This situation, if it gets any deeper, could be critical.
Title: This situation, if it gets any deeper, could be critical.
Authors: (In alphabetical order) daisiesdaily, dramaqueen469, ladyrhyanne, vambrace
Beta: prettypsycho
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 5,013
Genre: RPS
Pairings & Characters: Jared/Jensen, Christian Kane, Steve Carlson
Summary: Trying to get Chris and Steve to be in the same room for longer than ten minutes was a difficult task for Jared and Jensen. All they wanted was for their friends to get along... was that so much to ask?
Disclaimer: The people own themselves. Never happened. It's called fiction for a reason. Title taken from Kelly Clarkson's "Whyyawannabringmedown."
“Forget it.”
Jensen rolled his eyes at the lack of “hello” from Chris, not particularly surprised that his best friend seemed to have lost the manners his mother had tried to beat into his thick head as a child. Then again, he supposed that this was kind of his fault, too many years of him forgetting to grab something at the store on his way home and calling Chris to pick it up on his way over to watch a game. It was bound to happen that on game night, his friend would be less then friendly with an unexpected call. Not that that was why he was calling, now that he and Jared had moved in together he had someone more willing to make a side trip to the store, maybe he needed to be bribed with a blowjob but since both he and Jared enjoyed the experience, it wasn’t a hardship.
Thinking of Jared brought the real reason as to why he was calling Chris on game night back to the forefront of his mind, not that it had been far from it for the last three days but it cemented it there. He might have been able to put this off for the last couple days but he had run out of time. He was going to have to deal with this now, better to listen to his friend’s bitching, and for a straight man he could do it frighteningly well, than just spring this on him when he showed up at their door.
“Not why I’m calling.” He shifted forward until his elbows rested on his knees and he stared blankly down at the hardwood between his feet. He felt like a little kid waiting for his punishment to be handed down and wanted to scoff at the feeling but there would be hell to pay, so in a way he guessed he kind of was.
“Huh.” Chris mused, “So all I still need to bring is beer?”
“Yes, Christian.”
“I knew you and Jared moving into together would be beneficial for all concerned.”
Jensen pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut, f only that were the truth. In some ways it probably was, even for Chris, but in other ways, bigger ways, it wasn’t. It couldn’t be when he and Jared had spent the last three weeks trying to juggle the days that their best friends could be over and not be in each other’s presence. It had gotten old fast, both of them beginning to feel like the children of divorced parents who hated each other and resenting it.
It was that feeling that brought about the plan of trying to make their friends learn to, at least, tolerate each other and this was the first move in achieving that. It was that or both he and Jared were worried that they were going to start letting their resentment out, aimed towards Chris and Steve. Worse still, they could start taking it out on each other.
“Laugh it up, funny guy.” It had been a weak attempt at keeping things light, keeping Chris in a good mood, for when he broke the news to him that he wouldn’t be the only guest at the home of Ackles and Padalecki. He shouldn’t have bothered, he and Chris had been friends since high school and could pick up on each other’s moods almost as quickly as he and Jared could.
“Jensen?”
He didn’t need to look at his watch to know that he was running out of time. Jared had said that he was picking Steve up on his way home from the University and Jensen had put off calling until the last minute. If he didn’t just bite the bullet and spit this out, he was either going to have to do it in front of Steve, or fall back on plan b and let Chris figure it out on his own when he got there. Since Chris wasn’t all that subtle, chances were letting him find out on his own instead of forewarning him would make for a very long, very awkward evening. “Steve’s coming tonight.”
“Jensen.” He drew it out on a long groan, “what have I done to piss in your corn flakes recently that you would subject me to him?”
“You haven’t done anything.” He leaned back against the deep cushions of the couch and ran his free hand through his hair.
“Then why?”
This was going about as well as he had imagined it would, which was why he had put it off for as long as he had. “Because Steve is Jared’s best friend, “he reasoned carefully, “Because both he and Jared root for the Spurs and because he has as much right to be in our house as you do.”
He could hear Chris moving around, the loud bang of a door letting him know just how aggravated his friend was. On the up side, it had the hollow sound of Chris’ apartment door, so chances were he wasn’t about to give up pizza, beer and a football game just because Steve was going to be in the same room with him. If he did, it would kind of fuck up his and Jared’s plan and mean that next time he was just going to have to go with springing Steve on him and hope that the filter between Chris’ brain and mouth would be working for once.
“Chris?” He pressed when the only sound he heard was the thudding of his friend’s feet on his apartment building’s stairs.
An irritable grunt was his only reply but on the other hand, he hadn’t hung up on him, yet.
“What have you got against Steve anyway?” He had never bothered to ask, hoping that eventually Chris would just offer up the information. He usually had no problems voicing his opinions and it had been picking at Jensen that this was the one thing he kept close to his chest. Especially considering that he and Steve had only ever been together once, when he and Jared had decided to bring their friends together a couple months after they had started dating. Jensen had thought they had seemed to be getting on well. Of course it had been at a bar and he had been a little distracted by Jared at the time, still was if the truth were told. But he thought he would have noticed the kind of animosity that they displayed anytime the other’s name was brought up, that night. But he hadn’t, and neither he nor Jared could figure it out.
Chris’ frustrated huff was louder than the squeak of the main door of his apartment building as he, Jensen assumed, stepped outside.
“Steve was moaning about being at a straight bar.” He admitted slowly, “the night you two decided we should all become one big happy family.”
His face twisted with confusion, “I don’t remember that.”
“Yeah well, it was pretty much the end of the night and you and Jared weren’t really paying attention at that point. Anyway he was bitching about the lack of possibility of getting laid and...”
The fingers holding the receiver to Jensen’s ear twitched with the sudden desire to throttle his friend. He needed to know the rest but he didn’t have to hear it to know that Chris and said or done something really fucking stupid. “And?” He prompted through gritted teeth.
“And I may have said something about even though I wasn’t a fag I would fuck him.”
