Real Person Fic - J2: Nobility's True Badge [Part 2/2]
PART ONE
Jared’s shift ends about an hour later and he waits another half for Genevieve to get off. She clocks out, but it’s ten more minutes before they make it to the break room to get their things.
“You have a big mouth, you know,” Jared says when they’re finally alone.
“It’s one of my best features,” Genevieve agrees, pouting her lips.
“Today Danneel and Sandy nearly beat poor Jensen up because you told them we had a bad date.”
“Oops.”
“Yeah,” Jared says, poking her lightly in the side.
“But aren’t you proud of me for not giving them details?”
“I am. Your commitment to only spreading half of my personal life around the store is impressive.”
“I just figured you wouldn’t want everyone on Earth to know what a stupid fucking moron you are.”
“And your support is limitless.”
“Well, sorry, but you went on an awesome date with a gorgeous guy you really like and when you found out he was rolling in money, you ran away instead of jumping on it and forcing him to be your bride. That makes you a dumb fuck.”
“How could I marry anyone but you?”
“There are cases in which I allow infidelity. A Greek god with stockpiles of cash to take me shopping as a consolation prize is one of the cases. Read the handbook.”
“It’s not that simple and you know it.”
“I know, Jaybird, but you’re the only person who thinks it’s a problem. He obviously knows you’re not a millionaire and he still likes you…and he made you so happy. I wanted you to stay like that, you know? You never fucking try for relationships and I worry about you.”
“I’m doing fine, Genevieve.”
“You’re doing mediocre, Jared, and you’re gonna cruise through life like that if you roll over and die every time something isn’t easy.”
“We’re not even out of the store yet and you’ve already given me a fifteen minute therapy session. Can we cool this out for a bit?”
“Fine. You have until we get out of the store.” Genevieve smirks and calls the elevator to take them to the street entrance.
She’s already opening her mouth in anticipation of a lecture when Jared pushes the door open and Jensen approaches him.
“Jared?”
“Uh, hi.”
“I need to talk to you.”
“Were you waiting for me to get out? Because that’s creepy, even for you.”
Jensen’s not having any of their usual banter and Jared can’t really blame him. “Misha told me when you were leaving. And I kind of had to since you won’t answer my calls and you hide when I try the café.”
Jared shifts from one foot to the other. “I’m sorry, it’s just-”
“I really need to talk to you. Please.” Jensen looks to Genevieve. “Alone?”
A part of Jared is hoping she’ll make a stand, but he isn’t exactly surprised when she takes Jensen’s side and sets off down the street ahead of them.
“Look, Jensen, I know I’ve been a really huge jerk, but I just don’t think we’re compatib-”
“That’s fucking bullshit and we both know it. We had a great time and you just…It was one date. I’m not going to throw myself off a bridge or anything if you don’t ever want to see me again, okay? I like you, but I can cope. I just really, really need you to tell me what I did wrong.”
“It’s not you, it’s-”
“Wow, you’re really about to use that line on me?”
Jared sighs. “Okay, walk me home and I’ll explain.”
Jensen indicates that Jared should lead the way and Jared takes a step forward on a deep inhale. He doesn’t really know how to start or how to finish or if he has anything to say at all, except that he knows how stupid he is, so Jensen shouldn’t feel obligated to tell him.
“You were going to give me an explanation,” Jensen reminds him, tone almost dangerous.
“It was your house, Jensen. That’s it.”
“I didn’t realize my interior decorating was so offensive.”
Jared gets the tiniest flare of hope from Jensen’s playful lilt. “I work in a café, man. I live in a shitty apartment and there’s hardly enough room in my bathroom for me to stand to take a piss. It’s one thing if we’re just fucking because, really who cares, but I kind of really like you and I don’t want to wait around for you to wake up one morning and realize-”
“What the fuck?” Jensen stops in the street and when Jared turns to look at him, there’s fire in his eyes. “You think I give a shit how much money you make, Jared? Fucking seriously, just because I have a nice house I’m some fucking snob? I wouldn’t have asked you out if I cared. I kind of thought we had something.”
“We’re not from the same universe, Jensen, and let’s just be honest here, you’re out of my league.”
“You know the difference between reality and Jane Austen novels, right?” Jensen starts walking again and Jared matches his pace.
“That’s adorable.”
“I’m not kidding.”
“Whatever. I was intimidated and I freaked out and I’m sorry. It was just a lot to take in at once.”
Jensen doesn’t really react to that at all. He’s watching his feet as they walk and finally he shrugs and replies in a tiny voice, “You shouldn’t have left me hanging all week.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I was being a coward. I didn’t know what to tell you, because I don’t want this to stop, but after the way I reacted, I mean, I don’t blame you if you’re over this.”
“I still like you, Jared. I just…that was really the wrong thing to do.”
“I’ve heard.”
“No, for me especially.” Jensen looks over at Jared and bites his lip and then seems to decide something. “My last boyfriend, the one with the bad break up-”
“Jensen, you really don’t have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“I want to. I’m going to have to if we’re gonna give this a chance.” He takes Jared’s hand and meets his eyes tentatively. “We are gonna give this a chance, right?”
Jared tangles their fingers instead of replying and Jensen’s smile is barely there, but it’s somehow more genuine than any other smile Jared’s ever gotten from him.
“We dated for three years. You know, the whole serious relationship shebang with cohabitation and, God, I was so fucking gone on him, I thought he was the love of my life.” Jensen swallows. “He never told me why he left.”
“What?”
“He dumped me and moved out. We hadn’t been fighting at the time or anything. I spent months going through everything and trying to find the instance where I fucked up…it’s been a year and I still have no idea why.”
“Oh, shit. Jensen, fuck. And I-oh, God, I’m so sorry.”
“When you left the other night…it just hit a nerve, okay?”
“Jensen…” Jared’s fists clench with a rush of hatred for the guy that did that, who’s responsible for how shaken Jensen looks, and then he realizes that he’s no better. He’d done that, too. He can’t find the words to make it okay, can’t promise Jensen he would never hurt him like that.
“You didn’t know. And I know you wouldn’t do something like that to someone you care about. You’re just the first person I’ve been out with since and I really couldn’t let it end like that again.”
“I understand. I’m really sorry, Jensen. I wasn’t thinking. I never would have left like that if I’d known.”
Jensen pulls Jared down and kisses him, his lips demanding, and Jared returns it as quickly as he can catch up to what’s going on, kisses Jensen back just as fiercely. There’s a lot being said in the sounds they both make, in the way Jensen’s tongue licks Jared’s and the light bites Jared applies to Jensen’s lower lip. It’s a long time before either of them pulls away and Jared feels like something important got knocked into place as soon as Jensen decided to take the chance on kissing him again.
Jared starts walking again as soon as their lips part and he pulls Jensen along by the hand he’s been clinging to for minutes now.
“My apartment is on the next block,” Jared says.
“Oh.” Jensen sounds disappointed.
“Come up with me.”
Jensen smiles just a little. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I mean, it’s a dump. But…” Jared moves his thumb in circles on Jensen’s hand and shrugs. “I know you won’t care.”
They walk the rest of the way in silence and climb three flights of stairs before Jared gets 100 pounds of flustered brunette slammed into his chest.
“Sophia, shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.”
“I can’t chat, Jared. Every time I look at you, I see his stupid, smug face.”
“Finding out you associate my face with Chad’s is probably the most offensive thing I’ve ever heard.” He puts a hand on each of Sophia’s shoulders and turns her to face Jensen.
“Sophia, say hello. This is Jensen. Jensen, this is Chad’s girlfriend, Sophia.”
“The one who’s too good for him?”
“I like you. You can stay. Then everyone in the apartment can be with someone who’s too good for them.” She sticks her tongue out at Jared and shakes loose of his hold. “I really have had it with you, I am leaving now.”
With that, she takes off down the stairs at the same frantic pace that sent her crashing into Jared moments ago.
Jensen looks after her and then at Jared, an amused turn to his lips and one eyebrow shot almost into his hairline.
“She’ll be back tomorrow,” Jared says flippantly as he approaches the door to his apartment. “Chad, I’m here and I have a guest, so please be wearing pants.”
Chad walks into the living room, a beer clenched in one hand the way some people hold crucifixes and a sulky expression.
“Good for you, Jared. Fucking, you go ahead and you get that dick. Because let me tell you, women? Are fucking lunatics.”
“Chad,” Jensen says, no question in his voice.
“Chad,” Jared confirms. “Chad, meet Jensen.”
“Yo.”
“Charmed, I’m sure,” Jensen says dryly.
“So, try not to be too loud with the gay sex. I’m gonna be watching porn in my room if you need me.”
Chad exits and Jensen shakes his head. “I am not going to ask why you’re friends with that guy, because I do not want to know.”
Jared pushes into Jensen’s space and moves his mouth to Jensen’s neck. “We’ve got better things to talk about.”
Jensen shivers and opens his mouth, a needy motion as he tangles his fingers in Jared’s shirt. Jared kisses him, but Jensen freezes when Jared tries touching him and Jared draws away to look him over, try to read his body language better.
“You don’t want to do this.”
“Yeah. I do. I really, really do.”
“Maybe, but you’re not ready.”
Jensen looks away.
“And the other day? You weren’t ready then, either.”
“Jared-”
“Dude, you were gonna have sex with me when you weren’t ready.”
“I didn’t want to lose your interest. Besides, it’s not like I don’t wanna fuck you.”
“Shit, Jensen, I’m not the captain of the football team and this isn’t prom night. You can’t fucking go around having sex with me and then regret it.”
“You said…you seemed like you weren’t used to waiting.” Jensen pushes his entire body back against Jared’s and his mouth presses on Jared’s ear. “I won’t make you.”
“I won’t make you, either,” Jared says, a little hurt. “Especially after what happened last week. I don’t want you to do anything before you’re comfortable.”
Jensen lets out a breath and separates himself from Jared. “I’m not a fucking virgin or something.”
“I know.”
“But…it has been a long time and…”
“And you got hurt. And it’s okay to be scared.”
Jensen worries his lip. “Should I leave?”
“I have a great couch. We could watch DVDs with a lot of explosions and eat leftover Chinese.”
Jensen smiles and, curled up in each other’s space, that’s exactly what they do.
_______________________________________________________________
A few days later, Jared gets home to find Jensen sprawled out on his sofa. His feet rest on Jared’s coffee table, his boots on the floor below it, the remote’s in his hand, and the scent of fresh Chinese is in the air.
“You should lock your door,” Jensen says, idly pressing the channel up button.
“You just get creepier and creepier.”
Jensen sits up and clicks the TV off. “I was going to surprise you. And then you were taking forever to get here and the food was getting cold. So I came up to knock and see if Chad’s here. And you idiots don’t lock your door.”
“Nothing to steal,” Jared says.
“That’s fucking crazy, okay? What about people with knives that hide and wait for you to get home? What about that? How do you sleep at night? I’m going to be tossing and turning in bed tonight worrying about you over here. You’re going to give me grey hairs.”
“The only crazy person who’s ever invited themselves in was rather agreeable.” Jared sits on the couch next to Jensen and gives him a kiss. “How’s your day been?”
“Not awesome. I had a presentation and it could have gone better.”
“Ah, I feel your pain. I spilled an iced tea and had to clean it up myself.”
“Oh, you win. Your suffering is unparalleled.”
“You bring food. I approve of this. You should do it every day before I get home and greet me in nothing but an apron.”
“You just hold your breath until that wish comes true, alright?”
Jared takes a deep breath and holds it in and Jensen smacks both his cheeks lightly. “Not a good look for you.”
“Everything’s a good look for me.”
