New SPN RPS story: Come Back Running - 1/2
Come Back Running
Jensen/Jared, Jensen/Jared/Jeff, oh so very NC-17
Word count: 11,490
Summary: Jensen and Jared gave Jeff a standing invitation to their ranch, and he used it.
Notes: This is a stand-alone sequel to The Truth About Heaven, but all you need to know as background is that post-Supernatural, Jared has moved in with Jensen on his ranch. Many thanks to janissa11 for beta and wonderful support, to killabeez for encouragement to keep writing and for her comments, and to barkley for her wise suggestions. Written for littledrop. Her prompt: J2, cats and dogs. Um, I got two out of three. *g*
Come Back Running
by Destina
In May, Jeff flew down for a quick visit, three days and then back on the red-eye to New York. Jared had never seen Jensen quite so twitchy, but he figured it was because Jeff was their first house guest, and the first person to see them since the whole living-together-and-oh-by-the-way-boyfriends-now thing came about.
Jared tried cold beer therapy, combined with practical talk, to pull Jensen off the ceiling. "Jesus, Jensen, it's not like he's expecting anything special out of us. He's almost family."
"Yeah," Jensen said, glancing doubtfully at the bathroom door, standing ajar; behind it, Jensen had laid out a wealth of shower gels and tasteful yellow towels. So it wasn't a surprise to him when Jensen swapped the shower gel out for Safeguard and the yellow towels out for navy-blue stripes.
Jared watched the operation from the doorway. "Feel better?" he asked, when Jensen turned around with his arms full of towels.
"Don't start," Jensen said. So Jared didn't. Instead, he pulled the yellow towels out of Jensen's hands, threw them on the floor and tackled Jensen right on top of them. He held Jensen down with one hand across his chest, a little in love with the way Jensen's heartbeat thumped against his palm, and stroked Jensen's cock slowly with the other. Jensen came all over Jared's fingers, gasping Jared's name while he kissed his way deeper into Jared's mouth with every breath.
Jared made a mental note to put the yellow towels in the master bathroom.
After he washed them.
Jeff pulled into the driveway around dusk with Bisou in the front seat of the rental car, her eager face pressed to the window. He climbed out and flashed a huge smile. "Damn, boys, you think you put this ranch far enough outta town?"
Jared threw his head back and laughed. "Hey, man, I didn't pick the spot. I'm just a squatter." The moment he said it, he glanced at Jensen, because he didn't mean it the way it sounded, and Jensen tended to be touchy about this thing with them, and whether it would last. But Jensen smiled, sharing the joke, so Jared threw an arm around Jeff and clapped him on the back. "Good to see you."
"You too, Jared." Jeff turned his grin on Jensen. "Well, you look a hell of a lot better than the last time I saw you."
"Thanks for pointing that out." Jensen grinned, moving in for his own hug. Jeff hugged like nobody else; not even Jared could match that full-body comfort wrap Jeff was capable of. "Come on in. We've got some cold beers with your name on them."
Jeff broke off and turned to open the door for Bisou, who hopped down immediately and stood there, tail wagging like she was ready for orders. Inside the house, Sadie and Harley barked a welcome; Bisou's tail doubled its pace. "I picked up some dinner on the way here. Figured I might cook for you, if that's all right."
"Dude, there's no need," Jared said, 'cause his momma taught him never to make a guest work for their keep, but suddenly he was hungry enough to eat an entire cow. No power on earth could make him say no to home-cooked food.
"Oh, there's a need," Jensen said, smacking Jared in the belly. "In about half an hour, you'll hear Jared's stomach start crying for help. It'll be glad to know you're going to rescue it, 'cause I sure as hell can't."
"Your cooking's not that bad," Jared said, giving him a look. They'd had to learn to recognize a whole new catalog of looks between each other the last few weeks, a private language Jared loved. Jensen's looks ranged from the sexually charged (the 'don't stop, I'm about to come' look was Jared's particular favorite) to the blissfully domestic ('stop piling the wet dishtowels on the counter or I'll beat your ass' was a guaranteed winner, too), and they all made Jared unbelievably hot.
But Jensen wasn't the only one who could use the power of persuasion that way, so Jared used the 'stop running yourself down you dork' look, which made Jensen lick his lower lip self-consciously, which made Jeff clear his throat. Loudly.
"Hi, houseguest here," he said. "Dead meat stinking up the rental car. Really should get that in the fridge."
Jensen turned an attractive shade of fuck-me pink, which Jared thought was really unfair, since to toss Jensen down and fuck him twice in one day might be overkill. Especially in the gravel, with Jeff watching. Instead he told Jeff, "There are no actual pots and pans in the kitchen, so you may have to cook on rocks or something."
"We have pots!" Jensen frowned.
"Pot, singular," Jared reminded him, and grinned even wider when Jeff full-on laughed out loud.
As it turned out, Jeff was more than up to the task of cooking in a kitchen where the pots and pans were in short supply. "God invented foil that man may improvise," he told them, as he folded three lengths of the stuff into some kind of wacky origami broiler pan. He seasoned and cut and threw the meat in the oven while Jensen tore up some salad out of a bag.
"That stuff's already cut, you know," Jared said, leaning against the counter, beer bottle dangling from between his fingers. He watched Jensen's hands, the way he combed through the bag looking for dead pieces, how he ruffled and spread them in the bowl.
"I like my greens small," Jensen said. He ripped a half-inch piece one more time to prove his point.
Jared leaned closer, and when his lips were right against the edge of Jensen's ear, he whispered, "That's about the only thing you like small in this house."
Jensen shied away, shivering, and bumped shoulders with Jeff, who laughed softly. "I'd tell you to get a room, but you live here," he said, craning forward to meet Jared's eyes.
"Pitiful, isn't it?" Jared said, as he ran a hand through Jensen's hair, his fingers wet from the condensation on the bottle. Hair stuck to his hand, soft tufts forming instant attachments to him. Much like the rest of Jensen. Which made Jared pretty damn happy.
They sat out by the fountain once dinner was over and the plates stacked in the sink, their lawn chairs in a pointed semi-circle with Jeff in the middle. "You make a hell of a lambchop, Jeff," Jared said, stretching his legs out on the tile.
"I could tell you were enjoying it," Jeff said. "Since it sounded like someone was blowing you under the table."
"Enthusiasm is a beautiful thing," Jared said, taking a long swallow from his beer. It had been a long time since life seemed perfect - there had been too much angst this last year, about the show, his career, Sandy, everything. But with a billion stars overhead in a clear sky and Jensen sitting close enough to touch, and steady work coming in, and one of their closest friends hanging out - at that moment, things seemed pretty close to perfect, as far as Jared was concerned. "Got any new projects lined up?"
"Five," Jeff said, without a trace of arrogance. "And man, they are kickin' my ass."
Jensen whistled. "You've got more dedication than I do," he said. "I could be workin' that hard, but...well."
"He'd rather stay home with me," Jared said, grinning again, so hard his cheeks were starting to hurt. Jensen snorted, but didn't contradict him. "Seriously, Jen, you've got two parts coming up back to back. And they're good ones, too," he said to Jeff, as an aside. "Damn good ones. Better than I'm getting."
"I got lucky," Jensen said. It was the truth. But there was a lot of talent involved, too. Jared kept that opinion to himself. He planned going to whisper it all over Jensen's skin later. It usually sank in faster that way.
Jeff didn't seem shy about it, though. "Luck my ass, Jensen."
Jensen turned his head and caught Jeff's eye; then Jensen looked away, smiling.
Jared watched Jensen for a minute, the way he wasn't looking at Jeff. It wasn't the usual self-effacing thing he did sometimes. This was something else. Something interesting. Something Jared maybe should have asked about before, but he hadn't thought it mattered much.
Could be he was wrong about that.
**
Jared stole a little of Jensen's flavored toothpaste - best for bedtime kissing, on account of how his whitening toothpaste tasted like concrete - and brushed his teeth vigorously. Jensen was in bed already; Jared could see him in the mirror, sprawled out over the blue sheets, quieter than usual. His hands were crossed over his stomach and he was watching some interesting plaster on the ceiling.
He'd been like that all evening, actually. Not like something was wrong, exactly, just...not as animated as usual. While Jared was watching, Jensen frowned, like something serious had occurred to him. Then he shifted in the bed, flopping around until his back was to the bathroom. It was like a disconnect, not being able to study that expression until he figured it out, so Jared hurriedly spit and rinsed, and flipped out the light.
"Scoot," he said to Jensen, who rolled over and smiled at him, like he hadn't just seemed half a world away.
"Bout damn time you got done prettyin' up in there." Jensen smacked him on the ass as he leaned down to toss the covers aside.
Jared bounced into the bed and reached for Jensen, enfolded him in a bear hug, so that he was nestled securely against Jared's chest, arms around him tight. He buried his face in Jensen's hair, rubbing like a cat half-drugged on catnip. "You smell good."
"Minty fresh." Jensen lifted his head and Jared fitted his mouth to Jensen's, slow press of lips, soft and wet. Jared ran a hand down Jensen's back, curled his fingers in the hollow at the base of Jensen's spine, where he fit so easily. But then Jensen lifted his head and pushed his fingers through Jared's hair, and went back to looking at the ceiling.
Jared cleared his throat. "Uh, isn't it a little soon for you to start pecking me goodnight and conking out?"
"Nah, I'm not...it's not that." Jensen squeezed him a little.
