Skin Deep (2/4)
Title: Skin Deep
Author: hopenight
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 5, 125
Beta: oldbatj
Warning: AU, shallow people, Chad Michael Murray, Michael Rosenbaum, bastardization of childhood fairytale
Pairing: Jared/Jensen
Summary: Jared Padalecki is not handsome or hot. The popular crowd seems to take special pleasure in picking out his flaws so that even Jared can name them. However, beneath the superficial imperfections is one of the most kind-hearted, brilliant, creative people that you will ever meet. Frankly put he lives up to the adage: beauty is found within. One day after helping an old woman whose car broke down in front of his house, he is met with a spell that makes the outside match the in. Jared isn’t really sure if he should be grateful or not.
Model Jensen Ackles is one of the most handsome guys around. His career prospects are good. He is cold though and indifferent to most. He feels like no one would ever try to get to know his other qualities. However, when he is faced with one of the hottest guys he has ever seen. He is shocked to find that outer looks do not matter to him. In order to be with him, Jensen must find the confidence to make changes to everything…even himself.
A/N: Whoa! Thanks to everyone who reviewed. YAY! ;) I did not expect this reaction to the story at all. You all are absolute stars!
A/N 2: …So if there are any artists out there, I would love to talk to make a banner for this story or something. If that’s alright?
Part 1
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” -Albert Einstein
The first thing Jared heard after he awoke was Chad and Sandy arguing softly. This was odd because they NEVER argued softly, even the time when he had the flu.
“What the hell do we tell him?” whispered Chad nervously. Jared could hear one of his shoes tapped against the kitchen drawers, “He’s going to be really pissed or something when he sees himself in a mirror. Or ridiculously happy. Personally my money’s on the really pissed thing.”
“We could break all the mirrors,” suggested Sandy seriously. He heard her light steps as she paced across the kitchen. He could almost see her wringing her hands nervously with a determined expression on her face.
“And have the wrath of Jared’s momma brought down upon us? Oh, hell no, McCoy. I would rather take on the fairy queen.”
Fairy queen?
It sounded familiar to him. A couple more seconds in the state between sleep and wakefulness, the memory of the old woman who magically transformed into a younger woman worked its way back into the forefront of his memory. Followed by the…oh shit! Jared remembered that she put a friggin’ spell on him!
Then he freaked out when he realized that she kissed him. Great, now he probably has some weird fairy disease or something. Honestly, why could they not be real? He knew that she had changed him into something, but what? He had no idea. He took freaking Spanish in high school, not French!
He only hoped that whatever happened to him was not horribly bad.
Like if he’s a frog then there will be absolute hell to pay. Because Prince William and Prince Harry were both unfortunately straight and they were the only two princes he knew of. And if this was a fairy tale like curse there was no way Jared would be kissing any girls because a) he just was not attracted and b) it probably wouldn’t work. He knew the Princess and the Frog…yeah no thanks. If he was an amphibian then he will stay that way all frog like.
A couple more seconds of silence ticked by and Jared decided that it was better to get it over with now than to let the anticipation kill him.
Jared nervously opened an eye. Once he realized that everything looked to be normal sized, he opened the other. He blinked a couple times to allow his eyes to get adjusted to the light.
“Chad?” he croaked out. His voice sounded strange to his own ears, deeper almost, “Sandy?”
“Jared!” cried both of his friends rushing to kneel next to him on the floor.
“What happened? What did she do to me?”
Both Chad and Sandy exchanged a nervous look.
“Well, dude, that fairy lady did a number on you,” said Chad cautiously.
Jared groaned and closed his eyes again.
“How bad is it?” questioned Jared opening his eyes again.
“Erm…well… it really depends on your definition of ‘bad’ per-sey,” said Sandy shifting a little bit. She was chewing on her lip, which Jared knew was not a good sign at all.
“A mirror…I need to see a mirror,” said Jared moving to get up.
“Here, let me help you, man.”
Chad gripped his best friend’s arm and helped him stand up. Once he was completely standing, he immediately noticed something.
“Chad?”
“Yeah, man?”
“She made me taller?”
“Apparently, now I can’t call you shrimp anymore,” joked Chad weakly.
“Oh,” said Jared faintly noting that he now had a couple inches over his best male friend. He was sort of numb not really appreciating Chad’s joke. He looked at Sandy realizing that he now towered over her, “I’ll need to get new clothes then, huh?”
