J2 Big Bang Fic: Hewitched Part 5

[lizzywinks]

Back to Chapter 4

By the time he gets into the house, Jared's buzz has begun to fade and he's feeling fairly lucid. Too lucid, he quickly realizes, as nervous tension begins to build in his stomach and leaves him anxiously pacing empty rooms and feeling vaguely nauseous.

His animals clearly have no interest in helping to distract him; Sadie glances up at him as he does a pass of their room, and then settles back down to sleep. Harley and Isis don't wake at all, curled against each other with the honking pheasant acting as a pillow for Harley's head.

More alcohol seems like a sensible solution, and Jared redirects his path toward the kitchen and a six-pack from the fridge. He settles down to infomercials in the media room, tension slowly draining out of him with every swallow.

He blinks awake to the sensation of something tickling his bare feet. When he glances down, Jensen is carefully tucking a throw around his legs. "Jen, hey, I'm up, I'm up," he says groggily, and struggles to untangle himself from the soft blanket. The moment he's free, everything comes flooding back with a jolt. Jared takes a second to mourn the passing of the pleasant fog, and then stands to give himself a clearer view of Jensen's expression.

He looks good in the soft light, basically the same as every other degree of light, from full shade to the surface of the sun, but what Jared's most interested in is what clues he can pick up about his night out from Jensen's face. There are no visible marks or mussed hair, and his lips seem as plump, but not swollen, as ever. Jared lets out a soft sigh of relief, and with it most of the crap he's been telling himself so far. The revelation isn't shocking or difficult to process, and instead the knowledge just slides into Jared's bones and makes itself at home like it's always been there.

He doesn't want to fake date Jensen. He doesn't want Jensen to date anyone else. Probably ever. What he isn't as certain of is what Jensen wants.

He turns away in an attempt to come up with a speech brilliant enough that Jensen will instantly fall in with his plans, and instead finds himself unable to ignore the question battering at his brain.

"How was your date?"

Jensen lets out a groaning laugh and reaches down to pull a bottle from the open six-pack. He tilts it questioningly toward Jared who shakes his head. He's aware that a good part of his current easy acceptance can be laid squarely at the feet of the copious amounts of alcohol he's drunk that night. He's also aware that drunken declarations of undying devotion rarely hold as much weight as sober ones.

"It was... interesting," Jensen finally settles on.

"Chad's always that at least." Jared's legs don't seem quite up to the task of keeping him upright without swaying, so he drops back down on to the couch. Jensen watches him for a second, and then heads for the door. Jared is still deciding whether he should call out to Jensen or just follow on after him, when he reappears, bottle of water in hand.

Jared breathes his thanks and takes the bottle. It's deliciously cold going down, and he drains most of it in two long swallows.

"How drunk are you?" Jensen asks.

"I'm okay. I think my legs are drunker than I am." Jensen nods, as though that wasn't exactly the sort of thing only someone very drunk would say, and sinks down on to the couch beside Jared and his drunken legs.

"Are you going out with him again?" Jared asks, as if there's been no pause in their conversation.

"Doubt it." Jared is very relieved that he can't pick up any trace of regret in Jensen's voice. "I don't think Chad had any more fun than I did. Apparently most people find his offer of a mid-meal blowjob break delightful."

Jared shakes his head, because surely not even Chad... "Are you kidding me?"

"I really wish I was."

"Shit, I am so sorry."

"What?" Jensen turns on the couch until he's facing Jared, his left leg bent at the knee and tucked up underneath him. "Why are you sorry? Unless that's a line he picked up from you?"

"No, but it's my fault you even met him. I feel... responsible."

"Well, don't. It's not your fault. And anyway, it's not even the worst date I've been on this year; the food was pretty nice."

"It's like I tried to tell you, Jen, guys are guys. Unless it's someone who cares about you, pretty much every date you go on will be with an asshole." Jared gives a brief moment's consideration to the fact that he might be overselling his pitch, and then decides balls to the wall is probably the way to go. "It's like-fuck, what was his name?-Tony!" Jensen's eyes widen at Jared's bellow, and he lowers his voice with an embarrassed grimace. "Um, I mean your carpenter friend from on set. He's the perfect example; sure he seems nice with all the smiling and the baking and the power tool demonstrations, but he's been through half the guys on set. Seriously, he cannot keep it in his pants."

"Are you sure?" Jensen asks.

Jared nods. "Very sure."

"Huh, this is really gonna hit Cindy hard."

Jared stops nodding. "Cindy?"

"Yeah, y'know his wife. I introduced her to you a couple of weeks ago? Blonde, early thirties, about eight months pregnant?"

"Oh, Cindy. Sure I remember her. I-yeah, not Tony, I was thinking about the other guy, um, what's his name..."

Jensen tilts his head to the side curiously, a tiny grin edging his lips, and Jared gives up. His brain is working at about sixty percent capacity, and wild jealously is eating in to that. He has basically no hope of pulling off any sort of stealth romantic approach, which leaves him with honesty or begging.

