Fireflies (1/2)
Part one
Art | Masterpost | Part two
Jared wills his hand to be steady as he traces a delicate pattern across the side of the cake. He's been at this for the last thirty minutes, piping an intricate weave of rosebuds in a trio of peaches and his hand's beginning to cramp. Shaking his hair from his eyes, he can't remember when he took out the tie that was holding it back, he takes a deep breath and tries to refocus.
He has a habit of spacing out when he's doing this kind of task, and it never seems to end well. The last time, yes it's happened more times than he can count, he'd been icing a cake for Eddie Monroe's tenth birthday. When he'd finished he'd expected to look down and see every-one's friendly neighbourhood spider-man, but what he'd actually iced was a series of red and blue love hearts and suffice to say that would definitely not have gone down well with Eddie Monroe, or Mrs Monroe for that matter. In the end he'd had to break his own rules and use a little magic to morph love hearts into the superhero Eddie would be expecting. He'd felt like a cheat every time he'd baked for the rest of that month.
Jared shakes off the memory, focus, he tells himself, unless he wants to have to break his own rules again. You see there's a rumour around town that Jared comes from a family of witches, only it's not so much of a rumour and more like the truth.
Jared can't remember a time without magic, it's all he's ever known, it's in his blood. A fact his mother is all too eager to remind him at every available opportunity. But at twenty Jared had decided he wanted his life to be more than reading palms or brewing remedies, and it hadn't been a difficult decision to leave his home and his heritage behind.
He'd travelled across America for two years, stopping off at town after town, trying his hand at whatever jobs were available. He'd found after the first year, that he had a natural ability for cooking, baking if he was being more specific and he'd begun to think about the future, and what he actually might like to spend his time doing. He hadn't been certain that that was the path for him until he'd been passing through another town and the little bakery up for sale had caught his eye and suddenly he'd known, as easy as that, he'd been 100% certain that this was the more from life that he'd been looking for.
After a nail biting offer and even more anxious wait to see if it would be accepted the bakery had been his and from then it had all been as simple as baking.
Rules had been set though. When he baked it was all his own skill, no magic, he wanted to be sure that he was good enough to succeed from his skill not his magic. Sure, he adds a little something to everything he bakes, like this cake for instance, a wish fulfilment blended into the mix, which grants the lucky eater a fulfilled wish, within reason, he's not a miracle worker, but that kind of subtle magic never adds to the appearance or the flavour, it's just a lovely after thought, a thank you Jared likes to leave his customers with.
He thinks Danneel will like it, hopes she will. Studying the cake he chuckles to himself, of course she's going to love it. She always loves his baking, on more than one occasion she's blamed Jared for the 10 miles she runs every week to work off his cooking. Tilting his head, as he circles the cake looking for any spots he's missed he thinks she might have to run 11 miles this week, the triple chocolate fudge cake laced with orange is pure decadence and he can already imagine how heavenly it's going to taste.
The tell-tale jingle of a bell signals Jared has a visitor and he sighs in frustration. Two hours, he'd told Gen, at least he thinks he did, no, he's pretty sure he did. He should have realised that in Gen's world that that means one hour and then another hour of her hovering and asking when he's gonna be done, good job he's only got a couple of edges to patch up.
“Two hours means two hours, not one, Gen.” Jared wipes his hands across his apron as he moves around the back room ready to face Genevieve. “So get...”
His voice falters as he rounds the corner into the shop and finds a tall, built man, who is apparently neither petite, brunette or in any way female. Definitely not Genevieve. The hesitation only lasts a minute before Jared walks further into the shop a smile breaking out across his face as the stranger in front of him just stares back, confusion with the situation clearly evident.
“Sorry, thought you were Gen.” Jared tries to explain, the humour of it all isn’t lost on him and he can feel himself smiling like an idiot, thinks he's pretty lucky the guy hasn't just turned around and left already.
“I am.” The stranger replies, the corner of his mouth lifting in a slight smirk whilst he holds his arm outstretched across the counter, offering a hand. “Jensen.” He clarifies as Jared reaches out to grasp Jensen’s invitation.
“Jared.” He answers, smile bright and wide before his eyes slide unconsciously over to the door. “I forgot to flip the sign again right?”