And there was the opening. Jared nodded, as if he hadn't already thought about asking, and then it popped right out, because Jared really didn't know how to be subtle in any way. "So. You and Jeff."
Jensen nodded, but the expression on his face was pure reluctance. There was a part of Jared that had wanted to start this conversation since the day in Vancouver when everything clicked with him and Jensen. Sometimes he thought if it wasn't for Jeff, Jensen never would have sorted out things at all, and Jared would still be dealing with missed opportunities and conflicted as hell, calling Jensen once in a while to say hi and miss you and never sharing the things that mattered the most.
That didn't mean he really wanted to get into how Jeff had helped, but now it seemed much more important than it had at the time.
Jensen sat up, crossed his legs under him. Jared's hand stayed on his knee, warm, reassuring. "What d'you want to know?"
"I think maybe he has a thing for you." Jared looked at him, open, curious, and Jensen breathed out a long breath.
"What makes you think so?"
"Don't know, exactly. Something about how he looks at you." Jared watched him for a moment, then added, "And how you look at him." Jensen started to protest, but Jared waved him off. "I'm not sayin' it's anything, Jen. I know you better than that. Okay? I just..."
"You want to know what happened," Jensen said softly. "You want details?"
"No," Jared said, but even to his own ears, it sounded like yes, and hurry the fuck up.
"He kissed me," Jensen said. He watched Jared's eyes, maybe looking for any sign of this thing going south, but Jared just held his gaze, steady, patient. "That's all it was. I was screwed up, Jared. I couldn't come to you about it. I had to know first if...where I stood. What I wanted. He gave me good advice. He did what I asked him to."
"Which was kiss you."
"Yeah. And then he sent me to you, to deal with...everything. This. I told you that."
"I know." Jared kept holding his gaze, and Jensen met it, didn't shy away. The silence stretched out, slow and thick, and then Jared said softly, "He's a good friend."
It sounded hollow, not what he really meant, so Jared reached for Jensen, and tugged until Jensen unfolded his legs and let Jared pull him down. Jared drew his fingertips up the underside of Jensen's right arm, stopping where the pulse beat in his wrist, and at the bend. Jensen shivered under the touch.
"I like having him here," Jared said. "Let's invite him back." And then he kissed Jensen, stole his reply right out of his mouth, interpreted it as a yes.
**
Spring gave way to summer, soft sweet evenings giving over to long, sweltering Texas evenings, familiar to them both in a way that felt like home. Jensen missed most of it, because he was on a shoot in New York, a substantial part in an independent film. He'd been lucky to get it. Jared shot guest parts on four different shows, and beat him home by one day.
Every time he came home, Jared felt more like he belonged there and less like he was living a happy accident on someone else's turf. The ranch was flowering with color, wildflowers popping up all over the grounds near the house, up the drive; Jared had to resist the urge to grab whole handfuls and deposit them in Jensen's lap. But he thought Jensen understood anyway; early evenings in the twilight, he caught Jensen staring out at this place of theirs, soft contentment written there in every relaxed line of his body.
Jeff had a standing invitation, and he used it to drop in on a long July weekend when they were both at the ranch. This time he didn't bring food, or Bisou; he came with an overnight bag and two bottles of damned expensive tequila, and Jensen threw back his head and laughed when he saw them. "Jeff, man, did you drag those things with you from New York?"
"Bought 'em at the airport," Jeff said, that slow easy grin sliding across his face. "Thought about picking up some shot glasses, too, but I figured you had that covered."
"Damn straight," Jared said. He captured the bottles from Jeff, and the bag, and pointed. "There's beer. You don't need us waitin' on you anymore, right? Make yourself at home."
It really was just that easy. Ten minutes later, Jeff was walking around the house in his bare feet like he'd taken up residence, and in half an hour he was asleep on the couch, his tall frame stretched comfortably across the oversized thing.
When it was time for dinner, Jared shook Jeff awake, then let Jensen take over the easy chatter until Jared could get things together. He could hear Jensen's voice, and Jeff's laughter, and the smile in Jensen's voice carried into the kitchen, bringing an impression of warmth with it. Jared stopped, an armful of containers in his hands, and glanced into the living room; Jensen sat next to Jeff on the couch, their knees touching, turned slightly toward each other as a lively conversation about stage makeup and football wove itself between them.
Jared set everything down and put a pan on the stove. When this weekend was over, Jeff was going to go home and not come back until the fall, maybe. Jared had a strong suspicion that if Jeff wasn't such a good friend, he would not have tried so hard to convince Jensen to go to Jared.
What was bothering him, a little, was that maybe Jensen wished Jeff wasn't such a good friend.
He dumped the frozen lumps of chili his mama had left for them into the pan and added a little water, then put a lid on the pan and turned the flame up high. By the time he'd pulled out garlic bread and thrown it on a cookie sheet, he was feeling like an ass for having that fleeting thought. He had no doubt where Jensen wanted to be. He knew Jensen had fought that through and made up his mind, and he knew Jensen loved him. Knew it like he knew his own name.
But he also knew the rich, deep joy of Jensen's laugh when Jeff was in their home was something he could listen to forever.
It wasn't long until the chili was ready, and Jensen wandered into the kitchen at the right time. He found Jared sitting at the table and promptly climbed into his lap, causing the chair to creak precariously under their combined weight. "Damn chairs are too small to do what I want to do," Jensen told him, kissing his way down Jared's jaw.
Jared smiled and spread his hands across Jensen's ass, yanking him a little closer. "Wouldn't want to shock the company," he murmured, and Jensen's lips touched his, his tongue licking like quicksilver into Jared's mouth.
"Fuck the company," Jensen said, the sound of it a vibration against Jared's mouth.
"Hmm," Jared answered. He smiled against Jensen's skin.
Jensen finally climbed off him, with a final bump and grind for good measure, and shouted, "Jeff! Get in here if you want to be fed!"
Jeff sauntered into the kitchen, stretching and dangling a beer from between his fingers, and peered into the pot. "Chili smells good," he said. He stepped aside to let Jared ladle it up, and Jensen sprinkled cheese on each bowl before sliding them across the table. "Hell of a contribution, there, Chef Ackles," Jeff teased, which made Jensen tilt his head and grin.
"You aren't the only one who can cook."
Jared put the Tabasco and sour cream out on the table and pointed to the tequila. "Pony up, Morgan."
Dinner was a round robin of chili, shots and beer, and when Jared pushed back from the table, his belly felt rounder than a bowling ball. He patted it, belching long and loud, and Jeff and Jensen both burst out laughing.
"Ain't nothing but pure class around here, boys," Jared said, patting Jensen on the belly as well.
"What we need is some tequila," Jensen said, picking up the glasses, "and a nice soft couch."
"Amen." Jeff snagged the bottle and they formed a parade back to the living room. Jared threw open the patio doors and flopped down on the couch; Jensen sat down on the floor, all six foot one of him stretched out on the soft carpet. The dogs came trotting up then, Sadie hopping on the couch and Harley settling down with Jensen.
Jeff sat down on the other end of the couch and passed glasses around. "Hey there girl," he said, when Sadie gave him an interested glance. Her tail began to wag, but when she realized the glass wasn't for her, she gave up. "Fickle," Jeff said to Jared, in a tone that made Jared grin.
"So true," Jensen said. He slung an arm over Jared's knees and held his glass out to Jeff. "Booze me now and you can stay."
"Not a very high price." Jeff poured shots for all of them and didn't bother to set the bottle down. "To steady work," he said, and they put the shots back, Jared choking a little because tequila always burned his throat and made his skin hot. Jeff poured refills and then set the bottle out of doggy reach on the side table.
"I'm out of toasts," Jensen said. "I ran out when we killed the first bottle." His arm on Jared's legs was warm and heavy. Jared lifted his hand, rubbed his fingertips across the soft short hairs on the nape of Jensen's neck until Jensen's head fell back in the palm of his hand. His eyes were closed. Jared glanced over at Jeff, who dragged his gaze up immediately from Jensen's face to Jared. He had the good grace to look a little unsettled - Jared wasn't sure if it was because he was caught, or because he didn't want to be caught, but either way, Jared didn't care. He could forgive Jeff for looking. Hell, he understood it.
He tossed back his shot and bent forward to kiss Jensen because he could, licking up the taste of salt and Tabasco. "Toast, fucker," Jensen said, licking his lips just as Jared pulled back, which sent a shiver straight through Jared.
"Man, I don't know." Jared settled back and held his glass out to Jeff, who filled it obligingly. "To Texas."
"Lame, that is so lame, that's the lamest toast ever, you Texas pussy," Jensen said, and tossed back his shot. Jared burst out laughing again, and tossed his own shot. The burn was smoother this time. "Gotta piss," Jensen added, and used Jared's legs to lever himself up off the floor. He grinned at Jeff and Jared and headed down the hall toward the back bedroom.
"I'll bet he goes to bed," Jared said, watching as Jensen rounded the corner.
"I'll bet you're right, you Texas pussy." They grinned at each other. Jeff stretched out, hooked a toe under the edge of the coffee table, and pulled it closer so he could put his feet up. "Thanks for having me this weekend, Jared. I appreciate it."
"Love havin' you, man." Jared meant it, and he wanted Jeff to know that; he smiled, deep and true, let it show in his eyes, and took Jeff's warm happy smile in return. "Meant it, when I said you were welcome anytime."
"Thanks. I..." Jeff stopped, as if he'd changed tracks in the middle of speaking. "Thanks," he said again.
