Endless Summer Nights
The countryside slipped by in a blur, the young man seated by the window, his head resting on the pane, stared unseeingly as it flew by. The middle aged man seated next to the silent young man was curious; the kid had been sitting in the same position for the last two hours, ever since he had sat beside him on the coach anyways. There was no telling how long he had been like that before then.
Characters: Jared/Jensen
Wordcount:2,825
Authors note: Written for the
rockin_the_80s challenge, I went over the 1,000 word limit, I got carried away.
The countryside slipped by in a blur, the young man seated by the window, his head resting on the pane, stared unseeingly as it flew by. The middle aged man seated next to the silent young man was curious; the kid had been sitting in the same position for the last two hours, ever since he had sat beside him on the coach anyways. There was no telling how long he had been like that before then.
He was a good looking kid, tall by the looks of him, and broad, and he had a look on his face that was hard to define, he was torn between deciding if the kid looked broken or scared. But it was his eyes, Bill could see the kids eyes reflected in the glass and they had such a look of utter bleakness and desperation that his heart went out to him. Reaching into the small leather bag he carried, he pulled out a bag of candy and opening it popped one in his mouth before holding the bag out the kid next to him.
He shook the bag, his mouth full of the sugary sweet candy and smiled as the kid turned his head with a look of faint surprise. He glanced at the bag before lifting his face to gaze at the man holding it, as if determining how to proceed, Bill swallowed the candy in his mouth and spoke;
“It’s ok kid, I’m not trying to pick you up or nothin’, you just look like a kid that likes some sugar is all and I’m offering, ‘sides, your head is gonna be glued to that window permanently if you keep staring out there. Names Bill, what’s yours kid? Or will I call you kid?”
The kid looked in the mans eyes before glancing at the bag again, and giving a small smile that hinted at dimples, he reached out and took a piece of candy and popped it in his mouth;
“Thank you. Jared. My name is Jared, nice to meet you Bill.”
Bill took the hand that Jared offered and shook it, feeling a good strong grip in the hand that shook his. You could always tell a lot by a man’s handshake he always reckoned, and he did like the look of this kid. Jared smiled a small smile again and turned once more toward the window, but oh no, Bill wasn’t having any of that, this kid had a story to tell, and he wouldn’t be who he was if he let that slide, and they had a ways to go before they reached L.A.
“So, you heading to L.A. Jared?”
Jared turned again and nodded and Bill continued;
“You looking to find your fortune Jared? A budding actor?”
Jared lowered his head, his dark brown bangs falling forward to hide the expression on his face, not before Bill had spotted the same indefinable look he had been trying to figure out.
“That all depends Bill.”
“Depends on what? Look you can tell me to mind my own business if you want, you just look like you could use an ear you know? We got time, I got candy and you got a story to tell, so why not just bend my ear for a bit?”
Jared regarded Bill silently for a moment before nodding slightly and saying in a soft Texan voice’
“Ok so how about we get one thing out of the way first Bill, I’m gay, my story, it involves another gay man, you still wanna hear about it? Or kick my ass?”
In answer, Bill held out the bag of candy again,
“So, you have a story for me?”
Jared popped another candy into his mouth and smiled a little wider this time, but then he grew serious as his mind drifted back to a summer filled with fun and laughter and Jensen.
“I fucked up Bill.” He said as he started “I went into this past summer thinking I had it all, and I discovered I didn’t have anything, not really, and I ended up throwing away everything I could have had.”
Bill watched Jared as his eyes filled and he angrily wiped at the tears he refused to allow himself to shed and Jared forgot he was talking to a complete stranger as he turned in his seat, and Bill listened as Jared told a story of endless summer nights.
Jared explained that he had been about to start his final year of Law School, it had been a tough year before that, but worth it when Jared emerged top of his class and was looking forward to finishing up the next year. Some friends of his got together and decided they needed a good break, and coming from the wealthy families they did, no expense was spared, and they headed off to a private beach for the summer.
