Fic (and Art) - Saviour (J2 AU) Part Two
Saviour (Part Two)
Jared's foot looks OK the next morning, and Jensen redresses it and covers it in more antiseptic, but there's no way he can walk all the way into town on it, even though he seems to think he can. Eventually they agree on a compromise; with Jensen giving Jared a silent tour of the whole farm; showing him the barns, the beacon (which they've abandoned for the last few days and Jensen vows to light it tonight), the garden, and then the trails.
Jared helps Jensen do the laundry, washing everything by hand, including Jared's clothes which are still a little blood stained, and then hanging it all out to dry on the washing line by the house. They tend to the garden, and occasionally Jared signs to him in sign language, probably out of habit, before shaking his head as an apology.
“I can teach you a few things, if you like?” Jared says later, a spoon of soup hovering in front of his mouth once they're back in the bunker, bellies grumbling. The bowl looks so tiny in Jared's large hand.
Jensen must pull a face or something because Jared adds; “Sign language, I mean. Once you get the basics, it's not so hard to pick it up and it's useful; especially right now.”
It's not like Jensen's got anything more pressing to do with his time, and Jared's right; it could be useful for when they're out of the bunker and they can't talk in hushed tones like they're doing now. “Sure. That'd be great.”
Jared smiles at him but it doesn't quite reach his eyes, looks more sad and wistful than anything else. He stands up and walks over to the kitchenette, his back to Jensen. He carefully sets his bowl down on the counter and stirs the pan of soup on the gas stove. “My brother was hearing impaired so I've been signing pretty much my whole life.”
Jensen wants to ask something about Cole, but he's not sure what to ask, and worried that he might say the wrong thing and ruin everything, because Jared is opening up to him, and Jensen's beyond grateful for it.
Then Jared takes his bowl and fills it with a second helping, and just like that the moment's gone. When Jared sits down on his bed, Jensen extends his fingers and thumb, and then places fingers on his chin and slowly brings them forward away from his face.
Thank you.
Or at least he hopes that's what he signed. It's the only thing he knows.
Jared's smile is wider this time, full of teeth and crater-deep dimples. “You're welcome. And I'm impressed.”
“Don't be. That's pretty much all I know.”
“Well, it's a good place to start.”
Jared teaches him a few words, just basic stuff, but Jared tell him he's doing well and he's more than happy to take it.
Later Jensen heads into town alone, leaving Jared at the desk with his secret project. The walk is peaceful, and while it's nice to have some time to himself, he still feels anxious about leaving Jared behind. Even though they met only a few short days ago, Jensen already feels used to having Jared around; can feel a change within himself, broken pieces aligning and clicking into place.
He picks up some supplies from stores in town; some clothes for Jared, which Jensen really hopes fit, dried rice and pasta and other groceries, and a tooth brush and various toiletries for Jared.
Jared gave him a list of things to be on the lookout for in the hardware store. He picks up a few of the smaller items, and writes careful notes for the bigger one that he can't take with him, especially the TVs. It's drizzling with rain by the time he leaves, following the sand path back to the bunker and to Jared. It's a nice feeling; knowing that someone will be there when he gets back, that someone is waiting for him to return.
Unsurprisingly Jared doesn't look like he's moved; still cramped over the desk, peering through a magnifying glass at what looks like a hearing aid; tiny wires pulled loose.
He straightens when he sees Jensen and raises his arms above his head, stretching out like a lazy cat that's slept all day in the same position. What he doesn't do is move the hearing aid; purposely leaving it out for Jensen to see.
This must be what he's been protecting in his pocket since he got here.
Jared doesn't say anything, so Jensen takes his lead, and starts unpacking his findings from town; stacking neat piles of clothes and toiletries onto Jared's bed.
It's funny how it's already starting to look a little more like a home than somewhere where he keeps his stuff. But maybe that has nothing to do with jeans and toothpaste, and more to do with Jared. He always knew that he was missing something in his life; not just because of the silence, but because he had no one next to him to live through it for; nobody to care if he didn't make it back here, no one to miss him if he was gone.