Jared heard the bedroom door slam, which made him grin again. "He's out for the night."
"Yeah." Jeff smirked a little and reached out to scratch Sadie's head. Jared watched the movement of his hand, the way his fingers curled and uncurled, easy, relaxed.
They were quiet for a moment. Jared thought of Jensen stretched out across the bed, the way he rubbed against the sheets like an impatient cat when he was drunk. He glanced at Jeff, who couldn't know what Jensen was like, didn't know. For a moment, he wondered what Jeff was like, what it had been like for Jensen, kissing him, and what had been in it for Jeff.
"Somethin' you want to ask me, Jared?" Jeff leaned back on the couch, and his face was neutral, but there was steel underneath that soft offer.
Jared supposed he should have been startled, that Jeff read him so easy, but they'd known each other a long time. Not that surprising. He looked down at his hands. He didn't even know how to form the question, or which question to ask, and he knew he'd be asking the wrong person anyway. It just bugged him that there were answers he didn't have, things he wanted to know and didn't, that he had to ask in the first place. Jensen had gone to Jeff for his answers. At least he'd had the balls to ask.
Jeff was scratching Sadie's ears now, gentle scratches that made her whimper.
Jared swallowed.
It was now or never. Never might be the smarter choice, but Jensen was the one area where he was sometimes a little stupid, and Jensen would never cross this line on his own. He picked at his jeans a moment, and then he said, "Do you...uh. I don't really...damn, Jeff. I know you wouldn't...but...are you interested in Jensen?"
There was dead silence. Jared thought maybe he was just this side of drunk, or not drunk enough, or that he had just fucked up spectacularly. He opened his mouth to apologize, when Jeff said quietly, "I don't want what's not mine, Jared."
"You've always been a good friend," Jared said. He could have left it there. Could have, maybe should have. But he didn't. "But you didn't really...answer the question."
"Thought I did." Jeff kept looking at him, and his hand kept moving in Sadie's fur, stroking her. If she'd been a cat, she'd have been purring. Jared had some sympathy.
"Jeff, you..." A breath, and then he added, "Maybe...there's room for you, in this. With us. As long as I'm there, 'cause that's just how it has to be."
"Still won't be mine." Jeff was watching him steadily.
Jared met Jeff's eyes. "As long as you understand that, I'm good." Another pause, and he said, "It's up to him."
Jeff nodded slowly. "Have to think that over," he said. He tossed back his shot and set the glass down. "Sometimes it's better to leave well enough alone. Been around long enough to know this stuff goes bad fast, Jared."
"Nah." Jared scratched his stomach. "It's no different if we make sure it stays the same." There was a part of Jared that thought he might settle, calm down, if Jensen said no. But an entirely different part of him wanted to Jen to say yes, wanted to see what look might come over his face with Jeff behind him, Jeff's hands on his hips, and Jared's mouth on him.
He'd said he didn't want anyone else's hands on Jensen, but there could be this one exception. For Jensen.
"Jared?" He looked up. Jeff was watching him. "This just about Jensen?"
Jared shifted around on the couch.
Jeff smiled.
**
Jared woke to the sound of Jensen moaning quietly into his pillow. Bright sunlight gleamed into the room, as if offended by the fact the two of them continued to sleep. Jared turned over and twisted to see Jensen's face. "Hey, you okay?"
"Goddamned tequila," Jensen said, muffled by the pillow. Jared threw back his head and laughed softly.
"Hang on," he said, and swung out of bed. He grabbed the glass beside the sink and filled it with water, then took it and a bottle of aspirin back to Jensen. "Here," he said, trying not to snicker at the way Jensen fumbled for it twice, blind as a bat.
"Did I do anything stupid?" Jensen asked, wincing in anticipation of the answer. He popped the cap on the aspirin and dumped three into his palm.
No, it was my turn for dumb-ass maneuvers. Jared cleared his throat. "Nope."
Jensen tossed back all three pills with a long swallow of water. "Good." He rolled over on his stomach and slid his arms under the pillow. "Fuck me now."
"Jesus," Jared said, grinning because he was hard and because he wanted Jensen, his smooth freckled skin and the noises he wasn't making yet but would be soon, and he was never going to get over the morning rush of waking up beside Jensen. He shifted, pressed a hand to the middle of Jensen's back, and leaned down to kiss Jensen's back, tongue flickering over every freckle within reach. "Later," he said, ignoring Jensen's disappointed growl. "We've got a guest."
"You keep saying that," Jensen said, pushing his ass in the air. Jared smacked it with his open hand, which produced another soft growl from Jensen.
"I promise," Jared said, "that I will make it worth your while."
"You're big on promises, aren't you?" Jensen rolled over and sat up, and that was just too much for Jared. He looped his arm around Jensen's neck and kissed him, kissed until Jensen fell over onto him, where Jared could wrap his arms around him and get his hands all over Jensen's ass.
Jensen made an impatient noise and arched his back, which pushed his ass up in the air. Jared's breath caught in his throat. So much for good intentions. He flipped Jensen over, straddled Jensen's legs and leaned down to kiss Jensen's back, tongue flickering over every freckle within reach.
He reached out a hand for the bedside table, but Jensen smacked it away.
"No condom," he said, and then turned his face back down into the pillow.
Jared grabbed his cock at the base and looked up at the ceiling to avoid coming on the spot. This time when he reached for the table, Jensen didn't stop him.
"You think Jeff can hear?" he breathed against Jensen's skin as he eased his fingers inside Jensen, slick and slow.
"Don't care," Jensen said, grinning into Jared's kiss. He spread his legs just a little wider, and Jared mouthed the skin of his shoulder, grazing teeth there every time Jensen made those little noises, doling them out one at a time like some kind of addictive drug.
Jared pushed in slowly, the head of his cock just inside Jensen, and then braced his hands on either side of Jensen's body. He watched Jensen's back, the smooth muscle there tense, then relax, as he slid deeper. Jensen gasped, and Jared closed his eyes. "You feel so fucking good," he said, thrusting slow with gentle rolls of his hips.
Jensen raised up off the bed and scrabbled at the pillow; Jared reached over and pulled it out from under him, tossed it to the floor so Jensen could lean up on his elbows. Back arched, he pushed up to meet Jared's deep thrusts, and they moved together, Jensen rocking back into him on every stroke. Jared rested a hand on the small of Jensen's back, his favorite place, and then said, "Ease up, let me-"
He stopped moving so Jensen could, and then he slid an arm underneath Jensen, got him to his knees, and got his hand around Jensen's cock. "Oh, fuck," Jensen said, just as Jared went deep, and came all over his hand, shaking apart in Jared's grip. Jared tightened his arm around Jensen's belly and tried to ride it out, but no way could he last. He took Jensen's full weight in his arms and knelt up, going as deep as he could, once, twice, and then he was coming too, nose buried in the soft hair at the nape of Jensen's neck.
"Wuh," Jensen said distinctly. He flailed out with one arm; Jared ignored it and shifted slightly so he could kiss Jensen, take his time on Jensen's parted lips. Then he pulled out, slowly, wincing at the mess, and lowered them both to the bed.
"Damn," he said softly, kissing Jensen's shoulder.
"Yeah," Jensen agreed. He turned and then they were kissing again, necking like they hadn't just fucked and were barely to first base. Sometimes Jared thought he'd never be able to kiss Jensen deep enough, get far enough inside him. Didn't stop him from trying.
"I need a shower," Jensen said.
Jared made a face at him. "You're the one who was all, NO CONDOM."
"Didn't hear you complaining," Jensen said, staring at him until he blushed.
"Uh, no. Fuck no." He kissed Jensen again and patted him on the ass.
In the shower, he thought about Jeff's expression when they talked the night before, and about how easy it would be to fuck everything up. It might be smarter to say something to Jensen now, but it could spoil the morning. He pulled Jensen closer, slippery with soap, and kissed his nose.
Jensen blinked at him from under a soapsuds mantle, and then his grin reasserted itself and he groped Jared a little. Then he stuck his head under the shower and rubbed all the soap away. "Company," he said, throwing Jared's words right back at him, and fled the shower.
Jared stayed a few more minutes, only because he wasn't sure he wanted to face Jeff in the sober light of morning.
When he stepped out, Jensen was already dressed - work jeans and a wifebeater, since they'd talked about working on the back porch today while Jeff was around to help. "Listen, Jensen," he started, then stopped. He sat down hard on the bed, hair dripping all over the place.
Jensen came around the bed, smoothed Jared's wet hair back. "Hey," he said, and sat down next to Jared. "What's up? You've been weird all morning."
"Weird?" Jared raised his eyebrows at him. "I didn't hear you complaining, either."
"Not about that," Jensen said, smiling. His eyes were incredibly green in the bright morning light.
Jared sighed. "Last night I told Jeff if he wanted to...and you did...we could."
"Wow, that's a big mouthful of nothing." Jensen leaned back on the bed and kicked up his big bare feet, examining his crooked toes with great seriousness. "Were you actually trying to tell me something there, or was that the practice run?"
"Oh, fuck you," Jared said. He reached out and grabbed Jensen's feet, pulled them into his lap. He rubbed his thumb over the arch until Jensen's toes wiggled happily under the steady pressure.
"Seriously, Jared. You've never had a problem talking before." Jensen's grin faded some. "Does this have to do with before, with Jeff?"
"Not exactly." Jared kept rubbing. "I'm not blind, man. He's hot. I get that."
