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My Kind Of People
J2 AU, 1800 words.
The Men With Kids timestamp where they tell Nate about the two of them.
Dating Jared is strange, but that doesn't make it any less awesome.
They don't actually date often. Well, they date all the time, because as far as Jensen is concerned, Jared is his boyfriend, and he's sure Jared feels the same. But they can't actually go out very often, because Jared has Nate, and they've agreed that no matter how well it's going, it would be unfair to tell him about their relationship until the school year's over.
And it's going really well, if Jensen's honest.
They go out about once every other week, usually on weekdays, because Jared feels bad asking his neighbor to give up her weekends so he can get in a private dinner. He'll get his mom to come sometimes too, but Jensen knows that Jared doesn't like leaving Nate much anyway, and he understands that. It's even kind of sweet.
"You're quiet," says Jared.
Jensen flushes and smiles wryly. Possibly it isn't the best time to be thinking about his relationship. When he only gets one date every two weeks, he really should try to keep from soul-searching until they're done. "Sorry," he says. "I was just--school's almost over."
Jared reaches across the table and wraps Jensen's hand in his. "Thinking about Nate?"
"Pretty much all the time," Jensen admits. He's kept his eyes peeled to see if Jared's having a boyfriend has had any effect on the kid, to see if he seems unhappier or dysfunctional or anything, but Jared's social life doesn't have any effect that Jensen can see.
Jared smiles. "This is why you're so awesome," he says. His smile softens into something warmer and closer. "I'd like to tell him about us. I'd really like it if the three of us could do stuff this summer. As--" he cuts himself off. "Do you think it'd be bad for him if we went out the last day of school? I really hate not being honest."
"What have you told him about me?"
"He knows I've been seeing the same guy since February, He knows I really like him." He laughs and looks down at their hands. "He thinks I'm in love."
Jensen swallows. "Yeah?"
"He knows every time we go out, and that I'd like it to be more serious. He wants to meet him." He laughs. "He says he hasn't seen me this happy in years."
"I'd--does he have any idea it's me?"
"No," Jared admits. "I was thinking--maybe not the last day of school. Maybe the last day of school, I tell him, and then if he's okay we could get dinner the next day--"
Jensen forces himself to breathe. "What if he isn't?"
Jared squeezes his hand. "Then I'll figure something out. Nate loves you. He thinks you're awesome. And I--I am pretty sure I love you too."
Jensen blushes. He thinks he's not supposed to be in love with Jared this soon. Four months and nine dates isn't a lot. But they talk on the phone after Nate's asleep, and Jared sends him e-mails all the time, when he's bored or amused or lonely.
They haven't even gotten past kissing yet, and it's not like Jensen thinks that sex is the most important part of a relationship, but he's never told anyone he loves them without having had sex with them first, without spending the night, without waking up next to them. And he wants all of those things with Jared, wants them more than he's ever wanted anything else, anyone else.
"I know it's soon," says Jared. "But, you know, full disclosure, or something."
"No," says Jensen. "No, I--me too." He doesn't meet Jared's eyes, but he knows he's smiling. "School's over in two weeks."
"Want to meet my family?" asks Jared.
"I know your family."
"Well," says Jared. "You know what I mean."
Jensen grins at him. "Yeah. Love to."
*
Jared is nervous. The last time he told Nate about a guy, Nate was three, and he mostly was just happy to get attention from another adult. Nate has never objected to him dating, but he understands that an introduction means something more serious.
And he worries--he thinks it was good to not tell Nate that Jensen was the guy he was seeing. Nate had an awesome year at kindergarten, and he's excited for summer and the day camp he's going to and playing t-ball in the evenings with Jared.
He picks Nate up from school the last day, thinking that it's important to do. It's strange to see Jensen in this context--he's gone on other field trips, had parent/teacher conferences, but he still has trouble. His instinctual reaction to Jensen is to touch, a hug or a nuzzle or a kiss, and he knows he can't at the school.
There are other parents he recognizes heading in, and he makes his way to Jensen's classroom a little slowly, panic settling in somewhere low in his gut.
When he arrives, Jensen's surrounded by kids, smiling wistfully, and he glances up and gives Jared a real, no-holds-barred grin.
It is so hard to not kiss him.
"Hey, Nate," says Jensen. "Your dad's here."
Nate, who's sitting on a desk by Jensen, reading, looks up. "Dad!" he says, beaming wide. He puts down his book and runs over to latch onto Jared. "I thought I was taking the bus."
"Last day of school? No way. We're getting celebration ice cream, as soon as possible."
Nate pouts. "But I like school."
Jared rolls his eyes. "Fine, then it's comfort ice cream. To get you through this tough day."
"Can Mr. Ackles come?"
