Love, Apparent Chapter 18/20
TITLE: Love Apparent 18/20
AUTHOR: lifelesslyndsey
PAIRING: Jared/Misha with briefly mentioned other pairings later
RATING: NC-17
BETA'D: malbryn
His parents come knocking as soon as all the cars have left their drive way. He expected they would, and had mentally prepared himself for all possible avenues.
“I told your father how I caught you two in bed together over Thanksgiving break.” Sharon pauses, wincing a little. “Well, not how I caught you. Just that I caught you... in bed together.”
Except that. That, he did not see coming.
“What I think your mother is trying to say,” Gerry says tightly, looking up at the ceiling. “Is that she's... we are sorry for not seeing the... signs, earlier.” His father is obviously uncomfortable, but he hasn't disinherited Jared or kicked him out of the house. He'd also told Mr. Bledel the wedding was off, so Jared is hoping for the best there. “It was all there, I suppose. We just... chose not to see it.”
“Signs?” Jared hedges, frowning. “There weren't really any signs. Look, I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I wanted too, but....” He shrugs. He did want to, he just... hadn't. “There was nothing to see.”
He's pretty sure there wasn't.
“JT,” his father says, raising his hands in the same calming non-aggressive manner he uses for ornery bulls. Jared doesn't appreciate it. “You didn't even bother to bring the cot down from the attic. We know you two have been sharing a bed.”
“We really should get a proper air mattress,” Sharon adds in, so off-handedly it makes Jared smile. “And you know baby, I do the laundry. All the laundry,” she adds, giving Misha a look.
“Oh God,” Misha groans, turning to bury his face in Jared's arm. It's a bold move, but Jared wraps his arm around Misha's shoulder and pulls him close. It might be an act but it feels good to have Misha there, all tucked into him.
“The point is,” Gerry cuts in, cheeks ruddy, probably at Jared's little display. “Is we're sorry for putting you through this when we should have known. You and Misha here are obviously in...” Gerry swallows, “a relationship together and we just want you to know that we're... well. We love you.”
“We're fine,” Sharon says, slapping Gerry on the stomach with the back of her hand. “Just surprised, and really that's our fault. We love you baby, it's just a lot to process. But you're still our boy. And you were right at dinner; we really do like Misha.” Turning to Jared's father, Sharon gives him a hard look. “Isn't that right.”
“Yes, we like Misha,” Gerry sighs. “We'd like him more if he wasn't a filthy hippie. But it's easy to see how much you like him Jared, and that's all that matters.”
Misha looks disgustingly insulted and Jared can't help but laugh. “Misha isn't a hippie!” He protest, but it's a total lie. Misha is a hippie in a neck tie some days, and a genius in yoga pants on other days. Any morning he wakes up, it could really go either way. Jared loves that about him.
“Then why the hell won't he eat meat!?” Gerry asks, throwing up his hands like he's been burning to ask the question for a while. “We butcher it ourselves!”
“That's kind of the problem,” Jared snorts. “Anyway, it doesn't matter. I do like Misha, and I'm glad your guys aren't going to abandon me or anything like that. I'm sorry it came out the way it did and I'm sorry I waited so long.”
“It's alright son,” Gerry says gruffly. “It's all out now, and we'll get past it. I'm sure you aren't the first to bat for your own team in this town. It's got the neighbors in a ruffle, but it'll pass. Once you move back, they'll see you’re still the same Jared they watched grow up.”
Jared swallows, any relief found in his parents approval gone at the mention of moving back. His fingers clench in Misha's ribs where he holds him, earning him an elbow to the stomach. “I'm sure they will,” Jared agrees with a forced smile. What a way to ruin a good conversation. “Anyway----”
His brother takes that moment to knock on the door frame, flashing Jared a comforting smile in the process. “Hey, there's some dude here on the porch? Says he's looking for Baby Jay. That your stripper name, JT? I did wonder where you got all that new-found confidence.”
There were only four people that called Jared by that specific little pet name, and three of them were accounted for. Shoving his melancholy away for now, Jared pushed past his parents, punched Jeff in the shoulder and raced down the stairs, Misha close behind.
“Mike!”
Seeing his smug smile through the screen door is a god-send. Jared yanks open the door and pulls Mike into a hug. “You asshole! What are you doing here? Tom and Jensen said you couldn't make it down.”
Mike hugs him back, slapping him on the shoulder. “You didn't think I was going to miss your bachelor party, did you? I already have us hooked up on this sweet pirate-themed hooker in Dallas. She has a peg leg! Dude, but you should see what she does with it when she takes it off. The website had pictures, here look!”
Mike is still fishing out his iphone when Jared interrupts him. “There's no wedding!” He cries out, nearly vibrating with excitement. “Misha saved me.”
Mike visibly sags. “Oh thank God,” he says in a breath. “'Cause I really flew all the way down here on Christmas Eve to make sure your ass didn't get married.”
