Deadline on Love 11/13
Title: Deadline on Love 11/13
Paring: Jensen/Jared
Rating: NC-17 overall
Beta: The always amazing engel82 for keeping me going and helping to sort out my muddled brain. The lifesaver avon_09 for jumping in at the last minute and doing such a fast and efficient job. Special thanks to paleogymnast for giving invaluable help on the judicial system.
Artist: superfire who also jumped in at the last minute and came up with the amazing banner that I adore, thank you.
Warnings: Underage sex. Some violence. Some physical abuse. Angst. Schmoop (I think, it’s all new to me, lol)
Summary: When Jared goes on his usual summer vacation with his family to their beach house, he thinks it’s going to be the best summer ever. In some ways he’s right, in others he’s wrong. When he meets troubled youth, Jensen, his world is turned upside-down. I’ve messed with their ages. Jared is just turned 16 and Jensen is nearly 17.
Master Post
A/N: So I miscalculated, there will be another two parts after this, another chapter and an epilogue.
Chapter Eleven
His blood was like fire as he stalked down the sidewalk, coursing through him at a speed so fast it made his heart want to burst. Jensen and Chad were racing after him; they were speaking, calling to him, but Jared couldn’t make out what they were saying. All he could hear was Megan’s voice in his head.
It was Mike.
Mike! Jared didn’t know why on earth Mike would want to attack his sister, but as of now he officially didn’t care. The guy was going to pay; he was going to know pain just like Megan was suffering.
Strong hands caught Jared around his biceps, pulling him back and halting his forward movement. He spun around, snarling at Jensen who stood his ground but raised his hands in peace.
“Get the fuck off me,” Jared hissed, making to move away again but this time Jensen darted round him, standing in his way.
“What are you going to do, Jay? You have no idea where he is and even if you did find him, do you really think Megan wants you doing this? The cops are looking for him; just let them do their job.” Jensen looked earnestly at Jared, Chad nodding in agreement behind him, but Jared just scoffed at them.
“The cops? The cops in this town are a joke, you of all people know that, Jensen,” Jared pointed out, making to go around him again, but Jensen wasn’t having any of it, leaving Jared snarling in frustration.
He knew he wouldn’t be able to get around Jensen if he didn’t want him to, so he just glared at his boyfriend.
“That may be,” Jensen conceded, “but you shouldn’t be going after him yourself.”
“You should be with Megan,” Chad added, coming up beside Jared.
“Megan’s got Mom and Dad with her, she’s fine, and the meds have knocked her out so she wouldn’t know if I was there or not anyway,” Jared argued. “Jen, I’m going no matter what you say, so either be prepared to stop me or get the fuck out of my way.”
Jensen gritted his teeth, staring directly into Jared’s eyes. Jared kept his gaze, showing him that he was deadly serious.
“Jen, if it was Kenzie lying in the bed, what would you be doing right now?” He knew it was a low blow, but it was the only ammo he had left.
It had the desired effect. Jensen breathed out a long sigh through his nose, shaking his head slightly. “I’m coming with you so don’t even think about fighting me on it, and if he even tries to touch you-”
“Thank you,” Jared sighed in relief. He didn’t wait another second, moving round Jensen and making his way down to the surfer’s beach, scanning the sand for any sign of his target. If Mike wasn’t here he’d try the Club next, though he doubted Jensen would be allowed entrance.
“He really is protective of you, isn’t he?” Chad piped up, trying in his own way to lighten the atmosphere. It didn’t work and Chad just ducked his head and chased after them.
The wind was strong now, but the air was warm as it brought the salty scent of the ocean to Jared. The light was dimming as the sun started to set, but Jared was too strung out to notice anything past his rage.
It was just as they were approaching several rows of surfboards stuck in the sand that the wind carried a heated argument to them, and Jared stopped, picking out two familiar voices.
“Tom, please? You’re the only one-”
“No, I don’t want anything to do with this. You’re on your own this time, Mike.”
“Come on, man, don’t be like that. We’re friends.” Mike’s voice was pleading, calling as if Tom was walking away, but then it suddenly turned smug and manipulative. “If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have caught half the tail you’ve had in the last couple of years.”
“Yeah? And how did you manage that?” Tom hisses angrily. “Did you threaten them?”
“It’s called persuasion, Tom,” Mike said dryly, bored. “Don’t pretend you didn’t know what was going on, you knew, you just turned a blind eye and reaped the benefits.”
“And what happens to those that say no, huh? They end up like Megan? Like Mackenzie?”
Beside him, Jared felt Jensen still, frozen like a statue as they listened to the friends fight. Mackenzie? Jensen’s sister, what did she have to do with this? A terrible sickening sensation washed over Jared and he tried to swallow down the bile that rose in his throat.
“Kenzie was-” Mike started but Tom wouldn’t let him finish.
“An accident, so you said, but I don’t believe you anymore, not after this. What you did to Megan just proves that you’re a sick fuck and I will not cover up for you a second time, so forget it.”
“Fine, I’m not asking you to, just… look, did you bring it or not?” Mike sounded as though he was trying very hard to remain calm.
“What do you need it for?” Tom asked warily.
“Protection.”
“Yeah, I bet. When he finds out what you did you’re going to need more than this to protect your sorry ass.” Tom laughed humourlessly.
“You gonna give it me or not?”
“If my dad finds out I’ve taken this he’s-”
“I’ll say I stole it, okay? Now just give me the damn thing, I’m on a timeline here,” Mike snapped impatiently.
“This is the last thing you ever ask of me. I’m done,” Tom said seriously. “I don’t want to see your face around me or the girls again, or there’s going to be one more person you need protection from.”
“Oh, Tom, for fuck’s sake-”
“Take it and get the fuck out of my life.”
They saw Tom storm away but it didn’t appear that he’d noticed they were there. It was like they were all frozen in time for a moment, watching Tom stalk away but then Jensen was moving, barging passed the surfboards and coming face to face with a haggard-looking Mike.
