Blood Ties - Chapter 7
“So you killed him?” Lex sat dumbfounded. These were the two men that Uncle JD and Aunt Kim thought so highly of and he’d considered role models?
“Yeah.” Jared had wandered to the sideboard as he told his story. There was a velvet lined shadow box on top, a well-polished pearl handle gun nestled securely
underneath the glass. Jared caressed the dark oak frame, eyes distant. “Those were the only two people I’d ever killed that didn’t have a gun in their hand. I keep this here to remind me how close the monster is to the surface, how capable I am of becoming what I hate.”
That, Lex could understand. He’d felt that darkness, touched something that threatened to swallow him, change him. It had been particularly bad before he’d gone to live with JD and Kim. They were so full of light that the blackness didn’t stand a chance. He thanked whatever was listening all the time that Jared had found him that night. Jared had saved Lex, had given him something to cleave to when the emptiness wanted to consume him. Maybe that was one of the reasons Jared had approached him on that street corner, offered him a way out that didn’t end in prostitution and eventually the real possibility of murder or suicide. Jared had seen a part of himself in Lex. “What happened after?”
Jared shrugged and turned his back on the mounted gun. “Jensen became the head of the Family and life went on.”
“Just like that? Nobody challenged the fact that you killed Andrew?” Lex was confused. Andrew had run the Family for over two decades. Surely someone had been upset at the familial assassination.
Jared leaned back against the sideboard, hands sitting lightly on top. “Chris hit it on the head all those years ago. Andrew was a good actor and a talented liar, but above that he was not a nice man.”
“More like a sadistic son of a bitch.”
Lex spun around at Jensen’s voice. The man had stripped out of his jacket and discarded his tie somewhere since they’d returned home. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, the stark white cuffing strong forearms. He looked at ease and approachable, nothing like the Don he showed the world and Lex was struck that this was what Jensen was like when he was alone with Jared.
“That, too,” Jared acknowledged. “He ruled with an iron fist, demanded obedience and respect through intimidation and terror. When Jensen took over, he implemented a new policy.” There was pride in Jared’s voice, worship shining from his eyes.
“My dad lauded loyalty above all else.” Jensen moved beside Jared, shoulders bumping. “Didn’t care if you liked him or hated him so long as you stayed by his side. It’s been my experience that it’s better to be loved than feared.”
“He’s,” Jared began only to be interrupted by Jensen’s correction of “We.”
A shy smile quirked Jared’s mouth. “We’ve tried to take the Family back to its roots, protect the community instead of exploiting it. This area was rife with gangs and rival factions and they only became more aggressive in the wake of Andrew’s death. We approached the groups with mutually beneficial offers. Those who could see the opportunity for what it was were incorporated; those who couldn’t were dealt with. The violence that reigned in this town was curbed and we never expected those we keep safe to pay for that protection. It goes a long way toward endearing you in the heart of the people.”
“Things aren’t perfect, but they are miles from what they were.” Jensen crossed his ankles. “Every once in a while, like today, some upstart, high on too many watchings of Goodfellas and The Godfather, wants to come in and be the boss,” Jensen squeezed Jared’s hand when the young man reached over at the mention of the day’s events, “but it’s always handled quickly and with minimal impact to the community.”
Lex nodded, eyes drawn to their hands, the unguarded tenderness, now recognizing the true depth of it because he knew the story behind the touches. He forced his gaze away, feeling like a voyeur intruding on their privacy, and it landed on the most recent picture of Jensen and Jared on the mantle. They looked dapper in their tuxedoes, Jared’s a dove gray with a blue tie, Jensen’s a shade darker with a green tie, at what appeared to be a charity event. He’d only given the photo a cursory glance earlier, but now he looked past the handsome man in the foreground to take in the rest of the image. There was a banner hanging behind them and Lex got up to take a closer look at it.
The banner spanned the entire length of the far wall, the fuchsia letters standing out starkly against the white vinyl.
