Fic: If the Feeling's Right (J2, PG-13)
Title: If the Feeling's Right
Author: lostt1
Pairing: Jared/Jensen
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 4000
Warning: Language.
Disclaimer: Not mine. I just like to play with them every once in awhile.
Summary: The Empire was saved and Jensen got his man. Now what?
Notes: For __tiana__, who wanted the morning after the events of Damn the Man. Title from Marc Broussard's "Real Good Thing"
Jensen groaned as he dropped into the corner booth at Hal's. He slid across the worn vinyl and dropped his head down on the tabletop. It had been a long night and Jensen was exhausted.
"I just told Val we'd have the usual."
Jensen lifted his head as Jared slid into the booth next to him. He couldn't hide his grin as Jared's thigh pressed up against his. They had the whole booth to themselves but he didn't want any distance between them. Not any more.
Jared appeared to read his mind and ducked his head, his cheeks turning pink, and Jensen couldn't resist. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of Jared's mouth.
"You know she hates when you call her that."
Jared grinned and shrugged, glancing over his shoulder at the counter. "Oh come on, Val at Hal's? It's not like I can resist that."
Jensen just laughed and shook his head. "You're just lucky she loves you."
Jared gave a weary chuckle and dropped his head back, leaning more of his weight against Jensen's body. "God, I feel like I've been hit by a truck." He sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "What did Tom put in those brownies, anyway?"
Jared's head rolled to the right and Jensen raised an eyebrow in response, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Jared shook his head and waved his hand through the air.
"Never mind. I don't really want to know."
"Probably a good idea." Jensen settled further into his seat and reached over, tangling his fingers with Jared's. He stared down at their linked hands, amazed that he was allowed to have this now. He'd finally gathered up his courage and did the single scariest thing he'd ever done. He told Jared how he felt. He'd bared his soul and risked the greatest friendship he'd ever had, but everything had worked out in the end. He'd told Jared he loved him.
And then Jared had kissed him.
Ok, so there had been a lot of drama between the soul-baring and the moment of truth, but Jensen wanted to forget everything. Everything except that kiss.
Jensen resisted the urge to reach up and touch his lips, the memory of Jared's mouth pressed against his still lingering.
"I feel like something's missing."
Jensen frowned and followed Jared's gaze around the diner. "What do you mean?"
Jared shrugged and bit his lip. "I don't know. It's just...last night was huge, man. We saved the store. And then we-" Jared blushed again and dropped his gaze. "Well, you know."
Jensen rubbed his thumb against the smooth skin on the back of Jared's hand. "Yeah, I know."
Jared sighed. "It just feels like something should be different." He motioned to the half-empty tables around them, the usual crowd scattered across the room. "But everything's the same."
"Not everything."
Jared looked over at Jensen, his eyebrows drawn together in a silent question. The corner of Jensen's mouth tilted upwards and he twisted his body to face Jared. "Now I get to do-"
Jensen grabbed the soft material of Jared's shirt in his fist and tugged him forward. He could feel Jared's answering smile as their lips pressed together.
"This," Jensen murmured against Jared's mouth.
"Well, it's about time."
Jared pulled away for only a moment before burying his face in Jensen's neck. "Hi Val."
Jensen met the waitress's amused eyes and grinned. She set the two plates down on the table and laughed. "Been wondering if you two were ever going to get your acts together."
Jared's head shot up and he stared at Val in open confusion. "Wait. You knew?"
Val shook her head and leaned in, patting Jared on the cheek. "Honey, everyone knew. Hell, we've had a pool going for the past coupla years now. I should probably see who had this week. Maybe I just got lucky."
"Well I didn't know," Jared grumbled. He grabbed a piece of bacon off of his plate and popped it in his mouth.
Jensen bit his lip to keep from laughing.
"Hate to break it to you, Jay-red, but you've always been a bit slow." A voice broke in from behind them.
Jared glared at Chad as he dropped into the booth and slid over, making room for Mike and Tom. Chad just rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Val, trying to talk over the other two guys as they all placed their orders.
"In Jared's defense, it wasn't like he could see the way Jensen watched him all the time." Sophia took a seat next to Jared and leaned in, brushing her lips across his cheek.
Jensen felt the familiar flare of jealousy but pushed it down, giving Jared's hand a squeeze instead before pulling away. Jared cut his eyes toward Jensen and gave him a shy smile.
"Awwww, look at you two. You're so cute!" Sophia squealed and Jensen could feel his face heat up. She pushed forward, her body pressing Jared back into the seat as she leaned across him. "Jen, you should have seen Jared's face when he had his little epiphany. It was absolutely perfect."
Jensen frowned. "You were there?"
"Of course I was." Sophia rolled her eyes. "Someone needed to give the boy a little push." She shrugged. "But he realized it all on his own, I promise."
"Hello!" Jared waved his hand in the air. "Still here, you know."
"Like we could miss you, you giant freak." Mike finished giving his order and jumped into the conversation. He cocked his head to the side and pursed his lips. "So, pray tell, what finally clued you in?"
Jared gave a half-hearted shrug and looked down at the table. "Jensen was mad at me."