He had a scratch over one cheek and his tee was ripped at the collar. Jared silently cheered Megan for fighting back, knowing she would have given it all she had.
Mike stopped when he saw them and a strange smile spread over his face; it didn’t look right, even deranged in a way. Jared shuddered and wanted to look away.
“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, Mike,” Jensen said lowly but Mike started to speak as though he hadn’t even noticed Jensen’s threatening posture.
“Well, this is perfect, totally saves me the trouble of seeking you out myself. Shame you had to bring your bitch with you but I’m not one to complain,” Mike said happily, shifting from foot to foot in anticipation.
Jensen faltered for a moment, frowning. Jared almost stepped in with his own accusations and threats, but Jensen beat him to it.
“Why were you looking for me?” he asked, confused.
It was a valid question. If Mike knew he was busted, and from the sounds of his conversation with Tom he did, then why would looking for Jensen be the first thing he’d do?
“Revenge,” Mike stated simply, as though they should have all known but were just stupid.
“Revenge? What did I-”
“You killed my sister.”
The air went still; a deafening silence surrounded the four boys in the relative shelter of the surfboards. Jared could feel his thoughts swimming around in his head. Why was everyone so eager to accuse Jensen of murder all the time?
“I barely knew your sister,” Jensen pointed out, his voice a low, angry growl.
Mike took a menacing step forward, but whereas Jared almost moved away, Jensen stood his ground, pulling himself to his full height, and glared into Mike’s eyes, unafraid.
“But it’s your fault she’s dead,” Mike accused, rage and hate dripping from his eyes like tar.
Jensen shook his head. “She killed herself. How is that my fault?” he asked. Jared cast him a glance and could see his muscles trembling to jump into action; he knew his lover was holding himself back, that he was waiting for answers.
“I told her,” Mike spoke, starting to pace in front of them, his voice taking on a slightly shrill tone that made him come off as just slightly crazy. “I tried to tell her you weren’t worth it, but she was so in love with you she wouldn’t listen.”
“Oh, Jesus,” Jared breathed, feeling the colour drain from his face.
“Are you saying she killed herself because of me?” Jensen snarled, taking a threatening step towards Mike, like he wanted to make him eat his words. Mike just continued to babble, his eyes focused somewhere else, perhaps looking into the past.
“She just wanted you to look at her, to notice her. After Dad died and Mom went medicated, she just wanted to be loved and I wasn’t enough for her; she needed something more than her brother.” Mike snapped his head to Jensen, his eyes aflame with accusation. “And then she saw you, said you were an angel. She followed you around everywhere, but you never saw her and I had to listen to her cry herself to sleep at night. Then one night she found Mom’s pills, took the whole bottle and I didn’t find her till the morning, lying cold in her bed.”
Even with tears pooling in his eyes, Mike still glared at Jensen like he was the devil himself. Jensen on the other hand looked more like death. His face was sheet-white, his eyes wide with disbelief and his body trembled a little, this time not with anger.
“I didn’t know,” he murmured quietly and Jared could see the guilt welling up in his heart. Jared wanted to tell him to stop, that he wasn’t responsible for this girl not having the support from her family she needed. It was tragic, yes, but not Jensen’s fault.
Mike of course got there first, his voice like an iron poker, searing through Jensen’s gut and twisting viciously.
“You didn’t wanna know.”
“For God’s sake, Mike, I was barely fifteen. How was I supposed to know?” Jensen exploded, throwing his arms to the side.
Mike took a step back, an eerie calmness coming over him. “Do you know the things people said about her?” he said quietly. “All her so-called friends spreading lies about drug abuse? Those vicious little bitches destroying my sister’s memory and it was all because of you.” His voice rose, almost to shouting. “If you’d just opened your fucking eyes… but I guess your eyes weren’t focused on the direction of the girls, was it?”
Jared swallowed thickly when Mike’s gaze turned to him for a moment, not liking having those eyes boring into him like they could burn him from the inside out.
“I couldn’t believe it when I saw you with Chris that day,” Mike continued, turning his attention back to a stunned Jensen. “All over each other, it was fucking sick. I bet your mom didn’t have a clue and I was so looking forward to spilling your dirty little secret, but instead I got your very loyal sister chewing me out-”
“I don’t wanna hear this,” Jensen snapped, shaking his head as though he could dislodge the words from his brain.
“Oh but you have to hear it,” Mike stated, his face a picture of glee at Jensen’s pain.
“I’m gonna rip you apart,” Jensen screamed, making to pounce on Mike and do just that, but Jared grabbed his arm and held him back with all the strength he had.
“Wait, Jen, stop.”
Jensen halted, but his body leaned forward, his lips pulled into a snarl, just waiting for his chance to destroy Mike for what he’d done. Jared turned his head to Mike, he needed his own answers. “Why Megan?” he asked, desperation warring with anger in his tone. “What did she ever do to you?”
“Ah, Megan,” Mike said with a sigh. He squinted at Jared, taking him in like he was dissecting him. “You know she was so worried about you,” his eyes flicked to Jensen, “the two of you. Ran right up to me asking if I’d seen you, all scared and tearful. I got her to tell me what was wrong and she told me everything. How you two were together, how your friend there,” he pointed at Chad, who squirmed at having the attention brought to him, “told your folks that Jensen had fucking kidnapped you, but it was all lies and she needed to warn you.”
Mike laughed loudly, like it was the funniest joke he had ever heard. Then he zeroed in on Chad again, a smirk pulling at his lips. “Nice to see that info I gave you paid off, that was a great display in the garage by the way.” Mike’s eyes flared with joy as they ran over Jensen’s face. “I see it had the desired effect. Mommy doesn’t like it when you’re put in the public eye like that, does she?” he whispered, like he was confiding a great secret.
“What the fuck?” Jensen breathed and Mike gave him a mocking look.
“Oh come on, half the town knows your mom beats the snot out of you, they just don’t care. Cocksucker gets what he deserves. I told Megan that very thing and do you know what she did?” He ran a hand over the scratch on his cheek. “Slapped me, right across the face… just like Kenzie did. Then she was shouting, telling me to leave you two alone. So much like Kenzie, it was like living that day all over again. Little bitch soon shut up though, couple of hits to that pretty face and she soon changed her tune, begging me to stop. Not so pretty now, is she?”
