[Fic] The House at the End of the Street | J2 | PG
THE HOUSE AT THE END OF THE STREET
Jared/Jensen. PG. 2500 words.
Written for the All Hallows' Eve J2/SPN Meme, using dugindeep's prompt of Trick or Treating with a li'l one (their own kid, niece/nephew, whatever) and Jared is a bit scared by the really creepy house at the end of the street. Brush your teeth after reading this, folks. It's that sweet ♥
All Hallows' Eve: An SPN/RPS Comment Fic Meme
"The lights are on, and that means there has to be candy. That’s, like, a rule," Twyla says, hands on her fringe-skirted hips as she imitates a pose Jared knows she got from her mother. His sister's been pulling that move since she was eight. "And my bag's not full yet."
Jared doesn't bother pointing out to his niece that they could revisit every house in the neighborhood and still not fill her pillowcase-sized sack. What's with the mega-bags, anyway? Is diabetes not prevalent enough already?
"I wanna go home and watch a movie," Jake says, tugging back on Jared's hand. His nephew's Captain America costume (and aren't they an all-American pair: a superhero and a cowgirl) has suffered during their hour-and-a-half long trek around Jared's sister's neighborhood. His hood is lopsided over his forehead, one glove is missing, and there's chocolate smeared on Jake's cheek. But he's only 6 years old so he's still nothing but adorable to Jared.
"Maybe we should go back to your house," Jared says to them, looking at the house Twyla's been nudging them towards. “Those lights could come on automatically, Twyla, because it doesn’t look like anyone’s home.” The house - manor - wouldn't look out of place in any of the horror movie reboots Hollywood is vomiting out these days. There’s an inherent menace around the place, far scarier than any of the elaborate, ‘haunted’ front yards they’ve walked through already. Bare branches reaching out to claw the dark siding, eaves casting shadows like hoods over the windows, and a lawn devoid of growth like unholy ground or something. Jared shudders again.
“One more house, please?” Twyla begs, an epic pout in place under her drawn-on freckles. “Then we can go home.”
Jared sighs, thinking he’s got a way out. “Fine, one more house. Let’s go hit up the one that was giving out gummi worms again.”
“No, Uncle Jay,” his niece stresses. “I want to go to that house.”
One near-tantrum later, Jared finds himself on the doorstep of the Dark Shadows house (at least that’s what it’s being called in his head, and most likely his soon-to-be-printed obituary). The light over the door flickers like an open flame and Jared swallows, wondering how the nine-year old in front of him can be so brave when his knees are trembling. Ironic how most people would call Jared brave due to his line of work-if only they could see him now, cowed by the eerie shadows of this house draping over him.
“Ugh,” Twyla scoffs, “what’s taking them so long?” She rings the doorbell again.
“Probably sharpening their fangs,” Jared mutters under his breath so Jake won’t hear him. Jared had checked out a bag of M&M’s and given them to his nephew as a distraction from the big, ominous house. In his pocket, Jared’s got 9-1-1 dialed on his cell, finger hovering over the SEND button.
He’s ready to turn-tail and rush back to the sidewalk, carrying Twyla if he needs to, when he hears footsteps approaching the door. A slow sweep-and-drag, as if someone is pulling dead weight…
And then the door opens and Jared’s jaw hits the floor, though fear is the furthest thing from what he’s feeling.
“Hey! Happy Halloween, guys!” The man in the doorway shouts, shaking Jared out of his impromptu trance. If ‘sex’ were a Halloween costume, this man would be wearing the hell out of it with his full, red lips, smoky green eyes, and a face sculptors would kill to reproduce in marble. But he’s not actually wearing a costume, simply a long-sleeved, rust-colored henley shirt, jeans, and the most ridiculous pair of fluffy slippers.
“Y’all are only my second group of the night,” the man is telling them. “I wonder why?”
“Your house is kinda freaky,” Twyla says without a filter, up on her tip-toes in cowboy boots to check out the bowl of candy (are those whole bags?) the man’s holding. Even Jake’s green eyes are wide as saucers behind his Captain America hood as he stares at the treats on display.
