Fic: Just So You Know (Beautiful Soul) (3/3)
Part Two
Jensen was in hell. There was no other way to describe it.
He took another pull from his bottle of beer, his eyes following Jared as he twirled Katie around on the dance floor. Jared's skin was flushed, his smile wide. Jared looked so happy while Jensen sat at the bar, completely miserable, feeling lost in a crowd of people.
To be honest, Jensen knows why he bothered to join Jared and his friends in the first place. It was Katie's birthday and they were all out celebrating. Jared had asked him to come, said he wanted him there, wanted Jensen to meet his friends. He'd looked so hopeful staring at Jensen with wide eyes and a soft smile. Jensen hadn't been able to resist. But after they arrived at the club, Jensen immediately felt awkward and out of place, preferring to act as a spectator instead of getting out there himself.
He watched as Jared tossed his head back, laughing at something Katie said. He looked so carefree, so happy out there, surrounded by all those people, nothing left of the shy boy Jensen knew.
Jared wrapped his arms around the shoulders of the guy next to him, the infamous Chad, from Morgan Modeling, Inc, and pulled him closer. He leaned down, his mouth brushing against Chad's ear and the other man grinned up at him.
Jensen gritted his teeth and tossed back a shot before nodding to the bartender for another. It had been nearly two weeks since the "fake date" when Jensen had pretended to be Jared's boyfriend. Nearly two weeks since a simple photoshoot had shown Jensen exactly what he was missing, gave him a taste of the very thing he wanted most in life before it was ripped away once again. Two weeks with his nerves on edge, wondering what was going to happen next.
He could have sworn that there was something there between them, something more than acting to get a good picture. Jensen knew he wasn't alone, that Jared had felt it, too. But once they'd gotten home, it was as if nothing had changed. Jared would smile at him and his insides would melt. But then Jared would turn away and Jensen's world seemed a little bit colder.
Instead of getting better, things had only gotten worse. The feeling that had taken up residence in Jensen's gut wasn't going away. He was constantly on edge, nerves frayed and emotions a chaotic mess. He needed to do something about his crush on Jared or he was going to go insane.
Jensen caught the eye of a guy at the end of the bar who had been sending him looks all night. He was tired of being miserable. He'd come to the club to have fun. And fun is what he'd have. Even if it killed him.
"Buy you a drink?"
Jensen glanced over to find the guy standing next to him, having made his way across the bar. Another look out towards the dance floor showed Jared pressed between Katie and Chad, a couple of his other friends dancing around the trio. All of them were smiling wide, having the time of their lives. Jared caught Jensen's eye and he grinned, motioning for Jensen to join them. Jensen shook his head and turned back to the guy next to him, missing the frown Jared sent his way.
Jensen just wanted to forget everything about Jared Padalecki and the way he made him feel, if only for one night. He tilted his head to the side, motioning for the guy to take a seat. He smirked as the guy slid onto the stool next to him.
"Only if it's a strong one."
******
Morning afters were always awkward as hell. Especially when the immediate reaction to finding someone in bed with him was 'oh fuck, what did I do?'
Jensen rolled over and squinted at the body next to him, not entirely certain what had happened. He remembered going to the club with Jared. He could recall with stunning clarity knocking back drink after drink while watching Jared and Chad out on the dance floor, wrapped around each other. And then there was-
Fuck.
Then there was the guy. The guy whose name completely escaped Jensen. The guy who was currently buried under Jensen's comforter, dead to the world. Jensen had been jealous and drunk and he'd taken a guy home, to the home he shared with Jared, and fucked him.
Jensen took in the guy's longish brown hair and frowned. A guy who was a poor-man's Jared.
Jensen nudged the guy in the side. "Hey." When he received no response, he pressed a little harder, making the guy moan. "Hey, you've gotta get out of here."
The guy opened his eyes a crack. "What?"
Jensen nodded at the door. "You've really got to go. I don't want my roommate to see you."
The guy frowned and Jensen gave him a pained smile. "Sorry?"
The guy crawled out of bed and scrambled around, muttering under his breath about walks of shame, pulling on his clothes as he went. Jensen followed behind him, tugging on the first pair of boxers he found and a clean shirt. When he saw that the guy was ready, he opened the door and glanced down the hallway. After checking that the coast was clear, he ushered the guy forward.
Everything was fine until they rounded the corner and nearly knocked Jared over as he was leaving the kitchen, obviously fresh from his morning run.