Jensen startles, like the idea that Nate would ever express interest in him again after the school year is over is completely foreign. Jared raises his eyebrows, trying to communicate without saying anything, but Jensen just looks like a deer in headlights.
"How about this," says Jared, speaking as much to Jensen as to Nate, "how about you and me get ice cream, and we can take Mr. Ackles out to dinner tonight to thank him for an awesome year, if you still want to after ice cream."
"Why wouldn't I want to?" asks Nate.
"Maybe you'll be full from ice cream," says Jared. He looks up at Jensen. "Sound good, Mr. Ackles?"
Jensen nods, a little shakily. "Yeah, definitely. I'd love to."
Jared hefts Nate up onto his shoulders. "Come on, kid. You can get two scoops and everything."
"See you later, Mr. Ackles!" says Nate, waving.
Jared really hopes so.
*
They're settled in the ice cream parlor before Jared brings it up. Nate's got chocolate and rocky road, Jared's got a banana split, and for the first time ever, he's not even thinking about how good it'll be. He's thinking this could go really badly.
"Nate," he says, "we need to talk."
Nate nods. "I thought we did. Cuz otherwise Mr. Ackles could've come."
"Yeah," says Jared. He laughs a little. "It's--God, I don't even know how to tell you this."
"Are you okay?" asks Nate. He looks so concerned that Jared feels bad.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm--great, actually. It's just--I'd say I want you to meet this guy I've been seeing, but you already know him."
Nate cocks his head. "I know him?"
"Yeah, um. I've been going out with," he takes a deep breath. "With Mr. Ackles."
Nate stares at him, spoon in his mouth. It's a few long minutes before he finally removes it and puts it in the bowl. "Mr. Ackles?" he asks. Jared can't read his voice at all.
"Yeah," he says hesitantly. "I didn't know--I thought I shouldn't tell you til it was serious. Because I know how much you like him, and I wouldn't wanna get your hopes up. And then--I thought it'd be easier for him if we waited to tell you until you weren't in his class."
Nate pushes his ice cream around. "You really like the guy you're dating," he observes.
"Yeah. I really like Mr. Ackles."
Nate is still subdued and looks tiny in the booth across from Jared. Jared doesn't know what to do. He thinks the answer might be travel back in time and be honest with Nate from the start, but that's not really an option.
"I like Mr. Ackles," Nate says finally, almost shyly. "Does he like me?"
"Dude, yes. The first time I met him he was telling me all about what a great kid you are. Mr. Ackles thinks you're awesome. And we were really sad we couldn't hang out with you, but we wanted to wait. It's a lot worse for everyone if you try to be a family too soon."
Jared wants to stuff the words back into his mouth, because it's still too soon for that.
"Does he want to go to dinner with us?" asks Nate.
"I think he'd like that."
"And he wants to see me too?"
"He absolutely wants to see you. I think he'd really like it if we could all hang out this summer."
Nate nods, like he's thinking it over. "I'm glad it's him," he says. It sounds a little like he's trying to convince himself, but Jared thinks that's normal.
He thinks it went pretty well.
*
Jensen doesn't really know what he's supposed to say to Nate, so he's glad the kid makes it kind of easy for him.
"Hi, Mr. Ackles," he says shyly, and it's so simple to remember what it's like to be a kid, to not know quite how to exist around grownups.
"Hey, Nate," he says, crouching down so they're at the same level. "I'm really glad you wanted to get dinner with me. But you should call me Jensen now. Cuz I'm not your teacher anymore."
"If you're gonna be at my house, will you still read to me?" asks Nate. It sounds like this is a huge concern.
"Of course. Anytime you want."
"It's okay if you just want to hang out with dad too. I don't mind."
Jensen smiles. "I like hanging out with both of you. Promise."
Nate nods. "Do you want to eat? Padaleckis have big stomachs."
It sounds like Jared probably painstakingly taught him how to say that, and Jensen has to laugh. "Yeah, I've been told. I'd love to eat."
When he straightens up, Jared is grinning at him like all his dreams have come true. It's humbling to realize that they really might have. Jensen doesn't know how to feel about that, except that it leaves a lump in his throat. Jared leans over and kisses him quickly.
"Hey," he says simply.
"Hi," says Jensen.
"Do you kiss a lot?" asks Nate. He sounds mostly curious.
"It's what grownups do," says Jared. "It's how we share our cooties."
"Cooties are head lice," says Nate. "I looked it up in the dictionary."
Jared rubs his head against Jensen's. "Happy now? Smart alec."
Nate rolls his eyes. "You're so weird. Why do you like him when he's so weird?"
Jensen laughs. "I guess he's my kind of weird," he says, letting Jared hold his hand as they go inside.
"I guess that's good," says Nate.
"Yeah," says Jensen. "Guess it is."
