J2_Everafter Fic: "A Day in the Life of a Sidekick", Jared/Jensen, PG-13
Fic title: "A Day in the Life of a Sidekick "
Author: the_milky_way
Genre: RPS, AU
Pairing: Jared/Jensen
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~ 6000
Warnings/Spoilers: none
Beta: Many thanks to smallearthcat for the very fast and awesome beta
Disclaimer: This story is fictional (not real, didn't happen). Not true in any way. I don't own anything.
Summary:And Jared thinks he really should be used to situations like this by now. Working with, and sometimes for, one Dr. Jensen Ackles warrants a lot of strange and sometimes ridiculous situations, especially working in their field. Treasure hunting is special after all, and it tends to attract the strangest type of guys.
Notes: This was written for j2_everafter and is loosely based on the movie "National Treasure". I wasn't sure how I wanted to do this at first but I've had an idea for this movie for a long time. In the end it's slightly different from what I first thought it would be. The characters kind of didn't behave.
Huge Thanks to smallearthcat for the beta services and to morgentau for all the suggestions and giving hints.
A Day in the Life of a Sidekick
The cave is dim but warm, the torches they brought giving away enough light to see okay, but not terribly well. Well enough for Jared to realize that the guns pointing at him and almost everyone else in their merry little group are real.
A broken off wooden plank is still dangling above him, barely avoiding him by inches. It’s a reminder that the staircase they came down isn’t an option anymore. What’s even worse is the fact that Misha is on the lift now, on his way up with the last two of his goons at his side.
One of them is still aiming, and Jared has no doubt that he would use any opportunity to try out the gun. Jensen is twitching next to him, glaring at his father and trying to think a way out of here. At least, Jared hopes he is. It’s not the first time he’s been trapped with Jensen in a sticky situation, and Jensen has always found a way out.
This time feels different, though.
And Jared thinks he really should be used to situations like this by now. Working with, and sometimes for, one Dr. Jensen Ackles warrants a lot of strange and sometimes ridiculous situations, especially working in their field. Treasure hunting is special after all, and it tends to attract the strangest type of guys.
He doesn’t necessarily count Jensen or himself as strange; a little quirky, maybe, but not really strange. Then he glances at Danneel, who’s spewing some rather interesting curses at Misha’s retreating figure, and thinks that strange might not be strong enough a word to describe some people. And Danneel has only been part of the team for two days.
It really shouldn’t surprise Jared that much to be in this kind of situation. He’s recently been on a ship in the artic circle that was blown up. He was part of a team that stole the Declaration of Independence and actively participated in deluding the FBI.
He bargained with a known criminal, hacked into the FBI’s database to follow a GPS signal, lied, stolen and vandalized along the way. He also took part in a mad chase through a couple of the original 13 colonies, had been held at gunpoint several times, almost crashed through wooden, centuries-old staircases, and is now looking into the end of a gun…again.
His life is just great. And if there is a sarcastic little voice in his head that agrees wholeheartedly, Jared doesn’t try to shut it up.
And all that because of a supposed templar’s treasure that is hidden somewhere around here. Yeah, that is so worth risking his life. All they have right now are clues. Nothing else, just clues, and Jared is tired of being dragged along and always getting hit or shot at.
Misha is crazy, and they still always end up crossing ways. He should really be used to looking into a gun by now, at least in situations where Misha is concerned. Jared’s just glad that Jensen kept his mouth shut and Misha didn’t deem it necessary to shoot at Jared…again.
Jared really wonders sometimes why he’s still with Jensen. Jensen, who still tries to restore his family’s name within scientific circles even though he cares more about giving treasures to the world than about his own reputation. Jensen, who has a great mind and gets Jared thinking like no other. Jensen, who always gets the girl and never spares a glance in Jared’s direction. And that’s the real reason; Jared just won't ever admit it.
It’s hard enough to work with someone as brilliant as Jensen; it only gets harder once you realize that your crush is as blind and oblivious as a mole in direct sunlight.
Jared had accepted that years ago, back when he was still a freshman in college and Jensen was the unreachable subject of his scientific daydreams. Okay, he was the subject of Jared’s other dreams - day or not - as well. Which explains a lot and makes him seem even more pathetic. Jared has given up justifying it to himself. He grew up with Jensen around, one way or another, and it’s something he’s kind of grateful for. But he really could do without some of the more interesting situations.
If he’d known that Jensen would drag him into a life full of danger, adventure, and unrequited lo…lust, well…Jared would still have bounced happily along when Jensen asked for help.
Jared might have a degree from Yale and one from MIT, but he’s still only book smart and sometimes lands a hit when it comes to real riddles. He has nowhere near Jensen’s ability to connect every single dot and find the right way.
Jensen is the brain of all their operations and quests; Jared mostly flails along and thirsts for attention like a dehydrated orchid. And he really should work on his similes, but he’s in mortal danger right now, so his mind isn’t all that focused on literary comparisons.
It’s not the first time Misha has tried to one up them or leave them in mortal danger. And really, it’s not like Jared hadn’t thought about being captured and held at gunpoint at some point during the whole thing. It just seems kind of natural when you're chased by Misha Collins, the Police, the FBI and probably every other intelligence agency in the US.
Only, he’d wish for it not to have been Misha smirking all evilly while making his way upwards on the old lift. It means the situation they are in is rather peculiar and maybe a little more dangerous than Jared likes.
He’s shaking and hates himself for it, but this is a little out of the usual, and even though he just survived an exploding ship in the artic circle, falling hundreds of feet deep into a hole and being shot at, this feels more like a situation they can’t get out of.
At least he’s not alone.
Not that it helps much right now, because they're all trapped and Jared is still muttering, “We’re all gonna die,” under his breath. Alan Ackles pats him on the back several times before he actually hugs Jared a little. Jared can’t stop muttering, though.
Danneel has calmed down again, Misha is out of sight already, Alan is glaring at Jensen now, and Jensen is busy holding Danneel. Jared just wants to get out of here and not completely succumb to his panic attack.
It’s only when Jensen yells at him to stop it and actually pushes him into the wall that Jared registers everyone’s stares - or rather, glares. He blushes, which he usually does when he’s the focus of attention, though right now he doesn’t care. This just too much, and he doesn’t even know why he’s here anymore.
Alan pats him on the shoulder again, drags him away from Jensen a little. And it helps. Jared’s breathing again, and there is anger settling inside of him. There really was no need to push him; he can stop freaking out without violence being administered, thank you very much.
Jared looks up through the hole they came down, wooden, now broken staircases - thanks to their falling and crashing through them - and why did he save Jensen again? It’s not a sight he needs right now, and he chastises himself for hoping that Misha might come back and get them because he needs yet another clue.
There is no other clue.
Jensen had said so much. But then Alan had blurted out yet another one. Jared really, really is rather tired of the tension between the two of them. Why can’t fathers and sons get along when they're after the same thing? His own father had a reason to not talk to him; they actually disagreed about everything in Jared’s life.
The walls of the cave are too high up to be reachable from the small platform they are on. And there are no safe lines or ropes that could be used, either. So climbing up is out of question, climbing down as well. And really, Jared so doesn’t want to climb down anyway.
