Jared Padalecki and the Faith of the Feathered Serpent (Chapter Ten)
Title: Jared Padalecki and the Faith of the Feathered Serpent
Author: hunters_retreat
Fandom: J2 (CWRPS)
Pairings: Jared Padalecki/Jensen Ackles
Summary: They were legend, the Egyptologist with a love of mysteries and the General with a love of adventure. Over the years they'd faced everything Egypt had to offer, never backing down and never giving in, until they'd tamed her secrets. What happens when they find themselves leaving their home for the wonders of the new world in search of a missing colleague? What happens when Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki are surrounded by jungles and ruins and find the faith of the fallen serpent?
The next day Chris had been making arrangements to get his crew back to Yaxchilan and Jared had spent his time going through some of Chris’s writing about the site and translating what he could. His hands itched for his translation books, familiar with use, but Chris had his own and they worked just as well.
When dinner came around they were sitting at the table again, full and satisfied. Jensen had been oddly quiet all day, keeping to himself and leaving Jared to his translations. Not that he didn’t normally give Jared his space when he was working, but Jared always knew where Jensen was. He wondered if Jensen was ready to return back to his homeland, or if there was something more profound that he needed to address. The way Jensen watched Chris from time to time made him wonder if Jensen ever felt jealous of the two of them.
“If you don’t stop glaring I’m going to think there was a lover’s tiff,” Chris said as he smirked into his cup.
Jared looked away from Jensen and shook his head. “I’m not glaring.”
“You were, actually,” Jensen replied with another smirk.
Why he thought the two of them meeting would be a good idea was beyond him. “I’m just wondering what’s next.”
Chris looked away. “What I said in the jungle, the offers still out there. You’re more than welcome to squat on my site for a while.”
Jared could see the nervousness in him, the way his eyes stayed downcast, his hair hiding his eyes as he sipped his drink. Jared looked over at Jensen and his lover was looking away as well.
“What do you think Jensen?” Jared asked softly. “Is it time to return home?”
Jensen stood up and walked to the window, turning his back to the two of them. Jared watched him for a moment, watched the way tension filled his frame and knew the darkness in his eyes. It wasn’t the same sort of tension he was used to seeing though. One hand played lightly at the window frame while one of the fingers on his other hand tapped at the glass he was holding.
“I got a wire from Jim today. He said he’d be more than happy to start working on an exhibit of Mesoamerican art, if we happened to need a little more time.”
Jared was across the room before he realized he’d gotten out of his chair. Jensen turned to look at him and his smile was breathtaking. He didn’t try to stop himself as he pushed into his lover, lips claiming him. Jensen didn’t hesitate to wrap one arm around him, pulling him closer, tongue parting his lips in a kiss that was everything Jensen was, caring and warm and strong and so damn attentive.
When he finally pulled back, Jared blushed at Chris’s whistle from across the room. “Well at least I know why he keeps you around, Egypt.”
Jensen’s eyes looked over his shoulder and his smile was teasing. “Stay around a while longer tonight and maybe you might, Oklahoma.”
Jared pushed at Jensen lightly before his lover smiled up at him. “We’re settled here until tomorrow night. Our provisions are already on the way to the campsite and Jim has given me the name of a local museum along with his contacts there to get you access to whatever resources you need.”
A knock came from the adjoining room and Jensen walked away with a kiss to Jared’s temple as he went. Jared watched him go, feeling his chest puff up with pride and admiration for the man he loved. He walked back to the table to join Chris and found his best friend shaking his head.
“You could have told me you were already considering the offer. I wouldn’t have been pussyfooting around it the last three days if you had,” Chris huffed.
Jared shook his head. “I haven’t even thought about what was next until tonight.”
“Then why’d he do all that?”
“Because he’s Jensen. Because he always knows what I’m going to do before I do.”
“Huh,” Chris said, taking a drink as he considered Jared’s words. “So you and Egypt are gonna be staying a while?”
