Trouble on four furry feet - Jensen/Jared - R

[benitle_writes]

Title: Trouble on four furry feet
Author: benitle
Pairing: Jensen/Jared
Rating: R
Summary: Jared brings home a stray kitten. Jensen is everything but amused.
Word Count: 10,786 words
Notes: Many thanks to mnemosime and hd_obsession for beta & read-through. You're fabulous, ladies. ♥ Inspired by this cat macro. When I saw this I thought about how Jared could smash it with his hands. But obviously, he never would. Instead, he'd love and adore it. Hence this idea was born.

This is a piece of fiction. It is not real. Feedback and concrit is appreciated. Please enjoy!


The cat is so small that it fits easily into Jared's large palm as Jared holds it for Jensen to see. The dogs start yapping, trying to jump Jared while the kitten looks rather unimpressed by the happenings around it. Jared holds his hand a little higher, away from Sadie and Harley.

It takes Jensen a few moments to register what's happening around him. Jared just brought home a kitten. A stray kitten that cannot be older than a few weeks. From day one Jensen knew that Jared had a gigantic heart and that he loved animals and probably, if Jensen let him, he'd turn the Padalecki-Ackles household into an animal shelter.'>If Jensen didn't know better, he'd say that Jared's hoodie just moved.

Jared had dropped it on one of the kitchen chairs - after gulping down a large glass of that pansy, pink isotonic drink he likes when he returns from his runs with the dogs - and then headed off toward the shower. The dogs are slurping up their water messily while Jensen enjoys his Sunday morning coffee.

And then, again -

Jensen could have sworn that the hoodie moved again. He shakes his head, trying to clear it. He hasn't even finished his first cup of coffee so he isn't probably fully functional yet, his mind still clouded after finally getting enough relaxing sleep.

Harley finishes drinking first and then trots over to Jensen for a good scratch behind the ears and because he knows that Jensen's a little more liberal with his favorite snacks than Jared. Or so Jensen thought. But instead of corrupting Jensen with his irresistible puppy eyes, Harley walks over to the hoodie and sniffles at it. He waggles his tail excitedly and Jensen thinks there's definitely something up. Before he can join Harley, Sadie does too and tries to bury her nose inside the sweatshirt.

Jensen's not surprised that the dogs are keen on Jared's smell, Jared's one of their caregivers, after all, and he loves and adores them, but this is a little unusual - even for them. When Jensen starts lifting the hoodie, he definitely sees that it moved, this time there's no mistaking. Quickly, he reaches inside the front pocket of the sweatshirt and when his hand meets something soft and warm and furry, he nearly shrieks, pulling out his hand quickly.

Thank God, he doesn't drop the hoodie, because Jensen's got the impression that whatever's inside there is not dead and maybe it would not appreciate falling to the ground. And now there's movement again.

"Having a Dean moment here?"

Jensen didn't even hear how Jared entered the kitchen. He's naked, except for the towel around his waist and the one around his shoulders he must have used to ruffle through his hair. Jensen's still too shocked to be able to appreciate the joke or the sight of Jared.

But Jared only laughs, rich and deep, and comes closer until he's standing next to Jensen. He presses a soft kiss to Jensen's mouth - their first of the day because Jensen doesn't like to be kissed before he's had the first cup of coffee. Carefully, Jared takes the sweatshirt from Jensen. He smirks at him and then reaches inside the pockets to pull out -

A kitten.

A real kitten. Blinking. And breathing. And looking at Jensen with big eyes. A real, blinking, breathing, looking kitten that opens its mouth and makes a tiny, thin, barely audible sound at Jensen. He doesn't believe his eyes at first.

The cat is so small that it fits easily into Jared's large palm as Jared holds it for Jensen to see. The dogs start yapping, trying to jump Jared while the kitten looks rather unimpressed by the happenings around it. Jared holds his hand a little higher, away from Sadie and Harley.

It takes Jensen a few moments to register what's happening around him. Jared just brought home a kitten. A stray kitten that cannot be older than a few weeks. From day one Jensen knew that Jared had a gigantic heart and that he loved animals and probably, if Jensen let him, he'd turn the Padalecki-Ackles household into an animal shelter.

Jensen loves the dogs and enjoys having them around but that doesn't mean he should let Jared get away with this. There are at least a million reasons that speak against having a kitten.

"Jared, you can't just bring a stray kitten home," Jensen reasons. "It belongs to someone. Someone's probably missing it right now, Jared."

Apparently though, Jared will have none of that. "But look how skinny it is! It looks as if it hadn't eaten in a while. If it belonged to someone, that someone would also feed it."

Damn it Jared and his logic!

Looks like this argument doesn't work so Jensen switches to plan B. A little more pleading, he says, "Jared, we don't have any supplies for cats. No litter box, no food, no bed, no scratching post, no toys -"

"The pet shop will be open tomorrow," Jared interrupts, defeating Jensen again in five seconds flat. And because this isn't enough and because Jensen doesn't know that he's already doomed, Jared adds, "It's a 10 minutes drive, Jen. We can buy stuff after we get back from work. Or we can ask someone to pick something up for us. And the Langowskis down the street have a cat. I'm sure we can borrow some cat food until tomorrow."

"Jared -"

"Jensen, please!" Jared pleads. "Please, Jensen, please! Look at him!"

As if this were its cue, Jared holds the kitten right in front of Jensen's eyes, so close that Jensen can smell how it stinks of rain and having lived outside all by itself without a loving home for way too long. It blinks adorably at Jensen, its little tongue coming out to lick its nose.

And wait, when did it become a he?

Jensen's at his wits end and the fact that Jared's mimicking Sadie and Harley's puppy dog expressions doesn't make his stance easier.

"I really don't know, Jared," Jensen tries again.

He gets distracted though when Jared starts petting the kitten, his hands completely engulfing the tiny, fragile body. The cat almost immediately starts purring, a low and happy hum and now that Jensen actually looks at it, he has to admit that it does look just skin and bones.

"D'you want to hold him?" Jared asks and before Jensen can say no, Jared's placing the cat in his hands. The kitten is soft and incredibly light. Its eyes are curious and inquiring, focusing on Jensen as if he were a fat salmon instead of human. And maybe, when it starts rubbing its head against Jensen's thumb, pushing its wet nose against the pad of Jensen's finger, maybe Jensen thinks they should give it a home until they can find the owner.

"Maybe," Jensen starts, "Maybe we could, you know, keep it for a few days. Until, uh, until we find the owner. We can make posters and stuff."