They are underneath the church, or rather, five stories deep underneath an ancient graveyard next to the church, and a treasure is supposed to be here somewhere. The thing is that Jared isn’t really convinced they’ll find it, seeing as they just gave up their last clue to a man pointing a gun at them. Not to mention that they're trapped with no way out.
“Stop pouting, Jay. Sorry, I yelled at you.” Alan snorts, but Jensen just glares at his father and smiles sheepishly at Jared.
And Jared kind of melts.
Because that’s his usual reaction when Jensen smiles at him, and he can’t make himself react any other way anymore. It’s a reflex, like that Russian dog everyone likes to refer to....Okay, yes, Jared knows it’s Pavlov, but he hates that everyone tries to explain things with so simply. Anyway, Jensen smiling at him basically means the same to him as getting food meant for the dog. Jared’s very aware how pathetic that is.
But Jensen is hot. And very, very smart, and just basically the man of Jared’s dreams. Now, Jensen just has to realize that. It’s been 8 years and Jared has still to give up hope. He’s hopeless when it comes to crushing hard on unavailable people. It's happened only twice, and the first time ended because she got married and had kids he totally adores. Being a Godfather is a nice way to get over unrequited love.
When Jensen passes the one lantern mounted on the stone wall of the cave, Jared stops dead.
It’s the lantern they lit, the one Jensen used in the clue he handed over to Misha. Jared stares, then blinks, and then stares again. Because he’s not totally stupid, not even when Jensen is around and Jared can barely control his limbs or his blush.
One lantern, and he really should have seen that one before he freaked out. There is only one, not two like it’s supposed to be. Just one and…and Jensen gave away the wrong clue.
“You bastard,” Jared blurts. He just can’t help it, and he knows Jensen heard it when there's a laugh and grinning green eyes suddenly appear in his vision.
“Knew you’d figure it out, Sasquatch.” The grin is fond, proud even, and it makes Jared melt again. He grins right back and doesn’t care that Danneel’s eyes almost vanish into her skull because she’s rolling them so hard. Take that, missy, Jared thinks, and he only blushes slightly when she cocks her eyebrows at him.
“Care to enlighten us?” Alan asks, and Jared frowns. Because Alan should be the first to realize what’s wrong with the clue Jensen gave Misha. But then Alan winks at him, and Jared feels like everyone knows but Jensen.
Okay, so Alan has known him just as long as Jensen has. Some time through the years, Jared had given up trying to hide anything from him. Especially after Alan walked in on him staring at Jensen, well Jensen’s really nice and firm ass in tight jeans, during the first year of their weird friendship.
Jared’s about to answer, smile all wide and goofy on his face, when the wooden plank underneath his feet breaks away. Jared has never felt as scared as he does during the millisecond he's suspended in the air before plummeting through the hole.
There are screams, and he knows they aren’t all his own.
He scrambles for something to hold onto, to stop his fall, but finds nothing. He falls, crashes against the wall, and through another floor of wooden planks. He’ll end like one of Misha’s men, down at the bottom of the hole, never to be recovered again.
And then everything stops.
***
The second his back and hip connect with the solid ground of another platform the air is pressed out his body, and his head hits the stone harder than he thought he could stand. Jared’s still conscious though, pictures flittering in front of his eyes and black spots obscuring his vision, but he knows he’s still there, still awake.
For a second he doesn’t dare to move, just tries to start breathing again and stop the panic attack before it even thinks of beginning. He’s mostly successful. Breathing is a very difficult task at the moment, and he only accomplishes a few gasps before a pained cry breaks loose.
Blood is pounding through his ears like sticks on a drum, a beat and a rushing sound. He can’t hear anything else. His fingers twitch, but he’s too scared to dare to move much more. His head’s resting on something hard but solid, not wood as it seems. A short and silent prayer, and Jared hopes his luck will hold.
Then he hears more through the rushing sound in his ears, becomes aware of his own pained gasps and of voices some odd feet above him. Jared blinks the tears and dust away. He hadn’t even realized that he closed his eyes during the fall. Reflex, he thinks and almost snorts at his own stupid thoughts.
Then he hears Jensen.
“Jared? Jay...answer me. Come on, Jared? Don’t do this. Jay?” The voice sounds panicked in a way Jared has never heard before. Jensen doesn’t do panic. Jensen is always cool and collected. He didn’t even blink when he walked out of the door with the Declaration tugged underneath his arm.
Jensen doesn’t do panic.
There is another voice now, and Jared tries to focus on them and not on his body, not on the pain. It helps to clear his mind, to come back to himself and start thinking again.
“Jensen, stop it. You aren’t any help to him this way. If you go down there like this, you’ll both be lost. Calm down and think.” It’s Alan, calm and collected, but Jared can hear a small quiver nonetheless.
Yeah, seeing in how much danger you're actually in can do that to you. His inner voice, which sounds a lot like Donna Ackles, chides him for that thought and he smiles. Alan Ackles being worried about him kinda means something to Jared. The Ackles are the only family he has now.
“Dad...I…He…"There is a choked sound, and Jared doesn’t really know what to do about that. This is weird and a little worrying, because Jensen losing it in a situation like this has Jared floundering. Another wave of panic hits him, makes his back cramp and his legs twist. Jared groans out loud.
“Jay?”
“Jensen, really. He won’t be able to yell loud enough for us to hear him.
"Let me go, I’m way lighter than you, oaf, and I actually have climbing experience.” Danneel sounds exasperated and a little put upon, but even her voice shakes a bit. Jared finds that all terribly fascinating, and he would comment on it if he could actually find the breath to voice his thoughts.
Jared blinks again and thinks he’s lost some time. The voices are hushed now, and he can’t make them out anymore, can’t hear the words. He wonders what they’ll do now, how the others will get out of here. He’s lost anyway, no need to drag him up only to have him hinder their escape.
The rope almost hits him on the head and he squeaks a little. It hurts, but not as much as it did right after the fall. His toes tingle, and he can wiggle them; he almost cries in relief.
Then Danneel’s face swings into view and Jared doesn’t care if there's a tear sliding down his cheek. He sees her swallow and thinks it must be bad, but then she drops right next to him and grabs his hand.
He feels the squeeze, does it right back, and grins when Danneel looks at him in wonder.
“Hey there, Jay. How ya feeling?” The fake Texas accent makes him snort and then flinch in pain.
“No…laughing.” Jared manages to gasp out, but he squeezes her hand again, so very glad that he can.
“Sorry,” she mumbles, and he smiles. Tries to breathe a little more regularly and thinks that his ribs might even be okay. He’ll be black and blue for weeks, but nothing feels broken.
“Danni?” Jensen sounds so strange. Jared can only blink at her in wonder. Danneel doesn’t roll her eyes this time, but looks at him with gentle eyes and a small shake of her head.
“He’s alive,” she shouts up and then looks a little lost.
Jared flinches at the sound of rocks sliding down the walls, thumping to the ground next to his head, and then Jensen crashes down next to them. Jensen lets go of the rope and drops next to Jared. Danneel just shakes her head again, not even trying to reprimand Jensen for coming down there when he wasn’t supposed to.
