Palace of the Brine: 1. The Sun Like a Lifeboat
**
The Sun Like a Lifeboat
It's morning in Noe Valley, San Francisco, and Jared Padalecki has the pleasure of chauffeuring the lovely Miss Evelyn Murray Padalecki, to her first day of kindergarten. And that's exactly what he says her when he opens the door to load her into the car-seat.
"Daddy, stop being weird," Eve whines.
Jared scoffs. "What, you want me to be like all those other Daddies? Carry a briefcase, watch football games, barbecue on the weekends with all the other neighborhood Dads? I don't think Jensen would like that very much, all those other Daddies competing for attention."
Eve scrunches her nose and says "No!" with a definite nod to her head.
Jared slides into the front seat, and adjusting his mirror, sees Jensen still in his hospital scrubs, watching them from the window. He got in from his shift a few minutes before Eve had to leave, just in time to hug her and tell her to be good.
"Well then, never be normal, Eve, it's overrated," Jared says.
Eve pushes the star-shaped sunglasses back up on her nose. "Okay Daddy," she says as they drive down the block and she claps when they approach Lombard street. Eve throws her arms up and cheers as Jared purposefully takes a ten-minute detour through a tourist trap just to zigzag down a hill with his daughter laughing and smiling all the way.
**
Once he's got Eve settled in to her first day of school, it's time to have his first day of classes, and that means taking them all out of the classroom to the Hearst Museum to get them started. Jared finds he can tell a lot about the kind of student he has from this little field trip, who will take the initiative with projects, and who works better alone, who can pick things up quicker than the rest, as well as what kinds of pieces will catch their eyes.
"Now if you're inspired at any point, feel free to break away from the group and start sketching in your journals," Jared tells his Design 1 class as they enter the main hall of the museum. "We'll meet at noon by the fountain at the front of the building before heading back to campus."
The students nod and mumble their assent, but Jared knows for the most part they're all going to stick to him like glue. His TA, Genevieve, shrugs her shoulders.
"Not a lot of terribly motivated freshmen here, huh?" she remarks.
Jared shrugs, "Hey, I don't mind lecturing. Gen, do you want to take a group over to any room in particular?"
Gen nods. "I'd love to take them to the tapestry rooms to look at those old European architecture on the walls. Y'know, tie it into the woodworking unit I'm doing in class?"
"Sounds good," Jared says. "Okay, everyone if you're interested in the Medieval and Renaissance rooms follow, Genevieve. If you want to see the Greek and Roman wing, come with me and we'll talk marble and etchings."
About one-third of the group goes along with Genevieve, the rest follow Jared to the Greek wing. It's lined with marble statues of gods, emperors and champions of the Hellenistic age. Jared breathes in as he starts lecturing about the massive size of the projects surrounding his students.
"Just take in all these details;" Jared says pointing out a statue of Apollo, and his students start to giggle. Jared turns to see what's so damn funny and shakes his head in mild embarrassment.
"Uh, not the details of the cracked genitalia. Which we're going to see a whole lot more of, so get it out of your systems now." Jared clears his throat as the group calms down.
Freshmen Jared muses to himself.
"As I was saying, really think about the attention to detail with these projects. Try and put yourself in the place of those artists. Think about the giant pieces of marble you would have to work with, and think about the size of what you'll end up with.
"Now look at some of these severed limbs, the hidden connectors they used, the holes they would carve in the insides of the sculptures. What does this tell us about the processes they used?"
Jared takes them down the hall, pointing out interesting busts and sculptures along the way. One of his students raises their hand timidly as he rambles on and on about acid etchings versus the careful and tedious chipping away at the raw materials.
"Yes, did you have a question?" Jared says, thankful that at least one his students is awake enough to start interacting with the lecture.
"Professor, we want to see the kind of work that you do.."
Jared laughs humbly, "I'm afraid I'm not in any museums quite yet."
"No, like that Egyptian-themed show you did in the summer." he explains. "Genevieve told us about it. How you made characters from hieroglyphics into full-sized statues."
Jared blinks, "Oh, well yes, I suppose you can look go to the Egyptian wing for some more inspiration."
The group quietly cheers as Jared leads them down the hall. They pass by the plaque at the front of the room that reads "Made possible by a generous donation from A. Dickson, R. Becket and G. Padalecki."
"Professor Paladecki, that guy almost has your name!" one of his students points out.