It's ridiculous how much Jared's face lights up, from zero to five thousand watt within three seconds flat. Jared bites his lip and nods his head - he's trying to be not too enthusiastic, Jensen sees right through him. Both Jensen and Jared know who just won.

"I'll go by Krista's to see whether they have some cat food for us, okay? Why don't you give the little guy some milk?"

Jared grins again and then he bends in and kisses Jensen softly. A kiss full of love and adoration that doesn't last nearly long enough, but before Jensen can complain, Jared's out of the door on his way to the Langowskis. Which leaves Jensen with a small petting zoo in their kitchen.

Milk, give the cat some milk. That he can do. Jensen eyes the kitten warily, contemplating for a second whether it'll be safe to sit it down. Sadie and Harley try to jump him excitedly and Jensen decides that it's not a good idea to put the cat down. In the end, the dogs will accidentally stamp it to the ground or something.

So instead, Jensen clutches the cat to his heart and walks over to the fridge. He takes out the milk, which only leads him to the next problem: they don't have a bowl. He finds a saucer - a gift from Jared's mother, that's what he gets for bringing home a stray kitten - then sets kitten and saucer down on the counter.

The prospect of food must be overwhelming. It only takes a few seconds until the cat lands - nose first - in the makeshift bowl, trying to slobber up as much milk as possible. Jensen actually has to pull it back a little, wondering whether cats can choke on milk and die and how it would make him look if Jared returned.

"Slowly, little one," he says but the kitten doesn't seem to listen. Or care.

He refills two times and only then the cat licks its muzzle, seemingly content. For now.

So what next?

Just as this is going to turn awkward - and really, why? This is a cat, not some network exec Jensen's supposed to make small talk with, stupid OCD - the kitty starts wandering around the counter. Who knew that such a little thing with tiny legs could run that fast? The last thing Jensen wants is fleas all over the place where he's going to prepare a meal later.

Yuck. Fleas! Jensen didn't even think about that. Who knows where the cat has been and what kind of parasites it has.

Quickly, he grabs the kitten, that meows and protests against the sudden movement, and then wraps it in Jared's hoodie - he totally plans on throwing it away afterward. He's just about to take it outside to their backyard when Jared comes back home. Talk about timing!

The dogs run over to Jared because usually Jared coming home means plenty of bellyrubs and no dog can say no to that, right? Jensen wants to take advantage of the situation and smuggle the cat out while Jared is distracted. He should have known that he'd never get this far.

"What are you doing?" Jared asks curiously.

Getting rid of the cat is probably not the most sensible thing to say. Think, Jensen, think!

"Uh, Junior here looked like he, uh, needed to pee. After all the milk. And stuff," Jensen stammers.

Jared grins warmly at him and then he joggles the plastic container that must contain some cat food. "After the two of you did your business, come back inside for some breakfast, okay?"

Oh wow. Jensen's relieved that he rescued the situation. However, the satisfaction only lasts for a few seconds, because - did Jared just talk to him as if Jensen had to go outside too to do his business? Jensen grumbles and mutters, but he has an appearance to keep so he takes the cat to the backyard.

Maybe, if he sets it down and doesn't look for a few seconds, it'll run away and then there'll be nothing Jensen can do.

Luck is not Jensen's friend today. As soon as he sets down the cat, it looks at him with big eyes (it looks a bit ruffled because it was practically hidden in the sweatshirt, it's almost adorable). Of course, instead of enjoying its new freedom and running away to discover the world, the kitten starts purring and straying around Jensen's legs, pushing its little head against him.

He knows when he has to admit defeat. Muttering to himself, Jensen picks it up, goes inside and decides to face his fate like a real man.

Jared rewards Jensen's incredibly brave behavior with a fresh cup of coffee - black, no sugar, just like Jensen loves it - and a bowl of Jensen's favorite cereal. The real reward though, is Jared's smile.

Over breakfast they decide the next steps and what to do with the nameless kitten. Before Jensen can convince Jared that they need to take pictures and make posters to find the owner, and before he can make Jared promise that they'll at least need to take it to the vet, Jared insists that the cat needs a name. Jared has decided that it's a boy and that hence, it needs a boys' name.

After Jensen says no to Cesar, Beethoven, Hercules, Pluto, Leonardo, Azrael, Tom and Macbeth, they finally settle for Joe.

Jared spends the afternoon making a temporary litter box out of junk lying around the garage, the cat - Joe - spends the afternoon hiding underneath the drawer in the living room (apparently overwhelmed by the new situation and surroundings now that he's been fed), Sadie and Harley spend the afternoon searching for Joe because they want to play, and Jensen spends the afternoon, well, moping.

Monday morning comes way too soon - like always. Half blind and not yet fully awake, Jensen stumbles out of bed and shuffles toward the kitchen to get his daily coffee fix. He knows that Jared always checks the timer of the coffee maker before he takes the dogs out for their daily run to make sure that there'll be fresh coffee by the time Jensen finally manages to get out of bed. Jensen might love him a little - or more than a little - for that.

Jensen mostly functions on autopilot until he's had his first cup. He doesn't really need his eyesight, the glasses on the bridge of his nose more decoration than anything else, as he finds his way blindly, only led by the delicious scent of coffee.

Until all of a sudden, he steps into something - wet.

Jensen's shriek is more to blame on being startled than anything else. Thank God there is no one around who could have heard it. It only takes him a few seconds to put two and two together: new + cat + not house trained = mess.

He's scared to look down, afraid to find out that he's standing in something worse than cat pee but really, what can he do? It's not like he can stay like this forever.

Jensen has been peed on before - his nephew, when the boy was still a baby, so Jensen should come mostly prepared, right? It's just a little pee. The thought nearly makes Jensen's stomach turn. Thankfully, he hasn't had any breakfast yet.

Slowly, he looks down only to see the evidence that confirms his theory. Jensen groans. This is not how a day should start. Jensen grumbles angrily, yet he knows that yelling for the cat and at the cat won't make any sense. The thing probably won't even remember what it did or understand that it just did something wrong. Besides, he wouldn't want to have to do his business in an old plastic canister that has been lined with nothing but old newspapers either.

Jensen sighs and continues muttering, yet he limps to the bathroom - don't spread it even further - to grab tissues so that he can clean up most of the mess. (And to wash his foot, thanks very much.)

When he reaches the kitchen, it turns out that Joe must have been waiting for someone, hiding somewhere in a corner. He meows and rubs against Jensen's leg as if nothing had happened. As if he weren't aware of any wrongdoing on his part - apparently he isn't.