His free hand clenched in a fist, years had desensitized him to Chris’ particular brand of idiocy, but for the first time in a very long time, he wanted to punch him.
“Jesus Christ, Chris!” He growled, “What the fuck?”
“I was trying to compliment him and let him know that even in a straight bar that there were options!”
“By bending over for you?” Jensen spluttered. Jared was not going to believe this, hell he was having a hard time and he knew what Chris was like. This was the guy that told him at sixteen, after he came out of the closet to him, that as long as Jensen didn’t try to fuck him they could still be friends. Luckily they had already been friends long enough that Jensen had taken it with a grain of salt, just chalking it up to Chris being Chris, but Steve had only just met him.
“Look, if I had known that he was going to be so sensitive about it, I never would have said it.”
He wasn’t particularly sure about that. Chris may have learnt to filter his thoughts before running his mouth as they had gotten older, but when he was drinking or pissed off he seemed to lose that ability. Besides Steve’s sensitivity had nothing to do with it, even though he was sure that it played a part. Steve had just been burned by a guy who had lead him on for weeks. He had taken Steve for everything he could, rides, money, a place to crash, until something else better had come along, a woman, and then he had laughed at him and told him that he was straight, that Steve was simply an idiot if he thought he wasn’t disgusted by him. But that wasn’t the point.
“Sensitivity has nothing to do with it.” He growled, “At least not Steve’s. Fuck Chris. You fucking redneck.”
“Oh, fuck you, Jensen.”
The frustration in his voice couldn’t quite mask Chris’ embarrassment but it did little to calm Jensen. All he and Jared wanted was for their friends to get along and after something like that; well he wasn’t so sure it was possible. He had the sinking feeling that he and Jared were going to forever be stuck between their best friends.
“Look,” Chris sighed, “I’ll just stay home...”
“No.” Jensen glared up at the ceiling, ignoring the urge to say yes. Chris’ explanation was definitely going to make the plan more difficult, but deep down he did want him and Steve to, at least, be able to tolerate each other. If only enough that the four of them could spend time together, even if it was only rarely, like the occasional game night or birthdays. Besides he had promised Jared that he would give it a try and he wasn’t about to break a promise to him. “Just remember the beer.” He grumbled half heartedly before hanging up. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night.
~~~
Making their way back through the evening traffic, Jared’s half of the operation didn’t seem to be fairing any better. He half mumbled half coughed out the words, looking straight ahead, anywhere but at Steve, his fingers gripping the wheel tightly in wait for what he knew would be a less than enthusiastic response.
"Wait, what?"
Steve shifted his body in the seat until his back leaned slightly against the car door. He stared at Jared, confused. He barely heard, let alone understood, what Jared had said. Sometimes he envied the fact that Jared had mastered using a fake cough to cover up something that needed to be said but also knew it wouldn't go over well.
Jared sighed, his hand gripped tighter on the top of steering wheel as he drove. "Chris'll be there too." He repeated, more audible and without the cough this time.
"Turn the fuck around." Steve demanded. "Take me home." He took his gaze away from Jared and shifted in his seat, sitting forward again, messing with the seat belt. The car was silent for a minute. He looked at Jared again. "Did you hear what I said?" Aggravation was beginning to show in his voice.
"Yes, I did." Jared didn't turn away from the road in front of him.
"Yet the car is still moving in the direction of your house. Are you waiting for a good spot to turn around?" Steve looked out the windshield; a side road approaching caught his eye. "Oh, wait, there's a road right th… and there it goes," he said, his eyes trailing it as it flew by the passenger window.
"Listen, we're almost to the house. It'd be a wasted trip just to turn around now." Jared tried his best at avoiding the elephant in the room. "Besides, you don't want to watch the game all alone at your house, do ya? How much fun would that be?" He smiled giving it his best attempt at lightening the mood.
"I don't want to be there if he is." Steve declared. His voice sounding bitter and harsh in above the faint noise of the engine.
Jared pulled the car into a vacant parking lot. The car came to a stop abruptly, jerking both of their bodies forward. "Look," he started, "I had ONE job to do for this whole party Jensen wanted to throw and that was to come and get you, and bring you back to our house." His hands were flailing around the car as he spoke, illustrating random points in his sentences by hitting the steering wheel. "Now I am going to DO that one job--successfully, might I add--if it kills me, okay?"
Steve looked at Jared with shock overcoming his face. He had never heard his friend get so heated over something so little as a job to do. "Fine, whatever," he mumbled. He slunk deep into the car seat, turning into a pouting six-year-old boy. "Tell Jensen that next time he needs to let you handle snacks or something. Jesus."
"He did let me... once," Jared said, putting the car in drive. He started again back toward the house he and Jensen shared. "But I ended up eating two of the three bags of chips before I made it home from the store."
Steve chuckled. "Why do I have no problem believing that?"
The rest of the car ride was quiet, making it seem longer than the five minutes it actually took. Jared pulled into the drive, parking next to Jensen's truck and turned the engine off. Steve and Jared sat in even more silence.
Jared clicked his tongue. "So, we're here."
"Yup," Steve replied. He sat motionless, staring out the windshield.
"I think the first step is getting out of the car," Jared said quietly, again trying to lighten the mood. His hope rose a little bit when Steve moved, but disappeared again when all Steve did was put his elbow on the window ledge and rest his chin in his hand. "Okay... why do you hate Chris so damn much?" Jared finally asked.
"Because he hates me," Steve stared Jared in the face, unaware of the hurt being displayed on his own. "Did you and Jen ever think of that?"
"No, I guess we didn't," Jared said apologetically, looking down at his hands. He looked up at Steve, his expression begging. "Maybe we can work on that?" he asked in an honest and hopeful question. Steve's expression screamed, are you fucking nuts? "Look, just please do this tonight." Jared sighed turning to face him, “you and I have been waiting for this game all season, haven't we? Come on... for me?" Jared put on the puppy face he had learned to master over the years.
"Alright, alright, put that dog away." Steve's face softened as his lips finally broke into a smile. "Does that shit work on Jensen?"