6th Annual Cottontail Cotillion
Presented by The J2 Foundation
A display, visible past Jared’s arm, depicted a smiling blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl holding a battered stuffed bunny next to the header “Join Anna’s Army! Become a bone marrow donor today and help us win the battle against leukemia.”
He turned, holding out the picture. “Anna?”
“Yeah.” Jensen crossed to him, taking the framed photograph. He thumbed over the girl’s face on the board. “She inspired me to start The J2 Foundation. We raise funds for non-profit organizations. Our biggest charity is Anna’s Army.”
“Jensen is the reason this town has the largest bone marrow donor list in the United States. He personally spearheaded the campaign.” Jared put his hand on Jensen’s shoulder.
“That’s amazing.” Lex wanted to ask if Anna was okay, if she’d won her fight, but couldn’t. He was afraid to find out what happened to the little girl who’d comforted Jensen.
“It’s just money.” Jensen set the picture back in its place.
“But still…” Lex had heard of The J2 Foundation. They were connected to most of the goodwill projects in town including Aunt Kim’s animal shelter, Uncle JD’s counseling center and Dr. Milton’s free clinic down on McArthur. Through the foundation, Jared and Jensen had impacted hundreds of lives for the better and Lex hoped that one day he could do the same.
The aversion he’d felt earlier at the thought of Jared and Jensen killing Andrew Ackles, a man who’d sacrificed the innocent to get want he wanted, was gone, replaced by awe at what they’d accomplished. He’d grown up under Andrew’s rule and remembered what it had been like during that time. Even if he hadn’t benefitted from Jared and Jensen’s kindness, he could attest that things were vastly improved with them in charge.
“Alexander?”
Lex shook himself from his reverie and smiled. “Sorry. I’m fine.”
Westminster Chimes rang out pure and clear from the grandfather clock in the corner followed by the tolling of the hour. Jared frowned, glancing at the antique timepiece.
“Is it seven already? I’m sorry, Alexander. I never intended to keep you so late. That walk down memory lane was a little longer than I expected.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “You should head out. Kim and JD will be worried.”
“I’ll call from the car and let them know I got tied up.” He was almost to the door when his curiosity got the better of him, forcing him to face the men again. “Can I ask you a question?”
Jared raised his eyebrows in expectation.
“Why did you tell me,” he flapped his hand trying to encompass everything that he’d heard, “all this? I mean, you could have just told me to stay out of your business and keep quiet, but you didn’t.”
Jensen and Jared shared a momentary look. Jensen moved to the couch and sat down, Jared coming over to sit on the arm next to him. “There are a few people that we trust completely - Chris, Stephen, Aldis. We don’t have to hide anything from them because they know all the secrets. We’d like you to be one of those people.”
Lex was overwhelmed at the thought of being a member of that exclusive group. Jared and Jensen’s secrets, the story of their lives, was a gift and one Lex wasn’t sure he deserved. He’d felt beholden to these men for years, but now he felt like one of them.
“Thank you.” It was all he could manage and was grossly inadequate. Jared and Jensen had saved him, gave him a family, a good life, a job and now their open acceptance…there weren’t powerful enough words to say what that meant to him.
“You’re welcome,” Jared answered warmly. “Now, go home before your aunt comes down here and has my head for scaring her.” He jerked his chin in the direction of the door. “Seriously, go! Kim might be small, but she’s scary.”
Lex laughed. “Good night, sirs.”
“Good night, Alexander.”
*****
Jensen closed the door to their room, fingers already working on unbuttoning his shirt. It had been a long day. He’d just finished slipping the last button through the hole when Jared pushed him back against the wall, kissing him for all he was worth.
They separated and Jared’s hand came up to cup his neck, feeling like a brand on his skin. A long thumb traced over the pocked scabs on Jensen’s cheeks, nose and forehead where raining glass had nicked the delicate tissue.
