Bruxism - Dentist!Verse - R, Jared/Jensen
Title: Bruxism
Series: Dentist!Verse
Author: thelonejuliet
Characters: Jared, Jensen, Chad, Mike, Harley & Sadie
Pairing: Jared/Jensen, Chad/Jared
Word Count: 3,028
Rating: R
Warnings: Major angsting
Disclaimer: These people belong to themselves and their mamas.
Beta: candygramme
Author's Notes: Bruxism: The involuntary clenching or grinding of the teeth.
Previous Parts of the Dentist!AU found here.
All fics found here!
Verse Summary - Jensen Ackles, a new dentist in town with a troubled love life, takes on a new patient in the form of barowner Jared Padalecki. Sparks fly and attraction deepens but can the secrets that both men harbor destroy everything before it's too late?
Chapter/Part Summary: Jared gets some good news and bad news. Unfortunately, the bad is really bad.
Banner made by my girl, mss_celestal!
Bruxism
Jared was sure his moaning would have the dogs freaking out, terrified that their owner was dying. But, hey, if getting killed felt half as good as Jensen fucking him through the mattress? Well. At least he could die happy.
“Nngh, God, Jay,” Jensen whispered in his ear as he bent himself over Jared, tonguing along the column of Jared’s throat as he thrust in, deep and slow.
The only thing Jared could really do was hang on for the ride, hands grappling for purchase along Jensen’s back, blunt nails digging in and leaving scratches to admire later. The pace Jensen had set was maddening; it was too much and not enough, and Jared was just hanging on the edge. He wanted it to last and was resisting the urge to reach in between them and get himself off, letting the friction created by their bodies be enough, but the need to come was overwhelming, stars exploding behind his eyelids as Jensen rocked inside him and pressed his dick against Jared’s prostate with every movement.
Jared was on sensory overload, experiencing everything, too much. His eyes were clamped shut, but he knew what Jensen’s face looked like instinctively. He could picture the flushed face, freckles popping out, sweat rolling down Jensen’s skin and catching at his open lips. Jensen’s breath was harsh in his ears, air puffing across Jared’s face with every pant and moan.
And, suddenly, Jared needed to see; his imagination wasn’t enough. His eyes opened of their own accord, locking with Jensen’s lust-blown gaze, forest green a thin ring around the darkness. He trailed his hands down Jensen’s back, curling his fingers around Jensen’s ass and using his grip as leverage to thrust up into Jensen.
Jared’s move must have translated something to Jensen because without warning, Jensen began to speed up his thrusts, breath coming faster. Jared surged up and fused their lips together, heat and passion pouring from one into the other.
Jared was moaning completely unchecked now, the sound barely muffled by Jensen’s mouth, as he tightened his legs around Jensen’s waist, clamping down and squeezing his muscles around Jensen’s dick. Jensen’s eyes rolled back in his head as he pulled away from Jared’s mouth, burying his face in Jared’s shoulder.
Three thrusts more and Jensen was coming with a muffled groan, biting down on Jared’s collarbone as warmth pulsed into Jared. Jared, mesmerized by the sight of Jensen coming apart above him, slipped one hand between their bodies and jacked himself off, quick and rough, desperate to go over the edge and follow his boyfriend into bliss. It didn’t take long, Jensen’s assault on his neck upping the ante, before he was coming all over his hand and stomach.
Completely spent, Jared pulled Jensen down on top of him, rolling them until Jensen had slipped out and they were lying on their sides.
Jensen blinked at him sleepily, lazy grin spreading across his face. “Mmm…love you,” he whispered before his eyes slipped closed and his breathing evened out.
Jared couldn’t help but smile, reaching up to brush Jensen’s hair out of his face. He was sticky, sweaty and altogether gross, but he couldn’t have cared less. With a light kiss to Jensen’s forehead, he quickly followed him into a dream-filled sleep.
* * *
“So, I’m thinking I really need to hire a partner, or junior dentist or something…My patient load is beginning to get insane! Six or seven patients in one day? I can handle that, all on my own. But, 11? 12? 13?” Jensen leaned over and buried his face in Jared’s shirt, much to the amusement of Jared. “I can’t handle it!”