This farm was Jensen's life; everyone he cared about was here. It was his future, it was his legacy. It feels like maybe now that isn't all lost; that now there's someone to share it all with.
“This is my family's farm; I've lived here my whole life.” Jensen pulls a shirt out of his bag and carefully folds it; just letting the words flow. “My grandfather was born here, and so was his father. I was close to him; maybe more than anyone else in my life. We shared a love of music, and he knew that the farm wasn't the life I wanted, that music was my passion.”
He tells Jared about his mom and how she lived for her garden and her children, and how his sister had a talent with art, and how the house is full of her paintings, how she used to drive him up the wall, but other than his grandfather, she knew him the most, and about how his grandfather cooked the best chilli in the state, and could tell the best stories he's ever heard.
He tells Jared about how much he loves music and playing his guitar, which has been passed down in the family, and how he wants nothing more than to play it again. It's still in the farmhouse, locked in a closet in Jensen's old bedroom. Even in the soundproofed bunker, it's not worth the risk.
Jensen talks and talks, way into the middle of the night and beyond. He sleeps well that night; his dreams filled with family meals at the table and squabbles about who got the last slice of pie.
Jensen's forgotten how happy this farm can make him.
A few days later and it's around 11:55pm, nearly time to light the beacon, and they're both standing on the roof, looking down at the brightly coloured Christmas lights that criss-cross the farm. Jared's just staring; taking it all in.
This is the first time he's been up here. His foot is still wrapped up, but that's due more to Jensen's over-precaution than anything else. He made it up the ladder without any help from Jensen.
Jensen glances down at his watch and reaches down to switch on the beacon. He walks back to Jared, their shoulders brushing, and they watch the beacons light up one by one, filling the sky with a light show that's still one of the best parts of Jensen's day.
There might be one less beacon for Jensen to look at now, but with the warmth of Jared by his side, it's not about being lonely any more, it about possibility. Jensen's seen this view more times than he can count, but it all feels different with Jared next to him.
He turns to Jared, and carefully signs a word that he really hopes is correct.
Home?
He points out to the pitch black of the night sky to where Saviour used to shine; his lifeline, his hope for a better future.
Jared stares into the black for a while, and then nods his head; his eyes shining wetly.
It's not a huge revelation to Jensen; he had his suspicions, but now that he knows for sure that Jared is his Saviour, it feels like another piece of him has fallen into place.
His Saviour isn't an out of reach beacon in sky any more. Saviour is right next to him.
Jared's still staring, lost in memories, and the fact that Jensen knows that expression shows just how far they've come.
Jensen silently reaches out for Jared's hand, wrapping his fingers around Jared's, and holds on tightly. Jared doesn't pull away, but squeezes Jensen's hand once: a thank you, Jensen figures, and they stand on the roof looking out at the world around them.
When then get back down to the bunker, they move around each other seamlessly; making beds and brushing teeth, slipping under sheets until they're both lying down in the dark, their gentle breaths the only sound in the room.
“I was in the house when I heard it; a crash, like something heavy fell and smashed to pieces in the garage. Then I was running, as fast I could, the world around me a total blur. It felt like I couldn't breathe, like my heart was in my throat, because I knew Cole was in trouble. I could just feel it, y'know?”
Yeah, Jensen knows that feeling. He knows it too well.
The springs on the bed squeak as Jared shifts his body weight. “Then the fireworks went off which was our emergency fail-safe; a way to distract the creatures, make them turn direction, away from the house, which is where I was.”
Jared takes a breath. “Cole could be a selfish and reckless asshole sometimes, and after our parents...,well, I was always covering for him in one way or other, and he never really seemed to acknowledge it; just assumed I'd do whatever he needed me to. And stupidly, I always did, because he was my brother; my whole family. Then he goes and does this. The one time when it really mattered, he put me first and it cost him his life. I'm... shit Jensen, I'm so goddamn angry at him for it, because what was he thinking? And then I feel like shit because how ungrateful is that? But I never wanted... I didn't want him to-”
Jared sniffs, and falls quiet. Jensen's pretty sure he can fill in the horrible and bloody blanks.