"So it was because Jensen was pissy?" Mike frowned. "But Jensen's pissy all the time."
"Not at me," Jared mumbled before Jensen could defend himself.
Jensen glared at Mike and kicked his leg out.
"Ow," Tom grumbled, reaching across the table to smack Jensen in the shoulder. "Further to the right, Jensen."
"Sorry."
Tom just shook his head. "So what was with you earlier, man? You pretty much went off on Jared and no one knows why."
Jensen cringed. "It's not important." He caught Jared's eye and knew he should try to explain himself, let Jared know it hadn't been him. He'd overreacted, taken everything out on Jared. And Jared hadn't really deserved it. Jensen bit his lip, trying to find the words.
Chad sighed. His fingers shredded the straw wrapper in his hands, his focus on the task. "Jensen finally got the guts to tell Jared how he felt but when he tracked him down, he found that singer hanging all over him. Jensen flipped out, decided Jared was obviously interested in the pop tart and took it out on both of them. He was an ass, he's sorry, and Jared obviously got over it and forgave him. So can we move on now?"
Jensen stared at Chad, his mouth hanging open. "What? How'd you-?"
Chad's eyes shot upwards to meet Jensen's and he shrugged. "What? I see things."
"Apparently." Jensen muttered, reaching for his coffee and taking a sip. He could feel his face heat up as he thought about how obvious his feelings for his best friend had been. Everyone had known. Everyone but Jared, that is.
He glanced over at Jared and saw a tiny frown tilting his lips downward. Jensen leaned in closer, wanting nothing more than to bring back Jared's smile. "I'm sorry."
Jared turned his head to face him, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion. "You saw me with Sandy?" He kept his voice low so that only Jensen could hear him.
Jensen nodded.
"When?"
Jensen sighed. "When you were at lunch. She was sitting on your lap and you just looked so...cozy."
Jared rolled his eyes and dropped his head back. "You're an idiot."
Jensen heard the mild annoyance buried under the fondness in Jared's voice and pulled away, burying his face in his hands. "I know."
Jared turned his upper body towards Jensen, keeping the conversation between the two of them. He leaned down, resting his forehead against the side of Jensen's head. "You obviously didn't see me push her away, did you?"
Jensen rolled his head to the side so their foreheads were touching. "You pushed her away?"
"I wasn't interested in her, Jen."
Jensen pulled back and sighed. "I know that now."
Jared shook his head in amusement. "And you would have known it then if you'd just said something."
"I know, I now. I was a jerk." Jensen couldn't believe how he'd gotten it all wrong. He'd almost ruined things with Jared before they'd even had a chance to get started.
"Honestly, though, I'm glad you were stupid and got mad and yelled."
"Come again?" Jensen met Jared's eyes, a frown on his face. "You're going to have to explain that one."
Jared shrugged. "If you hadn't been mad at me when I didn't do anything wrong, I may have never figured things out." He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at Sophia, who was watching them with a soft smile on her face. She quickly averted her gaze, but Jensen knew she'd overheard everything.
"With a little help, of course," Jensen pointed out.
"Damn straight," Sophia muttered, but she was grinning.
Jensen glanced around the table. "Hey, where's Chris?"
Mike grinned. "I do believe he and Steve are doing a little bit of making up right about now."
Tom rolled his eyes and knocked his shoulder into Mike. "You can just say they're off having sex. It's not like everyone here doesn't know that already."
Mike shrugged and reached for the sugar, pouring an obscene amount into his coffee. Jensen cringed and took a sip from his own mug, the coffee bitter and black, just how he liked it.
Jared made a face. "Ugh. The less I know about Chris and Steve's sex life, the better."
"Hear hear." Sophia held up her water and Jared reached forward, their glasses meeting with a gentle clink.
Val returned and served the meals to their recipients. "Heard you guys had a bit of excitement last night, lots of noise and everything."
Mike grinned. "Big party. Totally my idea."
Val gave him an amused grin and shook her head. "Yeah, that was quite the blowout. But I was talking about earlier. Heard you had an incident, something about a kid with a gun."
Jensen glanced to the side just in time to see Jared blanche, his face losing all color. He reached over and rested his hand on Jared's knee, giving it a comforting squeeze. Jared inched closer, pressing up against Jensen as he rested his hand on top of Jensen's.
"If I never see that kid again, it'll be too soon," Jensen muttered. He could still see the silver gun aimed at Jared's head. His heart sped up, the memory too much.
"He's just a punk kid," Tom pointed out.
"You weren't the one with a gun pointed in your face."
Jared's voice was quiet and strained. Everyone at the table shared a look and a silent agreement was made to change the subject. The conversation turned into the usual easy banter as they dug into their breakfasts and the time flew by.
"Dude, I'm exhausted," Chad mumbled around a mouthful of pancakes. He glanced up at Jared and waggled his eyebrows. "So Jay-man, want to trade me shifts?"
Jared snorted and reached over, stealing Jensen's last piece of bacon. "It's my day off, man. Find someone else because I got other plans."
"But I'm tired." Chad whined, dropping his head forward onto the table. "I haven't slept in, like, two days."
