Rent-A-Santa - J2 - NC17

[jeyhawk_fic]

Title: Rent - a -Santa
Author: jeyhawk
Pairing: Jared/Jensen
Rating: NC17
Summary: Jared hires a Santa for his goddaughter and gets a lot more than he bargained for. Includes: Jensen in a Santa costume, out of work!Jared, the suckiest date ever, and a very unfortunate duvet.
Word Count: ~ 10,000
Disclaimer: Not true.
Beta: The amazing mesnica. I love you babe!

Notes: Written for spn_j2_xmas as a gift for audrarose. I'm pretty sure this qualifies as a J2 AU that's not high school, or college, and I really struggled to curb my natural tendencies towards schmoop. ;0) I hope you like it!



Normally, Jared is all about Christmas. He buys all his Christmas presents in October, spends all of November wrapping them, and when it's time to put up the decorations, he's as gleeful as a five year old on Christmas morning. He overdoses on Christmas carols the first weekend of December, and when Christmas finally rolls around, he's already gotten drunk on eggnog or mulled wine at least thrice.

This year he still has shopping to do two days before Christmas, the only decoration he has put up is a drawing of Santa made by his one year old goddaughter that he has stuck to his fridge door with a McDonalds magnet, and all the Christmas albums are still packed up in a box down in the basement. He's just not feeling it this year. Ever since summer it's just been one bad thing stacked on another and now he feels as if he's barely keeping afloat, questioning everything about himself and his train wreck life, keeping himself up at night with doom and gloom thoughts.

It's a good thing he has Nora, his goddaughter, to keep his mood up, or he would have pulled the covers up over his head already in August.

At the moment they're standing in line to have Nora's picture taken with Santa in one of the too many malls littering the downtown area. Tinny Christmas music is coming from huge speakers behind Santa's decked out throne, and Jared thinks the female elf wouldn't have been out of place at the Pussycat Club.

He's pretty sure elves are supposed to wear stupid puffy shorts and curly toed slippers, not knee high boots and skin tight hot pants, but he supposes it's good for the dads in line to have something to look at. He tries to appreciate the curve of her thighs and the swell of the boobs nearly falling out of her white frilly top, but sadly women just don't do it for him, even if he would like them to.

His arm aches from carrying around a twenty five pound baby for too long and he really, really needs to pee. Unfortunately Nora is in her most clingy mood today and starts crying as soon as he tries to put her down, tiny fingers hanging onto his shirt for dear life. He just can't go to the bathroom with her clinging to his chest like a baby monkey, he just can't. It would probably scare her for life and he can't have that on his conscience.

"Next," calls the elf, throwing her curly blonde hair back over her shoulder, and smiling prettily at Jared.

Jared smiles back, hoisting Nora up higher, and is somewhat pacified by the way the elf looks down demurely. He actually finds that kind of mannerism attractive, no matter the sex, and his spirit lifts slightly. That is, of course, until he comes face to face with Santa, because Santa has gorgeous eyes behind the clever mask that turns him into a jolly old fat man. Clear green with long dark lashes, and crinkles at the corners that are just visible between the bushy white eyebrows and the curly white beard.

Nora turns her head to look at Santa, eyes wide with half wonder half trepidation and she digs her fingers into Jared's shoulders.

"Hey there, sweetie," Santa says, his voice low and rumbly, too sexy to come from a man in a velvet fat suit. "Aren't you adorable?"

Nora blinks. She's eighteen months old and her vocabulary is limited to maybe ten different words. Jared wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for Sandy begging him to take Nora to have her picture taken with Santa at this specific mall, because she'd heard they had the best photographer.

She and Chad are determined to make this Christmas the best ever for Nora considering how sucky her last one was, and Jared is a good godfather, not only looking to Nora's needs but those of his two best friends, too.

Santa reaches a gloved hand up and holds it out for Nora to take, waiting patiently until she unwinds her fingers from Jared's shirt and touches his glove with a tiny tiny smile. Jared smiles too, because it's kind of adorable. It's a lot less adorable a second later when Santa looks up at him, the corners of those eyes crinkling and a hot flash goes through Jared from head to toe. After almost a year of licking his wounds and avoiding all contact with guys, he's attracted to a guy in a Santa suit? He needs help.

"What's your name, sweetie?" Santa asks, turning his attention back to Nora.

Nora stuffs her hand into her mouth and hides her face against Jared's shirt, suddenly shy. Jared knows she's anything but shy, but takes pity on her anyway.

"Nora," he says.

"Beautiful name and how old is she?"

"One and a half."

Santa smiles, his mouth barely visible behind the beard, and Jared's sure that's a good thing. "You have a gorgeous daughter."

"Oh, she's not my daughter," Jared says, then he realizes what that sounds like and hurriedly adds, "She's my goddaughter."

Santa smiles again. "That's so sweet of you, to take her out like this." The ‘on your own’ is implied and Jared suddenly gets the feeling that Santa is fishing for information.

"What can I say?" Jared asks with a shrug. "I love the kid."

Nora pulls her head out of hiding and suddenly twists reaching her arms out for Santa. Jared's so surprised by the move he might have dropped her if Santa hadn't been there to catch her against his fluffy fake belly.

"There you go," Santa says. "What do you say we sit down over there and let the nice man with the camera take a picture?"

Nora nods, eyeing the spectacular monstrosity that is the throne without the healthy dose of doubt she should have. She's got her hand stuffed in her mouth again and for some reason Jared just wants to snatch her back from Santa's arms. He steps back though as Santa walks up to the throne and sits down with Nora on his lap.

"About time," some woman in the line behind him mutters and Jared turns around to glare at her, noticing that the line really built up during his little talk with Santa.

Nora seems to be getting up to her usual high jinks, talking a mile a minute and winding Santa's long beard around her fingers. The photographer snaps a few pictures as Santa bends down to whisper in Nora's ear and then a few more as she giggles, her entire body rocking with the motion. Then the session is over and Santa waves for Jared to come and get Nora. As he bends down and picks her up from Santa's knee, Santa slips something in his hand. Jared manages to glance at it as Nora gloms herself to his chest. It's a business card.

"In case you need a Santa for Christmas," Santa says in a hushed whisper. "I got references."

Jared thinks that the only reference this particular Santa needs is the fact that he's allowed to sit here and fondle kids all day, but he still nods and smiles, only too happy to be getting away from those tempting eyes. For all he knows Santa might look like a freak under that costume, maybe he really is as fat as his costume suggests, or maybe he's disfigured somehow.