Jared resists the urge to correct the young lady as he does so often with his students. "Yeah, it's real close, isn't it?"
Jared leads his students into the main annex of the exhibit. "The Egyptians used etching techniques pretty early on as well. I'd like you to feel free to stop and start sketching anything that inspired you here, design-wise."
"What inspired you to do the sculptures Professor? We want to see those ones," the same student asks, and others chime in to agree.
Jared sucks his teeth. "Thank you Brock, for that compliment, but you don't really need me to talk about those. Today we're here to observe the ancient method and design elements that remain relevant to our work today."
"Like your show?" Brock asks. Jared grits his teeth.
"Not exactly, my pieces were more about simulacrum and facsimile and some very personal issues-Look, I'm not talking about my show anymore. It's not what's relevant to the class today, so please continue sketching."
The class starts to spread around the room, but Brock has a death wish or something, because he won't let up. "I just wanted to know why you used the specific relief, the one about the fertility gods building children out of mud from the Nile-why did you pick that one out of all these?"
Jared's mouth twitches. "I liked it. It was pretty. Go sketch."
"C'mon Professor, how often do we have an opportunity like this to speak with an actual working artist and have him talk about the inspiration for his work like this?"
Jared takes a deep breath and reminds himself that the university tends to frown on him smacking the freshmen in the head-even if they really deserve it.
"Okay, if you want a brief, brief discussion in the Ancient Egyptian room about my summer show? Come this way. But if you've already found a piece to work with, keep sketching."
Jared leads them into the Egyptian wing, the same hall where about five years ago he sat on a bench, facing a piece of a temple wall encased in glass. And then Jensen came and sat beside him on that bench, the only one to figure out where he'd run off too. And Jensen told him it was okay to be as freaked out as he was. It was okay that he wasn't going to be normal.
Okay, so most of that last part wasn't exactly said aloud, but Jared could read between the lines back then. The way Jensen's eyes would move to him, scan his body. The secret smiles they shared in the waiting rooms while countless body scans and MRIs were being prepped.
"Well, let's see," Jared clears his throat as he stands in front of Brock and the other few students that have joined him.
"I chose to focus on the myths associated with the creation of children from the banks of the Nile because I found it to be a fascinating story, especially after the birth of my daughter. The first piece I did depicted the fertility god, Khnum, he was a big part of my thesis project," Jared says pointing to the small statue of the Ram-headed god behind a glass case.
"Anyway, I sculpted the piece entirely from the clay compounds theorized to be used by the Ancient Egyptians for the most part. A relief of a Nile crocodile was made from papyrus and the mother and child were made from knotted hemp ropes and bronze."
Jared stops and realizes that his class has gathered around him to listen to him speak. He blinks a few times, and scratches behind his ear. "Um, so you're sketching now?"
Brock and the others start to disperse again, finding interesting pieces in the room to start drawing. Jared wanders around the room, observing them work.
"You're attempting a really difficult one here. There's so many characters in this set of hieroglyphics, I'd rather see you just do one of these guys, and draw him big-fill up the page with him. It's really important to see how drawing something small in a large scale can allow you to focus in on detail," Jared tells one of his students before wandering over to a familiar set of sculptures, where Brock is sitting.
Jared pauses and smirks to himself. You can still see the seam from where the statue of Khnum was glued back together from the little incident he had with it when he was twelve.
But Brock isn't sketching that one, rather he's working on a statuette of a woman with a frog on her head-or maybe it's a frog for a head. "So why did you choose this one?" he asks.
"Well I was really inspired by what you said so I chose Heqet, the goddess of childbirth. Do you know she's married to Khnum? She's like his helper, according to the texts, some kind of midwife."
Jared narrows his eyes on the statuette, before nodding his head and moving along to check out another one of his students' work.
His hand twitches slightly as he trails the glass case she stands behind.
**
It's been weeks, Jared realizes.
Weeks since they made the decision to try and see if there was any mojo still left in Jared, if he could get pregnant; but nothing's changed, Jared falls into bed with Jensen, wrapped up in his arms, bodies pressing tight together. Jared rides him. "Come on, come for me, one more time, fuck me, fuck me!" The litany of dirty words drone on and they're background noise, filler.
And nothing's happened yet, Jared's realized. It's been worrying him.