"All the damn time." Jared grinned at him slyly and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the sexual implication. With the mood lightened Steve seemed to steel himself for what was to come and reached for the door handle. Jared was his best friend; he’d do anything to make him happy, within reason. He’d just have to find out if quality time with Chris classed as ‘within reason’.
~~~
Jensen was in the process of opening one of the beers which Chris had brought with him, taking the fact that there were enough for four as a good sign when he heard Jared’s car pull onto the driveway. He tried to swallow the nerves in his chest at how tonight would pan out, they were all adults for God’s sake, surely they could act like it for a few hours.
Chris flinched when he heard the door open, he knew he’d screwed up last time he saw Steve, but it wasn’t like he could help it. The way he saw it, it was like he was born without the cutoff point between brain and mouth. He knew that he didn’t want Jensen to be mad at him however, so he was determined to make an effort, even if he was more than a little pissed at being branded a homophobe, because ‘hello,’ he thought, ‘best friend taking it up the ass ,from a guy who if he’s in proportion then jeez that’s gotta sting.’ He was half worried by his thoughts and half proud that he hadn’t voiced them aloud, maybe there was hope for tonight yet. He had started feeling almost okay about it until Jensen glared at him. “Be nice,” he hissed.
Chris shrugged. “I tried to be nice last time, and look what happened,” he muttered.
“Okay, I’ll settle for don’t be a bigoted asshole,” Jensen snorted. Chris looked for a moment as though he was going to argue, but instead he just slumped back into the couch, scowling. Jensen kicked him as he went to meet Jared and Steve at the door.
“Hey,” Jared grinned, leaning down to kiss his boyfriend. “I missed you.”
Jensen smiled, winding a hand around Jared’s neck. “That’s because you’re codependent,” he teased, and Jared didn’t argue. He just smiled as Jensen greeted Steve, relieving his friend of the beer and directing him into the living room. Jensen felt rather defeatist thinking, only half seriously ‘Well four people, beer for at least six. If all else fails we could always get them drunk.’
Neither Jared nor Jensen however failed to notice Steve bracing himself before he entered the room, and the two shared a worried glance. They had agreed earlier that if it got too heated Chris and Steve would both be thrown out, no questions asked. Of course, they both hoped it would work out, and the two would learn to at least tolerate, if not like, each other.
Jared reached for Jensen’s hand. “It’ll be fine,” he murmured, placing a soft kiss on Jensen’s worried brow. Jensen, for his part, hoped for all their sakes that Jared was right.
Exactly seventeen minutes later, Steve stormed out of the house.
“Steve...” Jared ran out after him.
“He’s a fucking homophobe, Jared,” Steve hissed at his friend as he pulled out his phone to call a taxi.
Jared sighed. “He’s not, honestly. Jensen would have kicked his ass years ago if he was... it’s just... it’s Chris. He has no social filter, Steve, seriously. He’s a dumbass, but he doesn’t mean anything by it. Just... come back inside.”
“No,” Steve snapped, but he sighed when he saw the hurt in Jared’s eyes. “Look, I’d rather go home, okay? Cool off. Otherwise it might end up getting messy, and you two don’t deserve to be in the middle of that.”
Jared nodded. “Okay, man. I’ll take you home.”
Back inside, Jensen stood in front of Chris with his arms folded and nostrils flaring. Chris shrank back into the couch, looking guilty.
“I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t think.”
“You’re damn right you didn’t think.” Jensen growled.
“How was I supposed to know he’d get all pissy?” Chris asked, honestly confused at what he’d done wrong.
Jensen pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Chris,” he said carefully, “do you pitch or catch is not an appropriate topic of conversation, ever. It’s definitely not a good ice breaker.”
“Coulda been talking about baseball,” Chris muttered sullenly. Jensen just looked at him. “Okay, I wasn’t talking about baseball. But he didn’t have to be such a fucking princess about it. I talk to my straight friends about sex all the time.”
“Yes, Christian, but the keyword there is friends,” Jensen said firmly. “You and Steve aren’t exactly best buddies, and his opinion on your tolerance wasn’t great before.”
“I’m tolerant! I’m friends with you, aren’t I?” Chris said defensively.
Jensen rolled his eyes. “Chris, go home, okay? I’ll give you a call in a couple of days.”
Chris started to argue, but stopped short when Jensen glared at him. He got up off the couch and heading towards the door.
“I’m sorry, Jensen,” he said, sounding like he meant it.
“It’s probably not me you need to be apologizing to, Chris,” Jensen sighed.
Chris nodded slowly. “Okay, well... I’ll talk to you later?” he said, leaving before Jensen had a chance to answer.
Jensen glared at the door for a moment for good measure before flopping down on the couch, Fucking Kane, this was getting ridiculous.
When Jared got home fifteen minutes later, the shower was running upstairs. He grinned despite himself, tugging his shirt over his head as he took the stairs two at a time. He managed to maneuver his pants off in the bedroom before slipping into the bathroom. He was barely in the shower when Jensen pounced on him, pinning him against the wall and kissing him frantically.
“Our friends should be assholes more often,” Jared managed to gasp when Jensen’s tongue moved from his mouth to his neck. Jensen didn’t respond, just reached down to grasp Jared’s hardening dick as they continued kissing.
Jared moaned, arching into the touch as Jensen began to fist him fast and rough. He reached around to reciprocate, but Jensen slapped his hand away.
“Wanna fuck you, Jay,” he growled, the heat in his voice sending shivers down Jared’s spine. “Wanna make you come, so you’re all fucked out and pliant underneath me, then I wanna fuck you till you can’t even remember your own name.”
Jared’s breathing sped up, the words doing as much to him as the hand job. “Fuck yeah, Jensen, oh God yes,” he gasped. Jensen grinned at him.
“Come for me, Jay,” he said firmly, and Jared couldn’t help but comply, spilling all over Jensen’s hand. His legs went weak underneath him as Jensen turned off the shower and helped him out.