Jensen’s face falls. “Oh, you’re closed?” Jensen gestures back towards the door a clear indication of his sudden unease. “I can…”
Shrugging, Jared waves him off. “You’re here now. Just finishing a cake for my friend Danneel’s birthday and waiting for Genevieve to come breathe down my neck about when it'll be ready. She pretty much has a degree in hovering, it's usually funny, that is, when she's hovering round someone else that isn't me.”
Why did I say that? Is a question Jared asks himself about 30 times a day and he finds himself wondering it now as Jensen's brow wrinkles. He knows some people don't care for his lack of filter and the way he sometimes overshares but that’s Jared, and he's never thought about changing himself just to be liked by someone.
“Danneel Harris?” Jensen asks, brow still furrowed.
“You know Danneel?” Jared queries, intrigued by the new comer.
“Chris.” Jensen clarifies. Chris is Danneel’s other-half and suddenly the penny drops.
“You’re Chris’ Jensen.” Jared states forcibly and only once the words have left his mouth does he realise it was more of an accusation than the question he was going for.
But Jensen just laughs. “Yeah, guess I am.”
Jared feels like banging his head against the wall a few times for not putting two and two together, the hint of Texas in his voice should've been a clue, but the name Jensen and this town, well that should've been a clear giveaway.
“Don’t know why I didn’t put that together, he’s always talking about you, especially since you moved to town.” Jared chooses a few cupcakes for Jensen, placing them into a cardboard box as he talks. “I was wondering when I was gonna get to meet you. I actually bet him you weren’t real.” Damn he had as well, fifty bucks on the fact that Jensen Ackles was just a figment of Chris’ over active imagination. “Damn.”
“How much did I just cost you?” Jensen asks, a smile quirking his lips.
“Fifty.” Jared shrugs. “Maybe he’ll forget.” Fat chance.
“We’re talking about the same Chris here right? Dog hound when it comes to money.”
“Unfortunately, yeah.” Jared laughs. “Here.” He holds a box out for Jensen to take.
Jensen looks at the box in his hands, like he’s unsure how it got there and then he looks back up at Jared suddenly serious.
“I didn’t order.” Jensen says, frown marring his pretty face and Jared’s almost sorry he gave the cakes to him.
“Most people don’t.” Jared shrugs. “I tend to order for them.”
“Oh, okay.” Jensen’s still staring down at the box. “So, how much?”
Jared waves Jensen off. “On the house for a friend of Chris' and first time customer.” Jensen opens his mouth to protest but Jared doesn’t let him get out the refusal he knows is going to come. “Call it a town welcoming.”
Jensen looks at the offending box once more, then back up at Jared, a reluctant smile breaking out over his face. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” Jared points into the back room. “Sorry, gotta get back to the…”
“Oh yeah, go ahead.” Jensen turns to leaves and Jared makes his way into the back room and the cake, misses Jensen’s slight hesitation at the door as he flips the sign from open to closed.
Genevieve, predictable as ever, breezes into the bakery half an hour before Jared's time is up. She watches over his shoulder as he puts the finishing touches to Danneel's cake and pesters him with endless questions on what he's doing and why he's doing it that way.
“Oh I met Jensen.” Jared casually slides into the conversation as Genevieve boosts herself up onto the countertop opposite from where he's working.
“I’ve been here nearly an hour and you only just tell me this. Some kind of friend you are!” She huffs in mock annoyance. “So, what’s he like?”
“Hot.” Jared says without thinking.
“Well duh, tell me something I didn’t know.” Jared looks up from the cake, a clear question on his face. “What? I’ve seen pictures.” Genevieve defends.
“Hotter.” Jared replies, because he doubts pictures could ever do Jensen justice.
“Really?”
“Yes, really.” He assures her as he firmly places his attention bake on his decorating, he really needs to stop letting her distract him if he wants to get this done sometime today.
“Yum.”
Chuckling to himself he asks her. “Do you remember you’re taken?”
“Doesn’t mean a girl can’t look.” She winks at him as he peers up over the cake at her. “And mentally strip.”
“You are the worst.” Though Jared knows it’s all a front, the Genevieve below all that bluster is loyal to a fault. He’s learnt over the years not to take everything she says completely literal. Pushing back from the table he grabs a can from the fridge, throws a second over to Gen, he’s lost his focus, better to take a break and get back to it once he’s in the right frame of mind.