Misha snorts. “So what's with the stripper?” He takes Mike's phone, eyes going wide enough to assure Jared that whatever is on there he doesn't want to see.
“Eh, came early, figured I'd have time to get ‘em both done.” Mike is shameless, going so far as to reach up and ruffle Jared's hair. “So, tell Uncle Mike what's new.”
Casting a look over his shoulder, Jared bites his lip. “Not here.”
They head to the cabin and by the time Jared and Misha are finished explaining, Mike leans back into the couch. “I need a drink,” he says, huffing out his nose. Jared steals one of Jensen's beers out of the kitchenette fridge and tosses it to Mike. “So... you announced that Jared was gay and... they believed you?” He asks Misha, who nods guiltily.
“I mean... I went with it,” Jared says with a shrug, picking at a loose thread in the couch.
Mike snorts, and rolls his eyes. “Of course you did,” he says, and Jared bristles. “You really think this sham is going to work?” Neither Jared nor Misha have much to say to that. “Well, I guess we'll find out now, won't we?”
The following morning Jared introduces his family to Mike. His parents are instantly smitten, going so far as to inquire about Mike's sexuality. Misha is decidedly unamused, pouting over breakfast as he stomachs down the bacon he'd spitefully accepted. Jared takes pity on him and steals the second strip when his parents aren't looking. Misha might be a filthy hippie, but he's Jared's filthy hippie.
“So when are we getting Jen and Tommy boy?” Mike asks, shoveling bacon into his mouth with little regard.
“Tomorrow,” Jared explains. “About that though... there is just no way we can all fit in Misha's car. I could borrow my mom's van---”
“The one you knocked Alexis up in?” Mike asks, helpfully, spraying bacon bits across the table. He's a charmer, really. “Yeah, how about no.”
“Oh well, Misha you should hang back with Mike and I'll go get the guys,” Jared offers, unwilling to leave Mike unattended on the ranch. His parents would never forgive him.
Misha seems to come to the same conclusion and frowns. “Maybe you should stay back, Jared,” he offers. Come to think of it, leaving Mike and Misha unattended is definitely a worse idea, so Jared agrees. “Yeah, that's probably a better idea.”
Misha leaves the next morning, bleary eyed but armed with coffee. Mike is already awake, the unfortunate morning person that he is, with his ass parked firmly on the Padalecki's kitchen counter.
“So,” he says, wasting no time as Misha pulls out of the drive-way. “What the hell is going through your mind, Baby Jay.”
“He did it!” Jared protest, petulantly. “I mean, it was his idea. I just went with it! Why are you mad at me!”
“Because this is a spectacularly bad idea!” Mike exclaims, throwing up his arms. “This is the kind of shit that ruins friendships! Don't you realize that you can't just say you're together? People are going to expect to see it.” He frowns. “Though you and Misha are already grossly close.”
“Mike,” Jared says slowly, because honestly? “The first day I met you and Misha, you were helping him take a cock ring off in a public restroom. After he shaved your crotch! You have no right to say that Misha and I are grossly close, thank you.”
“Yeah, but I don't like Misha like that,” Mike argues, and Goddammit, he's not wrong. “I just don't want to see anyone get hurt. Jared...if you and Misha.... Look, what I'm trying to say is that...Jared, you're moving away. And it's going to kill Misha."
Jared doesnt' understand what MIke wants him to do. He can't change the fact that he has to move back. What does his and Misha's pretend relationship have to do with anything.
If anyone is getting hurt....it's him. How can he be expected to give MIsha up when he knows what it's like to have him?
Tom looks confused and concerned, which isn't an uncommon expression on Tom's face. It's a good thing the boy is pretty. “Wait. You're just going to pretend to be gay for... for how long, so you don't have to marry this girl?” Misha had filled Jen and Tommy in on the trip back from Richardson.
It had made for a long trip and the only thing that kept them from pestering him with questions was the promise that both he and Jared would answer them together. That and he'd drowned them out with Duran Durans Hungry Like A Wolf on loop for two solid hours.
Whatever works, right?
Jared clears his throat and shifts restlessly beside him. Misha barely realizes what's happening before it happens, but Misha has on occasion been known to be smart. Jared is going to come out. Right now. To Misha's friends.
But that's not right, because somewhere along the lines they became Jared’s friends too. That's great, and also not the point. Jared is coming out of the closet.
Well, he is if you ignore the time that Misha brutally shoved Jared out of the closet in front of his not-just-immediate family, and that of his not-quite fiance's. Ignoring that, Jared is coming out of the closet. Oh, and if you ignore the fact that Jared told Mike (before he told Misha, and yeah, he's still a little bitter on that.) It’s a monumental moment for gays everywhere, barring maybe the ones who decided they batted for the home team (or every team in Misha's case) upon birth.
