Christmas Trainstamp!
And Then There Were Lights
PG; 1200 words
for violateraindrop who asked for train!verse with "how grumpy Jensen deals with Christmas decoration" in the holiday timestamp post. I kinda played with stuff here to make it a lil different/fun :D
Jared turned just enough to see Jensen over his shoulder and a step or two behind. Jensen was going on about some stockholder’s meeting that he had to sit through and there were random phrases being thrown around that Jared couldn’t exactly understand, but he could keep up with the cadence of Jensen’s easy voice. He was so caught up in the pattern of Jensen’s speech that Jensen saying, “And then they - watch out” carried on as if there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.
But then Jared felt something rake through his hair, tugging sharply, and he snapped back a few feet to stay in place and stop the pain.
Jensen winced and moved forward while Jared whined a long run of “Ow, ow, ow … what is it?”
“Icicles,” Jensen murmured as he brought his hands up the back of Jared’s head.
Jared flinched when Jensen’s fingers got to work on untangling … “Icicles?” Jared grumbled.
“Lights,” Jensen smiled lightly. “Icicle lights.”
“Why are you smiling at it? You find my pain funny?”
“No, come on,” Jensen said easily. “You’re almost out.” There was one quick yank on Jared’s hair and then he was free. “See, all good now,” he said nicely, and that was strange.
Jared whipped around to glare at the strand of multicolored icicle lights drooping off the overhang of the office building they were walking along. He rubbed at the back of his head and prayed hair wouldn’t come away in his hand when he was done.
“You okay?” Jensen asked. He closed his hand around Jared’s elbow, pulling the hand away from his head, and seemed to inspect what was likely a mad mess of hair. He ran his fingers over the area that still stung then lightly smiled as he squeezed Jared’s neck and steered them forward. “It looks fine.”
“It doesn’t feel fine,” Jared mumbled, but then he shut up and fell into step along Jensen as he started up his story again.
They walked another two blocks, one foot in front of the other, until they marched halfway across the bridge, one block from the train station, and Jensen stopped abruptly in the middle. Jared stood next to him, knowing they had some time until the next train, and by now, Jared was talking about how his week had been going. He went on about how he looked forward to the weekend giving him time to sleep in, and Jensen was busying himself with his briefcase while looking out onto the river.
Jared slowed his words and came to a complete stop when he realized Jensen’s eyes were running all around the area as if he was looking for something. “Whats up?” Jared asked.
Jensen absently licked his lips and glanced over with a blank face. “Nothing. I was listening.”
He took a few minutes to consider Jensen before saying, “It didn’t really look like you were.”
Looking back onto the river, which appeared black at this time of night at this time of the year, Jensen’s brow furrowed like he was again seeking something out and Jared looked for it, too. The lights of the buildings reflected off the dark, silky surface, all yellowed hues from office building’s still lit up but now with an added mix of greens and reds with the City dressed up for Christmas.
Once the quick, quiet moment passed, Jensen rattled off, “You were saying that your sister wanted you guys to hit up the mall because of all the sales but you just wanted to sleep past noon tomorrow.”
Jared took in Jensen’s profile and felt something soften at the way Jensen continued to look far beyond anything Jared could figure out. He glanced along the river and when he saw Jensen softly smiling again, it hit him, and he loudly laughed in surprise. “Oh, my God, you are adorable.”
Jensen grimaced at Jared’s outburst. “What’re you talking about?”
“You really like this,” he replied, motioning around them.
For a few seconds, Jensen glanced between them then nodded at Jared. “Yeah, I like you,” he said strangely. “We’ve been through this for months.”
“No, like, Christmas, and lights. You’re standing here now because you want to stare at all the decorations, not because something’s wrong.”
“I think there’s something wrong with you,” Jensen mumbled, making quick steps to continue across the bridge.
Jared hurried to keep in step and tried to not laugh again, because obviously Jensen didn’t appreciate it the first time. “No, seriously, I figured you’d be all bah-humbug-scrooge on the whole thing. But you wanted to stop and stare at the river because of how it’s all lit up. That’s adorable.” When Jensen snorted and shook his head, Jared added, “Like in a non-mocking way. In a seriously, you’re damned adorable when you’re not grouchy and I really like you and all your little surprises.”