He fully intends to throw the business card away, but then he remembers how upset Sandy was when they couldn't find a Santa to deliver presents for Nora, so he stuffs it into his pocket, before going through the gruesome process of getting Nora into her overalls. He never understood how one such small child can suddenly develop the strength of a Bengal tiger and all the arms of an octopus when it comes to getting into her winter clothes.

When he's done, sweaty and flushed with a disgruntled Nora put into her stroller, he looks up to find Santa watching him over the head of the kid in his lap. He smiles a little self consciously before turning his head away, realizing belatedly that it's same type of coy gesture he got from the elf earlier. Goddamit, he's not flirting with Santa.

The whole ordeal has him so riled up that he almost leaves without the pictures, but the elf catches him before he's gotten far, sticking an envelope and a note that says Candi with a phone number attached into his hand. He looks down into her cleavage for a moment and then looks up and gives her a smile. She smiles back, bright red lips stretching wide, and he kind of wishes he would call her.

*

"So let me get this straight…" Chad says, lifting his feet up on the coffee table. "You take my daughter out for three hours and manage to score two phone numbers? That's like a new record."

Jared shrugs, half embarrassed, half uncomfortable. "I guess."

"You getting back on the market would be making mankind a favor," he says, sounding almost wistful.

Jared shrugs again; he's not interested in getting back on the market. Sandy comes down the stairs and Chad hurriedly pulls his feet off the table.

"Our internet is still down," she says. "Will you email Santa and make arrangements for Christmas, Jared?"

Jared nods, even though the last thing he wants is to open up a line of contact between him and Hot Santa. He'd rather call Candi, the elf, and set up a date. Still he doesn't suggest for Sandy to just call Santa, even though his number is listed on the card. He's pathetic, but his fingers are itching to organize something, even if it's only for Santa to show himself to his goddaughter.

Chad is totally right, he should start looking for a new job, or he will turn into a sad hobo living on the street. He's just not ready to put himself out there. He moved to the big city, scored a dream job and a dream guy, and last year around this time he thought he was carved out of gold, but before January 15 it had all gone down the drain.

"Did you make up your mind?" Sandy asks, sitting down next to Chad on the couch. "Will we get to keep you for Christmas?"

He looks at them, and kind of wants to say no, but he just can't face going back home like a failure. He knows his family loves him no matter what and he knows they want to see him for Christmas, but he doesn't want to be bringing everyone's mood down.

"Yeah," he says, smiling a little. "I'd rather be depressing you guys than my family."

Sandy laughs and kicks his foot. "Did you tell your mom?" she asks.

"Uh… no," he answers.

Chad leans over and pats his knee. "I feel for you, man," he says.

*

Telling his mom turns out to be easier than he thought, she doesn't even turn on the waterworks, and when he hangs up he feels kind of miffed about that. Not that he wants her to cry, but she could have been a little more upset. It's the first time he's not coming home for Christmas since that miserable year in college when he couldn't afford the plane tickets and was too embarrassed to tell his parents in time, leading to him not being able to catch a flight until December 26th.

Still with that call out of the way, he's got nothing better to do than to contact Santa. So he shoots of an email, explaining who he is and where he got the card, signing it with his name and contact info. Santa's name is apparently Jensen Ackles, so he googles him but comes up with nothing more exciting than the mall website listing him as their Santa, and a blog entry from a mother who apparently hired him last year and was very pleased with his performance.

He tries to google the name for pictures but all he comes up with is a couple of Jensen in his Santa suit. It's probably just as well; he doesn't need to know what Jensen looks like because apart from a short encounter over Christmas, he's not going to see the guy ever again.

Jensen is obviously eager for work and after a few minutes he emails back with possible times and references. Jared wasn't planning on checking up on Jensen, but since Jensen insists Jared makes a couple of quick calls and gets nothing but glowing reviews. They email back and forth a couple of times more before everything's set up, and when Jared turns the computer off for the day he feels more accomplished than he's done all year. He really needs to pull out of this funk and start looking for a job.

*

Jared spends Christmas Eve with Chad, Sandy, Nora and a bunch of their mutual friends. It's an easy, laid back affair with lots of food and drinks, and he goes to bed in the Murray guestroom feeling pleasantly buzzed and optimistic. Considering how hard this year sucked, next year can't be anything but better and it’s time for him to start looking forward instead of looking back.

Besides, things are already looking up. Last year he spent Christmas Eve with his ear pressed to the phone, listening to Chad near hyperventilating with fear while they waited for the doctors to tell them what was wrong with Nora, and he spent all of Christmas Day feeling anxious and wanting to go home, even though Nora just had a severe case of croup and was in the most capable hands and with both her parents at the hospital.

He falls asleep a few moments after putting his head down, lulled to sleep by the softness of the sheets and the lingering smell of apple blossom on the pillows. His dreams are dark and sexually charged and he wakes up just before he's about to come with Hot Santa's lips wrapped around his dick and the Santa beard tangling around his balls. He lies eerily still for a few minutes, trying to calm his breathing down, because he's afraid he'll come all over himself if he as much as twitches.

He feels dirty and soiled and he kind of hates his brain for going there. Santa is for kids, not for sexually deprived twenty six year olds. Maybe Chad is right, he should get back on the market. This isn't the first disturbing sex dream he's had in the last few months. Maybe it's a sign he's getting his libido back, but mostly it feels like a sign that he's turning into a pervert.

He finally deems it safe to get up and slips into the bathroom for a very cold shower before getting dressed. Suddenly he's happy he accidentally packed his stupidly tight boxer briefs because he's sure that seeing Jensen today will bring back uncomfortable memories of his dream. He wonders what it is about that guy that has him tied up in knots inside. He's not even sure Jensen was actually flirting back at the mall, and there was nothing untoward in his emails. Jared pushes all thoughts of Jensen out of his mind as he sneaks down the stairs. It's still early and he doesn't want to wake Nora up if she's still asleep.

Sandy's sitting in the living room, curled up on the couch with a blanket over her lap and a cup of tea in her hands. She's got the TV on, but the volume is turned down so low Jared doubts she can even hear it.

"Morning," she says, when she spots him. "There's coffee in the kitchen."

Jared nods and walks into the kitchen to get a cup. He loads it with sugar and milk and takes it with him back to the living room, sitting down in the armchair he favors whenever he's around.

"I wanted to thank you," Sandy says. "For booking the Santa and for taking Nora to the mall."

"It's nothing," Jared mutters, feeling embarrassed.

Sandy doesn't answer, turning the cup over in her hands a few times, making it obvious she's got something on her mind.

"I worry about you, Jared," she finally says. "You haven't been yourself lately."

Jared shrugs. "It's been a sucky year."

"No," she shakes her head. "It started before that, before Nora was born."

