MPREG XMAS XCHANGE - "Brussel Sprouts Don't Grow in Trees.... Do They?"
Title: "Brussel Sprouts Don't Grow in Trees.... Do They?"
Pairing: J2
Rating: R
Warnings: discussion of past instance of NON-CON, character refers to another character as "hot wheelchair guy"... but only in his head. I don't feel that this is disrespectful, personally, but a word of warning just in case.
Notes: Written for the mpreg_xmas_xchg 2013 ... for 2people2 (Hi!! :) I couldn't decide which of your prompts I wanted to work with, so I figured... what if I took as MANY different things from the prompts as I could and SMASHED THEM ALL TOGETHER!! XD Anywho... I hope you like! Happy Holidays!!)
Summary: His car won't start. He's heavily pregnant. And it's raining. All in all, he's having a pretty crap day. Then his foot gets rolled over by the most gorgeous man on the block, and surprisingly ... that makes it all better.
The engine gave one last sputtering attempt to catch before it died a slow, wheezing death. The young man behind the wheel cursed, quite creatively, before smacking the dash and eyeing the heavy downpour of rain outside the car. He slipped a hand down to sweep across the swell of his belly.
“Well, Sprout… looks like we don’t have a choice.”
With a heavy sigh he maneuvered himself out of the car and back into the thunderstorm that had been raging all day. He trudged slowly and carefully to the back door of the bar where he had exited moments before, but unfortunately the handle didn’t give when he tried to open it.
“Dammit… Sam didn’t leave already did she?”
He pounded a few times and hollered as loudly as he could, but most of the noise was drowned out by the storm, and if she’d already gone upstairs there wasn’t a hope in hell she would hear him.
“Fuck!”
With a soft kick to the door, he turned back towards the car and eyed the old clunker. It was raining too heavily to even attempt to pop the hood and get her going, so he just sighed and turned to walk up the alley towards the main street. He pocketed the keys but didn’t bother going back to lock the door. Let someone try and steal the piece of shit. It would probably be a benefit for him in the end. Maybe he could get a little insurance money.
He rubbed his swollen belly and groaned at the pinch in his lower back. Being seven months pregnant sucked. He really kind of hated it. The swollen ankles and aches and pains … the bladder a size of a pea. Having been born a carrier he had known all of this was a possibility, of course, but that asshole walking into the bar one night with a faulty condom sort of sealed the deal. If he ever saw that son of a bitch again…
“Not that any of this is your fault, Sprout. Course not. Just mine for being so desperate for a lay.”
After a couple near slips on the various detritus scattered about the alley, he breathed a soft sigh of relief when he turned the corner onto the sidewalk. It was short lived.
“Oh, shit!”
The rain was thick and made it difficult to see, but it didn’t keep him from hearing the mumbled swear right before a wheel rolled over his left foot. He yelped in shock more than pain and was already twisting sideways when he realized he was falling. There was barely a moment to fret about the safety of his heavy belly before strong arms were suddenly around him and diverting his plummet to the ground. Instead he landed on his rump in a very firm lap, legs hooked over the armrest of a high quality, manual wheelchair.
For several seconds there was only the sound of the rain around them, before he turned to face the stranger he was currently sprawled across. Long, dark hair slicked back from the water, gorgeous eyes, sweet dimples, shoulders the width of a brick shit-house. (Holy fuck … it was hot wheelchair guy.) He could only blink in shock as the other man chuckled at the deer-in-headlights expression that was surely gracing his face.
Hot wheelchair guy worked at the physical rehab office across the street and around the corner from the bar. He had never once spoken to, or even made eye contact with hot wheelchair guy in the year and a half since he first saw him roll by. He did, however, have some very lovely spank bank material based on a single viewing of hot wheelchair guy in a white tank top that one time. That was a good day.
“Are you alright?”
Being ripped out of a fantasy by the object of said fantasy was kind of….weird. He could only nod and quirk his lips into a small grin.
“Yeah, no harm no foul. It’s raining sheets and I’m a stumbling whale at this point, anyway.”
Hot wheelchair guy laughed before he leaned sideways to run his fingers across the toes of the sneaker he had rolled over.