"Sorry Charlie, but he's already busy." Jensen glanced over at Jared and grinned. Jared smiled back and Jensen breathed a sigh of relief, the earlier tension having disappeared.
Jared's cell phone suddenly rang, vibrating against Jensen's leg, causing him to jump. Jared pulled out the phone and glanced at the display before returning it to his pocket. Jensen cocked his head to the side in a silent question and Jared just shook his head.
"So what big plans do you two have for today?" Sophia pushed her empty plate to the middle of the table and leaned in, focusing her attention on the two guys.
Jensen glanced at Jared before shrugging. "Don't quite know yet," he admitted, a small smile tugging on his lips. He didn't really care what they did that day. Just spending time with Jared would be enough.
"We'll figure something out," Jared agreed.
Jensen leaned back, happy to watch his friends as they bickered amongst themselves. He glanced up at the clock on the wall, surprised to see how much time had passed. He elbowed Jared in the side. "Ready to get out of here?"
Jared nodded and slid out of the booth. "You go on out. I'll pay the tab and meet you out front."
They said their goodbyes and headed for the front of the diner. Jensen veered left as Jared continued on to the counter.
Jensen stepped out onto the sidewalk and tipped his head back, closing his eyes against the early morning sun. A couple of minutes later, he heard the door shut behind him and then Jared was there, his left arm pressed up against Jensen's right, same as always.
Jared leaned over, knocking his shoulder into Jensen. "So, where we headed?"
"I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted."
"God yes," Jared moaned. "I could definitely sleep."
Jensen cracked his eyes open and glanced over at Jared. "How about we go to my house, get some sleep and then go see a movie this afternoon? Maybe that new horror film you've been going on and on about."
"Your parents out of town again?"
Jensen nodded and Jared's grin widened.
"Awesome."
Jensen felt his mouth stretch with an answering smile and grabbed Jared's hand, tugging him back in the direction of the Empire and his car.
With the sun beating down on them and Jared's easy laughter filling the air, it was setting up to be a perfect day.
xxxxxx
The drive back to his house was a blur. The only thing Jensen could focus on was Jared, sitting quietly in the passenger seat. Jensen turned up the music loud enough to be heard over the whipping wind. Anything to cover up the awkward silence that had fallen since he'd started the engine.
Jared's leg bounced up and down as he stared off into the distance. The closer they got to Jensen's home, the more nervous Jared seemed to be.
Jensen bit his lip as he glanced over once more. He was terrified that Jared was having second thoughts. Away from the store, away from their friends, reality was intruding. What if the past 24 hours had been a fluke? How would Jensen survive the loss if Jared changed his mind? Now that he had the only thing he'd ever really wanted, how could he give that up?
Jared pulled out his cell phone and frowned down at the screen before pocketing it once more.
Jensen swung his car into the driveway and turned to Jared with a quirked eyebrow. Something was definitely going on with his best friend. "Everything cool?"
Jared gave him a small smile, a bittersweet twist to his lips that did nothing to settle Jensen's nerves. He shrugged one shoulder. "Why wouldn't it be?" Without another word, he climbed out of the car and headed for the door.
Jensen frowned at Jared's back a moment before hopping out and giving chase. As soon as they made it into the house, Jensen swung Jared around. He pressed forward, crowding Jared against the wall. He kept his eyes on Jared's, gauging his reactions.
"Is this weird for you?" Jensen asked, voice rough. He waved a hand, gesturing between the two of them.
Jared tilted his head down, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. He wrapped his hands in Jensen's t-shirt, tugging on the thin material. "A little."
Jensen exhaled slowly, waiting.
Jared looked at the floor before glancing back up at Jensen through his bangs. "But it's a good weird."
"Yeah?" Jensen couldn't stop the wide grin that spread across his face.
"Yeah." Jared used his grip on Jensen's shirt to pull him closer and pressed their lips together. It was just a quick kiss, short and sweet, but Jensen felt the tension seep out of his body at the contact.
"Good," he murmured, burying his face in the smooth curve of Jared's neck. He grinned and licked the bare expanse of skin, laughing as Jared squirmed against him.
Jared grabbed his shoulders and pushed him away. "I'm thirsty. Go get me some milk, bitch."
Jensen lifted an eyebrow. "Milk? What are you, five?"
"Yes, milk," Jared drawled, as if talking to a child. "Don't question me. I want milk. I'm a growing boy. So go be a good host and go fetch me a glass."
"Dude, go get it yourself." Jensen shook his head, amused. "You practically live here anyway."
"Please."
Jared widened his eyes, feigning innocence, a look Jensen knew not to fall for. But he still found himself pulling away from Jared's warm body and heading for the kitchen with a roll of his eyes.
"And I'd like that glass to be chilled!"
Jensen's only response was to give Jared the finger.
As Jensen moved around the kitchen, pouring Jared a glass of milk and grabbing a bottle of water for himself, he plotted his next move. Things were going well but Jensen wanted to move them along. He wanted to know where he stood with Jared, but wasn't sure how to ask. He didn't want to pressure Jared into anything he wasn't ready for. He'd been waiting for this for too long to screw it up now.