Jensen half-carried Jared out of the shower and took him to their bed, with every intention of making good on his promise.
He had Jared just where he wanted him. After staggering out of the shower, whilst struggling to get dry and continue kissing at the same time. Jensen had shoved an unusually compliant Jared back against the bed, so that now he lay splayed out, beautiful cock fully erect and purpling at the head, waiting for Jensen who had frozen in admiring contemplation, mind fully out of gear, just taking in the sight.
“Jen, stop thinking! God, come here.” Jared’s voice was so lust blown and utterly wrecked that he thought it was a miracle he didn’t come there and then just from the weight of it.
Pulling himself from his musing Jensen started and grinned at his lover. “You’re just so fucking gorgeous. You made me lose my mind just a little bit.” He slid up Jared’s long body, slotting into place between his legs with practiced ease. Jared moaned as Jensen bit him none too gently at the junction of shoulder and neck.
Gasping at the sensation, Jared stroked up Jensen’s sides and pulled his head up for a long wet kiss as they began to move lazily together as a mutual, unspoken decision was made to take this slowly and make it last.
Jensen moved against Jared gently, up on his elbows, allowing his erection to make slight contact with Jared’s as he moved slowly, hinting at more vigorous motion to come later. Jared put his hands on Jensen’s ass and began to trace gentle patterns using just the tips of his fingers, causing sparks to run up Jensen’s spine and out into the palms of his hands. Jensen stilled and allowed all of his weight to cover Jared as he slowly began to roll his hips against the larger man’s body. He covered Jared’s face with slow languid kisses as he moved with a rhythm designed to maintain the edge, not ease it. They were both panting.
That is until Jensen’s cell phone buzzed on the floor inside his pants pocket. They tried to ignore it. Seconds later it buzzed again. This time it was harder to ignore, but they were determined to try. Then the little trumpet blare that announced a text message went off. Seconds later the phone buzzed again.
“You want to turn that thing off?” Jared asked.
“I fucking want to crush it,” Jensen growled, pulling away from Jared and snatching up his jeans from the floor. By force of habit he looked to see who was torturing them. Chris. Of course.
“Chris?” Like Jared needed to ask.
“Who else?” Jensen sighed resignedly.
Then Jared’s phone began vibrating its way across the dresser where he had put it before he got into the shower.
“This isn’t going to happen right now is it?” They both knew it was a rhetorical question.
Jensen sighed. “We could just turn the phones off, and try to forget about it.” They both knew it wouldn’t happen but they could still wish.
“I don’t think we could completely shut it out of our minds.” Jared spoke the words they both knew were true. They both stared glumly at their phones. “Well, it’s not as if we can’t pick this up where we left off, later.” He continued trying to make the best of a very frustrating situation.
Jensen laughed. “We’re fucking awesome friends. This had better be appreciated. Do you want to call Steve first and find out just how much Chris disgusted and sickened him? Should I call Chris? Do it at the same time?”
Jared sighed. “It would be easier to talk to Steve to find out why he reacted so poorly. I mean, it was insensitive, but I’ve heard people say worse things to him. Hell, I’ve said worse things to him. I’m going to put him on speaker phone.” He pushed Steve’s speed dial button. The phone was answered on the first ring.
“Jared? I’m sorry. I was an ass.” Steve’s voice sounded genuinely contrite even through the speaker phone
“So was Chris.” Jared assured him supportively.
“Yeah,” Steve replied, “but it isn’t like I didn’t know what to expect. It would be better if we could get along, so you guys wouldn’t have walk on egg shells all the time. I’m willing to try again if he is.”
Jared and Jensen looked at each other and shared a joint breath of relief. It seemed at least one of their friends was willing to make an effort.
Even so it had to be asked, and it looked like Jared would have to be the one to do it. “Steve, I’m puzzled about something. Why do the things Chris says bother you so much more than the things the rest of your friends say to you? I mean, I’ve heard people say some pretty outrageous things to you and you just laugh. Is it because you think he doesn’t know you well enough or what?
Jensen wondered why no one had ever asked that particular question before. Jared was a genius.
Steve was silent for a long time. “I know something about Chris he doesn’t know I know. I don’t think Jensen even knows.”
“Well, can you tell us? Will all of this make more sense if we know?” He had to ask; even if he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. There wasn’t a hell of a lot that Steve didn’t tell him after all.
When he replied Steves voice was quiet and unusually timid, “I’m not sure. “
Jared tried to keep the mood light, he knew that if he seemed freaked Steve would clam up, he also knew not to push him too hard, but damn it they needed to know, for the sake of their own sanity if nothing else. “Well, now I’m stumped. When did you know this, whatever it is?
There was a pause before Steve answered, Jared had never known him this coy. “I’ve actually known Chris, well not known him but known of him, for quite a while. The problem with telling you, is that, well, I’m going to have to tell you something about myself that you don’t know, that I never really wanted you to find out.”
~~~
Jared's patience started to wear thin, the cracks showing in his otherwise calm voice. “For God’s sake, Steve. You should know you can tell me anything.”
“Yeah,” Steve breathed before adding unsurely, “ is Jensen there?”
“Yes. You’re on speaker phone. You know whatever you tell me I’m just going to tell him later, even if you ask me not to.” He had given up feeling bad about that long ago, besides everyone he cared about knew that if you don’t want Jensen to know, then don’t tell Jared. It was just the way they were.
Steve knew this as well as anyone. “I figured. Well…” He paused, gathering his courage. “ I have another job besides teaching music. I work as a masked master in a bondage and discipline club. And well…”
He cut off there, Jared and Jensen looked at each other in disbelief. Sweet, friendly, music Professor Steve was a part time Dom, who’d have thought.
Jared however couldn’t help but think there was more “And?” he prompted, hoping he didn’t know the answer already.
“Well...” Steve forced out, “The thing is…”
They could tell he was getting at something, and thought they knew what but Jensen’s patience was wearing thin. “Spit it out Steve.” He demanded
“Chris is one of our regulars.”
