A Crazy Little Thing- Chapter 1

[dontknowmyname]

Master Post

Normally when you walk into a dorm room there’s a mess of clothes on the floor…and any other available surfaces. The trash can is usually overflowing with torn papers, candy wrappers, and soda cans. But that’s not the case in Jared’s room-well at least not on his side anyways.

Instead of clothes, Jared has text books scattered around-and some of them he doesn’t even need for class. He actually manages to still enjoy leisure reading.

His trash can is full, but only because he’s printed out twenty different versions of the history paper he has to turn in at the end of the week. No matter how closely he proofreads the paper, he always finds an error or weakness after he’s already printed the pages.

Needless to say, Jared Padalecki isn’t your typical college student; at least not the type that goes out every night and still manages to pass every class.

Yeah, sometimes he wishes he could go out and have a bit too much fun. Once in awhile he thinks it would be nice to have a few hours where he’s not studying or suffering from hand cramps.

That’s just not him though.

Like his roommate says, he’s pretty much the epitome of a geek-AP classes in high school, honors program in college, and of course the hidden collection under his bed is a box of superhero comics, not Playboys.

Jared didn’t think there was anything wrong with that until he moved into his dorm and met the polar opposite of himself, the one and thankfully only, Chad Michael Murray.

“So you coming or what, J-man?”

Jared scrunches up another copy of his paper and tosses it in the general area of the trashcan. “Why do you even bother asking me?” he asks. “Besides, aren’t you getting tired of girls rejecting you?”

“Real funny, douche bag.” Chad punches Jared playfully on the shoulder and grabs the hoodie off his bed. “I can’t help it if my stellar good looks intimidate the ladies.”

“Right,” Jared laughs. “That’s the reason girls never give you a real number, silly me.”

“Damn straight.” The blond winks at Jared, then looks at him with mock concern. “You know a night out may cure that condition you have.”

“And what’s that?”

Chad smiles proudly, and says, “Uptight-itis.” He grabs Jared by the elbow and hauls the taller boy out of bed with little struggle. When Jared opens his mouth to argue, Chad pulls Jared’s hoodie off the computer chair and shoves it into his face before pushing him into the hallway and closing the door behind them.

“Look,” Chad says with his hands up in defense. “I know you’re a cool guy, but you have got to get out more. We’ve hung out once since we moved in, and that’s just not right. Didn’t you have friends back home that you’d spend time with?”

“Not really,” Jared shrugs. “My parents are pretty strict.”

“Yeah, I kind of got that impression with the bible thumping and all.” Chad has a smirk on his face, and Jared can tell he’s trying to hide it but he’s failing horribly. “But didn’t you join like a church group or something? There’s usually at least one hot girl in those groups, don’t ask me why though.”

He kind of wants to be pissed off at Chad for mocking him, but it comes out as laughter instead. “We’re not actually bible thumpers,” he says. “My dad’s a pastor, but no, I wasn’t in any Church groups. I did play basketball for some church league, but I was like ten, and it was an all boys team.”

“Dude,” Chad says as he stops walking and turns to Jared. “You realize that’s pretty sad, right?” The other boy shakes his head but then turns back around when Jared just shrugs. “Plus, your dad tried to convert me as soon as you all walked into the room, and I’m pretty sure he told me I was going to hell. Maybe not in those exact words though.”

“Well you are going to hell,” Jared confirms. “But at least you’ll have fun getting there.”

“That’s what I’m saying, Jay!” He claps Jared on the shoulder and then hops down the first three stairs. “And you’re going to be right there with me.”

“Doubt it,” Jared says. “I have an automatic go to heaven card. One of the few perks of being a pastor’s son.” Jared follows his roommate down the stairs and out into the courtyard. “Maybe I get a guest pass too.”

“Awe, you’d use it for me?” The blonde boy smiles at Jared, batting his eyelashes teasingly.

“Until someone else comes along,” Jared says. “Then you’re on your own.”

“Remind me why I wanted you to come?” Chad steps away from Jared, putting a huge gap between them as they walk.

“I believe it had to do with me being a cool guy.” Jared shrugs and stuffs his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, eyes focusing on the ground.

“Don’t know what I was smoking,” Chad says as he stretches out enough to wrap his arm around Jared’s neck and pull the taller boy closer. He swats at the side of Jared’s head, and then pushes Jared just enough for the other boy to stumble slightly.

Jared smiles at his roommate, but doesn’t retaliate. He’s too busy psyching himself up for the inevitably uncomfortable situation ahead. To anyone else it’s just dinner with a friend, but to Jared it is a frightening encounter with far too many unfamiliar faces, which all seem to stare at him no matter where he goes.