“Fucker,” Jared screamed, finally snapping.
He lunged for Mike, intent on tearing his face off but Mike was faster, reaching behind his back. Jared crumpled to the ground, his ears ringing over the sound of Jensen and Chad shouting his name as pain exploded in his side. Chad was there a moment later, sheltering Jared’s body with his own as Jared gasped for breath.
Around Chad, Jared just had time to spy the gun in Mike’s hand before Jensen was in the way, standing between the gun and his boyfriend.
Jared trembled with the pain. Chad was pulling at his clothes to see where the blood that saturated his shirt was coming from, but Jared was focused solely on the face-off between his love and their sisters' attacker.
“So what now?” Jensen was asking, edging closer to Mike. “Now you’ve done the whole James Bond villain speech, you can’t honestly think you’re going to get away with this?”
“Oh I know the gig is up, I knew I was going to jail as soon as Megan survived,” Mike said with a shrug, keeping the gun aimed at Jensen to keep him back. “I just wanted to you to know everything, so you were totally clear, that you understood before I took you out once and for all.”
Mike focused and Jared cried out, trying to get to his feet, knowing the deranged son of a bitch was going to shoot. But then Jensen was moving, taking Mike by surprise and grasping his wrist to move the gun away from everyone, punching him hard in the face. Mike didn’t go down easy, his rage giving him strength as he tried to wrestle away from Jensen.
Jensen lifted his knee, ploughing it into Mike’s gut and pushing the air from his lungs. He followed up with an elbow to his head and Mike lost purchase on the gun, allowing Jensen to rip it from his hand before he slugged him again. Mike was sent into a surfboard, taking it down with him as he tumbled to the sand.
Mike wiped across his lip and grinned up at Jensen, his teeth red where a loose tooth filled his mouth with blood that tricked down his chin. He climbed to his feet and glared past the gun that Jensen pointed at his face, right into his eyes.
“What are you waiting for?” he crowed, bounding on the balls of his feet and grinning insanely.
“I’m gonna blow your fucking head off,” Jensen growled, his voice shaking hard, but his hand was steady. “You killed my sister, you just shot my boyfriend, give me one good reason not to smoke you right here?”
The pain in Jared’s side was numbing and he could hear Chad murmuring that he was okay, he was going to be okay. He took his friend’s arm and let him haul him up. He glanced at his side to see that Mike’s bullet and only really grazed his skin, taking a small chunk out of the flesh, making it bleed a lot, but causing no real damage.
“You don’t have the balls,” Mike was claiming, coaxing Jensen into shooting him. “Not enough man to pull the trigger.”
“You wanna bet?” Jensen said calmly, settling his feet in the sand and steadying his aim.
“Jen,” Jared called softly, trying to ease the tension. “Don’t. Please?”
“He deserves it, Jay, he nearly killed you,” Jensen snapped, not taking his eyes off his target for a second.
Jared stepped closer, just into Jensen’s line of sight but keeping his distance enough to not be a threat, not wanting to push Jensen over the edge.
“But he didn’t,” Jared pointed out, holding his hand up in a calming gesture. “It’s just a scratch, it’ll heal.”
Jensen shook his head, blinking tears from his eyes. “He killed Kenzie,” he said brokenly but with a hardness to his voice that caused Jared to catch a sob in his throat. “He killed my baby sister.”
“Sister for a sister,” Mike spoke with hate-filled words. “Now you know how it feels.”
Jensen’s finger tightened on the trigger, his eyes narrowing as his tears dripped down his face unnoticed.
“Jensen. Please,” Jared tried, his heart racing as terror filled his being. “You’ve been called a killer for so long. Don’t prove them right now.”
“He’s gotta pay for what he did,” Jensen stated as he squeezed the trigger. Jared screwed his eyes shut, praying with all his heart. He flinched as the shot sounded through the wind, loud like a small bomb that echoed in the air. “For a very long time.”
Jared opened his eyes, seeing Jensen pointing the gun at the sand by Mike’s feet, a small crater where the bullet had pushed the grains aside quickly being filled by the wind, evidence buried.
Jensen stepped forward, gun raised and he brought it down on a shell-shocked Mike’s head, knocking him unconscious with the butt.
As Mike crumbled to the sand, his face slack and the wind blowing sand over him, Jared looked to Jensen. Pride filled his chest, but that feeling soon turned to worry as he took in the blank expression his lover adopted.
Jensen’s tears had dried on his face, sand smudged into the tracks leaving dirty trails on his cheeks, but his eyes were empty, dead, as he stared down at his sister’s murderer.
Jared had expected more tears, maybe even a grim smile, a breakdown, something. Surely Jensen was overloaded with emotions? Kenzie’s killer was discovered, Jensen should be exonerated and things should start looking up for him, for them both, but there was nothing.
Hovering on the outskirts, Chad shifted nervously. “Cops are coming,” he told them and Jared could hear the sirens getting closer, but his focus didn’t deter from Jensen.
“Jen?” he asked, not sure whether to move closer or to stay away, the last thing he wanted to do was shock Jensen while he still held the gun. “Jensen. You need to put down the gun, cops are coming. Jensen.”
“Dude, give him a second,” Chad said quietly by Jared’s side.
“What?” Jared tore his eyes away from his lover and gave Chad a confused look.
“He just had a hell of a lot to take in, man, let him process for a second.”
Watching Jensen carefully, Jared could see the muscles of his jaw twitching, the hand on the gun gripping and releasing rhythmically. Chad and his perceptiveness; he was right, Jensen was processing.
Slowly, Jared moved into Jensen’s line of sight, blocking Mike from view. As soon as that connection was broken, Jensen’s eyes gained focus. He blinked, lifting his eyes to meet Jared’s scared ones.