Jared decides to go with honesty.

"Okay, I lied. I didn't know Tony was married, and I have absolutely no recollection of ever meeting anyone called Cindy, let alone an eight-months pregnant woman called Cindy who I presumably had a perfectly pleasant conversation with some time last week. But what makes all the lies and the crap I've been trying to feed you way worse is that I am exactly the kind of asshole I've been warning you about; I'm selfish, and I'm spoiled, and I've fucked up every single long-term relationship that I've ever had. I also apparently have some pretty big psychological issues that I didn't even know I was avoiding until recently, and I'm probably going to need to talk to someone about that at some point."

Jensen's expression has softened as Jared rambled on, and he shuffles closer until their knees touch. "Okay?"

"Right," Jared says on a shaky exhale. The fact that Jensen is still sitting next to him means that this is going far better than Jared had dared hope. Cautious optimism begins to pool in his stomach. "So you needed to know that, but what I'm basically saying, Jen, is that if you can just get past all that, then I think we'd be great together like-like... Batman and Robin! But, you know, with hopefully more sex."

"Can I be Batman?" Jensen asks into the pause.

"Oh. Well, no? I mean I am taller-"

"But I'm older. And Robin was Batman's ward, so he can't be older than Batman. It wouldn't make sense."

"Fine." Jared thinks quickly. He's distantly aware that there are more enjoyable things he could be trying to coax Jensen into doing with him, but his still slightly drunk brain is having trouble prioritizing. "Someone else then; Spider-Man and Mary Jane."

"Can I be Spider-Man?"

"No way! It was my idea; I should have first pick." Jensen scowls, and Jared raises his hands placatingly. "Okay, look forget that, how about if we're like Batman and Spider-Man? I'm happy with either of those."

"Yeah, but they're not a pair. They're not even in the same universe."

"But they're both superheroes, male superheroes with awesome animal abilities."

"Actually, Batman is just a normal guy. His only superpower is his ability to hold a grudge."

"You know what? Never mind," Jared says. "I know you're into comic books, so this started out being a cute way to get my point across, but-" Jensen grins, eyes dancing, and Jared swears. "Are you messing with me, Ackles? I'm here baring my soul, and you're messing with me?"

Jensen leans in to tug him close. "Only a little bit."

Jared wants to be angry, but his mind is kind of occupied right now with how little effort it would take to bend down and capture Jensen's lips with his own. Suiting thought to deed, he angles his head and lets his lips lightly brush against Jensen's, once, twice, and then when he can't hold back for even one second more, he slants his mouth and deepens the kiss.

Jensen tastes of tomatoes and sweet peppers, and the bitter beer they'd both been drinking. Jared moans, suddenly desperate for more, and sets his tongue to chasing down every last taste. He's so caught up with his task that he only realizes that Jensen is scrabbling at his clothes when a shirt button flies up to hit him on the nose, and he immediately reaches out to help in Jensen's frantic attempts to get skin on skin. When they finally manage it, they both let out twin groans of approval.

"You're not doing this because I'm your boss, are you?" Jared finds the strength to pant against Jensen's neck, and then bites down strongly on corded muscle when Jensen's thumb nail scrapes against a nipple.

"No," Jensen growls back. "You aren't doing it because you're hammered and I'm hot, are you?"

"I'm definitely doing it because you're hot, but not because I'm hammered."

"Well, okay then," Jensen says. His beaming grin only lasts until Jared repays the favor with his own nail edge and then he puts his mouth to much better use.

By the time they've managed to stumble their way through the entirely too large house to reach Jared's bedroom, the last remnants of his beer-haze have been eaten up by a confusing mixture of fear and desire. Just kissing Jensen is hotter than anything Jared has experienced before, but it's been a long time, if ever, since he's been so nervous about having sex.

He knows it'll be good, couldn't be anything else with Jensen, but the niggling doubt remains that he's never done this before, so there's a good possibility he's either going to suck at it, or it's going to hurt. Neither option particularly appeals, but what's worrying him the most is that if he gets this wrong, Jensen might decide not to stick around. It's only when he feels a hand drift softly along his side that Jared realizes he's standing motionless in the middle of the room. A shuddering bolt of lust shoots through him when he looks up to find Jensen standing naked in front of him. He's all long, lean lines, pale skin dusted with freckles and sharp bones jutting out over taut muscles. Jensen's cock is hard, flushed a dusky red and big enough that Jared has to take in a deep breath to calm his nerves and simultaneous rush of lust. Fuck, this really had to go well, because there's no way he's ever letting Jensen go now.

Jared steps blindly forward, zombie-like, and yanks Jensen against him. He can feel the heat of him burning through his remaining clothes and he reluctantly pulls aways for a second to drag them off, desperate to feel nothing between them.

