The One and Only - part 2/2
Title: The One and Only
Author: dreamers_dh
Pairing: Jared/Jensen
Rating: There is no kissing, no hugging, no swearing... shame on me!
Disclaimer: None of it belongs to me. I only play a little while with them…
Word count: 3762
Summary: This is the story of a man, his dream of the one perfect person and a lost phone
Beta: realscape, who did an amazing job!
Part 2:
They’re at Jensen’s place. When Chris arrives at Jensen’s (with no idea how he should convince his friend to go with him), Jensen is nervous as hell. He can’t sit still for a moment, and every other minute he’s babbling crazy things. Chris needs all his patience to get the information that the movie thing will be very big for Jensen. His book on a cinema screen. His story. Jensen forgets to breathe.
But then Chris is there, and all he can suggest is the party, and to his surprise, Jensen is not against it. Quite the opposite, as his agent has told him the same adress to meet him at tonight, so they’re going to the party. Before they can go, Chris gets a call on his phone, and he smiles at Jensen and leaves the room so he can talk with his mom alone. Nothing is as embarrassing as talking with his mom.
Jensen stays in his living room, and he’s really, really excited. A movie. A movie of his story. It’s incredible. They have a script already, and some actor is interested in playing the hero of his story. His agent is really excited, too, and Jensen can’t think about anything else.
At first he doesn’t hear anything other than Chris’ low voice in his kitchen, talking with his mom. Then he hears music. A song. Jensen knows he knows the song, but he doesn’t know why he can hear it right now. He looks around. The room is silent apart from the song. His eyes fall on Chris’ jacket. It’s lying on the couch, and he swears the sound is coming right from it. With one step, he’s there, and he finds another phone in it.“Two phones?” Jensen grinned to himself. “Chris, you’re incredible!” Then he snaps it open. “Hello?”
“Hello? D’you have my phone?” The voice is dark, and Jensen can’t put a face to the voice, he doesn’t even know whether he actally knows the person.
“Yes, I think I do.” He chuckles a little bit. “Obviously.”
“Right.” The man laughs, too, and it sounds very nice. Jensen decided he likes it. “I’m kind of dumb,” the man says. “But I’ve been looking for it all day, and I’ve only just thought of trying to call it.”
“These things happen,” Jensen says and smiles. He remembers times when he lost his phone and he never thought to phone himself.
“Yeah. Good that you found it.”
“Oh, I didn’t find it. Chris had it.”
“Chris? I don’t know anyone called Chris…. No, that’s not true. I do know a Chris, but he’s not in L.A., so I don’t think my Chris has my phone right now. Actually, who are you?”
Jensen chuckles again. This man is funny, and Jensen doesn’t know why he thinks so, but he feels that he could really like this guy. That’s a very strange thought for Jensen, and he rolls his eyes.
“I’m Jensen, a friend of Chris’.” Jensen sighs. Now he’s talking like the stranger.
“Hi, I’m Jared.” For a moment, a fantastic marvellous moment, Jensen’s heart stops beating. It’s only a second or two, but Jensen stands in the middle of his living room, and his eyes fly to the shelf and the little picture on it.
“Jensen?” He snaps out of it. A day dream. A silly, silly day dream. Chris is right. He’s totally crazy, and he needs help. Jensen makes a yuck face.
“I’m here. Sorry I was distracted.”
“It’s okay. Where are you? I want my phone back. No, I need it back. There are things on it… addresses and phone numbers, you know?” Jensen can’t help himself, he laughs out loud. This guy is really cute in a strange way. He watches Chris come back in the room with a odd look in his face. Then Chris sees the phone in Jensen’s hand and he nods.
“I know that there are numbers in a phone, Jared,” says Jensen, and it’s such a good feeling to call someone by the name. Especially since he has the feeling that this Jared is a very nice person. Again Jensen shakes his head. He’s acting like one of the girls in his books, he thinks. This time it’s Jared who laughs out loud, and the sound goes straight through Jensen. Every nerve in his body seems to vibrate. He flushes and gets a strange look from Chris.