“It’s all my fault,” Jensen said, his voice toneless. Jared gaped at him and started to shake his head but Jensen was talking again. “Kenzie, Megan, even Kylie, it’s all my fault.”
That’s when Jared realised that Jensen wasn’t actually looking at him, it was like he was looking through him, at something only he could see. Jared went to protest again, but Jensen turned away, his eyes flitting over the ocean and down along the beach. He started walking, like he was in a daze.
“Jensen, don’t go,” Jared called, his heart constricting with fear.
“Your folks were right, Jay,” Jensen said over his shoulder. “Stay away from me, before you get hurt too.” Then Jensen turned, taking in the blood still seeping into Jared’s tee and he looked broken, his throat convulsing as though he was having trouble swallowing. “Guess it’s already too late for that.”
“It’s not your fault, Mike was sick, crazy, he…”
“Get yourself to the hospital, Jay.” Then Jensen was walking again, leaving Jared behind.
“Jensen.” It was Chad that called this time but Jensen didn’t stop. “The gun, dude, cops will be all over you if you take that.”
Halting his steps, Jensen lifted to gun so he could see it, like he’d forgotten it was even in his hand. Then he simply dropped it to the sand and went on his way.
“I love you,” Jared cried after him, praying that would be the thing to make him stop, to bring him back. Jensen’s steps faltered and Jared’s heart stopped with them, waiting.
“I told you before, Jay,” Jensen said without turning, his voice barely audible over the wind. “Don’t.”
Jared’s breath caught in his throat, choking him. He wanted his legs to start after Jensen, to get him to listen, but they buckled under him and he would have fallen if Chad hadn’t caught him.
“Don’t leave me,” Jared sobbed, but the wind took the words away and he was sure Jensen didn’t hear him.
Next was a blur of sirens and cops and paramedics. Questions and questions. What happened? Where was Jensen? One thing after another. Jared knew that he answered, told them everything with Chad’s help, but his gaze was held on the beach where Jensen’s dark figure had disappeared around the turn, right up until he was bundled into an ambulance and whisked away.
***
Megan was held in hospital for four days to keep an eye on her concussion, she was due to be released that night and Jared’s folks were with her nearly every second. Jared hadn’t needed stitches, he was told he was very lucky that his wound wasn’t worse, but Jared felt anything but lucky.
Mike was arrested, kept in jail and would most likely to be tried as an adult as he was nearly eighteen and his crimes so severe. Apparently Jensen had been to the station and given his statement, leaving with a grudging apology from the police, but other than that no one had seen him.
Everyone had tried to talk to Jared, Chad hovering constantly even though Jared wasn’t talking. He spent his days sitting on the beach outside the house, staring at the sea.
Even though it was early, the sky was dark, like the weather was following Jared’s mood. Jared’s fingers ran over the soft fur on the teddy Jensen had won him at the fair, the toy barely leaving his hands since he’d arrived home. He watched the clouds roll in and the waves get choppier as the wind picked up.
His heart was heavy and he’d never felt so alone in his life. Jensen had left him.
“You never would have thought it was summer, would ya?”
Jared sighed as Chad dropped in beside him, nudging him with his shoulder. He didn’t reply, but he didn’t get up and leave either.
“So Meggie’s coming home today?”
Jared kept silent, closing his eyes and wishing Chad would just leave him be.
“You know where he is, don’t you?” Chad said suddenly, and that caught Jared’s attention, he tipped his head slightly before giving Chad a small nod.
He didn’t know for sure, but since Chad had told him that Jensen was barely ever at home and hadn’t turned up for work, he knew Jensen would most likely be at his beach, or at the clearing he’d taken Jared to that day.
“Why haven’t you gone to him?” Chad questioned, flinging a stone into the crashing waves.
“He left me.” The words left Jared’s mouth before they’d even registered in his brain.
Beside him Chad scoffed, turning to face Jared fully. “So the fuck what?”
Jared snapped his head sharply to look at him, frowning at his harsh tone.
“The guy’s probably going through hell with everything that happened and you haven’t even bothered to go see if he’s alright?”
“He left me,” Jared repeated, like it would give the words more power if he said them aloud again.
“He was protecting you, Jared, it’s what he does from what I can see,” Chad pointed out and Jared turned away again, not wanting to have this conversation. “Look, everything is royally screwed up. People got hurt, there was a fucking gun for Christ’s sake and Jensen’s blaming himself for everything.”
“It’s not his fault,” Jared said on reflex, anger rising in his chest, expanding it painfully. “Mike was messed up, he’s the one to blame, not Jensen.”
“Then don’t you think you should be telling Jensen that?” Chad said gently.
Jared looked at him incredulously. “I thought you hated Jensen?”
“Yeah well, you know me; I can be a dick sometimes.” Jared raised an eyebrow at him and Chad sighed. “I was wrong, Jay, okay? Doesn’t happen very often, but about Jensen? I was wrong. But I’m not wrong about this. Wherever he is, you need to go to him, talk to him.”
Jared held the bear tighter against his chest, feeling fear tremble inside him.
“What if he doesn’t want to talk to me?” he said weakly, knowing that was the only reason he hadn’t sought Jensen out already. The terrible fear of rejection that haunted his dreams and polluted his days.
“Jay-man, that’s bullshit and you know it,” Chad said, not unkindly. “Listen, even if he doesn’t, you know that if you don’t try you’re gonna be hating yourself for it forever, always thinking what if.”
“Yeah but-”
“No, no ‘yeah but’. Your man needs you and you’re sitting on your ass feeling sorry for yourself.” Chad gave Jared a pointed look, one that brooked no argument and Jared knew he was right; he needed to see Jensen, no matter what happened.
“Hey, Chad?” Chad grinned, already knowing what Jared was going to say. “Thanks, man.”
“Yeah, yeah, get out of here already.” Chad gave him a shove and Jared smiled his first real smile for days.
He got to his feet, taking one last look out to sea and headed inside for his hoodie and sneakers. Nerves shivered through him as he started into the thicket, making his way to the horseshoe beach, but he was also filled with determination and excitement at seeing Jensen again.