“Right, I guess it kind of is, huh? I did get one group of teenagers who were pale as sheets when I opened the door, and I’m pretty sure they weren’t dressed up as Twilight vampires.” He extends his hand out to Jared. “I’m Jensen, by the way. Just moved in about a month ago. Do you live in this neighborhood?”
Twyla jumps up. “We do! But Uncle Jay is taking us trick-or-treating because our parents are gone.”
“Oh…” Jensen looks panicked for a moment before Jared decides to clarify.
“My sister and her husband are both on poorly-timed business trips. So it’s Uncle Jared to the rescue tonight.”
“And none of you were afraid to ring my doorbell, huh?” Jensen asks with a wink. “That’s awesome.”
“My Uncle was.” Dammit, Twyla. “He thought you were gonna eat us or something lame, but I wasn’t scared.”
Jensen’s eyes sparkle when he looks at Jared and licks his lips. “I’m very picky about who I eat.” Oh god, Jared thinks. Jensen’s already flirting with him and his own skills have been on the bench for months. “Only bad kids who want to trick me, but that’s not you guys, right?”
Jake and Twyla shake their heads, and Jensen rewards them by letting them pick out massive bags of candy from his bowl. “Um, this was my first time buying Halloween candy, so I had no idea what to get.” There’s a fond smile on his face as he watches Jared’s niece read labels to Jake, pointing out the best kinds of candy, and if anything, that faint grin makes him even more attractive. Jensen is the kind of hot Jared looks for at clubs, despite knowing he’s never going to find it. Guys like Jensen have houses (albeit ones that belong in nightmares) and foyer rugs and freaking slippers, and he’s probably cruised more walking through the grocery store than regular guys are at the gay clubs. He’s got stability, and since Jared’s job is anything but stable, it’s a trait he’s super attracted to.
Spying a bright yellow bag in Jensen’s bowl, Jared tries to sneak his hand forward.
“Sorry, no costume, no candy,” Jensen says, smiling as he holds the bowl out of Jared’s significant reach.
“Hey, that’s not a rule!”
“It’s totally a rule.”
“But my uncle is dressed up,” Twyla insists, her ginger ringlets bouncing beneath her suede hat.
Jensen grins at her. “Oh yeah, what’s your uncle supposed to be?”
“A normal person,” she says, and Jake nods in agreement. Jensen looks up in time to see Jared rolling his eyes. Kids.
“I don’t think that counts?” Jensen tells her skeptically.
“She’s right,” Jared says. “Normally they see me in my uniform or wearing my gear. I’m a firefighter, and hey, I figure if kids can dress up like me for Halloween, I’m allowed to go out as a ‘normal guy.’”
Jensen pretends to think about it, but he hands over the candy bucket. There’s an entire bag of sour gummi worms (Jensen wasn’t kidding when he said he had no idea how to buy Halloween candy) and Jared imagines that he’s died and gone to confectionary heaven. Jared has snuck one or two pieces of candy from Jake’s bag while they walked, but it doesn’t compare to the sour taste puckering his cheeks right now. Jensen’s watching him with a smile, and Jared’s heart melts like chocolate in Jensen’s hand.
He definitely wasn’t expecting this when he volunteered for uncle-duty tonight.
“Alright, I’ve gotta ask,” Jared says. “What made you buy this house? I mean, you’ve seen it from the outside, right?”
Jensen shrugs, coming up to stand beside Jared as they watch the kids compare their sugary hauls. “What can I say? I enjoy a challenge.” Jared raises an eyebrow, disbelieving, and Jensen continues. “I’m an architect, and I was looking for a house I could turn into my own project, you know? Maybe you couldn’t see past the creep-factor, but this place has great lines-”
“You mean great terror potential.”
“Be nice to my house, man,” Jensen teases. “Seriously, it might take me a while, but when I’m through with this place, it’ll be the best looking house on the street, inside and out. I’ll bring in lots of light, wrap a porch around the entire front face, and add a furnished apartment above the garage…” He trails off wistfully. “You’ll have to come back to see it then, Jared. Won’t be anything terrifying about it.”