Danneel vanishes out of Jared’s view when Jensen leans over him.
“Jay?” Just the way Jensen says his name has Jared looking directly at him. Green eyes look scared, watery even, and Jared can’t comprehend that right then. He does the only thing he can think of and grabs the hand of Jensen’s that’s resting on his chest.
“Ow.”
Jensen blinks and then just kind of falls into himself, sags down and breathes deep and hard.
“Dude, next time you want a big entrance just yell and shove me out of the way. Don’t…don’t ever do that again,” Jensen almost whispers. He’s white as a sheet, and Jared suddenly feels guilty.
“Sorry. Not planning...on...on it…again.” It's still hard to breathe, but at least the words are coming out now. He wants to say so much more, but there are black spots again and he really, really just wants to keep on looking at Jensen kneeling over him.
“Good. Scared me to death, Jay. Just...God, seeing you fall…it…" Jensen takes a deep breath again and kind of shakes himself, blinking away from Jared and then finding his eyes easily again. Jensen’s hands glide over his body, and Jared actually shivers. He’s about to ask what Jensen is doing when he realizes that Jensen is checking him for injuries.
When Jensen is satisfied with what he finds, he starts telling Danneel how to get them back up. Tells her how to knot the ropes and climb up again to get another one down here. She doesn’t say much, just asks about details, and then she’s gone.
Jensen shifts and then dares to move Jared a little. His hands are gentle when he checks Jared’s neck and head again. Fingers move softly through dusty, tangled hair, and Jared sighs a little. It’s such a weird situation that Jared can’t help but close his eyes. He’ll take what he can get and, well, it helps with ignoring the pain.
The silence between them is awkward. Jared can hear Danneel above them, hears the rocks being kicked loose, but all he can concentrate on is Jensen’s fingers in his hair and then the feel of Jensen’s thigh beneath his head. He’s lying in Jensen’s lap.
They sit like that for a while. Not long, Jared thinks, but it feels like an eternity, and he doesn’t want it to end.
“What’ya gonna do with the money?” Jensen whispers, accent prominent and fingers still gently moving over Jared’s skin, making him shiver slightly and then sigh.
“Money?” He’s not sure exactly what they're talking about now.
“When we find it…the treasure. There’ll probably be money. You never told me what you're gonna do with it.” Jensen’s tone is casual, but Jared hears the underlying anxiety and wonders where this is coming from. He wiggles a little, groans at the twinges and shots of pain, but he wants to look at Jensen right now.
The light’s even dimmer down here, just Jensen’s flashlight and a torch that came down with Jared and is still burning. Jensen still looks white, a little shocked and concerned, and Jared wonders how he could have seen all that in his daze some minutes ago.
Jensen’s eyes are focused somewhere on the opposite wall of the cave, gaze far away, but Jared knows he’s waiting for an answer. Rocks slide down again, and Danneel announces she’ll be down in a bit. Jared doesn’t know if he should be happy or annoyed. Of course he wants to get out of here, but he also doesn’t want to let go of this thing between him and Jensen.
“Right. Money for impersonating Indiana Jones. It's all I ever wanted.” Jared actually flinches at the sarcastic tone in his still weak and breathless voice. That’s not how he wanted to say it, and he can see Jensen’s astonishment as well.
“Dude, you are Indiana Jones.” The grin is back, gentle fingers still on his skin, though, and Jared snorts. There's nothing he can do but laugh and smile. As always, it’s his automatic reaction to Jensen smiling at him.
“Of course. Honestly? I just…I want to get out of here. Preferably without any broken bones or being shot at again. I'd…maybe finally pay off all the mortgages for the ranch back…home. I want it to remain in the family. Texan history on that land, you know?”
He’s never told Jensen that, never said anything about his plans for his grandparents' place. The two of them never talk about his family anyway, not since they practically disowned Jared. But his grandma had sent her last will two years ago, and Jared never had the time or the money to do anything about it. He wants to tell Jensen about the small lake and the forest close by.
“I don’t do this for the money,” is what he says instead. Jensen’s hand slips into his, and Jared holds on tight. He has a feeling that this might be a very important moment. Well, okay, so being rescue from certain death is already really important, but no one could blame him if he’s waiting for something more. Not with Jensen so being not-Jensen-like.
“I know, Jay. I know. I’m sorry, you know. For you being shot at, and all this. You could have…it could have been worse and I…” Jensen stutters, another thing he never does, and yet Jared is witness to it happening.
Then another rope thumps onto the ground next to them and Danneel is back. The awkward silence that follows is only topped by the shy looks Jensen is sending him. Jensen opens his mouth several times, obviously wants to say something, but never does. And then Danneel does it for him.
“Oh for fuck’s sake. Just tell him how much you love him and can’t live without him so that he can declare his undying love as well, promise not to leave you and we can actually try to climb up again before Alan discovers a way out of here and claims all the fame.” Danneel rants and actually rolls her eyes at them…again.
Jared just blinks dumbly. Because yeah, this has to be a dream. A good dream, but still a dream.
“Not a dream, Jay….I… uhm…what she said?” Jensen ducks his head and doesn’t really look at him, but they're still holding hands and Jensen is squeezing his to death right now.
And really? Really, that’s what Jensen says to it all? So Jared had to go through dangers greater than he had ever thought would be possible, had to risk his life, get shot at, land on the FBI's most wanted list, almost get blown to pieces and then fall down a deep hole before Jensen even acknowledges him being there, and then Jared gets this?
“What she said? That’s all? You tell me you love me with, ‘what she said’? Really? I almost died here, and you can’t even say it yourself? Not that I ever thought I’d hear you say it, mind you…so really?” Jared gasps for air when he’s done, but that had to be said, no matter what. He deserves that much.
Jensen blinks, looks like he's thirteen and just destroyed his mother’s most valued Ming vase because he thought there were stamps inside it. There is a flush on his cheeks, and if Jared can see it in this light, it must be very pronounced. Jensen never flushes.
“Uhm...sorry. I...I’m sorry. I…God, I thought I’d lost you, Jared. I thought it was too late. I’m sorry. I…kinda like you. A lot. And I...just…uhm...I can’t actually think that there is a life without you…for me.” Jensen stumbles through the words, and it’s such a weird moment that Jared grins and then winces because his back is still not quite with the game.
“Thank God. That done, can we please try to get out of here?” Danneel grumbles and Jared really kind of loves her right now. Not only for the two additional ropes she brought down, but those are great as well. He grins at her and slowly sits up.
“You okay to move?” Jensen asks anxiously, hovering close and never letting go of Jared.
“Yeah. Just bruised. Well, internal bleeding is still an option, but I think the fall wasn’t that bad. So yeah, just bruised.” At least, Jared hopes so.
“Thank God.”
It’s really kind of awkward, but after a few more minutes of just sitting there and staring at Jensen with a goofy grin on his face, Jared manages to move up, and then even higher with the help of Danneel and Jensen.
They reach the platform just in time to see Alan’s grinning face sticking out of yet another hole in the wall.
“I found it. I found the treasure.”
Danneel actually stomps her feet and tells Jensen he’s an idiot but grins when Jensen doesn’t let go of Jared’s hand.
