Do I Know You? A TKO Timestamp
Title: Do I Know You?
Author:Vamphile
Pairing: J2
Rating: R
Word Count: 2000+/-
Summary An inmate who knows Jensen joins the gym.
A/N: By popular demand, (including my own)
Thanks to: passing_through
Graphics by: raeschae
Remember, I get paid in comments :D
Do I Know You?
When Jensen couldn’t get to sleep or get back to sleep he sat, like a statue, on his side of the bed. Jared was only generally barely aware the he wasn’t sleeping and primarily because Jared was generally aware of everything Jensen did, so tonight when Jensen tossed and turned and finally sat up and opened his book, his knee bouncing Jared sat up.
“What’s going on?”
“What? Nothing,”
“Mmmm hmmm. Talk to me.”
“It’s just…I wanna get on the roster again, fight in the next cycle.” He said it a little more quickly than usual, like Jared might give his okay without quite realizing what he was Okaying.
“What?”
“There’s a ten thousand dollar purse for the winner.”
Jared stared at Jensen who was fidgeting, a sure sign he was uncomfortable, and hiding something.
“What’s the real reason?”
“Ten thousand dollars is a reason.”
“No. I told you no more fighting, remember?”
“Yeah, but that’s when I didn’t want to fight.”
“And now you do?”
“Yeah?”
Jared looked at him again. “Jensen.”
“Jared, it’s…”
“Jensen.” His voice was low, not threatening, just steady and serious.
“You don’t get in trouble for fighting someone in the ring.”
“So there’s someone you want to fight.”
“Just this guy.”
“What guy?”
“He’s on the roster and he hurt me before but you can’t be mad at him plus he’s good so… I wanna fight him.”
“He hurt you? When?”
“Before, before I knew you. Inside.”
“Someone who hurt you in prison is on our roster? A member of my gym?”
“See, this is why I didn’t tell you.”
Any vestiges of sleep were gone. Jared was laser focused. “Who is it?”
“I’m not gonna rat him out. I’ll take care of it.”
“Who is it?”
Jared. Can we just… you know what, never mind, forget I said anything.”
Jared ran a hand through his hair. Jensen was actually pretty fucking good at clamming up when he wanted to be. “Jensen. Tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s nothing.”
Jared wanted to charge into the gym first thing in the morning and start interrogating his members but the small part of his brain that stayed rational around Jensen told him that it was a bad idea. Jensen kept looking over at him.
“You’re mad.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Just tell me. You can’t… you can’t let this go. I can’t let this go.”
“It’s nothing. I don’t think he’ll touch me again.”
“Again? As in he touched you recently?” Jared tried to keep his voice calm. His anger and fear built exponentially. The things Jensen would put up with to avoid fighting outside the ring… the things this guy may have done to Jensen, before and now. He breathed deeply.
“He touched you.”
“He was just, you know, asking if I wanted to do something. Not forcing me to. I don’t think he really meant to you know, bruise me.”
“That mark on your arm, that wasn’t from a fight at work.”
“Uh uh.”
“And you just decided not to tell me?”
“Yeah?” Jensen was staring at his hands.
“I want the whole story, from the beginning. Now.”
Jensen didn’t look up. But he clearly recognized the tone. “When I was inside he was like me, but for a different guy, for a white supremacist group, but we fought because someone told him to, told me to. And we, you know, fought and he won. He had a weight advantage if not height. So we fought and did other stuff…”
“Other stuff.”
“Stuff, nothing I wanted, I swear I don’t want him.” Jensen looked up his expression sincere and Jared wondered how Jensen thought that was better, but he just pulled Jensen closer, put and arm around his shoulder, a hand on his wrist where the cuff lay flat and solid. “I know you don’t want him. Didn’t want him.”
“Just you.”
“I know. But he offered?”
“Thought I might be into it, or scared enough to say yes. I’m not sure. Wasn’t. Not into it, not really scared. Not really.”
And the not really killed Jared because Jensen was scared, is scared, always scared that something he does is gonna land him in trouble, in jail. “Wasn’t scared” he repeated again and the more adamant he was the surer Jared was that he was fucking petrified.
“Okay, so your solution is to what, get in the ring with him? Fight a convict who already beat you once, do it without my permission?”
