Could I Be You
Title: Could I Be You
Fandom: RPS
Characters: Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki
Prompt: 025. Strangers.
fanfic100 table: here
Word Count: 8,883
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Smex, some crack, and slight angst.
Summary: Jensen didn't really think that a childish wish on a coin would change much for him, but feeling invisible left him open to doing childish things. When his wish came true, he thought that he could be happy. A string of wishes gone wrong (including his own) told him otherwise.
Author's Notes: AU done for blisfulievil, whose help_haiti request was for succubus!Jensen. I twisted it around a bit, and this is what came out of it (and 4x08: Wishful Thinking, which I ripped off shamelessly). God knows I love putting these guys in Supernatural situations. It does crack out a bit (mostly towards the end, lols), and I have to thank itskaylie and dugindeep for help with the wishes gone wrong. Hope you enjoy! :)
Jensen Ackles knew everything about Jared Padalecki. He knew that Jared went out of state for college and stayed there for a few years, building up his resume. He knew that Jared was a technical writer, a job that Jared was paid nicely for and could do from home. He knew that Jared did his work on the Blackberry that he kept in his pocket, and that a lot of it got done at the firehouse, where Jared volunteered as a firefighter. He knew that Jared was out, proud, and successful. He certainly knew that Jared was 6’4”, well-built, and probably well-hung. And he knew that Jared frequented the Hub, the local bar that Jensen was sitting in, watching Jared out of the corner of his eye.
It wasn’t stalking, really. Not when you lived in Concrete, Washington, where there was a population of barely 840. Concrete was far from being a big city, and Jensen did actually know Jared. Well, sort of. They both went to Concrete High. They were in the same graduating class. They saw each other around town all the time. Or, at least, Jensen saw Jared. Jared didn’t really seem to notice Jensen. Even in a small town like Concrete, Washington, Jared didn’t notice him. Jensen sighed heavily, ordering another whiskey.
He couldn’t blame Jared, really. While the state of Washington didn’t condone homosexuality (legal protection and condoning were too very separate things in the eyes of the powers that be), the men of Concrete seemed to have no problem making open offers to Jared. It seemed Jared just had that effect on people. Jared could take any man home on any given night, and the ones that he left with were always the beautiful ones: tall, muscular, perfect cheekbones and jawlines. Jensen had tried to talk to Jared before when those men were around, and it never went well. Jared was always distracted, looking over Jensen’s shoulder, calling him by a different name, and never remembering speaking to him.
Jensen didn’t look anything like those other men. He may have been tall, but he wasn’t trim or fit. He had a few extra pounds he could probably stand to get rid of, bowlegs, chubby cheeks, oily hair, and oversized glasses perched on his nose. He was imperfect, and he was boring, even down to his boring clothes and boring shoes. He was pale and washed out, but then he guessed he looked exactly the way a town clerk should; a boring man for a boring job.
The truth was that it wasn’t just Jared. People in general didn’t seem to notice Jensen. He was the town clerk, the only one Concrete had, and nobody ever remembered his name, his face, or what he did for a living. They simply handed over their paperwork, and he handed over whatever records they were requesting. He barely got a glance from them, and he never got a thank you. Sometimes he thought he may as well be invisible.
Jensen sighed again and pulled a coin from his pocket, flipping it around in his chubby, oversized fingers. It was an old coin, one that he’d gotten from his grandfather a few years before. It was far from currency, some strange picture of a dragon on it. His grandfather had found it somewhere in North Africa and passed it down to him. Jensen smirked a little. His grandfather had been one of the few people to leave Concrete and travel, even going out of the country. Jared was another of those few. Jensen looked back at Jared at that thought and saw him standing in the middle of a group of men, eyes already looking one of them up and down. He looked back down at the coin. It was always in his pocket everywhere he went, as a reminder of and tribute to his grandfather, who told him to be careful with it. His grandfather had just passed away.
Jensen downed his whiskey and shoved the coin back into his pocket, grabbing his jacket and leaving the bar.
****
Jensen left the Town Hall Building for lunch the next day and stepped inside Lucky Chin’s. He would’ve watched his weight if he’d thought that it would matter, but for now he was just going to sit down and eat something fried and greasy, like an egg roll, maybe some pork, and a little bit of lo mein. He was 32, and he’d really just about given up at this point.
He sat back in his booth and chewed his food, looking around at the other patrons in the restaurant. He watched as one of the children begged his parents for a coin, a penny, anything to throw into the wishing well. He twirled his fork in his noodles as the kid made a wish and dropped the coin into the fountain, turning around with a big smile on his face. Jensen snorted. If only he still had that kind of childlike faith in wishes. If only he still believed that a wish on a coin could change everything. He stared at the fountain, feeling his grandfather’s coin in his pocket.
It was stupid to even consider it, but Jensen walked over to the wishing well after his food was gone and paid for. He just stood in front of it, wishing that things could be different. Wishing…
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the coin, thinking of his life, his looks, and his near nonexistence. He had nothing. He was nothing. Maybe it was stupid, but making a childish wish on a fountain would really be the least of Jensen’s problems. In fact, he may as well. He had nothing to lose.
He thought of Jared then, and he suddenly realized that he didn’t have an obsession with Jared. He envied him. Jared was everything that Jensen wasn’t and everything that Jensen wanted. He wished for it. He wished to have what Jared had; to be noticeable and desirable, attractive and memorable. He’d been invisible for too long.
He looked down at the coin, rubbing his fingers over it, then back up at the fountain. He muttered a quiet, “Sorry, Granddad,” and tossed the coin in. He waited a full minute, hoping for something to change.
“Nothing,” Jensen said to himself, and nobody even turned to look at him. He shook his head and scoffed, feeling a bitter disappointment in something he wasn’t even sure he’d believed in to begin with. “What a joke.”
Jensen walked to the back of the restaurant and into the men’s bathroom, heading for the urinal. He unzipped and set up, steady stream hitting the porcelain. Through the haze of his frustration, he suddenly felt like he was being watched. It was odd, and it sent chills down his spine. Nobody ever watched him, not even when he was talking to himself in front of a fountain in the middle of a crowded restaurant. What made it even more unsettling was that he was taking care of business at a urinal. Jensen had never had that feeling of being caught with his pants down before, and he certainly didn’t appreciate it now. He shifted awkwardly, not moving too much, lest the flow end up somewhere it shouldn’t. Once he was done, he quickly tucked himself away and turned.
Jensen’s breath caught in his throat, and he stumbled back, spine painfully connecting with the side of the urinal. Jensen ignored the pain, fear turning his body stiff as he stared up at the creature standing in front of him. It flickered, hazy like a mirage, bright red eyes focused on Jensen, mischievous grin curling its lips. Its face was masculine, body a muscular fit for it, but ram’s horns and black, tattered wings made it more monster than man. Jensen opened his mouth to scream, his heart pounding at the terrifying thought that even if he did, nobody would hear him. Nobody ever heard him. The thing rushed him before he could try, and Jensen inhaled sharply, his body giving a jolt. His eyes squeezed shut as fire shot through his veins and then cooled. He opened his eyes again, panicked, but the creature was gone.
Your wish is my command. The voice resonated inside Jensen’s head, and he shook it, gasping at the sound. It was followed by a deep yet casual chuckle, and Jensen knew that the creature he’d seen standing in front of him in the bathroom was now inside his own body. Relax. I’m here to help you. Just calm down and take a good look at yourself.
Jensen didn’t have time to think about what was happening to him, strange sensations numbing his thoughts and working him over. It felt like his stomach was being sucked inward, his body thinning out. He looked down at himself and saw his clothes getting baggier, his hand moving to catch his pants before they fell down. Better tighten your belt up. Jensen gaped at his changing body, his glasses dropping from his face and shattering on the floor as he swiftly lifted his head to look into the bathroom mirror. You don’t need those anymore.
He didn’t. He could see perfectly, and he was stunned by what he did see. Look at yourself. You’re beautiful. Jensen could barely function, but he shuffled his feet forward slowly, coming closer to the mirror. He lifted a hand to his face, the fingers on it thinner and a little more masculine. The fingertips moved along prominent cheekbones, light stubble, full lips, and a strong jawline, naked green eyes watching them move. He could feel them, but he didn’t know how, because this face couldn’t be his. It had to be someone else’s. He moved his hand upward, ran it through soft, slightly spiky hair that complimented the face below. You should see the rest.
Jensen paused, disturbed by the voice in his head, but listening to it. He reached down and gripped the hem of his now oversized shirt, lifting it up in front of the mirror. His torso had been completely redefined, his stomach flattened, abs strong, pecs hard. He could already feel the muscle in his arms, and he flexed his biceps, all the while half dazed, as if he’d somehow found himself in the middle of a dream. It’s what you wanted.
Jensen stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do, and the voice went quiet, as if it was letting him take all of this in. He just stared into the mirror, realizing now that the face did sort of resemble his own. It was just…much, much nicer. “Impossible,” he whispered, looking back and forth between his own eyes, and the voice laughed.
Not impossible. If it were impossible, it wouldn’t be happening, and it clearly is.
“Who are you?” Jensen breathed, now acutely aware of the fact that he was conversing with some creature that had taken over his body. He stood up straighter and turned around, away from the mirror. He looked down at his hands, breathing heavily, his pants beginning to slip downward. “Where did you come from? How can you be…inside me?”
Does it really matter? the voice asked back. All that matters is that I can make other people want to be inside you…or want you inside them. There was a dark glee in the tone now, spiked with lust, and Jensen closed his eyes, knowing that it was true with the sudden fire lit inside of him. You can have whoever you want now. Why don’t you go out there and see?
“I can’t…” Jensen trailed off, still at a loss for what to do. It was all so much, and it felt like his head was swimming. But the voice went quiet again, and after standing there for a few moments, Jensen realized that he couldn’t just stay in the bathroom forever. “Going out there” was all he could do, even if he doubted his own sanity. He moved his hands to tighten his belt, his pants as secure as they could be. He moved and opened the bathroom door, stepping through it, and then jolted when he nearly collided with a woman passing by. She was heading for the ladies’ room, and he went completely still when she stopped and stared at him.
“Hi,” she said quietly, smiling as her cheeks flushed a deep red. She looked up at him through her eyelashes, biting her lip and twirling her hair with one finger, forgetting all about her trip to the bathroom.
“Um…” Jensen felt frozen, unsure of what to say, because he never even got greetings from anybody, let alone one like this. “Hi.”
She giggled, and Jensen felt something inside of him spread outward. It was dark and suggestive, like a sexual magnetic field. He could feel when it curled around her, and saw it register in her face, her pupils going wide and her mouth dropping open. She stepped closer, and Jensen took a jerky step back, denying her. The voice inside of him laughed.
We don’t swing that way, huh? Just like that, the power around Jensen retracted and hid itself inside of him. The girl flushed some more and mumbled something unintelligible as her eyes dropped to the floor. She giggled again, rushing towards the bathroom. Fine. We’ll save it then. For what you really want.