Chad's the first one to offer up his (unsolicited) opinion. "It's like, what? You're worried you're not special anymore? Fuck that. You're special," Chad says patting Jared on the head. Jared sticks his tongue out at him.
Chad falls down on the couch in a heap. "You're seriously trying this again, Jay?"
Jared sits next to him, head resting particularly close to Chad's shoulder. "Wasn't trying before."
"Ouch."
"Chad-" Jared feels Chad move closer and pillow the side of his face against Jared's head. It's not a particularly comfortable position, but they've always been casual like this.
"You know, Eve is great. Jensen and I are as much her parents as you and Sophia, but then you and her have the twins too. And they're yours, you know? Jensen and I want something like that too," Jared says.
Chad shakes his head. "Hey, I've got twins! You want one of them? I'll trade you for your Tivo. You can take the one that's always trying to swallow my keys. I think it's Jeremy."
"Jason's the key-eater. Jeremy's the one that covered your sneakers in Vaseline."
"You can have him too, it's a one-time offer! Act now!"
"I'm ignoring you," Jared says shushing him. "Jensen's always wanted a family, with y'know kids of his own. One that isn't split four ways. One that's y'know, his and mine. And I'm just-well it's gonna sound ridiculous, but how can it not? I keep coming up empty, feeling like there's something wrong with me."
Chad shrugs, "Maybe if you're looking to be closer to Jensen right now, you can just go ahead and get married already. Let him make an honest man out of you, sweetheart.," Chad drawls out and Jared sighs.
"We're not getting married," Jared says.
"Because you hate your parents."
"I don't want to get married, Jensen doesn't want to get married. We're fine with just staying together and he respects my issues with not wanting to get married and thereby grow up in the eyes of my parents and have to deal with them criticizing me on a whole new level," Jared breathes.
"Not that you're holding a grudge or anything," Chad says.
"I just want to have a baby with him," Jared whines.
"Well hey, maybe it just isn't in the cards for you two. Maybe it was only right," Chad pauses, looking Jared dead-on, "when it was you and me."
Jared blinks, and then bursts into laughter. Chad pouts. "Oh fuck you, last time I try to say something meaningful here, asshole." Chad sits up and shoves his hands in his pockets.
"You were being serious?" Jared asks, cocking his head.
"Yes I was being serious," Chad grumbles.
"Huh," Jared leans back on the couch. "Maybe you have a point there, actually."
Chad looks over his shoulder, and Jared snaps his fingers. "I should try doing it when me and Jensen are both as shit-faced drunk as we were that night!"
Chad's mouth tightens. "I wasn't drunk," he says softly. Jared turns to look at him, but doesn't respond because at that moment the front door opens; Sophia, Eve, and the twins come bounding into the living room, all talking at once.
Chad jumps up from the couch and takes Jeremy and Jason under each arm and spinning them around as Eve comes over to hug Jared's knees.
**
The next morning, Jensen slides across the bathroom floor, stopping to crush his mouth against the side of Jared's face as he scrutinizes himself in the mirror. Jensen kisses along his cheek, then teases the lobe of Jared's ear with the tip of his tongue,. It drives Jared nuts, but he's too distracted this morning and almost shoves Jensen off of him.
"Do I look different to you?" Jared asks before Jensen can respond with a hurt sound in the hollow of his throat.
"You look-" Jensen starts.
"I think there's something wrong with me," Jared continues, as if the question was rhetorical. "I feel like, something's gone away. Something that made me different. Shit, Jensen, I think I'm normal."
Jensen shrugs easily, saying, "Well, we'll see what happens."
"Jensen!" Jared says, eyes wide. "I'm trying to tell you that something's wrong here, I don't feel like myself."
Jensen kisses him, pulls him close for a tight hug, hand stroking the back of his neck. "Are you hungover? You get like this when you drink too much, okay? You'll feel better later."
Jared pouts, crossing his arms. "I don't want better, I want me."
Jensen walks out of the bathroom. "I don't know what you're trying to tell me here?" he says asJared follows.
"I'm trying to tell you I think it's gone, I'm trying to say the curse-whatever it was that made me the way I was, it's not there anymore. And-" Jared cuts himself off, turns his head aside.
"And, what? And you want it back?" Jensen scoffs, "Jared, what the hell? Congratulations, you're normal, you actually have a chance to not have another medically impossible and life-threatening experience. You know what? I'm gonna be okay with that."
"You said you wanted another kid!"