“Your mama lied to you.”
Jared frowns. “Oh no, does that mean I’m not the most specialest boy in the whole world, too?”
Jensen makes a fond, frustrated sound and rests his head on Jared’s shoulder. “I’m tired and pouty and I got us rentals and I want to do nothing.”
“What a coincidence. I had my whole night set aside to watch DVDs with a grumpy boyfriend.”
Jensen pulls his head back, a knee jerk reaction to the tiny trigger word Jared was hoping he would let slip.
“I’m your boyfriend?”
“It’s starting to look that way.”
“Does that mean you’re my boyfriend, too?”
“Actually, that’s exactly what that means.”
Jensen makes a speculative face for a minute and then goes back to resting his head on Jared’s shoulder. “I like that just fine.”
_______________________________________________________________
Jared feels panic shoot through him when he gets to the living room and finds that Jensen’s not there. The empty beer bottle on the coffee table confirms his fears and he swallows hard, realizing Jensen has just headed unprepared into the kitchen, where he will be forced to interact with an unsupervised Chad. He rushes to the door as soon as possible and can hear the talking from inside.
“Have we met?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Oh, thank God! I was like, ‘I’ve seen this pretty cocksucker before!’ Where’d we meet?”
“Here,” Jensen says in a clipped tone.
“Whoa, hey, that’s not possible.”
“I’m Jensen? Jared introduced us a few nights ago.”
“Well, then what the fuck are you doing here again?”
“Watching television?”
The next time Chad speaks, Jared can hear the hostility in his tone. “Do I need to ask what your intentions towards my slutty gay friend are? Because no one makes an honest woman out of Jared.”
“I might,” says Jensen, challenging.
“Nuh uh, dude. That’s totally not allowed.”
Jensen walks out of the kitchen then, a new beer in his hand and a scowl disrupting his features.
“I can’t even go to the bathroom without worrying about the trouble you’ll get yourself into.”
Jensen jumps a little and it’s obvious he hadn’t been expecting Jared. “I didn’t realize I was going to have to meet the parents tonight.”
“He’s very protective.”
“So, how slutty do you have to be to be the slutty gay friend?”
“Not that slutty.”
“Really?”
“I mean, I’m a reasonably attractive gay twentysomething who until recently had no relationship prospects. I don’t know what you want me to tell you.”
Jensen grabs Jared by the shirt and drags him back to the living room, smiling and kissing him long and hard once they’ve gotten situated again. Jared thinks maybe Jensen kind of likes that he’s the person Jared was willing to slow down for. Jared’s kind of a fan of that himself.
_______________________________________________________________
For the first time in a week, Jared and Jensen have the apartment to themselves for an entire night. Somehow, Sophia convinced Chad to take her out dancing and Jared thinks that, short of sending Chad to the hospital, there’s no method of persuasion she could have employed that would make Jared regret Chad’s absence. If he gets to spend every night Chad’s out on the couch with Jensen, tangled without having to worry about getting caught and having to hear about it, Jared might not even really feel bad if it does send him to the hospital.
Jensen’s mouth moves lower, sucking hard on the skin below Jared’s neck. Jared lets out a groan and feels Jensen shift next to him.
“Are you?” Jared asks, looking down at Jensen’s crotch and getting the answer before Jensen can give it to him. Jared licks his lips.
“Do you want me to…are you ready, do you think?” All of Jared’s instincts are telling him to grab and suck and fuck and yet Jared doesn’t move, doesn’t let his body language pressure Jensen into doing more than he wants.
Jensen’s lips are parted obscenely as he gasps for breath, but he shakes his head. “Not yet. Not on your couch,” he answers, though he dives back into another kiss, hungry and damn close to breaking Jared’s resolve if not Jensen’s.
They keep kissing for a long time and Jared can’t help his hands when they stray, find Jensen’s chest and move up his shirt until Jensen’s shaking. Jared lets one hand move lower and Jensen’s head falls back.
“Touch me,” he begs.
Jared freezes. “You sure?”
“Yeah. I can do this. Fuck, I’m so beyond ready for-” His words drop off, turn into an unintelligible string of curses and encouragement.
Jared knows how long it’s been since anyone’s touched Jensen and how bad he needs it, so he makes quick work of the hand job, doesn’t let himself get greedy or tease Jensen the way he’s aching to. It isn’t long at all before Jensen shoots all over Jared’s hand and it’s not until Jensen’s done coming down from his orgasm that Jared remembers he’s hard, too.
“I can…bathroom,” Jared says, but Jensen crawls on top of him, kissing him hard and letting Jared grind up against him until he comes right in his jeans like he’s back in high school and this is all new again. Jensen smiles sheepishly and crawls off Jared’s lap.
“I guess my work here is done,” he says.
Jared knows better than to tell him otherwise, so instead of begging him to stay, he helps Jensen get his clothes back into some semblance of order and gives him a last kiss before walking him to the door.
_______________________________________________________________
“Excuse me, coffee boy, I have this Starbucks card and I would like some service.”
Jared turns to glare across the counter where Jensen is brandishing his card and looking very smug. Last night, Jared told Jensen about how tired he was of having Starbucks cards shoved in his face and he wouldn’t put it past Jensen to have gone out and bought one just to piss him off.
Jared glowers at Jensen and then gets a look at the line. He can’t tell Jensen to fuck off, and Jensen’s obviously going to make him play along.
“I’m sorry, sir, we don’t accept those here.”
“But you’re a Starbucks, aren’t you?” Jensen says cluelessly.
“No, we just serve Starbucks coffee,” Jared replies, doing his best to get his annoyance across to Jensen without the other customers in line thinking he’s an asshole.
“Oh, I see. So you’re like a bad knock-off of a Starbucks?”
“One coffee, coming right up.”
Jensen pouts. “But I wanted a frap.”
“Did you want something to go with that?”
“My sandwich?” Jensen tries, making a pitiful face.
“Sandy, warm me up a coffee cake for this charming gentleman, please.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Sandy says cheerfully, taking out one of Jensen’s sandwiches and putting it on the grill.
“You free after work tonight?” Jensen asks as Jared counts out his change.
“Not if it’s you asking.”
Jensen gives Jared a sardonic look and takes his frappuccino from the counter when Danneel calls it out. “I’ll see you later, then,” he says with a wink, making his way back into the store.
_______________________________________________________________
Jared calls Jensen as soon as his shift ends and Jensen picks up on the third ring.
“Hello?” He sounds a little flustered.
“Bad time?”
“No! No, just, got something cooking, don’t wanna burn it. What’s up? Talk fast.”
“You expressed interest in coming over tonight?”
There’s a long silence from the other end of the line.
“Jensen?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“So you wanna come see me, or what? I checked and Chad won’t even be there. Just you and me and the made-for-TV movie of the night.”
“Sure, sounds fun,” Jensen says, but he’s obviously a little put out. “I’ll be there in an hour or so. And, I’ll, uh, I’ll bring dinner, I guess.”
“You okay?”
“Absolutely. I have to go make sure my kitchen isn’t on fire. See you in bit.” Jensen hangs up and Jared writes the sober tone off to the distractions in the kitchen.
_______________________________________________________________
There’s a loud, urgent beat from the door and Jared nearly trips running to open it.
“Take something, before I drop it all!” Jensen laughs before Jared can even greet him. He takes a pan and a bowl from the stack of things obscuring Jensen’s view and opens the door a little wider.
“Shit, is it Thanksgiving or something?”
“I was hungry,” Jensen shrugs. “Didn’t really plan to have to cart it all over here when I was making it.”
“Well, I’m glad you did. It smells like Heaven.”
“All food smells like Heaven to you, Jared.”
“True. But this is, like, an especially nice version.”
Jared waits until Jensen’s set down the last of his dishware before he sneaks up behind him and claims a kiss.
“I didn’t know you cooked,” he whispers against Jensen’s neck. Jensen turns just enough for Jared to kiss his mouth, Jared doesn’t see the smile, but he tastes it.
“I do everything, except read for fun.”
“You’re a deeply flawed human being, but somehow I like you anyway.”
“I appreciate that.”
“What are you treating me to tonight?”
Jensen steps back and begins pulling tops and tin foil off the plates and bowls he’s laid out on the table, flourishing proudly as he introduces each dish.
“Enchiladas, chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes (mashed them myself, thank you very much), corn on the cob, a delicious apple pie for dessert, and,” Jensen holds up a bottle of wine, “of course some booze to go with it.”
“Fuck, I did something right today, huh?” Jared teases.
“Who says I made it for you?” Jensen asks, his eyes promising that that’s exactly what he did.
The meal is mostly quiet, broken only by Jared’s moans of pleasure and the occasional need to compliment the food. Jensen says nothing aside from the civil thank yous when Jared praises the meal. He watches Jared eat and Jared can practically taste the pride he sees in Jensen’s eyes when Jared tells him how good everything is. He looks a little sad, too.
After dinner, they end up in their usual spot on the coach, Jared’s curled up against Jensen’s chest suffering from a food coma and Jensen must not be doing much better, because he doesn’t even pretend to look at the television and Jared would think he’d dozed off-even though Jensen never lets himself fall asleep at Jared’s-except for the steady strokes of Jensen’s fingertips up and down Jared’s arms that are lulling Jared into a peaceful sleep.
“You wanna stay here tonight?” Jared offers.
Jensen lifts his head a little, like he’s surprised Jared spoke. “What? No. I don’t really.”
“Oh,” Jared says. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to rush things or anything.”
Jensen sits up then and Jared has to do the same, considering the human pillow he’d been so comfortably depending on just decided to betray him.
“That’s not the problem, Jared.”
“Ah, so there is a problem. I thought as much.”
Jensen frowns down at his lap. “I made the home-cooked Texas meal for a reason, you know.”
Jared feels like a fist grabs hold of his heart and squeezes. “This wasn’t a letting-him-down-easy way to dump me, right?”
“What? No! God no.”
Jared decides nothing else can really be so bad now that that’s out of the way, so he takes Jensen’s hand and forces him to meet his eyes. “What’s up?”
“I hate that you hate my house, Jared.”
Jared furrows his brow and Jensen continues.
“I know why. I mean, I get it. Or I think I get it. Obviously I don’t really get it but…” He stops and takes a deep, steadying breath. “I wanted you to come over tonight. I wanted you to feel welcome in my home, because you are, you always are. And I thought the food might help with that and then you just assumed I was coming here and I couldn’t even ask, but...I love that house, Jared. I’m proud of it. I worked my ass off and I know it’s not what you’re used to, but it’s mine and it really sucks that it makes you feel intimidated or whatever, because it’s not like that, okay? It’s just a house and you don’t ever come over or give me a chance to show you that.”
Jared almost laughs, because of all the crazy things his mind had jumped to, that really hadn’t ever occurred to him.
“Jensen, I didn’t mean to make you come over here. I just assumed because we always come here-”
“Because you ran like a bat out of hell the last time I took you home.”
“Okay, fine, but you didn’t even try inviting me.”
“I didn’t want you to feel obligated to say yes and…I guess I’d rather just eat dinner here than watch you storm out again.”
“That’s not fair, Jen. We both have issues we’re working out here. You can’t just expect me to know what’s wrong and not tell me.”
Jensen frowns. “Fuck, I really never intended to do that to anyone.”
“Yeah, I know, dumb ass,” Jared says, pushing him lightly.
Jensen lets himself tip into the other side of the couch before reaching out and pulling Jared down with him. He can’t help laughing from the belly when Jensen makes an “oomph” sound as he lands on him and whatever might have been wrong seconds earlier doesn’t go away, but it gets pushed aside for a few hours as they snark at the television and at each other.