“Jesus Christ,” Jensen whispered, and he turned to stare at the wishing well, suddenly in awe of it. It was a little frightening, being possessed by this other being, but Jensen couldn’t help feeling a little excited, too. He’d gotten his wish. He wasn’t invisible anymore. That thought meant more to him than anything else ever had.
He remembered then that he had to go back to work. He was already late from this long lunch, if you could call it that. The voice said nothing, and Jensen straightened up, hurrying out of Lucky Chin’s. Customers watched him as he walked out. People on the street smiled and really looked at him, even greeting him as he passed by. He began to feel a bit like he was floating, and he grinned when a coworker did a double take on her way past his desk. He chuckled when she attempted to greet him, fumbling for his name, and he gave it to her, cheeks hurting with the force of his smile. He left the Town Hall Building laughing with a mix of every good emotion he’d been missing, because she’d actually remembered his name when he’d said goodbye to her. He wouldn’t change his wish for the world.
****
Jensen suddenly found work a pleasure, found the people in town a pleasure, being recognized and respected opening up a brand new world he never knew existed. He’d already been shopping for a new wardrobe, thankful that the thing inside of him, whatever it was, was much better with fashion than he was. He grinned at himself in the mirror, looking sleek and sexy in black, his hair done and gelled just right. He was still nervous when he entered the Hub, just out of habit. He rubbed his palms against the thighs of his pants and headed for the bar, ordering a whiskey to calm himself. He hadn’t looked around yet, but he knew that everyone else was looking at him. He could feel it.
He got his drink and took a sip, feeling the warmth flow through him, relaxing him. He turned on his barstool, eyes darting around the room. He jolted and nearly spilled his drink on the floor when he caught sight of Jared. It was as if Jensen’s wildest fantasy had come to life, Jared Padalecki actually watching him, instead of the other way around. Jensen lowered his eyes, still fighting with the insecurity that had dug itself so deep inside of him. He hadn’t realized that Jared had moved until he heard Jared’s voice, close, and his eyes shot back up to look at him.
“Hey,” Jared said, slight smirk on his lips, and Jensen’s mouth went dry. He choked on his response and downed the rest of his drink, nerves making his leg bounce erratically. Jared laughed, sounding light and curious. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here.”
Jensen sat on his barstool, tongue-tied. That same sexual energy from before started spreading outward, towards Jared, and Jensen shook his head in response to it, shaken. It was all too much, and he had to deal with one situation at a time, like actually talking to Jared. He heard a chuckle deep inside of him, and the field shrank back. Jared laughed again, brow quirking.
“So, I haven’t seen you around, then?”
“What?” Jensen sputtered, shifting in his seat. “No. I mean, yes!” Jared cocked his head at him, smiling wider now. “I mean, I wasn’t shaking my head because…” Jensen trailed off and cleared his throat. “I’m Jensen. We’ve...met before. Here. And we went to high school together?”
He phrased that last sentence as a question, and he saw the confusion on Jared’s face, watching him think it through. Jared shook his head, looking a bit apologetic. “I’m sorry, man, I just…I don’t remember.” He frowned. “Can’t quite place you in high school, anyways.”
“It’s okay,” Jensen muttered, feeling a pang of sadness. He looked down into his refilled drink and shrugged. “Not like I’m anybody special to know, anyway.”
“Hey, come on, don’t talk like that!” Jared cuffed him on the shoulder a little and sat down beside him. Jensen’s shoulder warmed and tingled where Jared had touched him. He watched as Jared nodded to the bartender, then at him. “Put him on my tab, huh?”
“You don’t have to do tha-”
“Nonsense.” Jared waved him off, smiling. “Small price to pay for your company tonight. Why don’t you tell me about your problem?”
Jensen raised an eyebrow. “Problem?”
“Yeah, you know.” Jared ordered himself a drink and leaned casually back on the bar as he waited. “The one where you think you’re nobody special. What’s that all about?”
Jensen hesitated as Jared got his drink and sipped at it, waiting for a response. He wasn’t sure how to answer, so he went for honesty, shrugging. “It’s just that most of my life, I’ve been sort of invisible, you know?”
“You?” Jared’s face scrunched up in disbelief. “I find that hard to believe.”
“You didn’t remember me,” Jensen pointed out. Jared grimaced, and Jensen realized how harsh that probably sounded. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, waving a hand in the air. “It doesn’t matter.”
“I think maybe it does.” Jared set his glass down on the bar and rubbed his hands together, looking a bit awkward but determined. “Why don’t you tell me about yourself?”
Jensen stalled and stuttered, completely thrown by the question and the fact that Jared was asking it. He finally blurted out that he was the town clerk, and noticed the uncomfortable fidget Jared gave at that. Jensen knew the reason for it. Jared had been in his office more than once and had simply forgotten him, just like everyone else. But Jared was undeterred, and he stayed there in his seat, expectant. Jensen nervously rambled on, trying his best to come up with anything and everything, movies, music, TV shows that he liked. And Jared listened patiently, seeming more interested as Jensen went on, a small smile showing on his face.
“Well, you sound pretty awesome,” Jared said when Jensen finally trailed off. “I think we have a lot in common.”
Jensen snorted. “I doubt that.” He nodded towards the back of the bar, where Jared’s pursuers were usually competing for his attention by now. “I don’t have a pack that follows me around all the time.”
Jared frowned, glancing back at the men and looking uninterested. “Forget about them. And for the record? They’re lookin’ at you, not me.” Jensen opened his mouth to protest before remembering that Jared was right. All eyes were on him this time around. Jared clapped him on the shoulder and laughed. “So much for being invisible, right?”
Jensen laughed, too, a little hysterically. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Good thing I’m more interesting than they are,” Jared said, looking away when Jensen looked back at him. He shrugged and added an “I hope” as he finished his drink.
“You are.”
Jensen stared at Jared, at the way Jared smiled shyly at that, dimples showing. He couldn’t believe that Jared was hoping for him. He couldn’t believe that he was not only in this situation, but that he had the upper hand. He took in Jared’s build, the way he slouched on the barstool, the way his hair fell into his eyes, and sweat glistened a little in the hollow of his throat. He gulped, suddenly eager to attempt more than he ever had. Sex poured forth from him, towards Jared, and he didn’t try to stop it this time. Somehow, he didn’t think he’d be able to. For just a second, he wondered if he should really do this, whether it was wrong or not. He heard a dim It doesn’t matter in his brain, and the force inside of him was too strong to keep there. His heart raced as Jared’s eyes suddenly darkened, shoulders straightening and tensing.
“Jensen,” Jared whispered, and it sent shivers down Jensen’s spine. The feeling got stronger, and Jensen was hot, too hot, his dick pressing against the seam of his pants. “You’re…”
Jared’s sentence went unfinished, and Jensen could see him breathing, sweating, wanting. He’ll let you fuck him. Jensen closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath. The voice sounded so sure, and it ran so deep within him. He couldn’t control it anymore. He opened his eyes again, speaking words he never thought he’d say to Jared Padalecki.
“You wanna get outta here?”
His voice came out as a low growl, and he was itching to get off the stool, to touch Jared and take him. Jared just nodded feverishly, tossing money onto the bar and standing up.
“Please.”
****
Jensen couldn’t even remember the last time he was with someone, which would have made him worry if the being inside him wasn’t so sure, smooth, and confident. Jensen took Jared back to his place, and they barely made it to the building, let alone the bedroom. Jensen never felt so powerful, with Jared whimpering and submitting easily and eagerly, lips wrapping around Jensen’s dick. Part of him couldn’t believe that he had Jared in this position, on his knees before him. The other part, the new part, was controlled and easy, even while raging and needy. It guided him, allowing him to curl his fingers in Jared’s hair and thrust, gentle and shallow. It gave him the strength to pull out when Jared moaned around him, vibrations sending shockwaves through his body, and maneuver Jared onto the bed. It made it so easy to prepare Jared, expert fingers slicked and crooked inside, opening Jared up.
Jared was lost in it all, pre-come pooling on his skin, cock hard and throbbing against his belly, veins standing out. He turned over for Jensen easily, ass in the air, offered to him, and Jensen took it on a long push in, thick cock stretching Jared further. He was tense but controlled, letting Jared adjust even as he moaned encouragingly. The reins stayed pulled back as Jensen thrust slowly, shallow presses until Jared cursed and bucked, pushing back against him. That was when Jensen snapped, the power inside of him unleashed, and he pulled Jared close, fucking in as hard as he could. His thrusts were punctuated by Jared’s sharp, pleasured cries. He kept adjusting, moving on his legs, his feet, changing the speed and the angle, and Jared shouted for Jensen and God, letting go of a string of curses. Can make him come without touching his dick. Jensen was moved to reach for it anyway, fist jerking over it in quick, tight strokes, and Jared sobbed, tensing beneath him. God, yes, come with him.
Jared lost it, going hoarse and shooting over Jensen’s hand, his ass clenching with his orgasm. Jensen was powerless against the intensity of his possession, his entire body scalding hot and throbbing. His fingernails bit into Jared’s flesh as he went taut and cried out, shuddering violently as he came, dick jerking over and over again and vision briefly going white. He pulled out immediately when he was finished, his body shaking as he collapsed onto the mattress. He closed his eyes, trying to compose himself and catch his breath. He could still hear Jared panting hard when he reached down to get rid of the condom he’d used.
“Goddamn,” Jared breathed, huffing out a laugh. Jensen turned and saw Jared glistening with sweat and smiling. “That was amazing. You were amazing.”
Jensen smiled, drained and sated. The voice within him was quiet again. “You weren’t so bad yourself.”
Jared grinned and shifted on the mattress, moving closer. He was hesitant when he spoke again, knee brushing up against Jensen’s. “Mind if I stay?”
It was an unexpected question, and it made Jensen scoot closer, seeking Jared’s warmth now that they’d cooled down. “Of course not.”
When Jensen’s alarm went off hours later, he woke up to Jared wrapped around him. He reached for the alarm clock and turned it off, smiling when Jared sighed and nuzzled into him more. He let his fingertips glide over Jared’s skin, wherever he could reach, eyes trailing the movement. He still couldn’t believe all this was real. He felt warm and wanted when Jared squeezed him a little.
“Do we really have to move?”
“’Fraid so,” Jensen said quietly, and Jared lifted his head and opened his eyes. They were soft and tired, calm, fitting the gentle curve of Jared’s lips so well, dimples just barely there. Jensen smiled back. “Though I’m thinking about calling out.”
Jared chuckled and nuzzled Jensen’s neck again before pulling back and kissing his lips, dragging himself up into a sitting position. “Nah, I gotta get movin’, too. I can see you again, though, right?”
Jensen grinned at the hopeful look on Jared’s face. “Absolutely.”