Jared laughed, wrapping his arm around Jensen’s shoulders and kissing the top of his head. “So, that’s why you’re too worn out for sex all the time, huh?” Jensen snorted. “Well, then, we have to get you some help. Right away. Before I die of blue balls.”
Jensen sat up then, smirking at Jared’s attempt to stop himself from giggling. “I didn’t hear you complaining about me being too sluggish last night,” he whispered seductively. “You had the dogs scratching at the bedroom door, you were so loud. It’s amazing my neighbors didn’t call the cops.”
He paused for a minute, grinning at Jared’s red face and semi-subtle adjusting. “But, hey,” he mock-sighed as he sat back and continued on, “if that wasn’t up to par, I guess we’ll have to find a substitute for me, until I can find some help. Hmm… Chad’s still available, right?”
Jensen ignored the tightening of his gut at his own words, even as Jared growled and pounced on him in a sure sign that Chad meant nothing. He still hadn’t brought up his concerns to Jared, or told him what Justin had said at the bar a few weeks back. But, it was a struggle. There were times when his imagination would get the best of him and he’d become irrationally sure that Jared was sleeping with Chad at that very moment, prompting several random and confused phone calls. But, at the opposite end of the spectrum, whenever Jared and Jensen were together, he was sure that Jared didn’t have eyes for anyone but him. And sometimes that was quite literal: Jared wouldn’t even glance at anyone else if Jensen was in the room.
Just as the making out was starting to get hot and heavy, the doorbell rang at Jensen’s front door. He pulled his mouth away from Jared’s, panting, and seriously debated just letting Harley and Sadie scare away the intruders. But, when the pounding began, he figured he should get up. After all, there were clearly two vehicles in the driveway.
Jared huffed and sat back on his side of the couch, eyeing Jensen like he was a piece of candy. Jensen tried to glare and fight down the blush creeping through his face as he headed towards the door, but he knew it was pointless.
Sadie and Harley were both barking at the door, ready to rush the person if Jensen told them to. Oh, the joy of having trained dogs…He’d have to thank Mike later for teaching them how to attack.
Well, after he stopped beating Mike’s head in for interrupting him and Jared.
Jensen opened the door and sighed, stepping back to let Mike walk into the foyer. Mike gave him a knowing grin. “Well, don’t look too happy to see me,” he chided.
“Oh, believe me, we’re not!” Jared called from the living room.
Mike snorted, shaking his head as he walked further into the house, dogs and Jensen at his heels. Jared was still flushed, lips kiss-swollen. Jensen groaned as he sat himself in the armchair, as far from Jared as he could conceivably get. Mike, ignoring the obvious signs of what had been going on, plopped onto the couch next to Jared; Sadie and Harley immediately planted themselves at his feet.
“So? What do you want?” Jensen asked after Mike spent five minutes cooing at the dogs.
Mike looked up and grinned, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. “You two just want to get back to whatever position you were in, don’t you?”
Jared sighed dramatically, throwing his arm over his eyes as he groaned.
Mike laughed. “Well,” he said, smacking Jared’s knee, “I came to see you, actually. You weren’t at home so I figured you’d be here. Being the awesome accountant I am, I was going over all your funds and everything, and I don’t think you’ll have any problem getting a loan for the new place. I talked to the owners of that place across town, and they said for you to just call and set up a time to check it out.”
Jensen couldn’t help but grin as he watched Jared practically bounce off the couch.
“You mean it? We could really open the other location? We can do that? Mike, you’re awesome!”
Jensen’s grin grew wider as he watched his boyfriend launch himself across the couch at Mike. Mike, the poor guy, wasn’t quite what to do with a Padalecki bear-hug and looked imploringly over at Jensen for help.
Jensen shrugged. “Now you know what I have to deal with.”
* * *
Life was good. There was absolutely no doubt in Jared’s mind of that fact. He had great friends, an amazing boyfriend, and two adorably furry children.