It's like electricity when they're finally both naked. His cock is already weeping softly, and he hisses out a soft curse when the difference in their heights means it slides perfectly against the cut of Jensen's hip. Jensen mirrors his position, and begins to softly rut against him, the friction sending shudders of pleasure racing through him. Jared's just starting to think everything might be over embarrassingly quickly, and with both of them still on their feet, when Jensen pulls away.

"C'mon," he mutters, pushing and manhandling Jared's ridiculously shaking and uncoordinated limbs into obeying his commands. "No point in wasting a perfectly good bed, right?" he asks, and then he pushes at Jared's shoulder until he tumbles backward. At the last second, Jared grabs hold of Jensen's wrist and drags him down so that they hit the bed together.

"This is why you're such a good assistant," Jared mutters, setting his teeth against the soft juncture where Jensen's neck and shoulder meet. "Awesome organizational skills."

"Trust me, Jay," Jensen says, with a wicked little smile, "you ain't seen nothing yet."

He goes about proving his point with fierce concentration, until Jared is boneless and panting underneath him, heart racing in his chest, and blinking stinging sweat out of his eyes. "Jen, I'm gonna-you need to stop," he groans, and reaches out a hand to tug lightly on Jensen's head. Jensen looks up from where he's positioned between Jared's thighs, pupils blown wide, and his mouth stretched obscenely around Jared's dick. The sight alone is almost enough to send Jared over the edge. Jensen must recognize it too, because he blinks, clearing enough of the lust from his gaze to leave him able to reach up and grasp the base of Jared's dick. Jared lets out a pained groan when Jensen pulls back, letting Jared's cock slide gently through his lips, tongue snaking out to wickedly tease the tip as he slips free.

Jensen drags himself up along the bed until he's flush with Jared body, and swoops down to plant biting kissing along his jawline. Their cocks drag together, and Jared moans, feeling his balls drawing up. "Jen, I can't wait, I'm sorry-"

"You can," Jensen insists, reaching down to grasp him tight and hold off Jared's orgasm again. The moan Jared lets out this time is more pain than pleasure.

"Please, please, c'mon," Jared groans, rocking desperately and getting no relief. "God, Jen, can't wait, don't make me wait."

"It'll be worth it," Jensen mumbles, occupied with licking a stripe across Jared's right nipple. Jared's whole body spasms with pleasure, muscles bunching and tightening in a desperate quest to come, and then he freezes when Jensen presses his soft lips up against his ear to whisper, "Wanna fuck you, Jay."

There's a quick shiver of fear, but it's no match for the hunger burning him up from the inside. "Okay." Jared nods. "Yeah, okay. I can do it, I'm ready."

Jensen pulls away to stare down at Jared, a tender expression softening his face. "Maybe next time," he says, and bends to press a soft kiss to Jared's lips. Jared's confusion melts away as their kisses turn deep and drugging, and he's almost completely forgotten Jensen's words until he begins crawling backwards and settling himself on his knees over Jared's hips. It's only when Jensen reaches behind him to grasp Jared's cock-which is very much in favor of the idea-that Jared finally understands what's happening, and he reaches out to grab Jensen's hips to hold him in place.

"Jen, what are you-you can't, we haven't got to the lube yet!" It might be Jared's first time, and he might have been avoiding thinking too much about it till right that moment, but Jared's pretty sure sinking down onto another dude's dick didn't happen without at least a little prep work, and probably a lot when Jared's was the dick in question.

"'S'okay," Jensen soothes, "I've taken care of it." Jared shakes his head, because surely he would have noticed that? But then Jensen is pushing down, and Christ, Jared can't even think about anything apart from the feel of his dick being slowly enveloped by tight, smooth heat, that leaves him panting and trembling and his brain feeling like it's oozing out of his skull.

Jared drags his eyes open, sweat prickling his skin, and watches, mouth open on a bitten back moan as Jensen slowly, so slowly, lowers himself onto Jared's dick until he's buried to the hilt, then he freezes, bottom lip captured between sharp white teeth. Jared fights desperately against the urge to thrust, and reaches up to swipe his thumb tenderly across the red spot Jensen's teeth have left behind.

"You okay?" he gets out, not enough air for the words to have any strength behind them. Jensen moans softly, nodding as he lifts himself up, and then slowly lowers himself back down, long drawn-out groans leaving both their lips when Jensen is fully seated again.

"Big, Jay, God, you're so damn big. Filling me up so good," Jensen pants, and Jared's eyes slam shut again as he concentrates on not coming. It's a near impossible task; he's been so close for so long, and nothing has ever been this tight, this hot, this perfect.

Quickly, surely too quickly, Jensen is lifting and lowering himself in a steady rhythm, breath punched out of him every time his ass smacks down against Jared's thighs. He's glowing, a sheen of sweat highlighting all the hard angles and soft planes of his body as he works himself hard on Jared's cock, and then he leans back to adjust the angle. His breath stutters as he gets it just right, and then he lets out a whimpering sound and speeds up. Jared's grip tightens on Jensen's hips, just to feel that satiny flesh beneath hands, because Jensen definitely needs no urging.