He feels Chad’s hand squeeze his shoulder and when he looks up he can see the concern all over his roommate’s face. “You’re not going to hurl or anything, right?” Chad asks.

Jared forgets the short lived moment of human decency that Chad revealed and is once again reminded why he’s already counting down the days till winter break.

Despite all the potential he has to be a great guy, Chad Murray remains a douche. After spending only six weeks with him, Jared thinks an entire month away from Chad’s obnoxious, disgusting, and loud habits sounds like heaven. There’s a chance he may miss Chad just a bit, but he’s not going to be admitting that anytime soon.


Few people really know Jensen Ackles, but just about everyone at UT knows of him. It’s not because he’s overly social; he’s actually not friendly much at all to be honest. However, he tends to turn heads when he shows up at parties around campus, and he shows up at practically all the big parties.

There aren’t many college students with a 6-speed crossover bike, especially one that’s not purchased with Daddy’s money. So when Jensen rolls up to parties, all eyes are on him. He knows that he can have just about any girl if he wanted, because they throw themselves at him constantly. It didn’t seem to matter that Jensen’s attention was always a bit more focused on the guys around campus, girls still tried their hardest to convert him.

He’s been known to sleep with his share of females. Gay men weren’t part of a majority population in Texas after all, and like any college student, he has needs that have to be met. Jensen isn’t sure if that makes him bisexual or simply a convenient lover, but he prefers the latter-it makes him sound more respectable at least.

When he bones a girl, he isn’t extremely picky. Jensen barely bothers looking at their faces half the time, let alone remembering their names. He’s much more selective about the guys he’s with, but his friends never have the same standards when they set him up with someone.

“Did you hear that, Jen?”

“Huh?” he turns toward Sophia and nods. “Oh, yeah, I’m listening.”

“Misha’s a drama major,” Sophia says with a bit too much delight. Then she turns and glares at Jensen. “Isn’t that awesome?”

“Yeah,” Jensen agrees. “Kind of a red flag though, isn’t it?”

Sophia kicks him hard enough to flinch, which causes him to hit his knee on the bottom of the table and blurt out a rather loud curse. He glares at his three friends, but the looks they are giving him are enough to kill.

“You’re obviously still living in the past,” Misha says. There’s no anger in his tone, in fact, the guy is actually smiling. “I want to be an actor.”

“Sorry,” he apologizes.

“It’s cool.” Misha’s smile widens, his eyes getting crinkles at the sides, and Jensen thinks he should be melting. That smile should make him weak in the knees, but he doesn’t feel anything.

Instead he excuses himself from the table, and heads toward the bathroom at the back of the pub. It’s not that he isn’t attracted to Misha, but he’s definitely not interested in having a relationship with the dude. The guy is smoking hot, and Jensen is very tempted to play along so he can take Misha back to his place, but he’s a drama major. So he’s a bit narrow-minded-which is quite ironic considering his history with intolerance-but Jensen just doesn’t do the emotional, touchy-feely types.


This was a bad idea. Jared knew he should have held his ground, and typically he has no problem doing just that, but for some reason he gave in tonight. Chad’s been spending the whole time hitting on their waitress, staring at some girl two tables over, and asking Jared some very inappropriate questions that he refuses to answer.

Jared couldn’t even finish his food because Chad had drawn so many eyes to their table. After an hour, he got tired of being uncomfortable and disappeared into the bathroom. He’s been sitting on the floor between the sink and the trashcan, trying to figure out how he finds this more comfortable than being in a crowd of people. He’s the poster boy for strange.

Just to add to his misery, when the door swings open, the hottest guy he’s ever seen walks right in like he owns the place. Jared tries to jump to his feet before the guy spots him, but of course he’s the most uncoordinated person, and ends up bumping into the hot dude. He falls on his ass, and the guy turns around with his hand out to Jared.

“Whoa, man,” the hot guy says. “Didn’t see you there.”

“M-my fault,” Jared admits as he tries to stand up on his own. Only when he looks back up and actually sees the other guy’s face, he’s back on his ass in seconds.

The dude is gorgeous!

“Did you want to stay on the floor?” The guy laughs, and holds his hand out to Jared again. “Doesn’t seem like it’d be really comfortable.”

“It’s okay.” He takes the offered hand this time, but doesn’t look up at that perfect face.