“Okay, what I meant to say is that I really need it back. Like now. It’s really, really important to me. You understand?”
“I understand. Where can we meet you?” Chris shakes his head and waves his hand, and suddenly Jensen remembers the party. He’s not so sure about the party right now, but he knows that his agent will be there, and a lot of important people, so he simply shrugs.
“I don’t know. I’m on my way out right now. I have a meeting somewhere.”
“That sounds mysterious,” says Jensen, and he’s curious. Maybe this Jared is some kind of secret agent? Jensen chuckles again. He’s a crazy writer with too much fantasy in his life.
“Oh, it isn’t,” Jared sighs. “I’m on my way to a party to meet some important people, you know? And the address is in my phone because my agent sent it to me.”
“And now you don’t know where you should go?” Jensen smiles to himself. They seem to have a lot in common.
“Yes, that’s it. I’m a loser.”
“No, you’re not.” Jensen shakes his head as if Jared could see him. Jensen wants to meet this guy, there’s something he can’t explain. He’s always been so sure that he knew the perfect man for him, and now it seems that the perfect man isn’t available, but maybe there’s someone else? Someone as nice as this Jared? Jensen looks to Chris, and Chris makes a face like he’s lost a battle, then he nods and writes down the address.
“Okay, I can tell you where we’ll be in… half an hour I think … you can meet us there and get your phone back. Is that okay for you?”
“Very okay,” Jensen can hear the relief in Jared’s voice, and he gets the feeling that he’d do anything to hear him laugh again. He wonders silently if there’s any history of mental illness in his family. “You’re a lifesaver!”
“You’re welcome.”
“No, I mean it. It’s very important for me, and to lose the dammed phone on a day like today… it’s so totally me, I can’t tell you.”
“It’s okay. You’ll get it back, and everything will be okay.”
“Yes, thank you. Oh, man, I could hug you right now! I’m so relieved!”
“Do it when we meet,” says Jensen and closes his eyes. Did he really say that? He swallowed hard.
“I will. I promise. Thank you, man!” Jared cuts the connection and Jensen holds the phone for a moment in his hand without thinking. Then he blinks twice and tries to remember to breathe.
“That’s sounded like a very interesting conversation, Jen,” smiles Chris, and his eyes are big and curious. “Wanna tell me about it?”
“He lost his phone,” is all Jensen can say.
For a moment Chris is silent then he sniggers. “Oh, Jensen, man, I tell you that man is a freaking giant. Like a mountain on legs.”
“You know him?” Jensen looks at Chris astonished.
“No. I saw him for a second in the café where I met Steve. That’s where he lost his phone. He’s really tall.” And with a grin on his face. “Do you like tall men?”
“Chris, no! Really no! Not now!”
“What? I’m only asking.” Chris makes an innocent face, then he grabs his jacket. “Let’s go to the party and meet your giant with the lost Black Berry.”
“Chris, you are…”
“What? Your friend?”
“Something like that, but I think my version isn’t as nice…” Chris chuckles again.
They get out of the taxi in front of a club, and all Jensen can see are people. An incredible amount of people. His first thought is to climb back in the taxi again, but Chris pushes him forwards. “Why am I doing this again?” Jensen whispers, and throws nervous glances at the crowds of people.
“It’s your job,” Chris smiles brightly.
“Writing is my job. Do you know how to write? I sit in a chair with a table in front of me, and a laptop, maybe even some music, and all I do is write. Alone. This isn’t my job. This isn’t even in the same timezone as my job.” Chris rolls his eyes. He knows Jensen will be okay if he can lose his shyness in the club and adapt to the atmosphere. He loves parties, and he loves meeting people. What Jensen hates are new people, and new situations.