Jared licks his lips and looks at the TV, but he's not even registering what's happening on the screen.

"It started right around the time we got married and I have to ask… is it Chad?"

Jared can't hold back his laughter and looks back at her, shaking his head. "God no. Not like that."
He takes a deep breath to clear the laughter out of his system. "It's… hard to explain."

"Would you try?" she asks, tilting her head to the side.

"I just… I want what you have… I want to get married, have kids, a house in the suburbs and go to play dates on the weekend. I always wanted that and it wasn't until you got married that I realized I might not get that." Jared snorts. "Kinda stupid, huh? I've known I’m gay since I was fifteen years old and I never even thought about this."

"Oh Jared," she says, putting the cup down and reaching out for him.

Jared wonders if it makes him less of a man that he goes to her, curling up on the couch with his head in her lap, breathing through the tears he's not going to cry. She winds her fingers in his hair, mumbling sweet little nothings like she does to Nora when she's upset and Jared really, really wishes that women did for it him, because Sandy is awesome and there ought to be other awesome women out there.

"There will be a guy out there for you that wants the same thing," she says softly. "Who wants to build a family with you. It might not be easy, and there will always be people who don't think you should have that right, but it'll happen. Trust me."

He wants to believe her, but in the downwards spiral of dark thoughts he's gotten himself into it's kind of hard. He knows it would probably help if he started dating again instead of sitting around at home trying to will himself to not be gay. But once you've gotten out of the game, it's really hard to get back into it.

He rolls over on his back and looks up at Sandy. She looks different somehow since she became a mother, but it's hard to pinpoint what it is. She smiles down at him and brushes his hair back from his forehead.

"We all have to change our dreams," she says with a wry half smile. "I mean, I used to dream that I'd marry and have kids with you."

Jared grins. "Yeah, I remember. It was really kind of sad."

"Oh shut up," she says, tugging on his hair. "You were eating it up like a fricking cat."

"Those were the days," he says with a sigh. "And then you went and married my best friend. I'm wounded."

She laughs. "Yeah right."

"I am."

She attacks him with a merciless tickle and he flails, falling right off the couch with a shriek. She comes right after and soon they're grappling on the floor, trying to tickle each other to death. That's when Chad shows up with a sleepy Nora on his arm. He takes one look at them and their flushed faces and shakes his head.

"We don't even wanna know," he says and disappears into the kitchen.

Jared and Sandy look at each other and promptly start laughing. They're years older and so much water's run under the bridges, but somehow, it's just like college.

*
Jensen, well Santa, shows up just on time and Nora is a bit shy at first, but then she happily 'talks' to him and pulls on his beard. She's a lot less interested in her presents than she is in Santa, and Jared who's in charge of filming can't help constantly zooming in on her grinning face. Jensen's great, crawling around on the floor with her and letting her pull on his beard as much as she wants, luring laugh after laugh out of her tiny body.

Chad and Sandy are just delighted, standing to the side and glowing with pride. Jared kind of wishes he wasn't there interrupting their moment, but then they wouldn't have someone to man the camera. Besides, he wouldn't have wanted to miss out on Nora's first real Christmas. Eventually she grows tired of the wild games and sits down on the floor, grabbing one of her presents and turning it over a few times, before starting to tear into it. Chad and Sandy sit down with her and Jared turns the camera off and slowly lowers it.

He's got his own presents to open, lying under the Christmas tree, but somehow he really just wants them to have this moment alone. Jensen follows him as he walks out into the hallway, trying to comb his beard back into order.

"Thanks," Jared says with a smile. "For slipping me the card."

Jensen smiles underneath the mask. "My pleasure. Nora's a wonderful little girl."

Jared nods, looking back into the living room where the pile of wrappings is starting to grow around the happy family. "She really is."

"Are you okay?" Jensen asks, and Jared's really slipping if complete strangers can tell he's feeling crappy. Maybe Sandy was right to worry about him.

"I'm fine," he says. "Just, you know, kinda sad not to be back home."

"Not from around here?" Jensen leans back against the door, crossing his legs.

"San Antonio," Jared answers.

"Really? I'm from Richardson, just outside of Dallas."

"And here I thought Santa lived at the North Pole."

Jensen laughs and Jared grins, reaching up to push his hair back from his face.

"I should get going," Jensen says. "I got another family to visit before it's time to return to the bat cave… I mean the North Pole and I bet the reindeers are getting anxious to leave."

Jared glances out the window at the unfamiliar car parked in the driveway. "Can you fit all the reindeers into that?"

"They're under the hood. Reindeer power, it's the new thing."

Jared laughs. "Well, have a good day then and merry Christmas."

"Same to you," Jensen says, reaching for the handle. He pauses halfway as if there's something else he wants to say but he seemingly changes his mind, disappearing out the door with a last wave.

Jared looks after him until Chad calls out for him to join them and he completely ignores the curious looks he get from both his friends when he re-enters the room, taking a seat next to them on the floor.

*

Usually, Jared likes the days between Christmas and New Year's. When he had a job, it meant being crazy busy planning someone else's New Year's party, but he never minded. Now though, it just feels like they are days he has to get out of the way before he can start over on a clean slate. No more 2008, because it sucked ass.

Two positive things happens though, he gets a call from one of the customers he had while still working for Metro Event Planners who wants him to plan a party for him in February. The guy, Jeff Morgan, is a corporate lawyer and even offers to help Jared set up his own practice. It's a thought that never even crossed Jared's mind, but with a customer like Jeff, who throws at least two grand scale parties a year, and who has a marriage coming up in the summer, it's definitely a possibility.

It might not be easy to handle it all on his own, at Metro Event Planners he had two assistants and a secretary to handle the leg work for him while he focused on the grand scheme, but that was also one of the things he didn't like about working at such a large firm. Chad, of course, thinks he should go for it and he gets back up from Sandy. They even somehow manage to teach Nora to say go for it and Jared was never able to say no to her.

The other positive thing, kinda, is an email he gets from Jensen two days after Christmas. It's kinda long, way long actually, and full of apologies in advance, but it ends with Jensen asking him out. Jared frets about what to answer for hours before finally telling him no. Jensen isn't that easily deterred though and over the days leading up to new years they correspond several times a day.

Somehow Jared finds himself opening up to Jensen, telling him all about Tom dumping him, his own doubts about his sexuality, and losing his job. Jensen in turn tells him that he's hoping to be a script writer for TV and Jared thinks that all the ideas Jensen tells him about rock. It's also clear that Jensen is starting to think that it might never happen, and that maybe he should put his English degree to better use than working different odd jobs while trying to get noticed.