Jensen kisses Jared, even though he turns his mouth away, and Jensen only gets his left cheek. Jensen's says, voice softening, "Yeah, I do. And we can do it the conventional way. We can adopt, or we can use an egg donor."
Jared's eyes narrow, anger and frustration painted across his face, but it breaks and Jared collapses on the bed. "I want to do it, okay? I want to be the person I was when I had Eve. I want to feel like y'know, like I have this in me. Whatever Khnum stuck there, it was with me for ten years, and I just need it back. You can't understand what it feels like to lose a part of yourself like this, and not even realize it was missing until you wake up and it's-empty."
Jensen sits beside Jared, wrapping his arms around him, and not saying a word. He stays as long as he can before he has to leave for work.
**
The dream starts in the museum.
Jared's alone with the sarcophagi and the chunks of temple walls around him. The dull hum of the museum circulating cold air is all he can hear, not even the way his feet should smack against the marble floor, each sound should echo and ring out but the sensation is muted, the colors are too dull, too drab to be real.
The only thing Jared sees standing out among the sepia-toned room is the statuette of the goddess with the bright green frog on her head. It's charming, Jared notices the way it stands out from all the other sculptures and hieroglyphs in the room. Something so kitschy and amusingly odd peering out from within all the seriousness and the solemn looks of those who are ancient and silent, from those that move among dust and ruin.
She smiles at him.
**
The next morning is a studio day for Jared, which means he spends most of it thinking about what he wants to do for his next piece. Which unfortunately just leads him back to thinking about the dream. Jared tries to distract himself by grading some of his students' homework. But one look at the pile of sketches from the very museum he's trying to avoid and he shoves that out of the way.
Jared opens up a box of red fire clay and throws a slab down on his work table, thinking that maybe if he just works with his hands for a while, it will help take his mind off of things.
Thirty minutes in, Jared's leg won't stop twitching and he realizes he's spent a half-hour making a frog. So Jared gives up, and he's out the door with his car keys heading straight for the museum.
Jared pauses right before the entrance to the Egyptian wing, again looking at the plaque at the entrance with his father's name on it as one of the very gracious a much-beloved benefactors of the museum. Technically, it should make what he's about to do a little easier, but things with his dad have never been easy.
Jared searches the wing for about twenty minutes before he finds what he needs, or at least, something closer, something even better than the last time. It's the statuette of the Heqet, consort of Khnum; the frog is on her head and she's holding up an ankh-a symbol, of her status as the goddess of fertility and childbirth. While her husband Khnum built children out of mud and clay from the Nile, it was Heqet that breathed life into them.
And so Jared takes a deep breath, and lifts his hand, wavering slightly. He steadies it and after another deep, calming breath, he shoves the idol to the ground, hearing it crack and shatter when it hits.
Things start moving around him as if he's underwater, movements slow and heavy as the rush of adrenaline leaves him and the guards are shouting and pulling him away and alarms are singing and lights are flashing. Curators running out of their offices to stare at the damage.
He can't stop laughing, though. Even when the rent-a-cops come running after him. Everything's in slow-motion.
It's because he feels something is sparking up inside him again.
**
The detective gives him a funny sideways look. Probably the same they give to all the other crazy ones, or maybe he's just not seen a guy laughing all the way through his arrest. Maybe he is a little crazy, or maybe the adrenaline rush that his Jared when he sent the statue of Heqet toppling to the ground still hasn't worn off.
"You get one phone call," his partner says.
Jared smiles from the corner of his mouth. "Wow. Just like in the movies."
The detective pushes the phone across the small, aluminum table they've got him sitting at. Jared takes a breath, drumming his fingers against the surface, and then lets the air escape his mouth in a loud whooshing sound. The guy gives him a rather nasty eyebrow and Jared apologizes quietly under his breath.
He picks up the receiver, listening to the solid hum of the dial tone and running down the mental list of people he could call, and what their reactions would be, ranging from concerned or livid from Jensen to amused from Chad. Hell, Chad would take him out for a beer, or a cake.
But when he comes to the one person he should call, he doesn't know exactly what the reaction, or the consequences. And that's what makes him nervous.
Still, they don't have the kind of sway his father has. Really, it's the most prudent move for his family and his career, to have someone like his Dad sweep this entire incident under the rug...
Or at least that's what Jared tries to convince himself of as the line on the other end rings, and he silently prays his mother is the first one to pick up.