“God, Jen,” Jared whispered. His eyes studied Jensen’s face as if afraid they’d never see it again and needed to memorize it. “I heard the gunshots and when we got back inside I couldn’t find you. I thought…” He shook his head, brown creasing down. “I thought…”
“I know what you thought,” Jensen shushed him with gentle fingers to his lips, “but I was safe. I am safe.”
“I know,” Jared pulled him by the neck and kissed him again, harder this time with more urgency. He needed to feel Jensen, alive and well, against him. He needed the confirmation that Jensen was still here.
Jensen could sympathize. It wasn’t the first time one of them had been a target, both having more near misses than either cared to admit, and he understood Jared wanting proof that he was okay. He pliantly surrendered to Jared’s inquisitive hands. He was impressed that it had taken this long for Jared to succumb to that thrumming compulsion demanding physical evidence that Jensen was unharmed.
They quickly divested each other of their clothing, dropping them haphazardly in a pile on the floor. Jared carefully pushed Jensen down on the bed, mouth creating a path of wet kisses down his torso and abdomen, paying special attention to the patches of shiny, healed skin accumulated as a consequence of their lives. He ran his tongue over the uneven skin and sucked on the raised scars. Teeth nibbled playfully at Jensen’s bellybutton and both hips before he hovered over Jensen’s crotch, hot breath making his throbbing erection dance. All the while, his fingers dug possessively into Jensen’s thighs and back and shoulders, desperation in the grip that was sure to bruise.
He licked a stripe up Jensen from root to tip just to hear him gasp. He pressed an open-mouthed kiss to the head, swirling his tongue over and around the bulbous tip and dipping into the slit to gather that delicious mix of salty-sweetness. Without hesitation he took Jensen’s whole length, years of practice and a genuine desire to please his partner lending an easiness to the motion. Jensen’s fingers threaded in his hair and Jared relaxed his throat and mind, giving himself over to his lover. Jared loved sex as a whole, but this was always his favorite part. It was all about Jensen, giving him pleasure and showing him the level of Jared’s trust in him. Jensen’s hips thrust up and Jared closed his eyes to savor the feeling of Jensen sliding into his throat. He swallowed around the obstruction and was rewarded with another sharp inhalation.
Jensen was only able to get a few more thrusts in before he felt his orgasm cresting and his balls tightening. He pulled Jared off and guided him up with the two-fisted hold in his hair. Letting go of the silken locks, he rolled them so Jared was underneath him. The kisses were gentler now, but no less greedy.
Jared spread his long legs giving Jensen enough room to slot between them. Jensen blindly batted at the nightstand drawer until he could get it open and retrieve the small bottle of lube they kept there. Jared’s eyelids fluttered as Jensen slowly worked him open, fingers progressing slowly and doing sinfully delicious things to Jared’s insides. His entire being locked down when Jensen brushed his prostate, muscles convulsing with the overload. Jared lost track of time and his higher brain functions as the small gland was assaulted time and time again, coming to with the rush of his climax at the wet, soft warmth of Jensen’s mouth on his member.
Their next kiss was salty and bitter, but Jared eagerly licked the taste like a cat lapping up cream. Jensen positioned himself and slid in without a hint of resistance. Jared threw his head back at the sudden and welcome fullness, panicked heart finally settling now that Jensen was filling up the empty place that had opened up at the restaurant. Jensen didn’t go fast, kept the rhythm slow and long so it could be enjoyed longer and felt deeper, knowing that Jared needed the connection more than the endorphin release. He stared directly into bottomless, hazel eyes, gaze never wavering, and murmured reassurances against parted lips. “Right here, Jay. Not going anywhere. Love you.”
Tears trailed over Jared’s cheeks and dampened his hair, fingernails digging bloody crescents into Jensen’s back. He stared right back into jade green. “So scared. Need you. Can’t lose you. Love you.”
Jensen’s held off his orgasm for as long as he could, fighting it back until Jared was ready for his second. The moment he felt the hot, hard length against his stomach, he raced to the finish line, hand coming up to keep Jared from lagging behind. In a moment of shared ecstasy, they peaked and fell over the edge together.