Jensen winced and stared down at the ground, feeling Jared's eyes on him as he looked back and forth between Jensen and...what's his name.
"Morning," Jared said, voice sounding strained.
The guy turned around and looked at Jensen. "Well, I guess I'll just-" he shifted awkwardly and Jensen forced himself to meet the other guy's eyes. "I had a good time, Jensen. Maybe I'll see you later."
He took off, the door slamming shut behind him. The sudden silence was deafening. Jensen couldn't bring himself to look at Jared, afraid of what he'd see. He didn't want to see the hurt or the anger, terrified what it could mean.
It wasn't that he hadn't had one night stands before. He had. More than he'd like to admit. But this time was different. This time had consequences.
Jared didn't say another word, just turned and headed down the hallway.
"Jay," Jensen tried to stop him, though he wasn't sure what he was going to say.
I'm sorry? He didn't mean anything to me? I love you?
Jared's door slammed shut, the sound echoing down the quiet hallway, and Jensen leaned forward, forehead resting against the wall.
Something told him he'd fucked up big time.
******
"Jeff, I think I fucked up."
"Jensen?" Jeff sounded tired, making Jensen glance at the clock. He grimaced at the time but couldn't find it in him to apologize. Something was wrong and he needed his best friend's help.
Jeff sighed. "What did you fuck up?" He paused. "This time, that is?"
Jensen ran a hand through his hair as he tried to think of what to say. "Jared's not really talking to me right now. He's barely said anything since...well, since last Saturday."
"And what happened last Saturday?"
"I may have slept with this guy?"
"Jensen, was that a question or a fact?" Jensen didn't have to see Jeff to know he was rolling his eyes.
"Fact." Jensen grumbled. "Jared asked me to go to this club with his friends. He gave me that look of his and so I had to go. But then I was drunk and Jared was dancing with Katie and Chad and I was-"
"Jealous?" Jeff asked.
"What? No!" Jensen tried to deny it but he knew if he wanted Jeff's honest opinion, he needed to be honest with him. "Ok, yes. I was jealous. Insanely so."
"So you were jealous because you've had the hots for my brother forever and he was...having fun with his friends?"
Jensen couldn't help but notice how calm Jeff seemed about the 'in love with his baby brother' thing. "Wait a minute? You knew how I felt about Jared?"
"Um, yeah," Jeff replied. "You've always been a bit obvious. Anyway, that's not the point. So you were jealous and you slept with another guy. Where? Bathroom quickie? Did you take a ride in his backseat?"
Jensen made a face. "Ew. Please don't ever say that again."
Jeff snorted. "Just answer the question, Jen. Where were you guys?"
"The apartment."
"Jen, please tell me you didn't ditch my brother at the club," Jeff growled, big brother mode obviously kicking in.
"I checked with him first!" Jensen tried to defend himself. "At least, I think I did."
The truth was, Jensen didn't really remember much about that night.
"Seriously uncool, man. I take it Jared saw the guy?"
Jensen cringed. "Yeah. He ran into him the next morning. In the kitchen. But then the guy was gone and Jared just left and he hasn't really said more than two words to me since then. I don't know why he's so upset."
"Oh my god. You're both idiots."
Jensen frowned at Jeff's annoyed tone. "What are you talking about?"
Jeff ignored Jensen's question and continued to mutter to himself. "I told Jared to just suck it up and spit it out. But does he ever listen to me? No. Instead he decides to-"
Jensen rolled his eyes as his best friend continued his tirade. "Jeff!"
"What?"
Jensen sighed and shook his head at the ceiling. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"You seriously don't know, do you?"
Jensen dropped back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. "Would I keep asking if I had any clue what you're talking about?"
"Jensen," Jeff's voice was tight, his irritation barely contained. "Jared's...you know what, just talk to him. I'm not getting in the middle here."
"Jared's what?"
"Like I said, just talk to the kid. I'm staying out of it."
The silence hung heavy between them, Jensen's mind spinning as he tried to figure out what Jeff wasn't telling him.
"So I should talk to him?"
"Call me crazy, but that seems to be the logical thing to do." Jeff laughed. "I swear, you two are going to drive me insane. You're both complete idiots."
"You already said that." Jensen rolled his eyes at the ceiling, once again wishing his friend was within hitting range.
"Well, obviously it needed repeated."