"Oh," Jensen said. His foot jerked, and he said, "Oh," in a different tone of voice. "This is about now."
"If you want." Jared curled his hand over the top of Jensen's foot and looked up at him. "I told him it was up to you."
The look that came into Jensen's eyes right then made Jared's heart do crazy things. "You're it, Jared. You get that, right?"
He did get it, but he wasn't ever going to get tired of hearing it. "Yeah," he said happily, shaking his wet hair at Jensen.
"If it hadn't been me, it might have been Sandy for you, right? Or somebody else. And maybe for me, it would have been Jeff. Or somebody else." Jensen shoved Jared's knee with his foot. "But it wasn't."
"Okay," Jared said, though his grin was getting bigger with every word, and he didn't even try to stop it. He glanced sideways at Jensen "He's hot, though."
"He is hot." Jensen's grin matched Jared's.
**
As it turned out, Jeff was completely cool, as if nothing had happened. The three of them had eggs and toast in the kitchen, and Jeff's eyes twinkled when he asked, "You need some hair of the dog, there, Jensen?"
"I chewed a handful of aspirin, thanks," Jensen answered. He buttered his toast and pointed the knife at Jeff. "Next time you bring tequila, you're a dead man, by the way."
"I didn't see you turning it down," Jeff said. He winked at Jared, who crammed his mouth full of toast slathered with apricot jam and grinned around it.
They spent the morning working on the deck, seamless teamwork for three hours, bringing lumber down and hammering it into place. Jared watched Jeff as he stripped down layers, shirt coming off first, and then t-shirt, and finally all three of them were working in the pleasant fall sun in nothing but skin and jeans.
"This is hard work," Jared announced, up to his elbows in saws and nails.
"Welcome to home ownership." Jensen paused long enough in his hammering to grin at Jared, who felt the sentiment settle into him suddenly, like warm sunshine: his home, and he owned the part of it Jensen was attached to.
He picked up a water bottle and squirted water all over Jensen, who grinned even wider and picked up his own water, and then it was on, a chase across the bumpy boards and obstacles, Jared flinging water and Jensen spitting at him, until Jared pitched his bottle aside and tackled Jensen into the grass edging his new deck. Jeff stepped aside, but he dumped the remains of his bottle on Jared's back, a cold waterfall that interrupted Jared just long enough for Jensen to get the upper hand.
"Bastard!" Jared gasped up at Jeff, as Jensen threw him onto his back.
"You need some help, you just holler," Jeff said, grinning ear to ear.
Jared pushed at Jensen, and it was on; they rolled around in the grass like a couple of stray dogs tussling for territory, and when they stopped, Jensen was sitting astride Jared, his legs on either side of Jared's hips, and Jared's hands were on Jensen's hips.
They stared at each other a moment, and then Jared slid his hand up Jensen's arm, around the back of his neck, and pulled him down. Jensen met him halfway and they were kissing, oblivious to the heat and the mess, warm grass prickly on Jared's back, the smell of sunshine all around him.
Jared pushed a hand through Jensen's hair and cradled his skull, and then gently eased him back. Over Jensen's shoulder, he could see Jeff watching them, his back against the deck rail, fingers of his left hand curled loose over the rough boards. He met Jeff's eyes, then turned his attention back to Jensen, held him there for a long moment while Jeff set his hammer down and came to them.
Jared soothed his hands over Jensen's sides, then up his chest; he lifted his hips up against Jensen's when Jen's eyes closed halfway. "Yeah," Jared whispered. Jeff crouched down over Jared's legs, and slowly, he laid his hands on Jensen's back, smoothing them across Jensen's skin, but his eyes never left Jared's.
Jensen's head dropped down, and he shivered in their hands, hard enough to shake Jared's grip on him. Jared's breath caught in his throat.
Jeff reached around Jensen, caught his thumbs in Jensen's beltloops, and lifted gently, pulling Jensen up to his feet. Jen's head snapped up and there was worry in his eyes; he looked to Jared wildly, and Jared got his legs under him fast, pushed up from the ground to follow him as Jeff tucked Jensen in against his body. Jeff backed up two paces until his back was braced against the deck rail, and then his hands were splayed across Jensen's belly, holding him in place.
Waiting.
For a long moment, Jared looked at the two of them; Jensen, his legs parted slightly, leaning back against Jeff's chest, his hips canted; Jeff, watching Jared, Jensen's head against his shoulder. Jared stepped into the space between Jensen's legs and gently kicked them apart a little further; Jensen's eyes narrowed in challenge, and he grinned. Jared ran his fingertips across the back of Jeff's hands, skimming Jensen's stomach. He rolled his hips into Jensen, watched the way Jensen's throat worked, the way his body strained up against Jeff's hands.
Jeff reached down and slowly undid the buttons of Jensen's fly, one at a time, with one hand. Jared stepped back to give him room, and when Jeff pushed Jensen's jeans aside and reached into his briefs, Jared kissed into Jensen's low moan, licking it right out of his mouth and all the crazy sounds that followed it, the gasps and the panting cries, because Jeff's hand was stripping Jensen's cock with slow, sure strokes, down below the cotton briefs. Jeff moved his hand, shoved Jensen's jeans down his hips; a small shift in position, and Jeff dragged the head of Jensen's cock across Jared's bare stomach.
"Oh Jesus," Jared gasped against Jensen's lips, which sent Jensen into a small frenzy, bucking up against him, provoking a long groan from Jeff as Jensen's ass rubbed against his cock.
The next moment, Jared was on his knees, dragging Jensen's jeans down into a puddle over his bare feet, and Jeff held Jensen's hard, beautiful cock out to him like a prize. Jared steadied Jensen with his hands, pushed him back into Jeff. He looked up, and Jeff was kissing Jensen, open-mouthed, completely dirty.
Two impulses flashed quicksilver through Jared, hot and fast: to yank them apart and fuck Jensen until he forgot Jeff was even there - and to sit back and watch. He forced himself to look at them, to watch Jeff drag his mouth off Jensen's, to see the way Jensen's lips parted and his head rolled back when Jeff gently bit the edge of his ear.
Jared gave into the insistent push of Jensen's hips and closed his lips around Jensen's long, curved cock, closed his eyes when Jensen said, "Ah, Jared, god, please." He licked around the head, and Jeff's hand slid away. He felt Jensen push into him, used his hands to steady Jensen's pace, and saw Jeff reach behind Jensen to undo his own jeans.
"Come on," Jensen said, the words just a guttural growl, and Jared wasn't sure which of them it was meant for, but it didn't matter anymore. He concentrated on the slick-salt taste of Jensen's cock, and how close he was. Jeff was moving his own hips, pressing hard into Jensen's ass - not fucking him, just rubbing there, but goddamn, Jared knew Jensen wanted it by the way he moaned, and Jared had a moment of feeling completely behind the curve. He shoved a hand down his jeans and grabbed his dick, sliding his hand over it and jacking himself fast, efficient, while he quickened his pace on Jensen, sucking hard.
Jensen's hands landed gently on Jared's head, because he was never one to force or push, and his fingers spread, then curled into Jared's hair. "Jared, god, oh my god," he said, fingers twitching. Jared licked the slit, swirled his tongue around the ridge, and that was it for Jensen; he came into Jared's mouth, long spurts accompanied by low, sweet moans that had Jared's dick twitching and ready.
Jeff's fingers tightened suddenly on Jensen's hips, jerking Jensen back and out of Jared's mouth, and he said, "Christ." Jared looked up to see Jensen's blissed out expression, and behind him, Jeff's eyes screwed shut, half pain, half pleasure, that and his white knuckles the only sign he was coming. Jeff's head fell forward, and Jensen leaned his cheek against Jeff's.
Jared curled forward into himself, mouth open, all words gone, and came with his forehead resting on Jensen's thigh, the only thing still holding him up.
It took a few seconds for Jared to start breathing again, because his heart was hammering in his chest like he'd been scaling the side of a mountain. Jensen's fingers ran through his hair in errant patterns, slow scratch and push. When he stood up, he covered Jeff's hand with his own, sliding his sticky fingers between Jeff's, and then he kissed Jensen, the taste of Jensen's come still bitter on his tongue. He met Jeff's eyes, saw the clear invitation there, and leaned forward into a slow, easy kiss, Jeff's smile fleeting against his lips.
None of them spoke, but slowly, they disentangled. Jared was strangely reluctant to back away, though he was sweaty and itchy and ready for a shower, and oh shit what did we just do was circulating rampant at the back of his brain. He glanced at Jeff, who was watching him carefully, and Jensen, who was watching both him and Jeff, all of them in various states of undress and stickiness, and cleared his throat. He needed some food in his belly, and maybe about a thousand beers, and then he could deal with his impending freak-out. Or Jensen's - whichever came first. "Uh," he said. "Dinner's on me. I'm thinkin', Cantina Mexicana?"
"Showers first," Jensen said distinctly, a slow smile spreading over his face as he pulled up his jeans.
"I second that," Jeff said. He was still leaning on the deck rail, and his jeans were still parted in a V, his soft cock wet there between them. It was enough to shock a twitch out of Jared's dick, and a grin from Jensen, and then Jared chuckled, and Jeff's soft laugh tipped it over the edge, and Jared relaxed a little.
Freak-out averted, maybe.
But there was a whole evening ahead of them yet. Plenty of time for nervous breakdowns. Jared watched Jensen's ass as he headed the pack into the house and went straight for the shower. The ass Jeff had just come all over.