“I’m telling you now. Asking for permission. I need to do this.”
“No fucking way.”
“It’s gonna happen, Jared.” Jensen sounded desperate, panicked. “It’s gonna happen and if it’s not in the ring, I’m gonna get violated, sent back I can’t. Please don’t make me do that, I don’t know, I mean… I… I don’t want that.”
Jared tried to hold him but Jensen pulled away, standing up and moving to pace by the foot of the bed. “Don’t you get it? This fight is gonna happen!”
“Not with you. I’ll fight him.”
Jensen snorted. “He’s almost as fast as I am and has a weight advantage on both of us. He’s good Jared, he’s really…”
“Hannihan, it has to be Hannihan.” Jensen's silence was all the answer Jared needed. “I’ll take care of it.”
“What are you gonna do?”
“Does it matter?”
“It does if you’re gonna get hurt. I didn’t lie to you Jared I just figured, if one of us had to get hurt…”
Jared stared at him. “If one of us had to get hurt it was what? Better if it was you?”
“Not better just… it’s my fight.”
“So that’s your decision?”
Jensen deflated. “He’s good Jared, and he’s mean, he still fights like he’s inside.”
“And you think I’m gonna let you fight a man who hurt you like that. Who beat you and then raped you? You think that’s your decision to make?”
Jensen shook his head. “I know, okay, but…”
Jared stood arms out. “C’mere.”
“What?”
“Just C’mere.”
Jensen did and Jared wrapped his arms around him. Jensen clung to him, and Jared knew how scared Jensen was. And not of the pending fight. He didn’t spook over something like that.
“I’m mad Jensen, but I’m not gonna get rid of you, we can disagree, but in the end, you wanted this stuff to be my decision.”
“I always get the decisions wrong.”
“You don’t. And yeah, okay, I’m not thrilled with this one but mostly because you didn’t tell me, because you were willing to let yourself get hurt. That’s not exactly taking care of yourself, is it?”
“But I was taking care of you.”
“That’s not your job.”
“No. Promise me if you fight him…”
“Hey, I’m not gonna fight him. You’re not gonna fight him. I’m gonna ask him to leave, and he’ll go to another gym.”
“What if he doesn’t?”
“Then I’ll call the police, have him booked for trespassing.”
“He’ll go back to jail.”
“I’m okay with that.”
Jensen looked up at him. “You know, I can handle him, and it’s not fair that he goes to jail for what he did in prison. I mean, I beat a few guys too.”
“Did you rape anyone/”
Jensen shook his head. “I didn’t… Sig wanted… no.”
Jared stiffened at Sig’s name but moved to the couch, tugging on Jensen’s waistband, bringing him along.
“You done sleeping?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, so we watch a movie and tomorrow I’ll handle this.”
In a half hour Jensen was asleep, his head on Jared's shoulder, the movie a soft murmur in the background.
Jared sat lost in thought. Yeah this guy had to go and non violent was the way to attempt it but it was gonna get violent, there was no way this guy wasn’t gonna take a swing, there was no way Jared didn’t want to swig back, and explaining to Bowie and Ronnie why he was kicking out and active and paying member… that was not his idea of fun either but he’d do it. Because Jensen needed this. To feel safe, he needed to know it would be taken care of. And maybe Jared needed it a little too.
///
Jared was standing two arms lengths away from Hannihan. He’d have to take a step forward to throw a punch, which would give Jared plenty of time to react.
Jared saw Jensen approach and wanted to shoo him away but couldn’t. He politely explained the need for Hannihan to find another gym and in the corner of his eye Jared noticed Jensen's stance, the way his body was angled. The fucker was trying to protect him.
He turned his attention for a moment and only caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. He took a step back instinctively just as Jensen threw himself forward and then they were locked in battle.
Bowie came down to help break it up and it took everything Jared had to pry Jensen off the man. The man with a split lip who was growling.
Bowie pushed him out the door, Jensen was deadly silent, and his hands still in fists his body still vibrating like a wire strung too tight. Jared ushered him back to his place, getting ice and antibiotics for his knuckles.
“Wanna tell me what the fuck you were thinking?”
Jensen shrugged. “He was gonna hurt you.”
“You’re not my attack dog.”
“He was gonna hurt you.”