Jensen ignores him on purpose because really, he's not supporting a cat peeing into his home. But it's getting harder and harder. Once Jensen sat down with his mug - hmm, steamy, hot coffee - he notices light poking at his calf. When he looks down, he sees that it's not poking but that Joe is trying to get his attention by using him as a human scratching post. Look how that worked out.

This is the moment he needs to be strong and he needs to stay mad. He didn't want a cat so Jared will have to take care of his animal shelter all by himself. Although Jensen has to admit that it's getting a bit harder with each moment. Yesterday, he didn't even realize how ridiculous Joe looks. Because he's still so tiny, his head too big for his small body and his ears are barely visible underneath the mass of fur on his out-of-proportion melon head. He is a little adorable - just a little.

Joe sits down and stares at Jensen with big eyes and all Jensen does is stare back. Eventually, Jensen is rescued when the door opens and Jared returns with the dogs. He wants to tell Jared about the pee accident but when the dogs enter the kitchen, Joe is sent running and then Jared is kissing him good morning and it's all no longer important.

They go through their morning routine quickly and by the time Jared searches for his shoes, Clif's already at the door, calling for them. Jensen hollers for him to come in and as soon as he sees the big man, he's got an idea.

"Hey, Clif. I got something for you," Jensen says. Quickly, he looks around, searching for Joe. He sees a tiny, furred paw peek out from Joe's favorite hiding place, underneath the drawer in the living room.

"Don't you need a kitten? I'm sure your kids would love him," Jensen suggests with plenty of hope.

Clif gives him a curious look, so Jensen reaches underneath the drawer and with some gentle pulling, manages to get the kitten out. When he presents it to Clif, just like Jared did to him the day before, Clif grins and shakes his head. "Nah, my wife would kill me if I brought home a cat."

And another ingenious plan goes down the drain. Joe manages to look entirely innocent and cute and all Jensen can do is sigh and mutter, "Maybe I should have killed my wife, too."

Clif only laughs, loud and hard. Joe flinches and struggles to get away from the sound. When Jensen makes the mistake of not letting go of him immediately, it earns him a couple of scratches. Jensen curses and drops him, while Clif simply keeps laughing.

"Actually, Jen, this would make you the girl in Jay's and your relationship."

Leave it to Jared to come down exactly that moment. He grins and when Clif holds out his fist, Jared bumps it with his own. "See, baby, always told you, you're the girl."

He kisses the side of Jensen's neck - Clif is one of the few people who knows about them - and totally ignores Jensen's glare.

"Hey, have you met Joe yet?" Jared asks, grabbing the kitten from the floor.

"Joe, eh?" Clif says mischievously.

But Jared just keeps grinning, happy and proud, like a father who shows off his son's trophies from Minor League Baseball. "He's the best."

Jensen holds his breath when Clif takes the cat from Jared. Both Jared and he are tall guys who work out, but Clif is a totally different dimension. It's amazing how such a big, physical guy can be so gentle with something so small and fragile as Joe.

"Actually," Clif says and faster than Jensen can blink, he grabs Joe's tail and lifts it. The kitten shrieks and hisses so Clif quickly sets him down. "Looks more like a Joe-sephine to me."

It takes some time to convince Jared that taking Joe (they decided to keep calling her Joe - short for Joe-sephine) to set is a bad idea and that it will only stress the kitten. Instead, they take the dogs - because being around the dogs and being alone with them all day with no one watching them is a risk they don't want to take. Not that the dogs would hurt the cat on purpose but the concern results from Sadie and Harley's excitement about the new addition to the family. And that they're just dogs; they don't really understand in their enthusiasm and their wish to play that Joe is so much smaller than them and that she's scared.

While Jensen and Jared and the dogs drive to set, Joe is left to herself with all doors open so that she can settle in and explore her new home without being disturbed. Jensen pretty much protested against the doors all open policy because the last thing he wants in his room is cat hair on his bed (Joe might be small, but you should never underestimate a cat - who knows how high she can jump). Ah, okay, okay, he admits it, the last thing he wants is cat pee on his bed, but Jared unfairly used the puppy eyes as a weapon and Jensen had to admit defeat.

Again.

They're filming a Dean-centric episode today, which results in Jared having more idle time than is good for him. There are some issues with the sound equipment, which means production comes to a halt until somebody figures out how to solve the problem. As soon as Kim calls it a cut, Jared is in Jensen's personal space and whispers that they could go home and check in on Joe.

All Jensen can do is stare at Jared. If he has to hear the word Joe one more time this morning - bad enough that Jared kept telling everybody how Jensen and he adopted a kitten; a kitten Jensen hasn't even agreed to keep yet - he's going to throttle Jared. (The sensible thing for Jared to suggest would have been to head to one of their trailers for a quick shag.)

In the end, they decide to go to a pet store instead to buy at least the essentials like a litter box (Jensen still hasn't told Jared about the incident), wet food (turns out Joe can't even eat dry food yet) and whatever else you need as a cat owner. The fact that they come out of the store with five bags and definitely a little more than the essentials should have told Jensen already that he's on his way to damnation.

When they get home in the evening, Jensen half expects all of his things to be shredded into pieces - because with little devils on four furry feet you never know. The trace of petals should be a sure sign that something is not quite right here. Following the way, Jensen can't suppress the evil cackle when he sees that, indeed, things are shredded into pieces - but not his things.

Jared takes it all with an easy sereneness that drives Jensen mad. Why can't Jared be angry? Why can't Jared want to get rid of the cat? Why is Jared fawning over the thing so much?

Instead, Jared searches for Joe, feeds and pets her and shows her all the things they bought for her today. Jensen doesn't understand what's going on any more.

Thankfully, Joe loses interest in Jared by the time dinner's ready or otherwise Jensen would have had to surgically remove Jared from the cat. They eat in silence, Jared always craning his neck as if he were looking for Joe. Jensen doesn't mean to sound like a petulant child but a little attention would have been nice.

They spend the little that is left of their evening on the sofa together, beer in their hands. The dogs are snoozing in front of the fireplace; Jared's head is in Jensen's lap. Absent-mindedly, Jensen runs his hand through Jared's hair, massaging his scalp with gentle but steady pressure. Jared hums softly, drawing an invisible pattern on Jensen's thigh. It's ridiculously domestic how they cuddle up on the couch like an old married couple - though neither would ever describe them as an old married couple or call this cuddling - right until the moment there is a small, squeaky sound.