“Nothing broken? Any residual pain?”
A knot the size of a tennis ball wedged in his throat as he watched hot wheelchair guy’s absolutely monstrous hand roam over his shoe before it came up to settle on his shin. He stuttered through his response, pretty sure he sounded like a fool.
“Nah… it’s… I’m fine.”
Another sparkling smile and fuck….he was so gone on this dude. A year plus of ogling from the shadows really did the man no justice.
“Well, Fine… what in the hell are you doing out here in the rain?”
He snorted in response before waving a flippant hand in the direction of his car.
“P.O.S. car won’t start. Was about to-WHOA!”
The wheelchair had started moving before he could even finish indicating the vehicle in the back of the alley. On instinct his arms shot around hot wheelchair guy’s neck and a startled squeak passed his lips. The man beneath him chuckled warmly as he sped up to shoot across the mouth of the alley and up the ramp of the sidewalk on the other side.
“What… where are you going?”
He didn’t receive an answer, but it became clear enough when they swung to the right and under the awning for the 24-hour diner that was never empty and always inviting. Before hot wheelchair guy could even reach for the door it was swinging open and fabulous Marie, his favorite server, was gasping in shock at the sight of them.
“Jensen! What on earth are you doing out in this weather, boy!? You can’t be catching sick with that baby so close to coming! Are you mad? This better not be your fault, Jared. I know you think you’re indestructible, but Jen needs to be watching out for himself right now. I want to get a chance to meet that little bundle.”
By the time her tirade had ended, Jensen realized that they were deep in the diner already being toweled off vigorously by Marie and Frank, the line cook. He also officially knew hot wheelchair guy’s name. Jared. It suited him. (Well, to be fair, just about anything would suit him. Jesus.)
Marie suddenly paused with both hands scrubbing Jensen’s hair dry with a clean dishtowel.
“Come to think it… I’ve never seen you boys here together before.”
Hot wheelch-… Jared grinned and good-naturedly swung his long hair around to spray them all with the cast off. Frank smacked him with a towel, but they were both smiling.
“Nah… never met Jensen, here, before. Almost ran over him outside. Said his car won’t start.”
Frank grunted and turned away to head back the kitchen.
“Told you to get rid of that pile a junk ages ago, Jen. It won’t be safe for the babe anyway.”
Jensen sighed and rolled his shoulders. This would be the… what… fifteenth? Sixteenth time they had this conversation? He scooted to the left, suddenly conscious that he was still seated in Jared’s lap, and rolled awkwardly to his feet.
“Well, Frank, as soon as you want to loan me a couple grand to-”
“-get a new one. Yadda yadda yadda. You say that every time when you know perfectly well you wouldn’t accept it even if I did.”
The gruff mountain of a man disappeared behind a swinging door and Marie tutted at Jensen as she gathered the wet towels.
“If you asked sincerely, darlin’, he’d give it to you in a heartbeat.”
Jensen shook his head and let his gaze slip to the floor. Charity and handouts he just couldn’t do. He got himself into this situation, he was going to deal with the consequences. Even as a kid he had never been comfortable owing something to another person. Several of the businesses on the block were already planning a baby shower that he wasn’t really thrilled about. Not that they’d listen to him. With his boss Samantha leading the charge it was no use.
(He was pretty sure that she’d already rounded up a mob with pitchforks and torches to go after the asshole sperm donor before the man had suddenly skipped town.)
Marie sighed and shoed him over to the … huh… handicap booth at the end of the row. He squeezed himself gingerly into the seat while Jared rolled up to the empty side of the table and flipped the lock on his wheels. There was a large grin on his face that had Jensen flushing with embarrassment, having it directed towards him.
“Sooooo… Marie and Frank know you pretty well, huh?”
Jensen shrugged and reached over to grab a sugar packet to fiddle with. Jared dropped his elbows onto the table and plopped his chin into his hands like an over-eager kid.
“And yet I’ve never seen you around. You must work close by, though… unless you just like parking your car in dark alleys.”
Jensen snorted and nodded his head toward the direction of the bar.
“I bartend at The Roadhouse.”