Tbc…
Paring: Jensen/Jared
Rating: NC-17 overall
Beta: The always amazing engel82 for keeping me going and helping to sort out my muddled brain. The lifesaver avon_09 for jumping in at the last minute and doing such a fast and efficient job. Special thanks to paleogymnast for giving invaluable help on the judicial system.
Artist: superfire who also jumped in at the last minute and came up with the amazing banner that I adore, thank you.
Warnings: Underage sex. Some violence. Some physical abuse. Angst. Schmoop (I think, it’s all new to me, lol)
Summary: When Jared goes on his usual summer vacation with his family to their beach house, he thinks it’s going to be the best summer ever. In some ways he’s right, in others he’s wrong. When he meets troubled youth, Jensen, his world is turned upside-down. I’ve messed with their ages. Jared is just turned 16 and Jensen is nearly 17.
Master Post
A/N: So I miscalculated, there will be another two parts after this, another chapter and an epilogue.
Chapter Eleven
His blood was like fire as he stalked down the sidewalk, coursing through him at a speed so fast it made his heart want to burst. Jensen and Chad were racing after him; they were speaking, calling to him, but Jared couldn’t make out what they were saying. All he could hear was Megan’s voice in his head.
It was Mike.
Mike! Jared didn’t know why on earth Mike would want to attack his sister, but as of now he officially didn’t care. The guy was going to pay; he was going to know pain just like Megan was suffering.
Strong hands caught Jared around his biceps, pulling him back and halting his forward movement. He spun around, snarling at Jensen who stood his ground but raised his hands in peace.
“Get the fuck off me,” Jared hissed, making to move away again but this time Jensen darted round him, standing in his way.
“What are you going to do, Jay? You have no idea where he is and even if you did find him, do you really think Megan wants you doing this? The cops are looking for him; just let them do their job.” Jensen looked earnestly at Jared, Chad nodding in agreement behind him, but Jared just scoffed at them.
“The cops? The cops in this town are a joke, you of all people know that, Jensen,” Jared pointed out, making to go around him again, but Jensen wasn’t having any of it, leaving Jared snarling in frustration.
He knew he wouldn’t be able to get around Jensen if he didn’t want him to, so he just glared at his boyfriend.
“That may be,” Jensen conceded, “but you shouldn’t be going after him yourself.”
“You should be with Megan,” Chad added, coming up beside Jared.
“Megan’s got Mom and Dad with her, she’s fine, and the meds have knocked her out so she wouldn’t know if I was there or not anyway,” Jared argued. “Jen, I’m going no matter what you say, so either be prepared to stop me or get the fuck out of my way.”
Jensen gritted his teeth, staring directly into Jared’s eyes. Jared kept his gaze, showing him that he was deadly serious.
“Jen, if it was Kenzie lying in the bed, what would you be doing right now?” He knew it was a low blow, but it was the only ammo he had left.
It had the desired effect. Jensen breathed out a long sigh through his nose, shaking his head slightly. “I’m coming with you so don’t even think about fighting me on it, and if he even tries to touch you-”
“Thank you,” Jared sighed in relief. He didn’t wait another second, moving round Jensen and making his way down to the surfer’s beach, scanning the sand for any sign of his target. If Mike wasn’t here he’d try the Club next, though he doubted Jensen would be allowed entrance.
“He really is protective of you, isn’t he?” Chad piped up, trying in his own way to lighten the atmosphere. It didn’t work and Chad just ducked his head and chased after them.
The wind was strong now, but the air was warm as it brought the salty scent of the ocean to Jared. The light was dimming as the sun started to set, but Jared was too strung out to notice anything past his rage.
It was just as they were approaching several rows of surfboards stuck in the sand that the wind carried a heated argument to them, and Jared stopped, picking out two familiar voices.
“Tom, please? You’re the only one-”
“No, I don’t want anything to do with this. You’re on your own this time, Mike.”
“Come on, man, don’t be like that. We’re friends.” Mike’s voice was pleading, calling as if Tom was walking away, but then it suddenly turned smug and manipulative. “If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have caught half the tail you’ve had in the last couple of years.”
“Yeah? And how did you manage that?” Tom hisses angrily. “Did you threaten them?”
“It’s called persuasion, Tom,” Mike said dryly, bored. “Don’t pretend you didn’t know what was going on, you knew, you just turned a blind eye and reaped the benefits.”
“And what happens to those that say no, huh? They end up like Megan? Like Mackenzie?”
Beside him, Jared felt Jensen still, frozen like a statue as they listened to the friends fight. Mackenzie? Jensen’s sister, what did she have to do with this? A terrible sickening sensation washed over Jared and he tried to swallow down the bile that rose in his throat.
“Kenzie was-” Mike started but Tom wouldn’t let him finish.
“An accident, so you said, but I don’t believe you anymore, not after this. What you did to Megan just proves that you’re a sick fuck and I will not cover up for you a second time, so forget it.”
“Fine, I’m not asking you to, just… look, did you bring it or not?” Mike sounded as though he was trying very hard to remain calm.
“What do you need it for?” Tom asked warily.
“Protection.”
“Yeah, I bet. When he finds out what you did you’re going to need more than this to protect your sorry ass.” Tom laughed humourlessly.
“You gonna give it me or not?”
“If my dad finds out I’ve taken this he’s-”
“I’ll say I stole it, okay? Now just give me the damn thing, I’m on a timeline here,” Mike snapped impatiently.
“This is the last thing you ever ask of me. I’m done,” Tom said seriously. “I don’t want to see your face around me or the girls again, or there’s going to be one more person you need protection from.”
“Oh, Tom, for fuck’s sake-”
“Take it and get the fuck out of my life.”
They saw Tom storm away but it didn’t appear that he’d noticed they were there. It was like they were all frozen in time for a moment, watching Tom stalk away but then Jensen was moving, barging passed the surfboards and coming face to face with a haggard-looking Mike.
He had a scratch over one cheek and his tee was ripped at the collar. Jared silently cheered Megan for fighting back, knowing she would have given it all she had.