J2 AU, 1800 words.
The Men With Kids timestamp where they tell Nate about the two of them.
Dating Jared is strange, but that doesn't make it any less awesome.
They don't actually date often. Well, they date all the time, because as far as Jensen is concerned, Jared is his boyfriend, and he's sure Jared feels the same. But they can't actually go out very often, because Jared has Nate, and they've agreed that no matter how well it's going, it would be unfair to tell him about their relationship until the school year's over.
And it's going really well, if Jensen's honest.
They go out about once every other week, usually on weekdays, because Jared feels bad asking his neighbor to give up her weekends so he can get in a private dinner. He'll get his mom to come sometimes too, but Jensen knows that Jared doesn't like leaving Nate much anyway, and he understands that. It's even kind of sweet.
"You're quiet," says Jared.
Jensen flushes and smiles wryly. Possibly it isn't the best time to be thinking about his relationship. When he only gets one date every two weeks, he really should try to keep from soul-searching until they're done. "Sorry," he says. "I was just--school's almost over."
Jared reaches across the table and wraps Jensen's hand in his. "Thinking about Nate?"
"Pretty much all the time," Jensen admits. He's kept his eyes peeled to see if Jared's having a boyfriend has had any effect on the kid, to see if he seems unhappier or dysfunctional or anything, but Jared's social life doesn't have any effect that Jensen can see.
Jared smiles. "This is why you're so awesome," he says. His smile softens into something warmer and closer. "I'd like to tell him about us. I'd really like it if the three of us could do stuff this summer. As--" he cuts himself off. "Do you think it'd be bad for him if we went out the last day of school? I really hate not being honest."
"What have you told him about me?"
"He knows I've been seeing the same guy since February, He knows I really like him." He laughs and looks down at their hands. "He thinks I'm in love."
Jensen swallows. "Yeah?"
"He knows every time we go out, and that I'd like it to be more serious. He wants to meet him." He laughs. "He says he hasn't seen me this happy in years."
"I'd--does he have any idea it's me?"
"No," Jared admits. "I was thinking--maybe not the last day of school. Maybe the last day of school, I tell him, and then if he's okay we could get dinner the next day--"
Jensen forces himself to breathe. "What if he isn't?"
Jared squeezes his hand. "Then I'll figure something out. Nate loves you. He thinks you're awesome. And I--I am pretty sure I love you too."
Jensen blushes. He thinks he's not supposed to be in love with Jared this soon. Four months and nine dates isn't a lot. But they talk on the phone after Nate's asleep, and Jared sends him e-mails all the time, when he's bored or amused or lonely.
They haven't even gotten past kissing yet, and it's not like Jensen thinks that sex is the most important part of a relationship, but he's never told anyone he loves them without having had sex with them first, without spending the night, without waking up next to them. And he wants all of those things with Jared, wants them more than he's ever wanted anything else, anyone else.
"I know it's soon," says Jared. "But, you know, full disclosure, or something."
"No," says Jensen. "No, I--me too." He doesn't meet Jared's eyes, but he knows he's smiling. "School's over in two weeks."
"Want to meet my family?" asks Jared.
"I know your family."
"Well," says Jared. "You know what I mean."
Jensen grins at him. "Yeah. Love to."
*
Jared is nervous. The last time he told Nate about a guy, Nate was three, and he mostly was just happy to get attention from another adult. Nate has never objected to him dating, but he understands that an introduction means something more serious.
And he worries--he thinks it was good to not tell Nate that Jensen was the guy he was seeing. Nate had an awesome year at kindergarten, and he's excited for summer and the day camp he's going to and playing t-ball in the evenings with Jared.
He picks Nate up from school the last day, thinking that it's important to do. It's strange to see Jensen in this context--he's gone on other field trips, had parent/teacher conferences, but he still has trouble. His instinctual reaction to Jensen is to touch, a hug or a nuzzle or a kiss, and he knows he can't at the school.
There are other parents he recognizes heading in, and he makes his way to Jensen's classroom a little slowly, panic settling in somewhere low in his gut.
When he arrives, Jensen's surrounded by kids, smiling wistfully, and he glances up and gives Jared a real, no-holds-barred grin.
It is so hard to not kiss him.
"Hey, Nate," says Jensen. "Your dad's here."
Nate, who's sitting on a desk by Jensen, reading, looks up. "Dad!" he says, beaming wide. He puts down his book and runs over to latch onto Jared. "I thought I was taking the bus."
"Last day of school? No way. We're getting celebration ice cream, as soon as possible."
Nate pouts. "But I like school."
Jared rolls his eyes. "Fine, then it's comfort ice cream. To get you through this tough day."
"Can Mr. Ackles come?"