To his credit, Jared barely even reacted to the statement, and his eyes only flicked down to Jensen’s swollen belly for a split second.
“That’s cool, man. I work at Morgan rehab around the corner. So why have I never seen you before?”
He could feel his face fighting a blush and only shrugged in response. Across the table, Jared’s gaze tracked Jensen’s left hand for a couple moments… and a flock of butterflies sprang to life in his gut. (Was Jared actually checking for a ring? No. Couldn’t be. No man in his right mind would be looking to hook up with a seventh month pregnant beached whale. Right?) Jensen pulled his hands quickly under the table. Jared bent forward across the way and fought to catch Jensen’s eye.
“So when are you due? Can I ask that without being too nosey?”
Two cups of steaming hot chocolate were suddenly plopped down on the table between them and Marie chuckled warmly.
“December 25th! Jen’s aiming to give us all a Christmas present, aren’t you, sugar?”
Jensen shrugged as he slowly pulled the cocoa towards him. Jared did the same to his own mug, pursing his lips to blow gently across the surface of the liquid. The flush crept right back up Jensen’s cheeks as he watched the man across from him take a cautious sip. Marie gave a sudden, soft little gasp and he whipped his gaze back to her. The older woman was looking between them with a curious, appraising look. Soft smile gracing her face.
(Oh, God.)
Marie reached out to tug gently on Jared’s hair and gave Jensen a small smirk.
(Please, God… save him from meddling females. As if his boss wasn’t enough. )
“So Jared, if you’ve never met Jen before… you must not be invited to the baby shower yet! I’ll ask Sam to send one over to Morgan’s. I’m sure Jeff would like to come as well. Small town, we gotta take care of our own, you know? Poor Jen’s doing this all by himself. We’re going to make sure he’s got everything he needs.”
He’d really, really like to tape Marie’s mouth shut about now… except… the way Jared’s eyes lit up a little bit when she insinuated that Jensen was single. That was … nice.
“I’ll have Frank make you up some nice grilled cheese and tomato soup. You boys get warmed up.”
She patted Jared on the head once before sauntering way. Jensen figured, to hell with it, and started speaking.
“So okay. I’m not sure how you haven’t heard the story yet, but you will eventually so I might as well tell you myself. About seven months ago this real douche-bag come into the bar. But, you know, he was a nice-looking douche-bag and I was lonely… so.”
He shrugged and lifted his face to meet Jared’s eyes. There was absolutely no judgment there, and some of the tension bled out from Jensen’s shoulders.
“Anyway, after my shift I went to his hotel with him. One thing led to another… and then the condom tore. I asked him to stop, told him I was a carrier… then he just. Changed. Personality-wise, I mean. Kept right on going, but started calling me a slut and a whore. Freak of nature. That sort of shit. Smacked me around a couple times until I was too dazed to fight him off. After … he went to the bathroom to clean up, and I took off.”
He was so lost in the memory of it that it took him several seconds to realize that Jared had reached over to softly take his hands, and that Marie’s long fingers were carding through his damp hair. Soup and sandwiches were on the table, but his throat was too clogged with emotion to consider eating. Marie sniffed once before speaking up.
“Sam was ready to kill him, soon as she saw you. Me and Frank already had the perfect place to hide the body.”
Jensen chuckled wetly and bent forward to drop his gaze, but Marie reached down to softly grasp his chin and pull his face back up.
“Nothing to be ashamed of, sweetheart. You did absolutely nothing wrong.”
Jared nodded his head in agreement and Jensen pursed his lips, fighting a shy smile. His attention caught and held on Jared’s fingers clutching his hands gently, thumbs sweeping across his knuckles in a soothing gesture. Jensen cleared his throat and nodded.
“I know. And now I’ve got Sprout, so … it’ll be fine.”
Jared chuckled.
“Sprout?”
Marie snorted and pulled back from the table, waving her hands toward their cooling soup and sandwiches.
“Sprout is what Jen’s been calling the babe. Didn’t want to know the sex. Doesn’t want to pick a name ahead of time.”