They cleaned up and laid in their large bed cuddled around each other. Jensen stared at the ceiling, making shapes out of the patches of light and the odd shadows. His fingers lazily trailed up and down Jared’s back, the younger man shivering at the fleeting touch.
“You really think Lex is the best choice?”
Jared lifted his head, chin perched on Jensen’s chest. “Yeah, I do. Why? Do you think we’ve made a mistake?”
“No.” Jensen slotted his fingers through Jared’s hair and scratched his scalp. “Just wanted to see if you did. I think he’s a good choice for a successor. He’s level-headed enough to keep his calm and I’m pretty sure he’ll continue on with what we’ve started.”
Jared nodded and laid his head back down. “Don’t forget we have to go see Anna tomorrow.”
Jensen sighed, running his hand down Jared’s back to his hip. “We’ll pick up some roses on the way.”
Lifting his head again, Jared narrowed his eyes in suspicious concern. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just dreading it, is all. I really don’t want to go.”
“You promised, Jen.” A warm palm made wide circles over his stomach and Jensen arched into the touch.
“I know,” Jensen rolled his eyes. “But, come on, I’m going to have those songs stuck in my head for a week. The last time she was over she practiced ‘Part of Your World’ so much I actually dreamed about it that night.”
“Suck it up,” Jared poked him in the ribs. “She worked hard to get the part of Ariel and is expecting us to be in the front row. You can’t let her down, you’re her hero.”
Jensen snorted. “Right,” he snarked.
“You got all those people to sign up.”
“But you were the one who was a match.” Jensen smoothed his thumb over the tiny scar on Jared’s hip where the aspirator had been inserted to remove the lifesaving bone marrow.
“It was the least I could do. She was there for someone I love when I couldn’t be.” He leaned up and kissed Jensen softly. “Now get some sleep. Anna will be heartbroken if you pass out during her big stage debut.”
“Can’t have that, now can we?” Jensen snuggled down into the sheets, Jared tight against him.
“No, we can’t.” Jared rested his hand over Jensen’s heart. “Love you, Jen.”
“Love you, too, Jay.”
“Yeah.” Jared had wandered to the sideboard as he told his story. There was a velvet lined shadow box on top, a well-polished pearl handle gun nestled securely
underneath the glass. Jared caressed the dark oak frame, eyes distant. “Those were the only two people I’d ever killed that didn’t have a gun in their hand. I keep this here to remind me how close the monster is to the surface, how capable I am of becoming what I hate.”
That, Lex could understand. He’d felt that darkness, touched something that threatened to swallow him, change him. It had been particularly bad before he’d gone to live with JD and Kim. They were so full of light that the blackness didn’t stand a chance. He thanked whatever was listening all the time that Jared had found him that night. Jared had saved Lex, had given him something to cleave to when the emptiness wanted to consume him. Maybe that was one of the reasons Jared had approached him on that street corner, offered him a way out that didn’t end in prostitution and eventually the real possibility of murder or suicide. Jared had seen a part of himself in Lex. “What happened after?”
Jared shrugged and turned his back on the mounted gun. “Jensen became the head of the Family and life went on.”
“Just like that? Nobody challenged the fact that you killed Andrew?” Lex was confused. Andrew had run the Family for over two decades. Surely someone had been upset at the familial assassination.
Jared leaned back against the sideboard, hands sitting lightly on top. “Chris hit it on the head all those years ago. Andrew was a good actor and a talented liar, but above that he was not a nice man.”
“More like a sadistic son of a bitch.”
Lex spun around at Jensen’s voice. The man had stripped out of his jacket and discarded his tie somewhere since they’d returned home. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, the stark white cuffing strong forearms. He looked at ease and approachable, nothing like the Don he showed the world and Lex was struck that this was what Jensen was like when he was alone with Jared.
“That, too,” Jared acknowledged. “He ruled with an iron fist, demanded obedience and respect through intimidation and terror. When Jensen took over, he implemented a new policy.” There was pride in Jared’s voice, worship shining from his eyes.