***
The chamber looks huge. A cave underneath the city filled with the most valuable treasure mankind has come across. Jared gapes, just stands there and gapes. This is it, and they found it. All the things they went through, all the laughter and the pressure they endured, and they finally reached their goal.
The Templar’s treasure goes beyond anything Jared has ever seen, and it’s a beautiful sight, but the thing Jared is most happy about is the staircase at the other end of the cave. A way out. They aren’t trapped anymore, and he’s not in immediate danger or close to dying.
Now he can actually start thinking about what just happened and why Jensen is still standing so close to him, hand on the small of his back and not moving away. Jensen’s eyes are shining, and Jared knows how he feels.
It’s history, all of it, and Jared is standing right in the middle of it. They're standing right in the middle of it, but Jared still can’t believe it, none of it. And he feels like he might wake up soon and find everything gone.
“Are you okay?” Jensen is right there, still. Right next to him, awed expression and all that. But there is concern there as well, and Jared smiles. Then he nods.
“Yeah. Still bruised, and my ego is hiding but yes, I’m fine.”
Jensen smiles a little, but something is off and Jared doesn’t know what it could be. They found it, they're still alive, and there is a very good chance that they can get out of here. Sure, his back and hip hurt like a bitch and he’s close to crying for pain killers, but other than that he’s fine.
“Jen?” It’s one of the few times where he dares to use the nickname. When Jensen just smiles even more softly, Jared actually gets worried.
“I wanted you to see this, you know?”
Jared nods, because yes, they’ve talked so many times about it, and Jensen has always said Jared deserves credit as well. So he doesn’t really know what it is that Jensen's saying.
“No, Jared. I wanted you to see the treasure history left behind because you wanted to see it all with your own eyes. Remember in college? When you were in Jeff’s class and couldn’t stop talking about all these amazing things history has produced?”
Again, Jensen’s gaze sweeps over the artifacts and relicts at the bottom of the stone stairs they're standing on. He looks tired now, more exhausted then Jared’s ever seen him, but he looks happy as well. He looks like he’s finally found something that he really wanted, and Jared, for some reason, is pretty sure that it has nothing to do with the wealth spread out below them.
Jared’s heart skips a beat, and he doesn’t move.
He remembers that day. Remembers sitting in the Ackles’ kitchen and feeling at home somewhere for the first time in ages. Jensen had been listening intently - Alan as well - and Donna had just asked a question Jared had been only too eager to answer.
It’s one of his fondest memories.
“That day, when you sat in our kitchen, talking about all the things you want to see. How you want to prove to you parents that history is important and not just a silly obsession. That day…I kind of knew that I wouldn’t be doing it all just for me and my family’s name. You wanted to see it all so badly, and I wanted you to have that. I just…You’ve been my main motivation.”
Jensen moves closer then, eyes sweeping over the artifacts and then stopping on Jared’s. He smiles a little sheepishly. He can’t possibly mean what Jared thinks he does. It would just be too much. Things like that don’t happen to Jared.
Jared is never the lucky one. He just flails along and has to be rescued all the time. Only now, it seems like these things do happen to Jared, because they found the treasure and Jensen is apparently telling Jared something he's wanted to hear for years.
“I’m not good at talking about what I'm thinking, showing feelings. I know it. I know I flirt a lot, but there really wasn’t anybody. I…should have said something sooner. Guess it would have been on me if something had happened to you. I can be pretty single-minded sometimes. ‘M sorry, Jared.”
Jensen is blushing again, and Jared just stares. It’s a sight he won’t see too often, he’s pretty sure.
“Wait a sec. So you're telling me that I’ve been mooning over you for years and you did the same and never said anything?”
“You never said anything either.”
Jensen actually has a point, and judging from the snorts coming from somewhere else in the cave, Danneel and Alan know that as well. Jensen gives his patented, ‘I’m right’ smirk, but there is warmth underneath, and it feels less smirky, at least to Jared. And hey, he just hit his head.
He’s not sure what to say, but in the end, he doesn’t say anything. For once in his life, Jared does the thing he wants to do right at the moment he has the chance. He pulls Jensen close and in.
They kiss right there, on top of ancient stone steps overlooking what might be the greatest historical discovery ever. But Jared has only eyes and mind for Jensen.
***
Jared doesn’t know what Jensen talks to the agent about, but when they leave the crypt and then the church, they're all free.
Jared knows that over in Philadelphia, Misha won’t be as happy.
Jared isn’t happy with the extensive poking and prodding he has to endure from the paramedics and then in the ER as well, but Jensen insists on a thorough check-up and won’t leave Jared’s side through any of it.
Once the doctor assures Jensen for the third time that there are just scratches and some bruising and that Jared will indeed be fine, Jared’s allowed to move from the stretcher and out of the ER.
The last he sees of Danneel and Alan before Jensen drags him into a waiting car are matching grins and winks directed at him.
Then he only sees Jensen. A lot of Jensen.
***
The grass is green and soft underneath his bare feet. It’s a miracle considering the fact that it’s summer and they're in Texas. The big ranch house behind them glimmers in the heat, and Jared is so very grateful for the shadow of the big oak trees they're standing under.
Danneel has been discussing important job-related things with Jensen for an hour now, so the picnic basket has been all Jared’s to enjoy. He doesn’t feel guilty when he realizes that there are no waffles left for Jensen; he’ll make new ones. It’s Jensen’s own fault anyway.
“Have to leave you two now. Since I only got one percent, I have to work for my living,” Danneel grins and gets up from the blanket. Jared snorts and grins when she winks at him. They're all set for life now, seeing as one percent of the billions they handed over to museums and governments isn’t exactly a small sum.
“You got it without much hassle,” Jensen says, a little bitterly but with a smile nonetheless. And it’s right. Dr. Danneel Harris didn’t have to fight her name and her family’s history before she got her share. But then, they didn’t all do it for the money anyway. Well, Jared didn’t. Not much, at least.
“What do you want? You got the boy,” Danneel snarks right back and grins.
She stalks towards her car, a brand new special edition Beetle in fire engine red, when Jared’s suddenly pulled around. The sound of the car flying down the gravel driveway and the happy whoop Danneel lets loose when she spins around the corner has Jared laughing out loud.
Jensen’s hand on his cheek brings him back down and face to face with a soft smile and gentle green eyes. He still can’t believe that’s all his to have and to look at now. It’s been so long, it sometimes feels a little unreal. But then Jensen does things like he just did, and Jared knows it’s all there and his to enjoy.
“She’s right about that. I did.”
Jensen kisses him deep and slow. Jared feels dizzy; being kissed like that by Jensen really does affect him like nothing else. He loves it.
When Jensen pulls back again, the soft smiles makes Jared’s heart flutter, and he thanks all the deities he knows that Jensen finally got a clue. Okay, so his hip still hurts like a bugger and the rubbed off skin on his arms looks nasty, but he got Jensen for his troubles, and he so won’t complain about that.
Jensen gets up then, drags Jared along, and he can’t do anything but laugh at the eager look on Jensen’s face. The house is close, and they practically run the short distance back to it. For a brief second, Jared wonders what the fathers of the Texan revolution would think of them now, but then Jensen’s mouth is on his neck, sucking deep and claiming, and Jared stops thinking at all.