She clucked in disapproval before sauntering back towards the kitchen and Jensen shrugged his shoulders, but made sure he didn’t bring attention to his hands. He wasn’t ready for Jared to release them yet, and the other man seemed to have forgotten he’d captured them. Jensen licked his lips to wet them a little.
“I want to be surprised.”
He grinned.
“Sprout was already a surprise enough to begin with. Figured I let them get me again with the gender. And I don’t want to name him or her before I look into their eyes, you know? It’s a hell of a lot to saddle a kid with. I want to make sure it fits.”
If Jared smiled any wider his dimples would probably find a way to connect. Jensen blushed at the attention.
“I think that’s awesome, Jensen. And I think you’re amazingly strong for going through what you did, and to have kept the attitude you have. It’s impressive.”
Jensen scrunched his face up in a little grimace. Before he could speak, though, Jared continued.
“Trust me, man. I know a lot about wanting to give up after life gives you a trial. For a while, I really wanted to. I was in every sport you can imagine. Basketball. Football. Track. Then my Senior year my best buddy was drinking, picked me up in his car to go to a party… and that’s the last thing I remember before the hospital. I haven’t walked since. Lost my buddy to the crash. Lost my scholarships and girlfriend to the recovery. Lost my will to live for a long time after.”
Jensen pulled his bottom lip into his mouth to chew on it nervously as he tightened the grip he had on Jared’s fingers.
“So, what changed?”
Jared smiled and rolled a shoulder casually.
“Dunno, really. One day I just woke up and decided that I had spent enough time feeling sorry for myself and it was time to do something about it. I’d had an awesome relationship with my physical therapist, and I decided to just … go that direction. Help out the people going through the same thing I did. Make a difference. And honestly, I’ve never been happier. I mean, don’t get me wrong… I miss being able to walk and run, but I think this was the path I was meant to go down. I think I’m a better person this way.”
Jensen finally pulled his hands out of Jared’s and brought them to his swollen belly. He rubbed small circles into the stretched skin self-consciously.
“That’s… that’s awesome, Jared. It really is… but I don’t think it’s the same thing for me. I just… did something stupid and now I’m living with the consequences. You had your life almost ripped away, and you fought to get it back. I was reckless, got drunk and had anonymous sex with a stranger. It isn’t … it’s just not the same.”
Two massive hands were suddenly cradling the sides of his belly, long arms stretched behind them across the table. Jensen blinked in shock at the sudden change. Stilled in his seat as he steadily met and held Jared’s gaze.
“It is the same, Jensen. You could have let this change you, could have let this convince you that your life was over. Sunk into depression or self-hatred. You didn’t, did you?”
Jensen shook his head, just slightly, and Jared grinned.
“I could tell. You’re strong. And you’re going to be just fine. And Sprout is gonna be a great kid. And maybe one day he or she is going to discover the cure for cancer, or end world hunger, or write the most beautiful song the world has ever heard. Or maybe just become a paramedic and save the life of another person who will do those things. Then you’ll know that this was the path that you were meant to tread. To have this potential little rock star and raise them to be the best person they can be. So they can follow your footsteps and pay it forward. It’s beautiful. Don’t you think?”
There were tears burning in his eyes when Jensen sniffled and turned to look out the window. A smile was fighting to bloom on his lips and he actually felt lighter than he had in ages. In the reflection of the glass he realized he could make out Marie and Frank watching them from the kitchen, broad smiles across their faces. In his belly, Sprout suddenly moved and ran an elbow or a knee right across the skin under Jared’s hands. The other man sucked in a quick breath before he expelled it in a warm laugh.
“Oh man… that’s wicked.”
Jensen chuckled at the look of awe on Jared’s face.
“I think Sprout likes your voice.”
Jared lifted his gaze back to Jensen’s and winked.
“I think I like Sprout’s everything. Especially his Dad.”
Jensen snorted in response, but it was with humor not derision.
“You don’t even know Sprout’s Dad.”
He could feel the flush start up again in his neck, heading quickly towards his cheeks, as Jared’s eyes sparkled with amusement and he drew his hands away to sit back in his wheelchair.
“Maybe not … but I’d like to.”
Marie and Frank high-fived somewhere in the back, sharp sound of it echoing in the diner, and Jensen just smiled before he turned back to watch the rain drenching the world outside the window.