“My dad lauded loyalty above all else.” Jensen moved beside Jared, shoulders bumping. “Didn’t care if you liked him or hated him so long as you stayed by his side. It’s been my experience that it’s better to be loved than feared.”
“He’s,” Jared began only to be interrupted by Jensen’s correction of “We.”
A shy smile quirked Jared’s mouth. “We’ve tried to take the Family back to its roots, protect the community instead of exploiting it. This area was rife with gangs and rival factions and they only became more aggressive in the wake of Andrew’s death. We approached the groups with mutually beneficial offers. Those who could see the opportunity for what it was were incorporated; those who couldn’t were dealt with. The violence that reigned in this town was curbed and we never expected those we keep safe to pay for that protection. It goes a long way toward endearing you in the heart of the people.”
“Things aren’t perfect, but they are miles from what they were.” Jensen crossed his ankles. “Every once in a while, like today, some upstart, high on too many watchings of Goodfellas and The Godfather, wants to come in and be the boss,” Jensen squeezed Jared’s hand when the young man reached over at the mention of the day’s events, “but it’s always handled quickly and with minimal impact to the community.”
Lex nodded, eyes drawn to their hands, the unguarded tenderness, now recognizing the true depth of it because he knew the story behind the touches. He forced his gaze away, feeling like a voyeur intruding on their privacy, and it landed on the most recent picture of Jensen and Jared on the mantle. They looked dapper in their tuxedoes, Jared’s a dove gray with a blue tie, Jensen’s a shade darker with a green tie, at what appeared to be a charity event. He’d only given the photo a cursory glance earlier, but now he looked past the handsome man in the foreground to take in the rest of the image. There was a banner hanging behind them and Lex got up to take a closer look at it.
The banner spanned the entire length of the far wall, the fuchsia letters standing out starkly against the white vinyl.
6th Annual Cottontail Cotillion
Presented by The J2 Foundation
A display, visible past Jared’s arm, depicted a smiling blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl holding a battered stuffed bunny next to the header “Join Anna’s Army! Become a bone marrow donor today and help us win the battle against leukemia.”
He turned, holding out the picture. “Anna?”
“Yeah.” Jensen crossed to him, taking the framed photograph. He thumbed over the girl’s face on the board. “She inspired me to start The J2 Foundation. We raise funds for non-profit organizations. Our biggest charity is Anna’s Army.”
“Jensen is the reason this town has the largest bone marrow donor list in the United States. He personally spearheaded the campaign.” Jared put his hand on Jensen’s shoulder.
“That’s amazing.” Lex wanted to ask if Anna was okay, if she’d won her fight, but couldn’t. He was afraid to find out what happened to the little girl who’d comforted Jensen.
“It’s just money.” Jensen set the picture back in its place.
“But still…” Lex had heard of The J2 Foundation. They were connected to most of the goodwill projects in town including Aunt Kim’s animal shelter, Uncle JD’s counseling center and Dr. Milton’s free clinic down on McArthur. Through the foundation, Jared and Jensen had impacted hundreds of lives for the better and Lex hoped that one day he could do the same.
The aversion he’d felt earlier at the thought of Jared and Jensen killing Andrew Ackles, a man who’d sacrificed the innocent to get want he wanted, was gone, replaced by awe at what they’d accomplished. He’d grown up under Andrew’s rule and remembered what it had been like during that time. Even if he hadn’t benefitted from Jared and Jensen’s kindness, he could attest that things were vastly improved with them in charge.
“Alexander?”
Lex shook himself from his reverie and smiled. “Sorry. I’m fine.”
Westminster Chimes rang out pure and clear from the grandfather clock in the corner followed by the tolling of the hour. Jared frowned, glancing at the antique timepiece.
“Is it seven already? I’m sorry, Alexander. I never intended to keep you so late. That walk down memory lane was a little longer than I expected.” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “You should head out. Kim and JD will be worried.”