“You just wish you had my imagination." She pouts. "You should totally tap that."
Jared nearly chokes on his drink, he forgets how much of a health hazard Genevieve can be.
"Didn't Chris say he was in the army?" Genevieve nods her head taking a swig from her can.
"Doubt he's even gay." Jared tries to explain, no point letting his mind go along a train of thought that is never going to happen.
"He is." She says nonchalantly.
"Stalker." Jared shoulder bumps her as he boosts himself onto the counter to sit next to her.
"Your personal stalker. Quit whining." She throws back, purses her lips and cocks her head to one side as she surveys Jared. "You could always..." Genevieve trails off as she waves her fingers in a style that resembles Jack Sparrow, which Jared takes to mean magic, or 'the big whammy' as she's taken to calling it lately.
Jared merely shakes his head. "That'd be so wrong. Boundaries and all that Gen."
She just shrugs. "Your loss."
"Hand it over." Chris' grin is wide and slightly menacing and Jared grumbles as he digs into his back pocket for his wallet. No greeting. No invitation in. Just an open doorway and a demand for money. Nothing new when it comes to dropping by Chris and Danneel’s.
Jared holds out fifty bucks his eyes narrowed in Genevieve’s direction, then turns them on Danneel as Chris snatches the money from his fingers.
“I hate you.” He informs Genevieve as Chris does a mock cackle while sliding the notes into his wallet. Bastard.
Gen lifts her hands in defeat. “For once.” She tells him. “It wasn’t me.”
Jared’s eyes narrow further, because he knows just what she’s like when it comes to gossiping with Danneel, so there’s little doubt that she blabbed to Dani the first chance she got, who in turn blabbed to Chris. It’s how it always goes and somehow, knowing that, he still manages to let it happen.
“Truth.” She promises, making a little cross over her heart with her forefinger. Strange. Very strange he thinks and finally makes it over the threshold.
Jared passes off his present to Danneel and makes a bee-line for the kitchen before she can open it. He loves buying presents for people, loves giving people presents but he always gets this niggling doubt that the thing that he thought would be so awesome for them, is actually going to suck ass and they’re going to hate it. So he makes himself scarce for the opening part.
“You’re such a perfectionist.” Gen tells him, as if he didn’t already know, whilst he studies his cake. He just turns to her and shrugs, no point in denying something you know to be true, right?
Turning from the table he pulls open the fridge and grabs two beers, waggles one in Gen’s direction, pulls it slightly out of reach when she makes a grab for it.
“Tease.” She complains pouting. Jared relents and she grabs it from his hands, eliciting a cry of triumph as she does and Jared can only laugh at the way she manipulates him. He knows she’s doing it, always has, but he loves her too much to do anything but let her.
Leaving the safety of the kitchen, they head out into the back yard and the moment Jared steps through the door he’s hit with the warm aroma of BBQ. If he weren’t in polite company he’d be drooling right about now.
“Jared.” Mrs. Halloway greets as he’s passing by.
“Hey, how’s my favourite girl?” He asks, to which Mrs. Halloway just laughs and pats him on the cheek.
“You’re a good lad Jared.” She tells him before shooing him off.
Jared won’t deny he’s got a soft spot for Mrs. Halloway, he always saves her his best loaf on Monday’s and six of his softest scones on Friday’s. There’s just something about her. He thinks maybe she reminds him of his own Grams and he’d loved her fiercely.
Weaving his way further into the crowd Jared finally notices just how many people turned up, although, he should hardly be surprised, just the mention of BBQ in this town and you have a houseful. It’s nice though, to have that kind of community around you. He takes a moment as he’s still moving to take it all in, people talking, laughing over good food and good drink, the Paisley twins sneaking behind the garage, no doubt for a fag or some booze, little Charlie and Lacy chasing the dogs through the trees, then shrieking as the dogs somehow manage to be chasing them. Yeah, Jared thinks, it’s nice to be a part of something like this.