Plenty of time.
on to part two
Jensen/Jared, Jensen/Jared/Jeff, oh so very NC-17
Word count: 11,490
Summary: Jensen and Jared gave Jeff a standing invitation to their ranch, and he used it.
Notes: This is a stand-alone sequel to The Truth About Heaven, but all you need to know as background is that post-Supernatural, Jared has moved in with Jensen on his ranch. Many thanks to janissa11 for beta and wonderful support, to killabeez for encouragement to keep writing and for her comments, and to barkley for her wise suggestions. Written for littledrop. Her prompt: J2, cats and dogs. Um, I got two out of three. *g*
Come Back Running
by Destina
In May, Jeff flew down for a quick visit, three days and then back on the red-eye to New York. Jared had never seen Jensen quite so twitchy, but he figured it was because Jeff was their first house guest, and the first person to see them since the whole living-together-and-oh-by-the-way-boyfriends-now thing came about.
Jared tried cold beer therapy, combined with practical talk, to pull Jensen off the ceiling. "Jesus, Jensen, it's not like he's expecting anything special out of us. He's almost family."
"Yeah," Jensen said, glancing doubtfully at the bathroom door, standing ajar; behind it, Jensen had laid out a wealth of shower gels and tasteful yellow towels. So it wasn't a surprise to him when Jensen swapped the shower gel out for Safeguard and the yellow towels out for navy-blue stripes.
Jared watched the operation from the doorway. "Feel better?" he asked, when Jensen turned around with his arms full of towels.
"Don't start," Jensen said. So Jared didn't. Instead, he pulled the yellow towels out of Jensen's hands, threw them on the floor and tackled Jensen right on top of them. He held Jensen down with one hand across his chest, a little in love with the way Jensen's heartbeat thumped against his palm, and stroked Jensen's cock slowly with the other. Jensen came all over Jared's fingers, gasping Jared's name while he kissed his way deeper into Jared's mouth with every breath.
Jared made a mental note to put the yellow towels in the master bathroom.
After he washed them.
Jeff pulled into the driveway around dusk with Bisou in the front seat of the rental car, her eager face pressed to the window. He climbed out and flashed a huge smile. "Damn, boys, you think you put this ranch far enough outta town?"
Jared threw his head back and laughed. "Hey, man, I didn't pick the spot. I'm just a squatter." The moment he said it, he glanced at Jensen, because he didn't mean it the way it sounded, and Jensen tended to be touchy about this thing with them, and whether it would last. But Jensen smiled, sharing the joke, so Jared threw an arm around Jeff and clapped him on the back. "Good to see you."
"You too, Jared." Jeff turned his grin on Jensen. "Well, you look a hell of a lot better than the last time I saw you."
"Thanks for pointing that out." Jensen grinned, moving in for his own hug. Jeff hugged like nobody else; not even Jared could match that full-body comfort wrap Jeff was capable of. "Come on in. We've got some cold beers with your name on them."
Jeff broke off and turned to open the door for Bisou, who hopped down immediately and stood there, tail wagging like she was ready for orders. Inside the house, Sadie and Harley barked a welcome; Bisou's tail doubled its pace. "I picked up some dinner on the way here. Figured I might cook for you, if that's all right."
"Dude, there's no need," Jared said, 'cause his momma taught him never to make a guest work for their keep, but suddenly he was hungry enough to eat an entire cow. No power on earth could make him say no to home-cooked food.
"Oh, there's a need," Jensen said, smacking Jared in the belly. "In about half an hour, you'll hear Jared's stomach start crying for help. It'll be glad to know you're going to rescue it, 'cause I sure as hell can't."
"Your cooking's not that bad," Jared said, giving him a look. They'd had to learn to recognize a whole new catalog of looks between each other the last few weeks, a private language Jared loved. Jensen's looks ranged from the sexually charged (the 'don't stop, I'm about to come' look was Jared's particular favorite) to the blissfully domestic ('stop piling the wet dishtowels on the counter or I'll beat your ass' was a guaranteed winner, too), and they all made Jared unbelievably hot.
But Jensen wasn't the only one who could use the power of persuasion that way, so Jared used the 'stop running yourself down you dork' look, which made Jensen lick his lower lip self-consciously, which made Jeff clear his throat. Loudly.
"Hi, houseguest here," he said. "Dead meat stinking up the rental car. Really should get that in the fridge."
Jensen turned an attractive shade of fuck-me pink, which Jared thought was really unfair, since to toss Jensen down and fuck him twice in one day might be overkill. Especially in the gravel, with Jeff watching. Instead he told Jeff, "There are no actual pots and pans in the kitchen, so you may have to cook on rocks or something."
"We have pots!" Jensen frowned.
"Pot, singular," Jared reminded him, and grinned even wider when Jeff full-on laughed out loud.
As it turned out, Jeff was more than up to the task of cooking in a kitchen where the pots and pans were in short supply. "God invented foil that man may improvise," he told them, as he folded three lengths of the stuff into some kind of wacky origami broiler pan. He seasoned and cut and threw the meat in the oven while Jensen tore up some salad out of a bag.
"That stuff's already cut, you know," Jared said, leaning against the counter, beer bottle dangling from between his fingers. He watched Jensen's hands, the way he combed through the bag looking for dead pieces, how he ruffled and spread them in the bowl.
"I like my greens small," Jensen said. He ripped a half-inch piece one more time to prove his point.
Jared leaned closer, and when his lips were right against the edge of Jensen's ear, he whispered, "That's about the only thing you like small in this house."
Jensen shied away, shivering, and bumped shoulders with Jeff, who laughed softly. "I'd tell you to get a room, but you live here," he said, craning forward to meet Jared's eyes.
"Pitiful, isn't it?" Jared said, as he ran a hand through Jensen's hair, his fingers wet from the condensation on the bottle. Hair stuck to his hand, soft tufts forming instant attachments to him. Much like the rest of Jensen. Which made Jared pretty damn happy.
They sat out by the fountain once dinner was over and the plates stacked in the sink, their lawn chairs in a pointed semi-circle with Jeff in the middle. "You make a hell of a lambchop, Jeff," Jared said, stretching his legs out on the tile.
"I could tell you were enjoying it," Jeff said. "Since it sounded like someone was blowing you under the table."
"Enthusiasm is a beautiful thing," Jared said, taking a long swallow from his beer. It had been a long time since life seemed perfect - there had been too much angst this last year, about the show, his career, Sandy, everything. But with a billion stars overhead in a clear sky and Jensen sitting close enough to touch, and steady work coming in, and one of their closest friends hanging out - at that moment, things seemed pretty close to perfect, as far as Jared was concerned. "Got any new projects lined up?"
"Five," Jeff said, without a trace of arrogance. "And man, they are kickin' my ass."
Jensen whistled. "You've got more dedication than I do," he said. "I could be workin' that hard, but...well."
"He'd rather stay home with me," Jared said, grinning again, so hard his cheeks were starting to hurt. Jensen snorted, but didn't contradict him. "Seriously, Jen, you've got two parts coming up back to back. And they're good ones, too," he said to Jeff, as an aside. "Damn good ones. Better than I'm getting."
"I got lucky," Jensen said. It was the truth. But there was a lot of talent involved, too. Jared kept that opinion to himself. He planned going to whisper it all over Jensen's skin later. It usually sank in faster that way.
Jeff didn't seem shy about it, though. "Luck my ass, Jensen."
Jensen turned his head and caught Jeff's eye; then Jensen looked away, smiling.
Jared watched Jensen for a minute, the way he wasn't looking at Jeff. It wasn't the usual self-effacing thing he did sometimes. This was something else. Something interesting. Something Jared maybe should have asked about before, but he hadn't thought it mattered much.
Could be he was wrong about that.
**
Jared stole a little of Jensen's flavored toothpaste - best for bedtime kissing, on account of how his whitening toothpaste tasted like concrete - and brushed his teeth vigorously. Jensen was in bed already; Jared could see him in the mirror, sprawled out over the blue sheets, quieter than usual. His hands were crossed over his stomach and he was watching some interesting plaster on the ceiling.
He'd been like that all evening, actually. Not like something was wrong, exactly, just...not as animated as usual. While Jared was watching, Jensen frowned, like something serious had occurred to him. Then he shifted in the bed, flopping around until his back was to the bathroom. It was like a disconnect, not being able to study that expression until he figured it out, so Jared hurriedly spit and rinsed, and flipped out the light.
"Scoot," he said to Jensen, who rolled over and smiled at him, like he hadn't just seemed half a world away.
"Bout damn time you got done prettyin' up in there." Jensen smacked him on the ass as he leaned down to toss the covers aside.
Jared bounced into the bed and reached for Jensen, enfolded him in a bear hug, so that he was nestled securely against Jared's chest, arms around him tight. He buried his face in Jensen's hair, rubbing like a cat half-drugged on catnip. "You smell good."
"Minty fresh." Jensen lifted his head and Jared fitted his mouth to Jensen's, slow press of lips, soft and wet. Jared ran a hand down Jensen's back, curled his fingers in the hollow at the base of Jensen's spine, where he fit so easily. But then Jensen lifted his head and pushed his fingers through Jared's hair, and went back to looking at the ceiling.
Jared cleared his throat. "Uh, isn't it a little soon for you to start pecking me goodnight and conking out?"
"Nah, I'm not...it's not that." Jensen squeezed him a little.