“I think I’ll take you up on that,” Jared says, leaning close enough for their shoulders to brush. He’s positive that he doesn’t imagine the shiver that runs through Jensen’s body after that brief contact, or the way his own legs feel like gelatin. Feeling brave in a way he hadn’t fifteen minutes ago while standing on Jensen’s doorstep, watching a nine-year old ring a doorbell he was too chicken to, Jared turns to whisper, “but what if I don’t want to wait that long to come back and see you?”
He doesn’t get a verbal response right away, but as Jared watches Jensen’s reaction, he’s not discouraged. The man’s cheeks bloom pink, color flushing all the way down the side of his neck. And the lines fanning out from the corner of his eye are like little smiles to match the one curving his lips.
Finally, Jensen looks up at the kids and says, “I don’t think I’ll be getting anymore trick-or-treaters tonight, and I know Hocus Pocus is on TV right now…”
“What’s Hocus Pocus?” Twyla asks.
Jared laughs. “Only one of the best Halloween movies ever, Twyla.” Then, to Jensen: “Are you asking us to stay for a bit?”
“Big new house gets kind of lonely, and I’ve got plenty of candy just in case.”
“What do you say, guys?” Jared asks his niece and nephew, and surprisingly it’s Jake who nods first, followed by his sister. “Alright, I guess we’re getting a movie after all.”
Jensen leads them all into a much-less menacing living room filled with bright décor and plenty of light. The kids dump their candy on the floor and jump onto the couch, fighting over who gets which half.
Jared pulls Jensen aside at the door. “You didn’t have to do this, Jensen, but thanks. This probably isn’t anything like the Halloween you were planning…”
Pressing up chest-to-chest, Jensen’s lips are mouthwateringly close when he says, “Having a gorgeous firefighter show up at my door and convincing him to stay? Way better than anything I had planned. Now come on, Thackery Binks,” he teases, stepping away, “I’ve got your spot picked out on the couch.”
And Jared follows.
~~~
One year later, Jared opens Jensen’s door from the inside, smiling at his niece and nephew on the front porch. Jake’s donned a Green Arrow costume this year, complete with oily, green face-paint across his eyes and a replica bow, while Twyla’s bedecked in pink tulle and black satin trying to look like her favorite member of the latest Disney girl-band.
“Hey, guys, you’re early!”
“Sorry,” Megan says, nudging Jake through the door after Twyla bounces in. “Dustin’s party starts earlier than we thought. Are you sure you and Jensen don’t mind taking the kids around? I don’t want to ruin your plan.”
“Not at all,” Jensen says, appearing from the direction of their newly-renovated kitchen. “Our thing doesn’t start until later anyway, and we’re looking forward to getting out around the neighborhood.”
Jared’s grateful that Jensen’s capable of answering questions, because he’s currently unable to speak. This is the first time Jared’s seen his boyfriend’s costume (they have their own party to head to later tonight), and damn, it’s a stunner. Because while Jared’s never really fantasized about getting it on with any of the guys in the firehouse, he’d be drooling all over himself if Jensen were on his team.
He’s oblivious to Megan and the kids checking out the stash of candy Jensen’s going to leave on the doorstep while they’re out trick-or-treating (needless to say, he and Jared bought smarter this year), too busy checking out Jensen’s rented fireman’s outfit, complete with suspenders, nearly-authentic pants, and heavy boots. The image is a cross between the guys Jared sees during every shift and a stripper/fantasy version of a fireman, thanks to Jensen’s tight, black t-shirt, flawlessly gelled hair, and sculpted face.
“Jared?” Megan knocks him on the shoulder. “Roll that tongue back up, bro, ‘cause I’ve got to run.” On the other side of the foyer, Jensen’s laughing at him, white teeth showing in his wide smile. Jared’s heart melts all over again, the same way it did when they met exactly one year ago. Megan dashes off in a rush, promising to be back before Jared and Jensen need to leave, leaving the kids in the hall.
