ignoring the grossed-out complaint from Matty, and said, "I love you, I love you, I love you."

Jensen wrapped his arms around Jared's neck and gave him a big, noisy kiss, then told him to go look at some bikes. He saw Matty peek out from between his fingers, where he'd slapped his hands over his eyes, and laughed at the boy. "You ready?"

"You guys are so gross," Matty giggled. "Come on, Jared. I want to see some bikes."

Jared let Matty tug futilely on his hand for a moment, his eyes meeting Jensen's. "God, I love this kid." He finally let himself be moved from his rooted spot in the lot and followed to where Matty pulled him. They saw a few bikes along the way. Matty pointed to a red one, a blue one, and even a purple one that Jared emphatically denied. But when they both saw the black bike, they stopped. The Chief Blackhawk was exactly what Jared wanted. He knew it from moment one.

"There she is," he said, a smile creeping across his face.

Eyes on Jared, Jensen's own smile grew, enjoying the emotions playing across the man's face. He had such a hard time with words, but those eyes -- they'd given Jared away more than once. He watched Jared graze his fingers over the glossy black finish, detailed with red, and knew that Jared would have it looking unique and customized in no time.

"Somethin' I can help you with?"

Jared turned, nodding his head. He rested one hand on the throttle. "Yeah," he agreed. "I want her."

The guy was shorter than Jared, more around Jensen's height, with gangly legs, a sunken chest, a giraffe-like neck, and sinewy arms. And when he smiled, it wasn't because he was agreeing with Jared's reaction to the bike. Instead, Jensen immediately tensed, sensing insincerity in the man's approach. "Yeah," he mumbled, setting his palm against the seat of the Blackhawk. "I don't think we have a bike for you."

Jared knew instantly what the man was saying. He didn't let his own smile falter. Instead, he chuckled. "Just for shits and giggles," he said to him, "you want to clarify what you mean?"

The man's smile was gone when Jared met his gaze again. "I mean we don't have a bike for you, or your kind."

Jensen motioned to Matty. The boy quickly and silently moved closer to Jensen, ducking under the man's hands, pressing his back up against him to watch the scene unfold. Jensen watched warily, readying himself for the moment that he'd have to turn away from the brawling men and get Matty to safety.

Jared, however, was still calm and cool. "Really?" he returned, more of a statement than a question. "I'll tell you what. You sell me this bike right here, right now, and I won't make it hard on you. You fucking refuse me, and I'll make you eat it. "

Jensen swallowed, his heart pounding. He hated confrontations like this. But Jared was right, he knew.

The salesman laughed, seemingly truly amused by Jared's ultimatum. "Try it, Pixie," he said to him.

"Oh, crap," Jensen sighed. He looked around the lot, seeing an ice cream parlor a little way down the street. He looked back at Jared and nodded towards the place. "We'll go get some ice cream."

"Okay," Jared agreed. He turned and locked eyes with the salesman. "See you in a while, babe."

It was rare that Jared called Jensen such a pet name, but Jensen knew it was just to annoy the salesman. He only looked back once, seeing both Jared and the salesman heading towards the showroom.

While they went, the salesman tried to explain to Jared that it was a standing order at the shop. No fags, no rags, and no hags. Jared was pretty sure the guy was just trying to cover his ass, but he didn't care. To shut the salesman up he only had to stop once, turn to the man, and glare. The salesman put his hands up in the air, probably realizing that Jared could do some serious damage.

Inside the shop, another man behind a desk smiled and stood. "Hey there," he greeted, extending his hand. "Jim Sykes. How can I help you?"

"I want the owner," Jared told him, no smile or friendly handshake in sight. The other employees around the place turned to look at him, phones ringing off the hook momentarily, but no one offered to help.

Jim lowered his hand. "I'm the owner. Is there a problem?"

Jared nodded, throwing a thumb back to where he'd left the salesman by the door. "Slick there wouldn't sell me your latest Blackhawk."

Jim looked at Slick. "Carmichael, is that true?"

He only shrugged. "Policy, Mister Sykes."