The end.
Author: the_milky_way
Genre: RPS, AU
Pairing: Jared/Jensen
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~ 6000
Warnings/Spoilers: none
Beta: Many thanks to smallearthcat for the very fast and awesome beta
Disclaimer: This story is fictional (not real, didn't happen). Not true in any way. I don't own anything.
Summary:And Jared thinks he really should be used to situations like this by now. Working with, and sometimes for, one Dr. Jensen Ackles warrants a lot of strange and sometimes ridiculous situations, especially working in their field. Treasure hunting is special after all, and it tends to attract the strangest type of guys.
Notes: This was written for j2_everafter and is loosely based on the movie "National Treasure". I wasn't sure how I wanted to do this at first but I've had an idea for this movie for a long time. In the end it's slightly different from what I first thought it would be. The characters kind of didn't behave.
Huge Thanks to smallearthcat for the beta services and to morgentau for all the suggestions and giving hints.
A Day in the Life of a Sidekick
The cave is dim but warm, the torches they brought giving away enough light to see okay, but not terribly well. Well enough for Jared to realize that the guns pointing at him and almost everyone else in their merry little group are real.
A broken off wooden plank is still dangling above him, barely avoiding him by inches. It’s a reminder that the staircase they came down isn’t an option anymore. What’s even worse is the fact that Misha is on the lift now, on his way up with the last two of his goons at his side.
One of them is still aiming, and Jared has no doubt that he would use any opportunity to try out the gun. Jensen is twitching next to him, glaring at his father and trying to think a way out of here. At least, Jared hopes he is. It’s not the first time he’s been trapped with Jensen in a sticky situation, and Jensen has always found a way out.
This time feels different, though.
And Jared thinks he really should be used to situations like this by now. Working with, and sometimes for, one Dr. Jensen Ackles warrants a lot of strange and sometimes ridiculous situations, especially working in their field. Treasure hunting is special after all, and it tends to attract the strangest type of guys.
He doesn’t necessarily count Jensen or himself as strange; a little quirky, maybe, but not really strange. Then he glances at Danneel, who’s spewing some rather interesting curses at Misha’s retreating figure, and thinks that strange might not be strong enough a word to describe some people. And Danneel has only been part of the team for two days.
It really shouldn’t surprise Jared that much to be in this kind of situation. He’s recently been on a ship in the artic circle that was blown up. He was part of a team that stole the Declaration of Independence and actively participated in deluding the FBI.
He bargained with a known criminal, hacked into the FBI’s database to follow a GPS signal, lied, stolen and vandalized along the way. He also took part in a mad chase through a couple of the original 13 colonies, had been held at gunpoint several times, almost crashed through wooden, centuries-old staircases, and is now looking into the end of a gun…again.
His life is just great. And if there is a sarcastic little voice in his head that agrees wholeheartedly, Jared doesn’t try to shut it up.
And all that because of a supposed templar’s treasure that is hidden somewhere around here. Yeah, that is so worth risking his life. All they have right now are clues. Nothing else, just clues, and Jared is tired of being dragged along and always getting hit or shot at.
Misha is crazy, and they still always end up crossing ways. He should really be used to looking into a gun by now, at least in situations where Misha is concerned. Jared’s just glad that Jensen kept his mouth shut and Misha didn’t deem it necessary to shoot at Jared…again.
Jared really wonders sometimes why he’s still with Jensen. Jensen, who still tries to restore his family’s name within scientific circles even though he cares more about giving treasures to the world than about his own reputation. Jensen, who has a great mind and gets Jared thinking like no other. Jensen, who always gets the girl and never spares a glance in Jared’s direction. And that’s the real reason; Jared just won't ever admit it.
It’s hard enough to work with someone as brilliant as Jensen; it only gets harder once you realize that your crush is as blind and oblivious as a mole in direct sunlight.
Jared had accepted that years ago, back when he was still a freshman in college and Jensen was the unreachable subject of his scientific daydreams. Okay, he was the subject of Jared’s other dreams - day or not - as well. Which explains a lot and makes him seem even more pathetic. Jared has given up justifying it to himself. He grew up with Jensen around, one way or another, and it’s something he’s kind of grateful for. But he really could do without some of the more interesting situations.
If he’d known that Jensen would drag him into a life full of danger, adventure, and unrequited lo…lust, well…Jared would still have bounced happily along when Jensen asked for help.
Jared might have a degree from Yale and one from MIT, but he’s still only book smart and sometimes lands a hit when it comes to real riddles. He has nowhere near Jensen’s ability to connect every single dot and find the right way.
Jensen is the brain of all their operations and quests; Jared mostly flails along and thirsts for attention like a dehydrated orchid. And he really should work on his similes, but he’s in mortal danger right now, so his mind isn’t all that focused on literary comparisons.
It’s not the first time Misha has tried to one up them or leave them in mortal danger. And really, it’s not like Jared hadn’t thought about being captured and held at gunpoint at some point during the whole thing. It just seems kind of natural when you're chased by Misha Collins, the Police, the FBI and probably every other intelligence agency in the US.
Only, he’d wish for it not to have been Misha smirking all evilly while making his way upwards on the old lift. It means the situation they are in is rather peculiar and maybe a little more dangerous than Jared likes.
He’s shaking and hates himself for it, but this is a little out of the usual, and even though he just survived an exploding ship in the artic circle, falling hundreds of feet deep into a hole and being shot at, this feels more like a situation they can’t get out of.
At least he’s not alone.
Not that it helps much right now, because they're all trapped and Jared is still muttering, “We’re all gonna die,” under his breath. Alan Ackles pats him on the back several times before he actually hugs Jared a little. Jared can’t stop muttering, though.
Danneel has calmed down again, Misha is out of sight already, Alan is glaring at Jensen now, and Jensen is busy holding Danneel. Jared just wants to get out of here and not completely succumb to his panic attack.
It’s only when Jensen yells at him to stop it and actually pushes him into the wall that Jared registers everyone’s stares - or rather, glares. He blushes, which he usually does when he’s the focus of attention, though right now he doesn’t care. This just too much, and he doesn’t even know why he’s here anymore.
Alan pats him on the shoulder again, drags him away from Jensen a little. And it helps. Jared’s breathing again, and there is anger settling inside of him. There really was no need to push him; he can stop freaking out without violence being administered, thank you very much.
Jared looks up through the hole they came down, wooden, now broken staircases - thanks to their falling and crashing through them - and why did he save Jensen again? It’s not a sight he needs right now, and he chastises himself for hoping that Misha might come back and get them because he needs yet another clue.
There is no other clue.
Jensen had said so much. But then Alan had blurted out yet another one. Jared really, really is rather tired of the tension between the two of them. Why can’t fathers and sons get along when they're after the same thing? His own father had a reason to not talk to him; they actually disagreed about everything in Jared’s life.
The walls of the cave are too high up to be reachable from the small platform they are on. And there are no safe lines or ropes that could be used, either. So climbing up is out of question, climbing down as well. And really, Jared so doesn’t want to climb down anyway.