Jensen paused and leaned against the counter, taking a deep breath, finally coming to a decision. He'd just wing it. Taking things as they came had been working for him so far. Plans, on the other hand-
The low murmur of Jared's voice in the next room brought a frown to Jensen's face. He walked back into the living room just in time to see Jared putting his phone back in his pocket yet again.
Jared jumped as Jensen drew close, obviously lost in thought. Jensen could tell something was up. He sighed, willing himself to be patient. Jared would tell him when the time was right. He always did. Jared's pacing was just slower than most people's.
"Your milk, your highness."
"Thanks, Jeeves. That will be all." Jared smirked.
Jensen snorted and collapsed on the couch, suddenly exhausted. "Man, I'm getting too old to stay out all night."
Jared sat down next to him and twisted, draping his long legs over Jensen's knees. He took a drink, rolling his eyes in Jensen's direction. "Dude, you can't even legally drink yet. You're not that old."
"Still older than you," Jensen muttered. "Whatever, it was a stressful day."
"Yeah," Jared agreed. He drained the rest of his milk and set the glass down on the coffee table.
Jensen glanced at his friend and snorted.
Jared frowned. "What?"
"You've got-" Jensen leaned closer, rubbing his thumb along Jared's upper lip, wiping away the filmy white mustache.
Jared followed the movement with the tip of his tongue. "Thanks."
Jensen didn't pull away, couldn't move away if he tried. His thumb continued its path, tracing Jared's lower lip. He watched as Jared's eyes darkened, his lids sliding to half mast.
"C'mere," Jared murmured, laying back on the couch, his head resting on the armrest.
Jensen didn't waste any time, untangling his legs from Jared's and flipping over so that he hovered above Jared's prone form. Jared was having none of that, however, and pulled Jensen down until his body was resting half on Jared, half on the couch.
"Better," Jared mumbled, burying his face in Jensen's neck. Jensen could feel his sharp inhale. "So Sam called."
Jensen pulled back so he could look into Jared's eyes. "Your agent Sam? That's who was calling you all morning?"
Jared nodded.
"And?"
Jared sighed. "I got the part."
Jensen wrapped his arm around Jared's shoulders and pulled him in tight. "Jay, that's awesome! I knew you'd get it. They would have been stupid not to have seen how perfect you were for that role."
It only took a moment for Jensen to realize Jared wasn't reacting the way he should. Jared had been walking on eggshells this past week, waiting to hear how his audition had gone. This role was the chance of a lifetime for him and now he had it. The role was his. He should be shouting from the rooftops by now.
Jared's nails dug into his back and he pressed his face into Jensen's shirt, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm not taking it."
"What?" Jensen couldn't have heard him right. He pushed Jared's shoulders back, forcing him against the back of the couch. "You can't be serious. This role is perfect for you."
"I know, but-" Jared wouldn't look at him, his eyes staring off into the distance.
"But what?" Jensen knew he was missing something, something big.
"I'm not leaving you. Not now."
The words were so quiet, Jensen almost didn't hear them. They didn't make sense. Jared didn't want to leave-
Jensen smacked the back of Jared's head and pulled him into another hug. "You moron."
Jared gave an indignant squawk and pulled back. "What?"
"You seriously thought I was ever going to let you run off to Hollywood and leave me behind?" Jensen shook his head, surprised they'd never really discussed it before. "Even before whatever this is between us happened, I wasn't going to just let you leave me behind."
"What are you saying, Jen?" Jared stared back at him, eyes wide and full of hope.
"I'm saying that I'm going with you." Jensen shrugged as a wide smile spread across Jared's face. "I'm saying that you're going to take that role and you'll be amazing and Hollywood won't know what hit it."
"Really?" Jared grinned. He paused before quirking an eyebrow. "And just what will you be doing? I'm not going to be your sugar daddy, you know."
"Good, because I'm not calling you daddy. That's just creepy." Jensen shuddered. "I don't know. Maybe I'll try my hand at music or something. The scene there has got to be better-"
Jared pressed his lips to Jensen's, silencing him. "I think that sounds perfect," he murmured against Jensen's mouth.
Jensen moaned his agreement as he licked across Jared's lips. Jared's mouth opened on a sigh and Jensen teased his way inside. They spent long minutes just kissing, relishing the touch and taste of each other, until Jensen pulled back with a sigh and pressed his forehead against Jared's.
"Seriously man, you and me against the world," Jensen felt the small smile gracing his lips, a smile Jared shared. "Always has been, always will be."
Jared didn't say anything back, he didn't need to. Jensen knew just how he felt. They had their whole lives ahead of them, a lifetime they'd spend together.
Jared nestled into the crook of Jensen's arm and sighed, his eyes closing. Jensen watched as Jared fell asleep, watched his breathing even out and couldn't help but smile as he closed his own eyes.
The last 24 hours had been intense and had ended better than Jensen could have expected. But they were the past and he had a future to look forward to. Jensen felt happier than he had in a long time, Jared by his side, his warm body pressed flush against Jensen's own. He pressed his lips against Jared's forehead and finally relaxed, drifting off to sleep.
It was going to be a beautiful day.