People call out as he passes, David from the post office. Alice from the mini mart. Mr and Mrs Miller who teach at the local school. The Anderson’s and Fitzgerald’s seem to have put an end to their feud as they try to entice Jared into a conversation over the merge of their pub and restaurant, it only took the marriage of their children to cause it. Jared’s reluctant to stop for any length of time though, says a short greeting before pushing on, his eyes are firmly on the prize, the food cooking just in front of him.
It isn’t until he escapes the crowd of people and reaches the grill that he notices someone left Chad manning it and for a moment Jared worries for the health of anyone eating something Chad cooked, but then he logically decides that even chad couldn’t mess up throwing a few burgers and sausages onto the grill and turning them a few times. He really hopes he’s not over-estimating Chad’s abilities.
“Hey man!” Chad greets and they talk a little. How’s his better half? How’s his kid? Yes, that’s right, someone allowed Chad to procreate.
“He’s a little shit.” Chad complains, a grin splitting his face as he does.
“Chip of the old block then eh?” Chad punches him in the arm and Jared pretends it hurt.
He’s happy for Chad, for Danneel and Chris, for the lives they’re making, but sometimes Jared yearns a little for earlier times. Times before the relationships and kids, when they made spontaneous plans and were always up to something. Not that that doesn’t still happen, it just somehow doesn’t seem quite like it used to.
Jared’s shaken out of his moment of nostalgia when something sweeps past his leg, then pushes against it more forcibly. He looks down to find a golden retriever bumping its nose against him. Pretty dog, he thinks. Kneeling down to the dog’s level he strokes and talks to it, no doubt Chad’s rolling his eyes at him, but he doesn’t care, pretty dogs are one of his soft spots.
He hears someone clear their throat and looks up, feels his brain go to mush. Oh. It turns out pretty guys are another of those soft spots.
“Sorry.” Jensen apologises.
Jared just laughs as Jensen’s dog surges forward and licks across his cheek. He learns that May, the golden retriever and source of the dog spit now covering him, is yet to turn one.
“May?” Jared asks before he can stop himself and suddenly wonders if it’s okay to question the name of a man’s dog.
Jensen, however doesn’t seem to be offended, in fact he seems amused by the question. “It was a good month for me.” Is all he says by way of explanation, and while Jared holds back any further questions, he files them away to bring up with Gen. He knows the gossip stream will end up back with Chris and it won’t be too long before he has the answers.
It’s awkward for a moment, Jared still knelt down stroking May, Jensen just standing watching. He’s thankful when the whirlwind that is Kayla, Mrs. Halloway’s granddaughter ends the moment.
“Doggie.” She laughs. “Doggie play.”
Jared looks at Jensen, sees May look back at her master, awaiting permission, tail already wagging in anticipation. A smile teases at the corner of his lips as he sets May loose with Kayla.
The two of them find a shaded spot under the trees to sit and watch the little girl roll around with the puppy. Squeals of laughter fill the air and the awkwardness from earlier seems to melt away with it.
They talk, about nothing and everything. Jared learns Jensen has family in Texas, hails from there originally, and that Jensen moved out here from the city. Tactfully Jared broaches Jensen’s time in the army, he brings it up lightly, mentions that Chris said something about him serving and he immediately sees the change in the man sitting next to him. His whole body tenses, all the openness from earlier disappears and Jared thinks for a moment he fucked this all up.
“Hey killjoys.” Danneel greets, throwing herself down onto Jared, and he watches, whilst wincing from the onslaught, Jensen slide back into comfortable. He files further questions away but doesn’t forget them.
“Oh, look at May.” Dani laughs as she sees Kayla hugging May close. “You’re training her well Jen.”
Jared’s eyebrows raise in question. “Hmm?”
“Jensen’s a dog trainer, you know, he trains them to be service dogs, to help people from the military and Jensen you should explain because I’m butchering this.”
They both turn to Jensen, who for a change is looking a little self-conscious.
“You can train a dog to do more or less anything.” Jensen starts, looking over at May. “It’s easier if their younger, it’s erm, like it is with children. Some people that come out of the service can’t do everything for themselves anymore, it’s where service dogs come in. They can pick things up, or guide you if you can’t see, help you if you fall, clear dangerous things if you’re having a seizure, or sometimes, they just offer emotional support.”
Jensen glances back at Jared as if he’s worried Jared’s lost interest, before he continues.