They are underneath the church, or rather, five stories deep underneath an ancient graveyard next to the church, and a treasure is supposed to be here somewhere. The thing is that Jared isn’t really convinced they’ll find it, seeing as they just gave up their last clue to a man pointing a gun at them. Not to mention that they're trapped with no way out.
“Stop pouting, Jay. Sorry, I yelled at you.” Alan snorts, but Jensen just glares at his father and smiles sheepishly at Jared.
And Jared kind of melts.
Because that’s his usual reaction when Jensen smiles at him, and he can’t make himself react any other way anymore. It’s a reflex, like that Russian dog everyone likes to refer to....Okay, yes, Jared knows it’s Pavlov, but he hates that everyone tries to explain things with so simply. Anyway, Jensen smiling at him basically means the same to him as getting food meant for the dog. Jared’s very aware how pathetic that is.
But Jensen is hot. And very, very smart, and just basically the man of Jared’s dreams. Now, Jensen just has to realize that. It’s been 8 years and Jared has still to give up hope. He’s hopeless when it comes to crushing hard on unavailable people. It's happened only twice, and the first time ended because she got married and had kids he totally adores. Being a Godfather is a nice way to get over unrequited love.
When Jensen passes the one lantern mounted on the stone wall of the cave, Jared stops dead.
It’s the lantern they lit, the one Jensen used in the clue he handed over to Misha. Jared stares, then blinks, and then stares again. Because he’s not totally stupid, not even when Jensen is around and Jared can barely control his limbs or his blush.
One lantern, and he really should have seen that one before he freaked out. There is only one, not two like it’s supposed to be. Just one and…and Jensen gave away the wrong clue.
“You bastard,” Jared blurts. He just can’t help it, and he knows Jensen heard it when there's a laugh and grinning green eyes suddenly appear in his vision.
“Knew you’d figure it out, Sasquatch.” The grin is fond, proud even, and it makes Jared melt again. He grins right back and doesn’t care that Danneel’s eyes almost vanish into her skull because she’s rolling them so hard. Take that, missy, Jared thinks, and he only blushes slightly when she cocks her eyebrows at him.
“Care to enlighten us?” Alan asks, and Jared frowns. Because Alan should be the first to realize what’s wrong with the clue Jensen gave Misha. But then Alan winks at him, and Jared feels like everyone knows but Jensen.
Okay, so Alan has known him just as long as Jensen has. Some time through the years, Jared had given up trying to hide anything from him. Especially after Alan walked in on him staring at Jensen, well Jensen’s really nice and firm ass in tight jeans, during the first year of their weird friendship.
Jared’s about to answer, smile all wide and goofy on his face, when the wooden plank underneath his feet breaks away. Jared has never felt as scared as he does during the millisecond he's suspended in the air before plummeting through the hole.
There are screams, and he knows they aren’t all his own.
He scrambles for something to hold onto, to stop his fall, but finds nothing. He falls, crashes against the wall, and through another floor of wooden planks. He’ll end like one of Misha’s men, down at the bottom of the hole, never to be recovered again.
And then everything stops.
***
The second his back and hip connect with the solid ground of another platform the air is pressed out his body, and his head hits the stone harder than he thought he could stand. Jared’s still conscious though, pictures flittering in front of his eyes and black spots obscuring his vision, but he knows he’s still there, still awake.
For a second he doesn’t dare to move, just tries to start breathing again and stop the panic attack before it even thinks of beginning. He’s mostly successful. Breathing is a very difficult task at the moment, and he only accomplishes a few gasps before a pained cry breaks loose.
Blood is pounding through his ears like sticks on a drum, a beat and a rushing sound. He can’t hear anything else. His fingers twitch, but he’s too scared to dare to move much more. His head’s resting on something hard but solid, not wood as it seems. A short and silent prayer, and Jared hopes his luck will hold.
Then he hears more through the rushing sound in his ears, becomes aware of his own pained gasps and of voices some odd feet above him. Jared blinks the tears and dust away. He hadn’t even realized that he closed his eyes during the fall. Reflex, he thinks and almost snorts at his own stupid thoughts.
Then he hears Jensen.
“Jared? Jay...answer me. Come on, Jared? Don’t do this. Jay?” The voice sounds panicked in a way Jared has never heard before. Jensen doesn’t do panic. Jensen is always cool and collected. He didn’t even blink when he walked out of the door with the Declaration tugged underneath his arm.
Jensen doesn’t do panic.
There is another voice now, and Jared tries to focus on them and not on his body, not on the pain. It helps to clear his mind, to come back to himself and start thinking again.
“Jensen, stop it. You aren’t any help to him this way. If you go down there like this, you’ll both be lost. Calm down and think.” It’s Alan, calm and collected, but Jared can hear a small quiver nonetheless.
Yeah, seeing in how much danger you're actually in can do that to you. His inner voice, which sounds a lot like Donna Ackles, chides him for that thought and he smiles. Alan Ackles being worried about him kinda means something to Jared. The Ackles are the only family he has now.
“Dad...I…He…"There is a choked sound, and Jared doesn’t really know what to do about that. This is weird and a little worrying, because Jensen losing it in a situation like this has Jared floundering. Another wave of panic hits him, makes his back cramp and his legs twist. Jared groans out loud.
“Jay?”
“Jensen, really. He won’t be able to yell loud enough for us to hear him.
"Let me go, I’m way lighter than you, oaf, and I actually have climbing experience.” Danneel sounds exasperated and a little put upon, but even her voice shakes a bit. Jared finds that all terribly fascinating, and he would comment on it if he could actually find the breath to voice his thoughts.
Jared blinks again and thinks he’s lost some time. The voices are hushed now, and he can’t make them out anymore, can’t hear the words. He wonders what they’ll do now, how the others will get out of here. He’s lost anyway, no need to drag him up only to have him hinder their escape.
The rope almost hits him on the head and he squeaks a little. It hurts, but not as much as it did right after the fall. His toes tingle, and he can wiggle them; he almost cries in relief.
Then Danneel’s face swings into view and Jared doesn’t care if there's a tear sliding down his cheek. He sees her swallow and thinks it must be bad, but then she drops right next to him and grabs his hand.
He feels the squeeze, does it right back, and grins when Danneel looks at him in wonder.
“Hey there, Jay. How ya feeling?” The fake Texas accent makes him snort and then flinch in pain.
“No…laughing.” Jared manages to gasp out, but he squeezes her hand again, so very glad that he can.
“Sorry,” she mumbles, and he smiles. Tries to breathe a little more regularly and thinks that his ribs might even be okay. He’ll be black and blue for weeks, but nothing feels broken.
“Danni?” Jensen sounds so strange. Jared can only blink at her in wonder. Danneel doesn’t roll her eyes this time, but looks at him with gentle eyes and a small shake of her head.
“He’s alive,” she shouts up and then looks a little lost.
Jared flinches at the sound of rocks sliding down the walls, thumping to the ground next to his head, and then Jensen crashes down next to them. Jensen lets go of the rope and drops next to Jared. Danneel just shakes her head again, not even trying to reprimand Jensen for coming down there when he wasn’t supposed to.
Danneel vanishes out of Jared’s view when Jensen leans over him.