_______________________________________________________________
Jensen makes a point of inviting Jared out to dinner that Friday and Jared realizes with a bit of a start that it’s only the second time they have a real, sit-down date. Jared gets dressed up in anticipation of another five star restaurant, so Jensen doesn’t stop laughing for a straight minute when they meet in front of a standard pizzeria.
“I hate you,” is the first thing Jared says when he gets out of his cab, but Jensen doesn’t even acknowledge it. He goes on laughing at Jared’s expense until Jared can’t help joining him.
When Jensen finally catches his breath he looks up at Jared and kisses him.
“God damn can you smile,” Jensen says softly, his lips moving to the side of Jared’s mouth like he wants to make sure the entire thing is imprinted on his memory. Jared just smiles wider.
They get seated in a booth, surrounded by other busy tables-there’s no Mr. Ackles, no special treatment, just a couple on a date on a Friday night. Jared can’t thank Jensen for it without ruining the moment, so he kicks him under the table instead.
“Are you going to a wedding after this or something?” Jensen says, still mocking Jared’s wardrobe.
“Yes, yes I am.”
“Oh, this’ll be fun, let me guess….Danneel and Sandy?”
“Wasted your best guess already?”
“Aldis and Genevieve?”
“I have friends outside of the store, you know.”
“Oh, God, please tell me that poor Sophia is not making that mistake.”
“I wouldn’t ever wish that on her. Not even for our hypothetical, made up wedding.”
“Misha and Genevieve?” Jensen asks, as if not knowing the answer will be the death of him.
“It’s me and Genevieve, and you are not invited.”
Jensen clutches his heart. “Oh, I am struck. How will I ever recover from such a blow?”
Jared grabs a bread stick, breaks half off and gives it to Jensen with a suggestive eyebrow waggle. “Will this help?”
Jensen returns the leer. “Do you have anything bigger?”
“Well, as a matter of fact, I’ve got something right over here in my-”
“Please, please stop, for the love of all that is holy.”
“Fine,” Jared says. “How was your day at the office, honey?”
“Long, sweet pea.”
“Jesus, was honey really that bad?”
“Did I tell you we lost one of our head readers on Monday?”
“No, sir, you did not. It wasn’t a friend or anything, right?” Jared reaches across the table and takes Jensen’s hand supportively.
“No, no, nothing like that. Just a guy with a better job offer. Puts us down one, though, so everything is getting backed up.”
“Sucks,” Jared says, trying to pull his hand away now that he knows Jensen’s not upset. Jensen grabs it back and holds on.
“Jay, there was kind of a reason I asked you out tonight.”
“You think I’m pretty?”
“I want you to come in for an interview.”
“What?”
“I want you to try for the job, Jared.”
Jared laughs and shakes Jensen’s hand off. “Yeah, sure. Because of my experience in the field, right?”
“No, look, we already promoted someone to the higher up position, but we have an opening, and-”
“Let’s get something straight here, Jensen. I don’t want you doing me any favors.”
“I’m not, Jared, Christ. I’m not asking you to quit your job and be my kept woman or something. I’m not offering you the job. I’m asking you to come in and do an interview. You don’t even have to take it if you don’t feel comfortable. But I think it would be perfect for you and from what I know about you, I think there’s a good chance you’ll be good at it.”
“Jen.”
“Look, this company is my baby, okay? It’s the most important thing to me aside from my family; I don’t go around offering important positions to people just because I like them. I’m telling you that we could both benefit from this. I need a reader and you hate it at the café and they don’t even let you touch the books.” Jensen draws back and wiggles his fingers. “We’d be paying you to read the books, Jared.”
“That is tempting, but-”
“But nothing. You don’t work Thursdays and you have an interview. Along with plenty of other people and you have just as much of a chance at getting it or not getting it as they do, cross my heart.”
“Jensen.”
Jensen sticks his lip out and gives puppy eyes his best shot. It’s pretty dismal, but he’s fucking adorable, anyway. “Please, please, please, please, Jared.”
“Yeah, alright, but I swear, Jensen, if I get so much as a scent of favoritism at this interview, I’m walking out.”
Jensen smiles from ear to ear. “Don’t you want my patronage? I can be Lady Chatterley and you can be-”
“The hired help?”
“Yeah, I have no idea where that was going or why I thought it was a good idea. See why I shouldn’t attempt to be literary?”
“It’s really cute that you tried for me, though.”
“I do my best to be cute for you, sweet pea.”
“You’re impossible,” Jared says, hitting Jensen square in the chest with another broken off piece of breadstick. The waitress comes by to refill their drinks and gives him an annoyed glare. They both collapse onto the table laughing.
_______________________________________________________________
Jared’s interview is at 4:30 p.m.; he arrives at 4:15 and twiddles his thumbs nervously waiting until Jensen is ready to see him.
“Are you Jared Padalecki?” A petite blonde asks. She has a sweet smile and looks about seventeen years old.
Jared nods.
“I’m Kristen Bell, head of Human Resources; I’ll be conducting the interview.” She holds a hand out, all business.
Jared jumps a little, both relieved and more nervous at once. He’d thought Jensen was going to be doing this and the fact that he isn’t makes Jared simultaneously thankful that Jensen genuinely thinks he can get the job on his own and terrified for his life.
“Follow me,” she says, turning on her heels without giving Jared the chance to respond.
She leads him to a nice corner office, there’s an impressive view of the city and Jared gapes for a few seconds before Ms. Bell clears her throat and shoots Jared an exasperated glance. Somehow, she manages to instill Jared with fear despite the fact that she hardly comes up to his chest and he has to respect anyone who can do that. He immediately sits down and gives her his full attention.
“Alright, let’s see what we have here. You moved here for college from Texas, undergrad and masters at Georgetown…that all sounds good up until you have no real work experience.”
“Ay, there’s the rub,” Jared says before he can stop himself and, to his surprise, he’s met with a megawatt smile.
“Alright, Mr. Padalecki, I don’t know how you managed to get this interview, but you did, so here’s how it works: we have very high expectations for our books at Night Owl Publications. We have a reputation for publishing some of the most intelligent and challenging novels on the market. Every manuscript that is submitted to us is read by someone like you before it makes it higher up the food chain. Unless a submitting author is well-known, the first reader’s judgment is respected, so the position you’re interviewing for puts a lot of people’s livelihood on the line.”
Jared nods slowly, a little uneasy with the pressure but overall pretty happy with the job description.
“We have a few sample manuscripts here that you’ll look over, you have two hours to read them and submit reports on what you thought their strengths and weaknesses were, and whether or not you would recommend them for publication. We accept all kinds of different genres and methods of storytelling here, so I ask that you keep an open mind and read for quality as well as marketability.”
Jared must look as confused as he is because Ms. Bell smiles, both warm and menacing. “It’s an unusual interview process, and I’m sure you’re thinking that it sounds more like an exam, but we like to determine a person’s ability by seeing it first hand, not from how their previous employers feel about them. In your case, this is probably a very good thing.”
Jared shrugs and gets to work, reading and writing at a rate that reminds him of the very worst all night cramming sessions in college. He finishes mere minutes before his time runs out and hands his work over timidly.
“Thank you for coming in, Mr. Padalecki. We’ll look these over and get back to you by next week.” She holds one tiny hand out, gives him a hardier shake than most men Jared’s ever met, and sends him on his way.
_______________________________________________________________
“You sly dog,” Jared says as soon as he gets Jensen on the phone.
“Who? Me? Whatever it is, I’m completely innocent.”
“You didn’t warn me about any of that.”
“I wasn’t about to do you any favors, Jared,” Jensen says, his voice teasing. “You didn’t think I was going to do it, right? You know I couldn’t judge who’s cut out for that job to save my life.”
“I find it amusing that your company looks down upon the kind of books you read.”
“It’s a classy establishment. My father, once he finally forgave me for being only slightly above illiterate, made me promise I would never, ever try to pull my weight when it came to creative decisions. And then he hired Kristen and promised me that he would go back in time and convince my mother to get an abortion if I ever tried to let anyone else to do her job.”
“She did seem to know what she was doing.”
“You’re terrified of her.”
“I am. I am deeply shaken.”
“Yeah, she’ll do that-and all with that angelic little voice and a smile on her face. But you should see her when she’s turned off professional mode. If you get the job, I’m dragging you to the first company karaoke outing that comes up. Get a few shots in her and I swear she thinks she’s a fucking Tony winner.”
Jared laughs. “I’d love to see that.”
“I’d love that, too,” Jensen says, his voice is warm and supportive and, Jared is surprised to realize, a little worried on his behalf.
“You really have no say in this, do you?”
“Jared, I’m waiting on pins and needles same as you.”
“Well, good. I hear there’s a wonderful couch for weepy boyfriend support in my apartment. There might even be Chinese.”
Jensen makes a tortured sound. “That sounds really good. I’ve got a meeting in 45 but it shouldn’t last long. Will 8:30 be too late for me to show up?”
“Naw, I can wait that long. Just don’t expect there to be any dumplings left.”
“Well, that’s the price I pay for being employed, I guess.”
“I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah, Jay, can’t wait.”
Jared hangs up and, for the first time since Jensen brought the whole idea up, lets himself hope just a little bit.
_______________________________________________________________
“So word on the street is: you’re actually smart.”
“Is that what they’re saying?” Jared asks, checking his watch.
“You haven’t heard yet?”
“No, Jensen, I’m at work. I literally just go to the break room and didn’t want to waste my time checking my voice mail when I could just call you.”
“Well, you’re an idiot. Hang up, check your voice messages, and call me back.”
The line disconnects and Jared follows Jensen’s instructions. The third message is from Kristen and Jared has to sit down and listen to it three more times before it sinks in.
“I got the job,” Jared says as soon as Jensen answers, though it’s more of a question than a statement.
“Do you have any idea how many people wanted that job, Jared?”
“No. Don’t tell me.”
“You. Come here. We are going out drinking tonight and you are coming with.”
“I can’t crash the company night out. I don’t even work there yet.”
“You do! Come out with us. Let me get you loaded and grope you in the bathroom.”
“You can come home loaded and I’ll let you do that to me sober.”
“I’ve met all your work friends. Come meet mine. You’re one of us now, aren’t you?”
“Well, it depends. I only have seven minutes of break time left to go give my two weeks’ notice…”
Jared hears the phone line disconnect and knows that Jensen hung up.
_______________________________________________________________
The bar Jensen tells Jared to meet him in is pretty typical, packed and loud and not at all the kind of place Jared would expect Jensen to enjoy. He pushes through crowds for five minutes trying to find Jensen until he spots Kristen, sporting that blinding smile and talking to a tall blonde. Jared figures his best shot is to ask her where Jensen is, so he approaches somewhat shyly.
“The fuck are you doing here?” She asks as soon as she sees him.
Jared’s stomach turns. That’s exactly the kind of welcome he’d been expecting, the welcome Jensen had insisted he wouldn’t get. “I’m, uh…with…”
He feels a warm hand slide over the small of his back and recognizes the touch without having to look and make sure. He leans into it as subtly as he can, instantly comforted by the support he can feel in Jensen’s stance.
Kristen’s eyes go wide. “Oh my God! You’re Jensen’s new girlfriend? Wow, that makes so much sense.” She turns to smile at the blonde woman she’d been talking to earlier. “Baby, I accidentally gave the boss’s boyfriend a job! Best career decision ever.”
The blonde smiles and shakes her head indulgently.
“We should celebrate! Where’s the karaoke stage? I’m thinking I’ll treat everyone to some Abba.”