It was there he had first set eyes on Jensen. The second morning he had gone for a run, the sun was barely risen in the sky and it was a gorgeous morning as he had run along the mile long beach. He had just gotten to the other end of the beach and he was hot and sweaty and he decided that a quick dip in the waves before he headed back to the house he shared with Chad and Mike and Tom would be just the trick. He turned toward the waves and stopped dead at the sight before him.
A man had emerged from the waves and Jared swore it was like something out of his fantasies, as the man walked in his direction completely oblivious to the person standing slack jawed staring at him. The man ran his hands through his short hair trying to get the most of the water from it, leaving it standing up on his head, he was tall, Jared figured about six one or two and his body was well proportioned, with muscles in all the right places and as his gaze wandered down the mans fabulous torso, he saw black swim trunks that clung to him in a fashion that made Jared’s mouth water.
He found he could not tear his eyes away from the man even as he drew closer and stopped in his tracks and stared right back at Jared who stood totally oblivious to the picture he presented in a t shirt that clung to his body with the heat and sweat from his run, his hair stuck to his face and he irritably ran his hand through it to get it out of his eyes.
The man moved first, walking to a towel that lay not far from where Jared stood and leisurely wiping himself off before draping the towel about his shoulders. He walked to Jared and stopped dead and Jared saw the most beautiful face he had ever seen. Large green eyes flashed from a classically beautiful face and a mouth just made for sin and Jared swallowed nervously, his shy nature kicking in. The man smiled and Jared was lost,
“Hey, hope you don’t mind me using your beach, nobody really bothers me up here and I love a swim in the mornings?”
Jared found himself nodding shyly and cleared his throat and prayed he would get his voice to co operate;
“No problem, I uh I was just out for a run, ummm sorry if I disturbed you.”
Another smile was followed by the man sticking his hand out;
“The name’s Jensen, You one of the guys that have taken up residence in the Murray house?”
Jared reached out and grasped Jensen’s hand feeling a spike of attraction running up his arm and knowing from the look of shock on Jensen’s face he felt it too. He stared into green eyes, not even realising that neither man had moved to pull their hands back.
“Jared, and yeah, Chad’s a friend of mine, we uh, we are here for the summer actually, a break from college before we start the final year.” He stopped abruptly when he realised he was babbling, a habit he tended to fall into when he got nervous, and smiled shyly at Jensen who still held his hand in his. He tilted his head in curiosity when he heard Jensen gasp at the smile and tentatively pulled his hand out of the firm grasp in which it was held.
“So, here for the summer huh? Might see more of each other then, Jared.”
“Yeah, you from around here Jensen?”
Jensen grinned as Jared visibly began to relax and began to walk in the general direction of the house he knew Jared would be in, even though it was no where near the direction he needed to head in, but Jared didn’t need to know that. They walked and talked, and by the time they reached the steps leading up to the impressive Murray beach house, Jared was stunned they had spent the last mile talking like they knew each other all their lives.
Bill watched as Jared’s face lit up as he talked about this Jensen, about his smile, his laughter his dry sense of humour, he listened as Jared talked about the six weeks he had spent with Jensen and how they had been the best weeks of his life.
Jensen taught him so much he said. He brought him out of himself and learned that working his ass off was not all that life entailed. Jensen had lived in this small beach town for many years, but was planning a move to L.A. in the fall. He wanted to act and he was finally going to make that step and follow his dream. Jared told him all about his family, how driven they all were and he had confessed that he too had always wanted to act, but had instead followed the rest of his family and gone into law, they also had no idea he was gay, and he was terrified they would find out, the end result would not be good he had said.
Bill’s heart broke for the kid Jared had been, he could see on his face that he had been forced to make many choices in the last while and he could only guess at the heartbreak he knew had followed Jared.
Jared recalled mostly the long endless summer nights spent with Jensen in that little corner of the beach where they had met. The love they had made, and the light in Jensen’s eyes as he had looked at Jared, his whole heart reflected there. They had declared their love for one another, but Jared had known it had to end. Jared would go back to college, finish his year and join his fathers law firm, and Jensen would head to L.A. What he hadn’t been prepared for was Jensen’s outburst the night before Jared had been due to leave.