"So...how do I fix this?" Jensen chewed on his lip, hoping Jeff had an answer, praying he wasn't too late.
"How the hell should I know?" Jeff asked, sounding affronted.
"He's your brother!" Jensen felt like that fact needed to be pointed out.
"Hey, you broke it, you bought it."
Jensen snorted and shook his head. "Jeff, this is your kid brother. Not a glass figurine you find in some novelty shop."
Jensen could practically hear Jeff's exaggerated shrug over the phone. "Same principle, man."
"Do you think it's too late for me to fix this?" Jensen slumped down in his chair and ran a hand through his hair. "I can't have him hating me. He's just too-"
"Jen, stop." Jeff sighed, suddenly serious. "Is he still living with you?"
"Yes." Jensen just didn't know how much longer that would be true. He hadn't actually seen Jared in days. If it weren't for the little details, like a dirty bowl in the dishwasher or the ever-growing stack of mail on the hall table, Jensen could almost believe Jared hadn't been there at all.
"If he's staying, then you still have a chance." Jeff paused. "Jen, I love you, man, but you know I've got to say this. If you fuck this up-"
"You'll fuck me up." Jensen laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. He'd heard Jeff's big brother speech more than enough times over the years. He just never thought it would ever be directed at him, never thought he'd be the one to hurt Jared enough to warrant Jeff's protective side making itself known.
"Seriously, Jen, just talk to him." Jeff sighed. "Trust me when I tell you that my brother could never hate you. But he's hurting right now and yes, it's your fault. He's not blameless, but dude, you brought someone back to the place you share with my brother. And neither one of you bothered to lay down some ground rules first."
Jensen exhaled slowly. "Yeah, I know. We need to talk about it." He paused, a small frown forming. "Hey, when did you get so smart?"
"When I started med school, asshole," Jeff replied. "Just call me Dr. Jeff. I'm like Dr. Phil, only sexier."
******
After talking with Jeff, the floodgates opened and Jensen found himself writing again. He'd finally caught up with all of his deadlines. Jesse's new song was already in Lauren's inbox, along with a bonus song for the wait. And now that Jensen's songwriting career was no longer a secret, he figured he'd spread his wings, maybe try writing some songs that were more his style. The words and melodies were flowing faster than Jensen could get them down on paper. He finally felt like he had something to say. He just hoped there'd be someone to listen to it when he finished.
Jared barely came home anymore. He disappeared first thing in the morning and Jensen was lucky if he saw him again before he went to sleep at night. Jared was pulling away more and more every day and if Jensen didn't do something fast, he was going to lose him forever.
The more Jensen thought about it, the more certain he was that there was something going on between him and Jared. The signs were there, he'd just been too blind to see them. There had to be a reason why Jared was so upset. And Jeff knew something, even if he wasn't talking. Jensen just hoped he wasn't getting the message wrong. He needed to fix things and to do that, he had to take a risk. He needed to lay everything on the line and just pray for the best.
He had an idea and immediately got to work, nerves taking over more and more with every passing minute. It was definitely a risk, but one he was willing to take. He just hoped it wasn't too little, too late.
When he had everything ready, Jensen curled up on the couch, legs pulled up on the cushions so he could remain turned toward the front door. He sat there watching, praying it would open, hoping that Jared would at least give him a chance.
The doorknob turned and Jensen held his breath. He glanced around the room, checking to make sure that everything was perfect. And then the door opened and Jared was there, pushing through the entrance, eyes growing wide as he looked around the room.
"What the-" he murmured.
Jared moved forward and pulled down the first piece of paper, his eyes scanning the contents.
"That was the first song I ever wrote, back in high school." Jared jumped, turning his startled gaze toward Jensen. "It was about that first moment I knew I was in love. You were only twelve, yet you somehow managed to buy me my first guitar. I don't know how you did it, but you did. There were things I'd never told anyone, but somehow, you still knew. I was overwhelmed and I didn't understand what I was feeling. I didn't know how to handle it, so I wrote it all down."
Jared mumbled something but it was so quiet, Jensen couldn't make out the words.
"What?"
Jared looked up and shrugged. "I mowed lawns. That's how I paid for it."
"Jay," Jensen exhaled, surprised at the depth of the emotions rolling off the other man.
Jared didn't say anything else as he continued to walk around the room, running his hands across the pages of lyrics taped up all over the walls.
He tapped his knuckles against one page. "What's the story behind this one?"