Jensen came to an abrupt stop and slowly turned to face Jared, and Jared made sure to keep his gentle smile in place to ease Jensen. It seemed to work because when Jensen sighed, it sounded more in relaxation then annoyance. “The one time of year all the people aren’t so bad.”
Jared smirked then leaned in to kiss Jensen’s forehead. “Adorable.”
It wasn’t quite a scowl, but Jensen made a face then squinted as he looked off towards the river again. “I woke up all grouchy-”
“I remember,” Jared said with a nod, because Jensen had been crabby and grunting on their ride in that morning.
“And then I got into the station and saw all the food people brought in for donations …”
Jared remembered seeing tables covered in brown paper bags that had been handed out the night before for riders to fill at home with non-perishables then bring back in the morning to fill up the local food banks. Of all things when they first saw the set-up that morning, Jared had expected Jensen to grumble that volunteers were slowing foot traffic by standing too near the rush, but he hadn’t. Jensen had stuttered for a second and then went on up the moving walkway.
“Man,” Jared chuckled lightly. “That iceberg heart of yours is melting into a puddle of goo.”
Jensen rolled his eyes and shoved at Jared, but there was hardly any weight behind it. Jared laughed and tugged on Jensen’s hand, holding it as they continued walking, and suddenly, Jared couldn't stop the way his own heart was warming at the feel of Jensen’s gloved hand in his.
Jared realized Jensen was one surprise after another, after another and another, when they slowly strolled through the station and Jensen took in the Christmas lights strung up, wreaths hanging along the walls, and red bows placed throughout the concourse.
He gently shook Jensen’s hand for attention and smiled at him. “We should come back down tomorrow and check out the whole city like this.”
Jensen looked at him oddly. “I thought you were all about sleeping the day away?”
“Well, we can do that, and then come down here.”
After a second or two, Jared could see when Jensen picked up on the entirety of “we” as one of his eyebrows went up in interest even as he went ahead of Jared to step up into the train car. Jared grinned as he followed and figured they had a pretty good weekend ahead of them.
PG; 1200 words
for violateraindrop who asked for train!verse with "how grumpy Jensen deals with Christmas decoration" in the holiday timestamp post. I kinda played with stuff here to make it a lil different/fun :D
Jared turned just enough to see Jensen over his shoulder and a step or two behind. Jensen was going on about some stockholder’s meeting that he had to sit through and there were random phrases being thrown around that Jared couldn’t exactly understand, but he could keep up with the cadence of Jensen’s easy voice. He was so caught up in the pattern of Jensen’s speech that Jensen saying, “And then they - watch out” carried on as if there wasn’t anything out of the ordinary.
But then Jared felt something rake through his hair, tugging sharply, and he snapped back a few feet to stay in place and stop the pain.
Jensen winced and moved forward while Jared whined a long run of “Ow, ow, ow … what is it?”
“Icicles,” Jensen murmured as he brought his hands up the back of Jared’s head.
Jared flinched when Jensen’s fingers got to work on untangling … “Icicles?” Jared grumbled.
“Lights,” Jensen smiled lightly. “Icicle lights.”
“Why are you smiling at it? You find my pain funny?”
“No, come on,” Jensen said easily. “You’re almost out.” There was one quick yank on Jared’s hair and then he was free. “See, all good now,” he said nicely, and that was strange.
Jared whipped around to glare at the strand of multicolored icicle lights drooping off the overhang of the office building they were walking along. He rubbed at the back of his head and prayed hair wouldn’t come away in his hand when he was done.
“You okay?” Jensen asked. He closed his hand around Jared’s elbow, pulling the hand away from his head, and seemed to inspect what was likely a mad mess of hair. He ran his fingers over the area that still stung then lightly smiled as he squeezed Jared’s neck and steered them forward. “It looks fine.”
“It doesn’t feel fine,” Jared mumbled, but then he shut up and fell into step along Jensen as he started up his story again.
They walked another two blocks, one foot in front of the other, until they marched halfway across the bridge, one block from the train station, and Jensen stopped abruptly in the middle. Jared stood next to him, knowing they had some time until the next train, and by now, Jared was talking about how his week had been going. He went on about how he looked forward to the weekend giving him time to sleep in, and Jensen was busying himself with his briefcase while looking out onto the river.