“Sometimes I get mad at my family for leaving me behind.” Jensen's whisper sounds so loud. “But it doesn't mean that I don’t care about them; that I don't miss them. They're still my family, and always will be.”
There's a beat, enough time for Jensen to remember coming back from town on a supply run to an empty house, walking the stairs into the first floor; furniture broken, the walls filled with holes from his grandfather's shotgun which was on the floor surrounded by empty shell cases. Deep claw marks gouged into the plaster, and the walls painted in red blood.
Jensen blinks; pushing the images away. “You're not alone in this world, Jared. Not any more. If you want it; there's a new home for you here, with me.”
There's a stuttered breath in the dark, but Jared doesn't say anything more and Jensen sleeps better that night; better than he ever has before.
Over the next few days Jared's quieter than usual; working at the desk, making lists and drawing plans, always distracted and deep in thought. Jensen gives him as much space as he can.
Jensen's peeling potatoes in the kitchenette, when Jared calls him over. There's a couple of TVs on the desk, each showing a different wide angle of the farm; a security system. Just like Jensen wanted; he can't help the smile from spreading across his lips as they both stare at the monitors.
“You did it! This is great, Jared!” Jensen claps the palm of his hand of Jared's shoulder; his soft hair brushing Jensen's bare arms.
Jared ducks his face, scratching the back of his head, clearly uncomfortable with the praise.
“I, er, well I wanted to run something by you; see what you think.”
“Sure.”
Jared's looking over at the desk; at the piles of engineering text books stacked high, at the sheets of paper filled with writing and drawings that Jensen can't even begin to understand. He picks up the hearing aid. “Cole was always joking around about how lucky he was, how he was untouchable, because he'd had a few close calls with creatures; they'd get close but then back away, and nothing ever happened.”
Jared's lips curl in a soft smile, filled with fondness. “He wasn't wearing the hearing aid on that day; it'd been acting up and I said I'd take a look at it. I didn't really put two and two together until the day on the steps with the creature; I had the hearing aid with me, just like I did when I walked here from my house, and there's no way that I was silent for that whole walk. I don't even remember most of it.”
“Jared, what are you trying to say?”
Jared combs his fingers through his hair, tucking it behind his ears. “The creatures have acute hearing, right? So what if there are certain frequencies that affect them? Kind of like raking fingernails down a chalkboard. Something so high-pitched it affects them physically.”
“Like it did with you on the stairs.” Jensen remembers how oddly the creature behaved that day. “It cowered away from you like it was in pain, and then ran way.”
“Exactly.” Jared's eyes are wide open, like he's just solved the world's hardest puzzle. And maybe he just has.
“I was thinking that we could add in a megaphone to the CCTV system, and then if the creatures get close we can blast them with different frequencies from the hearing aid. I mean it's gonna take time to figure it all out, and set it up; and then it's trial and error. But who knows, Jensen? If the frequency is high enough, maybe we can kill the bastards. One by one if we need too. And if we can do that, then all we have to do is work out how to spread the word, and then maybe we can get rid of them for good.”
Jared's face is a picture of hope in a world without any, and Jensen can't help but feel the blossom of excitement grow deep within him; warming his whole body. “What I can do to help?”
Maybe, just maybe, the world isn't ending after all.
It's winter; the days are shorter and it's bitterly cold, bringing the first sprinkling of snow that Jensen's seen for a long time. It makes it hard to leave the bunker, so they spend their time making plans; Jared running through all his ideas, Jensen throwing in his own suggestions as they discuss how and when to collect the equipment they need.
Even in the little space they have down in the bunker, they make it work. It doesn't surprise Jensen to learn that they make a good team. It feels like with Jared, everything is easy.
One afternoon Jensen returns from the bunker, after doing a careful search through some of equipment stored in the farm for anything that Jared could use, only to find it empty and Jared nowhere in sight.
It's not that usual for Jared to take a breather, but he's been so focused on their project recently, that he spends most of his time down here.
