Fic: Jared Padalecki’s Journal, Part 19 [J2]
For all parts, click on the 'fic:jpj' tag. For rating, pairings and notes, see part 1.
When Jared got outside, his friends following close behind, Jensen and Misha were standing on the sidewalk. Jensen was saying something, and Misha was looking at him cautiously, a bit as if Jensen had lost his mind. Jared agreed that the thought was tempting; he’d never seen quiet Jensen look so furious.
“…We were kids, fine,” Jensen was saying, “but not anymore. I won’t let you take advantage of Jared like you did me.” He reached out a hand to poke the other man in the chest, and Misha swatted it away.
“Don’t threaten me, Ackles,” Misha said. “You don’t have the upper hand, here, remember?” He looked triumphant.
Jensen straightened up, squaring his shoulders, and looked the other man in the eyes. “You know what? I think I do. Go ahead, tell people, I don’t care any more. My family already knows, and if anybody else doesn’t like it, screw ‘em.”
Jared was pulled out of his rapt listening by a tug on his arm. “What are they talking about?,” Beth asked, sotto voce.
“I have no idea,” Jared murmured back.
“Who are we supposed to be rooting for?,” Chris asked, lighting up a cigarette.
“Misha,” Aldis said, at the same time that Beth said “Jensen.” They glared at each other.
“Jensen fucked Misha’s fiancee, remember, or do you not care about that since he’s ‘oh so hot’,” Aldis said, using air quotes.
“Misha basically cheated on Jared a lot more recently, and Jensen said he liked Jared just like he is,” Beth retorted.
The four of them turned back to the arguing men as their voices got louder. “You say that now, but when it gets out, you won’t like it much,” Misha was saying.
“That’s probably true,” Jensen agreed. “But it’s not the most important thing anymore. I should have called your bluff a long time ago.”
Jensen and Misha were right in each other’s faces now, and Jared was starting to worry that one of them might throw a punch. He stepped up and put a hand on each man’s shoulder, pushing them away from each other. “That’s enough,” he said firmly.
“Yeah, Jensen, listen to your *boyfriend*,” Misha said with particular emphasis.
Jensen growled and pulled out of Jared’s grip. He stepped toward Misha and punched him straight on the jaw. Jared gasped as Misha staggered back, tripping over his own feet and landing on his ass unceremoniously on the sidewalk.
“Holy fuck! Ow!,” Misha exclaimed, rubbing his jaw. He glared up at Jensen. “I’m gonna sue you for everything you’ve got.”
“I don’t think so,” Jensen retorted. “You’re not the only one who remembers the past. Wouldn’t want your employers to find out about some of your extra-legal hobbies, would you?”
Misha was silent, frowning, fora few moments. He got to his feet slowly, brushing off the seat of his pants. “Maybe I should just kick your ass instead,” he said to Jensen.
“You can try,” Jensen said, stepping forward again.
OK, this has gotten totally out of hand, Jared thought. He stepped up to Jensen’s back and wrapped his arms around him, holding Jensen’s arms and keeping him from moving. “Misha, get out of here,” Jared said, looking at his ex-boss sternly.
“What about the job offer?”, Misha asked, which elicited a growl and an attempted step forward from Jensen.
Jared gripped Jensen tighter, holding him in place. “I… I’ll talk to you later, Misha, just go.”
Misha shrugged and turned away, getting into his car which was parked at the curb. As he started the engine and peeled away down the street, Jared could feel Jensen virtually deflate in his arms.
Jared held him a few seconds longer, trying not to notice how good the shorter man smelled. This is really not the time, self.
Jensen wriggled in his grip. “Let me go, please,” he said quietly.
Jared released his arms, and Jensen turned around. He sighed. “Jared, I’m sorry. I got carried away,” Jensen said.
“No shit, Sherlock,” Jared said. “What the fuck was that all about?”
Jensen rubbed a hand over his mouth. “It’s complicated,” he said.
“So, tell me,” Jared said.
Jensen opened his mouth, then shut it again. “I can’t,” he said, finally.
“Fine,” Jared snapped out. “Go all caveman and act like I’m some helpless damsel in distress, but don’t expect me to be OK with it when you don’t even tell me what’s going on.”
“Jared, I…” Jensen trailed off, frowning.
“You know what, I don’t get you, Jensen,” Jared said. “First you’re rude, and fine, it’s not the first time I’ve met a totally hot guy who hates me, and it probably won’t be the last. And then you do a 360 and act kind and helpful, which…”
“A 180.”
“What?”
“A 180, not a 360,” Jensen replied.
“Right. Exactly,” Jared said, and threw up his hands. “And then you act like my ninth grade English teacher right after you get in a fistfight with my ex-boyfriend, and you won’t tell me why. I don’t get you, man.”
“I’m sorry,” Jensen said simply.
Jared pinched the bridge of his nose. “Listen, thanks for helping with dinner, but can you just go? I can’t deal with any more drama today.”
Jensen nodded, looking solemn. “Can I say one more thing?”
“Yeah, what,” Jared said wearily.
“I don’t hate you, Jared. I never did,” Jensen said, and walked away down the street.
Jared turned to see his friends looking at him with varied expressions of confusion and amazement.
“What the hell was that?,” Chris asked.
“Your guess is as good as mine, man,” Jared replied.
“This calls for drinks,” Beth said.
“Now that’s the first intelligent thing I’ve heard in this whole conversation,” Aldis said.
Jared tried to smile, but there was a lump in his throat. So much for the best day ever.
A/N: Hope I didn’t disappoint anyone with the lack of an extended slap/kick fight. The original was so fabulous that I didn’t think a pale imitation would do it any justice. I didn’t really think that Jared would stand by and watch two other guys going after each other, anyway, no matter how Bridget-like he might be.