Mike stopped when he saw them and a strange smile spread over his face; it didn’t look right, even deranged in a way. Jared shuddered and wanted to look away.
“You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, Mike,” Jensen said lowly but Mike started to speak as though he hadn’t even noticed Jensen’s threatening posture.
“Well, this is perfect, totally saves me the trouble of seeking you out myself. Shame you had to bring your bitch with you but I’m not one to complain,” Mike said happily, shifting from foot to foot in anticipation.
Jensen faltered for a moment, frowning. Jared almost stepped in with his own accusations and threats, but Jensen beat him to it.
“Why were you looking for me?” he asked, confused.
It was a valid question. If Mike knew he was busted, and from the sounds of his conversation with Tom he did, then why would looking for Jensen be the first thing he’d do?
“Revenge,” Mike stated simply, as though they should have all known but were just stupid.
“Revenge? What did I-”
“You killed my sister.”
The air went still; a deafening silence surrounded the four boys in the relative shelter of the surfboards. Jared could feel his thoughts swimming around in his head. Why was everyone so eager to accuse Jensen of murder all the time?
“I barely knew your sister,” Jensen pointed out, his voice a low, angry growl.
Mike took a menacing step forward, but whereas Jared almost moved away, Jensen stood his ground, pulling himself to his full height, and glared into Mike’s eyes, unafraid.
“But it’s your fault she’s dead,” Mike accused, rage and hate dripping from his eyes like tar.
Jensen shook his head. “She killed herself. How is that my fault?” he asked. Jared cast him a glance and could see his muscles trembling to jump into action; he knew his lover was holding himself back, that he was waiting for answers.
“I told her,” Mike spoke, starting to pace in front of them, his voice taking on a slightly shrill tone that made him come off as just slightly crazy. “I tried to tell her you weren’t worth it, but she was so in love with you she wouldn’t listen.”
“Oh, Jesus,” Jared breathed, feeling the colour drain from his face.
“Are you saying she killed herself because of me?” Jensen snarled, taking a threatening step towards Mike, like he wanted to make him eat his words. Mike just continued to babble, his eyes focused somewhere else, perhaps looking into the past.
“She just wanted you to look at her, to notice her. After Dad died and Mom went medicated, she just wanted to be loved and I wasn’t enough for her; she needed something more than her brother.” Mike snapped his head to Jensen, his eyes aflame with accusation. “And then she saw you, said you were an angel. She followed you around everywhere, but you never saw her and I had to listen to her cry herself to sleep at night. Then one night she found Mom’s pills, took the whole bottle and I didn’t find her till the morning, lying cold in her bed.”
Even with tears pooling in his eyes, Mike still glared at Jensen like he was the devil himself. Jensen on the other hand looked more like death. His face was sheet-white, his eyes wide with disbelief and his body trembled a little, this time not with anger.
“I didn’t know,” he murmured quietly and Jared could see the guilt welling up in his heart. Jared wanted to tell him to stop, that he wasn’t responsible for this girl not having the support from her family she needed. It was tragic, yes, but not Jensen’s fault.
Mike of course got there first, his voice like an iron poker, searing through Jensen’s gut and twisting viciously.
“You didn’t wanna know.”
“For God’s sake, Mike, I was barely fifteen. How was I supposed to know?” Jensen exploded, throwing his arms to the side.
Mike took a step back, an eerie calmness coming over him. “Do you know the things people said about her?” he said quietly. “All her so-called friends spreading lies about drug abuse? Those vicious little bitches destroying my sister’s memory and it was all because of you.” His voice rose, almost to shouting. “If you’d just opened your fucking eyes… but I guess your eyes weren’t focused on the direction of the girls, was it?”
Jared swallowed thickly when Mike’s gaze turned to him for a moment, not liking having those eyes boring into him like they could burn him from the inside out.
“I couldn’t believe it when I saw you with Chris that day,” Mike continued, turning his attention back to a stunned Jensen. “All over each other, it was fucking sick. I bet your mom didn’t have a clue and I was so looking forward to spilling your dirty little secret, but instead I got your very loyal sister chewing me out-”
“I don’t wanna hear this,” Jensen snapped, shaking his head as though he could dislodge the words from his brain.
“Oh but you have to hear it,” Mike stated, his face a picture of glee at Jensen’s pain.
“I’m gonna rip you apart,” Jensen screamed, making to pounce on Mike and do just that, but Jared grabbed his arm and held him back with all the strength he had.
“Wait, Jen, stop.”
Jensen halted, but his body leaned forward, his lips pulled into a snarl, just waiting for his chance to destroy Mike for what he’d done. Jared turned his head to Mike, he needed his own answers. “Why Megan?” he asked, desperation warring with anger in his tone. “What did she ever do to you?”
“Ah, Megan,” Mike said with a sigh. He squinted at Jared, taking him in like he was dissecting him. “You know she was so worried about you,” his eyes flicked to Jensen, “the two of you. Ran right up to me asking if I’d seen you, all scared and tearful. I got her to tell me what was wrong and she told me everything. How you two were together, how your friend there,” he pointed at Chad, who squirmed at having the attention brought to him, “told your folks that Jensen had fucking kidnapped you, but it was all lies and she needed to warn you.”
Mike laughed loudly, like it was the funniest joke he had ever heard. Then he zeroed in on Chad again, a smirk pulling at his lips. “Nice to see that info I gave you paid off, that was a great display in the garage by the way.” Mike’s eyes flared with joy as they ran over Jensen’s face. “I see it had the desired effect. Mommy doesn’t like it when you’re put in the public eye like that, does she?” he whispered, like he was confiding a great secret.
“What the fuck?” Jensen breathed and Mike gave him a mocking look.
“Oh come on, half the town knows your mom beats the snot out of you, they just don’t care. Cocksucker gets what he deserves. I told Megan that very thing and do you know what she did?” He ran a hand over the scratch on his cheek. “Slapped me, right across the face… just like Kenzie did. Then she was shouting, telling me to leave you two alone. So much like Kenzie, it was like living that day all over again. Little bitch soon shut up though, couple of hits to that pretty face and she soon changed her tune, begging me to stop. Not so pretty now, is she?”