“Jay?” Just the way Jensen says his name has Jared looking directly at him. Green eyes look scared, watery even, and Jared can’t comprehend that right then. He does the only thing he can think of and grabs the hand of Jensen’s that’s resting on his chest.
“Ow.”
Jensen blinks and then just kind of falls into himself, sags down and breathes deep and hard.
“Dude, next time you want a big entrance just yell and shove me out of the way. Don’t…don’t ever do that again,” Jensen almost whispers. He’s white as a sheet, and Jared suddenly feels guilty.
“Sorry. Not planning...on...on it…again.” It's still hard to breathe, but at least the words are coming out now. He wants to say so much more, but there are black spots again and he really, really just wants to keep on looking at Jensen kneeling over him.
“Good. Scared me to death, Jay. Just...God, seeing you fall…it…" Jensen takes a deep breath again and kind of shakes himself, blinking away from Jared and then finding his eyes easily again. Jensen’s hands glide over his body, and Jared actually shivers. He’s about to ask what Jensen is doing when he realizes that Jensen is checking him for injuries.
When Jensen is satisfied with what he finds, he starts telling Danneel how to get them back up. Tells her how to knot the ropes and climb up again to get another one down here. She doesn’t say much, just asks about details, and then she’s gone.
Jensen shifts and then dares to move Jared a little. His hands are gentle when he checks Jared’s neck and head again. Fingers move softly through dusty, tangled hair, and Jared sighs a little. It’s such a weird situation that Jared can’t help but close his eyes. He’ll take what he can get and, well, it helps with ignoring the pain.
The silence between them is awkward. Jared can hear Danneel above them, hears the rocks being kicked loose, but all he can concentrate on is Jensen’s fingers in his hair and then the feel of Jensen’s thigh beneath his head. He’s lying in Jensen’s lap.
They sit like that for a while. Not long, Jared thinks, but it feels like an eternity, and he doesn’t want it to end.
“What’ya gonna do with the money?” Jensen whispers, accent prominent and fingers still gently moving over Jared’s skin, making him shiver slightly and then sigh.
“Money?” He’s not sure exactly what they're talking about now.
“When we find it…the treasure. There’ll probably be money. You never told me what you're gonna do with it.” Jensen’s tone is casual, but Jared hears the underlying anxiety and wonders where this is coming from. He wiggles a little, groans at the twinges and shots of pain, but he wants to look at Jensen right now.
The light’s even dimmer down here, just Jensen’s flashlight and a torch that came down with Jared and is still burning. Jensen still looks white, a little shocked and concerned, and Jared wonders how he could have seen all that in his daze some minutes ago.
Jensen’s eyes are focused somewhere on the opposite wall of the cave, gaze far away, but Jared knows he’s waiting for an answer. Rocks slide down again, and Danneel announces she’ll be down in a bit. Jared doesn’t know if he should be happy or annoyed. Of course he wants to get out of here, but he also doesn’t want to let go of this thing between him and Jensen.
“Right. Money for impersonating Indiana Jones. It's all I ever wanted.” Jared actually flinches at the sarcastic tone in his still weak and breathless voice. That’s not how he wanted to say it, and he can see Jensen’s astonishment as well.
“Dude, you are Indiana Jones.” The grin is back, gentle fingers still on his skin, though, and Jared snorts. There's nothing he can do but laugh and smile. As always, it’s his automatic reaction to Jensen smiling at him.
“Of course. Honestly? I just…I want to get out of here. Preferably without any broken bones or being shot at again. I'd…maybe finally pay off all the mortgages for the ranch back…home. I want it to remain in the family. Texan history on that land, you know?”
He’s never told Jensen that, never said anything about his plans for his grandparents' place. The two of them never talk about his family anyway, not since they practically disowned Jared. But his grandma had sent her last will two years ago, and Jared never had the time or the money to do anything about it. He wants to tell Jensen about the small lake and the forest close by.
“I don’t do this for the money,” is what he says instead. Jensen’s hand slips into his, and Jared holds on tight. He has a feeling that this might be a very important moment. Well, okay, so being rescue from certain death is already really important, but no one could blame him if he’s waiting for something more. Not with Jensen so being not-Jensen-like.
“I know, Jay. I know. I’m sorry, you know. For you being shot at, and all this. You could have…it could have been worse and I…” Jensen stutters, another thing he never does, and yet Jared is witness to it happening.
Then another rope thumps onto the ground next to them and Danneel is back. The awkward silence that follows is only topped by the shy looks Jensen is sending him. Jensen opens his mouth several times, obviously wants to say something, but never does. And then Danneel does it for him.
“Oh for fuck’s sake. Just tell him how much you love him and can’t live without him so that he can declare his undying love as well, promise not to leave you and we can actually try to climb up again before Alan discovers a way out of here and claims all the fame.” Danneel rants and actually rolls her eyes at them…again.
Jared just blinks dumbly. Because yeah, this has to be a dream. A good dream, but still a dream.
“Not a dream, Jay….I… uhm…what she said?” Jensen ducks his head and doesn’t really look at him, but they're still holding hands and Jensen is squeezing his to death right now.
And really? Really, that’s what Jensen says to it all? So Jared had to go through dangers greater than he had ever thought would be possible, had to risk his life, get shot at, land on the FBI's most wanted list, almost get blown to pieces and then fall down a deep hole before Jensen even acknowledges him being there, and then Jared gets this?
“What she said? That’s all? You tell me you love me with, ‘what she said’? Really? I almost died here, and you can’t even say it yourself? Not that I ever thought I’d hear you say it, mind you…so really?” Jared gasps for air when he’s done, but that had to be said, no matter what. He deserves that much.
Jensen blinks, looks like he's thirteen and just destroyed his mother’s most valued Ming vase because he thought there were stamps inside it. There is a flush on his cheeks, and if Jared can see it in this light, it must be very pronounced. Jensen never flushes.
“Uhm...sorry. I...I’m sorry. I…God, I thought I’d lost you, Jared. I thought it was too late. I’m sorry. I…kinda like you. A lot. And I...just…uhm...I can’t actually think that there is a life without you…for me.” Jensen stumbles through the words, and it’s such a weird moment that Jared grins and then winces because his back is still not quite with the game.
“Thank God. That done, can we please try to get out of here?” Danneel grumbles and Jared really kind of loves her right now. Not only for the two additional ropes she brought down, but those are great as well. He grins at her and slowly sits up.
“You okay to move?” Jensen asks anxiously, hovering close and never letting go of Jared.
“Yeah. Just bruised. Well, internal bleeding is still an option, but I think the fall wasn’t that bad. So yeah, just bruised.” At least, Jared hopes so.
“Thank God.”
It’s really kind of awkward, but after a few more minutes of just sitting there and staring at Jensen with a goofy grin on his face, Jared manages to move up, and then even higher with the help of Danneel and Jensen.
They reach the platform just in time to see Alan’s grinning face sticking out of yet another hole in the wall.
“I found it. I found the treasure.”
Danneel actually stomps her feet and tells Jensen he’s an idiot but grins when Jensen doesn’t let go of Jared’s hand.