“Then think about the giant. Do you see him around?” Chris looks around, he’s pretty sure that someone like Jared can’t be missed, but he sees nothing.
“I don’t know him, Chris!” Jensen’s voice sounds flustered. “What does he looks like?” But he watches the crowd. Tonight everyone seems to be here and wants to get into the club. What is it with the people in this city? Jensen asks himself. Why do they behave like lemmings and follow an unknown leader to every little new attraction they can get?
The next thought halts his breathing, and he stops mid-step, so Chris bumps against him and curses. What if they’re all here because of this movie they want to make? And the story of the movie? And… Jensen swallows hard…. What if they’re here to meet the man who’s written the story? Mike, his agent, had said something, Jensen knows it, but he can’t remember what the exact words were. Should he be meeting someone special here, or is Jensen the one to meet?
“Chris, I can’t…” Jensen begins, but Chris’ angry face makes him stop.
“Oh, yes, you can and you will,” snaps Chris, then his face lights up, and he points behind Jensen. “There! That must be Jared. Let’s go over there, give him the phone, and get the party started.” Jensen follows, lost in his thoughts. He can’t remember for the life of him just why he’s doing this. He could have such a nice life. Somewhere. Without being so nervous and unsure. He throws glances at the people they walk by and hears laugher from them. Music gets through the closed doors of the club, and it smells of perfume and fumes, and then Jensen sees him.
At first he can only see the back of the man, and Chris is right; he is very, very tall. Jensen knows he isn’t short either, but this man… wow!
He has dark hair. Jensen can’t say what color it is exactly because it’s dark, and the lamp light in front of the club is bad, but he can say that it’s dark, maybe brown, and it’s long. Not so long that Jared needs a hair band or anything, but longer than Jensen’s. It looks good, and leads Jensen’s eyes to Jared’s shoulders, which are…broad. A tall, dark haired man with broad shoulders and a warm laugh. Jensen sighs, this could be everything he ever dreamed of. Everything. But still, there’s his Jared. His other dream, and suddenly, he isn’t so sure of himself. He’s waited so long. He was so sure that there’s this special guy for him, and now he’s unsure, and nervous.
And he hates it.
“Hey, Jared?” Chris speaks to the tall man and briefly looks at Jensen. Man, is his friend pale! Chris wonders if all of this is really a good idea. Jared turns around, and he’s smiling gingerly. He looks at both of the men front of him.
“Hi guys,” Jared says and his voice is dark and warm, and makes Jensen’s heart stumble again. “You’re Chris and Jensen, right?” Neither Chris nor Jensen are talking. Both men are looking at Jared, and they can’t seem to do anything else. “Hello?” Jared looks irritated. He waves with one hand in front of Chris’ wide eyes. “Anyone there?”
“Oh, my god!” whispers Jensen, and although it’s noisy in front of the club, Jared can hear him, and he smiles. He really smiles, this wide and fantastic smile that makes Jensen want. Want more. Want everything. And Jensen can’t think. All he can do is stare and smile too. He can feel that he’s blushing like a girl, and it’s annoying and awkward at the same time.
“You’re Jared.” Chris can finally speak again.
“Yes, I am. You have my phone?” Jared’s eyes stay fixed on Jensen while he speaks with Chris. He looks at him like he knows him, but that can’t be. Chris gives him the phone, and Jared nods, but still he looks at Jensen. Curiosity in his eyes, he asks: “Do I know you?”
Chris holds his breath.
Jensen blinks a few times, then he shakes himself out of his stiffness. “No, I don’t think so.”
“Really? I could swear I know you…” Jared watches Jensen thoroughly. His eyes are everywhere. On Jensen’s face, his eyes, his body, his arms… it’s like touching without contact.
Jensen is getting warm.