Jensen's pulling off his scarf and gloves when he sees it; a painting of a field of wildflowers blowing in the breeze is hung on the wall in kitchenette. Jensen told Jared about that a few days ago; his sister painted it.
There's photographs of his family on the walls; his grandparents on their wedding day, a family vacation by the beach, baby and graduation pictures; his whole family smiling down at him. The beds have throws and cushions on them, softening the room and adding some colour, and his mother's vase and a few other trinkets are on the shelf. Jensen's guitar is resting against his bed frame.
Jensen turns around and Jared's standing in the doorway, his cheeks bitten pink from the cold. He pulls off his beanie and runs his fingers through his hair.
Then he steps forward and sticks a picture on to the wall; it's of Jared looking up at a man with Jared's eyes and dimples, but with cropped and shorter hair. The man's arm is slung causally over Jared's shoulder, but tugging him into his body like he's about to rub his knuckles across Jared's head. They're both laughing.
Cole.
“So, what do think?” Jared asks, taking a step back and looking at the room. “I brought a few things over from the farmhouse, but if you don't like something, or if it's too much-”
“It's perfect.” The room looks so different, Jensen barely recognises it. “I wouldn't change a thing.”
Jensen's hand touches the aged wood of the guitar that's been in his family for years; it feels like his grandfather is right next to him, telling him that he likes this boy. “But Jared, I can't play-”
“For a rainy day, sometime in the future.”
He looks up at Jared, swallowing a lump of emotion wedged in his throat. “Does this mean... are you staying? With me? On the farm?”
Jared smiles softly, his damp eyes filled with warmth. “If you'll have me.”
“I think I can make that work.”
Jared huffs out a laugh, and Jensen joins in, nudging his shoulder into Jared, the room filled with muffled laughter as they stare at their family on the wall.
Jensen's not sure how or when it happened, but somehow his whole life has changed for the better, and it's all because of Jared. The future is still uncertain, but it's filled with more possibility and hope than Jensen could have ever imagined before he met Jared on that day by the waterfall.
Being here on his family's farm, with Jared, with his Saviour, well, it feels a lot like living; it feels like coming home.
The End
Jared's foot looks OK the next morning, and Jensen redresses it and covers it in more antiseptic, but there's no way he can walk all the way into town on it, even though he seems to think he can. Eventually they agree on a compromise; with Jensen giving Jared a silent tour of the whole farm; showing him the barns, the beacon (which they've abandoned for the last few days and Jensen vows to light it tonight), the garden, and then the trails.
Jared helps Jensen do the laundry, washing everything by hand, including Jared's clothes which are still a little blood stained, and then hanging it all out to dry on the washing line by the house. They tend to the garden, and occasionally Jared signs to him in sign language, probably out of habit, before shaking his head as an apology.
“I can teach you a few things, if you like?” Jared says later, a spoon of soup hovering in front of his mouth once they're back in the bunker, bellies grumbling. The bowl looks so tiny in Jared's large hand.
Jensen must pull a face or something because Jared adds; “Sign language, I mean. Once you get the basics, it's not so hard to pick it up and it's useful; especially right now.”
It's not like Jensen's got anything more pressing to do with his time, and Jared's right; it could be useful for when they're out of the bunker and they can't talk in hushed tones like they're doing now. “Sure. That'd be great.”
Jared smiles at him but it doesn't quite reach his eyes, looks more sad and wistful than anything else. He stands up and walks over to the kitchenette, his back to Jensen. He carefully sets his bowl down on the counter and stirs the pan of soup on the gas stove. “My brother was hearing impaired so I've been signing pretty much my whole life.”
Jensen wants to ask something about Cole, but he's not sure what to ask, and worried that he might say the wrong thing and ruin everything, because Jared is opening up to him, and Jensen's beyond grateful for it.
Then Jared takes his bowl and fills it with a second helping, and just like that the moment's gone. When Jared sits down on his bed, Jensen extends his fingers and thumb, and then places fingers on his chin and slowly brings them forward away from his face.
Thank you.
Or at least he hopes that's what he signed. It's the only thing he knows.