And of course, the song playing in the background for me: Marc Broussard - Real Good Thing
Author: lostt1
Pairing: Jared/Jensen
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 4000
Warning: Language.
Disclaimer: Not mine. I just like to play with them every once in awhile.
Summary: The Empire was saved and Jensen got his man. Now what?
Notes: For __tiana__, who wanted the morning after the events of Damn the Man. Title from Marc Broussard's "Real Good Thing"
Jensen groaned as he dropped into the corner booth at Hal's. He slid across the worn vinyl and dropped his head down on the tabletop. It had been a long night and Jensen was exhausted.
"I just told Val we'd have the usual."
Jensen lifted his head as Jared slid into the booth next to him. He couldn't hide his grin as Jared's thigh pressed up against his. They had the whole booth to themselves but he didn't want any distance between them. Not any more.
Jared appeared to read his mind and ducked his head, his cheeks turning pink, and Jensen couldn't resist. He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of Jared's mouth.
"You know she hates when you call her that."
Jared grinned and shrugged, glancing over his shoulder at the counter. "Oh come on, Val at Hal's? It's not like I can resist that."
Jensen just laughed and shook his head. "You're just lucky she loves you."
Jared gave a weary chuckle and dropped his head back, leaning more of his weight against Jensen's body. "God, I feel like I've been hit by a truck." He sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "What did Tom put in those brownies, anyway?"
Jared's head rolled to the right and Jensen raised an eyebrow in response, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Jared shook his head and waved his hand through the air.
"Never mind. I don't really want to know."
"Probably a good idea." Jensen settled further into his seat and reached over, tangling his fingers with Jared's. He stared down at their linked hands, amazed that he was allowed to have this now. He'd finally gathered up his courage and did the single scariest thing he'd ever done. He told Jared how he felt. He'd bared his soul and risked the greatest friendship he'd ever had, but everything had worked out in the end. He'd told Jared he loved him.
And then Jared had kissed him.
Ok, so there had been a lot of drama between the soul-baring and the moment of truth, but Jensen wanted to forget everything. Everything except that kiss.
Jensen resisted the urge to reach up and touch his lips, the memory of Jared's mouth pressed against his still lingering.
"I feel like something's missing."
Jensen frowned and followed Jared's gaze around the diner. "What do you mean?"
Jared shrugged and bit his lip. "I don't know. It's just...last night was huge, man. We saved the store. And then we-" Jared blushed again and dropped his gaze. "Well, you know."
Jensen rubbed his thumb against the smooth skin on the back of Jared's hand. "Yeah, I know."
Jared sighed. "It just feels like something should be different." He motioned to the half-empty tables around them, the usual crowd scattered across the room. "But everything's the same."
"Not everything."
Jared looked over at Jensen, his eyebrows drawn together in a silent question. The corner of Jensen's mouth tilted upwards and he twisted his body to face Jared. "Now I get to do-"
Jensen grabbed the soft material of Jared's shirt in his fist and tugged him forward. He could feel Jared's answering smile as their lips pressed together.
"This," Jensen murmured against Jared's mouth.
"Well, it's about time."
Jared pulled away for only a moment before burying his face in Jensen's neck. "Hi Val."
Jensen met the waitress's amused eyes and grinned. She set the two plates down on the table and laughed. "Been wondering if you two were ever going to get your acts together."
Jared's head shot up and he stared at Val in open confusion. "Wait. You knew?"
Val shook her head and leaned in, patting Jared on the cheek. "Honey, everyone knew. Hell, we've had a pool going for the past coupla years now. I should probably see who had this week. Maybe I just got lucky."
"Well I didn't know," Jared grumbled. He grabbed a piece of bacon off of his plate and popped it in his mouth.
Jensen bit his lip to keep from laughing.
"Hate to break it to you, Jay-red, but you've always been a bit slow." A voice broke in from behind them.
Jared glared at Chad as he dropped into the booth and slid over, making room for Mike and Tom. Chad just rolled his eyes and turned his attention to Val, trying to talk over the other two guys as they all placed their orders.
"In Jared's defense, it wasn't like he could see the way Jensen watched him all the time." Sophia took a seat next to Jared and leaned in, brushing her lips across his cheek.
Jensen felt the familiar flare of jealousy but pushed it down, giving Jared's hand a squeeze instead before pulling away. Jared cut his eyes toward Jensen and gave him a shy smile.
"Awwww, look at you two. You're so cute!" Sophia squealed and Jensen could feel his face heat up. She pushed forward, her body pressing Jared back into the seat as she leaned across him. "Jen, you should have seen Jared's face when he had his little epiphany. It was absolutely perfect."
Jensen frowned. "You were there?"
"Of course I was." Sophia rolled her eyes. "Someone needed to give the boy a little push." She shrugged. "But he realized it all on his own, I promise."
"Hello!" Jared waved his hand in the air. "Still here, you know."
"Like we could miss you, you giant freak." Mike finished giving his order and jumped into the conversation. He cocked his head to the side and pursed his lips. "So, pray tell, what finally clued you in?"
Jared gave a half-hearted shrug and looked down at the table. "Jensen was mad at me."
"So it was because Jensen was pissy?" Mike frowned. "But Jensen's pissy all the time."