****
Jensen briefly wondered whether he should be a little more worried about whatever was inside of him, but it was easy for him to dismiss. The thing was quiet more often than not, and it didn’t interfere with his thoughts or personality. The only time it took some control was during sex, and Jensen didn’t mind that so much. He was sure that it was an improvement. It gave off that now familiar aura when he got horny, and it gave him an edge, making him a sexual expert in bed. It was one thing for Jared to tell Jensen that he was good. It was another for Jensen to just know it.
“I’m sorry,” Jared said one night, his head pillowed on Jensen’s chest, fingers running up and down Jensen’s arm. It was just a faint whisper, and Jensen’s hand paused where it was caressing Jared’s back, wet with the cooling sweat of sex.
“What for?”
“For not knowing you,” Jared said quietly, his lips pressing down over Jensen’s heart. “Not remembering you.”
Jensen was caught somewhere between a frown and a smile, his hand moving along Jared’s back again. “I thought I told you that didn’t matter?”
Jared’s soft chuckle puffed out over Jensen’s skin. “I’m not just apologizing to you, but to me.” He shifted, moving so that he was propped up on his chin, looking up at Jensen. “We could’ve been doing this for years, already,” he said, smiling, his eyes shining even in the dark.
Jensen smiled back, brushing Jared’s hair off of his sweaty forehead. “And by ‘this,’ you mean…?”
“All of it.” Jared shrugged. “Just being here, together, instead of wasting our time out at some bar.”
Jensen’s heart pounded a little. They hadn’t ventured to call this a relationship at all, but that seemed to be what they were heading towards. Since their first night together, they’d only gone to the Hub to find each other after work. Tonight, they hadn’t even bothered with the Hub at all. They’d abandoned their regular haunt for…this, whatever this was. He liked it. He liked Jared. He liked seeing Jared, sleeping, eating, and talking with him. Jensen never thought he’d have anything to talk about with anyone. He’d always thought of himself as too boring. But he found himself engaged in more conversations with Jared than he’d ever thought possible, the two of them discussing everything they could possibly think of. And now that they’d gotten to know each other, it actually felt natural. He wondered if it ever would’ve happened if he hadn’t made that wish in Lucky Chin’s. He decided not to think about it, falling asleep with Jared in his arms, their legs tangled together.
They showered together the next morning, thorough in cleaning each other and getting each other off. Jensen moved quickly after that, getting his things together to leave Jared’s place. He was dressed again when he walked into the living room to find Jared standing in front of the TV, mouth open in shock.
“My God…”
Jensen’s brow furrowed, and he moved to stand beside Jared, staring at the screen. “What?”
“This poor girl…” Jared spoke slowly, still listening to the rapid-fire words of the reporter on the television. He glanced at Jensen only briefly, troubled, before turning back to the screen. “They don’t know what happened. She just…Her skin just turned transparent.”
Jensen’s eyes widened. “What?”
Jared nodded, pointing at the video replay of a young girl being rushed into an ambulance, hands held up in an attempt to hide her face. Jensen balked at the scene, the girl’s skeletal and circulatory systems visible in her arms. “It’s…Nobody can explain it. She hasn’t always been like this.”
“Well, what the hell could cause that?” Jensen asked, almost scared to know.
Jared shook his head. “I have no idea. Story goes, the girl was in Lucky Chin’s when it happened. She was fine, she went to use the bathroom, and she just came out…changed. Started screaming, asking what was in the fountain. They’re saying she had really bad acne, and she wished on the fountain for clear skin, but that…” Jared paused and took a deep breath, shaking his head again. “I can’t believe the news would report something like that. Take rumors and make a mockery of this poor girl’s problem.”
Jensen froze, the color draining from his face. Just forget about it. Jensen jumped at the sound of the voice. It was cold and harsh, almost threatening. For the first time since he realized his wish had come true, Jensen was scared. He was scared of what was happening and scared of what he’d done. He thought of his grandfather then, of the day he’d handed the coin over. “Listen to me, Jensen,” he’d said. “You have to be careful with this. Keep it to yourself. Protect it. Never give it away.” Fire burned inside of Jensen, something clenching around his heart just enough to hurt and scare him further. I said to forget about it.
“Jensen? Jensen!” Jared grabbed him by the shoulders, straightening him up. Jensen hadn’t realized that he’d hunched over, or that his hand was grasping at his chest. But Jared’s attention was on him now, eyes wide and scared. “Jensen, are you okay?”
Say yes. Jensen managed a feeble nod, his voice weak when he spoke. “Yeah. Yeah, Jay, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?” Jared still looked concerned and a little skeptical. “What the hell was that?”
“Yeah, it was just…” Jensen searched his brain for an answer. “Just indigestion, I think.” He forced himself to smile, but doubted it was convincing. “It’s nothing, man.”
Jared’s hands dropped from his shoulders, but he kept his eyes on Jensen. “Hope you don’t get indigestion like that often. You should probably get checked out. Go see your doctor. You shouldn’t be getting chest pains like that.” He paused, considering something. “I have half a mind to take you to the hospital right now.”
“No, man, I told you, it’s fine,” Jensen said quickly. “I mean, I don’t need the hospital. I can always go to my doctor later.” He fidgeted under Jared’s gaze and turned away. “I should get going, or I’ll be late to work.”
“Hey!” Jared grabbed Jensen’s sleeve and turned him back around, pulling him into a kiss. “Don’t scare me like that,” he said quietly, kissing Jensen again. “And take care of yourself, okay?” He smiled as if he was trying to lighten the moment, but his words were heavy, his forehead resting against Jensen’s. “Anything happens to you after this, I’ll hate myself for not forcing you into the ER.”
“Don’t worry about me.” Jensen held Jared for a moment, trying to savor the feeling, but having trouble doing so. After the shock of the news and the attack from within, Jensen didn’t know what to think or expect. “I’ll be fine.”
****
Something was wrong. Jensen knew that much. He’d thought that his wish coming true had been a good thing, but now whatever had possessed him was threatening him, and some poor girl was practically see-through. She’d wished on the same fountain. It didn’t take a genius to figure out the origin of the problem. And since plenty of other Concrete residents had wished on the fountain with ordinary coins and gotten no results, it was obvious that it was Jensen’s strange coin and not the fountain that had started all of this. What Jensen didn’t understand was why.
He took to researching it, the voice inside of his head mocking him all the while. It didn’t matter what he found out. The being burrowed inside of him would never let him fix what he’d so badly ruined. It took a while to sort through everything and make a connection, but once he did, Jensen realized just how screwed he really was. He felt dread and remorse, laughter inside his head. The coin was the culprit, alright. And in order to stop the madness, the original wisher had to remove the coin himself.
It’ll never happen.
“Things are only gonna get worse,” Jensen pleaded, his voice sounding oddly loud in his otherwise silent study. He was disturbed, his stomach churning, because there was no other person there, but he knew that he wasn’t talking to himself.
People could get hurt. People could die. But I’m not giving up this body. I like it here.
Jensen dropped his head down into his hands, squeezing his eyes shut. He was the one answer to making things better, and he couldn’t do it. “What are you?”
Can’t your little computer tell you that?
“Just tell me.” It was an order, but Jensen whispered it, feeling lost and defeated.
I’m your deep, dark little secret.
****
One would think that the wishing well in Lucky Chin’s would have a bad reputation after the first public wish gone wrong. But that seemed to only peak people’s curiosities, make them wonder if they could get something good out of it, or just dare each other to wish on the damn thing. There was no way for Jensen to ignore it. His conscience plagued him with pleas to do the right thing, but he didn’t know how. The stories were everywhere. An older man who wished for more hair became covered in it, like a real life Cousin Itt. A teenage girl nearly killed one of her peers over a boy who wished she’d fall in love with him. A wish for better eyesight left a man so sensitive to light that he couldn’t leave his house during the day. A man who thought he could have more fun during his vacation in the tropics wished for the ability to breathe underwater, only to end up coming home with a nasty shark bite.
“This town’s going crazy,” Jared commented one night in bed, fingers tracing lightly over Jensen’s abs. “It’s kinda scary.”
Jensen turned to Jared, wanting to tell him so badly. A twinge of pain in his chest prevented him from doing so. “Yeah, it is.”
“It’s crazy, right?” Jared asked, propping himself up on an elbow and looking down at Jensen. “I mean…the well. It can’t possibly do these things, right?”
Jensen shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “Wouldn’t think so, but I don’t know how else to explain it.”
Jared sighed. “Word is, they’re gonna close down Lucky Chin’s until they figure out what the hell’s going on. People are being questioned, but no one’s getting anywhere, obviously. It’s too weird.”
Jensen snapped to attention, his eyes widening. Maybe there was hope after all. “They’re closing it down?”
Jared nodded. “Yeah, they’re supposed to lock it up this week. Keep people from goin’ in and makin’ wishes.”
“Wow.” Jensen was careful with his response, keeping it toned down, lest he suffer another bout of indigestion in front of Jared.
“Yeah.” Jared lay back down next to Jensen and sighed again, settling in. “You know, it may be crazy, but I still can’t believe people are still doing it. You couldn’t pay me to drop a coin in that fountain.”
Jensen snorted, deprecating himself in his mind. “You’re smarter than most.”
“I don’t know about that.” Jared kissed Jensen’s shoulder. “I think I’m just safe.”
Jensen smiled a little, allowing himself to loosen up a bit. After all, if Lucky Chin’s was shut down, he didn’t have much else to worry about, did he? “Safe? You volunteer to run into burning buildings. I wouldn’t call that safe.”
Jared laughed and poked Jensen playfully in the ribs, making him squirm. “I never said I wasn’t heroic,” he said, puffing up his chest. “I just said I was safe.”
“You’re such an asshole,” Jensen chuckled, rolling his eyes. Jared grinned and rolled on top of him, kissing him deeply and pressing their hips together.
“Am I?”
Jensen moaned and responded in kind, giving in easily to the seductive power inside of him. He could curse his possessor for preventing him from fixing the chaos that was taking over his hometown, but Jensen had to admit that this, the physical and sexual benefit he received from it, was something he still clung to. He had to admit that he was afraid to let it go. He was afraid of being invisible again. And deep down, he knew that what he was most afraid of was losing Jared.
****
Lucky Chin’s had been locked and boarded up, but that didn’t stop someone from breaking into it in order to make a wish. The man whose prints were eventually found inside the store had suddenly won his dream car in a surprise giveaway, only to end up in a coma after a terrible accident involving another car and a telephone pole.
Jensen didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t sleep, his eyes fixed on the alarm clock from his spot in Jared’s bed. He’d started this. People were getting hurt, and he’d caused it. He hadn’t meant to, of course, but now…
He got up as quietly as he could, careful not to wake Jared. What are you doing? Just relax. Go back to bed. Jensen ignored the voice. He was too racked with guilt now, too sick over what he’d inadvertently done. He had to at least try to do something to fix it. He briefly wondered if Jared would ever speak to him again once this was over, and then he pushed the thought from his mind, ignoring the pain in his heart, too. This wasn’t just about him anymore. It hadn’t been for a while. And Jensen couldn’t call himself human if he didn’t care about the other people who were affected by that damned coin.