Sandy nodded wordlessly, though her expression was a little excited at the prospect of going shopping. Jared shifted uncomfortably. His sweatpants, which had been several sizes too long on him before, now were tight and gripped somewhere below the knee. His favorite shirt now stopped somewhere in the mid torso area. He didn’t want to stare down at himself, too scared of what that sight would bring.
“She made me into a Sasquatch, didn’t she?” questioned the now taller man softly. Chad let out a shaky bark of laughter. Sandy could only smile uncertainly, as Jared slowly moved toward Megan’s room, in quest of her full length mirror.
“Watch your head, Gigantor,” said Chad with mock seriousness in his voice. Jared glared at his friend, before carefully climbing up the stairs and slowly walking into Megan’s room.
“We never tell Megan that I did this, got it? Or else.”
“Dude! Why are you looking at me?”
“Because Jared knows that I would not tell Megan. You, however, like your ego stroked and she knows exactly how to use you in order to get information on Jared.”
Chad opened his mouth to say something in his own defense, but realized it was kind of true. Wisely he closed his mouth.
Jared took a deep breath and turned to look in the mirror.
He screamed, rather loudly, it was amazing the neighbors did not call the police.
In the corner of the room, Sandy and Chad winced at the noise. They forgot about the third option of Jared having a nervous breakdown over the fairy queen’s spell…a total freak out.
This was so not what he expected!
“You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with kind word alone.”-Al Capone
Jensen stared at the ceiling of his apartment from his vantage point on the couch. He let out a puff of air in frustration and turned over staring at the flickering images on the television. He looked up as his phone rang. Grabbing the small cell, he looked at the caller ID.
“What’s up, Chris?”
“Jenny-boy, why aren’t you out tonight?” drawled his best friend easily.
“I don’t want people staring at me, or asking me to sign shit, Chris. I would rather stay here than go out.”
“Jensen, man, you really need to get laid.”
“I’m sick of one night stands,” said the model dejectedly staring up at the ceiling, “I’m sick of being stared at everywhere I go. Most of all, I am sick of guessing whether someone wants to be with just me or Jensen Ackles, the model.”
“Alright, Jen, I think I can understand that. Steve and I will be over soon as our set is done.”
“You don’t have to do that, man.”
“I think we do. Shit, Jense! I had no idea that all this fame was wearing you down so much.”
“It’s not the fame. It’s the agency. They’re running me down. I have a contract with them for three more fucking, soul-sucking years. I don’t know how much more I can take of them running my life. I barely see my family as it is. I only see you and Steve because you live in the apartment below me. They promised me that I would have time to go to college. No luck on that front either.”
“Why don’t you leave?”
“Ugh…Contract complications that would lead to an inevitable major headache…”
“Well damn, Jensen, Steve and I will be back soon. How about we bring a couple of beers with us and try to bring you out of this funk?”
Jensen allowed himself to smile at that.
“Yeah, I’d really like that, Chris.”
“Don’t pile on that emotional crap yet, Jenny-boy. Tomorrow we are getting you out of your apartment. You have to work?”
“Well, not for a few days but I…”
“Jensen, if you finish that sentence then I’m gonna have to drag you out of that apartment kicking and screaming tomorrow. Then I will have Steve mad at me. So can we skip the headache, the argument, and me sleeping on the couch for the next couple nights and get to the part where you just agree?”
Jensen sighed knowing that being forcibly dragged out of his apartment was a distinct possibility. Chris was not above doing that if he felt his friends were distancing themselves too much. He had been a part of the plan himself many times. Of course the plans always led to an angry Steve, whom Jensen had a healthy fear of.
“So… are you coming out tomorrow then?”
“I guess I have no choice in the matter,” sighed Jensen though a small smile lit his face. He knew that Chris would keep the crazies away. Mainly because Chris was a little bit crazy himself and could take down a man twice his size with ease.
“That’s my boy!” bellowed Chris into the phone, “I’ll see you soon!”
“Later,” said Jensen ending the call.
A loud clap of thunder made Jensen jump slightly. He stared out the window at the pouring rain for awhile before turning back to the television.
He curled into himself. In the flickering light of the television and the deep rumble of thunder outside, the model never felt more alone in his life.
"Breathe, just breathe.”-Danielle de Barbarac (before entering the ball) ‘Ever After’
Jared stared at himself doing a rather good impression of a fish. He raised his hand, shakily touching the glass. The figure in the mirror copied the action.