Just as Jensen wants to say, "Don't," Jared sits up and looks down. He smiles and picks Joe up from the floor, clutching her to his chest. It's amazing how the kitten appears even tinier than usual against Jared's large form. Jensen never really gave it a lot of thought but Joe can't be older than a few weeks.

Jared's features soften as he looks at the cat and coos at her. He strokes her gently, rubbing his thumb carefully over Joe's little head and is rewarded when Joe blinks sleepily at him and starts purring. They sit together in silence for a while, the only sound the confirmation of Joe's happiness.

A thought starts brooding inside Jensen, something he's been pondering all day. Something he doesn't know how to bring up and how to say without sounding like a heartless jerk. When Jensen steals a glance to the side, Jared is smiling, his eyes closed. He looks relaxed, soothed and content.

Jensen has to clear his throat three times until Jared finally opens his eyes and gives him attention.

"Jared," Jensen starts carefully. "You do remember what we agreed on yesterday, right?"

Jared looks at him curiously, a little confused. For a moment Jensen fears that Jared forgot and that he'll have to remind him. But then Jared squints at him, his forehead furrowed.

"Jen-"

Jensen hates that he'll have to be so blunt about it but Jared promised.

"Jared. We are not going to keep Joe," Jensen insists. "You know that I only agreed to let her stay yesterday because we were going to make posters to find her owner."

Jared looks miserable and Jensen's heart is breaking a little more with each second, yet he can't tear his gaze away from Jared.

"But she likes it here," Jared says quickly. "We can give her a good home, Jen. We have the space too. It's just one cat."

Hope is written all across Jared's face and Jensen feels his objection melt away. The sound of Joe purring is really unnerving right now and it certainly does not work in Jensen's favor.

"Don't give me that look, dude. That's not fair," Jensen says as long as he still has some kind of power over himself - it's fading with each heartbeat.

"Jensen, please. It's not like a cat's a lot of work," Jared pleads desperately. "You don't have to take them out for walks or anything. We can handle a cat. I can feed her and play with her and take her to the vet. You don't have to do anything. I'll take care of her myself. Just let her stay."

"Jared, I said no. We're going to take pictures of her and we will put up posters tomorrow." It's getting harder and harder for Jensen to keep his stance. He can feel his determination slip away as he looks at Jared's face. But Jared and he decided this together and Jared can't just break their agreement. "I live here too. You can't just bring a pet here without asking me first."

Apparently, Jared can't let this go. From the corner of his eye, Jensen sees how Jared tightens his grip around Joe as if he feared Jensen was going to take her away from him any second. "Jensen," he tries again.

If Jensen gives in now, he's fucked forever. "No, Jared. This is the end of the discussion."

The look of pain on Jared's face breaks Jensen's heart and when Jared says, "I'll take out the dogs for a short walk," there's defiance in his voice. Anger and frustration. Jensen hates how upset Jared sounds.

Before he can gather his thoughts and find something to make him better, to make this situation better, Jared is already out the door. They hardly ever fight and the fact that Jared just walked out on him, that Jared just left because he needs to blow off steam and can't be around Jensen right now, makes Jensen feel incredibly miserable. He loves his harmony and he loves Jared. The worst possible scenario Jensen could ever imagine is Jared being mad at him.

Jensen gets up from the sofa quickly, following Jared to the door. For a moment he fights with himself whether he should follow Jared or not. In the end, he decides it's better if he gives them both some time to cool down. With a sigh, Jensen lets himself fall back onto the sofa. He keeps staring at his folded hands in his lap for a while and only when there's a weak, squeaky sound right next to him does he tear his gaze away.

He totally forgot about Joe, who's on the sofa right next to him and focusing on him with huge, round eyes. He gives her a stern look but the cat doesn't move away. Far from it. Joe puts a furry foot on Jensen's side and before Jensen even can blink, she jumps onto him, using her claws to pull her tiny body up. She's on his chest, facing him as if she expected him to give her the okay.

When Jensen reaches for her to put her down again - the last thing he wants now is cat hair all over his shirt, or cat in general - she digs her claws into and through his shirt, clinging to him as if her life depended on it. Jensen lets go of her quickly, a curse falling from his lips because her goddamn claws are fucking sharp.

"Down," Jensen commands but when Joe only blinks at him, Jensen has to learn that a cat is not a dog and that Joe does what Joe wants. And not what Jensen wants. He tries setting her down again - not more successful than the last time. She meows at him as if she wanted to tell him to stop playing games and to accept his fate as a warm, human pillow.

Jensen sighs and tries to be angry. He glares at her again but Joe ignores him blissfully. Suddenly Joe starts stomping her little feet, kneading Jensen's chest. She starts purring too, in synch with her pushing and pulling movements. Her claws dig through Jensen's shirt again as she keeps stepping on his breastbone over and over again.

Just as Jensen wants to grab her again and set her down, Joe lays down, folding herself into a small bundle. She yawns and then she blinks at him a few times, before she finally closes her eyes. Her breathing slows down and she looks as she wore a smile on her face.

Oh fantastic.

Joe sleeping actually gives Jensen the first time to really look at her. He had realized before that she's small and that she can't be older than a few weeks. Her coat is various shades of brown and black with a bit of white on the chest. It almost seems as if she was wearing a bib. The striped pattern makes her resemble a mini-tiger, only in different colors.

The longer Jensen looks at her, the closer he gets to admitting that maybe, just maybe, she is kinda cute. That doesn't mean he wants to keep her, though. And fuck, if that doesn't remind him of something.

Without moving too much - it's not that he doesn't want to disturb the cat, he just doesn't want her to knead him through again now that she's finally settled - he fishes his cell out of his pocket and presses speed dial number one. For a split second, Jensen fears that Jared's not going to pick up and that Jared doesn't want to speak to him ever again. But thankfully, it only takes two rings until Jared answers.

"Hi," Jensen says, willing to take the first step. "Listen, Jay, I - I'm sorry, okay?"

There's a pause and Jensen gets nervous because Jared doesn't say anything. So Jensen simply goes on, "I'm sorry about earlier. I just - I was upset because we decided we'd search for a new owner and we had agreed on that. And if we agree on something, we both have to go through with it."

Jared sighs and it's loud enough that Jensen could have sworn Jared's right next to him and not God knows where. He doesn't really want to do this through the phone but he'd rather solve this face-to-face. All he wants is Jared. His family.

"Come home, please?" Jensen pleads softly. "Let's talk about this."

There's another pause and then, finally, Jared says something. "Yeah, I'll be home in 30 minutes."