Jared has never experienced anything like it before, and the intense pleasure of Jensen's clenching muscles fluttering tightly around his aching cock is sending sharp snaps of electric heat singing along his nerve endings. When Jensen reaches out to grasp his own dick, pumping it in time to the rough, jolting thrusts, Jared wants to knock his hand away and replace it with his own, but he needs to keep all his focus on not coming. Jared settles instead for sliding his palms up Jensen's chest, trailing them softly along his sides and the hollow of his back, and then reaching out with his thumb and forefinger to roughly tug at Jensen's nipples.

At the first touch, Jensen howls, impaled on Jared's dick, his inner muscles clenching and unclenching frantically, and then he lifts up and slams back down, hard, thick come shooting from his dick to coat his own and Jared's stomach with the milky white fluid. Jensen's still shuddering, weakly shooting, when Jared rolls him beneath him, and begins pumping furiously, cock slamming home with each rough, jolting thrust until Jared's coming too, deep in Jensen's body and still struggling to get deeper still. He rocks gently through the aftershocks, feeling his come ooze thickly around his dick and start seeping out of Jensen's hole. When he finally begins to soften, he slows and then pulls out, a sharp hiss of air escaping him as his oversensitve dick slips free.

Beneath him, Jensen is still breathing heavily, limbs spread limp across the bed like a starfish, a half smile tilting his lips in blissed-out pleasure. His eyes are closed, soft blue veins visible through the fluttering, fragile skin. Jared bends to press a soft kiss to each eyelid, and then to Jensen's gently parted lips, before rolling to the side and pulling Jensen with him.

The touch seems to revive Jensen slightly and he blinks tiredly up at Jared, gaze filled with soft warmth.

"That was awesome," Jensen says sleepily, "but so not in my job description. In the morning, we are definitely going to talk about a raise."

Jared feels a huge grin spread over his face, a fierce jolt of happiness making his heart turn over in his chest. "Sure, Jen," he says. "First thing we'll do."

Jensen reaches up and buries his hand in Jared's hair to pull him down into a soft, sleepy kiss that still leaves Jared panting. "Okay," he amends breathlessly, "maybe the second."



As the weeks pass, and Jensen just keeps twining himself seamlessly closer and closer into the fabric of Jared's life, Jared waits patiently for his freak-out to hit. He's pretty sure there should be one. Before that first night with Jensen, he'd never even kissed a guy, let alone had sex with one. Okay, there were obviously underlying reasons for that way beyond the most logical, and incorrect, interpretation that he's not gay or even bi. But the simple fact is that Jared's had it drummed into his head from an early age by his mother, his agent and his publicist that image is everything. He's spent most of his adult life living under a microscope, and his new nighttime (and daytime and every other time) activities alone should be causing at least some vague stirrings of panic about the consequences of discovery.

Instead, Jared is left with the amazingly freeing realization that he just doesn't care any more.

Jensen, however, is much less ready to join Jared in throwing caution to the winds, and he keeps insisting they have to be careful. As much as Jared wants to let the world know that they're together, deep down he knows, for now at least, that Jensen's right.

Jared also knows that he doesn't intend for it to always be like this; as soon as the show is out, hit or not, he's coming out, too.

He hasn't told Jensen because he doesn't want him to worry, but Jared's already met with his publicist to discuss how best to handle it. After endless attempts to talk him out of it, and furious rants from Chad about how he's taking money out of both of their pockets, they have a plan that they're all reasonably happy with.

Jared's planning on sharing the news with Jensen over dinner that evening, followed hopefully by sex until dawn, but the shoot's running long, and by the time the director calls a wrap, Jared's buzzing with frustration. Jensen seems to have picked up on his mood and is equally desperate, and by unspoken agreement they head for Jared's trailer and the relative privacy it provides.

Unfortunately, those plans are derailed when they arrive to find the area where the trailers are housed awash with crew for another show's night shoot. The trailers being used as backdrop for a scene, and cameras and lighting are being set up everywhere. Jared considers for a second breezing by and marching straight in; it's not like they're going to be filming inside his trailer, but then common sense prevails. He might be coming out, but he doesn't want to risk his family finding out by seeing his naked ass on Entertainment Tonight, so he reluctantly allows Jensen to pull him away.

His pout lasts right up until Jensen leads him to the middle of one of their own empty sets, quiet and separate from the hustle and bustle they left behind.

"Jen?" he asks, then moans when Jensen pushes in close and reaches up to capture his lips in a kiss. "God," he pulls away to says raggedly. "I just can't get enough of you. Won't ever be able to-we're in the middle of a freaking TV set-" He temporarily loses his train of thought when Jensen reaches round to squeeze his ass, strong fingers kneading the taut muscle. "God," he says again. "You are just-I've never felt like this before. I never want to feel like this with anyone else."