Jensen glanced at it and smiled. "Do you remember the night I graduated from college, how we spent all night on the phone?" Jared nodded and Jensen continued. "Well, that's when I realized I was pretty much a lost cause when it came to you. I tried so hard to stay away, never went home where I might actually see you. I tried to date other people. I threw myself into my music. But you were always there, right at the front of my mind. Every time something happened, good or bad, you were the first person I wanted to tell. No matter what I did, I just couldn't get you off my mind."
Jensen watched as a lone tear trailed down Jared's face as he moved on to the next page. He gave Jensen a shaky smile. "This one?"
"That's easy." Jensen laughed. "I was jealous as hell."
Jared quirked an eyebrow and remained silent, waiting for more.
"I had been talking to Jeff on the phone and he said you were upset because Marilyn had moved away and your heart was breaking."
Jared frowned, looking confused. "Marilyn? The lunch lady at school?"
"The...what?" Jensen stared at Jared with wide eyes. "The lunch lady?"
Jared shrugged. "Yeah, the lunch lady. She used to give me extra portions at lunch and after she moved, I was so hungry by the time I got home from school, I'm sure I probably whined a lot. Jeff teased me about it all the time."
"The lunch lady," Jensen muttered. "I thought she was a girlfriend."
Jared laughed. "Um, hello! Gay!"
"But I didn't know that!" Jensen slumped down on the couch. He felt emotionally drained. His heart and soul wallpapered the wall. He was done hiding. No more secrets.
But he still didn't know what was going on in Jared's head. The thought that Jared could still walk away, even after Jensen risked everything, was terrifying.
"So they're-" Jared's voice trailed off, suddenly thick with emotion.
"All about you," Jensen confirmed. "Yep. Every last one of them."
"Then why?"
Jensen sighed. "Why'd I sleep with...whatever his name was?" He paused, thinking carefully about what he wanted to say. "Jay, it was a stupid mistake. And I can't really explain what happened because I don't actually remember much about that night. I was jealous and I drank too much, made some really bad decisions. All I can say is that I'm sorry and that I truly regret what happened. I wish I could go back and change things, but I can't. All I can do is apologize and hope you can put this behind us."
"I don't..." Jensen's heart sank, but Jared wasn't done. "Maybe."
"Really?" Jensen said on an exhale.
"Maybe." Jared shrugged, but his lips were tilting upwards at the ends. "But why were you jealous?"
Jensen groaned. Of course Jared would latch onto that. He winced. "Because of Chad?"
Jared snorted. "CHAD? Oh my god, why?"
Jensen rolled his eyes and Jared hid his laugh behind a large hand. "Because you were always talking about him and then at the club, you just seemed so comfortable with him. I've never seen you so relaxed. You're always so shy."
"I'm not really that shy," Jared mumbled. "Just around you."
Jensen flushed at Jared's admission. Things were starting to make a lot more sense. He stood up and moved across the room, closing the distance between them. "Anyway, you just looked so comfortable with him and you were laughing and whispering in his ear. And I figured you'd probably jump at the chance to date another model and-"
"Wait," Jared jumped in, interrupting him. "What other model?"
"Chad." Jensen frowned. He didn't really think this conversation was all that difficult to follow.
Jared started laughing. "Wow. Give you an inch and you always take that mile, don't you?"
Jensen glared at him. "What are you talking about?"
"You and jumping to conclusions." Jared waved his hand in the air, still snickering. "Chad isn't a model. He's the receptionist at MMI."
"The receptionist?"
"Yup," Jared replied as he slowly walked down the hallway, taking time to read the lyrics wallpapering the walls. "Besides, you're prettier than most models, anyway."
Jensen flushed at Jared's mumbled confession and slapped a hand across his eyes, hoping to hide his embarrassment. He couldn't believe just how wrong he'd been. Jared was right. He really needed to stop jumping to conclusions. It would probably save him a lot of heartache in the future.
"And this one?" Jensen glanced up to find Jared fingering the piece of paper hanging from his door, a tiny red heart drawn in the corner. He moved to stand next to Jared, his breath warm on Jared's neck as he explained.
"You know, I couldn't write anything after you moved in. Nothing. Not one song for months. I tried, but it was like my muse was on vacation. Every song I've ever written has been about you and I just couldn't write lyrics about you when you were right there. It was too weird." Jensen gave him a small smile. "That was the first one I wrote after I lost you. You were gone and suddenly it didn't matter if you were right there or not. I had to get the words out. I needed to try to salvage our friendship, maybe see if we could be something more."