"Not at me," Jared mumbled before Jensen could defend himself.
Jensen glared at Mike and kicked his leg out.
"Ow," Tom grumbled, reaching across the table to smack Jensen in the shoulder. "Further to the right, Jensen."
"Sorry."
Tom just shook his head. "So what was with you earlier, man? You pretty much went off on Jared and no one knows why."
Jensen cringed. "It's not important." He caught Jared's eye and knew he should try to explain himself, let Jared know it hadn't been him. He'd overreacted, taken everything out on Jared. And Jared hadn't really deserved it. Jensen bit his lip, trying to find the words.
Chad sighed. His fingers shredded the straw wrapper in his hands, his focus on the task. "Jensen finally got the guts to tell Jared how he felt but when he tracked him down, he found that singer hanging all over him. Jensen flipped out, decided Jared was obviously interested in the pop tart and took it out on both of them. He was an ass, he's sorry, and Jared obviously got over it and forgave him. So can we move on now?"
Jensen stared at Chad, his mouth hanging open. "What? How'd you-?"
Chad's eyes shot upwards to meet Jensen's and he shrugged. "What? I see things."
"Apparently." Jensen muttered, reaching for his coffee and taking a sip. He could feel his face heat up as he thought about how obvious his feelings for his best friend had been. Everyone had known. Everyone but Jared, that is.
He glanced over at Jared and saw a tiny frown tilting his lips downward. Jensen leaned in closer, wanting nothing more than to bring back Jared's smile. "I'm sorry."
Jared turned his head to face him, his eyebrows drawn together in confusion. "You saw me with Sandy?" He kept his voice low so that only Jensen could hear him.
Jensen nodded.
"When?"
Jensen sighed. "When you were at lunch. She was sitting on your lap and you just looked so...cozy."
Jared rolled his eyes and dropped his head back. "You're an idiot."
Jensen heard the mild annoyance buried under the fondness in Jared's voice and pulled away, burying his face in his hands. "I know."
Jared turned his upper body towards Jensen, keeping the conversation between the two of them. He leaned down, resting his forehead against the side of Jensen's head. "You obviously didn't see me push her away, did you?"
Jensen rolled his head to the side so their foreheads were touching. "You pushed her away?"
"I wasn't interested in her, Jen."
Jensen pulled back and sighed. "I know that now."
Jared shook his head in amusement. "And you would have known it then if you'd just said something."
"I know, I now. I was a jerk." Jensen couldn't believe how he'd gotten it all wrong. He'd almost ruined things with Jared before they'd even had a chance to get started.
"Honestly, though, I'm glad you were stupid and got mad and yelled."
"Come again?" Jensen met Jared's eyes, a frown on his face. "You're going to have to explain that one."
Jared shrugged. "If you hadn't been mad at me when I didn't do anything wrong, I may have never figured things out." He glanced over his shoulder and smiled at Sophia, who was watching them with a soft smile on her face. She quickly averted her gaze, but Jensen knew she'd overheard everything.
"With a little help, of course," Jensen pointed out.
"Damn straight," Sophia muttered, but she was grinning.
Jensen glanced around the table. "Hey, where's Chris?"
Mike grinned. "I do believe he and Steve are doing a little bit of making up right about now."
Tom rolled his eyes and knocked his shoulder into Mike. "You can just say they're off having sex. It's not like everyone here doesn't know that already."
Mike shrugged and reached for the sugar, pouring an obscene amount into his coffee. Jensen cringed and took a sip from his own mug, the coffee bitter and black, just how he liked it.
Jared made a face. "Ugh. The less I know about Chris and Steve's sex life, the better."
"Hear hear." Sophia held up her water and Jared reached forward, their glasses meeting with a gentle clink.
Val returned and served the meals to their recipients. "Heard you guys had a bit of excitement last night, lots of noise and everything."
Mike grinned. "Big party. Totally my idea."
Val gave him an amused grin and shook her head. "Yeah, that was quite the blowout. But I was talking about earlier. Heard you had an incident, something about a kid with a gun."
Jensen glanced to the side just in time to see Jared blanche, his face losing all color. He reached over and rested his hand on Jared's knee, giving it a comforting squeeze. Jared inched closer, pressing up against Jensen as he rested his hand on top of Jensen's.
"If I never see that kid again, it'll be too soon," Jensen muttered. He could still see the silver gun aimed at Jared's head. His heart sped up, the memory too much.
"He's just a punk kid," Tom pointed out.
"You weren't the one with a gun pointed in your face."
Jared's voice was quiet and strained. Everyone at the table shared a look and a silent agreement was made to change the subject. The conversation turned into the usual easy banter as they dug into their breakfasts and the time flew by.
"Dude, I'm exhausted," Chad mumbled around a mouthful of pancakes. He glanced up at Jared and waggled his eyebrows. "So Jay-man, want to trade me shifts?"
Jared snorted and reached over, stealing Jensen's last piece of bacon. "It's my day off, man. Find someone else because I got other plans."
"But I'm tired." Chad whined, dropping his head forward onto the table. "I haven't slept in, like, two days."