THE END!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Pairing: J2
Rating: R
Warnings: discussion of past instance of NON-CON, character refers to another character as "hot wheelchair guy"... but only in his head. I don't feel that this is disrespectful, personally, but a word of warning just in case.
Notes: Written for the mpreg_xmas_xchg 2013 ... for 2people2 (Hi!! :) I couldn't decide which of your prompts I wanted to work with, so I figured... what if I took as MANY different things from the prompts as I could and SMASHED THEM ALL TOGETHER!! XD Anywho... I hope you like! Happy Holidays!!)
Summary: His car won't start. He's heavily pregnant. And it's raining. All in all, he's having a pretty crap day. Then his foot gets rolled over by the most gorgeous man on the block, and surprisingly ... that makes it all better.
The engine gave one last sputtering attempt to catch before it died a slow, wheezing death. The young man behind the wheel cursed, quite creatively, before smacking the dash and eyeing the heavy downpour of rain outside the car. He slipped a hand down to sweep across the swell of his belly.
“Well, Sprout… looks like we don’t have a choice.”
With a heavy sigh he maneuvered himself out of the car and back into the thunderstorm that had been raging all day. He trudged slowly and carefully to the back door of the bar where he had exited moments before, but unfortunately the handle didn’t give when he tried to open it.
“Dammit… Sam didn’t leave already did she?”
He pounded a few times and hollered as loudly as he could, but most of the noise was drowned out by the storm, and if she’d already gone upstairs there wasn’t a hope in hell she would hear him.
“Fuck!”
With a soft kick to the door, he turned back towards the car and eyed the old clunker. It was raining too heavily to even attempt to pop the hood and get her going, so he just sighed and turned to walk up the alley towards the main street. He pocketed the keys but didn’t bother going back to lock the door. Let someone try and steal the piece of shit. It would probably be a benefit for him in the end. Maybe he could get a little insurance money.
He rubbed his swollen belly and groaned at the pinch in his lower back. Being seven months pregnant sucked. He really kind of hated it. The swollen ankles and aches and pains … the bladder a size of a pea. Having been born a carrier he had known all of this was a possibility, of course, but that asshole walking into the bar one night with a faulty condom sort of sealed the deal. If he ever saw that son of a bitch again…
“Not that any of this is your fault, Sprout. Course not. Just mine for being so desperate for a lay.”
After a couple near slips on the various detritus scattered about the alley, he breathed a soft sigh of relief when he turned the corner onto the sidewalk. It was short lived.
“Oh, shit!”
The rain was thick and made it difficult to see, but it didn’t keep him from hearing the mumbled swear right before a wheel rolled over his left foot. He yelped in shock more than pain and was already twisting sideways when he realized he was falling. There was barely a moment to fret about the safety of his heavy belly before strong arms were suddenly around him and diverting his plummet to the ground. Instead he landed on his rump in a very firm lap, legs hooked over the armrest of a high quality, manual wheelchair.
For several seconds there was only the sound of the rain around them, before he turned to face the stranger he was currently sprawled across. Long, dark hair slicked back from the water, gorgeous eyes, sweet dimples, shoulders the width of a brick shit-house. (Holy fuck … it was hot wheelchair guy.) He could only blink in shock as the other man chuckled at the deer-in-headlights expression that was surely gracing his face.
Hot wheelchair guy worked at the physical rehab office across the street and around the corner from the bar. He had never once spoken to, or even made eye contact with hot wheelchair guy in the year and a half since he first saw him roll by. He did, however, have some very lovely spank bank material based on a single viewing of hot wheelchair guy in a white tank top that one time. That was a good day.
“Are you alright?”
Being ripped out of a fantasy by the object of said fantasy was kind of….weird. He could only nod and quirk his lips into a small grin.
“Yeah, no harm no foul. It’s raining sheets and I’m a stumbling whale at this point, anyway.”
Hot wheelchair guy laughed before he leaned sideways to run his fingers across the toes of the sneaker he had rolled over.
“Nothing broken? Any residual pain?”