Jim remembered the break room conversation and turned his gaze to Jared, eying him up and down. Jared clearly didn't look like a "rag," which was a derogatory term that made Jared's teeth gnash together almost as much as what homophobes called him. And he definitely wasn't a hag. That left only a...

"A fag, in case you're wondering," Jared said, interrupting the man's thoughts. "And I'm sure the gay rights activists would love to hear about your little policy. Not to mention the Anti-Racist Action, and -- oh, hey, what about Women's Lib?" He grinned again, sinister and enjoying his spotlight moment. "Hell, I'll get PETA after you, if I have to. And you know how fucking nuts those guys are."

Jim held up a hand. "Now, Mister...?"

"Padalecki." He smiled sarcastically.

"Mister Padalecki," he nodded. "I'm very sorry. I'm afraid break room jokes have gone a little far."

"You think?"

"Yes, and I'm very sorry. Mister Carmichael and I would gladly sell you the newest Blackhawk we have."

"For a fucking fraction of the cost," he continued for Sykes. This is where he would make Slick eat the rest of the cost out of his own paycheck.

Sykes faltered for a moment, his breath slow and measured. His gaze wavered, locking onto Carmichael for a moment before slipping back to Jared's. "Yes, I think we could manage that."

Jared smiled brighter. "And I take it home tonight."

Sykes suppressed a sigh, nodding his head. "Of course," he nodded. "Let's head out to the lot, and you can show me which one you had your eye on."

Jared turned on his boot heel and in three long strides, he was at the front door. He looked at Carmichael. The man only held his gaze for a moment, then looked away. There would be no further confrontation from him. Jared could tell by the way he looked away, down at his feet. He didn't like to force people into doing what they should have to begin with, but he would if he thought they were talking down to him. None of Carmichael's coworkers had piped up to agree with him, and the company hadn't stood firm against him. It had been nothing but tough talk that they weren't prepared to follow through with.

After their ice cream was gone, Jensen and Matty played a couple of little wooden trinket games to waste some more time. When the novelty of those had worn off, Matty started to get restless. Jensen assured him that Jared wouldn't be much longer and, sure enough, they both heard the rumble of thunder after just another ten or fifteen minutes. Matty realized that it wasn't thunder, and sat up straighter, gasping and looking out the ice cream shop windows. "Wow, he got it!" he shouted, standing up in the booth seats.

"Okay," Jensen laughed. He stood up, fished out his wallet to leave a few bucks on the table as a tip, then moved over to Matty's side of the table. "Come on, let's go see him." He took hold of Matty's hand and helped him down from the booth seat.

Outside, Jared smiled, pulling off a shiny new black and red helmet. "Hey," he greeted.

"Wow, did you get it from them?" It was a stupid question, but Jensen couldn't believe it. He was sure heads were going to roll when he was there before.

"Yes, I did," he nodded, proud of himself. "And Captain Mouth-Off ate a shitload of the cost, too. Once I was done explaining his antics to his boss, they couldn't be nicer to me."

"Excellent," Jensen laughed.

"Can I go on it?" Matty asked, jumping up and down in place. "Can I? Can I?"

"Not right now," Jensen said.

"Aw, come on," he complained.

"You don't have a helmet, kiddo," Jensen reminded him. "And you saw what Jared looked like after his accident right?"

Matty frowned. "Yeah."

"And that was with a helmet."

"Mostly," Jared grinned.

"Mostly," Jensen chuckled. "We'll get you a helmet next weekend though, okay?"

"Okay," the boy said, sounding dejected. "Can I sit on it?"

"Yes, you can," Jared said, reaching down and hefting the boy into his strong arms. He helped him straddle the seat. Matty had to lean forward much too far in order to grip both handlebars in his hands. Jared set his helmet atop the kid's head and chuckled at him.

"It wasn't too bad was it?" Jensen asked, always remembering their past. How retaliations tended to follow.

"Nah," he scoffed. "A lot of hot air."

Jensen smiled down at the bike. "You like it?" he asked.

"It?" Jared feigned annoyance and disgust. "Her name is Sioux."

"Sue?"

"S-I-O-U-X-Sioux, not S-U-E-Sue."