"Hello?" his father answers and Jared's stomach sinks.
"Hi, Dad," Jared says, rubbing his forehead as the detectives lean in closer, trying to read his body language. Jared immediately sits up straight when he notices this. Which is odd, considering well, that he is guilty, and both he and the cops and the cops behind the two-way mirror know it.
"Jared? Jared, is that you?" Jared snaps back and shakes it off when he hears his name, going back to trying to figure out the best way to explain this situation he finds himself in.
"Uh, yeah it's me, Dad. I'm, um-I'm gonna need you to uh, do me a-"
"Just say it already," Jared's father sighs on the other end, probably already pulling at his shirt cuffs with impatience at Jared's verbal fumbles.
"I need you to come down to the Bayview police station on Williams and maybe bail me out after I'm arraigned, and if it's okay can I hire your lawyer because I've been arrested, which I guess you know already since the 'arraignment' part of the conversation probably made that obvious-and I guess I could have started off with that part, and made this whole conversation a lot shorter but I guess I never expected I'd need to ever call you for something like this, I mean I'd expect Chad before I'd expect me-not that I've told Chad to call you when he gets arrested, or something but I-"
The line on the other end clicks off. Jared places the receiver back down and buries his head in his arms.
"Did you get disconnected?" one of the detectives asks.
Jared lifts his head and smiles politely. "No, no it's fine, I know what happens next."
A moment after he puts his head back down the door to the interrogation room opens, and an officer walks over to one of the detectives, grabbing his shoulder and speaking quietly in his ear. Then leaves quickly, the door still open.
The detective scratches his chin and says sheepishly. "Well, we're, done here, according to your lawyer."
"We're what?" his partner asks.
"Kids' lawyered up real tight, you don't want to mess with it, Junior," one of the detectives says.
His partner sputters. "But, what if he wants to waive that right-"
"I don't!" Jared calls as the detectives leave the room.
Jared is used to this effect his family, particularly his father, seems to have on the world. He's used to the way his father's influence and words can clear a room.
It's like dominos, as Jared thinks about it more and more. The time and effort society would put into setting up these elaborate systems to stop them from just doing as they please. And then with a small flick of a single finger, Jared's father would send them all toppling down.
But the worst part, was that he made it look too easy, and Jared would forget about the price he'd pay later for his father's help.
**
The first thing Jared's father says to him when he's released from police custody is; "I don't suppose you would tell me what, exactly you were thinking when you pulled this little stunt?"
Jared grimaces. "I don't suppose you'd believe me if I told you."
His father nods. "That is entirely possible. Moving along, the museum has agreed to drop the charges and Charlie was able to stall the arraignment just long enough to get you released without anything going on the record," Jared's father says.
"Thanks Dad, I-" Jared says, and his father cuts him off.
"Needless to say, Charlie's got a gag order drafted and waiting should the museum decide to decline the generous donation I've made to fund their renovation of the Medieval wing."
Jared nods and follows his father out of the police station, slowly descending the steps, eyes glued to the way his father's shiny leather shoes trip-trapped down next to his beat-up old sneakers.
"And now, what I would like from you is a little quid-pro-quo," his father says stopping at the bottom of the steps and putting his hands in his pockets.
"Pound of flesh?" Jared smirks. His father shoots it down with a nasty scowl. "Um, sorry," Jared says, fumbling with the corner of his mouth.
"Yes, well it's more for your mother actually. She's been talking about a real family dinner. All three of the children, wives, husbands, spouses-"
"Jensen, you mean?" Jared says, trying not to clench his teeth too hard.
"Yes, all of them, the grandchildren, everybody. Would you grace us with the pleasure of your company, or will there be another 'emergency' like the last dinner we tried to arrange?"
"Eve had the flu, Dad."
"Don't they vaccinate against that now?"
"Not all flus have a vaccine!"
"Well, I told you about those public daycare facilities. Breeding ground for some nasty-"
Jared puts his hands up in defeat. "Okay! Okay, dinner! You got it! Just give me some advance warning and we'll be there."
"Wonderful," Jared's father says as his town car pulls around. "Would you care for a ride home?"
Jared shakes his head. "My car's at the museum still."
"We can drop you there."
"Feel like walking, but thanks," Jared says.
"We'll be in touch," he says as he gets into the car and speeds away.