Shrugging nonchalantly, Jared tugs at the edge of the hole in his jeans, a quarter-sized rip on his thigh just high enough to occasionally display what kind of boxers Jared is wearing. Not that Misha has taken the time to examine it. Not that often anyway. “I'm not really going to need to pretend,” he says, and for all that he looks calm and unconcerned, Misha knows him well enough to see that he is nervous, if only a little. “Not that Misha knew that.”
Again, the silence is unnerving, but this time it's Mike who breaks it up. “Good,” he says, leaning over Tom to slap Jared firmly on the knee. “We needed a solid gay to even it up.”
Tom frowns and looks at Mike. “What?” Misha will admit that internally he's echoing the question, because what? What the hell is a solid gay?
“Well we have moi, a bisexual and Misha, a pan-sexual. Then we have Tom the metrosexual, and Jensen the heterosexual. We need a solid gay in there somewhere, you know? Someone not vying for the V.” It makes sense, Misha figures. Mike is indiscriminate in his passion for both innies and outies, and Misha... Well, he calls it pan-sexuality, but in reality it just means that Misha will fuck anything should it catch his fancy and be of the homosapien variety. For all that they can be pretty gay at times, neither of them actually are. Jared can be their solid gay. He totally gets it.
“The V,” Jensen echoes flatly from his seat, pointing at Mike with his can of beer.
Misha grins. “He means vagina.”
Sputtering, Jensen scowls. “I know what he means! Hell, I know it better than any of you.”
Tom, always indignant, huffs. “Hey! I'm straight too!”
Unrepentant, Jensen shrugs. “Yeah but I totally get more ass than you.”
“We should have like, a gay-nitiation,” Mike cuts in with a glint in his eye that suggest he's been planning it for a while.
Looking suitably horrified at the prospect, Jared replies with a hearty, “No!”
Misha agrees. He has no desire to see Jared be pawed at by gay men in any club, party, or Rainbow Awareness meeting. Mike knows this, Misha knows that Mike knows this, which is why Mike is obviously choosing to ignore Misha's enraged glare.
“Fine,” Mike says with an affronted look. “But I mean, I feel like we deserve it. I mean, we were promised a bachelor party....”
Jared laughs out loud. “Sorry I ruined my bachelor party by being gay.”
“With Misha,” Mike tacks on, oh so helpfully.
Giving Mike a fond grin, Jared rolls his eyes. “You know what? I could use a night out. If you can find a gay in the area, you have my word that I will go and be gay-nitiated.”
Was the boy stupid? Jared should really know better than to say things like that to Mike of all things. Mike would start a gay club to see that happen, Misha has no doubt. Hell, Jared didn't even dictate what considered 'the area'. He's basically given Mike limitless options.
“Challenge accepted,” Mike grins, whipping out his iphone. He's making plans, Misha can tell.
Jared pushes up off the couch and stretches. “I'm headed to bed. You want to go for a run in the morning, Mish’?”
“Sure. I probably won't be much longer.” Misha does not want to be left alone with these three freaks after Jared dropped that kind of bomb, but he nods anyway. He's not in any way hanging back on the off chance of catching Jared jerking off again. It's not like he wants to torture himself with images of Jared's legs spread wide, his balls drawn up, that little ring twinkling in the bathroom li----
“He's gone now Mish,” Mike says, sounding faraway, and way too amused for Misha's liking. “You can stop now.”
“Shut up,” he growls, burying his head in his hands. When he looks up, a moment later, both Tom and Jensen are staring at him. “You can both shut up too.”
“We didn't say anything,” they reply in tandem, snickering a moment later.
It's Jensen that speaks next, pseudo-nonchalantly but grinning from ear-to-ear. “So... you and Jared.”
“What? What? There's no me and Jared,” Misha replies in a guilty rush. “I mean, we're friends. We're all friends. Right Mike?” He adds, giving Mike a dirty look.
Mike doesn't ignore it this time. “What's that look for?”
“You and Jared have secrets!” He growls out, looking at Mike as if daring him to deny it. That isn't Mike's style however, and he and Misha have been friends for too long to start lying now.
“Just because you didn't know them doesn't mean they're secrets,” Mike replies. “I did tell Jared to tell you he was gay, Misha. You can't be mad at me for not telling, as it was Jared's story to tell.”
More like Jared's secret to tell. Which he didn't until forced.
“You knew about Alexis too,” Misha reminds him. “When did you and Jared have all this time to gossip.” He doesn't know why, but all he can see at the moment is Mike kissing Jared at that stupid party.
He might have pumped too much accusation into his voice, because Mike's calm seems to waver, a simple twitch of his left eye. “When Jared called me drunk from a frat party after sleeping with Sebastian! Quit being a jealous bitch Misha. I'm not interested in Jared!” He pauses. “Not that I wouldn't have minded hitting that but you've pretty much proverbially peed on his leg. He's yours dude.”