And after a few more seconds pass, he adds, "I'm sorry, too."

Jensen didn't even realize falling asleep. What he does realize though is Jared shaking him just barely, waking him up. Jensen blinks a few times, his eyes hurt because he fell asleep with his contacts in again. There's a gentle expression on Jared's face and it takes a few more moments until Jensen processes the situation around him.

He's still on the sofa where he must have fallen asleep, his cell still in hand. Jared's towering over him, smiling softly - a smile that warms Jensen's heart so much that he immediately forgets about their earlier fight. When Jared leans down and kisses him, whispering against Jensen's lips, "Let's go to bed, baby, the sofa's gonna kill your back," Jensen doesn't even think about objecting.

As he sits up, or rather tries to, Jensen's chest feels heavy. Realization slowly creeps upon him when Joe stirs a little. She's been sleeping on Jensen the whole time. And Jared saw it.

Jared's smile turns into a grin as he collects the sleeping bundle and carries it toward his bedroom. He winks at Jensen over his shoulder and says, "Come on, sleepyhead."

By the time Jensen joins Jared, Joe's been placed in the little nest they bought for her and Jared's undressing and getting ready for bed. They go through their routine quickly and after Jensen is settled against Jared, warm and secure in his arms, Jared whispers against Jensen's scalp, "Let's talk about this tomorrow, okay?"

Jensen knows that whatever tomorrow brings - he doesn't stand a chance.

Leave it to Jared to bring the subject up the next morning when they're at the sink, brushing their teeth.

"'y ca- we 'eep 'r? 'y can Dsho stay wiff us?"

Jensen cocks an eyebrow at Jared. There's white foam dripping down Jared's chin and, if Jensen didn't know better, he'd be worried about Jared right now. "What?"

Jared spits into the sink and the fact that Jensen's dick twitches a little is a sad but clear sign that it's been way too long since he last got laid. Stupid long working hours.

"I said, why can't we keep Joe? What speaks against her staying with us?"

And there it is. The conversation Jensen has been dreading and that he cannot avoid by any means.

"Because we made an agreement, Jared. This, I know it sounds girly, but this is a partnership, Jared. That means we're deciding things together. And if we do, we'll have to go through with the decisions we make."

Jared grins mischievously at Jensen. With a wink, he says, "But if we both changed our minds and came to a new agreement, that would be okay, right?"

"Nice try," Jensen laughs. He's relieved that this doesn't seem to lead to a fight. Jensen's not sure he could stomach another argument this early in the morning.

"Jensen, she likes you. And I know that you like her. Please!"

There's this pleading look on Jared's face. Soon enough it turns into another cheeky smile and Jensen knows that Jared's thinking about how he found Jensen and Joe last night, sleeping on the sofa together.

Jensen has to admit that he found her presence soothing as soon as she actually lay down and started purring. So yeah, maybe he thought a little about keeping her. Not that he would ever admit that to Jared. Not like this, not right away.

"Okay, let's do the following," Jensen suggests. "We'll make the posters tonight and put them up."

He gives Jared a stern look when Jared tries the puppy dog eyes again. Quickly, Jensen goes on, "If we don't find a new owner within the next 2 weeks, we'll keep her."

Leave it to Jared to try and negotiate, huge smile on his face, "One week."

"One and a half."

Jared holds out his hand and says, "Deal," and Jensen thinks he might just have sold his soul to the devil.

When Jensen shakes Jared's hand, Jared pulls him close and whispers against his lips, "I love you and your cold, icy heart."

"Oh, shut up," Jensen chuckles. But his kiss says it all - I love you, too.

One thing Jensen insists, though, is that they're taking Joe to the vet. No matter whether they'll keep her for a week or - Jensen doesn't even want to think about it. He's not having an undefined and unsecured source of flea or worm host walk around his home, bury herself in the clothes he drops to the floor after undressing or hide inside his shoes. He's totally seen her do all this.

They manage to wrap a little early and as Jared, Joe and he are sitting in the vet's waiting room, it feels strangely like married, gay couple to him. There's a little girl and her mother with their rabbit on the other side of the room and the girl keeps trying to peek into their carrier. She tries to be subtle but she's not. It's clear that she thinks the tiny kitten that's making unhappy sounds is more interesting than her rabbit and its wobbling nose.

Jared's too busy making cooing noises at Joe to calm her down to notice. For a split second, Jensen contemplates whether he could just ask the mother flat out whether they want to take the cat home, but then he remembers that Jared and he have an agreement and that he has to stick with it.

It is a little heartbreaking how upset Joe seems to be inside the carrier. She's probably scared, the situation new and such a big difference to walking around Jared's house freely the first few days they've had her. Not that Jensen would ever admit it, but the sounds are getting through to him a little.

They're finally called inside where their vet - Amanda - greets them with a firm handshake. She asks briefly about Sadie and Harley and then inquires about the reason they're here.

"Jared found a stray cat," Jensen says.

Amanda winks at them and again, Jensen can't shake the feeling of married, gay couple. "Let's have a look then, shall we?"

Jared grins and opens the carrier before he carefully pulls Joe out. Joe looks terrified, hissing and arching her back.

Amanda pets her softly before she takes her from Jared to do her thing that vets do. She looks into Joe's eyes, ears and looks at her teeth. She examines her fur, prods and pokes and Joe doesn't seem to like it. Amanda confirms that Joe is indeed a girl and that she's maybe six or seven weeks old.

"Are you going to keep her?" Amanda asks casually. And there it is, the bad question.

Jared bites his lip so Jensen answers for the both of them, "We don't know yet. We're searching for the owner, but obviously we're not going to toss her out on the street either. Do you happen to know anybody who might want her?"

Jensen doesn't even listen to Amanda properly as she says she'll start asking around, all he notices is the disappointment on Jared's face. Jensen's never hated himself so much in his life before.

They go through with their appointment. Amanda gives them many helpful tips on how to house train Joe and how to make sure she develops properly. She lectures them for feeding her cow milk (which could have led to diarrhea - Jensen's glad he just stepped into pee the other day) and gives them some kind of special formula instead that'll help cocker Joe up and to make her gain weight. Joe is being dewormed and they make a plan when they'll have to come back for vaccination and sterilization - if they decide to keep her.

Everybody's quiet on their way back home - even Joe doesn't find it in her to protest against being held in the carrier. Jensen feels guilty, which is stupid because Jared and he have an agreement. Yet Jensen feels like a total ass because it doesn't take a genius to figure out that Jared's upset over this.