Once Jared’s on his feet, he crosses his arms over his chest and stares down at the tiled floor. Then the other guy ducks his head slightly, and forces his way into Jared’s line of sight. When Jared finally looks up, the guy has a smile on his face and his hand out to Jared once again.

“My name’s Jensen.” Jared reaches out, and shakes Jensen’s hand with a small smile. “Do you have a name?”

“Jared,” he whispers.

“Well, Jared, it was nice running into you.” Jensen speaks just as softly, but there’s a smile on his face. He gently slaps Jared’s shoulder, and moves past the boy to use the urinal.

Jared turns his back to give Jensen privacy, and he awkwardly shifts his weight back and forth as he stands there silently. He thinks that maybe now’s his chance to walk out, but then that could seem quite rude, so he stays where he is and waits for Jensen to say something again. Except that when Jensen finally does speak, Jared reflexively turns toward him, forgetting all about privacy.

“So you go to UT, Jared?” Jensen asks as he zips up his pants.

Of course Jared’s face turns bright red once again, and he quickly blurts out an apology instead of answering Jensen’s question. He flips back toward the door and throws his hands up to cover his eyes, but he can still hear Jensen laughing behind him as the other boy washes his hands. Jared tries to inconspicuously make his way out the door, but before he can escape, a hand firm falls onto shoulder, which makes him jump and Jensen laugh even more.

“Has anyone ever told you how hot you are?” Jensen chuckles as Jared just stares at him. “You’ve got that shy nervous thing really working for you.”

Jared ducks his head as he says, “N-never h-heard that before.” His arms are folded across his middle and he mentally kicks himself for being so damn awkward all the time. It doesn’t make any sense considering he’s not a complete prude, but somehow Jensen has managed to turn him into a spluttering fool.

“And that stutter!” Jensen’s smile widens, and the corners of his eyes crinkle. “You are just too fucking cute.”

“D-don’t…” he pauses to clear his throat and stand up straighter before he continues, this time more confident. “Don’t make fun of me.”

“Oh, I’m not.” The other boy’s smile falls and his eyes soften as he rubs at the back of his neck. “I’m sorry. I was being completely serious. Didn’t mean to offend you.”

“Cute isn’t exactly a compliment.” Jared takes his new found confidence and goes with it, knowing it probably won’t last long, but if there’s one thing he can’t stand, it’s being laughed at.

“Really?” Jensen raises his eyebrow and rubs at his chin. “How about hot? Sexy?”

“You’re kind of an ass.” He can’t believe the words came out of his mouth, but he doesn’t even bother trying to take them back.

There’s silence for a few moments while the two of them just stare at each other, and Jared can feel any poise he had slipping. When Jensen finally opens his mouth to speak, Jared drops his head so he can stare at his shoes instead, but Jensen reaches out and gently lifts his chin.

“You’re right, I am an ass.” Jensen waits till Jared actually looks at him, and then that smile returns. “But I meant every word, and I’m sorry if you thought I was laughing at you.”

Jared practically melts, and the heat coloring his face isn’t helping. When Jensen finally lets go of him, his head drops again, but there’s a hint of a smile this time.

“Thank you,” he says softly. “Sorry I called you an ass.”

The other boy shakes his head with a smile, but before he can speak up the bathroom door flies open. Jared takes a startled step backwards, and Jensen reaches out for his arm just in time to keep him falling back on to the floor again. When he turns around he sees Chad standing in the door way staring at the two of them in confusion.

“Everything okay?” Chad asks as his eyes focus on Jensen.

“Y-yeah,” Jared assures him nervously. “I just ran into Jensen on my way out.”

Chad nods but his eyes shift slowly down to the hand still wrapped around Jared’s elbow. When Jensen pulls his hand away, Jared shivers at the loss of contact and rubs absentmindedly at his arm. He feels Chad’s eyes move to him, zeroing in on his arm again as if he was inspecting it for evidence, and Jared instantly removes his own hand.

His roommate’s behavior confuses the hell out of him, but it’s also making him feel extremely awkward as Chad and Jensen stare each other down like animals. Finally, Jared steps between them and forces Chad toward the door. He stops once to turn around toward Jensen, offering the other boy a small smile that is thankfully returned before the door swings shut.

“Jesus, Chad,” Jared says as they sit back down at their table. “What’s your problem?”

“Nothing,” Chad says quickly, staring at something over Jared’s shoulder. When Jared turns around and follows Chad’s line of sight he sees Jensen walking back to his own table.