Apparently it's a day for silence. Tom and Jensen are staring at Misha, he doesn't even need to look to know it. He can feel the burn of their eyes on the top of his skull and he doesn't appreciate it. “I'm not jealous,” he says, after just long enough a pause to be awkward for everyone around.
“No,” Mike replies patiently, “you're not. You're upset because Jared is moving home at the end of the year, aren't you?” Goddamit but when did the conversation take this turn? Oh yeah--when he decided to yell at Mike like a jealous bitch. Misha is not in the mood to talk about his feelings, but considering the way everyone is looking at him, he's not getting out of it.
“No,” he grunts, staring at the stretch of carpet between his feet. If he has to have this conversation he would really rather it was just him and Mike who seems to have a basic understanding of the situation. Not that he doesn't love and appreciate Jensen and Tom, because he really does. It's just that Jensen is too logical and Tom is too emotional and neither of them know how to wheedle Misha quite like Mike. He realizes that he shouldn't appreciate Mike's ability to manipulate him but he really, really does.
“Misha,” Tom begins delicately. “It's pretty obvious you're crazy about Jared.”
“Crazy being the optimal word here,” Jensen cuts in, giving Misha's hands a pointed look. Misha is holding Jared's cellphone, and when the hell did that happen? If he's going to stick his hands in Jared's pockets he'd like to at least remember it. He's pretty sure he does this more often then he cares to admit.
“Like I said,” Tom takes the floor back, giving Jensen a glare. “It's obvious you like Jared, to everyone but Jared. I guess you can't blame him, he's new to all this...uh. Homo stuff.” Anal retentive, emotional and politically incorrect; Misha loves Tom.
Mike makes a face that Misha barely catches, but he does and it only serves to make him scowl more deeply. “You know something,” he states, looking Mike dead in the eye.
Again, Mike doesn't deny it. Instead, he blows Misha's mind. “I have firm reason to believe that Jared is interested in you.”
Previously, Misha might have taken this bait with his usual aplomb and calm collective, however when it comes to Jared, Misha is more or less a hot mess. “What? What proof? Did he tell you something? You guys talked about me? Mike.”
He realizes his mistake half a moment later when Jensen clears his throat and starts speaking with a high pitched Valley Girl accent. “Like oh my God, Michael! Shut up! No way! Does he like-like me or just like me?” Misha totally deserves this for momentary lapse of girlish magnitude. Apparently Misha was a sorority sister in some previous life.
Tom responds in his normal, mocking voice. “That second like is totally important, dude.”
“Fuck your mother,” Misha respond flatly. “But seriously Mike, what proof?”
Mike blinks, and looks away shamefaced. “I can't out my source man, just that...that...”
Misha really wants to know so naturally it's time to pull out the big guns. “If you tell me, I'll tell you where I put the pubes.” He's been withholding that little tidbit for months know but he feels it's well spent. It's Jared, after all.
Hesitating for all of half a second, Mike blurts it all out. “Jared said your name when he was with Sebastian.” There's a moment of pause. “When he came.”
Jensen, who must have just taken a drink of his beer, spews said drink across the little living room. “What?”
“Sebastian and Jared hooked up at a frat party right before break,” Mike explains, and Misha can't even scold him for gossiping about Jared because hook-up gossip is and always has been, free game. “Sebastian mentioned it when I went to pick Jared up. He thought it was ironic.”
It doesn't need explaining, at least to Misha. “But we never hooked up.”
Shrugging, Mike leans back against the couch. “Sebastian claimed we were emotionally involved. Whatever, I don't want to talk about that. Jared said your name while coming. I think that's pretty solid proof. Now tell me where the pubes are.”
It is pretty solid proof, Misha will concede. He'd like to deny it, but there just isn't any other logical explanation for saying some one's name while you come, unless you were thinking about them. It's not like with women, who can come and then balance their checkbooks thirty seconds later. If Jared is anything like Misha (and men everywhere), the thought process is kind of lacking when one is on the brink of orgasm. If Jared said Misha's name, he was thinking about Misha. And if he was thinking about Misha when he came... well, maybe there's hope. It's half-assed logic, but Misha will take what he can get.
It doesn't change much. Jared is still moving at the end of the school year, abandoning Misha to be Jared-less forever more.
“Misha!” Mike interrupts his thoughts with a not-so-gentle punch to the arm. “Where did you put my pubes?”
“I put them in your hash-stash,” Misha replies brightly. He has no idea what he's going to do with this new-found knowledge. It doesn't really help the situation, but it does make him feel better and really as a born-and-raised hedonist, Misha is all about feeling good.
Jared likes him. Like-likes. That second like is important.
“We've been smoking your pubes!?” That was exactly the outcome Misha had expected, and it only serves to brighten his mood further.
Mike looks proud; he always does when Misha pulls off an exceptional prank. “Apparently.” He turns back to his iphone and waves Misha off. “Now go crawl into bed with your best friend. You guys are practically dating but without the fucking. God.”