She grabs the blonde by the hand and drags her off. Jared turns to Jensen as “Dancing Queen” starts and Kristen begins to sing on key, even if she only knows half the lyrics she needs.
“I guess that’s what you meant when you said she’s different with a few shots in her.”
“More than a few,” Jensen replies, raising his eyebrows.
“Are you gonna treat us to some karaoke once you’ve had enough to drink?”
“No, I’m the boss. I’m not allowed to be fun.”
“Bullshit.”
“How about if I don’t plan to stay long enough to have that many drinks?”
He looks up at Jared and Jared realizes there’s eagerness and anticipation there that he’s never seen before. Jensen’s finally ready and the better half of Jared wants to throw him in a cab and take him home right now.
“You won’t even sing me one little song?”
Jensen shakes his head. “But I am going to get you a shot and see where that gets me.”
They don’t get drunk, which Jared thinks is a conscious decision on both their parts. Jensen has just enough to be confident and steady and keep his insecurities at bay, and Jared matches him for the hell of it. Jensen’s co-workers drag him on stage about an hour into it and after a short protest, he finally asks for requests.
Jared, not having any real ideas, decides to be the requisite asshole-who-shouts-out-“Freebird” and Jensen looks directly at his table and says, “You really do have shitty taste in music, huh?”
Jared smiles and sits back and when Jensen finally has a song to sing, he doesn’t look away from Jared. Jared doesn’t know much about it, but Jensen sounds pretty fucking great to him. Kristen keeps him on stage for a duet; they fight over the song selection for several minutes before finally settling on something campy that makes Jensen hide behind his hand as he comes off stage.
“Say a word and I will murder you,” Jensen says when he falls into the chair next to Jared’s.
“I think I’m in too much awe to speak,” Jared says dreamily.
“That so?”
“Yeah, I’ve never dated anyone who’s more embarrassing while drunk than I am.”
“And worst of all, I’m not even drunk.”
“Must remember to get you there sometime and see how much worse it gets.”
They leave the table and find a more private corner in the bar and Jensen immediately presses against him, hands exploring, mouth moving like he’s trying to taste every part of Jared. It’s hot, even if they’re in out in public and should really calm down, and all Jared can think is that if Jensen gets this handsy with just a few drinks in him, Jared really ought to take him to bars more often.
Ten minutes pass before Jensen pulls away and looks Jared square in the eye.
“I’m taking you home, Jay. And I’m gonna fuck you.”
In two minutes flat, they’ve said their goodbyes, gotten a cab, and are on their way to Jensen’s.
_______________________________________________________________
Jared nearly jumps at the sound of the door slamming shut behind them. Jensen’s lips haven’t left his for a significant amount of time since they’d gotten in the cab, so he’d hardly registered that they were at the house, let alone inside.
Jensen doesn’t give Jared a chance to look around or second-guess himself again; he manhandles Jared into the wall and then his lips trail to Jared’s neck. Jared moans when he makes contact, but it’s not a protest. It’s been years since Jared’s been with someone he could really push around, someone who would push back and not make Jared worry if he’s being too rough.
Jared pulls Jensen’s lips back up to his, taking control of the kiss. Jensen lets him win for a few minutes until his hand tangles in Jared’s shirt and Jared suddenly feels himself being led by the fabric Jensen’s got bunched in his hand.
“I hope you’re not taking me to the bedroom. That would be awfully forward of you.”
“Shut the fuck up, Jared,” Jensen growls, still pulling Jared along like he doesn’t have a choice.
The truth is: he doesn’t.
Jensen’s bedroom door is open and Jensen doesn’t bother closing it once they’re inside. He pushes Jared until the back of his legs hit the bed and there’s a moment of pause where Jensen just looks up at Jared, still completely savage, but somehow vulnerable underneath it. Then he smirks-confidence and mischief dancing in his eyes-and Jared loses his breath as Jensen gives him one last shove and he falls back onto the mattress.
Jensen stands at the end of the bed, putting on a show for Jared as he strips off each layer of clothing, so slow Jared thinks he’ll explode before Jensen’s done. Jared sit’s up on his elbows, eyes fixed on Jensen, fucking devouring all the skin that’s been hidden from him for months. Jared’s mind checks out, gets carried away making plans, most of them involving his mouth on every inch of Jensen’s body.
Then Jensen’s crawling onto him, completely naked, lips pressed on Jared’s again like he can’t stand being separated. A hand creeps under Jared’s shirt, fingers tracing muscle and guiding the cotton up Jared’s chest until it takes almost no effort for Jared to yank it over his head and throw it-Jared doesn’t care where.
“You’re so fucking hot, you have no idea,” Jensen says.
Jared surges up and grabs Jensen back into a kiss, flipping him so that he’s the one pinned to the mattress and Jared gets to look down at Jensen’s entire body laid out just for him.
“Off, Jared. Get them off.” Jensen’s legs are wrapped around Jared’s middle, but he stops to give Jared the space to reach down and work his jeans open.
“How,” Jared starts, gasping for breath. “How are we gonna do this?”
Jensen’s eyes darken. “You could fuck me. I would like that.”
“Or you could fuck me,” Jared tries. It’s been a long time since he’s bottomed, but it’s been longer for Jensen and, anyway, Jared knows he can take it. All he can think right now is that he fucking needs Jensen’s cock inside of him. There’ll be plenty of time to return the favor later.
Jensen huffs out a breath, somewhere between frustrated and amused. “We are not about to fight about who gets to bottom, dude.”
Jared licks his lips and glances down. Jensen’s legs are wide open, waiting for Jared to give in and sink into him and Jared knows he’d be so fucking tight and beautiful underneath him. But he gets a look at Jensen’s dick-rock hard and red and leaking-and Jared thinks he could just…
“Gonna suck you, Jen,” Jared says, turning and crawling down Jensen’s body.
Jensen doesn’t have to be told what to do. Jared’s hardly got his mouth on the head of Jensen’s dick before he feels hands snake around his body and lower him, fingers digging into Jared’s ass. Jared chokes for a moment when Jensen’s tongue traces its way up the length of his cock, the familiar feeling mixing with the thrill of something completely new and somehow better than ever before.
Jensen takes him down then, swallows the entire length of Jared’s dick in one clean motion. His mouth tightens around Jared like a vice and Jared can’t get the picture of Jensen’s lips, swollen and slick after this is over, out of his head.
Jared hollows his cheeks, moving slowly as he pulls up, thrilling in Jensen’s groans around him. If Jared weren’t so thrilled to finally have his mouth stuffed with cock-Jensen’s cock-he wouldn’t be able to focus on sucking Jensen off. Even as is, Jensen thrusts a few times, needy and bossy, and Jared has to speed up just to stay in the race.
Jensen must get that it’s a competition then, because seconds after Jared’s change in pace, Jensen decides to fight dirty. One finger pushes into Jared and Jared’s entire body shakes. Jensen’s dick falls out of Jared’s mouth with a pop, saliva and precome coating Jared’s chin.
“Fuck, Jensen, fuck.”
Jensen’s got some incredible talent for not getting distracted, though, because as Jared’s trying desperately to keep his body in one piece, Jensen manages to tongue fuck the slit of Jared’s dick and find his prostate at the same time.
Jared does the only thing he can do: he goes back for more, sucking Jensen into his mouth and jacking the base of Jensen’s shaft. Jared thrusts once and the hand Jensen still has on his ass urges him on until Jared’s fucking down into Jensen’s mouth hard. Jared is taken by surprise when that makes Jensen come almost immediately.
He keeps his lips over Jensen’s cock until he feels his own orgasm about to hit, and then he pulls away, just focusing on how willing Jensen is to take his thrusts and how well that finger knows how to fuck him. He shoots, Jensen’s name on his lips, and Jensen has no choice but to swallow every drop as Jared’s dick pulses, still shoved down his throat.
Jared doesn’t let his body collapse onto Jensen’s, but his head falls down, resting half in thick black hairs and half on Jensen’s thigh. Once Jared’s recovered some semblance of control, he falls off to the side and lies next to Jensen, quietly staring up at the ceiling.
It doesn’t feel like the awkward silence that usually descends after something like this happens, but Jared tells himself that he’s imagining how comfortable it is.
“Man, it’s been a while,” Jensen says. “That was…I needed that.”
“Ditto,” says Jared. He turns to find Jensen’s feet right next to his face and laughs at the ridiculous, giddy feeling it instills in him. “We should do it again some time.”
“All the time, even.”
“Hah, yeah.” It dawns on Jared that this is the part where he’s supposed to make a graceful exit, make sure Jensen knows it was just sex for him, too. He shouldn’t let on that the idea of leaving Jensen’s house and heading back to his apartment feels less like going home than lying here at the foot of Jensen’s bed, pliant and satisfied and wanted.
Jensen squeezes Jared’s calf and Jared sits up, thinking it’s a sign to go.
“I should-”
“Stay. Please stay.”
Jared shakes his head. “What, Jensen, that’s…”
“Jared. Stay with me tonight.”
Jared meets earnest eyes and any resolve he might have had to be responsible crumbles to dust.
“Well, move over, then. That’s my side of the bed.”
Jensen smiles and shifts, holding the blankets up so Jared can take his place under them. Jared can feel how warm Jensen is from the other side of the mattress and he barely resists the urge to pull the other man against his chest. Instead, he reaches out and brushes his fingers down Jensen’s spine. Jensen lets out a contented sigh and is asleep in minutes.
_______________________________________________________________
Jensen rolls over. It’s amazing how different he looks now, with his hair mussed and his eyes still weighed down by sleep. Jared had kind of been hoping he’d look awful like this, but he’s almost more gorgeous than ever. He makes a warm sound when he sees Jared and smiles and Jared is so fucked.
“Mornin’,” Jensen says, reaching an arm out and then dropping it lazily.
“Hey,” Jared ducks down and kisses him briefly, “wake up.”
“You’re mean.” Jensen turns away and presses a pillow over his head.
“Would it help if I promised you coffee?”
Jensen peaks out from behind his pillow cautiously. Jared points to the mug on the nightstand. “It’s a latte.”
“Where did you get a latte?”
“I made it, Jensen. Remember? I’m a professional.”
“Ex-professional.”
“No, no, no. Once a coffee bitch, always a coffee bitch.”
“Well, now you’re my personal coffee bitch…”
“I resemble that remark.”
Jensen pats Jared affectionately, then looks at his coffee as if it’s alien.
“But, really. You used my machine? No one knows how to use that damn thing. Wasted a fortune on it expecting gourmet coffee, couldn’t understand the manual.” Jensen sits up and pouts, his bottom lip sticking out. Jared has to fight all of his instincts not to suck it into his mouth. “It’s like launching a space ship. Which I’m sure I could do, but not before the morning caffeine rush.”
“It wasn’t that hard,” Jared says. “You wanna let me know if I failed horribly?”
Jensen snatches the mug away from Jared and smiles like the cat that ate the canary. “Gladly.”
The moan he lets out when he tries it sends hot waves through Jared’s body, makes him recall everything that happened the night before.
“How is it?”
“Marry me?”
Jared laughs. “I feel like holding you to that would be like taking advantage of a first year college student with two beers in her. Let’s wait until the coffee kicks in and then you tell me if you’re still in the mood to elope.”
“Should I be worried that you know how much alcohol it takes to get sorority girls in bed?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t bring them here.”
“Oh, good. I can’t abide cleaning up after other people’s drinking binges. As long as that never happens, the wedding is on.”
“This is moving kind of fast,” Jared says, playful tones clouding the fact that it’s completely true.
“I think,” Jensen bites his lip and looks Jared in the eye, “I think I’m okay with that.”