“Fucker,” Jared screamed, finally snapping.
He lunged for Mike, intent on tearing his face off but Mike was faster, reaching behind his back. Jared crumpled to the ground, his ears ringing over the sound of Jensen and Chad shouting his name as pain exploded in his side. Chad was there a moment later, sheltering Jared’s body with his own as Jared gasped for breath.
Around Chad, Jared just had time to spy the gun in Mike’s hand before Jensen was in the way, standing between the gun and his boyfriend.
Jared trembled with the pain. Chad was pulling at his clothes to see where the blood that saturated his shirt was coming from, but Jared was focused solely on the face-off between his love and their sisters' attacker.
“So what now?” Jensen was asking, edging closer to Mike. “Now you’ve done the whole James Bond villain speech, you can’t honestly think you’re going to get away with this?”
“Oh I know the gig is up, I knew I was going to jail as soon as Megan survived,” Mike said with a shrug, keeping the gun aimed at Jensen to keep him back. “I just wanted to you to know everything, so you were totally clear, that you understood before I took you out once and for all.”
Mike focused and Jared cried out, trying to get to his feet, knowing the deranged son of a bitch was going to shoot. But then Jensen was moving, taking Mike by surprise and grasping his wrist to move the gun away from everyone, punching him hard in the face. Mike didn’t go down easy, his rage giving him strength as he tried to wrestle away from Jensen.
Jensen lifted his knee, ploughing it into Mike’s gut and pushing the air from his lungs. He followed up with an elbow to his head and Mike lost purchase on the gun, allowing Jensen to rip it from his hand before he slugged him again. Mike was sent into a surfboard, taking it down with him as he tumbled to the sand.
Mike wiped across his lip and grinned up at Jensen, his teeth red where a loose tooth filled his mouth with blood that tricked down his chin. He climbed to his feet and glared past the gun that Jensen pointed at his face, right into his eyes.
“What are you waiting for?” he crowed, bounding on the balls of his feet and grinning insanely.
“I’m gonna blow your fucking head off,” Jensen growled, his voice shaking hard, but his hand was steady. “You killed my sister, you just shot my boyfriend, give me one good reason not to smoke you right here?”
The pain in Jared’s side was numbing and he could hear Chad murmuring that he was okay, he was going to be okay. He took his friend’s arm and let him haul him up. He glanced at his side to see that Mike’s bullet and only really grazed his skin, taking a small chunk out of the flesh, making it bleed a lot, but causing no real damage.
“You don’t have the balls,” Mike was claiming, coaxing Jensen into shooting him. “Not enough man to pull the trigger.”
“You wanna bet?” Jensen said calmly, settling his feet in the sand and steadying his aim.
“Jen,” Jared called softly, trying to ease the tension. “Don’t. Please?”
“He deserves it, Jay, he nearly killed you,” Jensen snapped, not taking his eyes off his target for a second.
Jared stepped closer, just into Jensen’s line of sight but keeping his distance enough to not be a threat, not wanting to push Jensen over the edge.
“But he didn’t,” Jared pointed out, holding his hand up in a calming gesture. “It’s just a scratch, it’ll heal.”
Jensen shook his head, blinking tears from his eyes. “He killed Kenzie,” he said brokenly but with a hardness to his voice that caused Jared to catch a sob in his throat. “He killed my baby sister.”
“Sister for a sister,” Mike spoke with hate-filled words. “Now you know how it feels.”
Jensen’s finger tightened on the trigger, his eyes narrowing as his tears dripped down his face unnoticed.
“Jensen. Please,” Jared tried, his heart racing as terror filled his being. “You’ve been called a killer for so long. Don’t prove them right now.”
“He’s gotta pay for what he did,” Jensen stated as he squeezed the trigger. Jared screwed his eyes shut, praying with all his heart. He flinched as the shot sounded through the wind, loud like a small bomb that echoed in the air. “For a very long time.”
Jared opened his eyes, seeing Jensen pointing the gun at the sand by Mike’s feet, a small crater where the bullet had pushed the grains aside quickly being filled by the wind, evidence buried.
Jensen stepped forward, gun raised and he brought it down on a shell-shocked Mike’s head, knocking him unconscious with the butt.
As Mike crumbled to the sand, his face slack and the wind blowing sand over him, Jared looked to Jensen. Pride filled his chest, but that feeling soon turned to worry as he took in the blank expression his lover adopted.
Jensen’s tears had dried on his face, sand smudged into the tracks leaving dirty trails on his cheeks, but his eyes were empty, dead, as he stared down at his sister’s murderer.
Jared had expected more tears, maybe even a grim smile, a breakdown, something. Surely Jensen was overloaded with emotions? Kenzie’s killer was discovered, Jensen should be exonerated and things should start looking up for him, for them both, but there was nothing.
Hovering on the outskirts, Chad shifted nervously. “Cops are coming,” he told them and Jared could hear the sirens getting closer, but his focus didn’t deter from Jensen.
“Jen?” he asked, not sure whether to move closer or to stay away, the last thing he wanted to do was shock Jensen while he still held the gun. “Jensen. You need to put down the gun, cops are coming. Jensen.”
“Dude, give him a second,” Chad said quietly by Jared’s side.
“What?” Jared tore his eyes away from his lover and gave Chad a confused look.
“He just had a hell of a lot to take in, man, let him process for a second.”
Watching Jensen carefully, Jared could see the muscles of his jaw twitching, the hand on the gun gripping and releasing rhythmically. Chad and his perceptiveness; he was right, Jensen was processing.
Slowly, Jared moved into Jensen’s line of sight, blocking Mike from view. As soon as that connection was broken, Jensen’s eyes gained focus. He blinked, lifting his eyes to meet Jared’s scared ones.
“It’s all my fault,” Jensen said, his voice toneless. Jared gaped at him and started to shake his head but Jensen was talking again. “Kenzie, Megan, even Kylie, it’s all my fault.”