“Jensen! I would have handled it.”
“But…”
“No. No buts, this is not your call. You can’t fight outside the ring. You sure as hell can’t fight with an ex con and technically I’m supposed to kick you out of the gym.”
Jensen nodded and stood up. “I’ll go.”
Jared pulled him back, “the hell you will. Dammit Jensen, I’m not getting rid of you, I just… I just want you to fucking take care of yourself, just a little, just so I don’t have to panic that you’re gonna throw yourself on whatever grenade you think there is.”
Jensen didn’t look up from the table, kept his eyes on the space between his hands. Jared finished with the bandage and waited but Jensen was stock still, the small rise and fall of his chest the only sign of life.
“Look at me.”
Jensen didn’t move.
“Jensen, hey, look at me.”
Jensen's head moved slowly and when it was raised he was staring somewhere to the left of Jared's forehead.
“Fucking look at me!”
Jensen flinched and Jared cursed himself and anyone who’d hurt Jensen who made him so sure that the next step involved dismissal or pain.
“Do you get that what he did to you before just… wasn’t fucking okay, man? That you were gonna let him do it again rather than see me get a little banged up.”
I wouldn’t have let him. Not… that. You don’t want that.”
“I don’t want you hurt, like at all. Gonna figure that out anytime soon?”
“Yeah, I’ll… I’m… okay, sorry.”
“You threw a hell of a punch.”
“He was coming at you.”
“Don’t start.”
“He’s gonna be back you know.”
“Yeah, I do, and what are you gonna do about it?”
“Let you handle it.”
Jared pulled him forward and kissed him. “It’s so much easier when you just listen to me.”
“You want everyone to listen to you.”
“Yeah, but I don’t have the same vested interest in what happens to them if they don’t.”
“I know, with me there’s yelling and worrying and your whole night is filled up with having to convince me you’re better when you’re in charge.”
“You know it.”
“So you’re in charge.”
“Good, so why don’t you take your clothes off.”
Jensen stood up and smiled, stripping down but not moving from the spot.
“Bedroom, now.”
“Oh, you should have said so.”
And that was the last thing Jensen did that morning that Jared didn’t expressly tell him to.
Author:Vamphile
Pairing: J2
Rating: R
Word Count: 2000+/-
Summary An inmate who knows Jensen joins the gym.
A/N: By popular demand, (including my own)
Thanks to: passing_through
Graphics by: raeschae
Remember, I get paid in comments :D
Do I Know You?
When Jensen couldn’t get to sleep or get back to sleep he sat, like a statue, on his side of the bed. Jared was only generally barely aware the he wasn’t sleeping and primarily because Jared was generally aware of everything Jensen did, so tonight when Jensen tossed and turned and finally sat up and opened his book, his knee bouncing Jared sat up.
“What’s going on?”
“What? Nothing,”
“Mmmm hmmm. Talk to me.”
“It’s just…I wanna get on the roster again, fight in the next cycle.” He said it a little more quickly than usual, like Jared might give his okay without quite realizing what he was Okaying.
“What?”
“There’s a ten thousand dollar purse for the winner.”
Jared stared at Jensen who was fidgeting, a sure sign he was uncomfortable, and hiding something.
“What’s the real reason?”
“Ten thousand dollars is a reason.”
“No. I told you no more fighting, remember?”
“Yeah, but that’s when I didn’t want to fight.”
“And now you do?”
“Yeah?”
Jared looked at him again. “Jensen.”
“Jared, it’s…”
“Jensen.” His voice was low, not threatening, just steady and serious.
“You don’t get in trouble for fighting someone in the ring.”
“So there’s someone you want to fight.”
“Just this guy.”
“What guy?”
“He’s on the roster and he hurt me before but you can’t be mad at him plus he’s good so… I wanna fight him.”
“He hurt you? When?”
“Before, before I knew you. Inside.”
“Someone who hurt you in prison is on our roster? A member of my gym?”
“See, this is why I didn’t tell you.”
Any vestiges of sleep were gone. Jared was laser focused. “Who is it?”
“I’m not gonna rat him out. I’ll take care of it.”
“Who is it?”
Jared. Can we just… you know what, never mind, forget I said anything.”