“He didn’t do anything to you, man.” Jared’s completely confused by Chad at the moment. He’s only known the guy for about a month, but he’s never seen this side of his roommate. Typically Chad is just straight up goofy, perverted, and insensitive, but right now he’s gone into predator mode for absolutely no reason. “Seriously, what’s going on with you?”

“I just don’t like him, okay?” Chad finally takes his eyes off Jensen and turns to Jared. “He was looking at you like a piece of meat, dude. The guy might as well have been drooling.”

Jared tilts his head and watches Chad closely as his friend plays nervously with the straw in his drink. There’s a part of him that feels all giddy that Jensen had really been looking at him like Chad described, but the other part is still wondering why his roommate seems to care. He can see Chad getting more and more uncomfortable as Jared continues staring at him in silence, until eventually Chad sits back in his chair and sighs.

“Stop looking at me like that!” He warns. “That guy would have been all over you if I hadn’t walked in. He thinks he can get away with anything because he looks like a male model.”

“Is that a bad thing?” Jared drops his eyes to the table, unable to see Chad’s reaction to his question. They haven’t known each other long enough for Jared to have brought it up before, and even though Chad is very open, Jared isn’t comfortable enough to discuss it with just anyone.

“J-man,” Chad says softly, waiting until Jared finally looks up before he continues. “Are you batting for your home team?”

He closes his eyes and laughs, feeling the tension in shoulder vanish almost instantly. There’s no judgment in Chad’s question, just pure curiosity that makes Jared want to jump up and hug the other boy.

“Maybe,” Jared says softly. There’s really no question about it, but he’s not quite sure he’s ready to admit it to Chad just yet.

“Well, it’s cool if you are.” Chad takes a sip of his drink and then smiles at Jared. “But you know that would mean you’re definitely going to hell along with me. Pastor’s son or not.”


Jensen’s always enjoyed the party atmosphere, but now that it’s his apartment, he’s less than thrilled by the idea. It doesn’t help that he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about the lanky kid from the bathroom. There’s something about him that fascinates Jensen, but the blond kid with Jared obviously dislikes Jensen for some unknown reason.

Maybe Blondie is Jared’s boyfriend, and he didn’t like Jensen moving in on what’s his. Except, the look that Jared and the boy shared was more brotherly than loving, so Jensen’s guess is Jared has an over protective friend. Jensen couldn’t blame the other boy; Jared seems to have this coyness that definitely attracts Jensen and probably tons of dirt bags as well.

So on top of worrying about people breaking his things or spilling shit on his carpet, Jensen has been lost in thought practically all night. That explains why he jumps when a hand falls onto his shoulder, and he whips around quickly causing the other person to take a step backwards.

“Are you hiding out, Jen?” Misha asks as his hand starts caressing Jensen’s arm fondly.

“No,” he answers quickly, biting back the urge to warn the guy about using nicknames.

“So what’re you doing?” Misha steps in closer, and Jensen gently grabs the other man’s hand and removes it from his arm as he takes a step back.

“I was checking on the thermostat.” He turns around and stares at the little box on the wall, hoping that Misha would get the hint, but the other guy doesn’t move.

“You know,” Misha says, his hand trying to side up Jensen’s chest and again Jensen pushes it away gently, but the message is still not received. “If you want to, we can always go relieve some of your tension.”

“That sounds nice and all,” he says with a forced smile. “But I’m going to pass.” He claps Misha on the shoulder as he moves past the other guy and toward the small kitchen. “Thanks though!”

“Maybe another time.” Misha gives him another blinding smile that does nothing for Jensen, but he still offers a wave before he disappears into the other room.

Of course Sophia is standing just inside the door way, out of Misha’s sight, but naturally within hearing distance. She pulls Jensen aside and presses the back of her hand to his forehead before he bats it away, glaring down at his meddling friend.

“Are you sick?” She asks.

“Shut up, Soph.” He rolls his eyes. “I’m not interested in him.”

“You’re just stupid then!” With surprising strength, she forces Jensen to twist around, point to where Misha is standing in the living room. “He’s gorgeous, and obviously wants to get in your pants.”

“Since when do you encourage me to sleep around?” He asks.

“Since I really want to have sex with him,” she says in disappointment. “But I’m not his type. So I have to live vicariously through you this time.”

Jensen stares at her. “Did you want a video tape too?” She looks up at him with pleased smile and shrugs, but Jensen’s absolutely shocked and appalled. “That’s just disgusting!”

“I’m kidding!” She throws her hands up quickly in defense and Jensen just shakes his head as he goes to grab himself a beer.