“I’ll call from the car and let them know I got tied up.” He was almost to the door when his curiosity got the better of him, forcing him to face the men again. “Can I ask you a question?”
Jared raised his eyebrows in expectation.
“Why did you tell me,” he flapped his hand trying to encompass everything that he’d heard, “all this? I mean, you could have just told me to stay out of your business and keep quiet, but you didn’t.”
Jensen and Jared shared a momentary look. Jensen moved to the couch and sat down, Jared coming over to sit on the arm next to him. “There are a few people that we trust completely - Chris, Stephen, Aldis. We don’t have to hide anything from them because they know all the secrets. We’d like you to be one of those people.”
Lex was overwhelmed at the thought of being a member of that exclusive group. Jared and Jensen’s secrets, the story of their lives, was a gift and one Lex wasn’t sure he deserved. He’d felt beholden to these men for years, but now he felt like one of them.
“Thank you.” It was all he could manage and was grossly inadequate. Jared and Jensen had saved him, gave him a family, a good life, a job and now their open acceptance…there weren’t powerful enough words to say what that meant to him.
“You’re welcome,” Jared answered warmly. “Now, go home before your aunt comes down here and has my head for scaring her.” He jerked his chin in the direction of the door. “Seriously, go! Kim might be small, but she’s scary.”
Lex laughed. “Good night, sirs.”
“Good night, Alexander.”
*****
Jensen closed the door to their room, fingers already working on unbuttoning his shirt. It had been a long day. He’d just finished slipping the last button through the hole when Jared pushed him back against the wall, kissing him for all he was worth.
They separated and Jared’s hand came up to cup his neck, feeling like a brand on his skin. A long thumb traced over the pocked scabs on Jensen’s cheeks, nose and forehead where raining glass had nicked the delicate tissue.
“God, Jen,” Jared whispered. His eyes studied Jensen’s face as if afraid they’d never see it again and needed to memorize it. “I heard the gunshots and when we got back inside I couldn’t find you. I thought…” He shook his head, brown creasing down. “I thought…”
“I know what you thought,” Jensen shushed him with gentle fingers to his lips, “but I was safe. I am safe.”
“I know,” Jared pulled him by the neck and kissed him again, harder this time with more urgency. He needed to feel Jensen, alive and well, against him. He needed the confirmation that Jensen was still here.
Jensen could sympathize. It wasn’t the first time one of them had been a target, both having more near misses than either cared to admit, and he understood Jared wanting proof that he was okay. He pliantly surrendered to Jared’s inquisitive hands. He was impressed that it had taken this long for Jared to succumb to that thrumming compulsion demanding physical evidence that Jensen was unharmed.
They quickly divested each other of their clothing, dropping them haphazardly in a pile on the floor. Jared carefully pushed Jensen down on the bed, mouth creating a path of wet kisses down his torso and abdomen, paying special attention to the patches of shiny, healed skin accumulated as a consequence of their lives. He ran his tongue over the uneven skin and sucked on the raised scars. Teeth nibbled playfully at Jensen’s bellybutton and both hips before he hovered over Jensen’s crotch, hot breath making his throbbing erection dance. All the while, his fingers dug possessively into Jensen’s thighs and back and shoulders, desperation in the grip that was sure to bruise.
He licked a stripe up Jensen from root to tip just to hear him gasp. He pressed an open-mouthed kiss to the head, swirling his tongue over and around the bulbous tip and dipping into the slit to gather that delicious mix of salty-sweetness. Without hesitation he took Jensen’s whole length, years of practice and a genuine desire to please his partner lending an easiness to the motion. Jensen’s fingers threaded in his hair and Jared relaxed his throat and mind, giving himself over to his lover. Jared loved sex as a whole, but this was always his favorite part. It was all about Jensen, giving him pleasure and showing him the level of Jared’s trust in him. Jensen’s hips thrust up and Jared closed his eyes to savor the feeling of Jensen sliding into his throat. He swallowed around the obstruction and was rewarded with another sharp inhalation.