Jared's smile is wider this time, full of teeth and crater-deep dimples. “You're welcome. And I'm impressed.”
“Don't be. That's pretty much all I know.”
“Well, it's a good place to start.”
Jared teaches him a few words, just basic stuff, but Jared tell him he's doing well and he's more than happy to take it.
Later Jensen heads into town alone, leaving Jared at the desk with his secret project. The walk is peaceful, and while it's nice to have some time to himself, he still feels anxious about leaving Jared behind. Even though they met only a few short days ago, Jensen already feels used to having Jared around; can feel a change within himself, broken pieces aligning and clicking into place.
He picks up some supplies from stores in town; some clothes for Jared, which Jensen really hopes fit, dried rice and pasta and other groceries, and a tooth brush and various toiletries for Jared.
Jared gave him a list of things to be on the lookout for in the hardware store. He picks up a few of the smaller items, and writes careful notes for the bigger one that he can't take with him, especially the TVs. It's drizzling with rain by the time he leaves, following the sand path back to the bunker and to Jared. It's a nice feeling; knowing that someone will be there when he gets back, that someone is waiting for him to return.
Unsurprisingly Jared doesn't look like he's moved; still cramped over the desk, peering through a magnifying glass at what looks like a hearing aid; tiny wires pulled loose.
He straightens when he sees Jensen and raises his arms above his head, stretching out like a lazy cat that's slept all day in the same position. What he doesn't do is move the hearing aid; purposely leaving it out for Jensen to see.
This must be what he's been protecting in his pocket since he got here.
Jared doesn't say anything, so Jensen takes his lead, and starts unpacking his findings from town; stacking neat piles of clothes and toiletries onto Jared's bed.
It's funny how it's already starting to look a little more like a home than somewhere where he keeps his stuff. But maybe that has nothing to do with jeans and toothpaste, and more to do with Jared. He always knew that he was missing something in his life; not just because of the silence, but because he had no one next to him to live through it for; nobody to care if he didn't make it back here, no one to miss him if he was gone.
This farm was Jensen's life; everyone he cared about was here. It was his future, it was his legacy. It feels like maybe now that isn't all lost; that now there's someone to share it all with.
“This is my family's farm; I've lived here my whole life.” Jensen pulls a shirt out of his bag and carefully folds it; just letting the words flow. “My grandfather was born here, and so was his father. I was close to him; maybe more than anyone else in my life. We shared a love of music, and he knew that the farm wasn't the life I wanted, that music was my passion.”
He tells Jared about his mom and how she lived for her garden and her children, and how his sister had a talent with art, and how the house is full of her paintings, how she used to drive him up the wall, but other than his grandfather, she knew him the most, and about how his grandfather cooked the best chilli in the state, and could tell the best stories he's ever heard.
He tells Jared about how much he loves music and playing his guitar, which has been passed down in the family, and how he wants nothing more than to play it again. It's still in the farmhouse, locked in a closet in Jensen's old bedroom. Even in the soundproofed bunker, it's not worth the risk.
Jensen talks and talks, way into the middle of the night and beyond. He sleeps well that night; his dreams filled with family meals at the table and squabbles about who got the last slice of pie.
Jensen's forgotten how happy this farm can make him.
A few days later and it's around 11:55pm, nearly time to light the beacon, and they're both standing on the roof, looking down at the brightly coloured Christmas lights that criss-cross the farm. Jared's just staring; taking it all in.
This is the first time he's been up here. His foot is still wrapped up, but that's due more to Jensen's over-precaution than anything else. He made it up the ladder without any help from Jensen.
Jensen glances down at his watch and reaches down to switch on the beacon. He walks back to Jared, their shoulders brushing, and they watch the beacons light up one by one, filling the sky with a light show that's still one of the best parts of Jensen's day.
There might be one less beacon for Jensen to look at now, but with the warmth of Jared by his side, it's not about being lonely any more, it about possibility. Jensen's seen this view more times than he can count, but it all feels different with Jared next to him.
He turns to Jared, and carefully signs a word that he really hopes is correct.
Home?