For some reason he doesn't tell Chad and Sandy he's in contact with Jensen, but he does tell his mother and she's all for it. When Jared complains he doesn't even look what Jensen looks like, she asks if she really brought up such a shallow son and she's right. Isn't it better to build a relationship on actually liking someone for who they are than on how they look?

The day before New Year's Eve Chad and Sandy does one last attempt to get him to spend New Years with them, but he turns them down again. There's an end to how heavily he's willing to lean on their shoulders and they invited two other couples with kids, he doesn't want to be the odd one out. Besides, he's got a feeling Jensen's building up to asking him out again and this time he's planning on saying yes. It's time to put himself out there again.

*

IM conversation from December 30th, just before midnight:

Jensen: So what are you doing tomorrow?
Jared: dunno
Jensen: Dunno as in I don't have any plans, or dunno as in I have too many offers, I can't decide.
Jared: the offers havn't exactly been heaped on my head.
Jensen: So that's no plans then?
Jared: I guess.
Jensen: You're just gonna sit alone on New Year's Eve? That's pretty sad.
Jared: And you're not?
Jensen: Depends.
Jared: On what?
Jensen: Stuff.
Jared: What kind of stuff?
Jensen: *shrugs*
Jared: And you call me sad.
Jensen: At least I know what I want to do.
Jared: And that would be?
Jensen: Things.
Jared: *lol* you're sad.
Jensen: Am not.
Jared: If you want to ask me out just do it.
Jensen: Okay… Do you want to hang tomorrow night?
Jared: Depends.
Jensen: On what?
Jared: Stuff.
Jensen: What kind of stuff?
Jared: If there's an actual hanging involved.
Jensen: That was a pretty sloppily phrased question, huh? So how about, would you go out with me tomorrow night?
Jared: Yes… does this mean I'm things?
Jensen: Important things.
Jared: J
Jensen: So there's a bar on the corner of your street… Herreys. Ever been?
Jared: It's nice.
Jensen: They're open tomorrow, wanna go there for a beer and snack?
Jared: You planned this.
Jensen: I told you I had plans.
Jared: Okay, lets go to Herreys. What time?
Jensen: Eight?
Jared: Sounds good.
Jensen: Want a picture so you know what I look like?
Jared: …
Jared: …
Jared: No.
Jensen: Chicken. I'm totally hot without my Santa suit.
Jared: I bet you're totally hot IN your Santa suit as well.
Jensen: I have to wring my underwear out when I take it off.
Jared: Ewwww.
Jensen: The things I do for those kids. :P
Jared: :P
Jensen: So no pic then?
Jared: No pic.
Jensen: Your bad.
Jared: Says you.
Jensen: But I see me in the mirror every day. I can tell.
Jared: Funny…
Jensen: I like to think so. I better go now. I need my beauty sleep and I'm taking my sis out for lunch tomorrow.
Jared: Okay, night.
Jensen: Night.

*

Jared ends up being half an hour early to the bar, having spent most of the day cleaning his apartment and changing his mind about his outfit. In the end he decides to go with a pair of nice jeans and a long sleeved striped shirt. It's New Year's Eve after all, but they're going to a bar so he doesn't want to be too dressed up.

He kind of regrets his decision to not look at the picture Jensen offered, because once he's seated at the bar with a beer in front of him, he looks every guy that enters up and down wondering if it's Jensen, trying to gauge if they recognize him or just wonder why he's staring. After fifteen minutes of craning his neck he gives up and decides that Jensen will just have to come to him. It would be kinda horrible if a hot guy walked in and turned out to not be Jensen.

"Hi," a familiar voice says from behind him and Jared stiffens, not wanting to turn around. "You are such a pussy," Jensen adds with a laugh.

"I'm not," Jared protests, trying to just glance at Jensen from the corner of his eye. "I'm easing myself into it."

Jensen laughs again and moves to slide into the chair next to Jared's. "You wanna sit here, or get a booth?"

"A booth," Jared says, turning his head away.

"Or we could get our food to go and take it back to our respective places and have the date over AIM," Jensen says dryly.

"That would be… kind of stupid," Jared admits and finally turns his head to get a good look of Jensen.

He blinks a couple of times, because he's pretty sure his eyes are lying to him and Jensen grins.

"See I told you I was hot."

Hot is something of an understatement, because Jensen's everything Jared never even knew he was looking for in a man. He's absolutely perfect from his unruly short cropped hair to the soles of his work man boots. Jared already knew about his spectacular green eyes, but he had no idea they were coupled with a perfect nose, plump gorgeous lips and a light smattering of freckles over the bridge of his nose and cheeks.

"You were right," he mumbles, unable to look away.

Jensen grins again, wrinkles spreading out from the corners of his eyes like a fan. "I rarely lie," he says, still smiling.

Jared's stomach is tying itself into anxious knots and he wonders how on earth he'll get through dinner without throwing himself over the table at Jensen.

"You can stop staring like a freak any time now," Jensen says and Jared finally manages to pull himself out it.

"Sorry," he says with a blush. "You're not what I expected."

"What were you expecting?" Jensen asks, as they take their bottles with them to a secluded booth.

"I dunno." Jared shrugs. "Someone less… pretty."

Jensen laughs. "I'm sorry to disappoint, maybe if I put on my glasses."

"You have glasses," Jared almost whimpers and Jensen laughs again, a deep belly laugh that's making Jared ache to touch.

"First guy I ever dated who likes glasses," Jensen says. "They make me look like a dork."

"You are a dork," Jared responds immediately and Jensen laughs again.

"Obviously, since I'm willing to date you."

Jared slides into the booth and tries not to stare as Jensen takes off his jacket and slides in on the opposite side. Jensen's dressed in a black button down shirt and jeans, obviously opting for the same kind of dressed up but casual style that Jared did.

"So," Jensen says, as he sits down. "Is there anything I need to know about you before we start dating?"

Jared frowns. "Like what?"

"Any allergies? Diabetes? Heart conditions?"

"I'm allergic to cedar, but it's not exactly life threatening…"

"I won't schedule any future dates to a cedar plant then," Jensen says with a grin. "The reason I'm asking is that I dated this guy, Ramon, for like three months a few years back and he never told me he was very allergic to peanuts. So I kissed him after chewing down a packet of roasted peanuts on the way over and he almost died." Jensen shrugs. "Not an experience I care to repeat."

Jared finds that he really doesn't like to think about Jensen dating other people, even it was years ago. "So how about you, any life threatening conditions?" he asks instead.

"Nope," Jensen says with a grin. "Well, kiwi gives me a rash, but it's not like you're gonna have to rush me to the ER."