Jensen was only able to get a few more thrusts in before he felt his orgasm cresting and his balls tightening. He pulled Jared off and guided him up with the two-fisted hold in his hair. Letting go of the silken locks, he rolled them so Jared was underneath him. The kisses were gentler now, but no less greedy.
Jared spread his long legs giving Jensen enough room to slot between them. Jensen blindly batted at the nightstand drawer until he could get it open and retrieve the small bottle of lube they kept there. Jared’s eyelids fluttered as Jensen slowly worked him open, fingers progressing slowly and doing sinfully delicious things to Jared’s insides. His entire being locked down when Jensen brushed his prostate, muscles convulsing with the overload. Jared lost track of time and his higher brain functions as the small gland was assaulted time and time again, coming to with the rush of his climax at the wet, soft warmth of Jensen’s mouth on his member.
Their next kiss was salty and bitter, but Jared eagerly licked the taste like a cat lapping up cream. Jensen positioned himself and slid in without a hint of resistance. Jared threw his head back at the sudden and welcome fullness, panicked heart finally settling now that Jensen was filling up the empty place that had opened up at the restaurant. Jensen didn’t go fast, kept the rhythm slow and long so it could be enjoyed longer and felt deeper, knowing that Jared needed the connection more than the endorphin release. He stared directly into bottomless, hazel eyes, gaze never wavering, and murmured reassurances against parted lips. “Right here, Jay. Not going anywhere. Love you.”
Tears trailed over Jared’s cheeks and dampened his hair, fingernails digging bloody crescents into Jensen’s back. He stared right back into jade green. “So scared. Need you. Can’t lose you. Love you.”
Jensen’s held off his orgasm for as long as he could, fighting it back until Jared was ready for his second. The moment he felt the hot, hard length against his stomach, he raced to the finish line, hand coming up to keep Jared from lagging behind. In a moment of shared ecstasy, they peaked and fell over the edge together.
They cleaned up and laid in their large bed cuddled around each other. Jensen stared at the ceiling, making shapes out of the patches of light and the odd shadows. His fingers lazily trailed up and down Jared’s back, the younger man shivering at the fleeting touch.
“You really think Lex is the best choice?”
Jared lifted his head, chin perched on Jensen’s chest. “Yeah, I do. Why? Do you think we’ve made a mistake?”
“No.” Jensen slotted his fingers through Jared’s hair and scratched his scalp. “Just wanted to see if you did. I think he’s a good choice for a successor. He’s level-headed enough to keep his calm and I’m pretty sure he’ll continue on with what we’ve started.”
Jared nodded and laid his head back down. “Don’t forget we have to go see Anna tomorrow.”
Jensen sighed, running his hand down Jared’s back to his hip. “We’ll pick up some roses on the way.”
Lifting his head again, Jared narrowed his eyes in suspicious concern. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just dreading it, is all. I really don’t want to go.”
“You promised, Jen.” A warm palm made wide circles over his stomach and Jensen arched into the touch.
“I know,” Jensen rolled his eyes. “But, come on, I’m going to have those songs stuck in my head for a week. The last time she was over she practiced ‘Part of Your World’ so much I actually dreamed about it that night.”
“Suck it up,” Jared poked him in the ribs. “She worked hard to get the part of Ariel and is expecting us to be in the front row. You can’t let her down, you’re her hero.”
Jensen snorted. “Right,” he snarked.
“You got all those people to sign up.”
“But you were the one who was a match.” Jensen smoothed his thumb over the tiny scar on Jared’s hip where the aspirator had been inserted to remove the lifesaving bone marrow.
“It was the least I could do. She was there for someone I love when I couldn’t be.” He leaned up and kissed Jensen softly. “Now get some sleep. Anna will be heartbroken if you pass out during her big stage debut.”
“Can’t have that, now can we?” Jensen snuggled down into the sheets, Jared tight against him.
“No, we can’t.” Jared rested his hand over Jensen’s heart. “Love you, Jen.”
“Love you, too, Jay.”