“It’s too early to go yet,” Twyla says. “Can we watch TV?”
“Sure. Your uncle needs to get dressed before we go anyway.”
They leave the kids in the living room, one of the few spaces that hadn’t needed a serious overhauling after Jensen bought the place, and retreat to the master bedroom-a large, bright space at the back of the house. It was the first room Jensen had worked on and, more importantly, the site of their first kiss.
Despite their mutual flirting last Halloween, it had taken them weeks to get together. Jared came around first as a friend, then as an extra set of hands whenever Jensen needed help with his remodeling project (the undertaking of the century, in Jared’s opinion). But one night in early December, Jensen had asked Jared for help with his new bedroom furniture. They’d built the bed, hauled in the mattress, and when it was done, Jensen had stepped up to kiss Jared on very willing lips.
After that, the new bed was thoroughly christened and they’d never looked back.
Today, the scary house he’d been afraid to walk into is Jared’s, too. Jensen had taken some of his ideas and brought them to life, blending them with his own concepts. That, more than anything, told him exactly how Jensen felt about him, even if they’d only whispered it to one another in the darkness, while thinking the other was asleep.
Suddenly, those secretive whispers aren’t enough for Jared. He’s watching Jensen put the finishing touches on his drop-dead sexy costume and all he can think about is the way he’d smiled at Twyla and Jake earlier. The two kids adore him, and the feeling is mutual. The guys at the fire station respect him (and not just because he’s kicking ass in their fantasy football league). And it goes without saying that Megan and the rest of Jared’s family have enfolded Jensen into their ranks-Jensen is a part of Jared’s life in every way imaginable.
And Jared needs to tell him that, right now. He needs to say the words so badly, they’re burning his tongue. He must make some sort of sound, because Jensen looks up and gives him a smile as he sets the rest of Jared’s Thor costume on the bed.
“Something wrong, Jay?”
All Jared can do is shake his head and take Jensen’s hand, allowing himself a deep breath before he says the words he’s been waiting his whole life to say.
FIN.
Now go and fill some of the other prompts! \o/
Jared/Jensen. PG. 2500 words.
Written for the All Hallows' Eve J2/SPN Meme, using dugindeep's prompt of Trick or Treating with a li'l one (their own kid, niece/nephew, whatever) and Jared is a bit scared by the really creepy house at the end of the street. Brush your teeth after reading this, folks. It's that sweet ♥
All Hallows' Eve: An SPN/RPS Comment Fic Meme
"The lights are on, and that means there has to be candy. That’s, like, a rule," Twyla says, hands on her fringe-skirted hips as she imitates a pose Jared knows she got from her mother. His sister's been pulling that move since she was eight. "And my bag's not full yet."
Jared doesn't bother pointing out to his niece that they could revisit every house in the neighborhood and still not fill her pillowcase-sized sack. What's with the mega-bags, anyway? Is diabetes not prevalent enough already?
"I wanna go home and watch a movie," Jake says, tugging back on Jared's hand. His nephew's Captain America costume (and aren't they an all-American pair: a superhero and a cowgirl) has suffered during their hour-and-a-half long trek around Jared's sister's neighborhood. His hood is lopsided over his forehead, one glove is missing, and there's chocolate smeared on Jake's cheek. But he's only 6 years old so he's still nothing but adorable to Jared.
"Maybe we should go back to your house," Jared says to them, looking at the house Twyla's been nudging them towards. “Those lights could come on automatically, Twyla, because it doesn’t look like anyone’s home.” The house - manor - wouldn't look out of place in any of the horror movie reboots Hollywood is vomiting out these days. There’s an inherent menace around the place, far scarier than any of the elaborate, ‘haunted’ front yards they’ve walked through already. Bare branches reaching out to claw the dark siding, eaves casting shadows like hoods over the windows, and a lawn devoid of growth like unholy ground or something. Jared shudders again.
“One more house, please?” Twyla begs, an epic pout in place under her drawn-on freckles. “Then we can go home.”