"Good to know," Jared answers and strikes kiwi muffins of his internal list of treats to offer to Jensen. He totally believes that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, it always works with him.

"So… food or snacks?" Jensen asks.

Jared considers it since he already had dinner, even though he didn't get much of it down, too busy fretting about being on his first date in something like two years.

"Food."

"Good choice. Have you eaten here before? Their burgers are heavenly."

"I know. With the tomatoes and the cheese…"

"And the bacon and the mustard sauce…"

"And the chunky fries," they say with one mouth, grinning at each other.

"I always get ranch dressing with mine," Jared says.

"Me too."

Jensen grins and the last of the tension drains from Jared's belly. He remembers how to do this dating thing and Jensen's making it totally easy too. It's going to be a good night.

*
Two hours later, the plates have long been cleared away and they're left with nursing their beers. Jared's on his third bottle and he's reluctant to order a new one, opting instead to drink as slowly as possible and he notices Jensen doing the same. The conversation has been flowing freely since they got their food, but now it's trickling off in favor of long looks and random smiles.

It's kind of obvious they're both thinking about how and where the night will end, but they're both reluctant to say it out loud. Jared can't stop thinking about what it'll be like to kiss Jensen and every time their feet touch under the table it's like an electric current goes through him. For once he isn't thinking too far and planning the kids they may not have in the future. He's very intently focused on now and how he'll be able to get Jensen into a bed within the next ten minutes.

"So…" he says, turning the beer bottle between his fingers. "Wanna head to my place for coffee?"

He cringes once the words are out, because it sounds too cheap and so far it's been a perfect date, does he really want to end it with sex? What if that's all Jensen's really after and Jared's indulging him before he's realized how awesome Jared really is?

"I would love that," Jensen says with emphasis and Jared's doom and gloom thoughts are wiped from his mind. Alone with Jensen in a one room apartment where the bed is always handy? Oh fuck yes.

They argue for all of five seconds about who gets to pay until Jared lets Jensen win. It was Jensen's idea to begin with and Jared's one step from ending up on the street. The walk to Jared's apartment takes ten minutes instead of the normal fifteen and they hardly talk along the way. Usually Jared's kind of embarrassed for his tiny little apartment and the run down staircase, but today he's just too eager to get inside to worry about what Jensen might think.

He unlocks the door and opens it up, gesturing for Jensen to step inside with a dramatic gesture. "Welcome to my humble abode," he says. "And I really mean humble."

Jensen laughs. "I've seen smaller… In a kennel."

"Very funny," Jared grumbles, closing and looking the door behind them.

His hall's very small and with two people in it, it's definitely crowded, but somehow they manage to get out of their winter coats without anyone being knocked unconscious. Jared takes Jensen's coat and puts it on a hanger, more to have something to do with his hands than to be a gentleman.

"So this is the hall," he says. "That's the bathroom," he points to the closed door on the wall opposite of the front door. "And the bedroom, living room, office is in there."

Jensen steps through the open doorway Jared indicates and Jared follows suit. "Nice," Jensen says, looking around. "Cosy."

Jared shrugs. "It works."

In a way Jared's apartment is so overcrowded it's perpetually messy, but in another way it works as a style statement. In his one tiny room Jared managed to cram in a bed, a table with two chairs, two bookcases, a dresser and an armchair. There are throw rugs covering the entire floor and the bed is stacked high with pillows. It's not a very male apartment and Sandy's had a hand in the decorations. Before she put her female touch to it, it mostly looked as if Jared was sleeping in a storage room.

"So… uhm… coffee?" Jared asks, because it's kind of rude to ask for sex.

Jensen looks as if he considers it, glancing towards the curtain covered doorway that he rightly assumes hides the kitchen. "How about we fuck first and then have coffee? Chances are we won't be able to wait until it's finished anyway and coffee that's been left to simmer for too long tastes awful."

Jared blinks, his mouth falling open.

"Oh come on," Jensen says. "Like you haven't been thinking about it since we left the bar."

"Jesus," Jared mutters. "I was thinking about it before we even got our food."

Jensen moves into touching range and Jared snakes an arm around his waist, pulling him closer. "Well," Jensen murmurs. "I've been thinking about it for over a week now so…"

Jared thinks it's best to silence him with a kiss, because he kind of doesn't want to know where that sentence ends. Jensen's mouth opens up willingly against his, soft, pliant, wet, and fantastic. Jensen's arms slide around his neck and he tightens his arms around Jensen's waist, pulling him even closer. Jared brings one hand up to tangle in Jensen's hair, holding him in place as he deepens the kiss.

Jensen lets him lead at first, tasting his fill of Jensen's mouth, but then Jared finds the roles reversed, Jensen's slick tongue battling him for dominance and winning. He groans deep in his throat, somehow finding the strength to start walking them towards the bed in a shuffled tangle of limbs. Jensen's stubble rasps against his face, adding a delicious burn to the press of his lips, and God, Jared missed that feeling.

They find the bed a little earlier than Jared had predicted and fall onto it in an ungraceful tangle of limbs, knocking their noses together in a painful way.

"Sorry," Jared says, his voice so dark and gravely he hardly recognizes it, lifting his head to see if Jensen's okay.

Jensen huffs out a laugh. "It's okay," he says, eyes glittering. "I landed softly… Hey, your nose is bleeding."

"Damn." Jared rolls off Jensen to lie down on his back and pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Can I get you some paper?" Jensen asks.

"There's blood stilling cotton wool in the bathroom cabinet."

Jared squeezes his eyes shut as Jensen's gets up, tasting metal at the back of his tongue and feeling like the biggest dork in the universe. It's doesn't exactly help that he's still hard and with the way he's lying it ought to be blatantly visible. The bed dips with Jensen's weight and Jared opens his eyes again, smiling a little when Jensen dabs the blood from his lip with a tissue before handing him a roll of the cotton.

"Thanks," he mutters, rolling it tighter and sticking it into his nostril.

Jensen gets up again disappearing into the hall and Jared hears the toilet flush and then the tap turn on as Jensen washes his hands. He sighs and lets his eyes slip shut, wondering if he ruined everything and not just the mood.

"How are you feeling?" Jensen asks when he comes back, sitting down next to Jared.

"Stupid," Jared admits without opening his eyes.

Jensen laughs. "It was an accident," he says, putting a hand on Jared's chest. "It's okay. In ten years we'll laugh about this."

Jared opens his eyes to find Jensen smiling down at him, his hand a solid weight against his chest, and wonders if it's stupid of him to want to spend the next ten years with Jensen.

"I haven't done this in a while," he admits.