End
Jared’s shift ends about an hour later and he waits another half for Genevieve to get off. She clocks out, but it’s ten more minutes before they make it to the break room to get their things.
“You have a big mouth, you know,” Jared says when they’re finally alone.
“It’s one of my best features,” Genevieve agrees, pouting her lips.
“Today Danneel and Sandy nearly beat poor Jensen up because you told them we had a bad date.”
“Oops.”
“Yeah,” Jared says, poking her lightly in the side.
“But aren’t you proud of me for not giving them details?”
“I am. Your commitment to only spreading half of my personal life around the store is impressive.”
“I just figured you wouldn’t want everyone on Earth to know what a stupid fucking moron you are.”
“And your support is limitless.”
“Well, sorry, but you went on an awesome date with a gorgeous guy you really like and when you found out he was rolling in money, you ran away instead of jumping on it and forcing him to be your bride. That makes you a dumb fuck.”
“How could I marry anyone but you?”
“There are cases in which I allow infidelity. A Greek god with stockpiles of cash to take me shopping as a consolation prize is one of the cases. Read the handbook.”
“It’s not that simple and you know it.”
“I know, Jaybird, but you’re the only person who thinks it’s a problem. He obviously knows you’re not a millionaire and he still likes you…and he made you so happy. I wanted you to stay like that, you know? You never fucking try for relationships and I worry about you.”
“I’m doing fine, Genevieve.”
“You’re doing mediocre, Jared, and you’re gonna cruise through life like that if you roll over and die every time something isn’t easy.”
“We’re not even out of the store yet and you’ve already given me a fifteen minute therapy session. Can we cool this out for a bit?”
“Fine. You have until we get out of the store.” Genevieve smirks and calls the elevator to take them to the street entrance.
She’s already opening her mouth in anticipation of a lecture when Jared pushes the door open and Jensen approaches him.
“Jared?”
“Uh, hi.”
“I need to talk to you.”
“Were you waiting for me to get out? Because that’s creepy, even for you.”
Jensen’s not having any of their usual banter and Jared can’t really blame him. “Misha told me when you were leaving. And I kind of had to since you won’t answer my calls and you hide when I try the café.”
Jared shifts from one foot to the other. “I’m sorry, it’s just-”
“I really need to talk to you. Please.” Jensen looks to Genevieve. “Alone?”
A part of Jared is hoping she’ll make a stand, but he isn’t exactly surprised when she takes Jensen’s side and sets off down the street ahead of them.
“Look, Jensen, I know I’ve been a really huge jerk, but I just don’t think we’re compatib-”
“That’s fucking bullshit and we both know it. We had a great time and you just…It was one date. I’m not going to throw myself off a bridge or anything if you don’t ever want to see me again, okay? I like you, but I can cope. I just really, really need you to tell me what I did wrong.”
“It’s not you, it’s-”
“Wow, you’re really about to use that line on me?”
Jared sighs. “Okay, walk me home and I’ll explain.”
Jensen indicates that Jared should lead the way and Jared takes a step forward on a deep inhale. He doesn’t really know how to start or how to finish or if he has anything to say at all, except that he knows how stupid he is, so Jensen shouldn’t feel obligated to tell him.
“You were going to give me an explanation,” Jensen reminds him, tone almost dangerous.
“It was your house, Jensen. That’s it.”
“I didn’t realize my interior decorating was so offensive.”
Jared gets the tiniest flare of hope from Jensen’s playful lilt. “I work in a café, man. I live in a shitty apartment and there’s hardly enough room in my bathroom for me to stand to take a piss. It’s one thing if we’re just fucking because, really who cares, but I kind of really like you and I don’t want to wait around for you to wake up one morning and realize-”
“What the fuck?” Jensen stops in the street and when Jared turns to look at him, there’s fire in his eyes. “You think I give a shit how much money you make, Jared? Fucking seriously, just because I have a nice house I’m some fucking snob? I wouldn’t have asked you out if I cared. I kind of thought we had something.”
“We’re not from the same universe, Jensen, and let’s just be honest here, you’re out of my league.”
“You know the difference between reality and Jane Austen novels, right?” Jensen starts walking again and Jared matches his pace.
“That’s adorable.”
“I’m not kidding.”
“Whatever. I was intimidated and I freaked out and I’m sorry. It was just a lot to take in at once.”
Jensen doesn’t really react to that at all. He’s watching his feet as they walk and finally he shrugs and replies in a tiny voice, “You shouldn’t have left me hanging all week.”
“I know. I’m sorry. I was being a coward. I didn’t know what to tell you, because I don’t want this to stop, but after the way I reacted, I mean, I don’t blame you if you’re over this.”
“I still like you, Jared. I just…that was really the wrong thing to do.”
“I’ve heard.”
“No, for me especially.” Jensen looks over at Jared and bites his lip and then seems to decide something. “My last boyfriend, the one with the bad break up-”
“Jensen, you really don’t have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable.”
“I want to. I’m going to have to if we’re gonna give this a chance.” He takes Jared’s hand and meets his eyes tentatively. “We are gonna give this a chance, right?”
Jared tangles their fingers instead of replying and Jensen’s smile is barely there, but it’s somehow more genuine than any other smile Jared’s ever gotten from him.
“We dated for three years. You know, the whole serious relationship shebang with cohabitation and, God, I was so fucking gone on him, I thought he was the love of my life.” Jensen swallows. “He never told me why he left.”
“What?”
“He dumped me and moved out. We hadn’t been fighting at the time or anything. I spent months going through everything and trying to find the instance where I fucked up…it’s been a year and I still have no idea why.”
“Oh, shit. Jensen, fuck. And I-oh, God, I’m so sorry.”
“When you left the other night…it just hit a nerve, okay?”
“Jensen…” Jared’s fists clench with a rush of hatred for the guy that did that, who’s responsible for how shaken Jensen looks, and then he realizes that he’s no better. He’d done that, too. He can’t find the words to make it okay, can’t promise Jensen he would never hurt him like that.
“You didn’t know. And I know you wouldn’t do something like that to someone you care about. You’re just the first person I’ve been out with since and I really couldn’t let it end like that again.”
“I understand. I’m really sorry, Jensen. I wasn’t thinking. I never would have left like that if I’d known.”
Jensen pulls Jared down and kisses him, his lips demanding, and Jared returns it as quickly as he can catch up to what’s going on, kisses Jensen back just as fiercely. There’s a lot being said in the sounds they both make, in the way Jensen’s tongue licks Jared’s and the light bites Jared applies to Jensen’s lower lip. It’s a long time before either of them pulls away and Jared feels like something important got knocked into place as soon as Jensen decided to take the chance on kissing him again.
Jared starts walking again as soon as their lips part and he pulls Jensen along by the hand he’s been clinging to for minutes now.
“My apartment is on the next block,” Jared says.
“Oh.” Jensen sounds disappointed.
“Come up with me.”
Jensen smiles just a little. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. I mean, it’s a dump. But…” Jared moves his thumb in circles on Jensen’s hand and shrugs. “I know you won’t care.”
They walk the rest of the way in silence and climb three flights of stairs before Jared gets 100 pounds of flustered brunette slammed into his chest.
“Sophia, shit, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.”
“I can’t chat, Jared. Every time I look at you, I see his stupid, smug face.”
“Finding out you associate my face with Chad’s is probably the most offensive thing I’ve ever heard.” He puts a hand on each of Sophia’s shoulders and turns her to face Jensen.
“Sophia, say hello. This is Jensen. Jensen, this is Chad’s girlfriend, Sophia.”
“The one who’s too good for him?”
“I like you. You can stay. Then everyone in the apartment can be with someone who’s too good for them.” She sticks her tongue out at Jared and shakes loose of his hold. “I really have had it with you, I am leaving now.”
With that, she takes off down the stairs at the same frantic pace that sent her crashing into Jared moments ago.
Jensen looks after her and then at Jared, an amused turn to his lips and one eyebrow shot almost into his hairline.
“She’ll be back tomorrow,” Jared says flippantly as he approaches the door to his apartment. “Chad, I’m here and I have a guest, so please be wearing pants.”
Chad walks into the living room, a beer clenched in one hand the way some people hold crucifixes and a sulky expression.
“Good for you, Jared. Fucking, you go ahead and you get that dick. Because let me tell you, women? Are fucking lunatics.”
“Chad,” Jensen says, no question in his voice.
“Chad,” Jared confirms. “Chad, meet Jensen.”
“Yo.”
“Charmed, I’m sure,” Jensen says dryly.
“So, try not to be too loud with the gay sex. I’m gonna be watching porn in my room if you need me.”
Chad exits and Jensen shakes his head. “I am not going to ask why you’re friends with that guy, because I do not want to know.”
Jared pushes into Jensen’s space and moves his mouth to Jensen’s neck. “We’ve got better things to talk about.”
Jensen shivers and opens his mouth, a needy motion as he tangles his fingers in Jared’s shirt. Jared kisses him, but Jensen freezes when Jared tries touching him and Jared draws away to look him over, try to read his body language better.
“You don’t want to do this.”
“Yeah. I do. I really, really do.”
“Maybe, but you’re not ready.”
Jensen looks away.
“And the other day? You weren’t ready then, either.”
“Jared-”
“Dude, you were gonna have sex with me when you weren’t ready.”
“I didn’t want to lose your interest. Besides, it’s not like I don’t wanna fuck you.”
“Shit, Jensen, I’m not the captain of the football team and this isn’t prom night. You can’t fucking go around having sex with me and then regret it.”
“You said…you seemed like you weren’t used to waiting.” Jensen pushes his entire body back against Jared’s and his mouth presses on Jared’s ear. “I won’t make you.”
“I won’t make you, either,” Jared says, a little hurt. “Especially after what happened last week. I don’t want you to do anything before you’re comfortable.”
Jensen lets out a breath and separates himself from Jared. “I’m not a fucking virgin or something.”
“I know.”
“But…it has been a long time and…”
“And you got hurt. And it’s okay to be scared.”
Jensen worries his lip. “Should I leave?”
“I have a great couch. We could watch DVDs with a lot of explosions and eat leftover Chinese.”
Jensen smiles and, curled up in each other’s space, that’s exactly what they do.
_______________________________________________________________
A few days later, Jared gets home to find Jensen sprawled out on his sofa. His feet rest on Jared’s coffee table, his boots on the floor below it, the remote’s in his hand, and the scent of fresh Chinese is in the air.
“You should lock your door,” Jensen says, idly pressing the channel up button.
“You just get creepier and creepier.”
Jensen sits up and clicks the TV off. “I was going to surprise you. And then you were taking forever to get here and the food was getting cold. So I came up to knock and see if Chad’s here. And you idiots don’t lock your door.”
“Nothing to steal,” Jared says.
“That’s fucking crazy, okay? What about people with knives that hide and wait for you to get home? What about that? How do you sleep at night? I’m going to be tossing and turning in bed tonight worrying about you over here. You’re going to give me grey hairs.”
“The only crazy person who’s ever invited themselves in was rather agreeable.” Jared sits on the couch next to Jensen and gives him a kiss. “How’s your day been?”
“Not awesome. I had a presentation and it could have gone better.”
“Ah, I feel your pain. I spilled an iced tea and had to clean it up myself.”
“Oh, you win. Your suffering is unparalleled.”
“You bring food. I approve of this. You should do it every day before I get home and greet me in nothing but an apron.”
“You just hold your breath until that wish comes true, alright?”
Jared takes a deep breath and holds it in and Jensen smacks both his cheeks lightly. “Not a good look for you.”
“Everything’s a good look for me.”
“Your mama lied to you.”