They had made love on the sand, it had been hard and passionate, Jared wanting to leave with Jensen still imprinted on his body just as he would always be in his heart and soul. Jensen had raised himself up on one elbow and gazing at the man beneath him had begged him to come with him. He had told him how much he loved him, said he couldn’t let him go. Jared had been stunned as he had listened to Jensen plead with him. He knew Jensen was right, knew that the life that was planned for him was not the one he wanted to live, but he had been so scared, and he had refused.
They hadn’t ended things on a bad note. Jensen had held him and hugged him close the next morning, told him he loved him, said he always would, and with tears on his face he had kissed Jared good bye and walked away, taking Jared’s heart with him.
Bill listened, a lump in his throat as Jared went on to tell him how he had gone back to college but his heart had no longer been in it, he had stopped eating, he couldn’t sleep, missing the man he had grown so used to holding at night. It had all come to a head at Christmas when he had gone home for the holidays and his Mom had commented on how thin and drawn he looked.
He had snapped and told them at the dinner table he was gay and he was in love with another man and he couldn’t do this anymore. Chaos had erupted as his Dad and promptly gone on the attack, swearing no son of his was going to be gay, and certainly he wanted no son of his on the payroll if he insisted on going public with this, he had to decide he was told, he had to decide to bury his true orientation and marry a nice girl and someday take over the firm just like they had always planned.
Jared had left that night, he had called Chad and gotten the keys to the beach house and headed straight down in search of Jensen praying he wasn’t too late, praying that Jensen would have left his address with someone in that town but it had been of no use. He had tracked down his friend Steve who had remained tight lipped about Jensen’s whereabouts, saying Jared had broken his heart and it had taken Jensen months to recover and move on and he was damned if he was letting Jared anywhere near him again. Jared had told Steve through his tears how he loved Jensen and with or without him he was heading out after Jensen no matter how long it took him to find him. He had given Steve the time of the coach he was travelling in, said it was up to him now, he could tell Jensen when he would be in L.A., let it to Jensen to decide if he was ready to forgive Jared and meet him there.
Jared fell silent then, looked at Bill with that same look in his eyes, but this time Bill knew it to be hope, a desperate hope that the man he loved would be there when he arrived and terror that it was too late and Jensen would have moved on. He could see that Jared was clinging to hope with everything he had left of himself, and he couldn’t help but pray along with Jared that things would work out.
The coach pulling to a halt surprised both men and he watched Jared pale as he realised the moment of truth was upon him. His eyes darted to Bill’s and he took a visible deep breath to calm himself. He rose to his feet when the coach was almost empty and Bill rose to let him pass and shook his hand,
“Don’t worry kid, I got a good feeling about this, if the man is as clever as you say he is, he won’t let someone like you go a second time, he will be out there. Want me to walk a ways with you?”
Jared nodded gratefully as if not trusting his voice and both men gathered bags and left the coach. The station was busy and crowds milled around, moving here and there and Jared’s height gave him the advantage and he looked around with ease, his face dropping as he saw no sight of the green eyed man Bill had heard so much about. But as luck would have it, Bill saw him first.
It wasn’t the way Jared had described that made him recognise the other man, it was the way he was staring at Jared as Jared moved his head here and there trying desperately to spot Jensen. He took a few steps back, Jared too anxious to notice and he watched as Jensen cautiously approached Jared, his heart evident in the look on his face and the tears in his eyes and Jared turned finally and stopped dead, his breath hitching as Jensen moved to him.
Bill finally gave in to a tear or two,(he would later swear it was the L.A. heat), as he watched Jensen raise his hand to cup Jared’s cheek, he saw tears flow freely down Jared’s face as he said he was sorry over and over and over again, He saw Jensen tenderly place his fingers over Jared’s mouth to shush him and he moved in and reaching up, kissed him tenderly and just held on as Jared pulled him to him and hugged like he was never going to let go.