He got dressed, went downstairs, and turned on Jared’s computer. He found everything relevant to the research he’d done before. He read it all over again, found the image of Tiamat, the Babylonian god of chaos that had been on the coin. The damn thing had taken out towns before this. He found the lore and the cure, the one way to stop it: Him. You know I won’t let you do it. I’ll kill you first. He left those windows open on Jared’s screen and took a deep, shaky breath.
“You won’t,” Jensen said quietly, trying to sound confident. “You need this body.”
****
Jensen broke into Lucky Chin’s in the wee hours of the morning, while it was still dark. He tried to be quiet, but it was hard, the thing inside of him making him clumsy and giving him a slight headache to start. I’ll only make it worse the closer you get. Turn back.
“No.”
Jensen stumbled in the darkened restaurant, his eyes adjusting to the interior as he moved back towards where the fountain would be. Pain shot up his spine and through his chest at the same time, and he collapsed on the floor, wheezing as his eyes began to tear. You can’t fight me. The voice was angry now, throbbing in Jensen’s brain, and he writhed, doing his best to simply stay conscious. Maybe I won’t kill you, but you’ll still never make it to that fountain. I’m staying whether you like it or not.
“Please,” Jensen murmured, gasping for air, tears rolling out from the corners of his eyes. “Please, it has to stop.”
“Jensen!”
Jensen lifted his head off the floor. It was dark, and his vision was blurred, but he knew it was Jared standing over him, if only for his voice. Jared knelt down beside him, caring hands on his shoulders, and Jensen felt an irrational sense of hope. He can’t help you. No one can. He doesn’t even know I’m in here. All he’ll do is take you away from here.
“Jensen! Oh, God.” Jared reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “I’m gonna call 911, you’re gonna be okay.”
“No.” Jensen knew his voice was barely audible, but he summoned enough strength to reach up and bat the phone out of Jared’s hands, hearing it clatter on the floor. Jared looked down at him in shock, and Jensen simply shook his head, sinister laughter echoing inside of it. “Jared, please.”
“I’m here,” Jared said without hesitation, taking one of Jensen’s hands in his own. “Jensen, what is this? I don’t even know what’s going on, I don’t even know why we’re here, but I woke up, and you were gone, and I found this crazy shit on my computer…” Jared paused in his panic and took a breath. “What’s going on, man? Is this about…Is this about you? Did you wish for something?”
Go ahead. Tell him. There’s nothing he can do about it. Jensen managed a nod, the pain not fading, but not getting worse now, either. “Yes,” he breathed. “I was the first.”
There was a moment of silence, a moment of Jared taking everything in and making sense of it. “What did you…” Jared shook his head, knowing they couldn’t waste any more time. “You have to get to the well, then? Take the coin back out?” Jensen nodded, and Jared hesitated. “Will that…Will it help you?”
The barest hint of another nod, and Jared was picking Jensen up off the floor, half supporting and half dragging him towards the well, and Jensen thought for a moment that they’d actually make it; that everything would be okay. And then darkness and rage exploded within him, his possessor taking complete control of his body, flinging Jared away from him and rounding on him. Jensen watched, seemingly from a distance, as Jared’s body crashed into one of the tables and then landed painfully on the floor, hurt and shocked eyes looking up at him now.
“You’re not getting rid of me.” Jensen felt his mouth move, heard his own voice, but it was so menacing, so wrong. “I’m not giving up this body.”
“Wha-”
Jensen felt his body jump, the sudden crash of a car through the front of the building a shock even to this evil thing inside of him. His arm lifted to shield his eyes from the headlights that were now shining on him, preventing him from seeing who the driver was until it was too late, water being flung onto his face from a silver flask.
The tortured shriek inside Jensen’s head caused his vision to go white, and he crumpled to the floor, even as he felt more in control of himself. He still couldn’t see who had attacked him, but he could hear a masculine voice now, one different from Jared’s, reciting words that he couldn’t understand. It was a foreign language, and with every new word, Jensen felt a heave in his body, heard more shrieks in his head.
“What are you doing?!” Jared’s angry shout still came through loud and clear, and there was a pause in the other man’s recitation. Jensen heard a bit of a struggle, then heard an annoyed, “I’m helpin’ him, y’idjit!”
A few more words of whatever the hell this guy was saying, and Jensen almost blacked out, a scream ripped from his throat as the being was torn from his body.
…
“What the hell was that?” Jared.
“It was an incubus. He was possessed.” Who was that guy? “Now would you please pull the damn coin out of the fountain before everyone around here gets killed?”
Jensen was weak and dazed, trying to collect himself and come back to reality. He moved, trying to push himself up off the floor, and that was when he felt it. His body was changing. His clothes were getting tighter, and he probably couldn’t see now even with the car’s headlights illuminating the inside of Lucky Chin’s for him. He heard a gasp and knew it was Jared’s, and he felt his heart break. He felt even weaker now, vulnerable. He hated being caught like this, seen like this.
He turned away from the other men in the room and towards the fountain, reaching inside to feel along it, trying like hell to see inside of it with his poor vision. The coin was at least a dark spot there, and he grabbed at it, lifting it easily out of the well. It felt so anti-climactic, going through so much hell just to lift this sliver of a thing into his fingers. That was it. It was over. He heard the sound of the car pulling away and saw its light leaving. The whole of Lucky Chin’s was plunged into darkness again, and it was deadly quiet. He thought that Jared had probably left already, and with that thought, he felt fresh tears springing to his eyes. He knew he’d done the right thing, that he couldn’t have kept going as if nothing was wrong, but that didn’t keep him from hurting. He’d been a real person with a real life, and now all that was gone.
“Jensen?” Jared’s voice made him jump, and he turned away, cheeks flushing red at the thought of Jared still standing there, looking at him like this. “Jensen, are you alright?” Jared was kneeling in front of him then, a gentle hand resting on his shoulder, his voice wavering. “Come on, man, answer me. Tell me you’re okay.”
Jensen tried to fight the emotions filling up his chest, but he couldn’t. He gave a short laugh that sounded more fitting with the tear that was slipping down his cheek, and he kept his face averted. “I didn’t think you’d still remember my name.”
“What? What’s that supposed to mean? Jensen…” Jared’s hand brushed away Jensen’s tears, and Jensen flinched at the touch. “…I don’t even know if you’re hurt.”
“I’m fine.” He knew that he wasn’t. Physically, he probably was. But this would take a long time to recover from.
“Come on, man, why won’t you look at me?” It occurred to Jensen then that Jared sounded shaken and hurt, though he couldn’t quite grasp why. “Look at me.” Jared’s hand gripped Jensen’s chin, forcing Jensen to look at him. Jensen was grateful for his poor vision then. He didn’t want to see the disappointment and rejection in Jared’s eyes. “Jensen…what did you wish for? Is this…Is this you?”
Jensen nodded, accepting defeat. “Yeah, it’s me. I just wished to…to be like you.” His voice cracked, and he looked away again, and dropping it to a whisper. “I just wanted people to see me.”
“Oh, Jensen.”
“Don’t,” Jensen snapped, hating the tone in Jared’s voice. “Don’t pity me for it.” He wiped angrily at his eyes, blinking back the rest of his tears. “I know it was stupid. And I know you’re gonna leave, and that’s fine. I deserve it, after everything that’s happened.”
“Why would I leave?” Jared sounded hurt again, and it tugged at Jensen’s heartstrings. “Why would you think that?”
Jensen lifted a hand and gestured weakly at himself. “Because you don’t want…this. You don’t want me.”
“Like hell, I don’t.” Jared sounded angry then, and Jensen’s head snapped up to look at him, but he couldn’t see much. “What the hell do you think of me, Jensen? You think I’d leave you just because you’re not Mr. Universe? You think I don’t…You think I don’t love you?” Jensen’s ears perked up at that, his jaw falling open. “Maybe you wished to be like me, but you didn’t wish for me, Jensen. Don’t fucking tell me what I want, because I already know. I haven’t spent all this time with you without realizing it. And I want you.”
“But…” Jensen tried to keep his heart from rising with hope, but it was hard to suppress it. “But what about all those guys before? All the ones you went home with?”
He heard Jared scoff and sigh, saw the shake of Jared’s head. “They were never what I wanted. I was always looking…hoping…for something more, but they were never what I thought they’d be, you know? Only good for one thing. And that’s fun for a while, but…I want this.”
Jensen swallowed, still trying to process everything, even if he felt more at ease. “You say that, but you never even noticed me until after I made my wish. You never noticed me like this.”
There was a long, troubled pause between them then. “I know. I know. And I’m sorry, Jensen. I’m so sorry.” He laughed bitterly then, and Jensen hated the sound. “I guess part of me was still just a shallow douche bag. I still based my first impressions on pretty faces and hard bodies, and I didn’t even realize…” He took a deep breath, sounding broken when he spoke again. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Jensen muttered, and he meant it. Jared was broken open and honest here, just as vulnerable as he was, even if for different reasons. “Truth is, it wasn’t just you, anyway. It was everyone.” He smiled sadly. “Most people judge with their eyes, I guess.”
“Yeah, but you’re beautiful.” Jared’s voice was quiet but earnest, and Jensen felt himself flush again, his heart beating a little faster. “It’s our loss for not seeing it sooner. It’s my loss.” Jared’s hand settled on the back of Jensen’s neck, hesitantly pulling him closer, resting their foreheads together. “Let me make up for it?”
Jensen could feel Jared’s breath on his lips, and he nodded, closing his eyes. “Okay.”
Jared kissed him, chaste at first but slowly becoming more passionate. Jensen never thought in a million years that he’d be kissed like this by someone like Jared. Not while in his true form. It was more than he ever could have wished for.
“Hey,” Jared said, pulling away for air. “Don’t scare me like that again, huh? And I mean it this time. Thought I might lose you.”
“I won’t.” Jensen scooted closer, nuzzling into Jared’s neck. “I promise.”
****
Jensen woke up and turned the news on late the next night, fetching an old pair of glasses he’d found in his bedroom off the nightstand. He yearned to hear something about Lucky Chin’s, about the wishes, anything that could provide him with more closure than he already had. And then he saw it. He saw it all. A girl’s skin returned to normal, a man with a normal amount of hair, a girl not crazed over her love for a boy, a man who could spend time in the sun without hurting his eyes, a shark bite miraculously healed, and a man suddenly waking from a coma. He smiled, feeling the happiest he’d ever been.
“Mmm.” Jared cuddled close in the bed and gave Jensen a squeeze, only half awake. “Everything okay?”
Jensen turned the TV off and snuggled down under the covers and into Jared’s warmth, grinning. “Yeah. Everything’s great.”
“Good,” Jared grunted, squeezing him tighter. “Then go back to sleep with me.”