Back home Jared withdraws even more, going up to his room and closing the door behind him. That leaves it to Jensen to take Joe out of the carrier, snap a few pictures and get the posters done. As soon as he sets Joe down, she runs away to hide underneath the drawer in the living room and the fact that Jensen's all by himself with everybody hiding from him is a sad, sad reflection of his pathetic life.

Things are tense between Jared and Jensen the next day. It's ridiculous, but it gets better throughout the day and Jared even pulls Jensen with him during one of their breaks to steal a few kisses, so Jensen doesn't complain.

The week passes with no one calling to inquire about the cat or claiming that Joe's theirs. Jensen put up the posters on Tuesday evening after they returned from the vet and when Friday evening arrives, no one has called.

Jared tries to be subtle about his plan of winning Jensen's love for Joe, but of course, Jensen can look right through him. Whenever Jared brings Joe with him to the sofa to sit down next to Jensen, it doesn't take long until he's nudging Joe in the direction of Jensen. Jensen just gives Jared and Joe a dismissive look, only to have Jared call him Grumpy McGrumpy-Pants.

Jensen doesn't miss either how Jared insists a few times that Jensen feed Joe. And how happy Jared looks when Joe rubs herself against Jensen's legs in thanks, purring as if her little life depended on it.

It's stupid how Jensen's restraints are slipping away but sometimes Joe is just too adorable. She gets used to Sadie and Harley and she's definitely not taking any crap from the dogs. She's sleeping in their nests instead of her own - Sadie's tail being, apparently, the most fun toy out of all toys Joe has and Harley apparently needs a bath when Joe starts licking his ear.

Jensen and Jared are on the sofa, watching a rerun of Kill Bill because they are manly men and need some manly reassurance in the form of a bloody action movie. Jensen's so engrossed in Uma Thurman butchering person after person that he almost misses the constant pulling at the seam of his sweats.

Looking down, he finds Joe jumping onto the fabric where it curls onto the floor. She tries to catch it with her paws and when Jensen wiggles his leg a little, making his pants move, she digs her claws right into it. Too bad though that Jensen's foot is still underneath it.

He jumps with a shriek, more out of surprise than actual pain but it's enough to send Joe running too. Jared roars with laughter, his head thrown back and neck exposed. Jensen glares at him but it only makes Jared laugh even harder. When Jared pulls him down onto his lap, Jensen goes willingly.

"Don't tell me you don't love the cat," Jared whispers. Before Jensen can say anything in return, Jared kisses him, hard and passionate.

They spend the weekend trying to house train Joe. It's been hard during the week because they weren't around during the day. As a result, their weekend consists of quickly grabbing Joe and carrying her to the litter box whenever she sits down to do her business. Jared's the one who takes the role of Mother Cat and shows her how she has to use her paws to hide it and Jensen's Father Cat who gives her a treat whenever she's done it right.

Jensen's pretty okay with this role assignment.

They also try to teach her that the scratching post is a better place to sharpen her claws than the furniture or whatever else is nearby.

Jared takes great delight in playing with Joe and maybe, yeah maybe, it warms Jensen's heart a little, seeing Jared so carefree and happy. Maybe it makes him a little happy too how Joe ignores all of the expensive toys they bought for her because Jared's old shoelaces are way more interesting anyway. She's not yet very good at hunting as she hides (not really, with half of her body always peeking out) behind a leg of a chair and always jumps out way too soon. But it doesn't matter because she plays with such enthusiasm and Jared is so happy.

Not that Jensen would ever admit that to Jared.

Sunday is Jensen's most favorite day of the week. They have it off and Sunday is their day for lazing. The groceries have been bought on Saturday, the laundry has been washed and the house has been cleaned. After Jared walks the dogs and they have breakfast together, Sunday is usually Jensen and Jared time where they go back to bed and spend the day reconnecting.

It feels like it's been forever since the last time they've done this. There have been kisses and handjobs, blowjobs and dry humping, but not this. Not when they take their time exploring and biting and teasing, working each other up so much that a simple touch is enough to push them over the edge.

It's been way too long since Jensen has felt Jared like this. Naked behind him, strong and sweaty, inside him and around him. Jensen's uncovered need is so strong it almost hurts. Jared's doing him just right, hard and passionate and Jensen thinks that if he died right now, he'd die a happy man.

Over the groans and grunts, Jensen nearly misses the sound. It's faint, the scratching and chirping but it's undeniably there. Sadie and Harley learned the meaning of Sundays and that a closed door means there's no sense in barking, but it looks like Joe hasn't got the memo yet.

Jensen tries to ignore her, especially when Jared hits the spot just right. But then Jared slows down, despite Jensen telling him to go harder, faster, more. Jensen doesn't have a very good feeling about this.

When Jared pulls almost all the way out, so far that only the head of his dick is inside Jensen, Jensen desperately hopes that Jared's gonna slam back in. What he does not expect is Jared asking, "Did you just hear that?"

Jensen groans - not the good kind of groan - and hisses, "Padalecki, if you stop now, you're not getting any till your 40th birthday."

And there it is again. The sound of Joe letting them know that she's displeased with being on the wrong side of the door, the sound of her wanting something, even if it's just for them to open the door so that she can walk around as usual.

Jensen feels like the protagonist of a bad movie when Jared pulls all the way out, wraps a sheet around himself and walks to the door to open it. From where he's still on the bed on all fours, naked, hard, unsatisfied, Jensen can see Joe ducking as if she were getting ready to leap at her prey and then jumping away playfully.

Jared laughs and turns around to Jensen, "Jen, she just wants to play."

And no, no, no! This can't be real. When Jared reaches down to put on his boxer briefs, Jensen grumbles, "Yeah, me too."

Jared later tries to make it up to him but Jensen just mopes and hopes that they'll find an owner for Joe within the next week. His and Jared's sex life is already pathetic enough with their crazy work commitments. He certainly doesn't need someone to ruin the little bit of sex he gets these days.

In the end, it looks as if Jensen has to spend his Sunday in bed alone. He's staring at the ceiling while Jared is busy doing whatever. Jensen's lost in thought when he suddenly hears the sound of shuffling. He looks up and around the room but doesn't see anybody.

When the sound doesn't stop, he finally remembers to maybe check below Jared-height too. Turning to the side and glancing down, he finds Joe on the carpet between bed and wall. She's rubbing her head against Jensen's slippers, slowly but steadily pushing them toward the headboard. As if she wanted to imitate Sadie or Harley and bring Jensen his house shoes.