And there was the opening. Jared nodded, as if he hadn't already thought about asking, and then it popped right out, because Jared really didn't know how to be subtle in any way. "So. You and Jeff."
Jensen nodded, but the expression on his face was pure reluctance. There was a part of Jared that had wanted to start this conversation since the day in Vancouver when everything clicked with him and Jensen. Sometimes he thought if it wasn't for Jeff, Jensen never would have sorted out things at all, and Jared would still be dealing with missed opportunities and conflicted as hell, calling Jensen once in a while to say hi and miss you and never sharing the things that mattered the most.
That didn't mean he really wanted to get into how Jeff had helped, but now it seemed much more important than it had at the time.
Jensen sat up, crossed his legs under him. Jared's hand stayed on his knee, warm, reassuring. "What d'you want to know?"
"I think maybe he has a thing for you." Jared looked at him, open, curious, and Jensen breathed out a long breath.
"What makes you think so?"
"Don't know, exactly. Something about how he looks at you." Jared watched him for a moment, then added, "And how you look at him." Jensen started to protest, but Jared waved him off. "I'm not sayin' it's anything, Jen. I know you better than that. Okay? I just..."
"You want to know what happened," Jensen said softly. "You want details?"
"No," Jared said, but even to his own ears, it sounded like yes, and hurry the fuck up.
"He kissed me," Jensen said. He watched Jared's eyes, maybe looking for any sign of this thing going south, but Jared just held his gaze, steady, patient. "That's all it was. I was screwed up, Jared. I couldn't come to you about it. I had to know first if...where I stood. What I wanted. He gave me good advice. He did what I asked him to."
"Which was kiss you."
"Yeah. And then he sent me to you, to deal with...everything. This. I told you that."
"I know." Jared kept holding his gaze, and Jensen met it, didn't shy away. The silence stretched out, slow and thick, and then Jared said softly, "He's a good friend."
It sounded hollow, not what he really meant, so Jared reached for Jensen, and tugged until Jensen unfolded his legs and let Jared pull him down. Jared drew his fingertips up the underside of Jensen's right arm, stopping where the pulse beat in his wrist, and at the bend. Jensen shivered under the touch.
"I like having him here," Jared said. "Let's invite him back." And then he kissed Jensen, stole his reply right out of his mouth, interpreted it as a yes.
**
Spring gave way to summer, soft sweet evenings giving over to long, sweltering Texas evenings, familiar to them both in a way that felt like home. Jensen missed most of it, because he was on a shoot in New York, a substantial part in an independent film. He'd been lucky to get it. Jared shot guest parts on four different shows, and beat him home by one day.
Every time he came home, Jared felt more like he belonged there and less like he was living a happy accident on someone else's turf. The ranch was flowering with color, wildflowers popping up all over the grounds near the house, up the drive; Jared had to resist the urge to grab whole handfuls and deposit them in Jensen's lap. But he thought Jensen understood anyway; early evenings in the twilight, he caught Jensen staring out at this place of theirs, soft contentment written there in every relaxed line of his body.
Jeff had a standing invitation, and he used it to drop in on a long July weekend when they were both at the ranch. This time he didn't bring food, or Bisou; he came with an overnight bag and two bottles of damned expensive tequila, and Jensen threw back his head and laughed when he saw them. "Jeff, man, did you drag those things with you from New York?"
"Bought 'em at the airport," Jeff said, that slow easy grin sliding across his face. "Thought about picking up some shot glasses, too, but I figured you had that covered."
"Damn straight," Jared said. He captured the bottles from Jeff, and the bag, and pointed. "There's beer. You don't need us waitin' on you anymore, right? Make yourself at home."
It really was just that easy. Ten minutes later, Jeff was walking around the house in his bare feet like he'd taken up residence, and in half an hour he was asleep on the couch, his tall frame stretched comfortably across the oversized thing.
When it was time for dinner, Jared shook Jeff awake, then let Jensen take over the easy chatter until Jared could get things together. He could hear Jensen's voice, and Jeff's laughter, and the smile in Jensen's voice carried into the kitchen, bringing an impression of warmth with it. Jared stopped, an armful of containers in his hands, and glanced into the living room; Jensen sat next to Jeff on the couch, their knees touching, turned slightly toward each other as a lively conversation about stage makeup and football wove itself between them.
Jared set everything down and put a pan on the stove. When this weekend was over, Jeff was going to go home and not come back until the fall, maybe. Jared had a strong suspicion that if Jeff wasn't such a good friend, he would not have tried so hard to convince Jensen to go to Jared.
What was bothering him, a little, was that maybe Jensen wished Jeff wasn't such a good friend.
He dumped the frozen lumps of chili his mama had left for them into the pan and added a little water, then put a lid on the pan and turned the flame up high. By the time he'd pulled out garlic bread and thrown it on a cookie sheet, he was feeling like an ass for having that fleeting thought. He had no doubt where Jensen wanted to be. He knew Jensen had fought that through and made up his mind, and he knew Jensen loved him. Knew it like he knew his own name.
But he also knew the rich, deep joy of Jensen's laugh when Jeff was in their home was something he could listen to forever.
It wasn't long until the chili was ready, and Jensen wandered into the kitchen at the right time. He found Jared sitting at the table and promptly climbed into his lap, causing the chair to creak precariously under their combined weight. "Damn chairs are too small to do what I want to do," Jensen told him, kissing his way down Jared's jaw.
Jared smiled and spread his hands across Jensen's ass, yanking him a little closer. "Wouldn't want to shock the company," he murmured, and Jensen's lips touched his, his tongue licking like quicksilver into Jared's mouth.
"Fuck the company," Jensen said, the sound of it a vibration against Jared's mouth.
"Hmm," Jared answered. He smiled against Jensen's skin.
Jensen finally climbed off him, with a final bump and grind for good measure, and shouted, "Jeff! Get in here if you want to be fed!"
Jeff sauntered into the kitchen, stretching and dangling a beer from between his fingers, and peered into the pot. "Chili smells good," he said. He stepped aside to let Jared ladle it up, and Jensen sprinkled cheese on each bowl before sliding them across the table. "Hell of a contribution, there, Chef Ackles," Jeff teased, which made Jensen tilt his head and grin.
"You aren't the only one who can cook."
Jared put the Tabasco and sour cream out on the table and pointed to the tequila. "Pony up, Morgan."
Dinner was a round robin of chili, shots and beer, and when Jared pushed back from the table, his belly felt rounder than a bowling ball. He patted it, belching long and loud, and Jeff and Jensen both burst out laughing.
"Ain't nothing but pure class around here, boys," Jared said, patting Jensen on the belly as well.
"What we need is some tequila," Jensen said, picking up the glasses, "and a nice soft couch."
"Amen." Jeff snagged the bottle and they formed a parade back to the living room. Jared threw open the patio doors and flopped down on the couch; Jensen sat down on the floor, all six foot one of him stretched out on the soft carpet. The dogs came trotting up then, Sadie hopping on the couch and Harley settling down with Jensen.
Jeff sat down on the other end of the couch and passed glasses around. "Hey there girl," he said, when Sadie gave him an interested glance. Her tail began to wag, but when she realized the glass wasn't for her, she gave up. "Fickle," Jeff said to Jared, in a tone that made Jared grin.
"So true," Jensen said. He slung an arm over Jared's knees and held his glass out to Jeff. "Booze me now and you can stay."
"Not a very high price." Jeff poured shots for all of them and didn't bother to set the bottle down. "To steady work," he said, and they put the shots back, Jared choking a little because tequila always burned his throat and made his skin hot. Jeff poured refills and then set the bottle out of doggy reach on the side table.
"I'm out of toasts," Jensen said. "I ran out when we killed the first bottle." His arm on Jared's legs was warm and heavy. Jared lifted his hand, rubbed his fingertips across the soft short hairs on the nape of Jensen's neck until Jensen's head fell back in the palm of his hand. His eyes were closed. Jared glanced over at Jeff, who dragged his gaze up immediately from Jensen's face to Jared. He had the good grace to look a little unsettled - Jared wasn't sure if it was because he was caught, or because he didn't want to be caught, but either way, Jared didn't care. He could forgive Jeff for looking. Hell, he understood it.
He tossed back his shot and bent forward to kiss Jensen because he could, licking up the taste of salt and Tabasco. "Toast, fucker," Jensen said, licking his lips just as Jared pulled back, which sent a shiver straight through Jared.
"Man, I don't know." Jared settled back and held his glass out to Jeff, who filled it obligingly. "To Texas."
"Lame, that is so lame, that's the lamest toast ever, you Texas pussy," Jensen said, and tossed back his shot. Jared burst out laughing again, and tossed his own shot. The burn was smoother this time. "Gotta piss," Jensen added, and used Jared's legs to lever himself up off the floor. He grinned at Jeff and Jared and headed down the hall toward the back bedroom.
"I'll bet he goes to bed," Jared said, watching as Jensen rounded the corner.
"I'll bet you're right, you Texas pussy." They grinned at each other. Jeff stretched out, hooked a toe under the edge of the coffee table, and pulled it closer so he could put his feet up. "Thanks for having me this weekend, Jared. I appreciate it."
"Love havin' you, man." Jared meant it, and he wanted Jeff to know that; he smiled, deep and true, let it show in his eyes, and took Jeff's warm happy smile in return. "Meant it, when I said you were welcome anytime."
"Thanks. I..." Jeff stopped, as if he'd changed tracks in the middle of speaking. "Thanks," he said again.