“Maybe you met before…” Chris tries to make a joke when he notices Jensen’s wide eyes. “In another life…” Jared and Jensen doesn’t seem to hear him. They look at each other. Jensen knows this is his big chance. He should talk to Jared. He should say something remarkable, something that makes Jared wants to stay near Jensen forever, something that tells Jared that Jensen is the one and only person for him, the right one, something Jensen’s characters in his books say so easily… but he has lost every sane thought.
All he can do is breathe and take a step nearer to Jared.
Which is a mistake. Now he can smell Jared. After shave and the smell of his clothes, fresh and clean, and then there’s something else. Jensen doesn’t know what it is, but it makes him close his eyes and breathe again. Jared. This is Jared. The one and only. He wonders how he could have ever thought of someone else.
“I’m Jensen.”
Jared’s eyes are dark in this light, and there are sparkles in them when he responds: “I’m Jared.”
Chris moans and rolls his eyes. They are both unbelievable!
“Hi Jared,” smiles Jensen, and suddenly everything seems alright. “I’m pleased to meet you.”
Jared nods. “Me too. I’m glad that you found my phone.” The phone is in Jared’s hand now, and he knows he should look at it to get the adress to get to his meeting but… he can’t remember why this meeting was so important. This is Jensen, and he doesn’t know this man, but he wants to. Wants to know him, to know what makes him smile. And blush. Jared sees the red on Jensen’s cheeks and he finds it sweet. He’s lost in his green eyes. Why should he go? Everything he wants is right in front of him. It makes no sense to him, but he knows he is right where he should be.
“Chris found it.”
“But you were on the phone when I called.”
“Yes, I was.”
“And you brought it to me.” Jensen smiles again, and Jared’s eyes fix on his lips. Jensen can feel it. He can feel Jared eyes on his lips, and his mouth is suddenly very dry. He can’t help himself, his tongue peeks out, just the tiniest bit. Jared’s eyes were dark before, but the look Jensen now gets is something he won’t ever forget. Dark with passion, and something strange but warm in it. Curious and sure. Jensen coughs shortly.
“Hey, you two lovebirds,” Chris pushes against Jensen lightly, and his words break the spell Jensen’s under. “I hate to disturb you, but Jared, you’ve got your phone, and I see Mike over there, Jensen. I think he’s waitin for you. So if you don’t want to come with us, Jared, we have to go now.”
Jensen knows Chris is right, and that Jared is a stranger, not a friend, but honestly Jensen hates Chris at that moment. He doesn’t want Jared to go, and he doesn’t want to meet Mike and his important person. Jared shrugs, but his smile is fading a little bit. It’s still amazing and wide, but Jensen can see the difference. It’s so obvious to Jensen that he wants to hurt Chris for his reminder. And so he does.
Jensen punches Chris hard on his shoulder, and Chris shouts out, surprised. Jared grins, but then he shakes his head. “Yeah, you’re right. I want… “ He looks at Jensen again. “I would love to come with you two, but I have an appointment.”
Jensen nods. “You said so on the phone.”
“Right. And it’s very important for me. You know? A job. I can’t let it go. I simply can’t.”
“It’s alright,” Jensen says, and it is. He knows that it is, but it doesn’t feel so.
“Okay. Thank you for my phone.” Jared wants to add something, but doesn’t have the words.
“Bye Jared,” Chris winks and grabs Jensen’s arm to make him follow him, mumbling something about straight guys with fiancés.
“Bye Jared.” Jensen goes two steps and stops, still looking at Jared. Say something, Jensen thinks, something important and funny and remarkable. But his mind is a blank.
“See you around.” Jared watches the man walk away from him, and it feels wrong. There’s nothing he can do about it. Nothing. He sees Chris, who takes a step closer to Jensen, talking to him, and Jared wonders who Chris is. A friend, or more? And why is this question on his mind at all? Why makes the thought that Chris might be something more to Jensen so hurtful?