Chapter Nineteen...
AUTHOR: lifelesslyndsey
PAIRING: Jared/Misha with briefly mentioned other pairings later
RATING: NC-17
BETA'D: malbryn
His parents come knocking as soon as all the cars have left their drive way. He expected they would, and had mentally prepared himself for all possible avenues.
“I told your father how I caught you two in bed together over Thanksgiving break.” Sharon pauses, wincing a little. “Well, not how I caught you. Just that I caught you... in bed together.”
Except that. That, he did not see coming.
“What I think your mother is trying to say,” Gerry says tightly, looking up at the ceiling. “Is that she's... we are sorry for not seeing the... signs, earlier.” His father is obviously uncomfortable, but he hasn't disinherited Jared or kicked him out of the house. He'd also told Mr. Bledel the wedding was off, so Jared is hoping for the best there. “It was all there, I suppose. We just... chose not to see it.”
“Signs?” Jared hedges, frowning. “There weren't really any signs. Look, I'm sorry for not telling you sooner. I wanted too, but....” He shrugs. He did want to, he just... hadn't. “There was nothing to see.”
He's pretty sure there wasn't.
“JT,” his father says, raising his hands in the same calming non-aggressive manner he uses for ornery bulls. Jared doesn't appreciate it. “You didn't even bother to bring the cot down from the attic. We know you two have been sharing a bed.”
“We really should get a proper air mattress,” Sharon adds in, so off-handedly it makes Jared smile. “And you know baby, I do the laundry. All the laundry,” she adds, giving Misha a look.
“Oh God,” Misha groans, turning to bury his face in Jared's arm. It's a bold move, but Jared wraps his arm around Misha's shoulder and pulls him close. It might be an act but it feels good to have Misha there, all tucked into him.
“The point is,” Gerry cuts in, cheeks ruddy, probably at Jared's little display. “Is we're sorry for putting you through this when we should have known. You and Misha here are obviously in...” Gerry swallows, “a relationship together and we just want you to know that we're... well. We love you.”
“We're fine,” Sharon says, slapping Gerry on the stomach with the back of her hand. “Just surprised, and really that's our fault. We love you baby, it's just a lot to process. But you're still our boy. And you were right at dinner; we really do like Misha.” Turning to Jared's father, Sharon gives him a hard look. “Isn't that right.”
“Yes, we like Misha,” Gerry sighs. “We'd like him more if he wasn't a filthy hippie. But it's easy to see how much you like him Jared, and that's all that matters.”
Misha looks disgustingly insulted and Jared can't help but laugh. “Misha isn't a hippie!” He protest, but it's a total lie. Misha is a hippie in a neck tie some days, and a genius in yoga pants on other days. Any morning he wakes up, it could really go either way. Jared loves that about him.
“Then why the hell won't he eat meat!?” Gerry asks, throwing up his hands like he's been burning to ask the question for a while. “We butcher it ourselves!”
“That's kind of the problem,” Jared snorts. “Anyway, it doesn't matter. I do like Misha, and I'm glad your guys aren't going to abandon me or anything like that. I'm sorry it came out the way it did and I'm sorry I waited so long.”
“It's alright son,” Gerry says gruffly. “It's all out now, and we'll get past it. I'm sure you aren't the first to bat for your own team in this town. It's got the neighbors in a ruffle, but it'll pass. Once you move back, they'll see you’re still the same Jared they watched grow up.”
Jared swallows, any relief found in his parents approval gone at the mention of moving back. His fingers clench in Misha's ribs where he holds him, earning him an elbow to the stomach. “I'm sure they will,” Jared agrees with a forced smile. What a way to ruin a good conversation. “Anyway----”
His brother takes that moment to knock on the door frame, flashing Jared a comforting smile in the process. “Hey, there's some dude here on the porch? Says he's looking for Baby Jay. That your stripper name, JT? I did wonder where you got all that new-found confidence.”
There were only four people that called Jared by that specific little pet name, and three of them were accounted for. Shoving his melancholy away for now, Jared pushed past his parents, punched Jeff in the shoulder and raced down the stairs, Misha close behind.
“Mike!”
Seeing his smug smile through the screen door is a god-send. Jared yanks open the door and pulls Mike into a hug. “You asshole! What are you doing here? Tom and Jensen said you couldn't make it down.”
Mike hugs him back, slapping him on the shoulder. “You didn't think I was going to miss your bachelor party, did you? I already have us hooked up on this sweet pirate-themed hooker in Dallas. She has a peg leg! Dude, but you should see what she does with it when she takes it off. The website had pictures, here look!”
Mike is still fishing out his iphone when Jared interrupts him. “There's no wedding!” He cries out, nearly vibrating with excitement. “Misha saved me.”
Mike visibly sags. “Oh thank God,” he says in a breath. “'Cause I really flew all the way down here on Christmas Eve to make sure your ass didn't get married.”