"Oh," he returned, his voice soft and perhaps slightly patronizing.

"Get it? Indian, Sioux."

"Yeah," Jensen nodded. "I got it."

Jared smiled, leaned over and dropped a light kiss on Jensen's cheek. "I'm gonna take her home and call Jeff. Time to make the ol' bastard jealous." The words were said with a laugh in his voice, although Jensen still nudged him in the ribs and told him not to. Then he poked the front wheel with his toe and told Matty it was time to get off. The boy came down without a complaint, with some help from Jared, although he looked disappointed as Jared got back on. Matty passed the helmet back over with a sigh. "I'll see you back at home?" Jared asked.

"Yeah, we'll be right behind you," Jensen told him.

Jared just laughed, loudly. "I highly doubt that."

Jensen started to tell him not to run any red lights or break any sound barriers, but he had already tugged his helmet on and made out he couldn't hear the man before he started the bike up again. He gave Matty a little wave and then he was gone.

Matty was sat in the passenger seat of the car, not saying a word as he picked at a loose thread on the knee of his jeans. Jensen started the engine and backed out of the space, swung the car around and headed out in the direction that Jared had sped off in.

"So did you like that?" he asked, after a couple of minutes. He looked over at the boy, saw that he looked deep in thought and not particularly happy. "Hey."

Matty didn't look up, just kept staring at his knee and picking. Jensen lifted his hand from the wheel as he stopped for a red light and reached over, touched Matty's shoulder.

"What's up?" He figured it was to do with not being allowed on the motorcycle for very long, so he was surprised by the question that followed.

"Why was that guy so nasty?" Matty asked, his voice quiet.

Jensen looked ahead at the road, and moved both hands back to the wheel. "He just... He had a narrow mind."

"Because of you and Jared?"

"Not because of us, no." The lights changed and Jensen eased his foot down on the gas, following the traffic towards home. "We didn't make him that way. He's just got his own ideas, his own..beliefs, and maybe he doesn't agree with the ideas that me and Jared have."

Matty scowled at that. "He doesn't like that Jared loves you?"

Jensen could feel sweat prickling underneath his collar and he wished that Jared were here to help him out with this. Matty was watching him intently, he could feel it, and he swallowed, trying to think of how to answer. "Not everyone will," he said, eventually. "It's just something that we've gotten used to. The people we care about accepted it and that should be all that matters."

He'd obviously managed to find the right answer somehow, as Matty's scowl lessened and he nodded. "I care about you," he said, after a few moments. Now Jensen did look over at him, saw the boy watching him with worried eyes. He reached over and ruffled Matty's hair, laughing when he ducked away and leaned his head against the window beside him.

"Well, thanks. That's good to know. We both care about you, too."

"Is Jared okay?"

Jensen was puzzled by the question. But then he thought about it and realized why Matty might be concerned. Jared had gotten annoyed. It was likely that Matty thought the guy at the dealer's had upset him. "Yeah, sure. He's fine. Like I said, we've gotten used to it. Jared doesn't let stuff like that bother him anymore."

"Okay. Good."

They rode in silence for the next minute and then Matty asked if he could put the radio on. By the time they rolled into the driveway back home, and parked behind Jared's brand new motorcycle, they were both singing along to the classic rock station that Jared had tuned it into. The front door opened as Jensen shut the engine off and the car went quiet, and Jared came out. His helmet and leather jacket were gone, but he still had his heavy motorcycle boots on as he came down the drive toward them, Maya at his heels. He kissed Jensen over the top of his car door as he got out and told him he was just going to lock the bike away in the garage, but then he'd be right in.

"What do you want for dinner?" he asked over his shoulder, as he kicked up the stand and took the weight of the bike.

"Why, are you cooking?"

Jared smiled. "Thought I might, for a change."

Matty was out of the car too and he asked Jared what the choices were.

"We got steaks, chicken or homemade bolognese. All served with tasty vegetables because the good doctor needs his healthy eating." Jared winked at Jensen and then rolled the Indian towards the open garage door.

"Oh, man, I'm supposed to choose between that?" Matty asked.