Jared sighed, his hand dropping to rest next to Jensen's. He rubbed the pad of his thumb across Jensen's palm. "Jensen, you couldn't lose me when you never really had me to begin with."
"That's just the thing," Jensen shrugged, staring down at their hands. "I think I did. It wasn't anything official, but I did have you. The problem was, neither of us really knew it."
"And now?"
Jensen watched as Jared chewed on his lower lip, his eyes trailing across the paper, his fingers tracing the words. He leaned over, pressing their shoulders together, and smiled. "Why don't I play that one for you?"
Jared nodded as Jensen moved to the stereo. He pushed play and suddenly the music began playing. A few moments later, his voice filled the room, soft but sure. He had recorded it earlier, knowing he wouldn't have the courage to sing it for Jared while he was in the room. The thoughts and emotions that went into composing it were too overwhelming.
*If you just realize what I just realized / Then we'd be perfect for each other / And we'll never find another
It's not the same / No it's never the same / If you don't feel it too / If you meet me half way / If you would meet me half way / It could be the same for you.*
Jared sat on the couch as the song played, eyes closed as he listened to the music. Jensen leaned back against the wall, too anxious to sit. He watched Jared's hands tap a nervous rhythm against the cushion.
Jared's eyes opened as the song came to an end and the music faded away. He looked over at the window and stared out at something Jensen couldn't see.
Jensen tried to stay silent, chewing on his lip as he gave Jared time to process his lyrical confession. But when a few minutes had passed without a word, he couldn't take it anymore. "Jay? Say something."
"Thirteen."
"Ok, not quite what I was expecting."
"Thirteen," Jared repeated, shooting Jensen a dirty look. He glanced away and took a shaky breath before turning back to face Jensen.
There was a myriad of emotions written across the planes of Jared's face.
"I was thirteen."
Jensen frowned, unsure what Jared was trying to tell him.
Jared gave a half-hearted shrug, the corner of his lips tilting up in a small smile. "That's when I first realized that I had a crush on you."
Jensen stared at him, eyes wide and mouth open. He had hoped, but to actually hear Jared say the words-
"Seriously?"
Jared snorted. "Seriously." He tugged on the hem of his shirt, wrapping the thin material around his fingers. "All my friends were starting to really get into girls. They were always talking about things like how far James got with Kelly behind the bleachers or how Julia's...you know...got huge over the summer."
Jensen covered his mouth with his hand, trying to muffle his laugh. "How did I not know you were gay? You can't even say the word!"
Jared quirked an eyebrow. "I notice you're not exactly spitting it out there, yourself."
"Anyway, you were saying," Jensen coughed, his lips still twitching.
"Well, I was trying to say," Jared paused and gave Jensen a pointed stare.
Jensen grinned and waved his hand in the air, motioning for Jared to continue.
"It was the last day of school and I was sitting on the steps out front with Logan, just waiting for Jeff to come pick me up. Logan was telling me about his plans for the summer. He'd just asked Veronica to be his girlfriend and every time he mentioned her name, he got really excited." Jared paused, staring down at his hands, still wrapped up in his t-shirt. He looked up and his eyes met Jensen's. "That's when I realized that that's what I sounded like when I talked about you."
"Jay," Jensen stopped, hoping to keep his voice from breaking.
Jared gave him a tilted smile. "I had all these grand plans for that summer. But every one of them had you in it." He shrugged one shoulder. "Thirteen, man. I was thirteen and you were it. I couldn't picture my future without you in it. And then I was fourteen and you were leaving."
Suddenly, the distance between them was too great. Jensen took a deep breath, gathering his courage. He'd already taken a lot of risks that night. What was one more?
He pushed off the wall and crossed the room until he was standing in front of the couch. Jared stared up at him, eyes wide and scared. Jensen reached out and traced Jared's jaw with his thumb, fingers pressed lightly against Jared's long neck. "God, Jared. Please tell me I didn't fuck this up too much. Tell me I'm not too late."
Jared leaned into Jensen's touch. He shook his head, lower lip tucked between his teeth. "You're not too late." His tilted his head up until his eyes met Jensen's, his expression hopeful.