Jared sighs, thinking he’s got a way out. “Fine, one more house. Let’s go hit up the one that was giving out gummi worms again.”
“No, Uncle Jay,” his niece stresses. “I want to go to that house.”
One near-tantrum later, Jared finds himself on the doorstep of the Dark Shadows house (at least that’s what it’s being called in his head, and most likely his soon-to-be-printed obituary). The light over the door flickers like an open flame and Jared swallows, wondering how the nine-year old in front of him can be so brave when his knees are trembling. Ironic how most people would call Jared brave due to his line of work-if only they could see him now, cowed by the eerie shadows of this house draping over him.
“Ugh,” Twyla scoffs, “what’s taking them so long?” She rings the doorbell again.
“Probably sharpening their fangs,” Jared mutters under his breath so Jake won’t hear him. Jared had checked out a bag of M&M’s and given them to his nephew as a distraction from the big, ominous house. In his pocket, Jared’s got 9-1-1 dialed on his cell, finger hovering over the SEND button.
He’s ready to turn-tail and rush back to the sidewalk, carrying Twyla if he needs to, when he hears footsteps approaching the door. A slow sweep-and-drag, as if someone is pulling dead weight…
And then the door opens and Jared’s jaw hits the floor, though fear is the furthest thing from what he’s feeling.
“Hey! Happy Halloween, guys!” The man in the doorway shouts, shaking Jared out of his impromptu trance. If ‘sex’ were a Halloween costume, this man would be wearing the hell out of it with his full, red lips, smoky green eyes, and a face sculptors would kill to reproduce in marble. But he’s not actually wearing a costume, simply a long-sleeved, rust-colored henley shirt, jeans, and the most ridiculous pair of fluffy slippers.
“Y’all are only my second group of the night,” the man is telling them. “I wonder why?”
“Your house is kinda freaky,” Twyla says without a filter, up on her tip-toes in cowboy boots to check out the bowl of candy (are those whole bags?) the man’s holding. Even Jake’s green eyes are wide as saucers behind his Captain America hood as he stares at the treats on display.
“Right, I guess it kind of is, huh? I did get one group of teenagers who were pale as sheets when I opened the door, and I’m pretty sure they weren’t dressed up as Twilight vampires.” He extends his hand out to Jared. “I’m Jensen, by the way. Just moved in about a month ago. Do you live in this neighborhood?”
Twyla jumps up. “We do! But Uncle Jay is taking us trick-or-treating because our parents are gone.”
“Oh…” Jensen looks panicked for a moment before Jared decides to clarify.
“My sister and her husband are both on poorly-timed business trips. So it’s Uncle Jared to the rescue tonight.”
“And none of you were afraid to ring my doorbell, huh?” Jensen asks with a wink. “That’s awesome.”
“My Uncle was.” Dammit, Twyla. “He thought you were gonna eat us or something lame, but I wasn’t scared.”
Jensen’s eyes sparkle when he looks at Jared and licks his lips. “I’m very picky about who I eat.” Oh god, Jared thinks. Jensen’s already flirting with him and his own skills have been on the bench for months. “Only bad kids who want to trick me, but that’s not you guys, right?”
Jake and Twyla shake their heads, and Jensen rewards them by letting them pick out massive bags of candy from his bowl. “Um, this was my first time buying Halloween candy, so I had no idea what to get.” There’s a fond smile on his face as he watches Jared’s niece read labels to Jake, pointing out the best kinds of candy, and if anything, that faint grin makes him even more attractive. Jensen is the kind of hot Jared looks for at clubs, despite knowing he’s never going to find it. Guys like Jensen have houses (albeit ones that belong in nightmares) and foyer rugs and freaking slippers, and he’s probably cruised more walking through the grocery store than regular guys are at the gay clubs. He’s got stability, and since Jared’s job is anything but stable, it’s a trait he’s super attracted to.
Spying a bright yellow bag in Jensen’s bowl, Jared tries to sneak his hand forward.
“Sorry, no costume, no candy,” Jensen says, smiling as he holds the bowl out of Jared’s significant reach.