A knot the size of a tennis ball wedged in his throat as he watched hot wheelchair guy’s absolutely monstrous hand roam over his shoe before it came up to settle on his shin. He stuttered through his response, pretty sure he sounded like a fool.
“Nah… it’s… I’m fine.”
Another sparkling smile and fuck….he was so gone on this dude. A year plus of ogling from the shadows really did the man no justice.
“Well, Fine… what in the hell are you doing out here in the rain?”
He snorted in response before waving a flippant hand in the direction of his car.
“P.O.S. car won’t start. Was about to-WHOA!”
The wheelchair had started moving before he could even finish indicating the vehicle in the back of the alley. On instinct his arms shot around hot wheelchair guy’s neck and a startled squeak passed his lips. The man beneath him chuckled warmly as he sped up to shoot across the mouth of the alley and up the ramp of the sidewalk on the other side.
“What… where are you going?”
He didn’t receive an answer, but it became clear enough when they swung to the right and under the awning for the 24-hour diner that was never empty and always inviting. Before hot wheelchair guy could even reach for the door it was swinging open and fabulous Marie, his favorite server, was gasping in shock at the sight of them.
“Jensen! What on earth are you doing out in this weather, boy!? You can’t be catching sick with that baby so close to coming! Are you mad? This better not be your fault, Jared. I know you think you’re indestructible, but Jen needs to be watching out for himself right now. I want to get a chance to meet that little bundle.”
By the time her tirade had ended, Jensen realized that they were deep in the diner already being toweled off vigorously by Marie and Frank, the line cook. He also officially knew hot wheelchair guy’s name. Jared. It suited him. (Well, to be fair, just about anything would suit him. Jesus.)
Marie suddenly paused with both hands scrubbing Jensen’s hair dry with a clean dishtowel.
“Come to think it… I’ve never seen you boys here together before.”
Hot wheelch-… Jared grinned and good-naturedly swung his long hair around to spray them all with the cast off. Frank smacked him with a towel, but they were both smiling.
“Nah… never met Jensen, here, before. Almost ran over him outside. Said his car won’t start.”
Frank grunted and turned away to head back the kitchen.
“Told you to get rid of that pile a junk ages ago, Jen. It won’t be safe for the babe anyway.”
Jensen sighed and rolled his shoulders. This would be the… what… fifteenth? Sixteenth time they had this conversation? He scooted to the left, suddenly conscious that he was still seated in Jared’s lap, and rolled awkwardly to his feet.
“Well, Frank, as soon as you want to loan me a couple grand to-”
“-get a new one. Yadda yadda yadda. You say that every time when you know perfectly well you wouldn’t accept it even if I did.”
The gruff mountain of a man disappeared behind a swinging door and Marie tutted at Jensen as she gathered the wet towels.
“If you asked sincerely, darlin’, he’d give it to you in a heartbeat.”
Jensen shook his head and let his gaze slip to the floor. Charity and handouts he just couldn’t do. He got himself into this situation, he was going to deal with the consequences. Even as a kid he had never been comfortable owing something to another person. Several of the businesses on the block were already planning a baby shower that he wasn’t really thrilled about. Not that they’d listen to him. With his boss Samantha leading the charge it was no use.
(He was pretty sure that she’d already rounded up a mob with pitchforks and torches to go after the asshole sperm donor before the man had suddenly skipped town.)
Marie sighed and shoed him over to the … huh… handicap booth at the end of the row. He squeezed himself gingerly into the seat while Jared rolled up to the empty side of the table and flipped the lock on his wheels. There was a large grin on his face that had Jensen flushing with embarrassment, having it directed towards him.
“Sooooo… Marie and Frank know you pretty well, huh?”
Jensen shrugged and reached over to grab a sugar packet to fiddle with. Jared dropped his elbows onto the table and plopped his chin into his hands like an over-eager kid.
“And yet I’ve never seen you around. You must work close by, though… unless you just like parking your car in dark alleys.”
Jensen snorted and nodded his head toward the direction of the bar.
“I bartend at The Roadhouse.”
To his credit, Jared barely even reacted to the statement, and his eyes only flicked down to Jensen’s swollen belly for a split second.