Jared ran a hand through his hair. Jensen was actually pretty fucking good at clamming up when he wanted to be. “Jensen. Tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s nothing.”
Jared wanted to charge into the gym first thing in the morning and start interrogating his members but the small part of his brain that stayed rational around Jensen told him that it was a bad idea. Jensen kept looking over at him.
“You’re mad.”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Just tell me. You can’t… you can’t let this go. I can’t let this go.”
“It’s nothing. I don’t think he’ll touch me again.”
“Again? As in he touched you recently?” Jared tried to keep his voice calm. His anger and fear built exponentially. The things Jensen would put up with to avoid fighting outside the ring… the things this guy may have done to Jensen, before and now. He breathed deeply.
“He touched you.”
“He was just, you know, asking if I wanted to do something. Not forcing me to. I don’t think he really meant to you know, bruise me.”
“That mark on your arm, that wasn’t from a fight at work.”
“Uh uh.”
“And you just decided not to tell me?”
“Yeah?” Jensen was staring at his hands.
“I want the whole story, from the beginning. Now.”
Jensen didn’t look up. But he clearly recognized the tone. “When I was inside he was like me, but for a different guy, for a white supremacist group, but we fought because someone told him to, told me to. And we, you know, fought and he won. He had a weight advantage if not height. So we fought and did other stuff…”
“Other stuff.”
“Stuff, nothing I wanted, I swear I don’t want him.” Jensen looked up his expression sincere and Jared wondered how Jensen thought that was better, but he just pulled Jensen closer, put and arm around his shoulder, a hand on his wrist where the cuff lay flat and solid. “I know you don’t want him. Didn’t want him.”
“Just you.”
“I know. But he offered?”
“Thought I might be into it, or scared enough to say yes. I’m not sure. Wasn’t. Not into it, not really scared. Not really.”
And the not really killed Jared because Jensen was scared, is scared, always scared that something he does is gonna land him in trouble, in jail. “Wasn’t scared” he repeated again and the more adamant he was the surer Jared was that he was fucking petrified.
“Okay, so your solution is to what, get in the ring with him? Fight a convict who already beat you once, do it without my permission?”
“I’m telling you now. Asking for permission. I need to do this.”
“No fucking way.”
“It’s gonna happen, Jared.” Jensen sounded desperate, panicked. “It’s gonna happen and if it’s not in the ring, I’m gonna get violated, sent back I can’t. Please don’t make me do that, I don’t know, I mean… I… I don’t want that.”
Jared tried to hold him but Jensen pulled away, standing up and moving to pace by the foot of the bed. “Don’t you get it? This fight is gonna happen!”
“Not with you. I’ll fight him.”
Jensen snorted. “He’s almost as fast as I am and has a weight advantage on both of us. He’s good Jared, he’s really…”
“Hannihan, it has to be Hannihan.” Jensen's silence was all the answer Jared needed. “I’ll take care of it.”
“What are you gonna do?”
“Does it matter?”
“It does if you’re gonna get hurt. I didn’t lie to you Jared I just figured, if one of us had to get hurt…”
Jared stared at him. “If one of us had to get hurt it was what? Better if it was you?”
“Not better just… it’s my fight.”
“So that’s your decision?”
Jensen deflated. “He’s good Jared, and he’s mean, he still fights like he’s inside.”
“And you think I’m gonna let you fight a man who hurt you like that. Who beat you and then raped you? You think that’s your decision to make?”
Jensen shook his head. “I know, okay, but…”
Jared stood arms out. “C’mere.”
“What?”
“Just C’mere.”
Jensen did and Jared wrapped his arms around him. Jensen clung to him, and Jared knew how scared Jensen was. And not of the pending fight. He didn’t spook over something like that.
“I’m mad Jensen, but I’m not gonna get rid of you, we can disagree, but in the end, you wanted this stuff to be my decision.”
“I always get the decisions wrong.”
“You don’t. And yeah, okay, I’m not thrilled with this one but mostly because you didn’t tell me, because you were willing to let yourself get hurt. That’s not exactly taking care of yourself, is it?”
“But I was taking care of you.”
“That’s not your job.”
“No. Promise me if you fight him…”
“Hey, I’m not gonna fight him. You’re not gonna fight him. I’m gonna ask him to leave, and he’ll go to another gym.”