Bill sighed and walked away, the next coach left in an hour, time enough to call Sherri Padalecki, and let her know her son was alright and had gotten there safely, and was now safe in the arms of the man he loved.
His job was done.
Characters: Jared/Jensen
Wordcount:2,825
Authors note: Written for the
rockin_the_80s challenge, I went over the 1,000 word limit, I got carried away.
The countryside slipped by in a blur, the young man seated by the window, his head resting on the pane, stared unseeingly as it flew by. The middle aged man seated next to the silent young man was curious; the kid had been sitting in the same position for the last two hours, ever since he had sat beside him on the coach anyways. There was no telling how long he had been like that before then.
He was a good looking kid, tall by the looks of him, and broad, and he had a look on his face that was hard to define, he was torn between deciding if the kid looked broken or scared. But it was his eyes, Bill could see the kids eyes reflected in the glass and they had such a look of utter bleakness and desperation that his heart went out to him. Reaching into the small leather bag he carried, he pulled out a bag of candy and opening it popped one in his mouth before holding the bag out the kid next to him.
He shook the bag, his mouth full of the sugary sweet candy and smiled as the kid turned his head with a look of faint surprise. He glanced at the bag before lifting his face to gaze at the man holding it, as if determining how to proceed, Bill swallowed the candy in his mouth and spoke;
“It’s ok kid, I’m not trying to pick you up or nothin’, you just look like a kid that likes some sugar is all and I’m offering, ‘sides, your head is gonna be glued to that window permanently if you keep staring out there. Names Bill, what’s yours kid? Or will I call you kid?”
The kid looked in the mans eyes before glancing at the bag again, and giving a small smile that hinted at dimples, he reached out and took a piece of candy and popped it in his mouth;
“Thank you. Jared. My name is Jared, nice to meet you Bill.”
Bill took the hand that Jared offered and shook it, feeling a good strong grip in the hand that shook his. You could always tell a lot by a man’s handshake he always reckoned, and he did like the look of this kid. Jared smiled a small smile again and turned once more toward the window, but oh no, Bill wasn’t having any of that, this kid had a story to tell, and he wouldn’t be who he was if he let that slide, and they had a ways to go before they reached L.A.
“So, you heading to L.A. Jared?”
Jared turned again and nodded and Bill continued;
“You looking to find your fortune Jared? A budding actor?”
Jared lowered his head, his dark brown bangs falling forward to hide the expression on his face, not before Bill had spotted the same indefinable look he had been trying to figure out.
“That all depends Bill.”
“Depends on what? Look you can tell me to mind my own business if you want, you just look like you could use an ear you know? We got time, I got candy and you got a story to tell, so why not just bend my ear for a bit?”
Jared regarded Bill silently for a moment before nodding slightly and saying in a soft Texan voice’
“Ok so how about we get one thing out of the way first Bill, I’m gay, my story, it involves another gay man, you still wanna hear about it? Or kick my ass?”
In answer, Bill held out the bag of candy again,
“So, you have a story for me?”
Jared popped another candy into his mouth and smiled a little wider this time, but then he grew serious as his mind drifted back to a summer filled with fun and laughter and Jensen.
“I fucked up Bill.” He said as he started “I went into this past summer thinking I had it all, and I discovered I didn’t have anything, not really, and I ended up throwing away everything I could have had.”
Bill watched Jared as his eyes filled and he angrily wiped at the tears he refused to allow himself to shed and Jared forgot he was talking to a complete stranger as he turned in his seat, and Bill listened as Jared told a story of endless summer nights.
Jared explained that he had been about to start his final year of Law School, it had been a tough year before that, but worth it when Jared emerged top of his class and was looking forward to finishing up the next year. Some friends of his got together and decided they needed a good break, and coming from the wealthy families they did, no expense was spared, and they headed off to a private beach for the summer.
It was there he had first set eyes on Jensen. The second morning he had gone for a run, the sun was barely risen in the sky and it was a gorgeous morning as he had run along the mile long beach. He had just gotten to the other end of the beach and he was hot and sweaty and he decided that a quick dip in the waves before he headed back to the house he shared with Chad and Mike and Tom would be just the trick. He turned toward the waves and stopped dead at the sight before him.