Up till then, most of Jensen's attention has been focused on extracting Jared from the button-down shirt he's wearing, but at Jared's hoarse words he pulls briefly away to stare up at him, joy radiating from his face. "Good," Jensen says, deep satisfaction in his voice. "Because I'd hate if it was just me." The words tug at Jared's insides, sending something hot and primal surging through his veins. He reaches out to haul Jensen against him, and steps him backward across the studio floor.

The set is one they use for the interior of the Stephens' bedroom, partially taken down now, but the furniture, and more important the bed, is still in place. It's pushed back into an alcove, out of sight of the rest of the room and impossible to see from the main walkway. Perfect for what Jared needs.

"Is this okay?" Jared thinks to ask as he drags Jensen down with him onto the bed.

"I'm the one who couldn't wait twenty minutes till we got home-what do you think?"

By now, Jared isn't thinking much of anything, and it's all the permission he needs to start stripping Jensen efficiently out of his clothes and pressing him back into the soft mattress. He's basically lost to everything right up until Jensen reaches up and clutches at his shoulder. He ignores it, because he is getting pretty damn good at blowjobs if he says so himself, and he assumes Jensen doesn't know what he's grabbing at right then, but then Jensen digs his thumb into the muscles of Jared's shoulder, sending pain shooting down his arm.

"Fuck, Jen, what the hell?" he grumbles, lifting up to rub some feeling back into his aching limb.

"I think there's someone out there," Jensen hisses, and Jared freezes. He still has his pants on, although they're unbuttoned and pushed down around his ass, so he quickly drags them back into place and clambers up off the bed, doing his best to hide Jensen's-far less clothed-form from view.

With his new height advantage, Jared can see immediately that Jensen is right-someone is there, a very familiar someone in the shape of Gabe standing not five feet away from them, shifting from side to side awkwardly.

"Gabe, for fuck's sake," Jared moans, and pushes a shaky hand through his hair. "If you're about to ask me if I want a cup of freaking coffee, I swear to God-"

"I'm not!" Gabe says immediately. "I just, I really need to talk to you, Mr. Padalecki."

Jared lets out a disbelieving snort. "You're kidding, right?"

"Um, no, it's... it's really important, sir."

"Trust me, it isn't. Go home, Gabe," Jared instructs.

"No, sir, you don't understand it's about Jensen-"

"What about me?" Jensen asks, already climbing out of the rumpled bed. He's far too naked for Jared's liking when there's someone else around, so Jared does a little shuffling move in an attempt to keep the moving target Jensen has become covered.

"Nothing," Jared growls, and Jensen pinches lightly at his waist in complaint.

"No, no, it is something! Something important! I've been watching him when you weren't around and-"

"What? You're stalking Jensen now? Seriously, Gabe, this is so not cool-"

"He's a witch!"

Jared lets out a startled laugh, because he definitely wasn't expecting that, and then yelps when Jensen pinches him harder. "Ouch, fuck, okay, okay. Gabe, I didn't mean to laugh at you, but seriously, you need some help. You're getting all mixed up with what's happening on the show. Witches don't exist; Samantha and Darrin aren't real." He waves his arm at the partially constructed room they're standing in. "None of this is real."

"No, you don't understand. I know this is fake, that you're all just actors, but Jensen is different. I swear, sir, he's a witch!"

"Jared, let me talk to him," Jensen says quietly, but Jensen is still mostly naked, Gabe is plainly beyond reasoning, and Jared's patience has just about run out.

"Christ, Gabe, enough of this crap! You're acting like a fucking madman!" Jared turns, determined to find something to cover Jensen with while they deal with the crazy situation, and to his relief finds Jensen already dragging a midnight blue bathrobe into place around him. Jared nods, satisfied, and turns his attention back toward Gabe who's watching them both now with a worryingly wild expression on his face.

"See! He magicked up that robe! Didn't you see him?" Gabe moans and rakes his hands through his hair like he's in pain. "He's a witch, an evil supernatural creature, and he's cast a spell on you! That's why you can't see it, but it's okay now, you'll be okay; I know how to stop him!"

"Oh, man," Jared mutters under his breath. Although he's always known Gabe is odd, but he hadn't realized until now he's actually, officially, out-of-his-tree crazy. He's just considering whether subduing him or calling for security would settle the matter quickest, when Gabe starts scrabbling madly at his clothes.

Insane Gabe is bad enough; insane, naked Gabe is one step too far.

Jared has his hand in his pocket ready to drag his cell out and call security, when Gabe stops fumbling at his clothing. Jared hesitates, and then freezes when he sees what Gabe is doing: pulling a wicked, gleaming silver knife from his inside jacket pocket. The knife is equal parts terrifying and beautiful, curved and sharpened to a deadly point, the edges catching the light, and the sturdy brown handle solid and substantial in Gabe's small hand.