Jensen startles, like the idea that Nate would ever express interest in him again after the school year is over is completely foreign. Jared raises his eyebrows, trying to communicate without saying anything, but Jensen just looks like a deer in headlights.
"How about this," says Jared, speaking as much to Jensen as to Nate, "how about you and me get ice cream, and we can take Mr. Ackles out to dinner tonight to thank him for an awesome year, if you still want to after ice cream."
"Why wouldn't I want to?" asks Nate.
"Maybe you'll be full from ice cream," says Jared. He looks up at Jensen. "Sound good, Mr. Ackles?"
Jensen nods, a little shakily. "Yeah, definitely. I'd love to."
Jared hefts Nate up onto his shoulders. "Come on, kid. You can get two scoops and everything."
"See you later, Mr. Ackles!" says Nate, waving.
Jared really hopes so.
*
They're settled in the ice cream parlor before Jared brings it up. Nate's got chocolate and rocky road, Jared's got a banana split, and for the first time ever, he's not even thinking about how good it'll be. He's thinking this could go really badly.
"Nate," he says, "we need to talk."
Nate nods. "I thought we did. Cuz otherwise Mr. Ackles could've come."
"Yeah," says Jared. He laughs a little. "It's--God, I don't even know how to tell you this."
"Are you okay?" asks Nate. He looks so concerned that Jared feels bad.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm--great, actually. It's just--I'd say I want you to meet this guy I've been seeing, but you already know him."
Nate cocks his head. "I know him?"
"Yeah, um. I've been going out with," he takes a deep breath. "With Mr. Ackles."
Nate stares at him, spoon in his mouth. It's a few long minutes before he finally removes it and puts it in the bowl. "Mr. Ackles?" he asks. Jared can't read his voice at all.
"Yeah," he says hesitantly. "I didn't know--I thought I shouldn't tell you til it was serious. Because I know how much you like him, and I wouldn't wanna get your hopes up. And then--I thought it'd be easier for him if we waited to tell you until you weren't in his class."
Nate pushes his ice cream around. "You really like the guy you're dating," he observes.
"Yeah. I really like Mr. Ackles."
Nate is still subdued and looks tiny in the booth across from Jared. Jared doesn't know what to do. He thinks the answer might be travel back in time and be honest with Nate from the start, but that's not really an option.
"I like Mr. Ackles," Nate says finally, almost shyly. "Does he like me?"
"Dude, yes. The first time I met him he was telling me all about what a great kid you are. Mr. Ackles thinks you're awesome. And we were really sad we couldn't hang out with you, but we wanted to wait. It's a lot worse for everyone if you try to be a family too soon."
Jared wants to stuff the words back into his mouth, because it's still too soon for that.
"Does he want to go to dinner with us?" asks Nate.
"I think he'd like that."
"And he wants to see me too?"
"He absolutely wants to see you. I think he'd really like it if we could all hang out this summer."
Nate nods, like he's thinking it over. "I'm glad it's him," he says. It sounds a little like he's trying to convince himself, but Jared thinks that's normal.
He thinks it went pretty well.
*
Jensen doesn't really know what he's supposed to say to Nate, so he's glad the kid makes it kind of easy for him.
"Hi, Mr. Ackles," he says shyly, and it's so simple to remember what it's like to be a kid, to not know quite how to exist around grownups.
"Hey, Nate," he says, crouching down so they're at the same level. "I'm really glad you wanted to get dinner with me. But you should call me Jensen now. Cuz I'm not your teacher anymore."
"If you're gonna be at my house, will you still read to me?" asks Nate. It sounds like this is a huge concern.
"Of course. Anytime you want."
"It's okay if you just want to hang out with dad too. I don't mind."
Jensen smiles. "I like hanging out with both of you. Promise."
Nate nods. "Do you want to eat? Padaleckis have big stomachs."
It sounds like Jared probably painstakingly taught him how to say that, and Jensen has to laugh. "Yeah, I've been told. I'd love to eat."
When he straightens up, Jared is grinning at him like all his dreams have come true. It's humbling to realize that they really might have. Jensen doesn't know how to feel about that, except that it leaves a lump in his throat. Jared leans over and kisses him quickly.
"Hey," he says simply.
"Hi," says Jensen.
"Do you kiss a lot?" asks Nate. He sounds mostly curious.
"It's what grownups do," says Jared. "It's how we share our cooties."
"Cooties are head lice," says Nate. "I looked it up in the dictionary."
Jared rubs his head against Jensen's. "Happy now? Smart alec."
Nate rolls his eyes. "You're so weird. Why do you like him when he's so weird?"
Jensen laughs. "I guess he's my kind of weird," he says, letting Jared hold his hand as they go inside.
"I guess that's good," says Nate.
"Yeah," says Jensen. "Guess it is."