He observes the way Chris’ hands lie on Jensen’s shoulders, and how he talks to Jensen as they head of towards another man. Chris stands off to one side, and Jared can see Jensen talking with the stranger. Jared remarks the tension in Jensen’s body. He knows the other man is nervous, but then he hears laughter, loud and clear, and it’s Jensen, and Jared giggles a little bit. He really likes Jensen’s laughter.
His phone rings. When he looks at it and sees his agent’s name his smile fades. He doesn’t want to go to this appointment. He wants to stay here. With Jensen. It’s crazy, but that’s what he wants. The phone rings again and Jared looks up, over to where Jensen and his friends were standing. The area’s empty now. There’s no one there any more, Jensen is gone. That’s when Jared realizes that he has nothing. No surname, no address, no phone number. He curses out loud. His phone rings again, and this time he takes the call.
“That was Jared!” Jensen whispers, as he and Chris follow Mike into the club. “Jared!”
“I know, Jen,” Chris breathes back.
“My Jared.”
“Yep”
“Oh, my god! I can’t believe I’ve met him.”
Chris chuckles. “You have met him and it was… funny.”
“Funny?” Jensen chokes on his words, and his eyes are filling with panic. “Chris, did I look stupid? Did I do something wrong? Chris…”
“Stop it, Jen, everything is alright. You two are alright, okay? Two love sick lovebirds, but alright.”
Jensen snorts. “He’s straight, Chris, you know that.”
“Yes, I know. And every man who swings that way looks at you like he did…”
Jensen bites back what he was about to say, and watches Chris with wide eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Jared might be straight, Jensen, but… man, there was something between you two. Like electricity flowing between you. I could see it, God, everyone could see it!”
A warm feeling creeps right through Jensen’s body and he feels his cheeks blushing, but for the first time it doesn’t bother him. A smile fights its way past the corners of his lips. “Really?”
For a moment Chris stands there and watches his friend, and he sees all the hope in Jensen’s expression. Chris has known this man for a very long time, and he knows that Jensen has his faults and quirks, but he is kind and a very good friend, and so he doesn’t want to see him hurt and lonely. So he doesn’t know what to say. Build up Jensen’s dreams about a straight man, or quash these dreams for maybe another man?
Chris sighs and doesn’t say anything.
Jensen only looks at him, his eyes bright and clear, and then he sees Mike coming towards them. He has a stranger with him, and Jensen tries to remember how to smile politely.
“Jensen, I want to introduce you to an old friend of mine, “Mike says and nods to his old friend. “Jeff is the agent of the actor I wanted you to meet here. Jeff, this is Jensen.”
Jensen watches Jeff as he puts something in his pocket, and he’s a little bit curious for a second. Was that a phone? Phones seem to be a theme of the night.“Nice to meet you.” Jensen is unsure what to say. Mike has been very secretive about all this.
“Nice to meet you too.” Jeff seems to be nice, and his smile is friendly while his eyes are intense. He studies Jensen briefly and then obviously tries to spot someone behind him.
“Oh, there he is…” Before Jensen can turn around, Mike smiles at him. “Jensen, you know I wanted you to meet someone here. Someone who’s perfect for you.”
Jensen doesn’t have a clue what he should think about that, and turns around to face… Jared, who stands behind him, grinning like a doofus, but apparently more than happy.
Chris coughs loudly, and Jeff laughs nervously.
“I mean, he’s perfect for the role in the movie,” Mike adds blushing quickly. “For the lead character, you know?” Jensen looks at Jared. He can hear Chris’ words from before in his thoughts, and suddenly the warm feeling is back again. He remembers the little picture on his shelf, and his dreams. This is Jared. His Jared. “You know what I mean?” Mike asks when nobody speaks a word.
Jensen’s eyes are locked with Jared, and the happiness floats between them, like electricity.
“Yes, I know what you mean,” Jensen nods. “He’s perfect for me.”
And Jared simply smiles.
End
Maybe I've got another little part for this, Jared's POV. If you are interested?