And now, he was the proud owner of a blossoming franchise.
He was also on his way to getting absolutely smashed.
Life was great.
“Man,” Chad called from the bar as he grabbed a couple more beer bottles and poured two shots of tequila, “we are going to be rolling in money now. You realize that, right? If we have two places doing as well as this one does? Wow.”
Jared laughed, feeling the alcohol begin to soak in and warm him up. He’d only had two beers, which usually was barely enough to get a buzz going, but he was too excited to notice.
His parents thought he’d never amount to anything and now look. He was an entrepreneur.
An hour later, Jared figured he should stop drinking. Four beers, two shots and he was pleasantly drunk. Jensen was going to be showing up soon, and he didn’t want to be completely out of it. He wanted Jensen to celebrate with him. He had it all planned out - they were going to kick Chad out of the building, pat themselves on the back for being closed on Monday evenings, and then he was going to spread Jensen out on the bar top and fuck into him nice and slow.
Chad suddenly cleared his throat, knocking Jared out of his fantasies and back into the conversation. He looked over at his friend to find an unusual glint in the blond man’s eyes. It was something he should have recognized, he thought, but the alcohol was muddying up his brain. Which was odd. Seriously, had he had that much to drink?
“Jared,” Chad said quietly, “do you remember your relationship with Sandy?”
Jared had to try really hard to focus, but when he did, he started. Chad was the picture of discomfort, slouching in his chair, fingernails picking at the worn tabletop. He was biting his lip, a gesture of nervousness that Jared had rarely seen before from Chad, and there was a faint blush creeping across his face.
Jared had never seen Chad blush in all the years he’d known him.
He cleared his throat and scooted his chair closer to the table, trying to get his brain to wrap around a coherent string of words. “Yeah, I do,” he whispered, unsure of how to get his footing in the new territory. Chad had never once asked about Sandy, not after they’d broken up. “I remember everything I loved about her and everything that happened after. Why?”
Chad hesitated for a moment, looking up at Jared sheepishly for a second before turning away, standing up and pacing next to the table. After a few moments, he stopped right before Jared’s chair, looking tense about something.
“Do you remember that party? A few days before you and Sandy blew up?”
Jared started to shake his head, but then something came to the forefront of his mind, a memory he wasn’t aware he had. Apparently, alcohol loosened up more than his lips. He gasped. “There was a guy. Oh, God. I hadn’t…I blocked it out. I don’t even know his name, but…Sandy knew, didn’t she? About me and whoever, she saw us. No wonder she was so pissed when I came out to her…”
Chad was nodding furiously. “Yeah, there was a guy. He blew you. Then you fucked him, telling him how he was the best lay you’d ever had. He called for Sandy, you know. Wanted Sandy to see which team you really played for.”
Jared blinked up at Chad, things suddenly clicking into place even through the haze. Chad’s crush hadn’t started when they opened the bar, or even after he had come out. Chad had always looked at him like that, like he was the best thing in the world.
Snippets of a conversation suddenly came floating back to him: I guess a part of me figured that I was here first.
“That was you?” Jared spluttered. “You...why did you never say anything?”
Chad let out a harsh bark of laughter. “Seriously? Would you have even listened to me?” he scoffed. “This is the first time in years you’ve actually been honest with me, Jared! And, to think, all it took was a little Ambien with your alcohol.”
Jared blinked, gasping in short breaths. “You drugged me?”
Chad smiled then, a genuine, scary smile that sent shivers through Jared’s body. “Yeah, I drugged you. So I could do this.”
Suddenly Chad’s lips were on his, Chad’s hands gripping Jared’s shoulders painfully. Jared pushed him off immediately, but it wasn’t soon enough. He turned as he heard the shocked cry from the club entrance.
“Jensen!”
He pushed harder when he realized Chad was still hanging onto him, sending his roommate crashing to the floor. He didn’t even spare a glance as he took off after his boyfriend, hoping he wasn’t too out of it to explain before it was too late.