**
Jared gets home much later than he should, fingers hovering over the doorknob before he turns the key in the lock, slides the door open and tiptoes through the empty living-room towards the kitchen. He's always liked sneaking into rooms, and somehow Jensen must be too distracted to notice someone creeping in, and opening the kitchen door open a crack to peek inside.
"Eve use your fork," Jensen says over his shoulder. "No, Katie I haven't seen him all day. Chad dropped Eve off because Jared never came to pick her up," he says into the phone he's got precariously balanced on his shoulder, while he empties some extra pasta sauce into a Tupperware.
Eve pouts, putting her spaghetti noodles back on her plate. "How did-"
"Eyes in the back of my head, now use a fork or I'll put your napkin down." Jared covers his mouth so he doesn't laugh.
Only Eve would be threatened by the idea of her napkin being forcibly placed in her lap. She was rather fussy when it came to napkins and silverware. Eve sticks out her tongue and stabs a meatball with her knife in defiance.
"Evelyn Murray Padalecki..." Jensen's tone warns, and he raises an eyebrow. "Sorry Katie, just tell me if Jared's hiding out with you or something. I'm not mad at him, whatever the idiot did-"
"What makes you think I did something?" Jared says, leaning in the kitchen doorway easily. Jensen sighs into the phone.
"Nevermind Katie, I'll see you tomorrow," Jensen says clicking the phone off. "And where have you been?"
"Daddy!" Eve shouts up and throws her arms in the air so Jared can bend down and give her a hug and a kiss.
"Hi baby. Hi!" Jared says, nuzzling her.
"Eve, eat your dinner," Jensen says, tugging Jared's shirt from behind. "Hey, where've you been?" Jensen whispers.
Jared opens his mouth to try and think up a lie, quick, but Eve provides him with an opportune distraction as she screams, "Ow!" and grabs her mouth.
"Eve, what happened?" Jensen says.
"Evie, what's wrong?" Jared asks, leaning down to meet her level.
"It hurrrrrts!" she says, eyes swelling with tears. "I bit my mouth!"
Jared kisses her forehead and lifts her up out of her chair, and carries her to the bathroom, Eve crying and Jensen following the whole way. "I gotcha Eve," Jared says.
"Shhh, it's okay," Jensen soothes and sits Eve down on the side of the bathtub. "It's okay, let me see it, Evie."
Eve shakes her head and keeps her hands clamped over her mouth.
"Eve, c'mon let me," Jensen reaches forward and Eve screeches.
"Evie, let Jensen and me take a look at it. He knows how to make it better," Jared says, and Eve finally puts her hand down. Somehow she's bit her lip hard enough to make it bleed.
"No! I don't wanna!" Eve shouts. "He hates me! He's a mean Daddy!"
Jensen sighs. "She's going to be fine, and I'm gonna go take my contacts out," he mutters and leaves Jared.
Jared wets a washcloth, and starts dabbing the blood from her mouth. "Well, that wasn't very nice, was it?" he says.
Eve doesn't answer, just kicks her legs back and forth.
Jared leans back. "You know, 'hate' is a pretty strong word there, Evie."
"I don't care," Eve says, crossing her arms.
"You don't want to apologize for saying those things to Jensen?"
"No!" Eve says.
Jared puts his hands on his hips. "Well how about you take a time-out right now? When you're feeling better, you can come downstairs and tell Jensen you're sorry."
Eve huffs, and looks crossly at Jared, but doesn't say much else. Jared's seen her get like this sometimes, it's best to let her sulk it out.
Jensen's wearing his glasses when Jared walks back in the living room, flipping through a magazine. Jared smiles walking over to the couch to kiss him, and kiss him, and kiss him hard and deep and tongue and Jensen yanks his hair, but Jared doesn't stop, grabbing his dick through his slacks and squeezing and Jensen has to almost clothesline him to get him off to growl, "Not. Now."
Eve is looking over her shoulder at him, giggling. Jared's hands fly back into his pockets and he stands up straight.
Jensen sits back up, straightening his clothes. Jared turns to flash Eve a bright smile. "Well, look who's in a better mood? I guess you felt like saying something?" Jared asks Eve, who nods emphatically.
"I'm sorry Jensen. You're not a mean Daddy," Eve says melodically, swaying back and forth on her feet.
