Cuddle party
Jared gets hold of an invitation. Who does he drag along?: “What boyfrie-” Jensen begins to ask, cutting off when he glances at Jared and finds him hugging Mike, who has his hands dangerously low on the younger man’s back and has his eyes closed. Then Mike goes and presses a kiss to the side of Jared’s neck, and something inside of Jensen snaps.
2,600 words, PG-13, funny
♥
“Jen, there’s a party this Friday. We gonna go?”
Jensen glances up from his script, grinning when he catches sight of the hopeful eyes peering through his friend’s way too long hair. “You know, just because I don’t feel like going out, doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to.”
Pouting, Jared throws himself down on the couch beside the older man, gorilla arms flailing about and eventually settling along the back of the seat, stretching out behind Jensen’s neck. “Yeah, but then I’d feel bad about you sitting here moping like a grandpa. I mean, someone has to keep you from getting old too soon.”
Jensen swats him over the head, but he just grins, “So, we going?”
“Sure,” Jensen gets out with a sigh, returning his gaze to the script.
“Awesome,” the younger man flicks the back of Jensen’s ear and begins squirming around to make himself more comfortable.
Jensen just rolls his eyes as his friend throws long legs onto his lap, and raises the script out of harm’s way, only lowering it again once he’s sure Jared’s finished his wriggling. “Comfortable?” Jensen asks with a smirk.
Ignoring the sarcasm, Jared just grins, closing his eyes and resting his head on the armrest, “Yup.”
A few moments later, Jensen’s curiosity gets the better of him. “So, what party is it? Anyone cool gonna be there?”
Jared hums noncommittally and rolls over, snuggling into the armcushion and hiding his face from his friend.
Grinning, Jensen grabs the man’s feet and begin tickling, making him squeal and giggle and try fruitlessly to pull free. Finally the younger man cries out, “Okay, okay. I’ll tell you…” Twisting round, he mumbles something incoherently.
“What was that?” Jensen asks, raising the sole of Jared’s foot threateningly.
“I said it’s a… it’s a cuddle party…” he trails off, lips pulled into the biggest grin of the year, “And you already said we can go, so no pulling out.”
“A… cuddle party?” Jensen repeats dumbly, staring at him and wondering what the heck that is.
“Yeah, you know, where everyone… cuddles…” Jared bounces slightly, “It’s gonna be so awesome.”
Raising his eyebrows, Jensen nods slowly, “Right… so basically it’s an orgy. Where perverted people go to grope others. Nuh uh. No way are we going.”
“Jen,” he whines, “it’s not like that. Seriously. They even have Cuddle Caddies to make sure no one does anything inappropriate.”
“Cuddle caddies?” Jensen stares at him in disbelief.
“Yup, and there’s a strict rule that everyone has to wear pyjamas at all times and you have to ask before you hug anyone.”
“Dude, do you know how gay that sounds?”
Jared kicks him in the side, “You’re gay.”
“Your face is gay,” Jensen shoots back automatically. “Seriously, man. What the hell? And where the fuck did you manage to get an invite to something so fucked up?”
“Stop being rude, Jen. It’s supposed to be really nice. Oh, and Mike invited me.”
Slumping down in the seat, Jensen lets out a groan, “No wonder… Okay, that’s it. We’re not going.”
“But, Jen…” Jared turns sad eyes on his friend, “Come on, I really want to go…”
“Jay…” the older man tries desperately to resist the lure of those damned eyes, but he already knows that it’s impossible. With a heavy sigh, he nods, “Fine… but you owe me coffee in bed for a week.”
“You get that anyway,” Jared points out with a happy grin.
Jensen just groans.
♥
“Hi, everyone. Please come and join us at the Welcome Circle so we can get introduced.”
Jensen shoots his friend a glare and mutters, “Great, all this New Age-y shit is making me feel like I’m in primary school.”
“Jen, come on. Play nice.”
Still grumbling, Jensen follows the younger man towards the circle of people, slumping down with a sigh, while across the ring, Mike shoots them a grin.
“Greetings, everyone. My name is Paul. I am one of the Cuddle Lifeguards for tonight. Okay, I see there are a couple of FTC’s here today, that’s First Time Cuddlers, by the way.”
Jensen lets out another groan.
“Now, you may be wondering what on earth this thing is. Well, it’s an event for adults to get together and explore affectionate touch and intimacy without it becoming sexualised. The truth about cuddles is that it doesn’t matter how old you are, you still need to be held and made to feel safe.
“This is where you can get physical contact without the usual weirdness or inhibitions the outside world puts on us. Alright… let’s get started on the introductions. Just let us know your name and your reason for coming here. I’ll start. As I said, my name is Paul. I first came to a Cuddle Party because, for me, as a guy, hugging other guys is seen as wrong or weird, but everyone needs to feel the safety and security of strong arms around you sometimes.”
Jensen resists the urge to hightail it out of here. The honesty of this guy is beginning to make him feel seriously uncomfortable. Subconsciously, he shifts closer to Jared, pressing their sides together. Jared just looks up with a grin.
Slowly, the introductions move around the circle. There’s a mom whose kids have all left and gone to college, and she just wants to have some physical contact again. There’s a man whose wife is overseas and he really misses her. There’re a lot more, all of them who don’t look so sleazy once their stories are told, and Jensen feels a bit guilty about judging them.
When it gets to Jared, he just grins a dazzling grin, waves his arms about and goes on enthusiastically about how much he loves hugging. By the time he’s finished, everyone is smiling fondly at him, and Jensen can’t help but feel a bit proud. When he introduces himself, he just laughs, “I’m Jensen and I’m here to keep this teddy from squishing any of you to death.”