“Guys?” he whispered. .
“Yes, Jared?” replied Sandy. Standing back, neither acquaintance was exactly sure what to say to their friend, how to make this situation any less intimidating.
“Could you two leave me alone for a couple moments? I need…I need to just gather my thoughts.”
“Sure, man,” said Chad softly, leading Sandy out of the room.
They closed the door quietly behind them, leaving Jared by himself.
Jared stared at his face in the mirror. But it wasn’t him. This wasn’t the face that he woke up with this morning. Nothing was the same, recognizable features were suddenly gone.
He let his now huge palm press against the mirror. The stranger stared back at him. Jared took a step back and let his eyes roam over the form that was his apparent gift from the fairy queen.
As he noticed early, he was much taller, possibly even taller than his brother and dad. He suddenly had a couple inches on Chad, which was weird for him. All his life was spent looking up at Chad. He practically dwarfed Sandy now.
He was definitely going to need new clothes.
His clothes gripped his form, almost uncomfortably tight. He would need to take off his shirt soon. It was restricting his breathing. The hem of his favorite shirt ended mid- abdomen revealing planes of smooth muscular abs. His skin, which had a pasty color before, was now…golden, almost sun kissed.
Jared sighed and pulled off the shirt. He winced hearing a ripping noise and silently mourned its loss.
Now that he could breathe easier. Jared leaned into the mirror. His hair wasn’t oily anymore; instead it was flipping out every which way in a shaggy style. Eyes that were once girlishly wide now seemed to fit his face better with a catlike appearance. His eyes were still the same shade of green-tinged hazel that they had always been.
He sighed finally recognizing himself in the face.
He experimentally smiled and two craters appeared in his cheeks. He had the slightest hint of dimples before but now they were out in full force.
“Some of my best work,” said a voice from behind him.
Jared whipped around finding himself face to face with Mab. She was disguised not as an old woman nor as the ethereal form she had appeared as before, but as a slightly chubby girl with bright blue hair, maybe two years younger than himself. She grinned, resting her head in the heel of her palm. Jared glared at her with barely restrained anger.
“Change me back,” he demanded.
The fairy queen raised an eyebrow. She sighed and leaned back.
“Sorry, sweetie, but you have to let the spell run its course. It’s just until the end of the summer. If you don’t fall in love by then, You’re back to normal. While normal for you is absolutely adorable with bad skin, I personally like this new form better.”
She let her eyes roam over his form appreciatively. Jared blushed, suddenly feeling very naked and awkward under her ancient gaze. Then he thought about what she said and his head snapped up.
“Whoa! Back up…fall in what now?”
“Oh, I told your friends to tell you but judging by that little freak out you had when you saw yourself… They must have decided to wait until you calmed down to a reasonable level.”
“So this,” he gestured to himself, “is only temporary?”
“Yep,” said Mab popping the ‘p’.
“So if I fall in love…”
“And that person loves you back. Then… you’re stuck like this. It’s how the magic works, Jared. Love is always the key.”
Jared licked his lips thinking it over. He sighed, finally resigning himself to his fate.
“Alright,” he said, “I give up. I’ll just deal with this.”
Mab squealed with excitement and jumped in place several moments. Calming down, she just beamed at him for a couple of minutes. Figuring out that he was just going to wait out the spell, her expression dimmed. She looked at him with a soft smile painting her face.
“I don’t know why you are so adamant against this, Jared. This…this is you. This is what has been inside of you all along. The spell I placed on you simply made your outer appearance match what was always inside. It’s your gift for being a good, warm, loving person.”
The fairy queen walked over to Jared and placed a hand gently on his face. He stared into those too blue eyes that reminded him of the open sky before turning away. She whispered to him with the same gentle tone.
“You made yourself like this, Jared. I only…nudged it along a little bit.”
Before Jared could open his mouth to say something; Mab was gone in a flurry of lilac petals.
Jared stood up and walked out the door to face this challenge.
“Are you okay, Jared?” asked Sandy rushing over enveloping him in a hug. Even though she had to stand on her tip-toes now to reach him. Chad hovered in the background giving Jared his classic concerned look.
“Let’s just go to bed, guys. I’m going to need new clothes in the morning.”
He smiled, revealing the deep dimples to reassure them.
It wasn’t permanent.
And really what were the chances of anyone falling love with him?