Jared drags in a horrified breath and steps directly in front of Jensen, shoving his boyfriend behind him with such force that he feels Jensen stagger and slam into his back, sending another terrified breath wheezing out of Jared's lungs. Jared's been in enough action movies to know the real thing when he sees it, and from the wild gleam in Gabe's eye, he's more than ready to use it.

"Get out of the way, sir!" Gabe shouts, flecks of spittle spraying from his mouth and collecting in the corners of his lips. "Enchanted silver can kill a witch, and then his spell will be broken forever!"

"No, Gabe, no," Jared says desperately. "Jensen isn't a witch, there's no such thing as witches for fuck's sake! You aren't thinking straight right now, but we can get you some help. You just need some help." Jared lowers his voice, keeping it as even and calm as he can, and trying to hide as much of Jensen behind him as possible. Maybe if he's out of Gabe's sight-

"You can't see it because he's put a spell on you, but if you just let me do this, I can save you! You'll see once you're free, sir," Gabe repeats, "the spell will die with the witch! Trust me, you have to trust me."

"Fuck," Jensen says from just to the right of him. Jared glares down when he sees Jensen desperately trying to edge around Jared's larger form to see what's happening. "Is that-oh my god, Gabe, where the hell did you get that? Only you," he mutters in an angry aside to Jared, "would have a stalker that does his research!"

"What?" Jared hisses back, doing his best to force Jensen behind him where he's safe.

"Craigslist!" Gabe shouts over at them, an inappropriate undercurrent of pride in his voice. "It only cost me fifty dollars. Idiot didn't even know what he had!"

"Damn it, what sort of fool would sell-" Jensen trails off when Jared watches him with incredulously raised brows. "Okay, not important right now, but what is important is that he's right: enchanted silver does kill witches."

"Yeah, I think a five-fucking-inch blade pretty much kills anyone," Jared bites out, because this situation is quite stressful enough, thank you very much, without his boyfriend playing into the psycho's delusions.

"No, I mean, yes, obviously, but why the hell couldn't he have gone with fire? Or water? We'd be fine with either of those. Or even gold, but freaking silver..." Jensen descends into angry mutters that Jared can no longer make out. Gabe seems to be holding position for the moment, so Jared takes a second to swing round and grab Jensen by the shoulders. The shake he gives him is small, but hopefully firm enough to bring him to his senses.

"Fine? You and me, my friend, are going to be sitting down as soon as this is over and discussing the meaning of the word fine. We will also be covering Be quiet, Stay down, and I'll deal with this. Okay?" Jensen doesn't respond, and Jared shakes him again. A little harder this time. "Jensen, I said, okay?"

"What? No," Jensen snaps back. "Seriously, Jared, I've got this-"

"Mr. Padalecki, get down!"

Jared has spent too many years being directed for his first instinct not to be to obey, but he's barely begun to drop into crouch before he catches himself and jerks upright, swiveling on the balls of his feet as he goes and spreading his arms to cover as much of Jensen's body as he can with his own.

It's a cliché, but true all the same that time seems to still as he watches the glint of the thrown knife as it speeds toward them, rotating almost too fast for his eyes to track. He only has time to send up a quick desperate hope that when the impact comes, it'll be handle rather than blade that makes contact with his flesh. It'll probably hurt like a bitch, but he'll take that over a gaping hole in his chest.

Jared closes his eyes, drops his hands, and gropes blindly for Jensen behind him and feels his right hand captured. His worst nightmare is realized when he feels his other hand touching nothing but air, and then the sensation of Jensen pulling away to step in front of him. Jared lets out a yell of terror mixed with rage, but when he opens his eyes, the nightmare vision he'd been expecting doesn't materialize.

Instead, Gabe is frozen in position, his pitching arm still outstretched and his features twisted with the effort of the throw. Jensen is about half a dozen steps in front of him, and Jared would be wondering how he managed that, except there's something much more puzzling occupying his mind right then.

The knife that Gabe had thrown, the one that had been seconds away from potentially severing an artery, is floating suspended in the air. There isn't even a quiver of movement to suggest that moments ago it had been airborne, or any method, as far as Jared can see, of keeping it that way.

Jensen is circling the floating knife, a look of disgust on his face. He startles when Jared approaches and halts his pacing to lift his hand to rub awkwardly at the back of his neck.

"Shit, Jared, this is fucked up, I know. And I'm sorry, I didn't-I didn't want you to find out like this. God, I wasn't sure for a while I wanted you to find out at all, but maybe... maybe it's for the best?"

His voice goes up at the end questioningly, but Jared isn't quite ready yet for whatever conversation Jensen is starting.

