12 Days of a J2 Christmas: Day 10
Master Post and Notes
It had started as a goofy idea. Jensen was uncovering random Christmas décor Jared had stowed away in the crawl space beneath the stairs and hadn’t yet brought up. He laughed over the random grade school ornaments Jared still had, ones with his face and handwriting and craftwork. Ones Jensen had created himself as a young kid, but decidedly left with his parents for their memory. But Jared had apparently dragged them into adulthood.
It went further when Jensen spotted ornaments at the store that begged for a personal touch. Photo slots and name tags and anything to make everything unique to a tree.
Jensen grabbed every single one he could. Then he spent far too long with photos sprawled across the kitchen table, taking advantage of a lonely, quiet afternoon, and laughing over so many snapshots of Jared at anything but his best. Jensen immediately felt the scales tip in his favor, all of his embarrassing pictures littering the fridge were erased with the ones of Jared laid out before him.
He spent far too much time with scissors and glue and red and green ornaments than he would have ever planned in his whole lifetime. But when he was done, when they were scattered across the tree, and when Jared returned home, he couldn’t stop grinning. Couldn’t hold in the tiny giggles as he waited for Jared’s reaction.
Jared wasn’t quiet when he came home. He played with the dogs in the foyer, clanked his way through the fridge and the cupboards for a snack, talked loudly with the dogs as they followed him along the way. From the moment Jared came home until he ambled into the family room, Jensen’s amusement grew as he replayed all the memories of when the pictures were taken, ones he’d nearly forgotten about but was thankful he could remember right there.
His laughter was the only noise between them as Jared just stood there, eyes raking over the tree and staring at each ornament Jensen had placed.
When Jensen looked over, Jared’s eyebrows were knit in confusion and a bit in aggravation. Jared snatched one of the ornaments off the tree and glared at it. His voice was low and tense. “You used all the absolutely horrible ones.”
“Not all. Just a few.” Jensen smirked but then sucked his lips into his mouth when he realized Jared really was pissed right then.
Jared released the ornament, letting it fall to the carpet as he stared at Jensen for a moment. It was long and heated, even while silent, and then Jared turned back to the kitchen. On his way, he spat out, “It’s our Christmas tree, Jen.”
He didn’t move from the room, but he did look over his shoulder and Jared’s tone pinned him in place. It felt like a dare to follow him, so he stayed put. Jensen saw Jared grab a beer from the fridge. Saw him crank the top off, slam it into the island as he pressed his palm at the marble of the counter. Saw him stare after taking a healthy gulp from the bottle. Jensen waved a lame hand at the tree. “It was just - ”
“Just what?” he asked with a fake smile and interest. “Stupid? A joke?” Jensen shrugged before he could stop, and the way he winced was enough to say he knew he shouldn’t have. “Hilarious,” Jared said at the edge of the bottle before he took another sip. His drinking prolonged the silence. “Our tree a joke? Our first tree for our first Christmas together?”
Jensen rubbed his thumb over one eyebrow then the other. “No, of course not.”
Another long pull from his beer and then Jared clunked the bottle onto the counter and marched into the room. He tugged the homemade ornaments off and Jensen couldn’t miss the way his shoulders were sharp and tense, how his fingers yanked each one off with enough force to make the tree branches flip up and down.
When Jared reached for the last one, tucked near some gold and red porcelain balls that Jared had placed the day they decorated the tree, Jensen grabbed Jared’s wrist. “Hang on.” He pulled the hand from the tree and held it tightly. “Look, I was an asshole, alright? But just … ” Jensen sighed, instantly on edge with Jared staring at the tree and not even giving him a glance. “You screw around with my photos all the time. Look at the fridge,” he said on a rough breath. “I thought it was the same thing. It’s not, and I’m sorry. Okay?”
Jared visibly swallowed with his eyes trained on the tree. His lips parted a few times and then his voice came out quietly. “I remember that. Scott’s birthday at that condo off of North.”
He followed Jared’s eyes and he released his hand, which prompted Jared to reach for the ornament. He touched the edges with just his fingertips and his eyes were suddenly dazed. “God, your shirt was ugly,” he rushed out with a small laugh.
Jensen laughed to himself, remembering how much shit Jared used to give him over that shirt, and then laughing even more at how young they were. Dumb and young and in love but barely aware of it. He edged closer but didn’t touch Jared. Just said softly, but with a push to his voice, “I’m sorry.”
His fingers continued to play with the very edge of the frame. Jared looked down on Jensen with an unreadable face but then he closed the space and kissed him. His mouth pressed harder than his tongue, but he still licked his way in, and they stayed like that, kissing without even using their hands.
When they broke apart, Jensen asked with ragged breaths, “So I’m off the hook? We gonna survive Christmas?”
Jared kissed him again, wet and loud, and then was louder when he smacked his lips as he pulled back. His smile was tiny but real. “Still got a few days left.”
“For me to screw it up? Or to make it up to you?”
“What d’you think?”
Jensen chuckled uncomfortably because Jared’s eyebrow was high and his smile was smug. He grabbed hold of Jared’s hips, brought him in. “I’ll make it up to you.”
“You better,” Jared grumbled as they kissed.
“Just said I would.”
Jared smiled into the kiss. “I’m holding you to it.”
Day 11