“Lord what fools these mortals be!” -Puck A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Jensen flicked through the records on sale. Chris was haggling with someone for a guitar that he could not live without. Steve was standing next to him with a bemused expression on his face.
“Having fun?” asked the musician.
“It’s nice to be out of the apartment,” said Jensen evenly, “Man, Chris is really getting into it.”
Steve turned and raised an eyebrow.
“I feel like I should step in but he’s really kind of hot when he does this.”
“Glad someone I know is getting laid regularly.”
“Do you need a hug, Jenny?” asked the blonde trying to tackle his friend into a hug.
“Don’t call me ‘Jenny’, man,” hissed Jensen, elbowing Steve away from him, “Touch me, Carlson, and I swear to God I will make you my bitch.”
“I’m not sure Chris would like that much.”
“UGH! Too much personal information,” yelled Jensen clapping his hands over his ears.
“Mmm,” hummed Steve with a devilish smirk on his face.
“Did I even know what you two were doing?” queried Chris as he rejoined them.
“Jensen needs a hug but refuses to admit it,” said Steven with a dead serious look on his face.
Chris raised an eyebrow, “Shit, man, that’s your territory. Keep me out of that girly crap.”
“I don’t need a freakin’ hug,” groused the model.
“Well it’s either that or we find someone to sex you up, man.”
“I don’t want a one night stand for the last time,” said Jensen irritably walking out of the store. Chris and Steve followed him out. Chris had his arm around Steve’s waist casually. Jensen envied them a little bit. It was stupid. He was twenty. He should want to get laid every night! Not think about a serious relationship. Then his phone rang. Jensen sighed and answered.
“Hello?”
“Jensen, we need to do a shoot tonight at six o’clock Hillside Park.”
“Can’t someone else…”
“No! The photographer specifically asked for you to do this shoot,” snapped the executive on the other end of the line.
Jensen sighed, “Alright…. I’ll be there.”
He slammed his phone shut and turned to look at Chris and Steve.
“Sorry guys, paycheck calls.”
“Hey, it’s no problem, man,” said Steve slapping Jensen on the back, “We got you out of the house today. That’s the only thing that mattered.”
“I would bail, but this guy requested me…”
“Jensen,” interrupted Chris in his usual gruff manner, “We understand. Go. We got a gig tonight we need to prepare for anyway.”
The model offered the couple a shaky smile before walking to his car. He should be used to this…breaking plans, leaving suddenly. At least he has a career.
But his career has practically dictated his life for the last three years. He has two friends that he could speak of, an agency trying to live his life, and people who only wanted things from him. So he really just wanted to come home to someone who just accepts him. He’s gotten all the one night stands out of his system.
He was so wrapped up in his own world that he barely noticed the tall, handsome man passing by him, laughing brightly with his friends.
“Sometimes you need to fall into other’s arms before you find the person meant for you.” -Unknown
“You sure that you’ll be all right by yourself, Jared?” asked Sandy with a concerned expression on her face. They had come back from shopping and Jared’s new vintage clothes were safely put away in his room. Jared smiled at his friend’s concern especially since he had been getting looks from people all day.
“I’ll be fine, Sandy. Trust me. You two head on home. I think we all need a break after today.”
“I can’t believe that saleswoman eye raped you, man. She was like my mom’s age,” said Chad with a wicked grin.
“Don’t make me sit on you, Chad.”
“I bet that’s kinky for you,” said the blonde with a wink.
Jared rolled his eyes goodnaturedly. Sandy looked up at him before nodding.
“All right, Jared, if you’re sure,” said the petite woman uncertainly.
“I am. We all had a stressful day. Besides this is only temporary, so why worry?”
Sandy nodded before smiling tentatively, “You’re right.”
“Of course he is!” crowed Chad smirking, “C’mon, Sandy, I’ll give you a lift home.”
“I’m shocked, Chad. I never thought you to be a gentleman.”
“My mama schooled it into me pretty well.”
“If only it showed most of the time.”
Jared watched with bemusement as they headed out to Chad’s car. Sandy turned and waved. The teenager in the doorway raised his hand in farewell as well. He watched until the pair drove away, disappearing into the late afternoon sun. Jared shut the door and was greeted by silence.
He smiled, feeling the delicious dry, hot air of a Texan summer waft through the house. He chewed on his lip trying to decide what to do now that he finally had some alone time. He looked down his eyes spying a messenger bag.
The park! It hit him like a raging semi. Jared grabbed the bag and went into the kitchen to make a sandwich for dinner. He hummed lightly under his breath trying to think of what else he needed.