Jensen goes to give her a hug and she jumps up in his arms. Jensen strokes her hair and says to her, "Wanna give your Daddy a big hug and kiss goodnight and then go brush your teeth, huh? I'll come tuck you in, okay?" Eve nods and Jared leans down to her.
Eve toddles off to the bathroom, and Jensen flops back down on the couch. "Ugh, this day won't end," he mutters.
"Was Eve acting up more before I got here?"
"She's been in a mood all evening, I finally put her in the chair and she kicked me in the chin."
"Ouch," Jared says, turning Jensen's face to see the little red bruise Eve left behind. "For the record? She doesn't get that from me. I'd never hit a pretty face."
Jensen snickers and pulls himself back up off the couch. "I'm gonna go put her to bed, then you're telling me where the hell you've been. And if tonight was a gallery or a school night, you're gonna finally make me a calendar so I stop freaking out about these things."
Jared shakes his head no, but doesn't offer any more information than that.
**
That night, Jared tackles Jensen to the bed like a linebacker. Or, what Jared imagines a linebacker would tackle like. He didn't stay in Texas long enough to get a real deep understanding of football.
Jensen laughs as Jared flips him over, starting to pull his thin sweater out from where it's tucked into his jeans. He yanks it up high enough to get out of his way. Then Jared moves onto Jensen's oxford shirt, working the buttons off with his teeth .
Jensen regains his composure and works his sweater off, sitting up as Jared starts to run his tongue down the trail of hair on Jensen's stomach that ends at the waistband of his jeans. "C'mon, I'm kind of shattered right now. Can we do this in the morning?" Jensen asks as he readjusts his glasses on his face.
"No," Jared shakes his head. "Need you now," Jared says, leaning forward and kissing Jensen hard and deep. His teeth sink down hard on Jensen's lower lip and he moans into Jared's mouth.
"Need that mouth on mine," Jared says, fingers scraping down Jensen's chest, and he hisses out a breath.
"Jared," Jensen says, "Mmff, oh, okay, fine, yes!" Jensen says, almost shouting it when Jared responds by grinding his hard cock into Jensen's thigh.
"What do you want? You want me to fuck you?" Jensen asks in a coarse whisper, eyes going half-lidded as Jared reaches for the night-table light. He clicks it off, letting the room fill with the ambient light of the neighborhood, an off-white glow.
"Need, you, want you. Want you fucking me now. Deep inside me, want to hear you scream when you come. When you're inside my body and-" Jared's eyes roll back, and he stops talking as Jensen slips a slick finger into him.
Jared laughs. "You never give me a warning, do you?"
A smile spreads across Jensen's face. "Warning," he says as his fingers start to move inside Jared, opening him up.
Jared leans back, forcing himself down farther onto Jensen's fingers. "More, I can-I need more now, I need all of you."
"Not yet, gonna drive you crazy." Jensen says, reaching to take his glasses off, but Jared's hand on his wrist stops him.
"No, I-" Jared starts fumbling with Jensen's fly, pulling down his jeans and his briefs, releasing Jensen's hard cock. "You know I like it when you keep those on," Jared says with a smile. "Not these, but, y'know. You look so sexy."
Jensen bites his lip, "Yeah, it's real sexy when I wake up with the little red imprints on my face.
"So fucking sexy," Jared says, curling his fingers around Jensen's cock.
Jensen shakes his head, but keeps them on, and Jared's straddling his hips again, now that he's naked save for his glasses. Jensen shifts his hips around, working Jared open as he balances just right on his hips.
Jared wraps his arms around Jensen's neck, and his legs are splayed around Jensen's waist as Jensen's cock pushes inside Jared. Jensen keeps one hand steady on the small of Jared's back, and the other holding his flank tightly.
"Love you, love you so much, Jared," Jensen's thoughts spilling out in moans and he's rolling his head back. Jared's body is hot, white-hot all around him. Sweat-soaked as he works his body up and down Jensen's cock, riding him.
Jensen kisses Jared's chest, right between his pecs, nibbling at the skin there, licking the sweat and Jared moans, arms tighter around Jensen's shoulders, then holding his head steady close to the beat of his heart.
"Come in me, fucking come in me Jensen, I need it. I want it."
"Jared..." Jensen's eyes squeeze shut tight. Jared moves his face up, eyes open to face him, lust-drunk expression on Jared's face.
"Fucking love you-" Jared cuts off as Jensen comes inside him.