Jared laughed at the nicknames Chris and Jensen had started using for one another. “If you don’t mind an Egyptologist and a mummy on your hands, then we’re yours.”
Chris smiled. “Glad to have the both of you on board. So long as you remember it’s my site.”
“Oh come on, Chris that was only the one time.”
“What was?” Jensen asked as he walked back in. He handed Jared a slip of paper as he sat down between Chris and Jared.
“Jared must have been all of seventeen,” Chris said with a smirk. “I was on my first solo dig and I had the stupid idea of asking him to come along. Told him to keep his nose down and it would all work out, but the snot nosed kid tries to take my dig…”
He lost track of the words as he unfolded the paper. The note from Jim was short and to the point, telling him to take care of the General, outlined what funding he’d been able to put together for a short term dig at Yaxchilan that Chris would need to approve before he sent word back to Jim, and another comment to keep himself safe and to stop touching every damn thing when Jensen told him not to.
He laughed lightly at the words and looked up at the two men. Chris was telling Jensen about the dig, which he had not stolen thank you very much. He had simply given advice and it wasn’t his fault people had listened. Chris was smiling his best smile though, winning Jensen over with his natural charm. Jensen was laughing, more like himself and less the General now that they were out of harm’s way.
He looked at Jensen and Chris, thought about Jim back home in Egypt and smiled.
“You know, once this is done,” he said, interrupting the two men just before Chris could tell the part where he stole into Jared’s shower and took all his clothes so he had to walk across the whole of the dig in nothing but a small towel. “Jim and I were talking about a new site.”
“Really?” The men asking in unison.
“Where?” Jensen asked.
“Ireland.”
Jensen threw his head back, laughing and Chris’s smile grew wider. “Not my normal cup of tea but I can’t say I never wanted to visit Ireland.”
“Home of the druids,” Jensen said with a shake of his head. He started to take a drink from his cup, but stopped it, raising it in toast instead.
“To new adventures, may they come often and may you survive them all intact, with new friends at the end.”
Jared and Chris clinked their classes against Jensen’s.
“To new adventures.”
Author: hunters_retreat
Fandom: J2 (CWRPS)
Pairings: Jared Padalecki/Jensen Ackles
Summary: They were legend, the Egyptologist with a love of mysteries and the General with a love of adventure. Over the years they'd faced everything Egypt had to offer, never backing down and never giving in, until they'd tamed her secrets. What happens when they find themselves leaving their home for the wonders of the new world in search of a missing colleague? What happens when Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki are surrounded by jungles and ruins and find the faith of the fallen serpent?
The next day Chris had been making arrangements to get his crew back to Yaxchilan and Jared had spent his time going through some of Chris’s writing about the site and translating what he could. His hands itched for his translation books, familiar with use, but Chris had his own and they worked just as well.
When dinner came around they were sitting at the table again, full and satisfied. Jensen had been oddly quiet all day, keeping to himself and leaving Jared to his translations. Not that he didn’t normally give Jared his space when he was working, but Jared always knew where Jensen was. He wondered if Jensen was ready to return back to his homeland, or if there was something more profound that he needed to address. The way Jensen watched Chris from time to time made him wonder if Jensen ever felt jealous of the two of them.
“If you don’t stop glaring I’m going to think there was a lover’s tiff,” Chris said as he smirked into his cup.
Jared looked away from Jensen and shook his head. “I’m not glaring.”
“You were, actually,” Jensen replied with another smirk.
Why he thought the two of them meeting would be a good idea was beyond him. “I’m just wondering what’s next.”
Chris looked away. “What I said in the jungle, the offers still out there. You’re more than welcome to squat on my site for a while.”
Jared could see the nervousness in him, the way his eyes stayed downcast, his hair hiding his eyes as he sipped his drink. Jared looked over at Jensen and his lover was looking away as well.
“What do you think Jensen?” Jared asked softly. “Is it time to return home?”