“Hey, that’s not a rule!”
“It’s totally a rule.”
“But my uncle is dressed up,” Twyla insists, her ginger ringlets bouncing beneath her suede hat.
Jensen grins at her. “Oh yeah, what’s your uncle supposed to be?”
“A normal person,” she says, and Jake nods in agreement. Jensen looks up in time to see Jared rolling his eyes. Kids.
“I don’t think that counts?” Jensen tells her skeptically.
“She’s right,” Jared says. “Normally they see me in my uniform or wearing my gear. I’m a firefighter, and hey, I figure if kids can dress up like me for Halloween, I’m allowed to go out as a ‘normal guy.’”
Jensen pretends to think about it, but he hands over the candy bucket. There’s an entire bag of sour gummi worms (Jensen wasn’t kidding when he said he had no idea how to buy Halloween candy) and Jared imagines that he’s died and gone to confectionary heaven. Jared has snuck one or two pieces of candy from Jake’s bag while they walked, but it doesn’t compare to the sour taste puckering his cheeks right now. Jensen’s watching him with a smile, and Jared’s heart melts like chocolate in Jensen’s hand.
He definitely wasn’t expecting this when he volunteered for uncle-duty tonight.
“Alright, I’ve gotta ask,” Jared says. “What made you buy this house? I mean, you’ve seen it from the outside, right?”
Jensen shrugs, coming up to stand beside Jared as they watch the kids compare their sugary hauls. “What can I say? I enjoy a challenge.” Jared raises an eyebrow, disbelieving, and Jensen continues. “I’m an architect, and I was looking for a house I could turn into my own project, you know? Maybe you couldn’t see past the creep-factor, but this place has great lines-”
“You mean great terror potential.”
“Be nice to my house, man,” Jensen teases. “Seriously, it might take me a while, but when I’m through with this place, it’ll be the best looking house on the street, inside and out. I’ll bring in lots of light, wrap a porch around the entire front face, and add a furnished apartment above the garage…” He trails off wistfully. “You’ll have to come back to see it then, Jared. Won’t be anything terrifying about it.”
“I think I’ll take you up on that,” Jared says, leaning close enough for their shoulders to brush. He’s positive that he doesn’t imagine the shiver that runs through Jensen’s body after that brief contact, or the way his own legs feel like gelatin. Feeling brave in a way he hadn’t fifteen minutes ago while standing on Jensen’s doorstep, watching a nine-year old ring a doorbell he was too chicken to, Jared turns to whisper, “but what if I don’t want to wait that long to come back and see you?”
He doesn’t get a verbal response right away, but as Jared watches Jensen’s reaction, he’s not discouraged. The man’s cheeks bloom pink, color flushing all the way down the side of his neck. And the lines fanning out from the corner of his eye are like little smiles to match the one curving his lips.
Finally, Jensen looks up at the kids and says, “I don’t think I’ll be getting anymore trick-or-treaters tonight, and I know Hocus Pocus is on TV right now…”
“What’s Hocus Pocus?” Twyla asks.
Jared laughs. “Only one of the best Halloween movies ever, Twyla.” Then, to Jensen: “Are you asking us to stay for a bit?”
“Big new house gets kind of lonely, and I’ve got plenty of candy just in case.”
“What do you say, guys?” Jared asks his niece and nephew, and surprisingly it’s Jake who nods first, followed by his sister. “Alright, I guess we’re getting a movie after all.”
Jensen leads them all into a much-less menacing living room filled with bright décor and plenty of light. The kids dump their candy on the floor and jump onto the couch, fighting over who gets which half.
Jared pulls Jensen aside at the door. “You didn’t have to do this, Jensen, but thanks. This probably isn’t anything like the Halloween you were planning…”
Pressing up chest-to-chest, Jensen’s lips are mouthwateringly close when he says, “Having a gorgeous firefighter show up at my door and convincing him to stay? Way better than anything I had planned. Now come on, Thackery Binks,” he teases, stepping away, “I’ve got your spot picked out on the couch.”
And Jared follows.