Jensen pants and Jared holds him, rocks through the orgasm. His own following a few short moments later, splash of come against Jensen's stomach, running up his chest and Jared bites down on his shoulder, right where he knows Jensen likes it.
**
Jared lifts his legs up, bracing them against the headboard, facing the opposite direction on the bed and stares up at the ceiling. He hums to himself and drums his fingers against his stomach, silently counting the seconds to five minutes. He doesn't see Jensen crack an eye open at his side and give him an odd look.
"What are you doing?" Jensen asks him, sleepily.
Jared bites his lip. "Um. Post-coital yoga?"
Jensen rolls his eyes and turns over onto the other side, giving Jared a view of his backside as the bed sheet slips lower. "Whatever. Do yoga. Don't try and spoon me or anything fun like that."
Jared makes a face. "I'm almost done!"
Jensen fakes a loud snoring sound and Jared drops his legs to the mattress and gets Jensen in a bear hug from behind. Jared pulls Jensen back to lay flat against him and he kisses up Jensen's neck until he hears a contented sigh.
Jared nips the skin of Jensen's shoulder and feels Jensen's body going looser and looser as he relaxes and starts to slip from consciousness.
**
The museum is empty this time, illuminated by floodlights on the floor and Jared stands in the middle of it, the statue in his hands, cold to the touch.
He lets it fall and it shatters into pieces. And then the statue knits itself back together, jumping up back into his hands like a movie played in reverse.
A frog lands on his head and makes a very impudent croaking sound, and Jared wakes up.
**
"C'mon," Jared says, leaning down and biting Jensen's neck. Jensen growls back, as Jared sits up, runs a hand through sweat-soaked hair. Jensen's fingers press into the slots of his hipbones, pulling at the tight-taut skin.
Jared hisses when Jensen grabs him tighter, short nails pressing into the skin. "Harder, I know you can go harder," Jared taunts and Jensen bucks up, deeper into him.
Jared's the one in control; Jensen's just laying back and taking it from him. Beautiful, strong body beneath him, breathing and moving as Jared rides his cock.
"Fuck!" Jared's eyes roll back and he shoves away Jensen's hand from his own hard cock, leaking precome onto Jensen's stomach. "That's not fair."
"You're a fucking tease," Jensen rasps out.
"You're fucking," Jared laughs, words jumbling together. "You just worry about fucking me, worry about keeping up with me, Jensen."
"Not making any sense," Jensen says, curling his lip as Jared pushes himself down hard, Jensen going deeper into him.
It's enough, finally enough and Jensen comes, Jared keeps grinding on him until Jensen's spent. Jared presses down on Jensen's chest with both hands now, body lithe and moving down like a cat to him.
Jared’s tongue licking into Jensen's mouth, and Jensen can finally reach around to wrap Jared in his arms, weave his fingers into Jared's wet hair. "Not getting 'way from me," Jensen mumbles into Jared's kiss.
**
"Bye." Jared kisses him.
"Bye." Again.
"Bye." And again.
"Bye!" Jensen laughs as Jared leans in again for another kiss. "Jared, I'm going to be late! Let go of me."
"But you're swooning, if I let you go, you'll fall." Jared points out.
"I am not swooning."
"Then why aren't your feet touching the ground?" Jared asks. Jensen looks down and realizes he is definitely swooning, his arms wrapped around Jared's shoulders. Jared squeezes him closer, reassuring Jensen that he's not going to let him fall.
"Huh, okay I should get down then, right?"
Jared kisses him. "When you're ready."
Jensen kisses him back. "Bye."
"Bye." Jared kisses him again.
Jensen laughs. "What are they putting in the water at that school, Jared? C'mon, I'm gonna-"
"Just been feeling," Jared pauses to run his fingers under Jensen's collar, "expressive lately. I don't know what it is." Jared presses his mouth tight together. Been feeling like I might have started the curse all over again. Don't wanna waste it, Jared thinks.
"Not that I'm complaining, but I really, really go to work." Jensen says, turning his head and mussing the back of Jared's hair, locking his fingers there. "Thinking long and hard, about going to work and all." Jensen leans in and scrapes Jared's earlobe with his teeth.
Jared shivers and says, "Yeah, you're just as bad as me, huh?" Jared lets Jensen drop down from his arms, as Jensen grabs him and tugs him back into the bedroom.
**
The Frog And Lotus