“That’s cool, man. I work at Morgan rehab around the corner. So why have I never seen you before?”
He could feel his face fighting a blush and only shrugged in response. Across the table, Jared’s gaze tracked Jensen’s left hand for a couple moments… and a flock of butterflies sprang to life in his gut. (Was Jared actually checking for a ring? No. Couldn’t be. No man in his right mind would be looking to hook up with a seventh month pregnant beached whale. Right?) Jensen pulled his hands quickly under the table. Jared bent forward across the way and fought to catch Jensen’s eye.
“So when are you due? Can I ask that without being too nosey?”
Two cups of steaming hot chocolate were suddenly plopped down on the table between them and Marie chuckled warmly.
“December 25th! Jen’s aiming to give us all a Christmas present, aren’t you, sugar?”
Jensen shrugged as he slowly pulled the cocoa towards him. Jared did the same to his own mug, pursing his lips to blow gently across the surface of the liquid. The flush crept right back up Jensen’s cheeks as he watched the man across from him take a cautious sip. Marie gave a sudden, soft little gasp and he whipped his gaze back to her. The older woman was looking between them with a curious, appraising look. Soft smile gracing her face.
(Oh, God.)
Marie reached out to tug gently on Jared’s hair and gave Jensen a small smirk.
(Please, God… save him from meddling females. As if his boss wasn’t enough. )
“So Jared, if you’ve never met Jen before… you must not be invited to the baby shower yet! I’ll ask Sam to send one over to Morgan’s. I’m sure Jeff would like to come as well. Small town, we gotta take care of our own, you know? Poor Jen’s doing this all by himself. We’re going to make sure he’s got everything he needs.”
He’d really, really like to tape Marie’s mouth shut about now… except… the way Jared’s eyes lit up a little bit when she insinuated that Jensen was single. That was … nice.
“I’ll have Frank make you up some nice grilled cheese and tomato soup. You boys get warmed up.”
She patted Jared on the head once before sauntering way. Jensen figured, to hell with it, and started speaking.
“So okay. I’m not sure how you haven’t heard the story yet, but you will eventually so I might as well tell you myself. About seven months ago this real douche-bag come into the bar. But, you know, he was a nice-looking douche-bag and I was lonely… so.”
He shrugged and lifted his face to meet Jared’s eyes. There was absolutely no judgment there, and some of the tension bled out from Jensen’s shoulders.
“Anyway, after my shift I went to his hotel with him. One thing led to another… and then the condom tore. I asked him to stop, told him I was a carrier… then he just. Changed. Personality-wise, I mean. Kept right on going, but started calling me a slut and a whore. Freak of nature. That sort of shit. Smacked me around a couple times until I was too dazed to fight him off. After … he went to the bathroom to clean up, and I took off.”
He was so lost in the memory of it that it took him several seconds to realize that Jared had reached over to softly take his hands, and that Marie’s long fingers were carding through his damp hair. Soup and sandwiches were on the table, but his throat was too clogged with emotion to consider eating. Marie sniffed once before speaking up.
“Sam was ready to kill him, soon as she saw you. Me and Frank already had the perfect place to hide the body.”
Jensen chuckled wetly and bent forward to drop his gaze, but Marie reached down to softly grasp his chin and pull his face back up.
“Nothing to be ashamed of, sweetheart. You did absolutely nothing wrong.”
Jared nodded his head in agreement and Jensen pursed his lips, fighting a shy smile. His attention caught and held on Jared’s fingers clutching his hands gently, thumbs sweeping across his knuckles in a soothing gesture. Jensen cleared his throat and nodded.
“I know. And now I’ve got Sprout, so … it’ll be fine.”
Jared chuckled.
“Sprout?”
Marie snorted and pulled back from the table, waving her hands toward their cooling soup and sandwiches.
“Sprout is what Jen’s been calling the babe. Didn’t want to know the sex. Doesn’t want to pick a name ahead of time.”
She clucked in disapproval before sauntering back towards the kitchen and Jensen shrugged his shoulders, but made sure he didn’t bring attention to his hands. He wasn’t ready for Jared to release them yet, and the other man seemed to have forgotten he’d captured them. Jensen licked his lips to wet them a little.