~~~
One year later, Jared opens Jensen’s door from the inside, smiling at his niece and nephew on the front porch. Jake’s donned a Green Arrow costume this year, complete with oily, green face-paint across his eyes and a replica bow, while Twyla’s bedecked in pink tulle and black satin trying to look like her favorite member of the latest Disney girl-band.
“Hey, guys, you’re early!”
“Sorry,” Megan says, nudging Jake through the door after Twyla bounces in. “Dustin’s party starts earlier than we thought. Are you sure you and Jensen don’t mind taking the kids around? I don’t want to ruin your plan.”
“Not at all,” Jensen says, appearing from the direction of their newly-renovated kitchen. “Our thing doesn’t start until later anyway, and we’re looking forward to getting out around the neighborhood.”
Jared’s grateful that Jensen’s capable of answering questions, because he’s currently unable to speak. This is the first time Jared’s seen his boyfriend’s costume (they have their own party to head to later tonight), and damn, it’s a stunner. Because while Jared’s never really fantasized about getting it on with any of the guys in the firehouse, he’d be drooling all over himself if Jensen were on his team.
He’s oblivious to Megan and the kids checking out the stash of candy Jensen’s going to leave on the doorstep while they’re out trick-or-treating (needless to say, he and Jared bought smarter this year), too busy checking out Jensen’s rented fireman’s outfit, complete with suspenders, nearly-authentic pants, and heavy boots. The image is a cross between the guys Jared sees during every shift and a stripper/fantasy version of a fireman, thanks to Jensen’s tight, black t-shirt, flawlessly gelled hair, and sculpted face.
“Jared?” Megan knocks him on the shoulder. “Roll that tongue back up, bro, ‘cause I’ve got to run.” On the other side of the foyer, Jensen’s laughing at him, white teeth showing in his wide smile. Jared’s heart melts all over again, the same way it did when they met exactly one year ago. Megan dashes off in a rush, promising to be back before Jared and Jensen need to leave, leaving the kids in the hall.
“It’s too early to go yet,” Twyla says. “Can we watch TV?”
“Sure. Your uncle needs to get dressed before we go anyway.”
They leave the kids in the living room, one of the few spaces that hadn’t needed a serious overhauling after Jensen bought the place, and retreat to the master bedroom-a large, bright space at the back of the house. It was the first room Jensen had worked on and, more importantly, the site of their first kiss.
Despite their mutual flirting last Halloween, it had taken them weeks to get together. Jared came around first as a friend, then as an extra set of hands whenever Jensen needed help with his remodeling project (the undertaking of the century, in Jared’s opinion). But one night in early December, Jensen had asked Jared for help with his new bedroom furniture. They’d built the bed, hauled in the mattress, and when it was done, Jensen had stepped up to kiss Jared on very willing lips.
After that, the new bed was thoroughly christened and they’d never looked back.
Today, the scary house he’d been afraid to walk into is Jared’s, too. Jensen had taken some of his ideas and brought them to life, blending them with his own concepts. That, more than anything, told him exactly how Jensen felt about him, even if they’d only whispered it to one another in the darkness, while thinking the other was asleep.
Suddenly, those secretive whispers aren’t enough for Jared. He’s watching Jensen put the finishing touches on his drop-dead sexy costume and all he can think about is the way he’d smiled at Twyla and Jake earlier. The two kids adore him, and the feeling is mutual. The guys at the fire station respect him (and not just because he’s kicking ass in their fantasy football league). And it goes without saying that Megan and the rest of Jared’s family have enfolded Jensen into their ranks-Jensen is a part of Jared’s life in every way imaginable.
And Jared needs to tell him that, right now. He needs to say the words so badly, they’re burning his tongue. He must make some sort of sound, because Jensen looks up and gives him a smile as he sets the rest of Jared’s Thor costume on the bed.
“Something wrong, Jay?”
All Jared can do is shake his head and take Jensen’s hand, allowing himself a deep breath before he says the words he’s been waiting his whole life to say.
FIN.
Now go and fill some of the other prompts! \o/