Jensen doesn't ask what he means and Jared realizes he probably figured that out days ago as they started talking online. He pushes himself up into sitting position, pleased when it doesn't seem like the bleeding start up again.

"I'm just gonna wash my face," he says.

"Okay." Jensen smiles, putting his hands in his lap and crossing his ankles demurely.

Jared smiles back, knowing he probably looks like an idiot with the roll of cotton sticking out of his nostril. He walks into the bathroom and pulls the cotton out, throwing it in the trashcan. The bleeding seems to have stopped so he washes his face with cold water and reaches for his toothbrush. Jensen shows up to stand in the doorway while he brushes his teeth and Jared's sure he's going to leave.

"Now that's cheating," Jensen says with smile.

"What is?" Jared asks, spitting the foam out and rinsing his mouth.

"Brushing your teeth in the middle of a date."

Jared laughs and wipes a towel over his mouth. "I'll have you know," he says, "That I find the taste of stale beer very exciting."

Jensen grins, stepping closer. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," Jared says, closing the distance between them and bending down to give Jensen a kiss.

Jensen kisses him back, sucking gently on his tongue and winding his fingers in Jared's hair. "How about," Jensen says, pulling back minutely. "We lie down first this time?"

Jared laughs. "Yeah," he says, already breathless. "Sounds like a good idea."

Jensen leads him to the bed by the hand and Jared finds that so unbelievably adorable it's obvious he's already a lost case. He never really believed in love at first sight before, but Jensen is making him change his mind.

Jensen crawls on the bed first and Jared lies down beside him, rolling over on his side so that they are facing each other. Jensen moves closer, slinging one leg over Jared's hips and pressing their lips together again. It's better this time, slower but just as intense. Close and intimate in a way Jared wasn't with Tom even after almost a year. Jensen undulates slowly against him, the hard line of his cock brushing against Jared's every so often, sending sparks of pleasure through Jared's groin.

Jared could do this forever, just this, but eventually the pressure builds up and he starts to let his hands wander. He runs them down over Jensen's taut back to cup his ass and then up to grab his hip, bringing them even closer. Jensen moans softly against his lips and the sound goes straight to his cock, making him groan in turn, nipping at Jensen's lush lower lip.

Somehow he manages to get a hand in between them, rucking Jensen's shirt up so that he can slide his hand in underneath, touching Jensen's hard, flat stomach. Jensen's muscles clench and relax under his fingers, the treasure trail tickling against his fingers tips as Jensen throws his head back with a sigh of pleasure.

Jared rolls them over, pressing Jensen into the bed with his body as he dips his head to kiss a line down Jensen's throat. Jensen makes a tiny little sound, spreading his legs wide to accommodate for Jared, so naturally that's when Jared's phone starts ringing.

"Fuck," Jared exclaims, looking towards the hall where the phone is still in his jacket.

It's Chad's ringtone and since it's a quarter past eleven he probably just wants to wish Jared an early happy new year.

"You gonna answer?" Jensen asks, voice rough and gravelly.

"No," Jared says, bending down to kiss Jensen again as the phone stops ringing.

It takes only a few seconds for it to beep to tell him he's got a new voicemail and then it starts ringing again. Jared lifts his head, suddenly torn. It might just be that Chad suddenly convinced himself that Jared's in trouble, but what if it's something else.

"Answer it," Jensen says, shoving at Jared's shoulders. "I'm not going anywhere."

Jared gets up and picks up just as it's about to go to voicemail. He doesn't even have time to introduce himself before Chad starts talking, a crazy jumble of words out of which Jared only manages to pick up ‘Sandy, sick, ambulance’. His heart starts beating triple time as he tries to get information about which hospital out of Chad. Chad finally manage to get the right information out, St. Vincent hospital, luckily the closest one to Jared, and Jared hangs up after saying he'll be there as soon as he can.

Jensen already putting his shoes on and reaching for his jacket, without Jared even noticing he appeared. "Where are we going?" he asks.

Jared almost cries, he's so grateful. "St. Vincent" he says. "Something happened with Sandy, I couldn't get more out of Chad."

"My car's just around the corner," Jensen says. "I'll drive you."

Jared bites down on his lower lip, wanting to say something but not finding the words. Jensen's simply too good to be true. He manages to get his jacket and shoes on, checking to see if he got his keys before following Jensen into the stairwell. Jensen takes the lead, walking quickly to the parking facility where he keeps his car, he didn't lie when he said it was just around the corner, and they pull up outside the ER fifteen minutes later.

"Want me to come with you?" Jensen asks, letting the engine run.

"Would you?" Jared counter asks, biting down on his lip again.

"You head inside, I'm just gonna park the car."

"Thank you," Jared says and it comes straight from the heart. He has no idea why he finds Jensen's presence so calming, but he wants him to stay around. "Her names Sandy McCoy - Murray, if I'm not in the waiting hall say you're her brother or something."

"Okay," Jensen nods and leans over to give Jared the quickest of kisses. "Now hurry."

Jared slides out of the car and runs into the reception area, almost running smack dab into Chad, Nora and a pale looking Sandy sitting in a wheel chair with a blanket over her legs. Chad looks up and grins big and bright, giving Jared a one armed hug that almost crushes the half asleep Nora between them.

"Hey," Jared says, looking them over for any visible injuries. "What happened?"

Chad grins even brighter, reaching down to squeeze Sandy's shoulder, and Jared's starting to fear for his mental health, the man was in hysterics just a few minutes ago.

"You tell him, baby," he says.

Jared looks down at Sandy, raising his eyebrows. "Well…" Sandy says, looking embarrassed. "I've been feeling kind of crappy lately and uhm… tonight I kinda threw up all over the table and dropped down in a dead faint."

"I thought she had a fucking stroke or something," Chad says with a shudder. "Freaked me the fuck out."

"Language," Sandy says sternly.

"Fuhk," Nora says, as on cue.

"But you're okay now?" Jared asks, crouching down to get a better look at Sandy.

"Yeah… well… it turns out I'm pregnant."

Jared grins. "Really?"

Sandy grins back. "Really."

"And everything's okay in there?" he nods towards Sandy's stomach.

"Hopefully. They're keeping me over night and I'm scheduled for an ultrasound in the morning, but they listened to the heart sounds and everything sounded good. They think I'm just fatigued and low on iron, like I was when I was expecting Nora."

Jared's faces stretches into a grin. Just yesterday this news would probably have sent him into another spiral of depression, but today he's just genuinely happy for his best friends. He stands up again and gives Nora's cheek a kiss, squeezing Chad's shoulder.

"Congratulations guys," he says. "I'm so freaking happy for you."