Fandom: RPS
Characters: Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki
Prompt: 025. Strangers.
fanfic100 table: here
Word Count: 8,883
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Smex, some crack, and slight angst.
Summary: Jensen didn't really think that a childish wish on a coin would change much for him, but feeling invisible left him open to doing childish things. When his wish came true, he thought that he could be happy. A string of wishes gone wrong (including his own) told him otherwise.
Author's Notes: AU done for blisfulievil, whose help_haiti request was for succubus!Jensen. I twisted it around a bit, and this is what came out of it (and 4x08: Wishful Thinking, which I ripped off shamelessly). God knows I love putting these guys in Supernatural situations. It does crack out a bit (mostly towards the end, lols), and I have to thank itskaylie and dugindeep for help with the wishes gone wrong. Hope you enjoy! :)
Jensen Ackles knew everything about Jared Padalecki. He knew that Jared went out of state for college and stayed there for a few years, building up his resume. He knew that Jared was a technical writer, a job that Jared was paid nicely for and could do from home. He knew that Jared did his work on the Blackberry that he kept in his pocket, and that a lot of it got done at the firehouse, where Jared volunteered as a firefighter. He knew that Jared was out, proud, and successful. He certainly knew that Jared was 6’4”, well-built, and probably well-hung. And he knew that Jared frequented the Hub, the local bar that Jensen was sitting in, watching Jared out of the corner of his eye.
It wasn’t stalking, really. Not when you lived in Concrete, Washington, where there was a population of barely 840. Concrete was far from being a big city, and Jensen did actually know Jared. Well, sort of. They both went to Concrete High. They were in the same graduating class. They saw each other around town all the time. Or, at least, Jensen saw Jared. Jared didn’t really seem to notice Jensen. Even in a small town like Concrete, Washington, Jared didn’t notice him. Jensen sighed heavily, ordering another whiskey.
He couldn’t blame Jared, really. While the state of Washington didn’t condone homosexuality (legal protection and condoning were too very separate things in the eyes of the powers that be), the men of Concrete seemed to have no problem making open offers to Jared. It seemed Jared just had that effect on people. Jared could take any man home on any given night, and the ones that he left with were always the beautiful ones: tall, muscular, perfect cheekbones and jawlines. Jensen had tried to talk to Jared before when those men were around, and it never went well. Jared was always distracted, looking over Jensen’s shoulder, calling him by a different name, and never remembering speaking to him.
Jensen didn’t look anything like those other men. He may have been tall, but he wasn’t trim or fit. He had a few extra pounds he could probably stand to get rid of, bowlegs, chubby cheeks, oily hair, and oversized glasses perched on his nose. He was imperfect, and he was boring, even down to his boring clothes and boring shoes. He was pale and washed out, but then he guessed he looked exactly the way a town clerk should; a boring man for a boring job.
The truth was that it wasn’t just Jared. People in general didn’t seem to notice Jensen. He was the town clerk, the only one Concrete had, and nobody ever remembered his name, his face, or what he did for a living. They simply handed over their paperwork, and he handed over whatever records they were requesting. He barely got a glance from them, and he never got a thank you. Sometimes he thought he may as well be invisible.
Jensen sighed again and pulled a coin from his pocket, flipping it around in his chubby, oversized fingers. It was an old coin, one that he’d gotten from his grandfather a few years before. It was far from currency, some strange picture of a dragon on it. His grandfather had found it somewhere in North Africa and passed it down to him. Jensen smirked a little. His grandfather had been one of the few people to leave Concrete and travel, even going out of the country. Jared was another of those few. Jensen looked back at Jared at that thought and saw him standing in the middle of a group of men, eyes already looking one of them up and down. He looked back down at the coin. It was always in his pocket everywhere he went, as a reminder of and tribute to his grandfather, who told him to be careful with it. His grandfather had just passed away.
Jensen downed his whiskey and shoved the coin back into his pocket, grabbing his jacket and leaving the bar.
****
Jensen left the Town Hall Building for lunch the next day and stepped inside Lucky Chin’s. He would’ve watched his weight if he’d thought that it would matter, but for now he was just going to sit down and eat something fried and greasy, like an egg roll, maybe some pork, and a little bit of lo mein. He was 32, and he’d really just about given up at this point.
He sat back in his booth and chewed his food, looking around at the other patrons in the restaurant. He watched as one of the children begged his parents for a coin, a penny, anything to throw into the wishing well. He twirled his fork in his noodles as the kid made a wish and dropped the coin into the fountain, turning around with a big smile on his face. Jensen snorted. If only he still had that kind of childlike faith in wishes. If only he still believed that a wish on a coin could change everything. He stared at the fountain, feeling his grandfather’s coin in his pocket.
It was stupid to even consider it, but Jensen walked over to the wishing well after his food was gone and paid for. He just stood in front of it, wishing that things could be different. Wishing…
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the coin, thinking of his life, his looks, and his near nonexistence. He had nothing. He was nothing. Maybe it was stupid, but making a childish wish on a fountain would really be the least of Jensen’s problems. In fact, he may as well. He had nothing to lose.
He thought of Jared then, and he suddenly realized that he didn’t have an obsession with Jared. He envied him. Jared was everything that Jensen wasn’t and everything that Jensen wanted. He wished for it. He wished to have what Jared had; to be noticeable and desirable, attractive and memorable. He’d been invisible for too long.
He looked down at the coin, rubbing his fingers over it, then back up at the fountain. He muttered a quiet, “Sorry, Granddad,” and tossed the coin in. He waited a full minute, hoping for something to change.
“Nothing,” Jensen said to himself, and nobody even turned to look at him. He shook his head and scoffed, feeling a bitter disappointment in something he wasn’t even sure he’d believed in to begin with. “What a joke.”
Jensen walked to the back of the restaurant and into the men’s bathroom, heading for the urinal. He unzipped and set up, steady stream hitting the porcelain. Through the haze of his frustration, he suddenly felt like he was being watched. It was odd, and it sent chills down his spine. Nobody ever watched him, not even when he was talking to himself in front of a fountain in the middle of a crowded restaurant. What made it even more unsettling was that he was taking care of business at a urinal. Jensen had never had that feeling of being caught with his pants down before, and he certainly didn’t appreciate it now. He shifted awkwardly, not moving too much, lest the flow end up somewhere it shouldn’t. Once he was done, he quickly tucked himself away and turned.
Jensen’s breath caught in his throat, and he stumbled back, spine painfully connecting with the side of the urinal. Jensen ignored the pain, fear turning his body stiff as he stared up at the creature standing in front of him. It flickered, hazy like a mirage, bright red eyes focused on Jensen, mischievous grin curling its lips. Its face was masculine, body a muscular fit for it, but ram’s horns and black, tattered wings made it more monster than man. Jensen opened his mouth to scream, his heart pounding at the terrifying thought that even if he did, nobody would hear him. Nobody ever heard him. The thing rushed him before he could try, and Jensen inhaled sharply, his body giving a jolt. His eyes squeezed shut as fire shot through his veins and then cooled. He opened his eyes again, panicked, but the creature was gone.
Your wish is my command. The voice resonated inside Jensen’s head, and he shook it, gasping at the sound. It was followed by a deep yet casual chuckle, and Jensen knew that the creature he’d seen standing in front of him in the bathroom was now inside his own body. Relax. I’m here to help you. Just calm down and take a good look at yourself.
Jensen didn’t have time to think about what was happening to him, strange sensations numbing his thoughts and working him over. It felt like his stomach was being sucked inward, his body thinning out. He looked down at himself and saw his clothes getting baggier, his hand moving to catch his pants before they fell down. Better tighten your belt up. Jensen gaped at his changing body, his glasses dropping from his face and shattering on the floor as he swiftly lifted his head to look into the bathroom mirror. You don’t need those anymore.
He didn’t. He could see perfectly, and he was stunned by what he did see. Look at yourself. You’re beautiful. Jensen could barely function, but he shuffled his feet forward slowly, coming closer to the mirror. He lifted a hand to his face, the fingers on it thinner and a little more masculine. The fingertips moved along prominent cheekbones, light stubble, full lips, and a strong jawline, naked green eyes watching them move. He could feel them, but he didn’t know how, because this face couldn’t be his. It had to be someone else’s. He moved his hand upward, ran it through soft, slightly spiky hair that complimented the face below. You should see the rest.
Jensen paused, disturbed by the voice in his head, but listening to it. He reached down and gripped the hem of his now oversized shirt, lifting it up in front of the mirror. His torso had been completely redefined, his stomach flattened, abs strong, pecs hard. He could already feel the muscle in his arms, and he flexed his biceps, all the while half dazed, as if he’d somehow found himself in the middle of a dream. It’s what you wanted.
Jensen stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do, and the voice went quiet, as if it was letting him take all of this in. He just stared into the mirror, realizing now that the face did sort of resemble his own. It was just…much, much nicer. “Impossible,” he whispered, looking back and forth between his own eyes, and the voice laughed.
Not impossible. If it were impossible, it wouldn’t be happening, and it clearly is.
“Who are you?” Jensen breathed, now acutely aware of the fact that he was conversing with some creature that had taken over his body. He stood up straighter and turned around, away from the mirror. He looked down at his hands, breathing heavily, his pants beginning to slip downward. “Where did you come from? How can you be…inside me?”
Does it really matter? the voice asked back. All that matters is that I can make other people want to be inside you…or want you inside them. There was a dark glee in the tone now, spiked with lust, and Jensen closed his eyes, knowing that it was true with the sudden fire lit inside of him. You can have whoever you want now. Why don’t you go out there and see?
“I can’t…” Jensen trailed off, still at a loss for what to do. It was all so much, and it felt like his head was swimming. But the voice went quiet again, and after standing there for a few moments, Jensen realized that he couldn’t just stay in the bathroom forever. “Going out there” was all he could do, even if he doubted his own sanity. He moved his hands to tighten his belt, his pants as secure as they could be. He moved and opened the bathroom door, stepping through it, and then jolted when he nearly collided with a woman passing by. She was heading for the ladies’ room, and he went completely still when she stopped and stared at him.
“Hi,” she said quietly, smiling as her cheeks flushed a deep red. She looked up at him through her eyelashes, biting her lip and twirling her hair with one finger, forgetting all about her trip to the bathroom.
“Um…” Jensen felt frozen, unsure of what to say, because he never even got greetings from anybody, let alone one like this. “Hi.”
She giggled, and Jensen felt something inside of him spread outward. It was dark and suggestive, like a sexual magnetic field. He could feel when it curled around her, and saw it register in her face, her pupils going wide and her mouth dropping open. She stepped closer, and Jensen took a jerky step back, denying her. The voice inside of him laughed.
We don’t swing that way, huh? Just like that, the power around Jensen retracted and hid itself inside of him. The girl flushed some more and mumbled something unintelligible as her eyes dropped to the floor. She giggled again, rushing towards the bathroom. Fine. We’ll save it then. For what you really want.