Jensen stood up and walked to the window, turning his back to the two of them. Jared watched him for a moment, watched the way tension filled his frame and knew the darkness in his eyes. It wasn’t the same sort of tension he was used to seeing though. One hand played lightly at the window frame while one of the fingers on his other hand tapped at the glass he was holding.
“I got a wire from Jim today. He said he’d be more than happy to start working on an exhibit of Mesoamerican art, if we happened to need a little more time.”
Jared was across the room before he realized he’d gotten out of his chair. Jensen turned to look at him and his smile was breathtaking. He didn’t try to stop himself as he pushed into his lover, lips claiming him. Jensen didn’t hesitate to wrap one arm around him, pulling him closer, tongue parting his lips in a kiss that was everything Jensen was, caring and warm and strong and so damn attentive.
When he finally pulled back, Jared blushed at Chris’s whistle from across the room. “Well at least I know why he keeps you around, Egypt.”
Jensen’s eyes looked over his shoulder and his smile was teasing. “Stay around a while longer tonight and maybe you might, Oklahoma.”
Jared pushed at Jensen lightly before his lover smiled up at him. “We’re settled here until tomorrow night. Our provisions are already on the way to the campsite and Jim has given me the name of a local museum along with his contacts there to get you access to whatever resources you need.”
A knock came from the adjoining room and Jensen walked away with a kiss to Jared’s temple as he went. Jared watched him go, feeling his chest puff up with pride and admiration for the man he loved. He walked back to the table to join Chris and found his best friend shaking his head.
“You could have told me you were already considering the offer. I wouldn’t have been pussyfooting around it the last three days if you had,” Chris huffed.
Jared shook his head. “I haven’t even thought about what was next until tonight.”
“Then why’d he do all that?”
“Because he’s Jensen. Because he always knows what I’m going to do before I do.”
“Huh,” Chris said, taking a drink as he considered Jared’s words. “So you and Egypt are gonna be staying a while?”
Jared laughed at the nicknames Chris and Jensen had started using for one another. “If you don’t mind an Egyptologist and a mummy on your hands, then we’re yours.”
Chris smiled. “Glad to have the both of you on board. So long as you remember it’s my site.”
“Oh come on, Chris that was only the one time.”
“What was?” Jensen asked as he walked back in. He handed Jared a slip of paper as he sat down between Chris and Jared.
“Jared must have been all of seventeen,” Chris said with a smirk. “I was on my first solo dig and I had the stupid idea of asking him to come along. Told him to keep his nose down and it would all work out, but the snot nosed kid tries to take my dig…”
He lost track of the words as he unfolded the paper. The note from Jim was short and to the point, telling him to take care of the General, outlined what funding he’d been able to put together for a short term dig at Yaxchilan that Chris would need to approve before he sent word back to Jim, and another comment to keep himself safe and to stop touching every damn thing when Jensen told him not to.
He laughed lightly at the words and looked up at the two men. Chris was telling Jensen about the dig, which he had not stolen thank you very much. He had simply given advice and it wasn’t his fault people had listened. Chris was smiling his best smile though, winning Jensen over with his natural charm. Jensen was laughing, more like himself and less the General now that they were out of harm’s way.
He looked at Jensen and Chris, thought about Jim back home in Egypt and smiled.
“You know, once this is done,” he said, interrupting the two men just before Chris could tell the part where he stole into Jared’s shower and took all his clothes so he had to walk across the whole of the dig in nothing but a small towel. “Jim and I were talking about a new site.”
“Really?” The men asking in unison.
“Where?” Jensen asked.
“Ireland.”
Jensen threw his head back, laughing and Chris’s smile grew wider. “Not my normal cup of tea but I can’t say I never wanted to visit Ireland.”
“Home of the druids,” Jensen said with a shake of his head. He started to take a drink from his cup, but stopped it, raising it in toast instead.
“To new adventures, may they come often and may you survive them all intact, with new friends at the end.”
Jared and Chris clinked their classes against Jensen’s.
“To new adventures.”