Something to adjust the seat on his brother’s bike would be a good idea.
“Ill met by moonlight, proud Titania.” -William Shakespeare A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Mab looked over to her love. Titania stretched out among the leaves staring into the crystal ball.
“Are you sure that we do the right thing, Mab?” asked the brunette fairy queen. She flicked the curtain of brown hair over her shoulder.
“Certain as I always am. Jensen wished for this. He has a good heart. Jared’s perfect for him,” said the other queen flicking through hair colors with casual wave of her hand. She stopped on a blinding red.
“Nice color.”
“It’s actually growing on me,” said Mab with a small smile, “Besides if they do fall for each other… can you just imagine how hot that will be?”
“How old are you again?”
“Erm…four thousand five hundred and ninety three years old? Besides aren’t we supposed to be arranging their meeting?”
“Hey, I have Jensen at the park. But it will look suspicious if I don’t show,” said Titania standing changing into the mousy modeling agency assistant. Mab grinned and walked over.
“Do you have to go?” asked the red haired queen pressing lips to her lover’s collarbone.
“Mmmm, wish I didn’t… but yeah I do. See you later?”
“Oh, you know it.”
“There’s nothing ill can dwell in such a temple:
If the ill spirit have so fair a house,
Good things will strive to dwell with’t” -William Shakespeare The Tempest
Jensen stretched out his form against the tree. The rough bark seemed to press its patterns into his hands leaving inevitable imprints. He held the pose as the photographer, one of those shy brooding types, snapped a couple of photos. He stared into the camera lens.
The photographer looked up and gave an odd half smile.
“I think that’s it, Jensen. Thank you for doing this at such short notice.”
“It’s no problem,” said the model waving off the photographer casually. He began to walk to get changed back into his street clothes again.
“Hello, Jensen!”
Jensen spared a glance. It was the mousy haired girl from yesterday. He gave her the barest hint of a smile. She gave a little grin.
“Hello…I’m afraid that I never got your name.”
“Call me Tina,” said the girl brightly.
“Hello, Tina,” corrected the man as he continued on his way to the changing area. Tina fell into step with him.
“Is this your first time at Hillside?”
“As embarrassing to say it, yes it is. It’s a nice park. I would love to go jogging here sometime but that would require me to get up at some ridiculous hour like seven thirty.”
Tina snickered good-naturedly.
“I just wanted to thank you for yesterday. I didn’t even get in that much trouble.”
“It’s no problem, Tina. Now if you’ll excuse me,” said Jensen gesturing to the area. Tina’s eyes widened and she flushed lightly.
“Of course!”
Jensen turned to go get changed. He stopped when he heard the assistant pipe up timidly.
“Before you go. You should really check out the gazebo at the top of hill. It’s a bit of a walk. But the view is amazing.”
The model turned to answer her. However, when he turned completely, she was gone. Jensen blinked before checking his watch. Well, he didn’t have any plans tonight, maybe he should check out the gazebo. The idea in his head, he grinned before going to change.
"True love is hard to find, sometimes you think you have true love and then you catch the early flight home from San Diego and a couple of nude people jump out of your bathroom blindfolded like a goddamn magic show ready to double team your girlfriend..."-Mitch ‘Old School’
“So how’s the spell working out for you?” asked Mab, appearing in front of Jared as he chowed down on a salami and cheese sandwich.
“People keep on staring at me. I’m not so sure that I like it.”
“Humans are aesthetic beings by nature. Everyone knows this, sweetie. They’re just attracted to beauty.”
Jared could feel his face flush.
“I don’t want people to look at me like that because I’m hot. I was someone to look at me like that because they like me. Not my body. I feel like I’m being objectified.”
Mab twirled a piece of uber bright red hair and grinned unapologetically.
“You never know, Jared. You may meet the guy that looks at you like that and you would never guess it. This spell is supposed to help you. Shutting yourself off from people for several months so you can go back to your norm is not the way to work this.”
“I…” he sighed and rubbed his eyes. Maybe he was going about this the wrong way, “I just don’t want a relationship based on looks.”
“Then it’s up to you, honey. You just show yourself. You’re gorgeous now. That’s fine. It’s a gift. You’re a good person this allows people to see the goodness more. I promise that at the time you least expect it, he will come. You both will pursue the other…blah, blah, blah…And if you don’t screw it up then perhaps you will find true love. Get past the looks and know the person. This is what the spell is supposed to help you with,” stated Mab twirling her red, red hair with one hand and gesturing with another.