Jared frowns. “Oh no, does that mean I’m not the most specialest boy in the whole world, too?”
Jensen makes a fond, frustrated sound and rests his head on Jared’s shoulder. “I’m tired and pouty and I got us rentals and I want to do nothing.”
“What a coincidence. I had my whole night set aside to watch DVDs with a grumpy boyfriend.”
Jensen pulls his head back, a knee jerk reaction to the tiny trigger word Jared was hoping he would let slip.
“I’m your boyfriend?”
“It’s starting to look that way.”
“Does that mean you’re my boyfriend, too?”
“Actually, that’s exactly what that means.”
Jensen makes a speculative face for a minute and then goes back to resting his head on Jared’s shoulder. “I like that just fine.”
_______________________________________________________________
Jared feels panic shoot through him when he gets to the living room and finds that Jensen’s not there. The empty beer bottle on the coffee table confirms his fears and he swallows hard, realizing Jensen has just headed unprepared into the kitchen, where he will be forced to interact with an unsupervised Chad. He rushes to the door as soon as possible and can hear the talking from inside.
“Have we met?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Oh, thank God! I was like, ‘I’ve seen this pretty cocksucker before!’ Where’d we meet?”
“Here,” Jensen says in a clipped tone.
“Whoa, hey, that’s not possible.”
“I’m Jensen? Jared introduced us a few nights ago.”
“Well, then what the fuck are you doing here again?”
“Watching television?”
The next time Chad speaks, Jared can hear the hostility in his tone. “Do I need to ask what your intentions towards my slutty gay friend are? Because no one makes an honest woman out of Jared.”
“I might,” says Jensen, challenging.
“Nuh uh, dude. That’s totally not allowed.”
Jensen walks out of the kitchen then, a new beer in his hand and a scowl disrupting his features.
“I can’t even go to the bathroom without worrying about the trouble you’ll get yourself into.”
Jensen jumps a little and it’s obvious he hadn’t been expecting Jared. “I didn’t realize I was going to have to meet the parents tonight.”
“He’s very protective.”
“So, how slutty do you have to be to be the slutty gay friend?”
“Not that slutty.”
“Really?”
“I mean, I’m a reasonably attractive gay twentysomething who until recently had no relationship prospects. I don’t know what you want me to tell you.”
Jensen grabs Jared by the shirt and drags him back to the living room, smiling and kissing him long and hard once they’ve gotten situated again. Jared thinks maybe Jensen kind of likes that he’s the person Jared was willing to slow down for. Jared’s kind of a fan of that himself.
_______________________________________________________________
For the first time in a week, Jared and Jensen have the apartment to themselves for an entire night. Somehow, Sophia convinced Chad to take her out dancing and Jared thinks that, short of sending Chad to the hospital, there’s no method of persuasion she could have employed that would make Jared regret Chad’s absence. If he gets to spend every night Chad’s out on the couch with Jensen, tangled without having to worry about getting caught and having to hear about it, Jared might not even really feel bad if it does send him to the hospital.
Jensen’s mouth moves lower, sucking hard on the skin below Jared’s neck. Jared lets out a groan and feels Jensen shift next to him.
“Are you?” Jared asks, looking down at Jensen’s crotch and getting the answer before Jensen can give it to him. Jared licks his lips.
“Do you want me to…are you ready, do you think?” All of Jared’s instincts are telling him to grab and suck and fuck and yet Jared doesn’t move, doesn’t let his body language pressure Jensen into doing more than he wants.
Jensen’s lips are parted obscenely as he gasps for breath, but he shakes his head. “Not yet. Not on your couch,” he answers, though he dives back into another kiss, hungry and damn close to breaking Jared’s resolve if not Jensen’s.
They keep kissing for a long time and Jared can’t help his hands when they stray, find Jensen’s chest and move up his shirt until Jensen’s shaking. Jared lets one hand move lower and Jensen’s head falls back.
“Touch me,” he begs.
Jared freezes. “You sure?”
“Yeah. I can do this. Fuck, I’m so beyond ready for-” His words drop off, turn into an unintelligible string of curses and encouragement.
Jared knows how long it’s been since anyone’s touched Jensen and how bad he needs it, so he makes quick work of the hand job, doesn’t let himself get greedy or tease Jensen the way he’s aching to. It isn’t long at all before Jensen shoots all over Jared’s hand and it’s not until Jensen’s done coming down from his orgasm that Jared remembers he’s hard, too.
“I can…bathroom,” Jared says, but Jensen crawls on top of him, kissing him hard and letting Jared grind up against him until he comes right in his jeans like he’s back in high school and this is all new again. Jensen smiles sheepishly and crawls off Jared’s lap.
“I guess my work here is done,” he says.
Jared knows better than to tell him otherwise, so instead of begging him to stay, he helps Jensen get his clothes back into some semblance of order and gives him a last kiss before walking him to the door.
_______________________________________________________________
“Excuse me, coffee boy, I have this Starbucks card and I would like some service.”
Jared turns to glare across the counter where Jensen is brandishing his card and looking very smug. Last night, Jared told Jensen about how tired he was of having Starbucks cards shoved in his face and he wouldn’t put it past Jensen to have gone out and bought one just to piss him off.
Jared glowers at Jensen and then gets a look at the line. He can’t tell Jensen to fuck off, and Jensen’s obviously going to make him play along.
“I’m sorry, sir, we don’t accept those here.”
“But you’re a Starbucks, aren’t you?” Jensen says cluelessly.
“No, we just serve Starbucks coffee,” Jared replies, doing his best to get his annoyance across to Jensen without the other customers in line thinking he’s an asshole.
“Oh, I see. So you’re like a bad knock-off of a Starbucks?”
“One coffee, coming right up.”
Jensen pouts. “But I wanted a frap.”
“Did you want something to go with that?”
“My sandwich?” Jensen tries, making a pitiful face.
“Sandy, warm me up a coffee cake for this charming gentleman, please.”
“Sure thing, boss,” Sandy says cheerfully, taking out one of Jensen’s sandwiches and putting it on the grill.
“You free after work tonight?” Jensen asks as Jared counts out his change.
“Not if it’s you asking.”
Jensen gives Jared a sardonic look and takes his frappuccino from the counter when Danneel calls it out. “I’ll see you later, then,” he says with a wink, making his way back into the store.
_______________________________________________________________
Jared calls Jensen as soon as his shift ends and Jensen picks up on the third ring.
“Hello?” He sounds a little flustered.
“Bad time?”
“No! No, just, got something cooking, don’t wanna burn it. What’s up? Talk fast.”
“You expressed interest in coming over tonight?”
There’s a long silence from the other end of the line.
“Jensen?”
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“So you wanna come see me, or what? I checked and Chad won’t even be there. Just you and me and the made-for-TV movie of the night.”
“Sure, sounds fun,” Jensen says, but he’s obviously a little put out. “I’ll be there in an hour or so. And, I’ll, uh, I’ll bring dinner, I guess.”
“You okay?”
“Absolutely. I have to go make sure my kitchen isn’t on fire. See you in bit.” Jensen hangs up and Jared writes the sober tone off to the distractions in the kitchen.
_______________________________________________________________
There’s a loud, urgent beat from the door and Jared nearly trips running to open it.
“Take something, before I drop it all!” Jensen laughs before Jared can even greet him. He takes a pan and a bowl from the stack of things obscuring Jensen’s view and opens the door a little wider.
“Shit, is it Thanksgiving or something?”
“I was hungry,” Jensen shrugs. “Didn’t really plan to have to cart it all over here when I was making it.”
“Well, I’m glad you did. It smells like Heaven.”
“All food smells like Heaven to you, Jared.”
“True. But this is, like, an especially nice version.”
Jared waits until Jensen’s set down the last of his dishware before he sneaks up behind him and claims a kiss.
“I didn’t know you cooked,” he whispers against Jensen’s neck. Jensen turns just enough for Jared to kiss his mouth, Jared doesn’t see the smile, but he tastes it.
“I do everything, except read for fun.”
“You’re a deeply flawed human being, but somehow I like you anyway.”
“I appreciate that.”
“What are you treating me to tonight?”
Jensen steps back and begins pulling tops and tin foil off the plates and bowls he’s laid out on the table, flourishing proudly as he introduces each dish.
“Enchiladas, chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes (mashed them myself, thank you very much), corn on the cob, a delicious apple pie for dessert, and,” Jensen holds up a bottle of wine, “of course some booze to go with it.”
“Fuck, I did something right today, huh?” Jared teases.
“Who says I made it for you?” Jensen asks, his eyes promising that that’s exactly what he did.
The meal is mostly quiet, broken only by Jared’s moans of pleasure and the occasional need to compliment the food. Jensen says nothing aside from the civil thank yous when Jared praises the meal. He watches Jared eat and Jared can practically taste the pride he sees in Jensen’s eyes when Jared tells him how good everything is. He looks a little sad, too.
After dinner, they end up in their usual spot on the coach, Jared’s curled up against Jensen’s chest suffering from a food coma and Jensen must not be doing much better, because he doesn’t even pretend to look at the television and Jared would think he’d dozed off-even though Jensen never lets himself fall asleep at Jared’s-except for the steady strokes of Jensen’s fingertips up and down Jared’s arms that are lulling Jared into a peaceful sleep.
“You wanna stay here tonight?” Jared offers.
Jensen lifts his head a little, like he’s surprised Jared spoke. “What? No. I don’t really.”
“Oh,” Jared says. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to rush things or anything.”
Jensen sits up then and Jared has to do the same, considering the human pillow he’d been so comfortably depending on just decided to betray him.
“That’s not the problem, Jared.”
“Ah, so there is a problem. I thought as much.”
Jensen frowns down at his lap. “I made the home-cooked Texas meal for a reason, you know.”
Jared feels like a fist grabs hold of his heart and squeezes. “This wasn’t a letting-him-down-easy way to dump me, right?”
“What? No! God no.”
Jared decides nothing else can really be so bad now that that’s out of the way, so he takes Jensen’s hand and forces him to meet his eyes. “What’s up?”
“I hate that you hate my house, Jared.”
Jared furrows his brow and Jensen continues.
“I know why. I mean, I get it. Or I think I get it. Obviously I don’t really get it but…” He stops and takes a deep, steadying breath. “I wanted you to come over tonight. I wanted you to feel welcome in my home, because you are, you always are. And I thought the food might help with that and then you just assumed I was coming here and I couldn’t even ask, but...I love that house, Jared. I’m proud of it. I worked my ass off and I know it’s not what you’re used to, but it’s mine and it really sucks that it makes you feel intimidated or whatever, because it’s not like that, okay? It’s just a house and you don’t ever come over or give me a chance to show you that.”
Jared almost laughs, because of all the crazy things his mind had jumped to, that really hadn’t ever occurred to him.
“Jensen, I didn’t mean to make you come over here. I just assumed because we always come here-”
“Because you ran like a bat out of hell the last time I took you home.”
“Okay, fine, but you didn’t even try inviting me.”
“I didn’t want you to feel obligated to say yes and…I guess I’d rather just eat dinner here than watch you storm out again.”
“That’s not fair, Jen. We both have issues we’re working out here. You can’t just expect me to know what’s wrong and not tell me.”
Jensen frowns. “Fuck, I really never intended to do that to anyone.”
“Yeah, I know, dumb ass,” Jared says, pushing him lightly.
Jensen lets himself tip into the other side of the couch before reaching out and pulling Jared down with him. He can’t help laughing from the belly when Jensen makes an “oomph” sound as he lands on him and whatever might have been wrong seconds earlier doesn’t go away, but it gets pushed aside for a few hours as they snark at the television and at each other.