"Okay," Sandy says. "Who are you and what did you do to Jared?"

He laughs. "I'm just in a good mood today."

He glances at the clock on the wall. It's five minutes to twelve and the new year will soon begin.

"How did you get here so fast anyway?" Chad asks. "I thought for sure it would be impossible to get a cab on New Year's Eve."

"Jensen drove me."

"Jensen?" Sandy and Chad asks with one mouth.

"That would be me," Jensen says from behind Jared's back.

"Oh," Chad says and blinks. "And you know each other how?"

Jared knows that tone so he slings a protective arm over Jensen's shoulders. "He's my date," he says. "And you've met him before."

"Santa," Sandy says with a knowing smile.

Jared grins. "Indeed."

"So is everything okay?" Jensen asks, looking between Jared, Chad and Sandy.

"Yeah," Sandy says. "I'm feeling fine now."

"I'm glad."

Jensen sounds so painstakingly polite that Jared feels sorry for him, but maybe it has something to do with the way Chad is still glaring at him over the top of Nora's head.

"So do you need anything?" he asks. "Want me to take Nora?"

"Thanks man, but no," Chad says. "Meg's coming to get her. They stayed behind to clean up the mess back home and they're gonna stay at our place tonight. I'm gonna stick around until they get Sandy a room and then I'll head home as well."

The clock strikes midnight and a chorus of Happy New Year erupt around them. Jared squeezes Jensen's shoulder and joins in the cheering. For the first time in ages it actually feels like it could be a happy new year.

*

In the car back to their neighborhood Jared fills Jensen in on the details he’s missed and assures him that Chad's not going to break him no matter what he looked like. Jensen seems genuinely happy that they're all okay and Jared really wants to kiss him silly without emergency interruptions this time.

"So…" Jared says as Jensen's maneuvered the car into his slot. "You coming back to my place? I know our date hasn't exactly been a success so far, but I thought maybe we'd give it another try."

Jensen laughs. "Yeah, this night has certainly given a new spin on coitus interruptus, but third time's the charm, yeah?"

"I fucking well hope so," Jared mutters.

Jensen laughs again and puts his hands between Jared's shoulder blades, steering him towards the exit. "Just so you know," he says. "I've had a great time with you tonight."

Jared glances at him and almost blushes. "Me too," he admits.

Jensen smiles and then he moves closer and gives Jared a kiss. It's quick but the feeling lingers on Jared's lips, making them tingle with anticipation.

"Oh, maybe I should ask… How do you feel about PDA?"

Jared laughs. "A bit too late for that now, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but still…"

Jensen's hand slides down his back to rest just above his ass. Low and intimate enough for anyone to suspect they're involved without being obvious. Jared smiles to himself and pounces as soon as Jensen reaches for the door to the staircase, pressing him up against the door and giving him a real kiss. He missed having someone to kiss out in the open, to hold hands with and embrace without caring about what people might think. Jensen makes a sound against his lips, stiffening for just a second before melting into Jared, hooking his fingers into the back of Jared's waistband to keep him close.

"Just so you know," Jared says when he lifts his head, taking a moment to appreciate Jensen's spit slick lips and dazed eyes. "It makes me hot all over."

"You make me hot all over," Jensen answers, voice deep and dark.

Jared opens his mouth to answer, but is cut short by Jensen's cell phone ringing. "Sorry," Jensen says, fishing it out and looking at the display. "It's my sister."

Jared nods and takes a step back, not wanting to be molesting Jensen while he's talking to his sister. Jensen reaches out with his free hand and grabs hold of Jared's jacket though, pulling him back. It's been too long since Jared just embraced someone and the way Jensen snuggles up close feels awesome.

He doesn't really listen to what Jensen's saying. He just lets the cadence of his voice wash over him and wonders if it's possible to grow tired of listening to him. Jensen's heat seeps through his thick winter coat and Jared lets his eyes slip shut for a moment. He got up too early this morning, nervous and excited in an about even mix and it's coming back to haunt him now.

"Are you sleeping?" Jensen asks, with obvious amusement and Jared opens his eyes.

"No," Jared protest, even though it was a very close call.

Jensen smiles for an answer, winding Jared's coat around his fingers. "I have to go pick up my sister and drive her back to campus," Jensen says, sounding embarrassed. "She's kinda drunk."

"Okay." Jared nods. "Want me to come?"

He doesn't even realize he's offering to meet Jensen's family on their first date, until it's too late.

"Would you?" Jensen counter asks, sounding hopeful.

"Yeah." Jared smiles, despite the nerves already twisting his stomach into knots. "I'm not letting you out of my sight until I get some."

Jensen laughs, but then he looks up at Jared through his lashes. "And then?"

"After I get some?"

Jensen smoothes some invisible wrinkles out on Jared's coat. "Yeah."

"Well… I hope I'll be getting some more… On a regular basis?"

It's too early to have this talk, too early to even think about it, but Jared's never been one for playing games, he got enough of that with Tom. Jensen's mouth stretches into a huge smile and he uses his grip on Jared's jacket to pull him down for a quick kiss.

"I really, really like you," he says, looking deep into Jared's eyes.

"Yeah?" Jared grins. "I'm very likable."

Jensen smiles back and looks as if he's about to say something, but changes his mind.

"What?" Jared asks.

"Nothing," Jensen says. "I'll tell you some other time, or you'll break up with me because I'm a hopeless sap."

Jared grins, mostly because Jensen thinks there's something to break up. One of the reasons he's been so reluctant to start dating again is that he hates all the secrecy and the unwritten rules. If you really really like someone and really get along with them on the first date and if you go home planning your future kids, you're not allowed to actually say it until you've been dating for months (and you better wait a few years to start talking about the kids part).

He hates that you have to do the dating thing forever before it's time to label the relationship and he really hates that saying I love you can't even be considered until something like the one year anniversary. Maybe it's because he has a tendency to always think the best about people. In his mind it's stupid to bother going on dates if the only thing you want is a quick fuck, but maybe that makes him stupid, or maybe, he grins at Jensen, he's been dating the wrong people.

"Are you for real?" he asks as Jensen tugs on his hand to lead him back to the car.

Jensen purses his lips. "Yeah… I'd like to think so."

"Can we have kids?"

Jensen glances at him. "Is this where you tell me you have parts that guys don't normally have?"

Jared shakes his head.

"In that case: yes, I want kids."

Jared's heart does a double take and somehow it doesn't matter if Jensen's only saying it to please him. "Does this mean you wouldn't like me if I had girl parts?"

Jensen elbows him in the side. "If you have, please tell me now. I need time to prepare."

Jared laughs.