Jared slowed his words and came to a complete stop when he realized Jensen’s eyes were running all around the area as if he was looking for something. “Whats up?” Jared asked.
Jensen absently licked his lips and glanced over with a blank face. “Nothing. I was listening.”
He took a few minutes to consider Jensen before saying, “It didn’t really look like you were.”
Looking back onto the river, which appeared black at this time of night at this time of the year, Jensen’s brow furrowed like he was again seeking something out and Jared looked for it, too. The lights of the buildings reflected off the dark, silky surface, all yellowed hues from office building’s still lit up but now with an added mix of greens and reds with the City dressed up for Christmas.
Once the quick, quiet moment passed, Jensen rattled off, “You were saying that your sister wanted you guys to hit up the mall because of all the sales but you just wanted to sleep past noon tomorrow.”
Jared took in Jensen’s profile and felt something soften at the way Jensen continued to look far beyond anything Jared could figure out. He glanced along the river and when he saw Jensen softly smiling again, it hit him, and he loudly laughed in surprise. “Oh, my God, you are adorable.”
Jensen grimaced at Jared’s outburst. “What’re you talking about?”
“You really like this,” he replied, motioning around them.
For a few seconds, Jensen glanced between them then nodded at Jared. “Yeah, I like you,” he said strangely. “We’ve been through this for months.”
“No, like, Christmas, and lights. You’re standing here now because you want to stare at all the decorations, not because something’s wrong.”
“I think there’s something wrong with you,” Jensen mumbled, making quick steps to continue across the bridge.
Jared hurried to keep in step and tried to not laugh again, because obviously Jensen didn’t appreciate it the first time. “No, seriously, I figured you’d be all bah-humbug-scrooge on the whole thing. But you wanted to stop and stare at the river because of how it’s all lit up. That’s adorable.” When Jensen snorted and shook his head, Jared added, “Like in a non-mocking way. In a seriously, you’re damned adorable when you’re not grouchy and I really like you and all your little surprises.”
Jensen came to an abrupt stop and slowly turned to face Jared, and Jared made sure to keep his gentle smile in place to ease Jensen. It seemed to work because when Jensen sighed, it sounded more in relaxation then annoyance. “The one time of year all the people aren’t so bad.”
Jared smirked then leaned in to kiss Jensen’s forehead. “Adorable.”
It wasn’t quite a scowl, but Jensen made a face then squinted as he looked off towards the river again. “I woke up all grouchy-”
“I remember,” Jared said with a nod, because Jensen had been crabby and grunting on their ride in that morning.
“And then I got into the station and saw all the food people brought in for donations …”
Jared remembered seeing tables covered in brown paper bags that had been handed out the night before for riders to fill at home with non-perishables then bring back in the morning to fill up the local food banks. Of all things when they first saw the set-up that morning, Jared had expected Jensen to grumble that volunteers were slowing foot traffic by standing too near the rush, but he hadn’t. Jensen had stuttered for a second and then went on up the moving walkway.
“Man,” Jared chuckled lightly. “That iceberg heart of yours is melting into a puddle of goo.”
Jensen rolled his eyes and shoved at Jared, but there was hardly any weight behind it. Jared laughed and tugged on Jensen’s hand, holding it as they continued walking, and suddenly, Jared couldn't stop the way his own heart was warming at the feel of Jensen’s gloved hand in his.
Jared realized Jensen was one surprise after another, after another and another, when they slowly strolled through the station and Jensen took in the Christmas lights strung up, wreaths hanging along the walls, and red bows placed throughout the concourse.
He gently shook Jensen’s hand for attention and smiled at him. “We should come back down tomorrow and check out the whole city like this.”
Jensen looked at him oddly. “I thought you were all about sleeping the day away?”
“Well, we can do that, and then come down here.”
After a second or two, Jared could see when Jensen picked up on the entirety of “we” as one of his eyebrows went up in interest even as he went ahead of Jared to step up into the train car. Jared grinned as he followed and figured they had a pretty good weekend ahead of them.