"Hey," Jensen says softly.

When Joe looks up, Jensen could have she appeared to be smiling. Only that cats don't smile. It becomes harder and harder to stay mad at her for practically ruining his sex life.

On Monday, Jensen calls Amanda.

"I'm sorry, Jensen, but I still haven't found anybody who wants her," she apologizes before Jensen can even explain why he's calling.

Quickly, Jensen says, "No, no, that's not why I'm calling."

He can almost hear how a confused expression spreads on her face. Amanda sounds worried when she asks, "Is everything all right with the dogs and the cat?"

Thing is… Jensen's not sure.

"No, I, uh, I don't know. Can I ask you a question?"

When Amanda tells him to go ahead, Jensen goes on, "The other day, Joe, I mean, the cat, started suckling at my shirt. We were on the sofa and yeah."

After a pause, he adds, "That can't be normal, right?"

Jensen feels a little stupid when Amanda laughs. There's nothing spiteful or malicious about her laugh - instead, it's friendly and soft. Jensen fears that the answer is going to be painfully obvious and that he just made a complete fool out of himself, calling their vet - their vet, not Jared's vet - from where he's hiding behind one of the trailers at set because he doesn't want Jared to know that, maybe, he's a little concerned about the well-being of their cat.

Man, Jensen's fucked.

"I'd say Joe accepted you as her mother cat." Amanda explains. "It's not uncommon for kittens that haven't been fully weaned before they left their mothers to adopt a new maternal figure. Sometimes that can be a human."

"Oh," Jensen states ever so eloquently. There you go with the how to make yourself look like a fool for beginners.

"Did she knead you before she started suckling at your shirt?" Amanda asks next.

Jensen thinks for a moment, back to last night when he was at home while Jared took out the dogs. Thinks back to how Joe found him and how he had great trouble getting rid of her again and again. Every time he thought he fended her off, she simply came back because her agenda apparently said Annoy the human.

"Yeah," he admits hoarsely. He's not sure he likes where this is going.

"She definitely accepted you as her new mother, Jensen. And with the kneading and suckling, she tried to nurse from you. But don't worry about it," Amanda reassures - it's easier said than done. "Your cat is perfectly normal."

And great, this is just what Jensen needed to hear.

The flu goes around on set and it hits Jensen on Tuesday. Even though Jensen feels like death warmed up, he suggests that he can work but after spending all morning fucking up his lines and killing each and every scene he's in, the whole team - Jared first and foremost - insists that he go home.

Clif drives him and Jensen doesn't even register properly how he makes it back to the house. He finds himself on the sofa, covered with a blanket, hot water bottle underneath his feet with plenty of tea on the coffee table. Clif says something about calling if he needs anything and he waves something in front of Jensen's eyes that looks like a cell phone.

Jensen nods and lets his eyes drop shut for only a split second. Or so he thinks. When he opens his eyes again, he has to blink a few times to adjust to the darkness. The sun already set but there is no way of telling how late it is. Not without moving, and moving is not an option right now. There's a faint shimmer of light, which Jensen thinks must be the lamp on the drawer by the door.

"Jared," Jensen calls after clearing his throat three times to make his voice work.

No answer.

He's not really surprised that Jared's still at work. Jensen's pretty sure that if Jared were at home, he'd be right in his personal space, fawning over him and being all mother hen. He sighs. Jensen doesn't want to sound like a wuss, but his whole body is aching, just thinking about moving hurts and he really wishes he weren't alone right now.

This is when he hears it.

The soft sound of purring. A thin meow to say hello. He turns his head to the side just in time to see Joe stroll toward him. Jensen thinks he's never been happier to see her. When she reaches him, she rubs her head against his face. It tickles Jensen's nose and he has to smile.

He did a bit of reading about cat behavior when Jared wasn't looking and Jensen learned that rubbing her head against them is a way to show affection, a way to show, hey, human, you and I, we belong together and right now it warms Jensen's heart a little.

"Hi there, furball. Good to see you," he croaks.

He brings a shaky hand up and gently strokes it over Joe's little body. Immediately he's rewarded with more purring, the most beautiful and relaxing sound he can think of right now. She settles against him and Jensen closes his eyes again and lets himself be lulled to sleep by the soothing sound of his cat snuggling up with him.

The next days pass in a blur but at least Jensen gets better and better. Turns out he's got a pretty aggressive virus which means he's been banned from set in order not to bring down the whole production by infecting each and every member of the crew. Even Jared has to keep some distance, which is hard - for the both of them.

It's Friday and Jensen's still incredibly weak but he's over the worst. His doctor even estimated that he should be able to get back to work next week - to everybody's relief. Except for Jensen's, maybe. After he was through with the high fever and could actually move around the house again and take care of himself, he pretty much enjoyed being at home. He spent most of the time sleeping (just what the doc ordered!) and during his awake time, he had awesome company.

Jensen's not gonna admit it but it turns out that playing with Joe is actually quite a lot of fun. Her favorite toy is still a pair of old shoelaces that she can spend hours chasing. Add Sadie and Harley to the mix and you can be sure that Jensen has been everything but bored. When they are done with playing, everybody's curling up in their destined spots: the sofa.

As the week drags along, Jensen finds himself minding less and less that no one has called to claim Joe yet. Jared keeps being all over her - not that Jensen is really surprised. Their one and a half weeks are nearly over and Jensen knows that if they haven't found a new owner by Sunday, he promised Jared that they could keep the kitten. The idea is no longer that alien to Jensen.

He and Jared are snuggling up on the sofa - or doing the manly version of snuggling - after the doc allowed Jared to go near Jensen again. Jensen's head is in Jared's lap and he's dozing just a little. Jared's hand massaging his scalp gently certainly has its share in making Jensen sleepy. That or Jared's soft and even voice as he talks to Jensen, filling him in on the latest happenings at set.

"Oh, hi kitty," Jared then says. He nearly crushes and suffocates Jensen - apparently forgetting that Jensen's head is in his lap and if Jared folds in a half, the room for Jensen to breathe is diminished drastically. Bending over to pick Joe up from the floor, Jared sets her down on the sofa and starts petting her.

Jared hums softly, totally in tune with Joe. But then he huffs a breath and Jensen only understands what's going on when he feels Joe's paws against his side as she tries to pull herself up and onto him.

"Now look at that," Jared laughs, a smirk on his face.

Joe keeps kneading him, soon enough adding a purr to her mission of getting comfortable on Jensen. She finally settles down and closes her eyes, while her purring never stops. It's adorable, the way she looks as if she were smiling happily.