* * *
Jensen could hardly see through the tears clouding his eyes, couldn’t hear past the sound of his heart breaking. He should have known better than to trust anyone. How long had Jared been lying to him? Or was it him, Jensen, who was the intruder on Jared and Chad’s relationship? How could he have been so stupid?
Justin was right.
Jensen was so deep inside his own head that he didn’t hear Jared running up to him, calling his name. He wasn’t aware Jared had come after him until he felt himself being grabbed and turned around.
He was sure he looked pathetic, tears slipping down his face as Jared gripped his shoulders and shook him. He could see Jared’s mouth moving, see the panic on Jared’s face but none of it registered. Nothing was making sense. He’d set his whole world on Jared’s shoulders and had just seen it come crashing down. Maybe nothing would ever make sense, not anymore.
“Jensen, please!” Jared pleaded, pulling Jensen into him. “Please, you have to…it wasn’t…Chad’s not. He’s just not. I’m not, not with him. Jen. Jen, please. That wasn’t -”
Jensen pushed him away, stumbling back out of Jared’s reach. “Don’t you dare tell me it’s not what it looked like, Jared,” he snarled, trying to put more anger into his voice than hurt. “You and Chad…I knew it. I always knew it. The way you two looked together. Jared…how could you?”
“I didn’t, Jen! You have to believe me! I would never do that to you!”
Jensen could see the tears pooling in Jared’s eyes, but it didn’t matter. Not now.
He shook his head, taking a few steps back to his car. “You know what the worst part about this is?” he asked, softly. Jared shook his head, hands still outstretched for him. “Justin was right.”
Without another word, another look, he turned on his heel and ran. He got in his car and headed to Chris and Steve’s hotel, not daring to look back. Shudders and sobs wracked his body the whole way. It’s amazing he was able to make it in one piece.
Chris opened the door, and Jensen fell apart.
* * *
Jared couldn’t move, couldn’t even think. He just stood there in the parking lot, staring at Jensen’s taillights long after they rounded the corner. The effects of the alcohol and the sleeping pills were long gone, leaving instead a gaping hole that he wasn’t sure he could fix. Jensen had looked so final, so completely shattered and unwilling to listen to his reasoning.
He couldn’t say that he blamed him though. He would have reacted the same way, after months of being paranoid that there was someone else. But, Jared had told him, explained countless times that Chad meant nothing to him.
And now Chad meant even less.
Jared heard footsteps behind him and swung without even looking, a grim satisfaction coming over him with he felt his fist connect with Chad’s face. Chad was knocked to the ground, one hand rubbing along his jaw, and Jared towered over him.
“You couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you?” he snarled at his supposed friend. “You couldn’t just let me be happy. After seeing me miserable for a fucking year, you couldn’t let me have this one thing?” He couldn’t stop himself from getting a kick into Chad’s ribs as tears began to fall to the ground.
He laughed as it started raining, a light drizzle that just added to his fury.
“I have never done anything to you, always helping you out of sticky situations. I gave you a goddamn place to live when you got screwed out of your last place. I’ve helped you out more than you deserve and never asked for a single, fucking thing in return but for you to be nice to Jensen. For you to accept that I wanted him, that I’m fucking in love with him.”
Chad whimpered. “Jay, m’sorry. But, I… I love you! Why couldn’t you see that?! You’ve always overlooked me!” He paused, making his shakily way to his feet. “I wanted you to see me,” he whispered.
Jared knew he must look like a monster, face twisted in a mixture of rage and hurt. “Well, Chad,” he whispered, the fight suddenly gone out of him. “I see you now. I sure as fucking hell see you now.”
The steady drizzle turned to a downpour as Jared fished his keys out of his pocket and turned towards his truck. He paused as he started to climb into the cab, calling across his shoulder, “I’ll leave your stuff outside the door.”
He didn’t even care that he was leaving Chad in the pouring rain, with no way to get home or a home to get to.
********************
I am SO sorry about this, guys. Please keep the tomato-throwing to a minimum? I promise to fix it! :)?