Jared heard the bedroom door slam, which made him grin again. "He's out for the night."
"Yeah." Jeff smirked a little and reached out to scratch Sadie's head. Jared watched the movement of his hand, the way his fingers curled and uncurled, easy, relaxed.
They were quiet for a moment. Jared thought of Jensen stretched out across the bed, the way he rubbed against the sheets like an impatient cat when he was drunk. He glanced at Jeff, who couldn't know what Jensen was like, didn't know. For a moment, he wondered what Jeff was like, what it had been like for Jensen, kissing him, and what had been in it for Jeff.
"Somethin' you want to ask me, Jared?" Jeff leaned back on the couch, and his face was neutral, but there was steel underneath that soft offer.
Jared supposed he should have been startled, that Jeff read him so easy, but they'd known each other a long time. Not that surprising. He looked down at his hands. He didn't even know how to form the question, or which question to ask, and he knew he'd be asking the wrong person anyway. It just bugged him that there were answers he didn't have, things he wanted to know and didn't, that he had to ask in the first place. Jensen had gone to Jeff for his answers. At least he'd had the balls to ask.
Jeff was scratching Sadie's ears now, gentle scratches that made her whimper.
Jared swallowed.
It was now or never. Never might be the smarter choice, but Jensen was the one area where he was sometimes a little stupid, and Jensen would never cross this line on his own. He picked at his jeans a moment, and then he said, "Do you...uh. I don't really...damn, Jeff. I know you wouldn't...but...are you interested in Jensen?"
There was dead silence. Jared thought maybe he was just this side of drunk, or not drunk enough, or that he had just fucked up spectacularly. He opened his mouth to apologize, when Jeff said quietly, "I don't want what's not mine, Jared."
"You've always been a good friend," Jared said. He could have left it there. Could have, maybe should have. But he didn't. "But you didn't really...answer the question."
"Thought I did." Jeff kept looking at him, and his hand kept moving in Sadie's fur, stroking her. If she'd been a cat, she'd have been purring. Jared had some sympathy.
"Jeff, you..." A breath, and then he added, "Maybe...there's room for you, in this. With us. As long as I'm there, 'cause that's just how it has to be."
"Still won't be mine." Jeff was watching him steadily.
Jared met Jeff's eyes. "As long as you understand that, I'm good." Another pause, and he said, "It's up to him."
Jeff nodded slowly. "Have to think that over," he said. He tossed back his shot and set the glass down. "Sometimes it's better to leave well enough alone. Been around long enough to know this stuff goes bad fast, Jared."
"Nah." Jared scratched his stomach. "It's no different if we make sure it stays the same." There was a part of Jared that thought he might settle, calm down, if Jensen said no. But an entirely different part of him wanted to Jen to say yes, wanted to see what look might come over his face with Jeff behind him, Jeff's hands on his hips, and Jared's mouth on him.
He'd said he didn't want anyone else's hands on Jensen, but there could be this one exception. For Jensen.
"Jared?" He looked up. Jeff was watching him. "This just about Jensen?"
Jared shifted around on the couch.
Jeff smiled.
**
Jared woke to the sound of Jensen moaning quietly into his pillow. Bright sunlight gleamed into the room, as if offended by the fact the two of them continued to sleep. Jared turned over and twisted to see Jensen's face. "Hey, you okay?"
"Goddamned tequila," Jensen said, muffled by the pillow. Jared threw back his head and laughed softly.
"Hang on," he said, and swung out of bed. He grabbed the glass beside the sink and filled it with water, then took it and a bottle of aspirin back to Jensen. "Here," he said, trying not to snicker at the way Jensen fumbled for it twice, blind as a bat.
"Did I do anything stupid?" Jensen asked, wincing in anticipation of the answer. He popped the cap on the aspirin and dumped three into his palm.
No, it was my turn for dumb-ass maneuvers. Jared cleared his throat. "Nope."
Jensen tossed back all three pills with a long swallow of water. "Good." He rolled over on his stomach and slid his arms under the pillow. "Fuck me now."
"Jesus," Jared said, grinning because he was hard and because he wanted Jensen, his smooth freckled skin and the noises he wasn't making yet but would be soon, and he was never going to get over the morning rush of waking up beside Jensen. He shifted, pressed a hand to the middle of Jensen's back, and leaned down to kiss Jensen's back, tongue flickering over every freckle within reach. "Later," he said, ignoring Jensen's disappointed growl. "We've got a guest."
"You keep saying that," Jensen said, pushing his ass in the air. Jared smacked it with his open hand, which produced another soft growl from Jensen.
"I promise," Jared said, "that I will make it worth your while."
"You're big on promises, aren't you?" Jensen rolled over and sat up, and that was just too much for Jared. He looped his arm around Jensen's neck and kissed him, kissed until Jensen fell over onto him, where Jared could wrap his arms around him and get his hands all over Jensen's ass.
Jensen made an impatient noise and arched his back, which pushed his ass up in the air. Jared's breath caught in his throat. So much for good intentions. He flipped Jensen over, straddled Jensen's legs and leaned down to kiss Jensen's back, tongue flickering over every freckle within reach.
He reached out a hand for the bedside table, but Jensen smacked it away.
"No condom," he said, and then turned his face back down into the pillow.
Jared grabbed his cock at the base and looked up at the ceiling to avoid coming on the spot. This time when he reached for the table, Jensen didn't stop him.
"You think Jeff can hear?" he breathed against Jensen's skin as he eased his fingers inside Jensen, slick and slow.
"Don't care," Jensen said, grinning into Jared's kiss. He spread his legs just a little wider, and Jared mouthed the skin of his shoulder, grazing teeth there every time Jensen made those little noises, doling them out one at a time like some kind of addictive drug.
Jared pushed in slowly, the head of his cock just inside Jensen, and then braced his hands on either side of Jensen's body. He watched Jensen's back, the smooth muscle there tense, then relax, as he slid deeper. Jensen gasped, and Jared closed his eyes. "You feel so fucking good," he said, thrusting slow with gentle rolls of his hips.
Jensen raised up off the bed and scrabbled at the pillow; Jared reached over and pulled it out from under him, tossed it to the floor so Jensen could lean up on his elbows. Back arched, he pushed up to meet Jared's deep thrusts, and they moved together, Jensen rocking back into him on every stroke. Jared rested a hand on the small of Jensen's back, his favorite place, and then said, "Ease up, let me-"
He stopped moving so Jensen could, and then he slid an arm underneath Jensen, got him to his knees, and got his hand around Jensen's cock. "Oh, fuck," Jensen said, just as Jared went deep, and came all over his hand, shaking apart in Jared's grip. Jared tightened his arm around Jensen's belly and tried to ride it out, but no way could he last. He took Jensen's full weight in his arms and knelt up, going as deep as he could, once, twice, and then he was coming too, nose buried in the soft hair at the nape of Jensen's neck.
"Wuh," Jensen said distinctly. He flailed out with one arm; Jared ignored it and shifted slightly so he could kiss Jensen, take his time on Jensen's parted lips. Then he pulled out, slowly, wincing at the mess, and lowered them both to the bed.
"Damn," he said softly, kissing Jensen's shoulder.
"Yeah," Jensen agreed. He turned and then they were kissing again, necking like they hadn't just fucked and were barely to first base. Sometimes Jared thought he'd never be able to kiss Jensen deep enough, get far enough inside him. Didn't stop him from trying.
"I need a shower," Jensen said.
Jared made a face at him. "You're the one who was all, NO CONDOM."
"Didn't hear you complaining," Jensen said, staring at him until he blushed.
"Uh, no. Fuck no." He kissed Jensen again and patted him on the ass.
In the shower, he thought about Jeff's expression when they talked the night before, and about how easy it would be to fuck everything up. It might be smarter to say something to Jensen now, but it could spoil the morning. He pulled Jensen closer, slippery with soap, and kissed his nose.
Jensen blinked at him from under a soapsuds mantle, and then his grin reasserted itself and he groped Jared a little. Then he stuck his head under the shower and rubbed all the soap away. "Company," he said, throwing Jared's words right back at him, and fled the shower.
Jared stayed a few more minutes, only because he wasn't sure he wanted to face Jeff in the sober light of morning.
When he stepped out, Jensen was already dressed - work jeans and a wifebeater, since they'd talked about working on the back porch today while Jeff was around to help. "Listen, Jensen," he started, then stopped. He sat down hard on the bed, hair dripping all over the place.
Jensen came around the bed, smoothed Jared's wet hair back. "Hey," he said, and sat down next to Jared. "What's up? You've been weird all morning."
"Weird?" Jared raised his eyebrows at him. "I didn't hear you complaining, either."
"Not about that," Jensen said, smiling. His eyes were incredibly green in the bright morning light.
Jared sighed. "Last night I told Jeff if he wanted to...and you did...we could."
"Wow, that's a big mouthful of nothing." Jensen leaned back on the bed and kicked up his big bare feet, examining his crooked toes with great seriousness. "Were you actually trying to tell me something there, or was that the practice run?"
"Oh, fuck you," Jared said. He reached out and grabbed Jensen's feet, pulled them into his lap. He rubbed his thumb over the arch until Jensen's toes wiggled happily under the steady pressure.
"Seriously, Jared. You've never had a problem talking before." Jensen's grin faded some. "Does this have to do with before, with Jeff?"
"Not exactly." Jared kept rubbing. "I'm not blind, man. He's hot. I get that."