“Jesus Christ,” Jensen whispered, and he turned to stare at the wishing well, suddenly in awe of it. It was a little frightening, being possessed by this other being, but Jensen couldn’t help feeling a little excited, too. He’d gotten his wish. He wasn’t invisible anymore. That thought meant more to him than anything else ever had.
He remembered then that he had to go back to work. He was already late from this long lunch, if you could call it that. The voice said nothing, and Jensen straightened up, hurrying out of Lucky Chin’s. Customers watched him as he walked out. People on the street smiled and really looked at him, even greeting him as he passed by. He began to feel a bit like he was floating, and he grinned when a coworker did a double take on her way past his desk. He chuckled when she attempted to greet him, fumbling for his name, and he gave it to her, cheeks hurting with the force of his smile. He left the Town Hall Building laughing with a mix of every good emotion he’d been missing, because she’d actually remembered his name when he’d said goodbye to her. He wouldn’t change his wish for the world.
****
Jensen suddenly found work a pleasure, found the people in town a pleasure, being recognized and respected opening up a brand new world he never knew existed. He’d already been shopping for a new wardrobe, thankful that the thing inside of him, whatever it was, was much better with fashion than he was. He grinned at himself in the mirror, looking sleek and sexy in black, his hair done and gelled just right. He was still nervous when he entered the Hub, just out of habit. He rubbed his palms against the thighs of his pants and headed for the bar, ordering a whiskey to calm himself. He hadn’t looked around yet, but he knew that everyone else was looking at him. He could feel it.
He got his drink and took a sip, feeling the warmth flow through him, relaxing him. He turned on his barstool, eyes darting around the room. He jolted and nearly spilled his drink on the floor when he caught sight of Jared. It was as if Jensen’s wildest fantasy had come to life, Jared Padalecki actually watching him, instead of the other way around. Jensen lowered his eyes, still fighting with the insecurity that had dug itself so deep inside of him. He hadn’t realized that Jared had moved until he heard Jared’s voice, close, and his eyes shot back up to look at him.
“Hey,” Jared said, slight smirk on his lips, and Jensen’s mouth went dry. He choked on his response and downed the rest of his drink, nerves making his leg bounce erratically. Jared laughed, sounding light and curious. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around here.”
Jensen sat on his barstool, tongue-tied. That same sexual energy from before started spreading outward, towards Jared, and Jensen shook his head in response to it, shaken. It was all too much, and he had to deal with one situation at a time, like actually talking to Jared. He heard a chuckle deep inside of him, and the field shrank back. Jared laughed again, brow quirking.
“So, I haven’t seen you around, then?”
“What?” Jensen sputtered, shifting in his seat. “No. I mean, yes!” Jared cocked his head at him, smiling wider now. “I mean, I wasn’t shaking my head because…” Jensen trailed off and cleared his throat. “I’m Jensen. We’ve...met before. Here. And we went to high school together?”
He phrased that last sentence as a question, and he saw the confusion on Jared’s face, watching him think it through. Jared shook his head, looking a bit apologetic. “I’m sorry, man, I just…I don’t remember.” He frowned. “Can’t quite place you in high school, anyways.”
“It’s okay,” Jensen muttered, feeling a pang of sadness. He looked down into his refilled drink and shrugged. “Not like I’m anybody special to know, anyway.”
“Hey, come on, don’t talk like that!” Jared cuffed him on the shoulder a little and sat down beside him. Jensen’s shoulder warmed and tingled where Jared had touched him. He watched as Jared nodded to the bartender, then at him. “Put him on my tab, huh?”
“You don’t have to do tha-”
“Nonsense.” Jared waved him off, smiling. “Small price to pay for your company tonight. Why don’t you tell me about your problem?”
Jensen raised an eyebrow. “Problem?”
“Yeah, you know.” Jared ordered himself a drink and leaned casually back on the bar as he waited. “The one where you think you’re nobody special. What’s that all about?”
Jensen hesitated as Jared got his drink and sipped at it, waiting for a response. He wasn’t sure how to answer, so he went for honesty, shrugging. “It’s just that most of my life, I’ve been sort of invisible, you know?”
“You?” Jared’s face scrunched up in disbelief. “I find that hard to believe.”
“You didn’t remember me,” Jensen pointed out. Jared grimaced, and Jensen realized how harsh that probably sounded. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, waving a hand in the air. “It doesn’t matter.”
“I think maybe it does.” Jared set his glass down on the bar and rubbed his hands together, looking a bit awkward but determined. “Why don’t you tell me about yourself?”
Jensen stalled and stuttered, completely thrown by the question and the fact that Jared was asking it. He finally blurted out that he was the town clerk, and noticed the uncomfortable fidget Jared gave at that. Jensen knew the reason for it. Jared had been in his office more than once and had simply forgotten him, just like everyone else. But Jared was undeterred, and he stayed there in his seat, expectant. Jensen nervously rambled on, trying his best to come up with anything and everything, movies, music, TV shows that he liked. And Jared listened patiently, seeming more interested as Jensen went on, a small smile showing on his face.
“Well, you sound pretty awesome,” Jared said when Jensen finally trailed off. “I think we have a lot in common.”
Jensen snorted. “I doubt that.” He nodded towards the back of the bar, where Jared’s pursuers were usually competing for his attention by now. “I don’t have a pack that follows me around all the time.”
Jared frowned, glancing back at the men and looking uninterested. “Forget about them. And for the record? They’re lookin’ at you, not me.” Jensen opened his mouth to protest before remembering that Jared was right. All eyes were on him this time around. Jared clapped him on the shoulder and laughed. “So much for being invisible, right?”
Jensen laughed, too, a little hysterically. “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Good thing I’m more interesting than they are,” Jared said, looking away when Jensen looked back at him. He shrugged and added an “I hope” as he finished his drink.
“You are.”
Jensen stared at Jared, at the way Jared smiled shyly at that, dimples showing. He couldn’t believe that Jared was hoping for him. He couldn’t believe that he was not only in this situation, but that he had the upper hand. He took in Jared’s build, the way he slouched on the barstool, the way his hair fell into his eyes, and sweat glistened a little in the hollow of his throat. He gulped, suddenly eager to attempt more than he ever had. Sex poured forth from him, towards Jared, and he didn’t try to stop it this time. Somehow, he didn’t think he’d be able to. For just a second, he wondered if he should really do this, whether it was wrong or not. He heard a dim It doesn’t matter in his brain, and the force inside of him was too strong to keep there. His heart raced as Jared’s eyes suddenly darkened, shoulders straightening and tensing.
“Jensen,” Jared whispered, and it sent shivers down Jensen’s spine. The feeling got stronger, and Jensen was hot, too hot, his dick pressing against the seam of his pants. “You’re…”
Jared’s sentence went unfinished, and Jensen could see him breathing, sweating, wanting. He’ll let you fuck him. Jensen closed his eyes for a second and took a deep breath. The voice sounded so sure, and it ran so deep within him. He couldn’t control it anymore. He opened his eyes again, speaking words he never thought he’d say to Jared Padalecki.
“You wanna get outta here?”
His voice came out as a low growl, and he was itching to get off the stool, to touch Jared and take him. Jared just nodded feverishly, tossing money onto the bar and standing up.
“Please.”
****
Jensen couldn’t even remember the last time he was with someone, which would have made him worry if the being inside him wasn’t so sure, smooth, and confident. Jensen took Jared back to his place, and they barely made it to the building, let alone the bedroom. Jensen never felt so powerful, with Jared whimpering and submitting easily and eagerly, lips wrapping around Jensen’s dick. Part of him couldn’t believe that he had Jared in this position, on his knees before him. The other part, the new part, was controlled and easy, even while raging and needy. It guided him, allowing him to curl his fingers in Jared’s hair and thrust, gentle and shallow. It gave him the strength to pull out when Jared moaned around him, vibrations sending shockwaves through his body, and maneuver Jared onto the bed. It made it so easy to prepare Jared, expert fingers slicked and crooked inside, opening Jared up.
Jared was lost in it all, pre-come pooling on his skin, cock hard and throbbing against his belly, veins standing out. He turned over for Jensen easily, ass in the air, offered to him, and Jensen took it on a long push in, thick cock stretching Jared further. He was tense but controlled, letting Jared adjust even as he moaned encouragingly. The reins stayed pulled back as Jensen thrust slowly, shallow presses until Jared cursed and bucked, pushing back against him. That was when Jensen snapped, the power inside of him unleashed, and he pulled Jared close, fucking in as hard as he could. His thrusts were punctuated by Jared’s sharp, pleasured cries. He kept adjusting, moving on his legs, his feet, changing the speed and the angle, and Jared shouted for Jensen and God, letting go of a string of curses. Can make him come without touching his dick. Jensen was moved to reach for it anyway, fist jerking over it in quick, tight strokes, and Jared sobbed, tensing beneath him. God, yes, come with him.
Jared lost it, going hoarse and shooting over Jensen’s hand, his ass clenching with his orgasm. Jensen was powerless against the intensity of his possession, his entire body scalding hot and throbbing. His fingernails bit into Jared’s flesh as he went taut and cried out, shuddering violently as he came, dick jerking over and over again and vision briefly going white. He pulled out immediately when he was finished, his body shaking as he collapsed onto the mattress. He closed his eyes, trying to compose himself and catch his breath. He could still hear Jared panting hard when he reached down to get rid of the condom he’d used.
“Goddamn,” Jared breathed, huffing out a laugh. Jensen turned and saw Jared glistening with sweat and smiling. “That was amazing. You were amazing.”
Jensen smiled, drained and sated. The voice within him was quiet again. “You weren’t so bad yourself.”
Jared grinned and shifted on the mattress, moving closer. He was hesitant when he spoke again, knee brushing up against Jensen’s. “Mind if I stay?”
It was an unexpected question, and it made Jensen scoot closer, seeking Jared’s warmth now that they’d cooled down. “Of course not.”
When Jensen’s alarm went off hours later, he woke up to Jared wrapped around him. He reached for the alarm clock and turned it off, smiling when Jared sighed and nuzzled into him more. He let his fingertips glide over Jared’s skin, wherever he could reach, eyes trailing the movement. He still couldn’t believe all this was real. He felt warm and wanted when Jared squeezed him a little.
“Do we really have to move?”
“’Fraid so,” Jensen said quietly, and Jared lifted his head and opened his eyes. They were soft and tired, calm, fitting the gentle curve of Jared’s lips so well, dimples just barely there. Jensen smiled back. “Though I’m thinking about calling out.”
Jared chuckled and nuzzled Jensen’s neck again before pulling back and kissing his lips, dragging himself up into a sitting position. “Nah, I gotta get movin’, too. I can see you again, though, right?”
Jensen grinned at the hopeful look on Jared’s face. “Absolutely.”