"Chicken it is, then," Jensen said. "Matty, do you have any homework before tomorrow?"

"I did most of it yesterday," came the reply.

"Oh, just most of it. Alright then, you're doing homework while Jared makes dinner."

"What? Why?"

"Why not?" Jensen answered, a hand on Matty's shoulder as they went inside. "Come on, don't get me in trouble for you not doing your schoolwork on the first day."

"Jeez. Fine." He moved towards the stairs, away from Jensen, and hurried up them. After a couple of minutes he reappeared in the living room, where Jensen was sitting on the couch to pull off his shoes, and he had several books in one hand and a pencil tin in the other. "Where should I do this?"

"Right here if you want. You need a hand with anything?"

Matty shook his head as he sat down next to Jensen. "I'm all right."

They both heard Jared come in through the garage door and then Maya was there, bouncing up to put her paws on Jensen's knees. Matty reached across and petted her, and then turned until his back was against Jensen's side and brought his legs up to rest his book against his knees. It was oddly comfortable, considering, and Jensen knew that Jared was watching them both with a smile. He stayed quiet while Matty worked and while Jared moved around in the kitchen, just enjoying the peace.

Dinner was ready by the time Matty announced that he was done so Jensen left checking it over until they'd eaten. They talked about Jared's new bike while they ate, and about the next morning and what time everyone had to be up and to school. Jensen said that he had time before his shift started and would take Matty in for the first day so that he could meet his teachers and introduce himself. The three of them did the dishes afterwards and then Matty asked if he could go and take a bath.

"Sure thing. Uh, do you want-"

"I can do it," Matty interrupted.

"Just make sure you shut the door. Maya can get nosey and she isn't above diving in there with you."

Matty eyed the dog, waiting by her food bowl for any possible leftovers. "Really?"

"Oh yeah. She's done it to Jared before. That dog's a fruitcake."

Matty laughed. "Okay, I'll make sure."

"Don't lock it, though. We don't lock any doors in this house except for when we go out."

The boy just nodded at that and Jensen watched him go for the stairs. Once he was out of sight, Jared pulled Jensen back to the couch and onto his lap. Jensen settled back against his chest, shivering when Jared mouthed at the back of his neck. He turned his head and Jared found his mouth instead, eyes half-closed as they kissed. When his hand slid under the hem of Jensen's shirt and over his stomach, Jensen sighed contentedly as he pulled away from the kiss.

"You think we're doing okay?" he asked, resting his forehead against Jared's. He was turned awkwardly in Jared's lap, but he was comfortable anyway.

"Yeah, I think so. But it's only day one. We haven't had a tantrum, or a doctor's visit, or a school report yet. We have plenty to look forward to."

"You make it sound so awesome."

"That's because it is so awesome," Jared told him, squeezing a nipple between his fingers. Jensen hissed as he pulled on the bar that went through it, and Jared just nudged his head back up and kissed him again. "How long d'you reckon we've got?"

"No way. You're insane."

"It's been a long time since this morning," Jared explained.

"That may be, but he's only upstairs. I'm not getting carried away with this right now. We can wait until he's gone to bed. You can wait that long, surely?"

"I can try." Jared slid his hand back down again, patted Jensen's stomach, then moved it away from him and onto the back of the couch. Jensen missed the touch, but knew that Matty wouldn't take that long and that if Jared kept touching him the way he had been, he might not be able to help himself. They had to keep a tighter control on themselves now, and waiting for this wouldn't do them any harm.

Sure enough, it was only twenty minutes before Matty came back downstairs, dressed in his pajamas. It wasn't late, but Jensen supposed that it had still been a long day. The tv was on now and Jared moved over to make room for Matty to sit between them. He smiled at Jensen over the top of Matty's head. They stayed that way until the phone rang halfway through a show, and Jensen moved to answer it. He knew it would be one of three people and he wasn't disappointed.

"Jeff, hey. Figured it was going to be you, Mom, or Kenzie."

"I beat the girls to it, huh? So how's my new grandson settling in?"

"Really good. We had a busy day today."

"I'll bet. How're you and Jared coping? Are you managing all right?"