Authors: (In alphabetical order) daisiesdaily, dramaqueen469, ladyrhyanne, vambrace
Beta: prettypsycho
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 5,013
Genre: RPS
Pairings & Characters: Jared/Jensen, Christian Kane, Steve Carlson
Summary: Trying to get Chris and Steve to be in the same room for longer than ten minutes was a difficult task for Jared and Jensen. All they wanted was for their friends to get along... was that so much to ask?
Disclaimer: The people own themselves. Never happened. It's called fiction for a reason. Title taken from Kelly Clarkson's "Whyyawannabringmedown."
“Forget it.”
Jensen rolled his eyes at the lack of “hello” from Chris, not particularly surprised that his best friend seemed to have lost the manners his mother had tried to beat into his thick head as a child. Then again, he supposed that this was kind of his fault, too many years of him forgetting to grab something at the store on his way home and calling Chris to pick it up on his way over to watch a game. It was bound to happen that on game night, his friend would be less then friendly with an unexpected call. Not that that was why he was calling, now that he and Jared had moved in together he had someone more willing to make a side trip to the store, maybe he needed to be bribed with a blowjob but since both he and Jared enjoyed the experience, it wasn’t a hardship.
Thinking of Jared brought the real reason as to why he was calling Chris on game night back to the forefront of his mind, not that it had been far from it for the last three days but it cemented it there. He might have been able to put this off for the last couple days but he had run out of time. He was going to have to deal with this now, better to listen to his friend’s bitching, and for a straight man he could do it frighteningly well, than just spring this on him when he showed up at their door.
“Not why I’m calling.” He shifted forward until his elbows rested on his knees and he stared blankly down at the hardwood between his feet. He felt like a little kid waiting for his punishment to be handed down and wanted to scoff at the feeling but there would be hell to pay, so in a way he guessed he kind of was.
“Huh.” Chris mused, “So all I still need to bring is beer?”
“Yes, Christian.”
“I knew you and Jared moving into together would be beneficial for all concerned.”
Jensen pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut, f only that were the truth. In some ways it probably was, even for Chris, but in other ways, bigger ways, it wasn’t. It couldn’t be when he and Jared had spent the last three weeks trying to juggle the days that their best friends could be over and not be in each other’s presence. It had gotten old fast, both of them beginning to feel like the children of divorced parents who hated each other and resenting it.
It was that feeling that brought about the plan of trying to make their friends learn to, at least, tolerate each other and this was the first move in achieving that. It was that or both he and Jared were worried that they were going to start letting their resentment out, aimed towards Chris and Steve. Worse still, they could start taking it out on each other.
“Laugh it up, funny guy.” It had been a weak attempt at keeping things light, keeping Chris in a good mood, for when he broke the news to him that he wouldn’t be the only guest at the home of Ackles and Padalecki. He shouldn’t have bothered, he and Chris had been friends since high school and could pick up on each other’s moods almost as quickly as he and Jared could.
“Jensen?”
He didn’t need to look at his watch to know that he was running out of time. Jared had said that he was picking Steve up on his way home from the University and Jensen had put off calling until the last minute. If he didn’t just bite the bullet and spit this out, he was either going to have to do it in front of Steve, or fall back on plan b and let Chris figure it out on his own when he got there. Since Chris wasn’t all that subtle, chances were letting him find out on his own instead of forewarning him would make for a very long, very awkward evening. “Steve’s coming tonight.”
“Jensen.” He drew it out on a long groan, “what have I done to piss in your corn flakes recently that you would subject me to him?”
“You haven’t done anything.” He leaned back against the deep cushions of the couch and ran his free hand through his hair.
“Then why?”
This was going about as well as he had imagined it would, which was why he had put it off for as long as he had. “Because Steve is Jared’s best friend, “he reasoned carefully, “Because both he and Jared root for the Spurs and because he has as much right to be in our house as you do.”
He could hear Chris moving around, the loud bang of a door letting him know just how aggravated his friend was. On the up side, it had the hollow sound of Chris’ apartment door, so chances were he wasn’t about to give up pizza, beer and a football game just because Steve was going to be in the same room with him. If he did, it would kind of fuck up his and Jared’s plan and mean that next time he was just going to have to go with springing Steve on him and hope that the filter between Chris’ brain and mouth would be working for once.
“Chris?” He pressed when the only sound he heard was the thudding of his friend’s feet on his apartment building’s stairs.
An irritable grunt was his only reply but on the other hand, he hadn’t hung up on him, yet.
“What have you got against Steve anyway?” He had never bothered to ask, hoping that eventually Chris would just offer up the information. He usually had no problems voicing his opinions and it had been picking at Jensen that this was the one thing he kept close to his chest. Especially considering that he and Steve had only ever been together once, when he and Jared had decided to bring their friends together a couple months after they had started dating. Jensen had thought they had seemed to be getting on well. Of course it had been at a bar and he had been a little distracted by Jared at the time, still was if the truth were told. But he thought he would have noticed the kind of animosity that they displayed anytime the other’s name was brought up, that night. But he hadn’t, and neither he nor Jared could figure it out.
Chris’ frustrated huff was louder than the squeak of the main door of his apartment building as he, Jensen assumed, stepped outside.
“Steve was moaning about being at a straight bar.” He admitted slowly, “the night you two decided we should all become one big happy family.”
His face twisted with confusion, “I don’t remember that.”
“Yeah well, it was pretty much the end of the night and you and Jared weren’t really paying attention at that point. Anyway he was bitching about the lack of possibility of getting laid and...”
The fingers holding the receiver to Jensen’s ear twitched with the sudden desire to throttle his friend. He needed to know the rest but he didn’t have to hear it to know that Chris and said or done something really fucking stupid. “And?” He prompted through gritted teeth.
“And I may have said something about even though I wasn’t a fag I would fuck him.”
His free hand clenched in a fist, years had desensitized him to Chris’ particular brand of idiocy, but for the first time in a very long time, he wanted to punch him.