A man had emerged from the waves and Jared swore it was like something out of his fantasies, as the man walked in his direction completely oblivious to the person standing slack jawed staring at him. The man ran his hands through his short hair trying to get the most of the water from it, leaving it standing up on his head, he was tall, Jared figured about six one or two and his body was well proportioned, with muscles in all the right places and as his gaze wandered down the mans fabulous torso, he saw black swim trunks that clung to him in a fashion that made Jared’s mouth water.
He found he could not tear his eyes away from the man even as he drew closer and stopped in his tracks and stared right back at Jared who stood totally oblivious to the picture he presented in a t shirt that clung to his body with the heat and sweat from his run, his hair stuck to his face and he irritably ran his hand through it to get it out of his eyes.
The man moved first, walking to a towel that lay not far from where Jared stood and leisurely wiping himself off before draping the towel about his shoulders. He walked to Jared and stopped dead and Jared saw the most beautiful face he had ever seen. Large green eyes flashed from a classically beautiful face and a mouth just made for sin and Jared swallowed nervously, his shy nature kicking in. The man smiled and Jared was lost,
“Hey, hope you don’t mind me using your beach, nobody really bothers me up here and I love a swim in the mornings?”
Jared found himself nodding shyly and cleared his throat and prayed he would get his voice to co operate;
“No problem, I uh I was just out for a run, ummm sorry if I disturbed you.”
Another smile was followed by the man sticking his hand out;
“The name’s Jensen, You one of the guys that have taken up residence in the Murray house?”
Jared reached out and grasped Jensen’s hand feeling a spike of attraction running up his arm and knowing from the look of shock on Jensen’s face he felt it too. He stared into green eyes, not even realising that neither man had moved to pull their hands back.
“Jared, and yeah, Chad’s a friend of mine, we uh, we are here for the summer actually, a break from college before we start the final year.” He stopped abruptly when he realised he was babbling, a habit he tended to fall into when he got nervous, and smiled shyly at Jensen who still held his hand in his. He tilted his head in curiosity when he heard Jensen gasp at the smile and tentatively pulled his hand out of the firm grasp in which it was held.
“So, here for the summer huh? Might see more of each other then, Jared.”
“Yeah, you from around here Jensen?”
Jensen grinned as Jared visibly began to relax and began to walk in the general direction of the house he knew Jared would be in, even though it was no where near the direction he needed to head in, but Jared didn’t need to know that. They walked and talked, and by the time they reached the steps leading up to the impressive Murray beach house, Jared was stunned they had spent the last mile talking like they knew each other all their lives.
Bill watched as Jared’s face lit up as he talked about this Jensen, about his smile, his laughter his dry sense of humour, he listened as Jared talked about the six weeks he had spent with Jensen and how they had been the best weeks of his life.
Jensen taught him so much he said. He brought him out of himself and learned that working his ass off was not all that life entailed. Jensen had lived in this small beach town for many years, but was planning a move to L.A. in the fall. He wanted to act and he was finally going to make that step and follow his dream. Jared told him all about his family, how driven they all were and he had confessed that he too had always wanted to act, but had instead followed the rest of his family and gone into law, they also had no idea he was gay, and he was terrified they would find out, the end result would not be good he had said.
Bill’s heart broke for the kid Jared had been, he could see on his face that he had been forced to make many choices in the last while and he could only guess at the heartbreak he knew had followed Jared.
Jared recalled mostly the long endless summer nights spent with Jensen in that little corner of the beach where they had met. The love they had made, and the light in Jensen’s eyes as he had looked at Jared, his whole heart reflected there. They had declared their love for one another, but Jared had known it had to end. Jared would go back to college, finish his year and join his fathers law firm, and Jensen would head to L.A. What he hadn’t been prepared for was Jensen’s outburst the night before Jared had been due to leave.