He points out to the pitch black of the night sky to where Saviour used to shine; his lifeline, his hope for a better future.
Jared stares into the black for a while, and then nods his head; his eyes shining wetly.
It's not a huge revelation to Jensen; he had his suspicions, but now that he knows for sure that Jared is his Saviour, it feels like another piece of him has fallen into place.
His Saviour isn't an out of reach beacon in sky any more. Saviour is right next to him.
Jared's still staring, lost in memories, and the fact that Jensen knows that expression shows just how far they've come.
Jensen silently reaches out for Jared's hand, wrapping his fingers around Jared's, and holds on tightly. Jared doesn't pull away, but squeezes Jensen's hand once: a thank you, Jensen figures, and they stand on the roof looking out at the world around them.
When then get back down to the bunker, they move around each other seamlessly; making beds and brushing teeth, slipping under sheets until they're both lying down in the dark, their gentle breaths the only sound in the room.
“I was in the house when I heard it; a crash, like something heavy fell and smashed to pieces in the garage. Then I was running, as fast I could, the world around me a total blur. It felt like I couldn't breathe, like my heart was in my throat, because I knew Cole was in trouble. I could just feel it, y'know?”
Yeah, Jensen knows that feeling. He knows it too well.
The springs on the bed squeak as Jared shifts his body weight. “Then the fireworks went off which was our emergency fail-safe; a way to distract the creatures, make them turn direction, away from the house, which is where I was.”
Jared takes a breath. “Cole could be a selfish and reckless asshole sometimes, and after our parents...,well, I was always covering for him in one way or other, and he never really seemed to acknowledge it; just assumed I'd do whatever he needed me to. And stupidly, I always did, because he was my brother; my whole family. Then he goes and does this. The one time when it really mattered, he put me first and it cost him his life. I'm... shit Jensen, I'm so goddamn angry at him for it, because what was he thinking? And then I feel like shit because how ungrateful is that? But I never wanted... I didn't want him to-”
Jared sniffs, and falls quiet. Jensen's pretty sure he can fill in the horrible and bloody blanks.
“Sometimes I get mad at my family for leaving me behind.” Jensen's whisper sounds so loud. “But it doesn't mean that I don’t care about them; that I don't miss them. They're still my family, and always will be.”
There's a beat, enough time for Jensen to remember coming back from town on a supply run to an empty house, walking the stairs into the first floor; furniture broken, the walls filled with holes from his grandfather's shotgun which was on the floor surrounded by empty shell cases. Deep claw marks gouged into the plaster, and the walls painted in red blood.
Jensen blinks; pushing the images away. “You're not alone in this world, Jared. Not any more. If you want it; there's a new home for you here, with me.”
There's a stuttered breath in the dark, but Jared doesn't say anything more and Jensen sleeps better that night; better than he ever has before.
Over the next few days Jared's quieter than usual; working at the desk, making lists and drawing plans, always distracted and deep in thought. Jensen gives him as much space as he can.
Jensen's peeling potatoes in the kitchenette, when Jared calls him over. There's a couple of TVs on the desk, each showing a different wide angle of the farm; a security system. Just like Jensen wanted; he can't help the smile from spreading across his lips as they both stare at the monitors.
“You did it! This is great, Jared!” Jensen claps the palm of his hand of Jared's shoulder; his soft hair brushing Jensen's bare arms.
Jared ducks his face, scratching the back of his head, clearly uncomfortable with the praise.
“I, er, well I wanted to run something by you; see what you think.”
“Sure.”
Jared's looking over at the desk; at the piles of engineering text books stacked high, at the sheets of paper filled with writing and drawings that Jensen can't even begin to understand. He picks up the hearing aid. “Cole was always joking around about how lucky he was, how he was untouchable, because he'd had a few close calls with creatures; they'd get close but then back away, and nothing ever happened.”
Jared's lips curl in a soft smile, filled with fondness. “He wasn't wearing the hearing aid on that day; it'd been acting up and I said I'd take a look at it. I didn't really put two and two together until the day on the steps with the creature; I had the hearing aid with me, just like I did when I walked here from my house, and there's no way that I was silent for that whole walk. I don't even remember most of it.”