_______________________________________________________________
Jensen makes a point of inviting Jared out to dinner that Friday and Jared realizes with a bit of a start that it’s only the second time they have a real, sit-down date. Jared gets dressed up in anticipation of another five star restaurant, so Jensen doesn’t stop laughing for a straight minute when they meet in front of a standard pizzeria.
“I hate you,” is the first thing Jared says when he gets out of his cab, but Jensen doesn’t even acknowledge it. He goes on laughing at Jared’s expense until Jared can’t help joining him.
When Jensen finally catches his breath he looks up at Jared and kisses him.
“God damn can you smile,” Jensen says softly, his lips moving to the side of Jared’s mouth like he wants to make sure the entire thing is imprinted on his memory. Jared just smiles wider.
They get seated in a booth, surrounded by other busy tables-there’s no Mr. Ackles, no special treatment, just a couple on a date on a Friday night. Jared can’t thank Jensen for it without ruining the moment, so he kicks him under the table instead.
“Are you going to a wedding after this or something?” Jensen says, still mocking Jared’s wardrobe.
“Yes, yes I am.”
“Oh, this’ll be fun, let me guess….Danneel and Sandy?”
“Wasted your best guess already?”
“Aldis and Genevieve?”
“I have friends outside of the store, you know.”
“Oh, God, please tell me that poor Sophia is not making that mistake.”
“I wouldn’t ever wish that on her. Not even for our hypothetical, made up wedding.”
“Misha and Genevieve?” Jensen asks, as if not knowing the answer will be the death of him.
“It’s me and Genevieve, and you are not invited.”
Jensen clutches his heart. “Oh, I am struck. How will I ever recover from such a blow?”
Jared grabs a bread stick, breaks half off and gives it to Jensen with a suggestive eyebrow waggle. “Will this help?”
Jensen returns the leer. “Do you have anything bigger?”
“Well, as a matter of fact, I’ve got something right over here in my-”
“Please, please stop, for the love of all that is holy.”
“Fine,” Jared says. “How was your day at the office, honey?”
“Long, sweet pea.”
“Jesus, was honey really that bad?”
“Did I tell you we lost one of our head readers on Monday?”
“No, sir, you did not. It wasn’t a friend or anything, right?” Jared reaches across the table and takes Jensen’s hand supportively.
“No, no, nothing like that. Just a guy with a better job offer. Puts us down one, though, so everything is getting backed up.”
“Sucks,” Jared says, trying to pull his hand away now that he knows Jensen’s not upset. Jensen grabs it back and holds on.
“Jay, there was kind of a reason I asked you out tonight.”
“You think I’m pretty?”
“I want you to come in for an interview.”
“What?”
“I want you to try for the job, Jared.”
Jared laughs and shakes Jensen’s hand off. “Yeah, sure. Because of my experience in the field, right?”
“No, look, we already promoted someone to the higher up position, but we have an opening, and-”
“Let’s get something straight here, Jensen. I don’t want you doing me any favors.”
“I’m not, Jared, Christ. I’m not asking you to quit your job and be my kept woman or something. I’m not offering you the job. I’m asking you to come in and do an interview. You don’t even have to take it if you don’t feel comfortable. But I think it would be perfect for you and from what I know about you, I think there’s a good chance you’ll be good at it.”
“Jen.”
“Look, this company is my baby, okay? It’s the most important thing to me aside from my family; I don’t go around offering important positions to people just because I like them. I’m telling you that we could both benefit from this. I need a reader and you hate it at the café and they don’t even let you touch the books.” Jensen draws back and wiggles his fingers. “We’d be paying you to read the books, Jared.”
“That is tempting, but-”
“But nothing. You don’t work Thursdays and you have an interview. Along with plenty of other people and you have just as much of a chance at getting it or not getting it as they do, cross my heart.”
“Jensen.”
Jensen sticks his lip out and gives puppy eyes his best shot. It’s pretty dismal, but he’s fucking adorable, anyway. “Please, please, please, please, Jared.”
“Yeah, alright, but I swear, Jensen, if I get so much as a scent of favoritism at this interview, I’m walking out.”
Jensen smiles from ear to ear. “Don’t you want my patronage? I can be Lady Chatterley and you can be-”
“The hired help?”
“Yeah, I have no idea where that was going or why I thought it was a good idea. See why I shouldn’t attempt to be literary?”
“It’s really cute that you tried for me, though.”
“I do my best to be cute for you, sweet pea.”
“You’re impossible,” Jared says, hitting Jensen square in the chest with another broken off piece of breadstick. The waitress comes by to refill their drinks and gives him an annoyed glare. They both collapse onto the table laughing.
_______________________________________________________________
Jared’s interview is at 4:30 p.m.; he arrives at 4:15 and twiddles his thumbs nervously waiting until Jensen is ready to see him.
“Are you Jared Padalecki?” A petite blonde asks. She has a sweet smile and looks about seventeen years old.
Jared nods.
“I’m Kristen Bell, head of Human Resources; I’ll be conducting the interview.” She holds a hand out, all business.
Jared jumps a little, both relieved and more nervous at once. He’d thought Jensen was going to be doing this and the fact that he isn’t makes Jared simultaneously thankful that Jensen genuinely thinks he can get the job on his own and terrified for his life.
“Follow me,” she says, turning on her heels without giving Jared the chance to respond.
She leads him to a nice corner office, there’s an impressive view of the city and Jared gapes for a few seconds before Ms. Bell clears her throat and shoots Jared an exasperated glance. Somehow, she manages to instill Jared with fear despite the fact that she hardly comes up to his chest and he has to respect anyone who can do that. He immediately sits down and gives her his full attention.
“Alright, let’s see what we have here. You moved here for college from Texas, undergrad and masters at Georgetown…that all sounds good up until you have no real work experience.”
“Ay, there’s the rub,” Jared says before he can stop himself and, to his surprise, he’s met with a megawatt smile.
“Alright, Mr. Padalecki, I don’t know how you managed to get this interview, but you did, so here’s how it works: we have very high expectations for our books at Night Owl Publications. We have a reputation for publishing some of the most intelligent and challenging novels on the market. Every manuscript that is submitted to us is read by someone like you before it makes it higher up the food chain. Unless a submitting author is well-known, the first reader’s judgment is respected, so the position you’re interviewing for puts a lot of people’s livelihood on the line.”
Jared nods slowly, a little uneasy with the pressure but overall pretty happy with the job description.
“We have a few sample manuscripts here that you’ll look over, you have two hours to read them and submit reports on what you thought their strengths and weaknesses were, and whether or not you would recommend them for publication. We accept all kinds of different genres and methods of storytelling here, so I ask that you keep an open mind and read for quality as well as marketability.”
Jared must look as confused as he is because Ms. Bell smiles, both warm and menacing. “It’s an unusual interview process, and I’m sure you’re thinking that it sounds more like an exam, but we like to determine a person’s ability by seeing it first hand, not from how their previous employers feel about them. In your case, this is probably a very good thing.”
Jared shrugs and gets to work, reading and writing at a rate that reminds him of the very worst all night cramming sessions in college. He finishes mere minutes before his time runs out and hands his work over timidly.
“Thank you for coming in, Mr. Padalecki. We’ll look these over and get back to you by next week.” She holds one tiny hand out, gives him a hardier shake than most men Jared’s ever met, and sends him on his way.
_______________________________________________________________
“You sly dog,” Jared says as soon as he gets Jensen on the phone.
“Who? Me? Whatever it is, I’m completely innocent.”
“You didn’t warn me about any of that.”
“I wasn’t about to do you any favors, Jared,” Jensen says, his voice teasing. “You didn’t think I was going to do it, right? You know I couldn’t judge who’s cut out for that job to save my life.”
“I find it amusing that your company looks down upon the kind of books you read.”
“It’s a classy establishment. My father, once he finally forgave me for being only slightly above illiterate, made me promise I would never, ever try to pull my weight when it came to creative decisions. And then he hired Kristen and promised me that he would go back in time and convince my mother to get an abortion if I ever tried to let anyone else to do her job.”
“She did seem to know what she was doing.”
“You’re terrified of her.”
“I am. I am deeply shaken.”
“Yeah, she’ll do that-and all with that angelic little voice and a smile on her face. But you should see her when she’s turned off professional mode. If you get the job, I’m dragging you to the first company karaoke outing that comes up. Get a few shots in her and I swear she thinks she’s a fucking Tony winner.”
Jared laughs. “I’d love to see that.”
“I’d love that, too,” Jensen says, his voice is warm and supportive and, Jared is surprised to realize, a little worried on his behalf.
“You really have no say in this, do you?”
“Jared, I’m waiting on pins and needles same as you.”
“Well, good. I hear there’s a wonderful couch for weepy boyfriend support in my apartment. There might even be Chinese.”
Jensen makes a tortured sound. “That sounds really good. I’ve got a meeting in 45 but it shouldn’t last long. Will 8:30 be too late for me to show up?”
“Naw, I can wait that long. Just don’t expect there to be any dumplings left.”
“Well, that’s the price I pay for being employed, I guess.”
“I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah, Jay, can’t wait.”
Jared hangs up and, for the first time since Jensen brought the whole idea up, lets himself hope just a little bit.
_______________________________________________________________
“So word on the street is: you’re actually smart.”
“Is that what they’re saying?” Jared asks, checking his watch.
“You haven’t heard yet?”
“No, Jensen, I’m at work. I literally just go to the break room and didn’t want to waste my time checking my voice mail when I could just call you.”
“Well, you’re an idiot. Hang up, check your voice messages, and call me back.”
The line disconnects and Jared follows Jensen’s instructions. The third message is from Kristen and Jared has to sit down and listen to it three more times before it sinks in.
“I got the job,” Jared says as soon as Jensen answers, though it’s more of a question than a statement.
“Do you have any idea how many people wanted that job, Jared?”
“No. Don’t tell me.”
“You. Come here. We are going out drinking tonight and you are coming with.”
“I can’t crash the company night out. I don’t even work there yet.”
“You do! Come out with us. Let me get you loaded and grope you in the bathroom.”
“You can come home loaded and I’ll let you do that to me sober.”
“I’ve met all your work friends. Come meet mine. You’re one of us now, aren’t you?”
“Well, it depends. I only have seven minutes of break time left to go give my two weeks’ notice…”
Jared hears the phone line disconnect and knows that Jensen hung up.
_______________________________________________________________
The bar Jensen tells Jared to meet him in is pretty typical, packed and loud and not at all the kind of place Jared would expect Jensen to enjoy. He pushes through crowds for five minutes trying to find Jensen until he spots Kristen, sporting that blinding smile and talking to a tall blonde. Jared figures his best shot is to ask her where Jensen is, so he approaches somewhat shyly.
“The fuck are you doing here?” She asks as soon as she sees him.
Jared’s stomach turns. That’s exactly the kind of welcome he’d been expecting, the welcome Jensen had insisted he wouldn’t get. “I’m, uh…with…”
He feels a warm hand slide over the small of his back and recognizes the touch without having to look and make sure. He leans into it as subtly as he can, instantly comforted by the support he can feel in Jensen’s stance.
Kristen’s eyes go wide. “Oh my God! You’re Jensen’s new girlfriend? Wow, that makes so much sense.” She turns to smile at the blonde woman she’d been talking to earlier. “Baby, I accidentally gave the boss’s boyfriend a job! Best career decision ever.”
The blonde smiles and shakes her head indulgently.
“We should celebrate! Where’s the karaoke stage? I’m thinking I’ll treat everyone to some Abba.”