"Fuck me," he murmurs, and then again, more loudly: "Fuck me. How is it-is it...?" He raises his hand and circles it around the knife, looking for wire or whatever the hell it is that's holding it up. Finding nothing, he gingerly grabs hold of the handle of the knife. "How the hell is it doing this? Magnets?" he turns to ask Jensen, and finds him in the process of tugging his clothes back on. Jared returns his attention back to the knife. He takes a firmer grip on the handle, and uses his other hand to jiggle the blade with the tips of his fingers. "I saw an episode of Mythbusters once, I think, about how opposing magnets can make metal float, but I'm pretty sure it only worked when the whole thing was made of metal." Jared adjusts his stance so he can put some real effort into pulling the knife out of the air. It doesn't budge an inch. "I don't think it was supposed to be this strong," he says. "Not unless it was some monster fucking magnets."

"Jared," Jensen says carefully, and reaches up to pull Jared's hands away from the knife. "It's not a magnet."

"Then what?" Jared demands. He very carefully keeps his gaze focused on Jensen. It's taking a lot more effort than he's happy with to control his breathing, and he does his best to concentrate on his acting coach's lessons on breath technique and not on the growing sadness in Jensen's eyes.

"I think you know." Jensen jerks his head toward Gabe who's still frozen in position across the room from them.

"I don't," Jared says quickly. "I really don't. Should we-should we go home now, Jensen? No wait, we need to get security, call the cops. Tell them Gabe's gone insane." He glances at Gabe, and hastily away. "Who'd have thought one little guy could fit so much crazy inside him?"

He looks up at Jensen to share the joke and finds him staring silently back. "Fuck, Jensen," he finally mutters and drags his hands through his hair. He repeats the action twice more before he feels confident enough his voice won't shake to pieces when he tries to talk. "Tell me this isn't true."

"I can't, Jared, I'm sorry-" Jensen reaches out a hand toward him, and Jared jerks away as though burned. Jensen makes a pained sound and pulls his hand back to bury it deep in the pocket of his jeans. He hunches in on himself, his normal easy confidence gone, replaced by a stiff awareness that Jared can see he's only just managing to hang on to. Jared feels a burning urge to reach out and pull Jensen into a hug, tell him it'll all be okay, but then he catches sight of the knife and suddenly nothing is okay.

"Sorry?" he repeats, and throws his hands into the air. "You're sorry? Are you telling me, seriously telling me that you're a fucking witch?"

"No," Jensen snaps, and Jared feels a second's wild hope before Jensen crushes it underfoot. "I'm a warlock. Men are warlocks, women are witches."

"Great, that's great, Jensen, thanks for clearing that up. I feel much better knowing I've been fucking a fucking warlock." Jensen flinches, and something inside of Jared cringes along with him when he hears the words, but compared with the terrified confusion running through his veins, it isn't enough to stop him. He doesn't know if there's anything that could do that right now.

And then the words really register, and the terror blows any confusion he was feeling out of the water. "Oh my god, I've been fucking you," Jared breathes. Jensen pales, until his freckles are the only color left in his face. "Am I gonna get pregnant? Oh god, I cannot get pregnant! I would not look good in maternity pants, Jensen-have you seen my hips? And my abs, my beautiful, rock-solid abs would never be the same again!"

Jensen lets out a shaky laugh and rubs a not quite steady hand across his forehead. "Pregnant? You remember that I was the one getting fucked, right? Shouldn't you be worried that warlocks can get pregnant?"

Jared scowls. "Yeah, well, excuse me for not knowing the specifics of magical anatomy! Didn't really come up in sex ed, y'know? And what does that mean anyway, could I have gotten you pregnant? Jesus, Jensen, we haven't been using condoms! You said you were clean-"

"And I am, trust me."

"Oh, sure, now you want me to trust you, five minutes after you give yourself away and I know all your twisted little secrets!"

Jensen straightens to his full height, a flush of color blooming high on his cheekbones. "I'm not ashamed of what I am, Jared."

Even through the wild storm of see-sawing emotions blanketing any rational thought, Jared still has enough clarity to notice how hot Jensen looks. How much he wants to bite and lick at his lips, and let Jensen do the same to him-his dick is just starting to pay attention when another thought hits him with enough force that he actually takes a step back in surprise.

"You did this," he breathes softly.

"What?" Jensen demands, his plush lips hardening in an angry line. "What other unforgivable crime do you think I've committed now exactly?"

"You made me gay for you!" Jensen's jaw drops, and he stares back at Jared through stunned green eyes. The honest bewilderment in his gaze makes Jared pause, before he reminds himself that Jensen is a witch. A lying witch who had a million opportunities to tell him the truth and never took one of them. Obviously he can't believe a single thing Jensen says now.

"I made you gay?" Jensen asks carefully. "You don't think that maybe your desire to stick your cock in my ass might have had a little more to do with it than anything I did?"

"Hey, my cock was perfectly happy with where I'd been sticking it until I met you, and then suddenly all it's interested in is Jensen's ass, so don't try to tell me you didn't cast some sort of spell on me!"