When he turns back, Sophia is gone. He leans back against the counter as he takes a drink, letting the cold alcohol ease a bit of his tension. Through the back window he watches a few of his friends scattered around the yard, Jason trying to light the tiny grill that looks like it’s been there for decades and probably never used for more than an ashtray. There’s a good chance by the end of the night someone will call and complain on them, and the land technically isn’t theirs, but since the complex is 85% college students, he’s hoping they get by without any trouble.

There’s a lot of faces around that he recognizes and a few that he doesn’t, but when his eyes fall on one person in particular, his mind suddenly goes blank. That shy but gorgeous boy stands out among everyone else, and Jensen gets that strange feeling in his gut as he watches Jared smile nervously at the guy standing in front of him. Jensen’s completely confused by the emotions running through him, but the anger is one that he’s perfectly capable of handling, even if he doesn’t understand it.

He quickly makes his way out the back door and moves to Jared’s side, sliding his arm around the boy’s shoulders. Jared tenses at first, but then he glances up at Jensen and a smile curls at his lips, one that actually manages to make Jensen feel a bit wobbly in the knees.

“Hey, Jay,” he smiles back at the other boy, and then glares at the guy in front of them. “Everything okay?”

The guy huffs in annoyance, but he seems to get the hint as he walks away and joins another crowd of people. Jensen removes his arm and laughs when Jared lets out a sigh of relief. He shivers in the cool breeze, and Jensen struggles not to pull him in to keep him warm.

“Thank you,” Jared says softly.

“I thought no one ever told you how hot you were?” Jensen winks and Jared just stares at him in confusion. “He was hitting on you wasn’t he?”

“I’m not sure,” Jared admits as he stares down at his hands. “He told me I had very nice hands.”

Jensen busts out laughing, but stops himself when Jared nervously stuffs his hands into his pockets. “Aw, man, I’m sorry!” he apologizes. “That guy was a douche, but you do have very nice hands.”

“Thanks,” Jared says with an obviously forced smile.

“I’m surprised to see you here.” He changes the subject rather abruptly, but he hopes that it will eliminate the tension. Thankfully it works.

“My roommate, Chad, made me come.” Jared nods his head and Jensen turns to find Steve and Sophia standing with the blond boy that had barged into the bathroom with a killer glare. “I’d have rather stayed at my dorm.”

“I see he’s met my roommate, Sophia.” Jensen turns back to Jared and holds hand out to the other boy. “Welcome to my apartment by the way. Sorry you’re not having a good time.”

“Oh, no! I’m so sorry! It’s a great party,” Jared says a bit too fast, making it hard to understand. “It’s a great apartment. Very nice place. I’m just not too good with parties.” He takes a breath and looks like he really wants Jensen to interrupt, but Jensen just keeps listening. “I’m socially awkward if you haven’t noticed, and I think it’d be best if I just never came to any parties. Then when I get nervous I start rambling like I am now. Feel free to shut me up.”

“Actually, I think it’s a very endearing habit.” Jensen finally gives in with a wide smile. “I’m not offended by what you said, and I definitely don’t think you’re socially awkward.”

Jared blushes at the compliment and for the first time Jensen can tell there’s a genuine smile on the kid’s face. He wants so badly to lean in and cover Jared’s lips with his, especially when he sees the flash of white teeth and those sinful dimples, but he doesn’t even get the chance.

Out of the corner of his eye he sees the flame on the grill shoot up, and someone shouts a loud string of profanity. He looks over at his friends only to see Jason rubbing at his eyes, the hair singed off his eyebrows. Everyone else is laughing, and Jensen is having a hard time believing that he’s going to have to be the adult in the situation.

He turns to Jared with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, man, but looks like I have to go handle this.” Jared’s staring at Jason with wide eyes, but the boy manages a nod. “I’ll be right back.”

Jensen grabs Jason by the arm and pulls him into the house. There’s nothing he can do for the singed hairs, but he knows that Jason’s eyes have got to be feeling like they are on fire right now. So, he forces his friend to lean over the sink while Jensen fills a glass of water. The childish whining makes Jensen laugh, and Jason calls him a masochist as Jensen holds the tender flesh of Jason’s eyelids, dumping the cold water over Jason’s head.

After about five rinses, Jensen hands Jason a dish towel and lets his friend dry off a bit. Jensen slaps him on the back of the head, but Jason just stares at him.

“Are you stupid?” Jensen asks, and it frightens him just how much he sounds like his dad at the moment. “You don’t put lighter fluid on a lit fire while standing right over top of it!” He slaps Jason again and makes sure this time it’s a bit harder than the last. “You’re lucky you only loss your eyebrows.”