"Oh," Jensen said. His foot jerked, and he said, "Oh," in a different tone of voice. "This is about now."
"If you want." Jared curled his hand over the top of Jensen's foot and looked up at him. "I told him it was up to you."
The look that came into Jensen's eyes right then made Jared's heart do crazy things. "You're it, Jared. You get that, right?"
He did get it, but he wasn't ever going to get tired of hearing it. "Yeah," he said happily, shaking his wet hair at Jensen.
"If it hadn't been me, it might have been Sandy for you, right? Or somebody else. And maybe for me, it would have been Jeff. Or somebody else." Jensen shoved Jared's knee with his foot. "But it wasn't."
"Okay," Jared said, though his grin was getting bigger with every word, and he didn't even try to stop it. He glanced sideways at Jensen "He's hot, though."
"He is hot." Jensen's grin matched Jared's.
**
As it turned out, Jeff was completely cool, as if nothing had happened. The three of them had eggs and toast in the kitchen, and Jeff's eyes twinkled when he asked, "You need some hair of the dog, there, Jensen?"
"I chewed a handful of aspirin, thanks," Jensen answered. He buttered his toast and pointed the knife at Jeff. "Next time you bring tequila, you're a dead man, by the way."
"I didn't see you turning it down," Jeff said. He winked at Jared, who crammed his mouth full of toast slathered with apricot jam and grinned around it.
They spent the morning working on the deck, seamless teamwork for three hours, bringing lumber down and hammering it into place. Jared watched Jeff as he stripped down layers, shirt coming off first, and then t-shirt, and finally all three of them were working in the pleasant fall sun in nothing but skin and jeans.
"This is hard work," Jared announced, up to his elbows in saws and nails.
"Welcome to home ownership." Jensen paused long enough in his hammering to grin at Jared, who felt the sentiment settle into him suddenly, like warm sunshine: his home, and he owned the part of it Jensen was attached to.
He picked up a water bottle and squirted water all over Jensen, who grinned even wider and picked up his own water, and then it was on, a chase across the bumpy boards and obstacles, Jared flinging water and Jensen spitting at him, until Jared pitched his bottle aside and tackled Jensen into the grass edging his new deck. Jeff stepped aside, but he dumped the remains of his bottle on Jared's back, a cold waterfall that interrupted Jared just long enough for Jensen to get the upper hand.
"Bastard!" Jared gasped up at Jeff, as Jensen threw him onto his back.
"You need some help, you just holler," Jeff said, grinning ear to ear.
Jared pushed at Jensen, and it was on; they rolled around in the grass like a couple of stray dogs tussling for territory, and when they stopped, Jensen was sitting astride Jared, his legs on either side of Jared's hips, and Jared's hands were on Jensen's hips.
They stared at each other a moment, and then Jared slid his hand up Jensen's arm, around the back of his neck, and pulled him down. Jensen met him halfway and they were kissing, oblivious to the heat and the mess, warm grass prickly on Jared's back, the smell of sunshine all around him.
Jared pushed a hand through Jensen's hair and cradled his skull, and then gently eased him back. Over Jensen's shoulder, he could see Jeff watching them, his back against the deck rail, fingers of his left hand curled loose over the rough boards. He met Jeff's eyes, then turned his attention back to Jensen, held him there for a long moment while Jeff set his hammer down and came to them.
Jared soothed his hands over Jensen's sides, then up his chest; he lifted his hips up against Jensen's when Jen's eyes closed halfway. "Yeah," Jared whispered. Jeff crouched down over Jared's legs, and slowly, he laid his hands on Jensen's back, smoothing them across Jensen's skin, but his eyes never left Jared's.
Jensen's head dropped down, and he shivered in their hands, hard enough to shake Jared's grip on him. Jared's breath caught in his throat.
Jeff reached around Jensen, caught his thumbs in Jensen's beltloops, and lifted gently, pulling Jensen up to his feet. Jen's head snapped up and there was worry in his eyes; he looked to Jared wildly, and Jared got his legs under him fast, pushed up from the ground to follow him as Jeff tucked Jensen in against his body. Jeff backed up two paces until his back was braced against the deck rail, and then his hands were splayed across Jensen's belly, holding him in place.
Waiting.
For a long moment, Jared looked at the two of them; Jensen, his legs parted slightly, leaning back against Jeff's chest, his hips canted; Jeff, watching Jared, Jensen's head against his shoulder. Jared stepped into the space between Jensen's legs and gently kicked them apart a little further; Jensen's eyes narrowed in challenge, and he grinned. Jared ran his fingertips across the back of Jeff's hands, skimming Jensen's stomach. He rolled his hips into Jensen, watched the way Jensen's throat worked, the way his body strained up against Jeff's hands.
Jeff reached down and slowly undid the buttons of Jensen's fly, one at a time, with one hand. Jared stepped back to give him room, and when Jeff pushed Jensen's jeans aside and reached into his briefs, Jared kissed into Jensen's low moan, licking it right out of his mouth and all the crazy sounds that followed it, the gasps and the panting cries, because Jeff's hand was stripping Jensen's cock with slow, sure strokes, down below the cotton briefs. Jeff moved his hand, shoved Jensen's jeans down his hips; a small shift in position, and Jeff dragged the head of Jensen's cock across Jared's bare stomach.
"Oh Jesus," Jared gasped against Jensen's lips, which sent Jensen into a small frenzy, bucking up against him, provoking a long groan from Jeff as Jensen's ass rubbed against his cock.
The next moment, Jared was on his knees, dragging Jensen's jeans down into a puddle over his bare feet, and Jeff held Jensen's hard, beautiful cock out to him like a prize. Jared steadied Jensen with his hands, pushed him back into Jeff. He looked up, and Jeff was kissing Jensen, open-mouthed, completely dirty.
Two impulses flashed quicksilver through Jared, hot and fast: to yank them apart and fuck Jensen until he forgot Jeff was even there - and to sit back and watch. He forced himself to look at them, to watch Jeff drag his mouth off Jensen's, to see the way Jensen's lips parted and his head rolled back when Jeff gently bit the edge of his ear.
Jared gave into the insistent push of Jensen's hips and closed his lips around Jensen's long, curved cock, closed his eyes when Jensen said, "Ah, Jared, god, please." He licked around the head, and Jeff's hand slid away. He felt Jensen push into him, used his hands to steady Jensen's pace, and saw Jeff reach behind Jensen to undo his own jeans.
"Come on," Jensen said, the words just a guttural growl, and Jared wasn't sure which of them it was meant for, but it didn't matter anymore. He concentrated on the slick-salt taste of Jensen's cock, and how close he was. Jeff was moving his own hips, pressing hard into Jensen's ass - not fucking him, just rubbing there, but goddamn, Jared knew Jensen wanted it by the way he moaned, and Jared had a moment of feeling completely behind the curve. He shoved a hand down his jeans and grabbed his dick, sliding his hand over it and jacking himself fast, efficient, while he quickened his pace on Jensen, sucking hard.
Jensen's hands landed gently on Jared's head, because he was never one to force or push, and his fingers spread, then curled into Jared's hair. "Jared, god, oh my god," he said, fingers twitching. Jared licked the slit, swirled his tongue around the ridge, and that was it for Jensen; he came into Jared's mouth, long spurts accompanied by low, sweet moans that had Jared's dick twitching and ready.
Jeff's fingers tightened suddenly on Jensen's hips, jerking Jensen back and out of Jared's mouth, and he said, "Christ." Jared looked up to see Jensen's blissed out expression, and behind him, Jeff's eyes screwed shut, half pain, half pleasure, that and his white knuckles the only sign he was coming. Jeff's head fell forward, and Jensen leaned his cheek against Jeff's.
Jared curled forward into himself, mouth open, all words gone, and came with his forehead resting on Jensen's thigh, the only thing still holding him up.
It took a few seconds for Jared to start breathing again, because his heart was hammering in his chest like he'd been scaling the side of a mountain. Jensen's fingers ran through his hair in errant patterns, slow scratch and push. When he stood up, he covered Jeff's hand with his own, sliding his sticky fingers between Jeff's, and then he kissed Jensen, the taste of Jensen's come still bitter on his tongue. He met Jeff's eyes, saw the clear invitation there, and leaned forward into a slow, easy kiss, Jeff's smile fleeting against his lips.
None of them spoke, but slowly, they disentangled. Jared was strangely reluctant to back away, though he was sweaty and itchy and ready for a shower, and oh shit what did we just do was circulating rampant at the back of his brain. He glanced at Jeff, who was watching him carefully, and Jensen, who was watching both him and Jeff, all of them in various states of undress and stickiness, and cleared his throat. He needed some food in his belly, and maybe about a thousand beers, and then he could deal with his impending freak-out. Or Jensen's - whichever came first. "Uh," he said. "Dinner's on me. I'm thinkin', Cantina Mexicana?"
"Showers first," Jensen said distinctly, a slow smile spreading over his face as he pulled up his jeans.
"I second that," Jeff said. He was still leaning on the deck rail, and his jeans were still parted in a V, his soft cock wet there between them. It was enough to shock a twitch out of Jared's dick, and a grin from Jensen, and then Jared chuckled, and Jeff's soft laugh tipped it over the edge, and Jared relaxed a little.
Freak-out averted, maybe.
But there was a whole evening ahead of them yet. Plenty of time for nervous breakdowns. Jared watched Jensen's ass as he headed the pack into the house and went straight for the shower. The ass Jeff had just come all over.
Plenty of time.
on to part two