“I’m just training May at the minute.” Jensen explains. “I’m working on anxiety with her. If something makes her handler anxious, I’m teaching her to notice that kind of mood change and how to react to it. She’s getting good at guiding, support and comfort too and she’s pretty much got the basics down.”
“I don’t know how you could let her go once she’s fully trained. Do you train for clients or train and then match them with a handler?” Jared asks, sincerely intrigued by Jensen’s line of work.
“A bit of both, though if I don’t have a client, I usually have in mind the type of handler I’m training for.”
“May?” Jared asks.
“No client and surprisingly I’m not sure what kind of handler I’d offer her to.” Jensen shrugs.
Danneel reaches over to poke Jensen in the ribs. “Keep telling yourself that.” She tells him.
Jared’s about to ask what Dani means, when Gen launches herself, much like Dani had done earlier, at him.
Winded Jared complains, “What is it with women throwing themselves at me today?”
“Oh shush, you love it.” Gen tells him. “Hey Jensen.” She waves like a dork and Jared has to hide a laugh in her hair.
“So how do you know Chris?” Gen asks, never one to pull her punches, or wait to actually be introduced to a person before asking them their life story, it’s actually one of the things Jared loves most about her.
“Met in a bar in Texas.” Jensen starts.
“Now that sounds like the beginning of a bad porno.” Danneel jokes, and it’s clear to Jared that Jensen isn’t just Chris’ friend, he’s as much Danneel’s too.
“I don’t remember how but we ended up playing pool, and I was drunk as hell, think he probably was too and somehow money was bet and someone had to win, me, and someone had to lose, him.”
“Chris doesn’t tell it that way.” Dani butts in.
“Like Chris would ever admit to losing a bet.” Jared doesn’t think there’s ever been a truer statement. “So he got royally pissed off, accused me of playing him and started having a major hissy fit, got all macho about it too. Then I punched him.”
“Which he still denies.” Dani explains.
“My earlier point stands. So I punched him and he just laughed. We’ve pretty much been friends ever since.”
Jared tries to imagine Jensen punching Chris. He tries to imagine anyone punching Chris and ending up being friends, but he can’t wrap his head around it. Weird, he thinks, very weird.
Gen jumps up with as much force as she landed and pulls at Jared’s arm. “Come on Jared, we haven’t had material like this to hold over Chris’ head in, well, ever. No wonder he wouldn’t tell me how him and Jensen became friends. Come on.”
Jared shakes his arm loose. “Maybe later.”
“Your loss.” She calls back as she weaves through the crowd.
Dani brushes the grass from her jeans as she stands. “Best go make sure they don’t end up killing each other.” She jokes, or Jared hopes she does. “Enjoy the party.”
“Happy Birthday.” Jared calls out as she disappears.
It’s just him and Jensen again.
After a moment Jensen speaks. “They’re a big part of the reason I moved out here.” He explains and Jared thinks he understands, because they’re a big part of the reason he stays.
The crowd begins to thin, people say goodbye, children to put bed and early mornings are their excuses and before Jared realises it, the sun is setting and he can count on his fingers the number of people left in the yard. They’re secluded at the bottom of the garden, the stars twinkling down through the trees and the romance of the moment isn’t lost on Jared. There’s this funny hum in his chest. It’s been growing since he took this spot next to Jensen in the grass.
The damp is settling in, beginning to work at his jeans but Jared doesn’t notice it. He can feel the magic. The melody of a man singing about first love floats out from the house, wraps itself around the two of them and weaves its subtle web. Before Jared can think about, before he can realise it’s a stupid idea, before he can stop himself, he’s leaning forward and pressing his lips against Jensen’s.
Jensen goes rigid. Jared’s heart stills as he waits, for something, for anything.
Nothing.
Jared pulls back, the moment gone and curses his own stupidity. Well he royally fucked that up. He shouldn’t have done it, but he can’t bring himself to regret it, still feels the pressure of soft lips against his own.
Jensen blinks, clears his throat, silence sits between them, the song of first love has drawn to a close. Jared’s working up some form of explanation or a way to excuse himself when he finds his arms full of dog and a warm tongue on his cheek. A laugh bubbles up out of Jensen and Jared finds his own chuckle joining him in the darkness.
Things might be okay.
Art | Masterpost | Part Two