“Jared, what are you trying to say?”
Jared combs his fingers through his hair, tucking it behind his ears. “The creatures have acute hearing, right? So what if there are certain frequencies that affect them? Kind of like raking fingernails down a chalkboard. Something so high-pitched it affects them physically.”
“Like it did with you on the stairs.” Jensen remembers how oddly the creature behaved that day. “It cowered away from you like it was in pain, and then ran way.”
“Exactly.” Jared's eyes are wide open, like he's just solved the world's hardest puzzle. And maybe he just has.
“I was thinking that we could add in a megaphone to the CCTV system, and then if the creatures get close we can blast them with different frequencies from the hearing aid. I mean it's gonna take time to figure it all out, and set it up; and then it's trial and error. But who knows, Jensen? If the frequency is high enough, maybe we can kill the bastards. One by one if we need too. And if we can do that, then all we have to do is work out how to spread the word, and then maybe we can get rid of them for good.”
Jared's face is a picture of hope in a world without any, and Jensen can't help but feel the blossom of excitement grow deep within him; warming his whole body. “What I can do to help?”
Maybe, just maybe, the world isn't ending after all.
It's winter; the days are shorter and it's bitterly cold, bringing the first sprinkling of snow that Jensen's seen for a long time. It makes it hard to leave the bunker, so they spend their time making plans; Jared running through all his ideas, Jensen throwing in his own suggestions as they discuss how and when to collect the equipment they need.
Even in the little space they have down in the bunker, they make it work. It doesn't surprise Jensen to learn that they make a good team. It feels like with Jared, everything is easy.
One afternoon Jensen returns from the bunker, after doing a careful search through some of equipment stored in the farm for anything that Jared could use, only to find it empty and Jared nowhere in sight.
It's not that usual for Jared to take a breather, but he's been so focused on their project recently, that he spends most of his time down here.
Jensen's pulling off his scarf and gloves when he sees it; a painting of a field of wildflowers blowing in the breeze is hung on the wall in kitchenette. Jensen told Jared about that a few days ago; his sister painted it.
There's photographs of his family on the walls; his grandparents on their wedding day, a family vacation by the beach, baby and graduation pictures; his whole family smiling down at him. The beds have throws and cushions on them, softening the room and adding some colour, and his mother's vase and a few other trinkets are on the shelf. Jensen's guitar is resting against his bed frame.
Jensen turns around and Jared's standing in the doorway, his cheeks bitten pink from the cold. He pulls off his beanie and runs his fingers through his hair.
Then he steps forward and sticks a picture on to the wall; it's of Jared looking up at a man with Jared's eyes and dimples, but with cropped and shorter hair. The man's arm is slung causally over Jared's shoulder, but tugging him into his body like he's about to rub his knuckles across Jared's head. They're both laughing.
Cole.
“So, what do think?” Jared asks, taking a step back and looking at the room. “I brought a few things over from the farmhouse, but if you don't like something, or if it's too much-”
“It's perfect.” The room looks so different, Jensen barely recognises it. “I wouldn't change a thing.”
Jensen's hand touches the aged wood of the guitar that's been in his family for years; it feels like his grandfather is right next to him, telling him that he likes this boy. “But Jared, I can't play-”
“For a rainy day, sometime in the future.”
He looks up at Jared, swallowing a lump of emotion wedged in his throat. “Does this mean... are you staying? With me? On the farm?”
Jared smiles softly, his damp eyes filled with warmth. “If you'll have me.”
“I think I can make that work.”
Jared huffs out a laugh, and Jensen joins in, nudging his shoulder into Jared, the room filled with muffled laughter as they stare at their family on the wall.
Jensen's not sure how or when it happened, but somehow his whole life has changed for the better, and it's all because of Jared. The future is still uncertain, but it's filled with more possibility and hope than Jensen could have ever imagined before he met Jared on that day by the waterfall.
Being here on his family's farm, with Jared, with his Saviour, well, it feels a lot like living; it feels like coming home.
The End