****
Jensen briefly wondered whether he should be a little more worried about whatever was inside of him, but it was easy for him to dismiss. The thing was quiet more often than not, and it didn’t interfere with his thoughts or personality. The only time it took some control was during sex, and Jensen didn’t mind that so much. He was sure that it was an improvement. It gave off that now familiar aura when he got horny, and it gave him an edge, making him a sexual expert in bed. It was one thing for Jared to tell Jensen that he was good. It was another for Jensen to just know it.
“I’m sorry,” Jared said one night, his head pillowed on Jensen’s chest, fingers running up and down Jensen’s arm. It was just a faint whisper, and Jensen’s hand paused where it was caressing Jared’s back, wet with the cooling sweat of sex.
“What for?”
“For not knowing you,” Jared said quietly, his lips pressing down over Jensen’s heart. “Not remembering you.”
Jensen was caught somewhere between a frown and a smile, his hand moving along Jared’s back again. “I thought I told you that didn’t matter?”
Jared’s soft chuckle puffed out over Jensen’s skin. “I’m not just apologizing to you, but to me.” He shifted, moving so that he was propped up on his chin, looking up at Jensen. “We could’ve been doing this for years, already,” he said, smiling, his eyes shining even in the dark.
Jensen smiled back, brushing Jared’s hair off of his sweaty forehead. “And by ‘this,’ you mean…?”
“All of it.” Jared shrugged. “Just being here, together, instead of wasting our time out at some bar.”
Jensen’s heart pounded a little. They hadn’t ventured to call this a relationship at all, but that seemed to be what they were heading towards. Since their first night together, they’d only gone to the Hub to find each other after work. Tonight, they hadn’t even bothered with the Hub at all. They’d abandoned their regular haunt for…this, whatever this was. He liked it. He liked Jared. He liked seeing Jared, sleeping, eating, and talking with him. Jensen never thought he’d have anything to talk about with anyone. He’d always thought of himself as too boring. But he found himself engaged in more conversations with Jared than he’d ever thought possible, the two of them discussing everything they could possibly think of. And now that they’d gotten to know each other, it actually felt natural. He wondered if it ever would’ve happened if he hadn’t made that wish in Lucky Chin’s. He decided not to think about it, falling asleep with Jared in his arms, their legs tangled together.
They showered together the next morning, thorough in cleaning each other and getting each other off. Jensen moved quickly after that, getting his things together to leave Jared’s place. He was dressed again when he walked into the living room to find Jared standing in front of the TV, mouth open in shock.
“My God…”
Jensen’s brow furrowed, and he moved to stand beside Jared, staring at the screen. “What?”
“This poor girl…” Jared spoke slowly, still listening to the rapid-fire words of the reporter on the television. He glanced at Jensen only briefly, troubled, before turning back to the screen. “They don’t know what happened. She just…Her skin just turned transparent.”
Jensen’s eyes widened. “What?”
Jared nodded, pointing at the video replay of a young girl being rushed into an ambulance, hands held up in an attempt to hide her face. Jensen balked at the scene, the girl’s skeletal and circulatory systems visible in her arms. “It’s…Nobody can explain it. She hasn’t always been like this.”
“Well, what the hell could cause that?” Jensen asked, almost scared to know.
Jared shook his head. “I have no idea. Story goes, the girl was in Lucky Chin’s when it happened. She was fine, she went to use the bathroom, and she just came out…changed. Started screaming, asking what was in the fountain. They’re saying she had really bad acne, and she wished on the fountain for clear skin, but that…” Jared paused and took a deep breath, shaking his head again. “I can’t believe the news would report something like that. Take rumors and make a mockery of this poor girl’s problem.”
Jensen froze, the color draining from his face. Just forget about it. Jensen jumped at the sound of the voice. It was cold and harsh, almost threatening. For the first time since he realized his wish had come true, Jensen was scared. He was scared of what was happening and scared of what he’d done. He thought of his grandfather then, of the day he’d handed the coin over. “Listen to me, Jensen,” he’d said. “You have to be careful with this. Keep it to yourself. Protect it. Never give it away.” Fire burned inside of Jensen, something clenching around his heart just enough to hurt and scare him further. I said to forget about it.
“Jensen? Jensen!” Jared grabbed him by the shoulders, straightening him up. Jensen hadn’t realized that he’d hunched over, or that his hand was grasping at his chest. But Jared’s attention was on him now, eyes wide and scared. “Jensen, are you okay?”
Say yes. Jensen managed a feeble nod, his voice weak when he spoke. “Yeah. Yeah, Jay, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure?” Jared still looked concerned and a little skeptical. “What the hell was that?”
“Yeah, it was just…” Jensen searched his brain for an answer. “Just indigestion, I think.” He forced himself to smile, but doubted it was convincing. “It’s nothing, man.”
Jared’s hands dropped from his shoulders, but he kept his eyes on Jensen. “Hope you don’t get indigestion like that often. You should probably get checked out. Go see your doctor. You shouldn’t be getting chest pains like that.” He paused, considering something. “I have half a mind to take you to the hospital right now.”
“No, man, I told you, it’s fine,” Jensen said quickly. “I mean, I don’t need the hospital. I can always go to my doctor later.” He fidgeted under Jared’s gaze and turned away. “I should get going, or I’ll be late to work.”
“Hey!” Jared grabbed Jensen’s sleeve and turned him back around, pulling him into a kiss. “Don’t scare me like that,” he said quietly, kissing Jensen again. “And take care of yourself, okay?” He smiled as if he was trying to lighten the moment, but his words were heavy, his forehead resting against Jensen’s. “Anything happens to you after this, I’ll hate myself for not forcing you into the ER.”
“Don’t worry about me.” Jensen held Jared for a moment, trying to savor the feeling, but having trouble doing so. After the shock of the news and the attack from within, Jensen didn’t know what to think or expect. “I’ll be fine.”
****
Something was wrong. Jensen knew that much. He’d thought that his wish coming true had been a good thing, but now whatever had possessed him was threatening him, and some poor girl was practically see-through. She’d wished on the same fountain. It didn’t take a genius to figure out the origin of the problem. And since plenty of other Concrete residents had wished on the fountain with ordinary coins and gotten no results, it was obvious that it was Jensen’s strange coin and not the fountain that had started all of this. What Jensen didn’t understand was why.
He took to researching it, the voice inside of his head mocking him all the while. It didn’t matter what he found out. The being burrowed inside of him would never let him fix what he’d so badly ruined. It took a while to sort through everything and make a connection, but once he did, Jensen realized just how screwed he really was. He felt dread and remorse, laughter inside his head. The coin was the culprit, alright. And in order to stop the madness, the original wisher had to remove the coin himself.
It’ll never happen.
“Things are only gonna get worse,” Jensen pleaded, his voice sounding oddly loud in his otherwise silent study. He was disturbed, his stomach churning, because there was no other person there, but he knew that he wasn’t talking to himself.
People could get hurt. People could die. But I’m not giving up this body. I like it here.
Jensen dropped his head down into his hands, squeezing his eyes shut. He was the one answer to making things better, and he couldn’t do it. “What are you?”
Can’t your little computer tell you that?
“Just tell me.” It was an order, but Jensen whispered it, feeling lost and defeated.
I’m your deep, dark little secret.
****
One would think that the wishing well in Lucky Chin’s would have a bad reputation after the first public wish gone wrong. But that seemed to only peak people’s curiosities, make them wonder if they could get something good out of it, or just dare each other to wish on the damn thing. There was no way for Jensen to ignore it. His conscience plagued him with pleas to do the right thing, but he didn’t know how. The stories were everywhere. An older man who wished for more hair became covered in it, like a real life Cousin Itt. A teenage girl nearly killed one of her peers over a boy who wished she’d fall in love with him. A wish for better eyesight left a man so sensitive to light that he couldn’t leave his house during the day. A man who thought he could have more fun during his vacation in the tropics wished for the ability to breathe underwater, only to end up coming home with a nasty shark bite.
“This town’s going crazy,” Jared commented one night in bed, fingers tracing lightly over Jensen’s abs. “It’s kinda scary.”
Jensen turned to Jared, wanting to tell him so badly. A twinge of pain in his chest prevented him from doing so. “Yeah, it is.”
“It’s crazy, right?” Jared asked, propping himself up on an elbow and looking down at Jensen. “I mean…the well. It can’t possibly do these things, right?”
Jensen shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “Wouldn’t think so, but I don’t know how else to explain it.”
Jared sighed. “Word is, they’re gonna close down Lucky Chin’s until they figure out what the hell’s going on. People are being questioned, but no one’s getting anywhere, obviously. It’s too weird.”
Jensen snapped to attention, his eyes widening. Maybe there was hope after all. “They’re closing it down?”
Jared nodded. “Yeah, they’re supposed to lock it up this week. Keep people from goin’ in and makin’ wishes.”
“Wow.” Jensen was careful with his response, keeping it toned down, lest he suffer another bout of indigestion in front of Jared.
“Yeah.” Jared lay back down next to Jensen and sighed again, settling in. “You know, it may be crazy, but I still can’t believe people are still doing it. You couldn’t pay me to drop a coin in that fountain.”
Jensen snorted, deprecating himself in his mind. “You’re smarter than most.”
“I don’t know about that.” Jared kissed Jensen’s shoulder. “I think I’m just safe.”
Jensen smiled a little, allowing himself to loosen up a bit. After all, if Lucky Chin’s was shut down, he didn’t have much else to worry about, did he? “Safe? You volunteer to run into burning buildings. I wouldn’t call that safe.”
Jared laughed and poked Jensen playfully in the ribs, making him squirm. “I never said I wasn’t heroic,” he said, puffing up his chest. “I just said I was safe.”
“You’re such an asshole,” Jensen chuckled, rolling his eyes. Jared grinned and rolled on top of him, kissing him deeply and pressing their hips together.
“Am I?”
Jensen moaned and responded in kind, giving in easily to the seductive power inside of him. He could curse his possessor for preventing him from fixing the chaos that was taking over his hometown, but Jensen had to admit that this, the physical and sexual benefit he received from it, was something he still clung to. He had to admit that he was afraid to let it go. He was afraid of being invisible again. And deep down, he knew that what he was most afraid of was losing Jared.
****
Lucky Chin’s had been locked and boarded up, but that didn’t stop someone from breaking into it in order to make a wish. The man whose prints were eventually found inside the store had suddenly won his dream car in a surprise giveaway, only to end up in a coma after a terrible accident involving another car and a telephone pole.
Jensen didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t sleep, his eyes fixed on the alarm clock from his spot in Jared’s bed. He’d started this. People were getting hurt, and he’d caused it. He hadn’t meant to, of course, but now…
He got up as quietly as he could, careful not to wake Jared. What are you doing? Just relax. Go back to bed. Jensen ignored the voice. He was too racked with guilt now, too sick over what he’d inadvertently done. He had to at least try to do something to fix it. He briefly wondered if Jared would ever speak to him again once this was over, and then he pushed the thought from his mind, ignoring the pain in his heart, too. This wasn’t just about him anymore. It hadn’t been for a while. And Jensen couldn’t call himself human if he didn’t care about the other people who were affected by that damned coin.