"Oh come on, like you don't think they're gross."

"I don't think women are gross."

"Not women… the girl parts. Boobs I kinda get. Pussy? Just… no. It's all wrinkly and… Yeah, gross."

"I'm gonna tell your sister you said that," Jared says as he slides in to the passenger seat.

"Oh God, please don't." Jensen looks close to panic. "Mac would kill me… or just send me pictures of vaginas every day for the rest of my life."

Jared grins. "She sounds a lot like my sister… and I hate the word vagina."

"See? I told you it was gross."

Jared laughs again and he can't remember the last time he laughed so much. Jensen just seems to bring out the best in him.

*

Jensen's sister turns out to be very drunk, very funny, and very affectionate. She's also convinced that Jensen hired Jared to be his boyfriend, because according to her Jensen sucks at dating. Jared thinks that's kind of cute and in the car back to Joshua's, Jensen admits he hasn't introduced anyone to his family in years, because none of his relationships lasted long enough for it to be relevant.

This time they make it back to Jared's place without interruptions and both of them take a long deep breath of relief when the doors are closed and locked behind them. The alarm clock on Jared's bedside table glares 2.15am and Jared feels like someone's put him through a grinder.

"God I'm tired," he says as he takes of his coat.

Jensen yawns for an answer and smiles a sleepy little smile. "I hear you."

Jared shuffles his feet. "Would it be really lame to not have sex right now?"

"I'm afraid lame would be the operative word if we tried," Jensen says ruefully, looking down on his crotch.

"Oh yeah," Jared remarks with a grin. "I forgot that you're old."

Jensen slaps him on the arm. "Can I use the bathroom? It's time to change my diapers."

"Go ahead. There's a new toothbrush in the cabinet. You can take that if you want to."

Jensen smiles over his shoulder, before disappearing through the door. Jared busies himself with stripping down to his boxer. He feels kind of stupid standing around half naked, but they're going to bed, it would be even more stupid to do so fully dressed. He turns down the covers on the bed and removes the pile of pillows that are more for decoration than use. He has just finished and sat down on the edge of the bed when Jensen comes out of the bathroom.

"I used the…" Jensen trails off, looking Jared up and down. "Uhm… I used the… I mean… Wow, you're… uhm…" He blinks rapidly, as if he's trying to shake the fog from his head. "You look… I mean…"

Jared starts to feel embarrassed by the scrutiny, but it's good to know that channeling his sexual frustration into working out actually paid off. He gets up from the edge of the bed and Jensen actually whimpers, following the line of Jared's body up to his face.

Jared grins. "Hold that thought. I need to pee."

Jensen nods, turning around to look after Jared as he walks in to the bathroom. Jared relieves himself quickly and washes up, ending the procedure with brushing his teeth. His cock is half hard and heavy between his legs and maybe he isn't all that tired after all.

Jensen is already under the covers when he gets back into the room and Jared pauses to turn of the overhead light. The window light is still turned on, giving enough light to enhance the room with a warm glow. He pauses at the edge of the bed and looks down on Jensen, hooking his thumbs into the waistband of his boxers.

"So…" he says. "How lame are you feeling?"

"Take them off. Please…" Jensen says, staring intently. He still looks equal parts awed and dazed, and it's way cuter than it should be.

Jared laughs and pushes his boxers down his legs, stepping out of them. Jensen's eyes go stupidly wide and he licks his lips.

"You're very… proportional," he manages, blushing deep red.

Jared laughs and crawls onto the bed, lying down on his side next to Jensen. Jensen immediately moves closer and locks their lips together. Jared might have rendered Jensen more or less speechless, but there's nothing wrong with his ability to kiss Jared silly. As the kisses deepen they struggle to get closer, hands sliding restlessly over exposed skin. The duvet is caught between them and no matter how much they push and wriggle it won't go away, they just end up more tangled.

Jared finds that it doesn't matter much though, not with the way the fabric is rubbing against his sensitized cock and the needy little noises Jensen's making. Somehow he manages to roll them over so that he's on top and Jensen pulls his legs up so that Jared ends up with between them, still with the duvet as an ineffectual chaperon.

He would do something about the duvet situation if he was able to pull away from Jensen's lips, but kissing Jensen is the best thing ever, and every time he lifts his head to suck in much needed air, he's drawn back by Jensen's spit slick lips and pleasure dark eyes. Jensen manages to hook a leg (and lots of duvet) over Jared's hips and arches up into every thrust.

"Oh Jesus, fuck," Jensen groans suddenly, arching up and digging his fingers into Jared's back. "Oh God."

"Yeah," Jared breathes into Jensen's sweaty neck. "Yeah, that's it."

Jensen shudders underneath him, riding the high of his unexpected orgasm and Jared moans deep in his throat, thrusting his hips a couple of more times before he comes as well, emptying his load into a fold of the duvet. He collapses next to Jensen panting for breath.

"I just had sex with a duvet," he says out loud, and Jensen bursts into laughter.

"Tell me about it," he manages between hiccups and Jared starts laughing as well, because it's certainly the oddest sex he's ever had.

He turns his head to look at Jensen and laughs even more, because it's just so funny and somehow the perfect end to a disastrous night. Jensen silences him with a kiss, but it only works for a minute before they both burst out laughing again. With fumbly fingers they manage to get Jensen out of his boxers and the duvet out of the way, cleaning up as best they can.

Jared pulls up the blankets that normally cover the bed and they cuddle up close underneath them, Jared on his back and Jensen with his head on Jared's chest.

"I had a really great time tonight," Jensen murmurs, painting a circle with his fingers on Jared's chest.

"Me too," Jared answers, trying to suppress a new bout of laughter. "It was certainly different."

"But good," Jensen clarifies.

"Yeah, it was good."

Jensen lifts his head and they share another slow kiss.

"How about tomorrow we try out some sex with actual body contact?" Jensen asks as he puts his head down.

Jared slides his hand down to rest just above the swell of Jensen's ass and nods. "I'd like that."

"Good."

Jared lets his eyes slip shut and smiles to himself. With anyone else this would have constituted the worst date he'd ever been at, but somehow with Jensen it's been okay, or better than okay, it's been good. It's like every mishap just brought them closer together and not even the fact that they just had a threesome with his duvet can break his spirit. The duvet can be washed and the fact that Jensen's still here, lying wrapped up in his arms, really means something.

"I really, really like you too," he says out loud and even though Jensen doesn't answer, Jared can feel his lips stretching into a smile against his skin.

Somehow, it's the best beginning of a new year he's ever had and he just knows that next year around this time Jensen will still be in his life.

The End

See Also: Rent-a-Santa: Ten Months Later