“You call this lucky?” Jason asks as he runs his fingers over the skin where his eyebrows used to be. “I look like a freak.”

“You’ve always been a freak,” Jensen teases. “But imagine how much worse you’d look with your skin all blistered and gross.” He grabs an icepack from the freezer and hands it to his friend.

“Thanks, Jen.” Jason takes the pack, wraps it in the towel, and ducks his head as he walks back outside with it pressed to his singed skin.

Jensen follows him out and immediately searches for Jared. It’s not hard to spot the kid. Of course his height and long hair help, but all Jensen needed to do was follow the sound of frantic apologies as Jared made his way toward side of the complex, apparently intent on escaping. He just stands there laughing as he watches everything unravel, waiting for the right movement to step in and save the day once again.


As soon as Jensen disappears into the house, Jared actually finds that he’s tensing up rather than relaxing. He figures Jensen was the lesser of two evils, but then he knows that’s completely wrong because Jensen has been nothing but nice to him. It’s starting to scare him. He’s never met someone like Jensen, and he’s definitely never been very comfortable talking to anyone, let alone someone as attractive as Jensen. Except there is no one as attractive as Jensen, which really freaks Jared out, and now he’s rambling in his own head.

He’s convinced himself that Jensen’s just being nice because he feels sorry for Jared, and as much as he loves staring at Jensen, he really doesn’t want any sympathy. There are some perfectly good textbooks back at his dorm just waiting to be read, and textbooks never laugh at you or give you sympathetic smiles.

Of course Jared’s not only socially awkward, but he’s down right clumsy as well.

Before he even makes it two feet, he trips over something-probably his own foot-and ends up falling into someone else as he’s stumbling to regain his balance. Jared straightens quickly with his hands up and frantic apologies rolling off his tongue as he backs, obviously not watching where he’s going. When he finally goes to turn around, he bumps into someone else, this time causing the guy to spill his drink.

Jared lets out a pathetic squeak, and bends down to wipe the liquid off the guy’s shoe, thankful that’s the only place it landed besides the grass. He hears the guy laugh above him before strong arms are forcing him to stand back up, bringing him face to face with probably the scariest guy he’s ever met. The sad thing is that Jared’s at least a head taller than the dude, but he’s got a feeling that the rugged man in front of him could kill with a single punch.

Without a second thought, Jared pulls back from the strong hands and takes off in a sprint, not even bothering with useless apologies. He shouldn’t have come tonight, and he wishes Chad would have listened to him, but maybe after his roommate hears about the chaos Jared caused, he’ll leave Jared back at their dorm for now on.

“Whoa!” He stops abruptly when he runs right into someone else’s chest, nearly falling backwards if the person hadn’t grabbed onto Jared’s arms. “Where are you going?”

When he lifts his eyes from the fascinating ground, he sees Jensen staring at him with that smile he’s always wearing. It just fuels Jared’s desire to escape, and he thrashes around to get out of Jensen’s grip, but Jensen holds strong. Finally Jared gives up, but refuses to look at Jensen anymore.

“Why are you leaving?” Jensen asks. “I thought we were having a nice conversation.”

Jared just shrugs.

“You caused quite the uproar on your way out, man.” Jensen finally loosens his grip on Jared’s arms, and Jared wraps them around his midsection. “Kind of a klutz aren’t you?”

“Kinda,” Jared mumbles as he takes a step to the side, trying to get past Jensen nonchalantly.

Jensen laughs as he steps up to Jared’s side, throwing an arm around Jared’s shoulders and leaning in close to his ear. “Probably not the best idea to spill beer on Chris,” Jensen says, and Jared tenses even more. “But he’s not as mean as he looks.”

Of course Jared couldn’t have just spilled scary looking dude’s beer; it had to be one of Jensen’s buddies. The night just keeps getting better and better, but Jensen just keeps refusing to let him leave. Maybe all this nice guy stuff has been an act, and maybe he just enjoys having a good laugh at Jared’s expense.

“He’s not pissed at you, Jared.” Jensen reach out and lifts Jared’s chin again, this time there isn’t a smile on his face, which confuses Jared. For some reasons he catches himself staring much too intently at Jensen, trying to read the new look on the other guy’s face. “Actually, I’m pretty sure he thinks he hit into you,” Jensen says as his face morphs back into that familiar grin.

“Really?” Jared asks, not unlike a frightened child.

Jensen laughs again. “Yep, but I don’t blame you for running,” he says as he leans in even closer. “He is one scary looking dude.”