Jensen dropped forward until his knees hit the edge of the couch cushion, his legs barely straddling Jared's. Jared reached out a hand, tentatively placing it on Jensen's chest. Jensen could feel the heat of Jared's palm through the soft cotton of his shirt.
"God, I've wanted to do this forever," Jensen murmured before leaning forward to press his lips against Jared's.
Jared's lips were soft and hesitant beneath his, but when Jensen flicked his tongue out to trace the bottom edge of Jared's lower lip, Jared hesitantly reached out his tongue to touch Jensen's. Jensen groaned at the contact, sinking forward, one hand buried in Jared's hair, the other clutching the back of his neck, pulling him closer.
Jared's hands settled on Jensen's hips. He tucked his thumbs through the belt loops of Jensen's jeans and he tugged on them, pulling Jensen closer until they were sealed together, mouths to chests to groins.
When Jared pulled his mouth away and began to press soft open-mouthed kisses down the side of Jensen's neck, Jensen knew he had to slow things down right away or he'd never be able to say no. Reluctantly, he pulled back, giving them a chance to breathe before things could get too heavy between them. "Jay, we need to stop."
Jensen could see the hurt flash in Jared's eyes. "I thought you wanted this," his voice was soft, pained, the corners of his mouth turning down.
"What? No! I don't want to stop," Jensen rushed to explain. "Sorry, wrong choice of words. I just think we should slow it down a little, take our time."
Jared tilted his head to the side and waited, the unasked question hanging in the air between them.
Jensen flushed under his stare. "I just don't want to move too fast."
Jared snorted and dropped his head forward, his forehead resting on Jensen's shoulder. He shook his head and exhaled, his breath puffing against the bare skin just above Jensen's collar. He lifted his head and wrapped a palm around the curve of Jensen's jaw, his thumb tracing Jensen's bottom lip. "I've had a thing for you since I was thirteen."
"Yeah, but-"
"And you've been writing songs about me for years. Haven't we both waited long enough?"
Jensen wanted to say 'to hell with it all' and just drag Jared off to bed, but he knew he couldn't. Jared was too important to him. He wanted to do this right.
"It's just, we've already waited this long, what's a little bit longer?" Jensen took a deep breath before trying again. He didn't want Jared to get the wrong impression so he needed to explain himself carefully. "You're not just anyone. This," he motioned to the air between them, "means more to me than anything, anyone, ever has before. Can we just-"
Jared's lips tilted up in a small smile. "Yeah, Jen. We can do that." His grin suddenly turned mischievous. "But we can still make out, right?"
Jensen smirked down at Jared and leaned forward. "Oh yeah. We can definitely do that," he said, punctuating his sentence with a long, lazy kiss, reveling in the feel of Jared's soft lips beneath his.
Jared broke the kiss that time. Jensen pressed a hand to Jared's chest. He could feel Jared's heart pounding beneath his palm, keeping a steady beat in time with his own. His legs were growing numb after kneeling for so long, but he didn't care. He never wanted to move again.
Jared took a deep breath, dimples flashing as he grinned up at Jensen. "So you really wrote all those songs for me?"
Jensen could only nod as he stared back at the man in front of him, the shock and amazement of finally having the one thing he'd wanted for so long masking everything behind a soft, fuzzy glow. When Jared's smile grew brighter, Jensen responded with a crooked grin of his own. "So, you really transferred schools to be with me?"
Call him crazy, but Jensen had a feeling.
Jared blushed and shrugged one shoulder before leaning forward, capturing Jensen's mouth once again. Jensen could feel Jared's lips tilt upwards as he buried his hands in Jared's soft curls.
"Yeah, I really did."
There's really not much to say about this one. Forever and ever ago, keepaofthecheez joked that Jensen wrote all of Jesse McCartney's songs and they were all about Jared. That thought stuck in my head and I jotted down notes that eventually became this fic. I wasn't sure if I'd ever write it, but when big bang came around, I decided to just go for it. And so I did.
A lot of people helped this fic see completion. Whether it was simply reading, checking it for grammar and continuity and just general issues, or listening to me whine about the soundtrack (and other things), each person was invaluable. So big thanks to __tiana__, annkiri, arlad, hd_obsession, pyroblaze18, and seventhpage. All remaining mistakes are obviously mine. And of course, another big thanks goes to elethoniel for the beautiful art.
So there you have it. Big Bang '09. Still trying to decide how I feel about this now that it's done, but overall, I'm quite happy. And I hope you enjoyed it.
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