They had made love on the sand, it had been hard and passionate, Jared wanting to leave with Jensen still imprinted on his body just as he would always be in his heart and soul. Jensen had raised himself up on one elbow and gazing at the man beneath him had begged him to come with him. He had told him how much he loved him, said he couldn’t let him go. Jared had been stunned as he had listened to Jensen plead with him. He knew Jensen was right, knew that the life that was planned for him was not the one he wanted to live, but he had been so scared, and he had refused.
They hadn’t ended things on a bad note. Jensen had held him and hugged him close the next morning, told him he loved him, said he always would, and with tears on his face he had kissed Jared good bye and walked away, taking Jared’s heart with him.
Bill listened, a lump in his throat as Jared went on to tell him how he had gone back to college but his heart had no longer been in it, he had stopped eating, he couldn’t sleep, missing the man he had grown so used to holding at night. It had all come to a head at Christmas when he had gone home for the holidays and his Mom had commented on how thin and drawn he looked.
He had snapped and told them at the dinner table he was gay and he was in love with another man and he couldn’t do this anymore. Chaos had erupted as his Dad and promptly gone on the attack, swearing no son of his was going to be gay, and certainly he wanted no son of his on the payroll if he insisted on going public with this, he had to decide he was told, he had to decide to bury his true orientation and marry a nice girl and someday take over the firm just like they had always planned.
Jared had left that night, he had called Chad and gotten the keys to the beach house and headed straight down in search of Jensen praying he wasn’t too late, praying that Jensen would have left his address with someone in that town but it had been of no use. He had tracked down his friend Steve who had remained tight lipped about Jensen’s whereabouts, saying Jared had broken his heart and it had taken Jensen months to recover and move on and he was damned if he was letting Jared anywhere near him again. Jared had told Steve through his tears how he loved Jensen and with or without him he was heading out after Jensen no matter how long it took him to find him. He had given Steve the time of the coach he was travelling in, said it was up to him now, he could tell Jensen when he would be in L.A., let it to Jensen to decide if he was ready to forgive Jared and meet him there.
Jared fell silent then, looked at Bill with that same look in his eyes, but this time Bill knew it to be hope, a desperate hope that the man he loved would be there when he arrived and terror that it was too late and Jensen would have moved on. He could see that Jared was clinging to hope with everything he had left of himself, and he couldn’t help but pray along with Jared that things would work out.
The coach pulling to a halt surprised both men and he watched Jared pale as he realised the moment of truth was upon him. His eyes darted to Bill’s and he took a visible deep breath to calm himself. He rose to his feet when the coach was almost empty and Bill rose to let him pass and shook his hand,
“Don’t worry kid, I got a good feeling about this, if the man is as clever as you say he is, he won’t let someone like you go a second time, he will be out there. Want me to walk a ways with you?”
Jared nodded gratefully as if not trusting his voice and both men gathered bags and left the coach. The station was busy and crowds milled around, moving here and there and Jared’s height gave him the advantage and he looked around with ease, his face dropping as he saw no sight of the green eyed man Bill had heard so much about. But as luck would have it, Bill saw him first.
It wasn’t the way Jared had described that made him recognise the other man, it was the way he was staring at Jared as Jared moved his head here and there trying desperately to spot Jensen. He took a few steps back, Jared too anxious to notice and he watched as Jensen cautiously approached Jared, his heart evident in the look on his face and the tears in his eyes and Jared turned finally and stopped dead, his breath hitching as Jensen moved to him.
Bill finally gave in to a tear or two,(he would later swear it was the L.A. heat), as he watched Jensen raise his hand to cup Jared’s cheek, he saw tears flow freely down Jared’s face as he said he was sorry over and over and over again, He saw Jensen tenderly place his fingers over Jared’s mouth to shush him and he moved in and reaching up, kissed him tenderly and just held on as Jared pulled him to him and hugged like he was never going to let go.
Bill sighed and walked away, the next coach left in an hour, time enough to call Sherri Padalecki, and let her know her son was alright and had gotten there safely, and was now safe in the arms of the man he loved.
His job was done.