Jensen opens his mouth, and then closes it with a snap. The huge room is silent. In the distance Jared can hear the noise of a TV set, workmen hammering, and the whine of power tools as they break sets and build new ones. An endless cycle of destruction and renewal. Jensen shakes his head sadly, drops his gaze to the floor. Jared sucks in a deep breath and fights the urge to reach for him, tells himself it's all part of whatever enchantment Jensen placed on him, and waits.

Eventually Jensen lifts his head, and Jared feels like he's taken a sucker-punch to the solar plexus. Jensen seems almost translucent in the harsh light streaming in over the set walls above. There's a too bright sheen in the unnatural green of his eyes, but his gaze doesn't waver when he fixes it on Jared.

Jared has a sudden sensation of impending doom, and he reaches out a hand toward Jensen. This time, Jensen is the one who back-steps, and when Jared tries to follow him, he finds his feet stuck to the floor. "Jensen, what the hell-?"

"Okay, that one is me," Jensen says, smile weak. "Sorry, but I think I'm allowed a free pass right about now, although you probably won't agree."

"Jen, listen, whatever you're doing here-"

"Don't worry, nothing that you can object to, I don't think. See, I should have told you before, and I didn't because I fell in love with you and I was afraid if you knew what I was, you'd look at me differently. And I guess I was right about that if nothing else."

"Jensen, goddamn it," Jared says desperately, "let me go!"

Jensen shakes his head. "I will, just-just give me a minute, okay?" Jared opens his mouth, angry words ready to spring free, and Jensen sighs, waves his hand, and Jared feels a cool rush of air hit his throat. He tries to say something and feels the words vanish as soon they leave his mouth. "Guess you were right about me, huh?" Jensen says, but he doesn't look particularly contrite. "I am kind of spell-happy once I get going."

Jared growls, about the only sound he can get out, and Jensen looks pained. "Right, sorry, I'll make it quick-I didn't put a spell on you to make you think you were gay, and I'm sorry if that's not what you were hoping to hear. Whatever you are, Jared, that's all you, and frankly I don't think it's anything you need to be ashamed of. But I guess that's not my place to say now. Maybe it never was."

Jensen walks over toward the still-floating knife and plucks it out of the air by the handle. He pulls a small, leather cloth from his pocket and carefully wraps the blade in it before crumpling the entire thing in his hand, like the same trick Jared has seen about a million magicians do before. Except this time he knows there's no trick, and Jensen really has just taken a knife and magicked it out of existence.

Jared's eyes round as Jensen makes his way over to stand in front of him, head tilted to one side and eyes flickering over his features as though he's memorizing them. "You probably won't believe me, but there's no spell that can make someone love you. Infatuation, sure, but it doesn't last long, and the affects are fleeting. I'm pretty sure I didn't do that, but I've never loved a mortal before. Maybe, accidentally..." Jensen shrugs, the movement casual even though the rest of his tensely held body is anything but. "Anyway, just in case... I release you from any spells cast upon you, Jared, by my hand or another's." Jared feels a soft warmth rushing through him, and renews his attempts to free himself.

"Okay, just so you know," Jensen says, suddenly business-like. "I'm going to erase Gabe's memory. Of all of this. As far as Gabe will be concerned, whatever stalking he's been up to the last few weeks will never have happened, and he won't ever have known anyone called Jensen Ackles. I'm also going to see if I can straighten a few things out in the poor guys head while I'm at it; there really are a few too many loose screws up there."

Jared feels his heart begin thundering in his chest, terrified by the possibility that Jensen will erase himself from Jared's memory at the same time. Jensen seems to know what he's thinking because he grins through pale lips. "Sorry, Jay, erasing your memories of me would leave you with more holes than a piece of swiss cheese for the last few weeks. Wish I could oblige, but that's something you're going to have to live with. Only fair, I guess, because I can't erase you either."

Jared can definitely feel sensation returning to his fingers, and he watches in impotent rage as Jensen turns to Gabe and touches lightly at the top of his head. Gabe's face instantly goes slack. Jensen pauses before tapping him on the shoulder, and Gabe disappears in the blink of Jared's unblinking eye.

"Okay," Jensen says, making his way back toward him. "Guess this is goodbye." Jared grunts silently with effort and desperately tugs on his frozen limbs. Jensen sighs and reaches up to cup Jared's jaw in his fingers. "Part of me thinks if I'd told you earlier this might have gone differently, but a bigger part of me thinks if I had, I'd never have had you at all. So I can't be sorry, Jared, but I am sorry it ended this way." Jensen presses his lips to Jared's frozen ones, and Jared feels like he's going to rip the flesh from his bones with the effort he puts into trying to free himself. He thinks he can feel a vague loosening, but then Jensen is standing back, and his fingers are withdrawing, too. He runs the pad of his thumb across Jared's lips and then nods.

When Jared finally wrenches himself free and lunges for Jensen, all he has in his arms is air.

Chapter 6