_
Series: Dentist!Verse
Author: thelonejuliet
Characters: Jared, Jensen, Chad, Mike, Harley & Sadie
Pairing: Jared/Jensen, Chad/Jared
Word Count: 3,028
Rating: R
Warnings: Major angsting
Disclaimer: These people belong to themselves and their mamas.
Beta: candygramme
Author's Notes: Bruxism: The involuntary clenching or grinding of the teeth.
Previous Parts of the Dentist!AU found here.
All fics found here!
Verse Summary - Jensen Ackles, a new dentist in town with a troubled love life, takes on a new patient in the form of barowner Jared Padalecki. Sparks fly and attraction deepens but can the secrets that both men harbor destroy everything before it's too late?
Chapter/Part Summary: Jared gets some good news and bad news. Unfortunately, the bad is really bad.
Banner made by my girl, mss_celestal!
Bruxism
Jared was sure his moaning would have the dogs freaking out, terrified that their owner was dying. But, hey, if getting killed felt half as good as Jensen fucking him through the mattress? Well. At least he could die happy.
“Nngh, God, Jay,” Jensen whispered in his ear as he bent himself over Jared, tonguing along the column of Jared’s throat as he thrust in, deep and slow.
The only thing Jared could really do was hang on for the ride, hands grappling for purchase along Jensen’s back, blunt nails digging in and leaving scratches to admire later. The pace Jensen had set was maddening; it was too much and not enough, and Jared was just hanging on the edge. He wanted it to last and was resisting the urge to reach in between them and get himself off, letting the friction created by their bodies be enough, but the need to come was overwhelming, stars exploding behind his eyelids as Jensen rocked inside him and pressed his dick against Jared’s prostate with every movement.
Jared was on sensory overload, experiencing everything, too much. His eyes were clamped shut, but he knew what Jensen’s face looked like instinctively. He could picture the flushed face, freckles popping out, sweat rolling down Jensen’s skin and catching at his open lips. Jensen’s breath was harsh in his ears, air puffing across Jared’s face with every pant and moan.
And, suddenly, Jared needed to see; his imagination wasn’t enough. His eyes opened of their own accord, locking with Jensen’s lust-blown gaze, forest green a thin ring around the darkness. He trailed his hands down Jensen’s back, curling his fingers around Jensen’s ass and using his grip as leverage to thrust up into Jensen.
Jared’s move must have translated something to Jensen because without warning, Jensen began to speed up his thrusts, breath coming faster. Jared surged up and fused their lips together, heat and passion pouring from one into the other.
Jared was moaning completely unchecked now, the sound barely muffled by Jensen’s mouth, as he tightened his legs around Jensen’s waist, clamping down and squeezing his muscles around Jensen’s dick. Jensen’s eyes rolled back in his head as he pulled away from Jared’s mouth, burying his face in Jared’s shoulder.
Three thrusts more and Jensen was coming with a muffled groan, biting down on Jared’s collarbone as warmth pulsed into Jared. Jared, mesmerized by the sight of Jensen coming apart above him, slipped one hand between their bodies and jacked himself off, quick and rough, desperate to go over the edge and follow his boyfriend into bliss. It didn’t take long, Jensen’s assault on his neck upping the ante, before he was coming all over his hand and stomach.
Completely spent, Jared pulled Jensen down on top of him, rolling them until Jensen had slipped out and they were lying on their sides.
Jensen blinked at him sleepily, lazy grin spreading across his face. “Mmm…love you,” he whispered before his eyes slipped closed and his breathing evened out.
Jared couldn’t help but smile, reaching up to brush Jensen’s hair out of his face. He was sticky, sweaty and altogether gross, but he couldn’t have cared less. With a light kiss to Jensen’s forehead, he quickly followed him into a dream-filled sleep.
* * *
“So, I’m thinking I really need to hire a partner, or junior dentist or something…My patient load is beginning to get insane! Six or seven patients in one day? I can handle that, all on my own. But, 11? 12? 13?” Jensen leaned over and buried his face in Jared’s shirt, much to the amusement of Jared. “I can’t handle it!”