"Sorry Charlie, but he's already busy." Jensen glanced over at Jared and grinned. Jared smiled back and Jensen breathed a sigh of relief, the earlier tension having disappeared.
Jared's cell phone suddenly rang, vibrating against Jensen's leg, causing him to jump. Jared pulled out the phone and glanced at the display before returning it to his pocket. Jensen cocked his head to the side in a silent question and Jared just shook his head.
"So what big plans do you two have for today?" Sophia pushed her empty plate to the middle of the table and leaned in, focusing her attention on the two guys.
Jensen glanced at Jared before shrugging. "Don't quite know yet," he admitted, a small smile tugging on his lips. He didn't really care what they did that day. Just spending time with Jared would be enough.
"We'll figure something out," Jared agreed.
Jensen leaned back, happy to watch his friends as they bickered amongst themselves. He glanced up at the clock on the wall, surprised to see how much time had passed. He elbowed Jared in the side. "Ready to get out of here?"
Jared nodded and slid out of the booth. "You go on out. I'll pay the tab and meet you out front."
They said their goodbyes and headed for the front of the diner. Jensen veered left as Jared continued on to the counter.
Jensen stepped out onto the sidewalk and tipped his head back, closing his eyes against the early morning sun. A couple of minutes later, he heard the door shut behind him and then Jared was there, his left arm pressed up against Jensen's right, same as always.
Jared leaned over, knocking his shoulder into Jensen. "So, where we headed?"
"I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted."
"God yes," Jared moaned. "I could definitely sleep."
Jensen cracked his eyes open and glanced over at Jared. "How about we go to my house, get some sleep and then go see a movie this afternoon? Maybe that new horror film you've been going on and on about."
"Your parents out of town again?"
Jensen nodded and Jared's grin widened.
"Awesome."
Jensen felt his mouth stretch with an answering smile and grabbed Jared's hand, tugging him back in the direction of the Empire and his car.
With the sun beating down on them and Jared's easy laughter filling the air, it was setting up to be a perfect day.
xxxxxx
The drive back to his house was a blur. The only thing Jensen could focus on was Jared, sitting quietly in the passenger seat. Jensen turned up the music loud enough to be heard over the whipping wind. Anything to cover up the awkward silence that had fallen since he'd started the engine.
Jared's leg bounced up and down as he stared off into the distance. The closer they got to Jensen's home, the more nervous Jared seemed to be.
Jensen bit his lip as he glanced over once more. He was terrified that Jared was having second thoughts. Away from the store, away from their friends, reality was intruding. What if the past 24 hours had been a fluke? How would Jensen survive the loss if Jared changed his mind? Now that he had the only thing he'd ever really wanted, how could he give that up?
Jared pulled out his cell phone and frowned down at the screen before pocketing it once more.
Jensen swung his car into the driveway and turned to Jared with a quirked eyebrow. Something was definitely going on with his best friend. "Everything cool?"
Jared gave him a small smile, a bittersweet twist to his lips that did nothing to settle Jensen's nerves. He shrugged one shoulder. "Why wouldn't it be?" Without another word, he climbed out of the car and headed for the door.
Jensen frowned at Jared's back a moment before hopping out and giving chase. As soon as they made it into the house, Jensen swung Jared around. He pressed forward, crowding Jared against the wall. He kept his eyes on Jared's, gauging his reactions.
"Is this weird for you?" Jensen asked, voice rough. He waved a hand, gesturing between the two of them.
Jared tilted his head down, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth. He wrapped his hands in Jensen's t-shirt, tugging on the thin material. "A little."
Jensen exhaled slowly, waiting.
Jared looked at the floor before glancing back up at Jensen through his bangs. "But it's a good weird."
"Yeah?" Jensen couldn't stop the wide grin that spread across his face.
"Yeah." Jared used his grip on Jensen's shirt to pull him closer and pressed their lips together. It was just a quick kiss, short and sweet, but Jensen felt the tension seep out of his body at the contact.
"Good," he murmured, burying his face in the smooth curve of Jared's neck. He grinned and licked the bare expanse of skin, laughing as Jared squirmed against him.
Jared grabbed his shoulders and pushed him away. "I'm thirsty. Go get me some milk, bitch."
Jensen lifted an eyebrow. "Milk? What are you, five?"
"Yes, milk," Jared drawled, as if talking to a child. "Don't question me. I want milk. I'm a growing boy. So go be a good host and go fetch me a glass."
"Dude, go get it yourself." Jensen shook his head, amused. "You practically live here anyway."
"Please."
Jared widened his eyes, feigning innocence, a look Jensen knew not to fall for. But he still found himself pulling away from Jared's warm body and heading for the kitchen with a roll of his eyes.
"And I'd like that glass to be chilled!"
Jensen's only response was to give Jared the finger.
As Jensen moved around the kitchen, pouring Jared a glass of milk and grabbing a bottle of water for himself, he plotted his next move. Things were going well but Jensen wanted to move them along. He wanted to know where he stood with Jared, but wasn't sure how to ask. He didn't want to pressure Jared into anything he wasn't ready for. He'd been waiting for this for too long to screw it up now.