Finally Jared smiles, but he drops his head again to try and hide it from Jensen. Except he’s pretty sure Jensen’s watching him so closely that it’s impossible to hide anything.

“What do you say we get out here?” Jensen asks as he pulls Jared to the back door. “I can take you back to your dorm if you want.”

“I can walk,” Jared says softly, but Jensen’s already grabbing a helmet from the hook by the door as he ushers Jared into the hallway.

Jensen holds the helmet out to him as they make their way out to the parking lot, but Jared shakes his head as he stares. His eyes wander to the slick black bike parked in the first spot, and Jared feels the goosebumps prickle at his skin. He wants to blame it on the chill in the air, but he knows it’s the thought of Jensen’s bike exciting him-more specifically, the thought of Jensen on the bike.


“Take it.” Jensen shoves the helmet at Jared again, but those nice big hands make no effort to reach for it.

Instead of arguing anymore, Jensen pulls Jared in and pushes the helmet carefully onto Jared’s head, flipping the visor down over Jared’s eyes. He smiles at the kid before tapping the side of the helmet and dragging Jared toward the bike. Jensen climbs on and waits for Jared to do the same, but the boy still stands there practically shaking enough for Jensen to hear his teeth chatter.

“Never ridden on a motorcycle before have you?” When Jared shakes his head, Jensen holds his hand out and pulls Jared closer. “You don’t have to do anything. Just sit here behind me, and hold on. Okay?”

He nods as he timidly takes a seat. Jensen turns to watch him tug at the helmet and try to push as far away from Jensen as possible, except it isn’t possible at all. Eventually Jensen just reaches behind him, grabs Jared’s wrists and pulls them around his own waist. Jared’s chest presses flush against Jensen’s back and he can feel the kid’s breath on the back of his neck. He finds himself being grateful that he’s sitting, because it’s much easier to hide just how much he likes having Jared this close with those long arms wrapped around him.

“Wait!” Jared shouts just as Jensen starts to turn the motor over. “You don’t have a helmet.”

He shakes his head with a shrug and the engine purrs to life, making Jared jump just slightly. “I only have one,” he shouts back. “Best you wear it. But don’t worry. We won’t be going that fast and I’m a good driver.”

“I hope so.”

Jensen just smiles as he slowly backs out of the parking spot, then turns his head toward Jared slightly and asks, “Where to?”

“Brackenridge.” Jared takes one of his arms away to shift the helmet again, but then he winds it back around Jensen’s waist and leans in closer. “It’s next to the Jester Center.”

“Guess that answer’s my question,” Jensen says. “You’re definitely a UT student.”

“Oh, yeah,” Jared confirms. “I’m a freshman.”

“Kind of figured that,” He pats Jared’s leg before putting his hand back on the throttle, twisting it just enough to get them moving.

The way Jared’s arms tighten around Jensen’s waist is driving him just to the brink of crazy. He’s never had such strong feelings with anyone he’s been with, and he’s definitely never been interested in just driving them home. It’s like this kid has Jensen under some kind of spell that even he doesn’t understand. Jensen would be lying if he said he didn’t want to take Jared to bed tonight, but the thought of simply spending time with the kid is just as appealing.

Luckily he manages to catch himself before he passes Jared’s building, so lost in thought that he doesn’t even know how he got here. Once they pull into the parking lot, Jensen stops the bike behind a row of parked cars, and turns off the engine. Jared hands him the helmet as he gets off the bike, and Jensen ties it around the mirror before getting off to follow Jared toward the entrance.

“You don’t have to walk me up,” Jared says as he swipes his student ID and the door swings open.

“Well, I’d like to if that’s okay.” He watches Jared closely for any signs of discomfort, but the other boy actually smiles and nods.

They climb the stairs to the third floor, and Jared unlocks the door before motioning for Jensen to follow him inside. The first thing Jensen notices is the obvious dividing line in the middle of the room, and it isn’t hard to guess who inhabits which space.

Jared unzips his hoodie and throws it onto the neatly made bed, before bending down to pick up the crumpled papers scattered around the trashcan. When Jared stands back up he turns to Jensen as though he forgot Jensen was still standing there, and he smiles nervously.

“Sorry for the mess,” he says as he dumps the papers into the can. “I’m sure you’d rather be getting back to the party, but you can sit down for a bit if you want.” Jared pushes the computer chair toward Jensen and then sits down on his bed.

“I’m guessing your roommate and you are very different, huh?” Jensen asks with a smile as he bypasses the chair to sit down beside Jared.