“I want to be surprised.”
He grinned.
“Sprout was already a surprise enough to begin with. Figured I let them get me again with the gender. And I don’t want to name him or her before I look into their eyes, you know? It’s a hell of a lot to saddle a kid with. I want to make sure it fits.”
If Jared smiled any wider his dimples would probably find a way to connect. Jensen blushed at the attention.
“I think that’s awesome, Jensen. And I think you’re amazingly strong for going through what you did, and to have kept the attitude you have. It’s impressive.”
Jensen scrunched his face up in a little grimace. Before he could speak, though, Jared continued.
“Trust me, man. I know a lot about wanting to give up after life gives you a trial. For a while, I really wanted to. I was in every sport you can imagine. Basketball. Football. Track. Then my Senior year my best buddy was drinking, picked me up in his car to go to a party… and that’s the last thing I remember before the hospital. I haven’t walked since. Lost my buddy to the crash. Lost my scholarships and girlfriend to the recovery. Lost my will to live for a long time after.”
Jensen pulled his bottom lip into his mouth to chew on it nervously as he tightened the grip he had on Jared’s fingers.
“So, what changed?”
Jared smiled and rolled a shoulder casually.
“Dunno, really. One day I just woke up and decided that I had spent enough time feeling sorry for myself and it was time to do something about it. I’d had an awesome relationship with my physical therapist, and I decided to just … go that direction. Help out the people going through the same thing I did. Make a difference. And honestly, I’ve never been happier. I mean, don’t get me wrong… I miss being able to walk and run, but I think this was the path I was meant to go down. I think I’m a better person this way.”
Jensen finally pulled his hands out of Jared’s and brought them to his swollen belly. He rubbed small circles into the stretched skin self-consciously.
“That’s… that’s awesome, Jared. It really is… but I don’t think it’s the same thing for me. I just… did something stupid and now I’m living with the consequences. You had your life almost ripped away, and you fought to get it back. I was reckless, got drunk and had anonymous sex with a stranger. It isn’t … it’s just not the same.”
Two massive hands were suddenly cradling the sides of his belly, long arms stretched behind them across the table. Jensen blinked in shock at the sudden change. Stilled in his seat as he steadily met and held Jared’s gaze.
“It is the same, Jensen. You could have let this change you, could have let this convince you that your life was over. Sunk into depression or self-hatred. You didn’t, did you?”
Jensen shook his head, just slightly, and Jared grinned.
“I could tell. You’re strong. And you’re going to be just fine. And Sprout is gonna be a great kid. And maybe one day he or she is going to discover the cure for cancer, or end world hunger, or write the most beautiful song the world has ever heard. Or maybe just become a paramedic and save the life of another person who will do those things. Then you’ll know that this was the path that you were meant to tread. To have this potential little rock star and raise them to be the best person they can be. So they can follow your footsteps and pay it forward. It’s beautiful. Don’t you think?”
There were tears burning in his eyes when Jensen sniffled and turned to look out the window. A smile was fighting to bloom on his lips and he actually felt lighter than he had in ages. In the reflection of the glass he realized he could make out Marie and Frank watching them from the kitchen, broad smiles across their faces. In his belly, Sprout suddenly moved and ran an elbow or a knee right across the skin under Jared’s hands. The other man sucked in a quick breath before he expelled it in a warm laugh.
“Oh man… that’s wicked.”
Jensen chuckled at the look of awe on Jared’s face.
“I think Sprout likes your voice.”
Jared lifted his gaze back to Jensen’s and winked.
“I think I like Sprout’s everything. Especially his Dad.”
Jensen snorted in response, but it was with humor not derision.
“You don’t even know Sprout’s Dad.”
He could feel the flush start up again in his neck, heading quickly towards his cheeks, as Jared’s eyes sparkled with amusement and he drew his hands away to sit back in his wheelchair.
“Maybe not … but I’d like to.”
Marie and Frank high-fived somewhere in the back, sharp sound of it echoing in the diner, and Jensen just smiled before he turned back to watch the rain drenching the world outside the window.
THE END!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!