“What if he doesn’t?”
“Then I’ll call the police, have him booked for trespassing.”
“He’ll go back to jail.”
“I’m okay with that.”
Jensen looked up at him. “You know, I can handle him, and it’s not fair that he goes to jail for what he did in prison. I mean, I beat a few guys too.”
“Did you rape anyone/”
Jensen shook his head. “I didn’t… Sig wanted… no.”
Jared stiffened at Sig’s name but moved to the couch, tugging on Jensen’s waistband, bringing him along.
“You done sleeping?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, so we watch a movie and tomorrow I’ll handle this.”
In a half hour Jensen was asleep, his head on Jared's shoulder, the movie a soft murmur in the background.
Jared sat lost in thought. Yeah this guy had to go and non violent was the way to attempt it but it was gonna get violent, there was no way this guy wasn’t gonna take a swing, there was no way Jared didn’t want to swig back, and explaining to Bowie and Ronnie why he was kicking out and active and paying member… that was not his idea of fun either but he’d do it. Because Jensen needed this. To feel safe, he needed to know it would be taken care of. And maybe Jared needed it a little too.
///
Jared was standing two arms lengths away from Hannihan. He’d have to take a step forward to throw a punch, which would give Jared plenty of time to react.
Jared saw Jensen approach and wanted to shoo him away but couldn’t. He politely explained the need for Hannihan to find another gym and in the corner of his eye Jared noticed Jensen's stance, the way his body was angled. The fucker was trying to protect him.
He turned his attention for a moment and only caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. He took a step back instinctively just as Jensen threw himself forward and then they were locked in battle.
Bowie came down to help break it up and it took everything Jared had to pry Jensen off the man. The man with a split lip who was growling.
Bowie pushed him out the door, Jensen was deadly silent, and his hands still in fists his body still vibrating like a wire strung too tight. Jared ushered him back to his place, getting ice and antibiotics for his knuckles.
“Wanna tell me what the fuck you were thinking?”
Jensen shrugged. “He was gonna hurt you.”
“You’re not my attack dog.”
“He was gonna hurt you.”
“Jensen! I would have handled it.”
“But…”
“No. No buts, this is not your call. You can’t fight outside the ring. You sure as hell can’t fight with an ex con and technically I’m supposed to kick you out of the gym.”
Jensen nodded and stood up. “I’ll go.”
Jared pulled him back, “the hell you will. Dammit Jensen, I’m not getting rid of you, I just… I just want you to fucking take care of yourself, just a little, just so I don’t have to panic that you’re gonna throw yourself on whatever grenade you think there is.”
Jensen didn’t look up from the table, kept his eyes on the space between his hands. Jared finished with the bandage and waited but Jensen was stock still, the small rise and fall of his chest the only sign of life.
“Look at me.”
Jensen didn’t move.
“Jensen, hey, look at me.”
Jensen's head moved slowly and when it was raised he was staring somewhere to the left of Jared's forehead.
“Fucking look at me!”
Jensen flinched and Jared cursed himself and anyone who’d hurt Jensen who made him so sure that the next step involved dismissal or pain.
“Do you get that what he did to you before just… wasn’t fucking okay, man? That you were gonna let him do it again rather than see me get a little banged up.”
I wouldn’t have let him. Not… that. You don’t want that.”
“I don’t want you hurt, like at all. Gonna figure that out anytime soon?”
“Yeah, I’ll… I’m… okay, sorry.”
“You threw a hell of a punch.”
“He was coming at you.”
“Don’t start.”
“He’s gonna be back you know.”
“Yeah, I do, and what are you gonna do about it?”
“Let you handle it.”
Jared pulled him forward and kissed him. “It’s so much easier when you just listen to me.”
“You want everyone to listen to you.”
“Yeah, but I don’t have the same vested interest in what happens to them if they don’t.”
“I know, with me there’s yelling and worrying and your whole night is filled up with having to convince me you’re better when you’re in charge.”
“You know it.”
“So you’re in charge.”
“Good, so why don’t you take your clothes off.”
Jensen stood up and smiled, stripping down but not moving from the spot.
“Bedroom, now.”
“Oh, you should have said so.”
And that was the last thing Jensen did that morning that Jared didn’t expressly tell him to.