"C'mon, man, it's been one day. We managed with Holly for nearly a week. I think we'll be fine." He could hear the laughter in Jeff's voice as he agreed and he blushed. "Right. Of course you already know that. So actually I'm glad you called. We were looking at maybe coming home for Thanksgiving and I figure I should check that there'll be space for us all. We'll drive over and bring Maya with us, too."

"Yeah, I reckon between me and your mom we'll find the space. Thanksgiving, really? That's only a couple weeks away."

"I know. But... I'd like us to have our first Christmas together here. And I want you to meet him. I want him to meet you." Jensen knew that Matty was listening in and that he'd probably guessed that it was him that was being talked about, and he hoped this wouldn't make him anxious. A quick glance over at him showed that he was still watching the tv, but that he had slightly flushed cheeks and a smile on his face. "I think he'd like you."

"I'm a likeable guy," Jeff said. "You want me to tell Holly and Corey you're coming, or should I leave it as a surprise?"

"I'm thinking they should know. Or at least have the whole thing explained to them. I don't want Holly to feel left out of it, y'know?"

"Gotcha. We'll talk to the kids tomorrow about it. How's my other, bigger kid?"

"Jared? Oh, I think he's got something to tell you. Here, let me pass you over." He shoved the phone towards Jared with a grin. He could hear Jeff's reaction when Jared told him what they'd done that day, and he and Matty both laughed at the volume of it. "Said he'd be jealous," Jensen whispered, nudging Matty.

"So Jeff is Jared's dad?"

"Kinda, yeah. He brought Jared up after his real dad left. Like we're doing with you."

"So does that make Jeff my grandpa?"

"Sure, if you want. I reckon he'd like that. And my mom would definitely be okay with being your grandma."

Matty was silent for a moment, taking that in. "My real grandparents all died already," he said, suddenly. "So it's like I'm getting all these new ones to make up for it."

Jensen made a quiet noise at that, and swallowed before he spoke. "Yeah. Yeah, it is. And there'll be an auntie - my sister Kenzie. And an uncle - that's my brother Josh."

"You have a big family," Matty observed.

"Well so do you now. And you'll get to meet them at Thanksgiving. We'll drive over to Texas and stay a few nights and you can meet them all. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good." Matty settled down against Jensen's side again and Jensen gave in and put an arm around his shoulders. He stayed like that while Jared continued talking to Jeff and Stevie, making plans for their visit, and Jensen half-listened and half-watched tv. He wasn't surprised that, by the time Jared finally hung up, Matty had fallen asleep. It was starting to get late, after all.

"Should we wake him up?" he asked, as Jared slotted the phone back into its base.

"Nah. I'll take him upstairs if you want, put him to bed. Then I guess we'd better call your mom."

"Maybe she's just leaving it for now, letting us get settled."

Jared gave Jensen a look. "She's waiting on the edge of her seat to give you parenting advice, trust me. I just had the lot from Stevie."

"You learn anything good?" Jensen asked, jokingly.

"Nothing we won't kick ass at anyway." Jared got up and Matty didn't stir at all, so he picked the boy up and started for the stairs.

Jensen thought about following, but decided that he didn't want to move from where he was right now. He turned the tv off and waited for Jared to come back. When he did, he told Jensen that Matty hadn't even shown any sign of waking up and that he was fast asleep in his bed. Then he took the other end of the couch and pulled Jensen up against him, kissed his ear lobe. It made Jensen moan and tilt his head sideways.

"I thought I was meant to be calling my mom," Jensen said, his voice throaty as Jared kissed the side of his neck.

"Mm, I guess she can wait. She's got more patience than I have."

"Everyone has got more patience than you have."

"So true." Jared skimmed a hand down Jensen's front, squeezed gently between his legs. Jensen squirmed, groaning.

"So not having sex on this couch, Jay," he said, turning over in Jared's arms so that they were face to face. "Family couch now. Only place we're having sex is in our bed."

"Then can we at least make out for a little while?"

"Can you keep your hands out of my pants?"

Jared didn't answer, just pulled Jensen down into a slow, wet kiss. After that, Jensen didn't really care where he put his hands.

tbc