"What can I say? I'm charming. Everybody loves me," Jensen says with a wink.

Jared laughs and snorts, "Yeah, right."

Then he kisses Jensen on the forehead and starts running his fingers through Jensen's hair again. Jensen thinks he's the luckiest guy on the planet.

Saturday brings a huge surprise.

Jared's out on a trip to the grocery store with the dogs while Jensen's cooking. The smell of food draws Joe into the kitchen and she strolls around Jensen's legs, hoping he'll share some with her. But Jensen only laughs, crouches down to stroke her and says, "No, sorry, furball. This is not for you."

The look she gives him actually resembles a pout and Jensen laughs again. Just as he wants to swipe her off the floor, he's interrupted by the doorbell ringing. He turns off the stove before he goes to answer the door. Thankfully, Joe's still too small to jump onto the counter (he's seen her try and it was hilarious) so he doesn't bother take her out of the kitchen and close the door.

When he answers the front door, Jensen's heart skips a beat or two. In front of him stands a guy even bigger than Jared. Jensen's by no means easily intimated - after all, he's not a small guy himself - but there's something about the man that makes him feel uneasy. Maybe it's the aggressive and mean expression on his face.

Jensen simply keeps looking at him until the guy speaks.

"Hi, I'm David Jones. I saw you have a cat to give away. Do you still have her?"

David's voice is raspy, full of impatience and anger. Jensen's uneasy feeling doesn't leave him. He's taken aback by how the guy goes like a bull at a gate, so he takes a moment to study the stranger. There's something in his body language, the way he looks at Jensen that screams brutality and aggression. He's bedraggled and there's a faint foul smell coming from his direction. Jensen has no clue where the feeling comes from, but the dude looks like the type to kick puppies for fun. Or kittens.

A wave of nausea washes over Jensen at the thought of someone hurting a kitten. His kitten.

No way in hell is he giving Joe to that guy. He's not signing her death sentence and is giving her to someone who's not going to love her, but who's going to drown her or stone her or hit her. Not his kitten that needs to be loved and adored and taken good care of.

Jensen feels some rage boil inside his belly. His mind, the part of him that's still thinking clearly, tells him to calm down and that maybe, he's doing the guy wrong. Clif's a big guy too and he's always been extremely gentle to everyone and everything he deals with, but yeah, there's something different about this guy.

Maybe it's the way he's trying to peek into the house as if he wanted to check whether Joe is still there or whether there are any other animals he could take home instead. Jensen effectively blocks his way with his body, his grip on the doorknob tightening.

"I'm sorry, we already gave her to someone else," Jensen eventually lies.

The guy squints at him and when that doesn't seem to work because Jensen is not bulging, he tries to glare Jensen down. But again, Jensen's not moving.

Of course, out of all moments to wander around the house and meow, Joe uses this moment to lumber into the living room, calling for him. A look of shock must be frozen on Jensen's face as the guy just smirks evilly at him. When he grins he reveals a set of horribly maintained teeth.

"Oh, there she is," he says. Jensen seems that he's this close to rubbing his hands together. Instead he lets his fingers crack. A sound Jensen can't help but flinch at.

"I said, we already gave her to someone else. They're going to pick her up tomorrow," Jensen says quickly. He straightens, trying to make himself taller than he is. Jensen knows that the guy probably could take him easily - he looks like he had a lot more experience in fist fights than Jensen - so hopefully, it won't get down to this.

The guy takes a step closer, trying to push himself inside. He hisses angrily, "My daughter really wanted a kitten."

But Jensen doesn't believe a word. He wants this situation to end and he's not interested in discussing this any further. He made up his mind: he's not giving Joe to the stranger.

"I said no," Jensen repeats.

The guy gives him another angry stare as he barks, "What?"

And then he tries to come even further into the house. Jensen still hasn't moved an inch back and now they're so close that Jensen can break the foul smell down to the scent of liquor, smoke and old sweat. It increases his nausea.

Jensen only sees one way out.

"You better go now or I'll have to call the police," he hisses.

The guy grunts and glares at Jensen for a few long, agonizing seconds. Jensen already sees himself make a run for the next phone in front of his inner eye but then the guy huffs one last furious breath and takes several steps back. With a final disapproving look, he turns around and heads toward his old, beat up car. Jensen watches him get into the rusty Ford and waits until he starts driving away.

"Who was that?"

Jensen didn't even notice Jared coming home. The dogs run toward him and immediately find their way to the kitchen and their water bowls as Jared slowly walks up the driveway, carrying a brown bag from the grocery store.

There's a look of confusion on his face and he must have seen David, if that was his name, drive away. Jensen takes a few deep breaths, now that the problem is solved and it didn't lead to the worst case Jensen imagined. He sighs and says as Jared and he walk into the house together, "Some dude to pick up Joe."

"Oh."

It's amazing how much disappointment can be incorporated in such a small word. Jared bites his lip and it's obvious that he's trying to pull himself together.

"I- I couldn't do it," Jensen adds quickly.

It earns him another confused expression from Jared and a broad smile when Joe appears to greet Jared. He picks her up quickly and clutches her to his chest. Joe purrs and rubs her head against Jared.

"He looked like the type who tortured animals for fun," Jensen admits, his gaze focused on the floor. He's aware of Jared watching him as he goes on, "I mean, I couldn't sign the death sentence of our cat. Who knows what that guy would have done to her?"

Jared smiles again, that flirty smile he wears that usually means he wants something from Jensen (like his body) and that never fails to make Jensen's knees weak. It's no different this time - Jensen knows he's easy, thanks for reminding him.

"So?" Jared asks. He actually bats his eyelashes at Jensen and if Jensen weren't so busy getting a little turned on - hot boyfriend just a few inches away from him, hot and sexy and flirty, if Jensen needs to be more specific - he'd tease Jared about who's the girl in the relationship.

"So," Jensen echoes. "Maybe, we could, like, keep her after all."

Jared grins broadly and presses a kiss to Joe's head. He sets her down and then he licks his lips slowly. When he bends in to kiss Jensen, it feels like slow motion. The anticipation is nearly killing Jensen - and then their mouths collide. It's hot and passionate, yet not enough. They break apart finally, both of their faces red and flushed, their eyes big and diluted.

Jared says that he needs to take a quick shower and Jensen thinks that joining him is a really good idea right now. On their way to the bathroom, Jared whispers in Jensen's ear, "Maybe your heart is not so cold and icy after all."