After pouting and punching him lightly on the shoulder, Jared ducks his head sheepishly and mumbles, “He’s probably telling the truth.”
Everyone bursts out laughing and Jensen finds himself relaxing slightly, deciding to just go with the flow.
When it’s Mike’s turn, he puts on a sad face, “I’m Mike and I’m here because I’m missing my boyfriend.”
Jensen turns wide eyes towards Jared and the kid just shrugs and whispers, “Tom.”
Gaping back at the bald man, Jensen tries to get that piece of information into his skull. Tom and Mike are gay. Tom and Mike are a couple. Huh.
Once all the introductions are finished, the Cuddle Lifeguard stands up, “Alright, everyone. Time to start cuddling!”
Bracing himself, Jensen gets to his feet, shifting around awkwardly as people begin moving about the room.
He grins as he watches Jared looping his arms around a young girl; his friend’s size shadowing her small body easily; and nearly jumps when he feels someone tapping on his arm.
A blushing woman glances up at him, “Uhm… can I… can I get a hug?”
“Oh, uh… yeah, sure…” Jensen self-consciously moves around, opening his arms. She’s soft and warm in his arms, reminding him of his mom slightly. That recognition has some of the tension seeping out of him and when they pull back, they’re both smiling.
Turning his gaze back on his friend, it’s to find Jared hugging the Cuddle Lifeguard, Paul. The one who likes ‘strong arms’ around him. A small bite of something burns inside of Jensen, but he looks away, opening his arms for another person.
And so the hugging continues.
♥
After a while, an elderly woman whispers in his ear as he hugs her, “You’d better go claim back your boyfriend, honey.”
“What boyfrie-” Jensen begins to ask, cutting off when he glances at Jared and finds him hugging Mike, who has his hands dangerously low on the younger man’s back and has his eyes closed. Then Mike goes and presses a kiss to the side of Jared’s neck, and something inside of Jensen snaps.
“Fuck this,” he mutters, wading his way towards his friend. He doesn’t even stop to think as he grabs Jared’s arm and unwraps it from around Mike, pulling the kid towards him and into his arms.
Jared’s initial squeak of protest dies as he realises it’s Jensen, “Jen?” he whispers softly, his arms coming around to hug the older man tightly to him.
“Shut up,” Jensen growls, tugging his friend closer and pressing his nose to Jared’s soft curls.
He feels Jared sinking into him and can’t help the thought racing through his mind that they fit so perfectly.
For the first time that night, Jensen realises what the deal is about Cuddle Parties. The feeling of Jared, warm and solid in his arms is like nothing he’s ever experienced before. They’ve hugged, sure. But never this long; never like this.
Usually their hugs are quick and excited, like when the show’s been renewed and Jared throws his arms around Jensen, or when they fetch each other at airports, stuff like that.
But this, this is nice. Jensen doesn’t even realise his eyes have slipped shut until a snap of light before his eyelids has him jerking. It’s Mike with a camera, but Jensen can’t even bring himself to care. Around them, people are hugging and cuddling and lying down and spooning and no one cares and Jared doesn’t seen to want to move either and Jensen sure as hell is happy right where he is.
Tightening his hold, Jensen inhales deeply, breathing in the soft scent of his friend and relaxing further. Jared’s back is warm and muscled beneath the soft layer of his tee, and Jensen never wants to let go.
“Let’s lie down, ‘kay?” he whispers in the younger man’s ear, feeling Jared’s chin bump against his shoulder with a nod.
Reluctantly pulling back to allow Jared to stretch out over the cushioned floor, Jensen quickly follows, tugging a blanket over them and reaching out to yank Jared back into his arms, pressing his chest to the kid’s back and wrapping arms firmly around him.
Jared sighs softly and leans back, threading his fingers between Jensen’s and pressing them to his chest. Nuzzling the soft hair of Jared’s nape, Jensen’s breathes, “Okay, I take it back, Cuddle Parties are awesome.”
Laughter rumbles in Jared’s chest and he reaches an arm back, loping it around Jensen’s neck and pulling him closer, plastering him to the younger man’s back.
“Jay… I…” Jensen bites his lip, wondering how to explain how he feels. It’s like something’s burning in his chest and times like now, when Jared’s so close, he feels it spreading right throughout his body, engulfing him in delicious warmth. “I…”
Jared leans up, twisting to brush his nose over Jensen’s. There’s a softness in his eyes that sets the older man’s heart beating faster. “I know… I know, Jen…”
“Can… can we be…you know…?”
“You wanna be my boyfriend, Jen?” Jared’s teasing voice asks as the younger man wriggles his ass back against Jensen’s groin, making him smother a groan against the kid’s shoulder.
“Jerk,” he grumbles, biting down on Jared’s shoulder and making the younger man’s breath hitch. A few moments later he asks softly, “Is that a ‘yes’?”
Spinning around in his arms, Jared nudges his nose beneath Jensen’s chin, brushing his lips down the man’s neck, “Jen… that’s a ‘Hell, yeah’.”
Smiling, Jensen shifts to close the distance between their lips, only to let out a squawk when something slaps him on the shoulder. Turning around with a scowl, it’s to find the Cuddle Caddy standing there with a fly swatter. “No sex allowed, guys. Leave it for the bedroom.”
Jensen lets out a groan and ducks to bury his blushing face in the dip of Jared’s neck, and, when the caddy is gone, whispers, “Okay, I take it back, Cuddle Parties suck.”
Jared just laughs and tightens their hug.
♥