Misha snorts. “So what's with the stripper?” He takes Mike's phone, eyes going wide enough to assure Jared that whatever is on there he doesn't want to see.
“Eh, came early, figured I'd have time to get ‘em both done.” Mike is shameless, going so far as to reach up and ruffle Jared's hair. “So, tell Uncle Mike what's new.”
Casting a look over his shoulder, Jared bites his lip. “Not here.”
They head to the cabin and by the time Jared and Misha are finished explaining, Mike leans back into the couch. “I need a drink,” he says, huffing out his nose. Jared steals one of Jensen's beers out of the kitchenette fridge and tosses it to Mike. “So... you announced that Jared was gay and... they believed you?” He asks Misha, who nods guiltily.
“I mean... I went with it,” Jared says with a shrug, picking at a loose thread in the couch.
Mike snorts, and rolls his eyes. “Of course you did,” he says, and Jared bristles. “You really think this sham is going to work?” Neither Jared nor Misha have much to say to that. “Well, I guess we'll find out now, won't we?”
The following morning Jared introduces his family to Mike. His parents are instantly smitten, going so far as to inquire about Mike's sexuality. Misha is decidedly unamused, pouting over breakfast as he stomachs down the bacon he'd spitefully accepted. Jared takes pity on him and steals the second strip when his parents aren't looking. Misha might be a filthy hippie, but he's Jared's filthy hippie.
“So when are we getting Jen and Tommy boy?” Mike asks, shoveling bacon into his mouth with little regard.
“Tomorrow,” Jared explains. “About that though... there is just no way we can all fit in Misha's car. I could borrow my mom's van---”
“The one you knocked Alexis up in?” Mike asks, helpfully, spraying bacon bits across the table. He's a charmer, really. “Yeah, how about no.”
“Oh well, Misha you should hang back with Mike and I'll go get the guys,” Jared offers, unwilling to leave Mike unattended on the ranch. His parents would never forgive him.
Misha seems to come to the same conclusion and frowns. “Maybe you should stay back, Jared,” he offers. Come to think of it, leaving Mike and Misha unattended is definitely a worse idea, so Jared agrees. “Yeah, that's probably a better idea.”
Misha leaves the next morning, bleary eyed but armed with coffee. Mike is already awake, the unfortunate morning person that he is, with his ass parked firmly on the Padalecki's kitchen counter.
“So,” he says, wasting no time as Misha pulls out of the drive-way. “What the hell is going through your mind, Baby Jay.”
“He did it!” Jared protest, petulantly. “I mean, it was his idea. I just went with it! Why are you mad at me!”
“Because this is a spectacularly bad idea!” Mike exclaims, throwing up his arms. “This is the kind of shit that ruins friendships! Don't you realize that you can't just say you're together? People are going to expect to see it.” He frowns. “Though you and Misha are already grossly close.”
“Mike,” Jared says slowly, because honestly? “The first day I met you and Misha, you were helping him take a cock ring off in a public restroom. After he shaved your crotch! You have no right to say that Misha and I are grossly close, thank you.”
“Yeah, but I don't like Misha like that,” Mike argues, and Goddammit, he's not wrong. “I just don't want to see anyone get hurt. Jared...if you and Misha.... Look, what I'm trying to say is that...Jared, you're moving away. And it's going to kill Misha."
Jared doesnt' understand what MIke wants him to do. He can't change the fact that he has to move back. What does his and Misha's pretend relationship have to do with anything.
If anyone is getting hurt....it's him. How can he be expected to give MIsha up when he knows what it's like to have him?
Tom looks confused and concerned, which isn't an uncommon expression on Tom's face. It's a good thing the boy is pretty. “Wait. You're just going to pretend to be gay for... for how long, so you don't have to marry this girl?” Misha had filled Jen and Tommy in on the trip back from Richardson.
It had made for a long trip and the only thing that kept them from pestering him with questions was the promise that both he and Jared would answer them together. That and he'd drowned them out with Duran Durans Hungry Like A Wolf on loop for two solid hours.
Whatever works, right?
Jared clears his throat and shifts restlessly beside him. Misha barely realizes what's happening before it happens, but Misha has on occasion been known to be smart. Jared is going to come out. Right now. To Misha's friends.
But that's not right, because somewhere along the lines they became Jared’s friends too. That's great, and also not the point. Jared is coming out of the closet.
Well, he is if you ignore the time that Misha brutally shoved Jared out of the closet in front of his not-just-immediate family, and that of his not-quite fiance's. Ignoring that, Jared is coming out of the closet. Oh, and if you ignore the fact that Jared told Mike (before he told Misha, and yeah, he's still a little bitter on that.) It’s a monumental moment for gays everywhere, barring maybe the ones who decided they batted for the home team (or every team in Misha's case) upon birth.