Jensen paused and leaned against the counter, taking a deep breath, finally coming to a decision. He'd just wing it. Taking things as they came had been working for him so far. Plans, on the other hand-
The low murmur of Jared's voice in the next room brought a frown to Jensen's face. He walked back into the living room just in time to see Jared putting his phone back in his pocket yet again.
Jared jumped as Jensen drew close, obviously lost in thought. Jensen could tell something was up. He sighed, willing himself to be patient. Jared would tell him when the time was right. He always did. Jared's pacing was just slower than most people's.
"Your milk, your highness."
"Thanks, Jeeves. That will be all." Jared smirked.
Jensen snorted and collapsed on the couch, suddenly exhausted. "Man, I'm getting too old to stay out all night."
Jared sat down next to him and twisted, draping his long legs over Jensen's knees. He took a drink, rolling his eyes in Jensen's direction. "Dude, you can't even legally drink yet. You're not that old."
"Still older than you," Jensen muttered. "Whatever, it was a stressful day."
"Yeah," Jared agreed. He drained the rest of his milk and set the glass down on the coffee table.
Jensen glanced at his friend and snorted.
Jared frowned. "What?"
"You've got-" Jensen leaned closer, rubbing his thumb along Jared's upper lip, wiping away the filmy white mustache.
Jared followed the movement with the tip of his tongue. "Thanks."
Jensen didn't pull away, couldn't move away if he tried. His thumb continued its path, tracing Jared's lower lip. He watched as Jared's eyes darkened, his lids sliding to half mast.
"C'mere," Jared murmured, laying back on the couch, his head resting on the armrest.
Jensen didn't waste any time, untangling his legs from Jared's and flipping over so that he hovered above Jared's prone form. Jared was having none of that, however, and pulled Jensen down until his body was resting half on Jared, half on the couch.
"Better," Jared mumbled, burying his face in Jensen's neck. Jensen could feel his sharp inhale. "So Sam called."
Jensen pulled back so he could look into Jared's eyes. "Your agent Sam? That's who was calling you all morning?"
Jared nodded.
"And?"
Jared sighed. "I got the part."
Jensen wrapped his arm around Jared's shoulders and pulled him in tight. "Jay, that's awesome! I knew you'd get it. They would have been stupid not to have seen how perfect you were for that role."
It only took a moment for Jensen to realize Jared wasn't reacting the way he should. Jared had been walking on eggshells this past week, waiting to hear how his audition had gone. This role was the chance of a lifetime for him and now he had it. The role was his. He should be shouting from the rooftops by now.
Jared's nails dug into his back and he pressed his face into Jensen's shirt, taking a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm not taking it."
"What?" Jensen couldn't have heard him right. He pushed Jared's shoulders back, forcing him against the back of the couch. "You can't be serious. This role is perfect for you."
"I know, but-" Jared wouldn't look at him, his eyes staring off into the distance.
"But what?" Jensen knew he was missing something, something big.
"I'm not leaving you. Not now."
The words were so quiet, Jensen almost didn't hear them. They didn't make sense. Jared didn't want to leave-
Jensen smacked the back of Jared's head and pulled him into another hug. "You moron."
Jared gave an indignant squawk and pulled back. "What?"
"You seriously thought I was ever going to let you run off to Hollywood and leave me behind?" Jensen shook his head, surprised they'd never really discussed it before. "Even before whatever this is between us happened, I wasn't going to just let you leave me behind."
"What are you saying, Jen?" Jared stared back at him, eyes wide and full of hope.
"I'm saying that I'm going with you." Jensen shrugged as a wide smile spread across Jared's face. "I'm saying that you're going to take that role and you'll be amazing and Hollywood won't know what hit it."
"Really?" Jared grinned. He paused before quirking an eyebrow. "And just what will you be doing? I'm not going to be your sugar daddy, you know."
"Good, because I'm not calling you daddy. That's just creepy." Jensen shuddered. "I don't know. Maybe I'll try my hand at music or something. The scene there has got to be better-"
Jared pressed his lips to Jensen's, silencing him. "I think that sounds perfect," he murmured against Jensen's mouth.
Jensen moaned his agreement as he licked across Jared's lips. Jared's mouth opened on a sigh and Jensen teased his way inside. They spent long minutes just kissing, relishing the touch and taste of each other, until Jensen pulled back with a sigh and pressed his forehead against Jared's.
"Seriously man, you and me against the world," Jensen felt the small smile gracing his lips, a smile Jared shared. "Always has been, always will be."
Jared didn't say anything back, he didn't need to. Jensen knew just how he felt. They had their whole lives ahead of them, a lifetime they'd spend together.
Jared nestled into the crook of Jensen's arm and sighed, his eyes closing. Jensen watched as Jared fell asleep, watched his breathing even out and couldn't help but smile as he closed his own eyes.
The last 24 hours had been intense and had ended better than Jensen could have expected. But they were the past and he had a future to look forward to. Jensen felt happier than he had in a long time, Jared by his side, his warm body pressed flush against Jensen's own. He pressed his lips against Jared's forehead and finally relaxed, drifting off to sleep.
It was going to be a beautiful day.
And of course, the song playing in the background for me: Marc Broussard - Real Good Thing