That’s when Jared realised that Jensen wasn’t actually looking at him, it was like he was looking through him, at something only he could see. Jared went to protest again, but Jensen turned away, his eyes flitting over the ocean and down along the beach. He started walking, like he was in a daze.
“Jensen, don’t go,” Jared called, his heart constricting with fear.
“Your folks were right, Jay,” Jensen said over his shoulder. “Stay away from me, before you get hurt too.” Then Jensen turned, taking in the blood still seeping into Jared’s tee and he looked broken, his throat convulsing as though he was having trouble swallowing. “Guess it’s already too late for that.”
“It’s not your fault, Mike was sick, crazy, he…”
“Get yourself to the hospital, Jay.” Then Jensen was walking again, leaving Jared behind.
“Jensen.” It was Chad that called this time but Jensen didn’t stop. “The gun, dude, cops will be all over you if you take that.”
Halting his steps, Jensen lifted to gun so he could see it, like he’d forgotten it was even in his hand. Then he simply dropped it to the sand and went on his way.
“I love you,” Jared cried after him, praying that would be the thing to make him stop, to bring him back. Jensen’s steps faltered and Jared’s heart stopped with them, waiting.
“I told you before, Jay,” Jensen said without turning, his voice barely audible over the wind. “Don’t.”
Jared’s breath caught in his throat, choking him. He wanted his legs to start after Jensen, to get him to listen, but they buckled under him and he would have fallen if Chad hadn’t caught him.
“Don’t leave me,” Jared sobbed, but the wind took the words away and he was sure Jensen didn’t hear him.
Next was a blur of sirens and cops and paramedics. Questions and questions. What happened? Where was Jensen? One thing after another. Jared knew that he answered, told them everything with Chad’s help, but his gaze was held on the beach where Jensen’s dark figure had disappeared around the turn, right up until he was bundled into an ambulance and whisked away.
***
Megan was held in hospital for four days to keep an eye on her concussion, she was due to be released that night and Jared’s folks were with her nearly every second. Jared hadn’t needed stitches, he was told he was very lucky that his wound wasn’t worse, but Jared felt anything but lucky.
Mike was arrested, kept in jail and would most likely to be tried as an adult as he was nearly eighteen and his crimes so severe. Apparently Jensen had been to the station and given his statement, leaving with a grudging apology from the police, but other than that no one had seen him.
Everyone had tried to talk to Jared, Chad hovering constantly even though Jared wasn’t talking. He spent his days sitting on the beach outside the house, staring at the sea.
Even though it was early, the sky was dark, like the weather was following Jared’s mood. Jared’s fingers ran over the soft fur on the teddy Jensen had won him at the fair, the toy barely leaving his hands since he’d arrived home. He watched the clouds roll in and the waves get choppier as the wind picked up.
His heart was heavy and he’d never felt so alone in his life. Jensen had left him.
“You never would have thought it was summer, would ya?”
Jared sighed as Chad dropped in beside him, nudging him with his shoulder. He didn’t reply, but he didn’t get up and leave either.
“So Meggie’s coming home today?”
Jared kept silent, closing his eyes and wishing Chad would just leave him be.
“You know where he is, don’t you?” Chad said suddenly, and that caught Jared’s attention, he tipped his head slightly before giving Chad a small nod.
He didn’t know for sure, but since Chad had told him that Jensen was barely ever at home and hadn’t turned up for work, he knew Jensen would most likely be at his beach, or at the clearing he’d taken Jared to that day.
“Why haven’t you gone to him?” Chad questioned, flinging a stone into the crashing waves.
“He left me.” The words left Jared’s mouth before they’d even registered in his brain.
Beside him Chad scoffed, turning to face Jared fully. “So the fuck what?”
Jared snapped his head sharply to look at him, frowning at his harsh tone.
“The guy’s probably going through hell with everything that happened and you haven’t even bothered to go see if he’s alright?”
“He left me,” Jared repeated, like it would give the words more power if he said them aloud again.
“He was protecting you, Jared, it’s what he does from what I can see,” Chad pointed out and Jared turned away again, not wanting to have this conversation. “Look, everything is royally screwed up. People got hurt, there was a fucking gun for Christ’s sake and Jensen’s blaming himself for everything.”
“It’s not his fault,” Jared said on reflex, anger rising in his chest, expanding it painfully. “Mike was messed up, he’s the one to blame, not Jensen.”
“Then don’t you think you should be telling Jensen that?” Chad said gently.
Jared looked at him incredulously. “I thought you hated Jensen?”
“Yeah well, you know me; I can be a dick sometimes.” Jared raised an eyebrow at him and Chad sighed. “I was wrong, Jay, okay? Doesn’t happen very often, but about Jensen? I was wrong. But I’m not wrong about this. Wherever he is, you need to go to him, talk to him.”
Jared held the bear tighter against his chest, feeling fear tremble inside him.
“What if he doesn’t want to talk to me?” he said weakly, knowing that was the only reason he hadn’t sought Jensen out already. The terrible fear of rejection that haunted his dreams and polluted his days.
“Jay-man, that’s bullshit and you know it,” Chad said, not unkindly. “Listen, even if he doesn’t, you know that if you don’t try you’re gonna be hating yourself for it forever, always thinking what if.”
“Yeah but-”
“No, no ‘yeah but’. Your man needs you and you’re sitting on your ass feeling sorry for yourself.” Chad gave Jared a pointed look, one that brooked no argument and Jared knew he was right; he needed to see Jensen, no matter what happened.
“Hey, Chad?” Chad grinned, already knowing what Jared was going to say. “Thanks, man.”
“Yeah, yeah, get out of here already.” Chad gave him a shove and Jared smiled his first real smile for days.
He got to his feet, taking one last look out to sea and headed inside for his hoodie and sneakers. Nerves shivered through him as he started into the thicket, making his way to the horseshoe beach, but he was also filled with determination and excitement at seeing Jensen again.
Tbc…