***
The chamber looks huge. A cave underneath the city filled with the most valuable treasure mankind has come across. Jared gapes, just stands there and gapes. This is it, and they found it. All the things they went through, all the laughter and the pressure they endured, and they finally reached their goal.
The Templar’s treasure goes beyond anything Jared has ever seen, and it’s a beautiful sight, but the thing Jared is most happy about is the staircase at the other end of the cave. A way out. They aren’t trapped anymore, and he’s not in immediate danger or close to dying.
Now he can actually start thinking about what just happened and why Jensen is still standing so close to him, hand on the small of his back and not moving away. Jensen’s eyes are shining, and Jared knows how he feels.
It’s history, all of it, and Jared is standing right in the middle of it. They're standing right in the middle of it, but Jared still can’t believe it, none of it. And he feels like he might wake up soon and find everything gone.
“Are you okay?” Jensen is right there, still. Right next to him, awed expression and all that. But there is concern there as well, and Jared smiles. Then he nods.
“Yeah. Still bruised, and my ego is hiding but yes, I’m fine.”
Jensen smiles a little, but something is off and Jared doesn’t know what it could be. They found it, they're still alive, and there is a very good chance that they can get out of here. Sure, his back and hip hurt like a bitch and he’s close to crying for pain killers, but other than that he’s fine.
“Jen?” It’s one of the few times where he dares to use the nickname. When Jensen just smiles even more softly, Jared actually gets worried.
“I wanted you to see this, you know?”
Jared nods, because yes, they’ve talked so many times about it, and Jensen has always said Jared deserves credit as well. So he doesn’t really know what it is that Jensen's saying.
“No, Jared. I wanted you to see the treasure history left behind because you wanted to see it all with your own eyes. Remember in college? When you were in Jeff’s class and couldn’t stop talking about all these amazing things history has produced?”
Again, Jensen’s gaze sweeps over the artifacts and relicts at the bottom of the stone stairs they're standing on. He looks tired now, more exhausted then Jared’s ever seen him, but he looks happy as well. He looks like he’s finally found something that he really wanted, and Jared, for some reason, is pretty sure that it has nothing to do with the wealth spread out below them.
Jared’s heart skips a beat, and he doesn’t move.
He remembers that day. Remembers sitting in the Ackles’ kitchen and feeling at home somewhere for the first time in ages. Jensen had been listening intently - Alan as well - and Donna had just asked a question Jared had been only too eager to answer.
It’s one of his fondest memories.
“That day, when you sat in our kitchen, talking about all the things you want to see. How you want to prove to you parents that history is important and not just a silly obsession. That day…I kind of knew that I wouldn’t be doing it all just for me and my family’s name. You wanted to see it all so badly, and I wanted you to have that. I just…You’ve been my main motivation.”
Jensen moves closer then, eyes sweeping over the artifacts and then stopping on Jared’s. He smiles a little sheepishly. He can’t possibly mean what Jared thinks he does. It would just be too much. Things like that don’t happen to Jared.
Jared is never the lucky one. He just flails along and has to be rescued all the time. Only now, it seems like these things do happen to Jared, because they found the treasure and Jensen is apparently telling Jared something he's wanted to hear for years.
“I’m not good at talking about what I'm thinking, showing feelings. I know it. I know I flirt a lot, but there really wasn’t anybody. I…should have said something sooner. Guess it would have been on me if something had happened to you. I can be pretty single-minded sometimes. ‘M sorry, Jared.”
Jensen is blushing again, and Jared just stares. It’s a sight he won’t see too often, he’s pretty sure.
“Wait a sec. So you're telling me that I’ve been mooning over you for years and you did the same and never said anything?”
“You never said anything either.”
Jensen actually has a point, and judging from the snorts coming from somewhere else in the cave, Danneel and Alan know that as well. Jensen gives his patented, ‘I’m right’ smirk, but there is warmth underneath, and it feels less smirky, at least to Jared. And hey, he just hit his head.
He’s not sure what to say, but in the end, he doesn’t say anything. For once in his life, Jared does the thing he wants to do right at the moment he has the chance. He pulls Jensen close and in.
They kiss right there, on top of ancient stone steps overlooking what might be the greatest historical discovery ever. But Jared has only eyes and mind for Jensen.
***
Jared doesn’t know what Jensen talks to the agent about, but when they leave the crypt and then the church, they're all free.
Jared knows that over in Philadelphia, Misha won’t be as happy.
Jared isn’t happy with the extensive poking and prodding he has to endure from the paramedics and then in the ER as well, but Jensen insists on a thorough check-up and won’t leave Jared’s side through any of it.
Once the doctor assures Jensen for the third time that there are just scratches and some bruising and that Jared will indeed be fine, Jared’s allowed to move from the stretcher and out of the ER.
The last he sees of Danneel and Alan before Jensen drags him into a waiting car are matching grins and winks directed at him.
Then he only sees Jensen. A lot of Jensen.
***
The grass is green and soft underneath his bare feet. It’s a miracle considering the fact that it’s summer and they're in Texas. The big ranch house behind them glimmers in the heat, and Jared is so very grateful for the shadow of the big oak trees they're standing under.
Danneel has been discussing important job-related things with Jensen for an hour now, so the picnic basket has been all Jared’s to enjoy. He doesn’t feel guilty when he realizes that there are no waffles left for Jensen; he’ll make new ones. It’s Jensen’s own fault anyway.
“Have to leave you two now. Since I only got one percent, I have to work for my living,” Danneel grins and gets up from the blanket. Jared snorts and grins when she winks at him. They're all set for life now, seeing as one percent of the billions they handed over to museums and governments isn’t exactly a small sum.
“You got it without much hassle,” Jensen says, a little bitterly but with a smile nonetheless. And it’s right. Dr. Danneel Harris didn’t have to fight her name and her family’s history before she got her share. But then, they didn’t all do it for the money anyway. Well, Jared didn’t. Not much, at least.
“What do you want? You got the boy,” Danneel snarks right back and grins.
She stalks towards her car, a brand new special edition Beetle in fire engine red, when Jared’s suddenly pulled around. The sound of the car flying down the gravel driveway and the happy whoop Danneel lets loose when she spins around the corner has Jared laughing out loud.
Jensen’s hand on his cheek brings him back down and face to face with a soft smile and gentle green eyes. He still can’t believe that’s all his to have and to look at now. It’s been so long, it sometimes feels a little unreal. But then Jensen does things like he just did, and Jared knows it’s all there and his to enjoy.
“She’s right about that. I did.”
Jensen kisses him deep and slow. Jared feels dizzy; being kissed like that by Jensen really does affect him like nothing else. He loves it.
When Jensen pulls back again, the soft smiles makes Jared’s heart flutter, and he thanks all the deities he knows that Jensen finally got a clue. Okay, so his hip still hurts like a bugger and the rubbed off skin on his arms looks nasty, but he got Jensen for his troubles, and he so won’t complain about that.
Jensen gets up then, drags Jared along, and he can’t do anything but laugh at the eager look on Jensen’s face. The house is close, and they practically run the short distance back to it. For a brief second, Jared wonders what the fathers of the Texan revolution would think of them now, but then Jensen’s mouth is on his neck, sucking deep and claiming, and Jared stops thinking at all.
The end.