He got dressed, went downstairs, and turned on Jared’s computer. He found everything relevant to the research he’d done before. He read it all over again, found the image of Tiamat, the Babylonian god of chaos that had been on the coin. The damn thing had taken out towns before this. He found the lore and the cure, the one way to stop it: Him. You know I won’t let you do it. I’ll kill you first. He left those windows open on Jared’s screen and took a deep, shaky breath.
“You won’t,” Jensen said quietly, trying to sound confident. “You need this body.”
****
Jensen broke into Lucky Chin’s in the wee hours of the morning, while it was still dark. He tried to be quiet, but it was hard, the thing inside of him making him clumsy and giving him a slight headache to start. I’ll only make it worse the closer you get. Turn back.
“No.”
Jensen stumbled in the darkened restaurant, his eyes adjusting to the interior as he moved back towards where the fountain would be. Pain shot up his spine and through his chest at the same time, and he collapsed on the floor, wheezing as his eyes began to tear. You can’t fight me. The voice was angry now, throbbing in Jensen’s brain, and he writhed, doing his best to simply stay conscious. Maybe I won’t kill you, but you’ll still never make it to that fountain. I’m staying whether you like it or not.
“Please,” Jensen murmured, gasping for air, tears rolling out from the corners of his eyes. “Please, it has to stop.”
“Jensen!”
Jensen lifted his head off the floor. It was dark, and his vision was blurred, but he knew it was Jared standing over him, if only for his voice. Jared knelt down beside him, caring hands on his shoulders, and Jensen felt an irrational sense of hope. He can’t help you. No one can. He doesn’t even know I’m in here. All he’ll do is take you away from here.
“Jensen! Oh, God.” Jared reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “I’m gonna call 911, you’re gonna be okay.”
“No.” Jensen knew his voice was barely audible, but he summoned enough strength to reach up and bat the phone out of Jared’s hands, hearing it clatter on the floor. Jared looked down at him in shock, and Jensen simply shook his head, sinister laughter echoing inside of it. “Jared, please.”
“I’m here,” Jared said without hesitation, taking one of Jensen’s hands in his own. “Jensen, what is this? I don’t even know what’s going on, I don’t even know why we’re here, but I woke up, and you were gone, and I found this crazy shit on my computer…” Jared paused in his panic and took a breath. “What’s going on, man? Is this about…Is this about you? Did you wish for something?”
Go ahead. Tell him. There’s nothing he can do about it. Jensen managed a nod, the pain not fading, but not getting worse now, either. “Yes,” he breathed. “I was the first.”
There was a moment of silence, a moment of Jared taking everything in and making sense of it. “What did you…” Jared shook his head, knowing they couldn’t waste any more time. “You have to get to the well, then? Take the coin back out?” Jensen nodded, and Jared hesitated. “Will that…Will it help you?”
The barest hint of another nod, and Jared was picking Jensen up off the floor, half supporting and half dragging him towards the well, and Jensen thought for a moment that they’d actually make it; that everything would be okay. And then darkness and rage exploded within him, his possessor taking complete control of his body, flinging Jared away from him and rounding on him. Jensen watched, seemingly from a distance, as Jared’s body crashed into one of the tables and then landed painfully on the floor, hurt and shocked eyes looking up at him now.
“You’re not getting rid of me.” Jensen felt his mouth move, heard his own voice, but it was so menacing, so wrong. “I’m not giving up this body.”
“Wha-”
Jensen felt his body jump, the sudden crash of a car through the front of the building a shock even to this evil thing inside of him. His arm lifted to shield his eyes from the headlights that were now shining on him, preventing him from seeing who the driver was until it was too late, water being flung onto his face from a silver flask.
The tortured shriek inside Jensen’s head caused his vision to go white, and he crumpled to the floor, even as he felt more in control of himself. He still couldn’t see who had attacked him, but he could hear a masculine voice now, one different from Jared’s, reciting words that he couldn’t understand. It was a foreign language, and with every new word, Jensen felt a heave in his body, heard more shrieks in his head.
“What are you doing?!” Jared’s angry shout still came through loud and clear, and there was a pause in the other man’s recitation. Jensen heard a bit of a struggle, then heard an annoyed, “I’m helpin’ him, y’idjit!”
A few more words of whatever the hell this guy was saying, and Jensen almost blacked out, a scream ripped from his throat as the being was torn from his body.
…
“What the hell was that?” Jared.
“It was an incubus. He was possessed.” Who was that guy? “Now would you please pull the damn coin out of the fountain before everyone around here gets killed?”
Jensen was weak and dazed, trying to collect himself and come back to reality. He moved, trying to push himself up off the floor, and that was when he felt it. His body was changing. His clothes were getting tighter, and he probably couldn’t see now even with the car’s headlights illuminating the inside of Lucky Chin’s for him. He heard a gasp and knew it was Jared’s, and he felt his heart break. He felt even weaker now, vulnerable. He hated being caught like this, seen like this.
He turned away from the other men in the room and towards the fountain, reaching inside to feel along it, trying like hell to see inside of it with his poor vision. The coin was at least a dark spot there, and he grabbed at it, lifting it easily out of the well. It felt so anti-climactic, going through so much hell just to lift this sliver of a thing into his fingers. That was it. It was over. He heard the sound of the car pulling away and saw its light leaving. The whole of Lucky Chin’s was plunged into darkness again, and it was deadly quiet. He thought that Jared had probably left already, and with that thought, he felt fresh tears springing to his eyes. He knew he’d done the right thing, that he couldn’t have kept going as if nothing was wrong, but that didn’t keep him from hurting. He’d been a real person with a real life, and now all that was gone.
“Jensen?” Jared’s voice made him jump, and he turned away, cheeks flushing red at the thought of Jared still standing there, looking at him like this. “Jensen, are you alright?” Jared was kneeling in front of him then, a gentle hand resting on his shoulder, his voice wavering. “Come on, man, answer me. Tell me you’re okay.”
Jensen tried to fight the emotions filling up his chest, but he couldn’t. He gave a short laugh that sounded more fitting with the tear that was slipping down his cheek, and he kept his face averted. “I didn’t think you’d still remember my name.”
“What? What’s that supposed to mean? Jensen…” Jared’s hand brushed away Jensen’s tears, and Jensen flinched at the touch. “…I don’t even know if you’re hurt.”
“I’m fine.” He knew that he wasn’t. Physically, he probably was. But this would take a long time to recover from.
“Come on, man, why won’t you look at me?” It occurred to Jensen then that Jared sounded shaken and hurt, though he couldn’t quite grasp why. “Look at me.” Jared’s hand gripped Jensen’s chin, forcing Jensen to look at him. Jensen was grateful for his poor vision then. He didn’t want to see the disappointment and rejection in Jared’s eyes. “Jensen…what did you wish for? Is this…Is this you?”
Jensen nodded, accepting defeat. “Yeah, it’s me. I just wished to…to be like you.” His voice cracked, and he looked away again, and dropping it to a whisper. “I just wanted people to see me.”
“Oh, Jensen.”
“Don’t,” Jensen snapped, hating the tone in Jared’s voice. “Don’t pity me for it.” He wiped angrily at his eyes, blinking back the rest of his tears. “I know it was stupid. And I know you’re gonna leave, and that’s fine. I deserve it, after everything that’s happened.”
“Why would I leave?” Jared sounded hurt again, and it tugged at Jensen’s heartstrings. “Why would you think that?”
Jensen lifted a hand and gestured weakly at himself. “Because you don’t want…this. You don’t want me.”
“Like hell, I don’t.” Jared sounded angry then, and Jensen’s head snapped up to look at him, but he couldn’t see much. “What the hell do you think of me, Jensen? You think I’d leave you just because you’re not Mr. Universe? You think I don’t…You think I don’t love you?” Jensen’s ears perked up at that, his jaw falling open. “Maybe you wished to be like me, but you didn’t wish for me, Jensen. Don’t fucking tell me what I want, because I already know. I haven’t spent all this time with you without realizing it. And I want you.”
“But…” Jensen tried to keep his heart from rising with hope, but it was hard to suppress it. “But what about all those guys before? All the ones you went home with?”
He heard Jared scoff and sigh, saw the shake of Jared’s head. “They were never what I wanted. I was always looking…hoping…for something more, but they were never what I thought they’d be, you know? Only good for one thing. And that’s fun for a while, but…I want this.”
Jensen swallowed, still trying to process everything, even if he felt more at ease. “You say that, but you never even noticed me until after I made my wish. You never noticed me like this.”
There was a long, troubled pause between them then. “I know. I know. And I’m sorry, Jensen. I’m so sorry.” He laughed bitterly then, and Jensen hated the sound. “I guess part of me was still just a shallow douche bag. I still based my first impressions on pretty faces and hard bodies, and I didn’t even realize…” He took a deep breath, sounding broken when he spoke again. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Jensen muttered, and he meant it. Jared was broken open and honest here, just as vulnerable as he was, even if for different reasons. “Truth is, it wasn’t just you, anyway. It was everyone.” He smiled sadly. “Most people judge with their eyes, I guess.”
“Yeah, but you’re beautiful.” Jared’s voice was quiet but earnest, and Jensen felt himself flush again, his heart beating a little faster. “It’s our loss for not seeing it sooner. It’s my loss.” Jared’s hand settled on the back of Jensen’s neck, hesitantly pulling him closer, resting their foreheads together. “Let me make up for it?”
Jensen could feel Jared’s breath on his lips, and he nodded, closing his eyes. “Okay.”
Jared kissed him, chaste at first but slowly becoming more passionate. Jensen never thought in a million years that he’d be kissed like this by someone like Jared. Not while in his true form. It was more than he ever could have wished for.
“Hey,” Jared said, pulling away for air. “Don’t scare me like that again, huh? And I mean it this time. Thought I might lose you.”
“I won’t.” Jensen scooted closer, nuzzling into Jared’s neck. “I promise.”
****
Jensen woke up and turned the news on late the next night, fetching an old pair of glasses he’d found in his bedroom off the nightstand. He yearned to hear something about Lucky Chin’s, about the wishes, anything that could provide him with more closure than he already had. And then he saw it. He saw it all. A girl’s skin returned to normal, a man with a normal amount of hair, a girl not crazed over her love for a boy, a man who could spend time in the sun without hurting his eyes, a shark bite miraculously healed, and a man suddenly waking from a coma. He smiled, feeling the happiest he’d ever been.
“Mmm.” Jared cuddled close in the bed and gave Jensen a squeeze, only half awake. “Everything okay?”
Jensen turned the TV off and snuggled down under the covers and into Jared’s warmth, grinning. “Yeah. Everything’s great.”
“Good,” Jared grunted, squeezing him tighter. “Then go back to sleep with me.”