Jared stared down at the sandwich, wind gently tickling his cheek as Mab left. He sighed and finished off the last bit. He hoisted himself up on the railing of the gazebo and got comfortable. He took out his notebook and iPod.
He needed to do some major writing.
“Music and Stories are how most people communicate.”-Unknown
“Stacy’s Mom has got it going on! She’s all I want and I’ve waited so long!”
Jensen blinked rapidly hearing someone singing. He continued the trek up the hill that had begun about twenty minutes ago. Tina was right it was a bit of walk. Now if she was right as well about that view it would make this trek SO much better.
“Stacy can’t you see? You’re just not the girl for me! I know it might be wrong but I’m in love with Stacy’s mom!” sang the mysterious person. Jensen winced knowing he was slightly off tune. But he still had nice voice: smooth, deep, reminding him of dark chocolate almost. He saw the gazebo and made his way over to it.
The sight he was greeted with caught his breath in his throat.
Against the sunset sitting on one of the gazebo’s ledges was a man; a really fucking gorgeous man that lit a forest fire in Jensen’s belly.
Long limbs folded into a leisurely position on the ledge several inches too short. One leg swung back and forth easily. His brown hair fell shaggily into his face, surrounded by the early swatches of pink, orange, and purple in the dusk sky. His head bobbed in time with the song as his sinful lips formed the words.
Jensen felt his heart pound in his chest. The blood was rushing through his vein like the powerful force of a river after storm. He took a couple steps forward hoping to catch a better glimpse of the man.
Then a twig snapped, rather loudly. The man’s head snapped up and he turned meeting Jensen’s eyes. His eyes widened then he clumsily fell from the ledge into the bushes near the gazebo. The model ran over to the fallen man and knelt down next to him.
“Oh, my God! I am so sorry, dude! I didn’t see you. Are you alright?” spouted out Jensen quickly, “How many fingers am I holding up?”
He held up four fingers to the man’s face. The man blinked a couple times.
“Dude, get your fingers out of my face,” said the man patiently sitting up, “I fell on my ass.”
He grinned at Jensen, embarrassed with crater-deep dimples appearing in each cheek. Dimples, damn, Jensen loved a man with dimples.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.”
The man chuckled before standing. Shit, was he tall! He held out a huge hand to Jensen, which he took. It was a little callused around the fingers but soft and warm.
“It’s okay. I get into my own little world when I write. I was waiting for dusk so I could get some cityscape shots,” said the man easily. His hazel eyes twinkled, “I’m Jared, by the way.”
“I-I’m Jensen,” said the model shyly. He hoped that he wasn’t blushing. If there was any mercy in the world, he better not be blushing at this moment.
Jared grinned, “Nice to meet you. Are you here to check out the view?”
“Erm… yes actually. Someone told me it was really…nice,” finished Jensen lamely.
The giant of the man seemed not to mind Jensen being a lame ass. Instead he nodded happily.
“I totally agree! Trust me, you’re in for a treat.”
Jared walked over to the edge. He beckoned Jensen over. The model strode over and gasped. It was the city twinkling brightly with the lights of the buildings. The moon was orange and full overhead. The dark colors of dusk were casting it aglow. It was breathtakingly beautiful.
He then spared a glance at the handsome man next to him.
“I should get going…” began Jensen softly. Jared turned and cocked a brow. The model began to walk back down the path.
“Jensen! Wait,” said Jared softly. He was carrying the messenger bag strapped surely across his broad shoulders and walking a bike next to him.
Jensen turned and stared at the man that he has known for a grand total of maybe ten minutes. Jared smiled shyly at him.
“I don’t do this normally,” began the hazel-eyed man softly, “But… um…could I possibly walk you to your car?”
Jensen stared at Jared intensely. He could have a motive for doing this. But looking into his eyes, he saw only shyness and genuine nervousness. He fiddled with the hem of his bright red t-shirt and gave Jensen the shyest, sweetest smile ever.
Jensen was never one to take a chance. However, it could have been the sunset or this feeling in his gut but he smiled gently at Jared.
“You know what, Jared? I would really like that.”
Jared’s grin was as bright as the setting sun.
Jensen’s heart pounded to a wild drum beat.
And the fairies smiled as the two had finally met.
Now the fun can begin.