Jared laughed, wrapping his arm around Jensen’s shoulders and kissing the top of his head. “So, that’s why you’re too worn out for sex all the time, huh?” Jensen snorted. “Well, then, we have to get you some help. Right away. Before I die of blue balls.”
Jensen sat up then, smirking at Jared’s attempt to stop himself from giggling. “I didn’t hear you complaining about me being too sluggish last night,” he whispered seductively. “You had the dogs scratching at the bedroom door, you were so loud. It’s amazing my neighbors didn’t call the cops.”
He paused for a minute, grinning at Jared’s red face and semi-subtle adjusting. “But, hey,” he mock-sighed as he sat back and continued on, “if that wasn’t up to par, I guess we’ll have to find a substitute for me, until I can find some help. Hmm… Chad’s still available, right?”
Jensen ignored the tightening of his gut at his own words, even as Jared growled and pounced on him in a sure sign that Chad meant nothing. He still hadn’t brought up his concerns to Jared, or told him what Justin had said at the bar a few weeks back. But, it was a struggle. There were times when his imagination would get the best of him and he’d become irrationally sure that Jared was sleeping with Chad at that very moment, prompting several random and confused phone calls. But, at the opposite end of the spectrum, whenever Jared and Jensen were together, he was sure that Jared didn’t have eyes for anyone but him. And sometimes that was quite literal: Jared wouldn’t even glance at anyone else if Jensen was in the room.
Just as the making out was starting to get hot and heavy, the doorbell rang at Jensen’s front door. He pulled his mouth away from Jared’s, panting, and seriously debated just letting Harley and Sadie scare away the intruders. But, when the pounding began, he figured he should get up. After all, there were clearly two vehicles in the driveway.
Jared huffed and sat back on his side of the couch, eyeing Jensen like he was a piece of candy. Jensen tried to glare and fight down the blush creeping through his face as he headed towards the door, but he knew it was pointless.
Sadie and Harley were both barking at the door, ready to rush the person if Jensen told them to. Oh, the joy of having trained dogs…He’d have to thank Mike later for teaching them how to attack.
Well, after he stopped beating Mike’s head in for interrupting him and Jared.
Jensen opened the door and sighed, stepping back to let Mike walk into the foyer. Mike gave him a knowing grin. “Well, don’t look too happy to see me,” he chided.
“Oh, believe me, we’re not!” Jared called from the living room.
Mike snorted, shaking his head as he walked further into the house, dogs and Jensen at his heels. Jared was still flushed, lips kiss-swollen. Jensen groaned as he sat himself in the armchair, as far from Jared as he could conceivably get. Mike, ignoring the obvious signs of what had been going on, plopped onto the couch next to Jared; Sadie and Harley immediately planted themselves at his feet.
“So? What do you want?” Jensen asked after Mike spent five minutes cooing at the dogs.
Mike looked up and grinned, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. “You two just want to get back to whatever position you were in, don’t you?”
Jared sighed dramatically, throwing his arm over his eyes as he groaned.
Mike laughed. “Well,” he said, smacking Jared’s knee, “I came to see you, actually. You weren’t at home so I figured you’d be here. Being the awesome accountant I am, I was going over all your funds and everything, and I don’t think you’ll have any problem getting a loan for the new place. I talked to the owners of that place across town, and they said for you to just call and set up a time to check it out.”
Jensen couldn’t help but grin as he watched Jared practically bounce off the couch.
“You mean it? We could really open the other location? We can do that? Mike, you’re awesome!”
Jensen’s grin grew wider as he watched his boyfriend launch himself across the couch at Mike. Mike, the poor guy, wasn’t quite what to do with a Padalecki bear-hug and looked imploringly over at Jensen for help.
Jensen shrugged. “Now you know what I have to deal with.”
* * *
Life was good. There was absolutely no doubt in Jared’s mind of that fact. He had great friends, an amazing boyfriend, and two adorably furry children.
And now, he was the proud owner of a blossoming franchise.
He was also on his way to getting absolutely smashed.
Life was great.
“Man,” Chad called from the bar as he grabbed a couple more beer bottles and poured two shots of tequila, “we are going to be rolling in money now. You realize that, right? If we have two places doing as well as this one does? Wow.”