Shrugging nonchalantly, Jared tugs at the edge of the hole in his jeans, a quarter-sized rip on his thigh just high enough to occasionally display what kind of boxers Jared is wearing. Not that Misha has taken the time to examine it. Not that often anyway. “I'm not really going to need to pretend,” he says, and for all that he looks calm and unconcerned, Misha knows him well enough to see that he is nervous, if only a little. “Not that Misha knew that.”
Again, the silence is unnerving, but this time it's Mike who breaks it up. “Good,” he says, leaning over Tom to slap Jared firmly on the knee. “We needed a solid gay to even it up.”
Tom frowns and looks at Mike. “What?” Misha will admit that internally he's echoing the question, because what? What the hell is a solid gay?
“Well we have moi, a bisexual and Misha, a pan-sexual. Then we have Tom the metrosexual, and Jensen the heterosexual. We need a solid gay in there somewhere, you know? Someone not vying for the V.” It makes sense, Misha figures. Mike is indiscriminate in his passion for both innies and outies, and Misha... Well, he calls it pan-sexuality, but in reality it just means that Misha will fuck anything should it catch his fancy and be of the homosapien variety. For all that they can be pretty gay at times, neither of them actually are. Jared can be their solid gay. He totally gets it.
“The V,” Jensen echoes flatly from his seat, pointing at Mike with his can of beer.
Misha grins. “He means vagina.”
Sputtering, Jensen scowls. “I know what he means! Hell, I know it better than any of you.”
Tom, always indignant, huffs. “Hey! I'm straight too!”
Unrepentant, Jensen shrugs. “Yeah but I totally get more ass than you.”
“We should have like, a gay-nitiation,” Mike cuts in with a glint in his eye that suggest he's been planning it for a while.
Looking suitably horrified at the prospect, Jared replies with a hearty, “No!”
Misha agrees. He has no desire to see Jared be pawed at by gay men in any club, party, or Rainbow Awareness meeting. Mike knows this, Misha knows that Mike knows this, which is why Mike is obviously choosing to ignore Misha's enraged glare.
“Fine,” Mike says with an affronted look. “But I mean, I feel like we deserve it. I mean, we were promised a bachelor party....”
Jared laughs out loud. “Sorry I ruined my bachelor party by being gay.”
“With Misha,” Mike tacks on, oh so helpfully.
Giving Mike a fond grin, Jared rolls his eyes. “You know what? I could use a night out. If you can find a gay in the area, you have my word that I will go and be gay-nitiated.”
Was the boy stupid? Jared should really know better than to say things like that to Mike of all things. Mike would start a gay club to see that happen, Misha has no doubt. Hell, Jared didn't even dictate what considered 'the area'. He's basically given Mike limitless options.
“Challenge accepted,” Mike grins, whipping out his iphone. He's making plans, Misha can tell.
Jared pushes up off the couch and stretches. “I'm headed to bed. You want to go for a run in the morning, Mish’?”
“Sure. I probably won't be much longer.” Misha does not want to be left alone with these three freaks after Jared dropped that kind of bomb, but he nods anyway. He's not in any way hanging back on the off chance of catching Jared jerking off again. It's not like he wants to torture himself with images of Jared's legs spread wide, his balls drawn up, that little ring twinkling in the bathroom li----
“He's gone now Mish,” Mike says, sounding faraway, and way too amused for Misha's liking. “You can stop now.”
“Shut up,” he growls, burying his head in his hands. When he looks up, a moment later, both Tom and Jensen are staring at him. “You can both shut up too.”
“We didn't say anything,” they reply in tandem, snickering a moment later.
It's Jensen that speaks next, pseudo-nonchalantly but grinning from ear-to-ear. “So... you and Jared.”
“What? What? There's no me and Jared,” Misha replies in a guilty rush. “I mean, we're friends. We're all friends. Right Mike?” He adds, giving Mike a dirty look.
Mike doesn't ignore it this time. “What's that look for?”
“You and Jared have secrets!” He growls out, looking at Mike as if daring him to deny it. That isn't Mike's style however, and he and Misha have been friends for too long to start lying now.
“Just because you didn't know them doesn't mean they're secrets,” Mike replies. “I did tell Jared to tell you he was gay, Misha. You can't be mad at me for not telling, as it was Jared's story to tell.”
More like Jared's secret to tell. Which he didn't until forced.
“You knew about Alexis too,” Misha reminds him. “When did you and Jared have all this time to gossip.” He doesn't know why, but all he can see at the moment is Mike kissing Jared at that stupid party.
He might have pumped too much accusation into his voice, because Mike's calm seems to waver, a simple twitch of his left eye. “When Jared called me drunk from a frat party after sleeping with Sebastian! Quit being a jealous bitch Misha. I'm not interested in Jared!” He pauses. “Not that I wouldn't have minded hitting that but you've pretty much proverbially peed on his leg. He's yours dude.”