When Jared got outside, his friends following close behind, Jensen and Misha were standing on the sidewalk. Jensen was saying something, and Misha was looking at him cautiously, a bit as if Jensen had lost his mind. Jared agreed that the thought was tempting; he’d never seen quiet Jensen look so furious.
“…We were kids, fine,” Jensen was saying, “but not anymore. I won’t let you take advantage of Jared like you did me.” He reached out a hand to poke the other man in the chest, and Misha swatted it away.
“Don’t threaten me, Ackles,” Misha said. “You don’t have the upper hand, here, remember?” He looked triumphant.
Jensen straightened up, squaring his shoulders, and looked the other man in the eyes. “You know what? I think I do. Go ahead, tell people, I don’t care any more. My family already knows, and if anybody else doesn’t like it, screw ‘em.”
Jared was pulled out of his rapt listening by a tug on his arm. “What are they talking about?,” Beth asked, sotto voce.
“I have no idea,” Jared murmured back.
“Who are we supposed to be rooting for?,” Chris asked, lighting up a cigarette.
“Misha,” Aldis said, at the same time that Beth said “Jensen.” They glared at each other.
“Jensen fucked Misha’s fiancee, remember, or do you not care about that since he’s ‘oh so hot’,” Aldis said, using air quotes.
“Misha basically cheated on Jared a lot more recently, and Jensen said he liked Jared just like he is,” Beth retorted.
The four of them turned back to the arguing men as their voices got louder. “You say that now, but when it gets out, you won’t like it much,” Misha was saying.
“That’s probably true,” Jensen agreed. “But it’s not the most important thing anymore. I should have called your bluff a long time ago.”
Jensen and Misha were right in each other’s faces now, and Jared was starting to worry that one of them might throw a punch. He stepped up and put a hand on each man’s shoulder, pushing them away from each other. “That’s enough,” he said firmly.
“Yeah, Jensen, listen to your *boyfriend*,” Misha said with particular emphasis.
Jensen growled and pulled out of Jared’s grip. He stepped toward Misha and punched him straight on the jaw. Jared gasped as Misha staggered back, tripping over his own feet and landing on his ass unceremoniously on the sidewalk.
“Holy fuck! Ow!,” Misha exclaimed, rubbing his jaw. He glared up at Jensen. “I’m gonna sue you for everything you’ve got.”
“I don’t think so,” Jensen retorted. “You’re not the only one who remembers the past. Wouldn’t want your employers to find out about some of your extra-legal hobbies, would you?”
Misha was silent, frowning, fora few moments. He got to his feet slowly, brushing off the seat of his pants. “Maybe I should just kick your ass instead,” he said to Jensen.
“You can try,” Jensen said, stepping forward again.
OK, this has gotten totally out of hand, Jared thought. He stepped up to Jensen’s back and wrapped his arms around him, holding Jensen’s arms and keeping him from moving. “Misha, get out of here,” Jared said, looking at his ex-boss sternly.
“What about the job offer?”, Misha asked, which elicited a growl and an attempted step forward from Jensen.
Jared gripped Jensen tighter, holding him in place. “I… I’ll talk to you later, Misha, just go.”
Misha shrugged and turned away, getting into his car which was parked at the curb. As he started the engine and peeled away down the street, Jared could feel Jensen virtually deflate in his arms.
Jared held him a few seconds longer, trying not to notice how good the shorter man smelled. This is really not the time, self.
Jensen wriggled in his grip. “Let me go, please,” he said quietly.
Jared released his arms, and Jensen turned around. He sighed. “Jared, I’m sorry. I got carried away,” Jensen said.
“No shit, Sherlock,” Jared said. “What the fuck was that all about?”
Jensen rubbed a hand over his mouth. “It’s complicated,” he said.
“So, tell me,” Jared said.
Jensen opened his mouth, then shut it again. “I can’t,” he said, finally.
“Fine,” Jared snapped out. “Go all caveman and act like I’m some helpless damsel in distress, but don’t expect me to be OK with it when you don’t even tell me what’s going on.”
“Jared, I…” Jensen trailed off, frowning.
“You know what, I don’t get you, Jensen,” Jared said. “First you’re rude, and fine, it’s not the first time I’ve met a totally hot guy who hates me, and it probably won’t be the last. And then you do a 360 and act kind and helpful, which…”
“A 180.”
“What?”
“A 180, not a 360,” Jensen replied.
“Right. Exactly,” Jared said, and threw up his hands. “And then you act like my ninth grade English teacher right after you get in a fistfight with my ex-boyfriend, and you won’t tell me why. I don’t get you, man.”
“I’m sorry,” Jensen said simply.
Jared pinched the bridge of his nose. “Listen, thanks for helping with dinner, but can you just go? I can’t deal with any more drama today.”
Jensen nodded, looking solemn. “Can I say one more thing?”
“Yeah, what,” Jared said wearily.
“I don’t hate you, Jared. I never did,” Jensen said, and walked away down the street.
Jared turned to see his friends looking at him with varied expressions of confusion and amazement.
“What the hell was that?,” Chris asked.
“Your guess is as good as mine, man,” Jared replied.
“This calls for drinks,” Beth said.
“Now that’s the first intelligent thing I’ve heard in this whole conversation,” Aldis said.
Jared tried to smile, but there was a lump in his throat. So much for the best day ever.
A/N: Hope I didn’t disappoint anyone with the lack of an extended slap/kick fight. The original was so fabulous that I didn’t think a pale imitation would do it any justice. I didn’t really think that Jared would stand by and watch two other guys going after each other, anyway, no matter how Bridget-like he might be.