“Yeah,” Jared admits. “He thinks I’m a neat freak, but really I just haven’t been here long enough to be lazy.”

“Do you actually have a lazy side?” Jensen raises an eye brow curiously. “I kind of took you for an organized, over achieving, straight A student.”

Jared throws his head back and laughs, but then covers his mouth as if he hadn’t meant for Jensen to see or hear him react that way. All Jensen can do is stare and wish that Jared would laugh like that all the time, because he’s fairly certain it’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen.

“Nah,” Jared finally says, staring at his folded hands and blushing under Jensen’s scrutiny. “I’m none of those. Just an average kid from a conservative family who doesn’t like drawing attention to himself.”

“So, you’d rather hide than let people know you?”

“It’s not hiding.” Jared shrugs.

“Do you ever start conversations with strangers?” Jared looks at Jensen and shakes his head. Jensen smiles and says, “Then I’m glad I ran into you earlier today or we wouldn’t be here.”

“Lucky you,” Jared says softly, but Jensen actually glares at him, enjoying the way the boy squirms under the intensity of Jensen’s eyes.

“I’ve never met anyone like you before, Jared.” He continues to glare, but when Jared starts looking like he’s seconds from cracking, Jensen softens his eyes and smiles. “But I like you. I wish you could look me in the eye more, but that shy smile with a hint of dimples is enough to make up for it.” He leans in a bit closer, lips inches from Jared’s as he continues, “And don’t even get me started on that laugh of yours. You have definitely got to do that more often.”

When their lips finally meet, Jared doesn’t pull away, but instead he leans in closer and allows Jensen to take control. It’s cliché, but Jensen feels as though there are fireworks going off around them, and he wants to stay just like this the rest of the night. When they both start running out of air, Jensen reluctantly pulls away and rests his forehead against Jared’s.

He can’t help but smile when after only a few long seconds, Jared hungrily presses his lips against Jensen’s, just waiting for Jensen to claim that sinful mouth of his. Jensen happily complies, lost in the moment and completely at the mercy of Jared’s hands as they teasingly slide under Jensen’s t-shirt.

Neither of them hears the door open, but they immediately pull apart when Chad steps up right next to them and clears his throat. Jensen runs his fingers over his moist lips and smiles politely at Jared’s roommate, his hand still on Jared’s thigh. Jared, on the other hand, gives Chad a glare that looks an awful lot like the one Jensen had the privilege of seeing when he met Jared’s roommate earlier.

“What?” Jared growls.

“Thanks for telling me you were leaving, Jay,” Chad barks back. “I should have known he’d lure you into bed.”

Jensen just stares at the other guy, fighting the urge to defend himself, and it seems Jared’s got enough fight for the both of them anyways.

“Shut it, Chad!” Jared stands up and glares down at his roommate. “Jensen gave me a ride back. He did nothing wrong, so stop acting like an ass.”

Chad rolls his eyes but finally turns to Jensen. “I’m sorry,” he apologizes before walking toward the bathroom. Before he closes the door he turns to Jensen again, the glare back on his face and looking even more lethal. “You better not fuck around with him, ‘cause I know people.” Then the door slams shut, and Jensen finds himself trying desperately not to laugh.

“I’m sorry about that,” Jared apologizes.

“Don’t worry about it, Jared.” Jensen smiles as he stands up and pulls the younger boy to him. “He’s just being a good friend.” He presses his lips to Jared’s one last time, then steps back and heads for the door. “It was nice meeting you.”

It takes Jared a second to catch up, but then he smiles at Jensen; a wide smile with much more than a hint of dimples.

“You too,” he says as Jensen opens the door. “Maybe we’ll run into each other again?”

“Or we could actually go on a date.” Jensen suggests. “Maybe Saturday?”

Jared doesn’t answer right away and if Jensen could hear the boy’s thoughts he’s pretty sure Jared he’d hear Jared arguing with himself. It just makes Jensen smile even more because he knows Jared wants to go out with him so there’s no way Jensen would take no for an answer.

“I’ll pick you up at 6:30 then.” Jensen gives him a flirtatious wink and then shuts the door, taking a second to let his mind process everything that happened before he even attempts to walk back to his bike.

This could be bad. Hell Jared’s a freshman and Jensen’s going to be graduating in the spring. He has no idea what he’s thinking, except that Jared’s not just any freshman. The kid’s this ridiculously hot, but shy freshman with the most gorgeous hazel eyes that Jensen could lose himself in, and it scares him just how much he actually wants to get lost in Jared.

Yeah, there’s no way this was going to end well.

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