She grabs the blonde by the hand and drags her off. Jared turns to Jensen as “Dancing Queen” starts and Kristen begins to sing on key, even if she only knows half the lyrics she needs.
“I guess that’s what you meant when you said she’s different with a few shots in her.”
“More than a few,” Jensen replies, raising his eyebrows.
“Are you gonna treat us to some karaoke once you’ve had enough to drink?”
“No, I’m the boss. I’m not allowed to be fun.”
“Bullshit.”
“How about if I don’t plan to stay long enough to have that many drinks?”
He looks up at Jared and Jared realizes there’s eagerness and anticipation there that he’s never seen before. Jensen’s finally ready and the better half of Jared wants to throw him in a cab and take him home right now.
“You won’t even sing me one little song?”
Jensen shakes his head. “But I am going to get you a shot and see where that gets me.”
They don’t get drunk, which Jared thinks is a conscious decision on both their parts. Jensen has just enough to be confident and steady and keep his insecurities at bay, and Jared matches him for the hell of it. Jensen’s co-workers drag him on stage about an hour into it and after a short protest, he finally asks for requests.
Jared, not having any real ideas, decides to be the requisite asshole-who-shouts-out-“Freebird” and Jensen looks directly at his table and says, “You really do have shitty taste in music, huh?”
Jared smiles and sits back and when Jensen finally has a song to sing, he doesn’t look away from Jared. Jared doesn’t know much about it, but Jensen sounds pretty fucking great to him. Kristen keeps him on stage for a duet; they fight over the song selection for several minutes before finally settling on something campy that makes Jensen hide behind his hand as he comes off stage.
“Say a word and I will murder you,” Jensen says when he falls into the chair next to Jared’s.
“I think I’m in too much awe to speak,” Jared says dreamily.
“That so?”
“Yeah, I’ve never dated anyone who’s more embarrassing while drunk than I am.”
“And worst of all, I’m not even drunk.”
“Must remember to get you there sometime and see how much worse it gets.”
They leave the table and find a more private corner in the bar and Jensen immediately presses against him, hands exploring, mouth moving like he’s trying to taste every part of Jared. It’s hot, even if they’re in out in public and should really calm down, and all Jared can think is that if Jensen gets this handsy with just a few drinks in him, Jared really ought to take him to bars more often.
Ten minutes pass before Jensen pulls away and looks Jared square in the eye.
“I’m taking you home, Jay. And I’m gonna fuck you.”
In two minutes flat, they’ve said their goodbyes, gotten a cab, and are on their way to Jensen’s.
_______________________________________________________________
Jared nearly jumps at the sound of the door slamming shut behind them. Jensen’s lips haven’t left his for a significant amount of time since they’d gotten in the cab, so he’d hardly registered that they were at the house, let alone inside.
Jensen doesn’t give Jared a chance to look around or second-guess himself again; he manhandles Jared into the wall and then his lips trail to Jared’s neck. Jared moans when he makes contact, but it’s not a protest. It’s been years since Jared’s been with someone he could really push around, someone who would push back and not make Jared worry if he’s being too rough.
Jared pulls Jensen’s lips back up to his, taking control of the kiss. Jensen lets him win for a few minutes until his hand tangles in Jared’s shirt and Jared suddenly feels himself being led by the fabric Jensen’s got bunched in his hand.
“I hope you’re not taking me to the bedroom. That would be awfully forward of you.”
“Shut the fuck up, Jared,” Jensen growls, still pulling Jared along like he doesn’t have a choice.
The truth is: he doesn’t.
Jensen’s bedroom door is open and Jensen doesn’t bother closing it once they’re inside. He pushes Jared until the back of his legs hit the bed and there’s a moment of pause where Jensen just looks up at Jared, still completely savage, but somehow vulnerable underneath it. Then he smirks-confidence and mischief dancing in his eyes-and Jared loses his breath as Jensen gives him one last shove and he falls back onto the mattress.
Jensen stands at the end of the bed, putting on a show for Jared as he strips off each layer of clothing, so slow Jared thinks he’ll explode before Jensen’s done. Jared sit’s up on his elbows, eyes fixed on Jensen, fucking devouring all the skin that’s been hidden from him for months. Jared’s mind checks out, gets carried away making plans, most of them involving his mouth on every inch of Jensen’s body.
Then Jensen’s crawling onto him, completely naked, lips pressed on Jared’s again like he can’t stand being separated. A hand creeps under Jared’s shirt, fingers tracing muscle and guiding the cotton up Jared’s chest until it takes almost no effort for Jared to yank it over his head and throw it-Jared doesn’t care where.
“You’re so fucking hot, you have no idea,” Jensen says.
Jared surges up and grabs Jensen back into a kiss, flipping him so that he’s the one pinned to the mattress and Jared gets to look down at Jensen’s entire body laid out just for him.
“Off, Jared. Get them off.” Jensen’s legs are wrapped around Jared’s middle, but he stops to give Jared the space to reach down and work his jeans open.
“How,” Jared starts, gasping for breath. “How are we gonna do this?”
Jensen’s eyes darken. “You could fuck me. I would like that.”
“Or you could fuck me,” Jared tries. It’s been a long time since he’s bottomed, but it’s been longer for Jensen and, anyway, Jared knows he can take it. All he can think right now is that he fucking needs Jensen’s cock inside of him. There’ll be plenty of time to return the favor later.
Jensen huffs out a breath, somewhere between frustrated and amused. “We are not about to fight about who gets to bottom, dude.”
Jared licks his lips and glances down. Jensen’s legs are wide open, waiting for Jared to give in and sink into him and Jared knows he’d be so fucking tight and beautiful underneath him. But he gets a look at Jensen’s dick-rock hard and red and leaking-and Jared thinks he could just…
“Gonna suck you, Jen,” Jared says, turning and crawling down Jensen’s body.
Jensen doesn’t have to be told what to do. Jared’s hardly got his mouth on the head of Jensen’s dick before he feels hands snake around his body and lower him, fingers digging into Jared’s ass. Jared chokes for a moment when Jensen’s tongue traces its way up the length of his cock, the familiar feeling mixing with the thrill of something completely new and somehow better than ever before.
Jensen takes him down then, swallows the entire length of Jared’s dick in one clean motion. His mouth tightens around Jared like a vice and Jared can’t get the picture of Jensen’s lips, swollen and slick after this is over, out of his head.
Jared hollows his cheeks, moving slowly as he pulls up, thrilling in Jensen’s groans around him. If Jared weren’t so thrilled to finally have his mouth stuffed with cock-Jensen’s cock-he wouldn’t be able to focus on sucking Jensen off. Even as is, Jensen thrusts a few times, needy and bossy, and Jared has to speed up just to stay in the race.
Jensen must get that it’s a competition then, because seconds after Jared’s change in pace, Jensen decides to fight dirty. One finger pushes into Jared and Jared’s entire body shakes. Jensen’s dick falls out of Jared’s mouth with a pop, saliva and precome coating Jared’s chin.
“Fuck, Jensen, fuck.”
Jensen’s got some incredible talent for not getting distracted, though, because as Jared’s trying desperately to keep his body in one piece, Jensen manages to tongue fuck the slit of Jared’s dick and find his prostate at the same time.
Jared does the only thing he can do: he goes back for more, sucking Jensen into his mouth and jacking the base of Jensen’s shaft. Jared thrusts once and the hand Jensen still has on his ass urges him on until Jared’s fucking down into Jensen’s mouth hard. Jared is taken by surprise when that makes Jensen come almost immediately.
He keeps his lips over Jensen’s cock until he feels his own orgasm about to hit, and then he pulls away, just focusing on how willing Jensen is to take his thrusts and how well that finger knows how to fuck him. He shoots, Jensen’s name on his lips, and Jensen has no choice but to swallow every drop as Jared’s dick pulses, still shoved down his throat.
Jared doesn’t let his body collapse onto Jensen’s, but his head falls down, resting half in thick black hairs and half on Jensen’s thigh. Once Jared’s recovered some semblance of control, he falls off to the side and lies next to Jensen, quietly staring up at the ceiling.
It doesn’t feel like the awkward silence that usually descends after something like this happens, but Jared tells himself that he’s imagining how comfortable it is.
“Man, it’s been a while,” Jensen says. “That was…I needed that.”
“Ditto,” says Jared. He turns to find Jensen’s feet right next to his face and laughs at the ridiculous, giddy feeling it instills in him. “We should do it again some time.”
“All the time, even.”
“Hah, yeah.” It dawns on Jared that this is the part where he’s supposed to make a graceful exit, make sure Jensen knows it was just sex for him, too. He shouldn’t let on that the idea of leaving Jensen’s house and heading back to his apartment feels less like going home than lying here at the foot of Jensen’s bed, pliant and satisfied and wanted.
Jensen squeezes Jared’s calf and Jared sits up, thinking it’s a sign to go.
“I should-”
“Stay. Please stay.”
Jared shakes his head. “What, Jensen, that’s…”
“Jared. Stay with me tonight.”
Jared meets earnest eyes and any resolve he might have had to be responsible crumbles to dust.
“Well, move over, then. That’s my side of the bed.”
Jensen smiles and shifts, holding the blankets up so Jared can take his place under them. Jared can feel how warm Jensen is from the other side of the mattress and he barely resists the urge to pull the other man against his chest. Instead, he reaches out and brushes his fingers down Jensen’s spine. Jensen lets out a contented sigh and is asleep in minutes.
_______________________________________________________________
Jensen rolls over. It’s amazing how different he looks now, with his hair mussed and his eyes still weighed down by sleep. Jared had kind of been hoping he’d look awful like this, but he’s almost more gorgeous than ever. He makes a warm sound when he sees Jared and smiles and Jared is so fucked.
“Mornin’,” Jensen says, reaching an arm out and then dropping it lazily.
“Hey,” Jared ducks down and kisses him briefly, “wake up.”
“You’re mean.” Jensen turns away and presses a pillow over his head.
“Would it help if I promised you coffee?”
Jensen peaks out from behind his pillow cautiously. Jared points to the mug on the nightstand. “It’s a latte.”
“Where did you get a latte?”
“I made it, Jensen. Remember? I’m a professional.”
“Ex-professional.”
“No, no, no. Once a coffee bitch, always a coffee bitch.”
“Well, now you’re my personal coffee bitch…”
“I resemble that remark.”
Jensen pats Jared affectionately, then looks at his coffee as if it’s alien.
“But, really. You used my machine? No one knows how to use that damn thing. Wasted a fortune on it expecting gourmet coffee, couldn’t understand the manual.” Jensen sits up and pouts, his bottom lip sticking out. Jared has to fight all of his instincts not to suck it into his mouth. “It’s like launching a space ship. Which I’m sure I could do, but not before the morning caffeine rush.”
“It wasn’t that hard,” Jared says. “You wanna let me know if I failed horribly?”
Jensen snatches the mug away from Jared and smiles like the cat that ate the canary. “Gladly.”
The moan he lets out when he tries it sends hot waves through Jared’s body, makes him recall everything that happened the night before.
“How is it?”
“Marry me?”
Jared laughs. “I feel like holding you to that would be like taking advantage of a first year college student with two beers in her. Let’s wait until the coffee kicks in and then you tell me if you’re still in the mood to elope.”
“Should I be worried that you know how much alcohol it takes to get sorority girls in bed?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t bring them here.”
“Oh, good. I can’t abide cleaning up after other people’s drinking binges. As long as that never happens, the wedding is on.”
“This is moving kind of fast,” Jared says, playful tones clouding the fact that it’s completely true.
“I think,” Jensen bites his lip and looks Jared in the eye, “I think I’m okay with that.”
End