“Jesus Christ, Chris!” He growled, “What the fuck?”
“I was trying to compliment him and let him know that even in a straight bar that there were options!”
“By bending over for you?” Jensen spluttered. Jared was not going to believe this, hell he was having a hard time and he knew what Chris was like. This was the guy that told him at sixteen, after he came out of the closet to him, that as long as Jensen didn’t try to fuck him they could still be friends. Luckily they had already been friends long enough that Jensen had taken it with a grain of salt, just chalking it up to Chris being Chris, but Steve had only just met him.
“Look, if I had known that he was going to be so sensitive about it, I never would have said it.”
He wasn’t particularly sure about that. Chris may have learnt to filter his thoughts before running his mouth as they had gotten older, but when he was drinking or pissed off he seemed to lose that ability. Besides Steve’s sensitivity had nothing to do with it, even though he was sure that it played a part. Steve had just been burned by a guy who had lead him on for weeks. He had taken Steve for everything he could, rides, money, a place to crash, until something else better had come along, a woman, and then he had laughed at him and told him that he was straight, that Steve was simply an idiot if he thought he wasn’t disgusted by him. But that wasn’t the point.
“Sensitivity has nothing to do with it.” He growled, “At least not Steve’s. Fuck Chris. You fucking redneck.”
“Oh, fuck you, Jensen.”
The frustration in his voice couldn’t quite mask Chris’ embarrassment but it did little to calm Jensen. All he and Jared wanted was for their friends to get along and after something like that; well he wasn’t so sure it was possible. He had the sinking feeling that he and Jared were going to forever be stuck between their best friends.
“Look,” Chris sighed, “I’ll just stay home...”
“No.” Jensen glared up at the ceiling, ignoring the urge to say yes. Chris’ explanation was definitely going to make the plan more difficult, but deep down he did want him and Steve to, at least, be able to tolerate each other. If only enough that the four of them could spend time together, even if it was only rarely, like the occasional game night or birthdays. Besides he had promised Jared that he would give it a try and he wasn’t about to break a promise to him. “Just remember the beer.” He grumbled half heartedly before hanging up. He had a feeling it was going to be a long night.
~~~
Making their way back through the evening traffic, Jared’s half of the operation didn’t seem to be fairing any better. He half mumbled half coughed out the words, looking straight ahead, anywhere but at Steve, his fingers gripping the wheel tightly in wait for what he knew would be a less than enthusiastic response.
"Wait, what?"
Steve shifted his body in the seat until his back leaned slightly against the car door. He stared at Jared, confused. He barely heard, let alone understood, what Jared had said. Sometimes he envied the fact that Jared had mastered using a fake cough to cover up something that needed to be said but also knew it wouldn't go over well.
Jared sighed, his hand gripped tighter on the top of steering wheel as he drove. "Chris'll be there too." He repeated, more audible and without the cough this time.
"Turn the fuck around." Steve demanded. "Take me home." He took his gaze away from Jared and shifted in his seat, sitting forward again, messing with the seat belt. The car was silent for a minute. He looked at Jared again. "Did you hear what I said?" Aggravation was beginning to show in his voice.
"Yes, I did." Jared didn't turn away from the road in front of him.
"Yet the car is still moving in the direction of your house. Are you waiting for a good spot to turn around?" Steve looked out the windshield; a side road approaching caught his eye. "Oh, wait, there's a road right th… and there it goes," he said, his eyes trailing it as it flew by the passenger window.
"Listen, we're almost to the house. It'd be a wasted trip just to turn around now." Jared tried his best at avoiding the elephant in the room. "Besides, you don't want to watch the game all alone at your house, do ya? How much fun would that be?" He smiled giving it his best attempt at lightening the mood.
"I don't want to be there if he is." Steve declared. His voice sounding bitter and harsh in above the faint noise of the engine.
Jared pulled the car into a vacant parking lot. The car came to a stop abruptly, jerking both of their bodies forward. "Look," he started, "I had ONE job to do for this whole party Jensen wanted to throw and that was to come and get you, and bring you back to our house." His hands were flailing around the car as he spoke, illustrating random points in his sentences by hitting the steering wheel. "Now I am going to DO that one job--successfully, might I add--if it kills me, okay?"
Steve looked at Jared with shock overcoming his face. He had never heard his friend get so heated over something so little as a job to do. "Fine, whatever," he mumbled. He slunk deep into the car seat, turning into a pouting six-year-old boy. "Tell Jensen that next time he needs to let you handle snacks or something. Jesus."
"He did let me... once," Jared said, putting the car in drive. He started again back toward the house he and Jensen shared. "But I ended up eating two of the three bags of chips before I made it home from the store."
Steve chuckled. "Why do I have no problem believing that?"
The rest of the car ride was quiet, making it seem longer than the five minutes it actually took. Jared pulled into the drive, parking next to Jensen's truck and turned the engine off. Steve and Jared sat in even more silence.
Jared clicked his tongue. "So, we're here."
"Yup," Steve replied. He sat motionless, staring out the windshield.
"I think the first step is getting out of the car," Jared said quietly, again trying to lighten the mood. His hope rose a little bit when Steve moved, but disappeared again when all Steve did was put his elbow on the window ledge and rest his chin in his hand. "Okay... why do you hate Chris so damn much?" Jared finally asked.
"Because he hates me," Steve stared Jared in the face, unaware of the hurt being displayed on his own. "Did you and Jen ever think of that?"
"No, I guess we didn't," Jared said apologetically, looking down at his hands. He looked up at Steve, his expression begging. "Maybe we can work on that?" he asked in an honest and hopeful question. Steve's expression screamed, are you fucking nuts? "Look, just please do this tonight." Jared sighed turning to face him, “you and I have been waiting for this game all season, haven't we? Come on... for me?" Jared put on the puppy face he had learned to master over the years.
"Alright, alright, put that dog away." Steve's face softened as his lips finally broke into a smile. "Does that shit work on Jensen?"