Apparently it's a day for silence. Tom and Jensen are staring at Misha, he doesn't even need to look to know it. He can feel the burn of their eyes on the top of his skull and he doesn't appreciate it. “I'm not jealous,” he says, after just long enough a pause to be awkward for everyone around.
“No,” Mike replies patiently, “you're not. You're upset because Jared is moving home at the end of the year, aren't you?” Goddamit but when did the conversation take this turn? Oh yeah--when he decided to yell at Mike like a jealous bitch. Misha is not in the mood to talk about his feelings, but considering the way everyone is looking at him, he's not getting out of it.
“No,” he grunts, staring at the stretch of carpet between his feet. If he has to have this conversation he would really rather it was just him and Mike who seems to have a basic understanding of the situation. Not that he doesn't love and appreciate Jensen and Tom, because he really does. It's just that Jensen is too logical and Tom is too emotional and neither of them know how to wheedle Misha quite like Mike. He realizes that he shouldn't appreciate Mike's ability to manipulate him but he really, really does.
“Misha,” Tom begins delicately. “It's pretty obvious you're crazy about Jared.”
“Crazy being the optimal word here,” Jensen cuts in, giving Misha's hands a pointed look. Misha is holding Jared's cellphone, and when the hell did that happen? If he's going to stick his hands in Jared's pockets he'd like to at least remember it. He's pretty sure he does this more often then he cares to admit.
“Like I said,” Tom takes the floor back, giving Jensen a glare. “It's obvious you like Jared, to everyone but Jared. I guess you can't blame him, he's new to all this...uh. Homo stuff.” Anal retentive, emotional and politically incorrect; Misha loves Tom.
Mike makes a face that Misha barely catches, but he does and it only serves to make him scowl more deeply. “You know something,” he states, looking Mike dead in the eye.
Again, Mike doesn't deny it. Instead, he blows Misha's mind. “I have firm reason to believe that Jared is interested in you.”
Previously, Misha might have taken this bait with his usual aplomb and calm collective, however when it comes to Jared, Misha is more or less a hot mess. “What? What proof? Did he tell you something? You guys talked about me? Mike.”
He realizes his mistake half a moment later when Jensen clears his throat and starts speaking with a high pitched Valley Girl accent. “Like oh my God, Michael! Shut up! No way! Does he like-like me or just like me?” Misha totally deserves this for momentary lapse of girlish magnitude. Apparently Misha was a sorority sister in some previous life.
Tom responds in his normal, mocking voice. “That second like is totally important, dude.”
“Fuck your mother,” Misha respond flatly. “But seriously Mike, what proof?”
Mike blinks, and looks away shamefaced. “I can't out my source man, just that...that...”
Misha really wants to know so naturally it's time to pull out the big guns. “If you tell me, I'll tell you where I put the pubes.” He's been withholding that little tidbit for months know but he feels it's well spent. It's Jared, after all.
Hesitating for all of half a second, Mike blurts it all out. “Jared said your name when he was with Sebastian.” There's a moment of pause. “When he came.”
Jensen, who must have just taken a drink of his beer, spews said drink across the little living room. “What?”
“Sebastian and Jared hooked up at a frat party right before break,” Mike explains, and Misha can't even scold him for gossiping about Jared because hook-up gossip is and always has been, free game. “Sebastian mentioned it when I went to pick Jared up. He thought it was ironic.”
It doesn't need explaining, at least to Misha. “But we never hooked up.”
Shrugging, Mike leans back against the couch. “Sebastian claimed we were emotionally involved. Whatever, I don't want to talk about that. Jared said your name while coming. I think that's pretty solid proof. Now tell me where the pubes are.”
It is pretty solid proof, Misha will concede. He'd like to deny it, but there just isn't any other logical explanation for saying some one's name while you come, unless you were thinking about them. It's not like with women, who can come and then balance their checkbooks thirty seconds later. If Jared is anything like Misha (and men everywhere), the thought process is kind of lacking when one is on the brink of orgasm. If Jared said Misha's name, he was thinking about Misha. And if he was thinking about Misha when he came... well, maybe there's hope. It's half-assed logic, but Misha will take what he can get.
It doesn't change much. Jared is still moving at the end of the school year, abandoning Misha to be Jared-less forever more.
“Misha!” Mike interrupts his thoughts with a not-so-gentle punch to the arm. “Where did you put my pubes?”
“I put them in your hash-stash,” Misha replies brightly. He has no idea what he's going to do with this new-found knowledge. It doesn't really help the situation, but it does make him feel better and really as a born-and-raised hedonist, Misha is all about feeling good.
Jared likes him. Like-likes. That second like is important.
“We've been smoking your pubes!?” That was exactly the outcome Misha had expected, and it only serves to brighten his mood further.
Mike looks proud; he always does when Misha pulls off an exceptional prank. “Apparently.” He turns back to his iphone and waves Misha off. “Now go crawl into bed with your best friend. You guys are practically dating but without the fucking. God.”
Chapter Nineteen...