"All the damn time." Jared grinned at him slyly and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the sexual implication. With the mood lightened Steve seemed to steel himself for what was to come and reached for the door handle. Jared was his best friend; he’d do anything to make him happy, within reason. He’d just have to find out if quality time with Chris classed as ‘within reason’.
~~~
Jensen was in the process of opening one of the beers which Chris had brought with him, taking the fact that there were enough for four as a good sign when he heard Jared’s car pull onto the driveway. He tried to swallow the nerves in his chest at how tonight would pan out, they were all adults for God’s sake, surely they could act like it for a few hours.
Chris flinched when he heard the door open, he knew he’d screwed up last time he saw Steve, but it wasn’t like he could help it. The way he saw it, it was like he was born without the cutoff point between brain and mouth. He knew that he didn’t want Jensen to be mad at him however, so he was determined to make an effort, even if he was more than a little pissed at being branded a homophobe, because ‘hello,’ he thought, ‘best friend taking it up the ass ,from a guy who if he’s in proportion then jeez that’s gotta sting.’ He was half worried by his thoughts and half proud that he hadn’t voiced them aloud, maybe there was hope for tonight yet. He had started feeling almost okay about it until Jensen glared at him. “Be nice,” he hissed.
Chris shrugged. “I tried to be nice last time, and look what happened,” he muttered.
“Okay, I’ll settle for don’t be a bigoted asshole,” Jensen snorted. Chris looked for a moment as though he was going to argue, but instead he just slumped back into the couch, scowling. Jensen kicked him as he went to meet Jared and Steve at the door.
“Hey,” Jared grinned, leaning down to kiss his boyfriend. “I missed you.”
Jensen smiled, winding a hand around Jared’s neck. “That’s because you’re codependent,” he teased, and Jared didn’t argue. He just smiled as Jensen greeted Steve, relieving his friend of the beer and directing him into the living room. Jensen felt rather defeatist thinking, only half seriously ‘Well four people, beer for at least six. If all else fails we could always get them drunk.’
Neither Jared nor Jensen however failed to notice Steve bracing himself before he entered the room, and the two shared a worried glance. They had agreed earlier that if it got too heated Chris and Steve would both be thrown out, no questions asked. Of course, they both hoped it would work out, and the two would learn to at least tolerate, if not like, each other.
Jared reached for Jensen’s hand. “It’ll be fine,” he murmured, placing a soft kiss on Jensen’s worried brow. Jensen, for his part, hoped for all their sakes that Jared was right.
Exactly seventeen minutes later, Steve stormed out of the house.
“Steve...” Jared ran out after him.
“He’s a fucking homophobe, Jared,” Steve hissed at his friend as he pulled out his phone to call a taxi.
Jared sighed. “He’s not, honestly. Jensen would have kicked his ass years ago if he was... it’s just... it’s Chris. He has no social filter, Steve, seriously. He’s a dumbass, but he doesn’t mean anything by it. Just... come back inside.”
“No,” Steve snapped, but he sighed when he saw the hurt in Jared’s eyes. “Look, I’d rather go home, okay? Cool off. Otherwise it might end up getting messy, and you two don’t deserve to be in the middle of that.”
Jared nodded. “Okay, man. I’ll take you home.”
Back inside, Jensen stood in front of Chris with his arms folded and nostrils flaring. Chris shrank back into the couch, looking guilty.
“I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t think.”
“You’re damn right you didn’t think.” Jensen growled.
“How was I supposed to know he’d get all pissy?” Chris asked, honestly confused at what he’d done wrong.
Jensen pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “Chris,” he said carefully, “do you pitch or catch is not an appropriate topic of conversation, ever. It’s definitely not a good ice breaker.”
“Coulda been talking about baseball,” Chris muttered sullenly. Jensen just looked at him. “Okay, I wasn’t talking about baseball. But he didn’t have to be such a fucking princess about it. I talk to my straight friends about sex all the time.”
“Yes, Christian, but the keyword there is friends,” Jensen said firmly. “You and Steve aren’t exactly best buddies, and his opinion on your tolerance wasn’t great before.”
“I’m tolerant! I’m friends with you, aren’t I?” Chris said defensively.
Jensen rolled his eyes. “Chris, go home, okay? I’ll give you a call in a couple of days.”
Chris started to argue, but stopped short when Jensen glared at him. He got up off the couch and heading towards the door.
“I’m sorry, Jensen,” he said, sounding like he meant it.
“It’s probably not me you need to be apologizing to, Chris,” Jensen sighed.
Chris nodded slowly. “Okay, well... I’ll talk to you later?” he said, leaving before Jensen had a chance to answer.
Jensen glared at the door for a moment for good measure before flopping down on the couch, Fucking Kane, this was getting ridiculous.
When Jared got home fifteen minutes later, the shower was running upstairs. He grinned despite himself, tugging his shirt over his head as he took the stairs two at a time. He managed to maneuver his pants off in the bedroom before slipping into the bathroom. He was barely in the shower when Jensen pounced on him, pinning him against the wall and kissing him frantically.
“Our friends should be assholes more often,” Jared managed to gasp when Jensen’s tongue moved from his mouth to his neck. Jensen didn’t respond, just reached down to grasp Jared’s hardening dick as they continued kissing.
Jared moaned, arching into the touch as Jensen began to fist him fast and rough. He reached around to reciprocate, but Jensen slapped his hand away.
“Wanna fuck you, Jay,” he growled, the heat in his voice sending shivers down Jared’s spine. “Wanna make you come, so you’re all fucked out and pliant underneath me, then I wanna fuck you till you can’t even remember your own name.”
Jared’s breathing sped up, the words doing as much to him as the hand job. “Fuck yeah, Jensen, oh God yes,” he gasped. Jensen grinned at him.
“Come for me, Jay,” he said firmly, and Jared couldn’t help but comply, spilling all over Jensen’s hand. His legs went weak underneath him as Jensen turned off the shower and helped him out.
Jensen half-carried Jared out of the shower and took him to their bed, with every intention of making good on his promise.
He had Jared just where he wanted him. After staggering out of the shower, whilst struggling to get dry and continue kissing at the same time. Jensen had shoved an unusually compliant Jared back against the bed, so that now he lay splayed out, beautiful cock fully erect and purpling at the head, waiting for Jensen who had frozen in admiring contemplation, mind fully out of gear, just taking in the sight.
“Jen, stop thinking! God, come here.” Jared’s voice was so lust blown and utterly wrecked that he thought it was a miracle he didn’t come there and then just from the weight of it.
Pulling himself from his musing Jensen started and grinned at his lover. “You’re just so fucking gorgeous. You made me lose my mind just a little bit.” He slid up Jared’s long body, slotting into place between his legs with practiced ease. Jared moaned as Jensen bit him none too gently at the junction of shoulder and neck.
Gasping at the sensation, Jared stroked up Jensen’s sides and pulled his head up for a long wet kiss as they began to move lazily together as a mutual, unspoken decision was made to take this slowly and make it last.
Jensen moved against Jared gently, up on his elbows, allowing his erection to make slight contact with Jared’s as he moved slowly, hinting at more vigorous motion to come later. Jared put his hands on Jensen’s ass and began to trace gentle patterns using just the tips of his fingers, causing sparks to run up Jensen’s spine and out into the palms of his hands. Jensen stilled and allowed all of his weight to cover Jared as he slowly began to roll his hips against the larger man’s body. He covered Jared’s face with slow languid kisses as he moved with a rhythm designed to maintain the edge, not ease it. They were both panting.
That is until Jensen’s cell phone buzzed on the floor inside his pants pocket. They tried to ignore it. Seconds later it buzzed again. This time it was harder to ignore, but they were determined to try. Then the little trumpet blare that announced a text message went off. Seconds later the phone buzzed again.
“You want to turn that thing off?” Jared asked.
“I fucking want to crush it,” Jensen growled, pulling away from Jared and snatching up his jeans from the floor. By force of habit he looked to see who was torturing them. Chris. Of course.
“Chris?” Like Jared needed to ask.
“Who else?” Jensen sighed resignedly.
Then Jared’s phone began vibrating its way across the dresser where he had put it before he got into the shower.
“This isn’t going to happen right now is it?” They both knew it was a rhetorical question.
Jensen sighed. “We could just turn the phones off, and try to forget about it.” They both knew it wouldn’t happen but they could still wish.
“I don’t think we could completely shut it out of our minds.” Jared spoke the words they both knew were true. They both stared glumly at their phones. “Well, it’s not as if we can’t pick this up where we left off, later.” He continued trying to make the best of a very frustrating situation.
Jensen laughed. “We’re fucking awesome friends. This had better be appreciated. Do you want to call Steve first and find out just how much Chris disgusted and sickened him? Should I call Chris? Do it at the same time?”
Jared sighed. “It would be easier to talk to Steve to find out why he reacted so poorly. I mean, it was insensitive, but I’ve heard people say worse things to him. Hell, I’ve said worse things to him. I’m going to put him on speaker phone.” He pushed Steve’s speed dial button. The phone was answered on the first ring.
“Jared? I’m sorry. I was an ass.” Steve’s voice sounded genuinely contrite even through the speaker phone
“So was Chris.” Jared assured him supportively.
“Yeah,” Steve replied, “but it isn’t like I didn’t know what to expect. It would be better if we could get along, so you guys wouldn’t have walk on egg shells all the time. I’m willing to try again if he is.”
Jared and Jensen looked at each other and shared a joint breath of relief. It seemed at least one of their friends was willing to make an effort.
Even so it had to be asked, and it looked like Jared would have to be the one to do it. “Steve, I’m puzzled about something. Why do the things Chris says bother you so much more than the things the rest of your friends say to you? I mean, I’ve heard people say some pretty outrageous things to you and you just laugh. Is it because you think he doesn’t know you well enough or what?
Jensen wondered why no one had ever asked that particular question before. Jared was a genius.
Steve was silent for a long time. “I know something about Chris he doesn’t know I know. I don’t think Jensen even knows.”
“Well, can you tell us? Will all of this make more sense if we know?” He had to ask; even if he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. There wasn’t a hell of a lot that Steve didn’t tell him after all.
When he replied Steves voice was quiet and unusually timid, “I’m not sure. “
Jared tried to keep the mood light, he knew that if he seemed freaked Steve would clam up, he also knew not to push him too hard, but damn it they needed to know, for the sake of their own sanity if nothing else. “Well, now I’m stumped. When did you know this, whatever it is?
There was a pause before Steve answered, Jared had never known him this coy. “I’ve actually known Chris, well not known him but known of him, for quite a while. The problem with telling you, is that, well, I’m going to have to tell you something about myself that you don’t know, that I never really wanted you to find out.”
~~~
Jared's patience started to wear thin, the cracks showing in his otherwise calm voice. “For God’s sake, Steve. You should know you can tell me anything.”
“Yeah,” Steve breathed before adding unsurely, “ is Jensen there?”
“Yes. You’re on speaker phone. You know whatever you tell me I’m just going to tell him later, even if you ask me not to.” He had given up feeling bad about that long ago, besides everyone he cared about knew that if you don’t want Jensen to know, then don’t tell Jared. It was just the way they were.
Steve knew this as well as anyone. “I figured. Well…” He paused, gathering his courage. “ I have another job besides teaching music. I work as a masked master in a bondage and discipline club. And well…”
He cut off there, Jared and Jensen looked at each other in disbelief. Sweet, friendly, music Professor Steve was a part time Dom, who’d have thought.
Jared however couldn’t help but think there was more “And?” he prompted, hoping he didn’t know the answer already.
“Well...” Steve forced out, “The thing is…”
They could tell he was getting at something, and thought they knew what but Jensen’s patience was wearing thin. “Spit it out Steve.” He demanded
“Chris is one of our regulars.”