Jared laughed, feeling the alcohol begin to soak in and warm him up. He’d only had two beers, which usually was barely enough to get a buzz going, but he was too excited to notice.
His parents thought he’d never amount to anything and now look. He was an entrepreneur.
An hour later, Jared figured he should stop drinking. Four beers, two shots and he was pleasantly drunk. Jensen was going to be showing up soon, and he didn’t want to be completely out of it. He wanted Jensen to celebrate with him. He had it all planned out - they were going to kick Chad out of the building, pat themselves on the back for being closed on Monday evenings, and then he was going to spread Jensen out on the bar top and fuck into him nice and slow.
Chad suddenly cleared his throat, knocking Jared out of his fantasies and back into the conversation. He looked over at his friend to find an unusual glint in the blond man’s eyes. It was something he should have recognized, he thought, but the alcohol was muddying up his brain. Which was odd. Seriously, had he had that much to drink?
“Jared,” Chad said quietly, “do you remember your relationship with Sandy?”
Jared had to try really hard to focus, but when he did, he started. Chad was the picture of discomfort, slouching in his chair, fingernails picking at the worn tabletop. He was biting his lip, a gesture of nervousness that Jared had rarely seen before from Chad, and there was a faint blush creeping across his face.
Jared had never seen Chad blush in all the years he’d known him.
He cleared his throat and scooted his chair closer to the table, trying to get his brain to wrap around a coherent string of words. “Yeah, I do,” he whispered, unsure of how to get his footing in the new territory. Chad had never once asked about Sandy, not after they’d broken up. “I remember everything I loved about her and everything that happened after. Why?”
Chad hesitated for a moment, looking up at Jared sheepishly for a second before turning away, standing up and pacing next to the table. After a few moments, he stopped right before Jared’s chair, looking tense about something.
“Do you remember that party? A few days before you and Sandy blew up?”
Jared started to shake his head, but then something came to the forefront of his mind, a memory he wasn’t aware he had. Apparently, alcohol loosened up more than his lips. He gasped. “There was a guy. Oh, God. I hadn’t…I blocked it out. I don’t even know his name, but…Sandy knew, didn’t she? About me and whoever, she saw us. No wonder she was so pissed when I came out to her…”
Chad was nodding furiously. “Yeah, there was a guy. He blew you. Then you fucked him, telling him how he was the best lay you’d ever had. He called for Sandy, you know. Wanted Sandy to see which team you really played for.”
Jared blinked up at Chad, things suddenly clicking into place even through the haze. Chad’s crush hadn’t started when they opened the bar, or even after he had come out. Chad had always looked at him like that, like he was the best thing in the world.
Snippets of a conversation suddenly came floating back to him: I guess a part of me figured that I was here first.
“That was you?” Jared spluttered. “You...why did you never say anything?”
Chad let out a harsh bark of laughter. “Seriously? Would you have even listened to me?” he scoffed. “This is the first time in years you’ve actually been honest with me, Jared! And, to think, all it took was a little Ambien with your alcohol.”
Jared blinked, gasping in short breaths. “You drugged me?”
Chad smiled then, a genuine, scary smile that sent shivers through Jared’s body. “Yeah, I drugged you. So I could do this.”
Suddenly Chad’s lips were on his, Chad’s hands gripping Jared’s shoulders painfully. Jared pushed him off immediately, but it wasn’t soon enough. He turned as he heard the shocked cry from the club entrance.
“Jensen!”
He pushed harder when he realized Chad was still hanging onto him, sending his roommate crashing to the floor. He didn’t even spare a glance as he took off after his boyfriend, hoping he wasn’t too out of it to explain before it was too late.
* * *
Jensen could hardly see through the tears clouding his eyes, couldn’t hear past the sound of his heart breaking. He should have known better than to trust anyone. How long had Jared been lying to him? Or was it him, Jensen, who was the intruder on Jared and Chad’s relationship? How could he have been so stupid?
Justin was right.
Jensen was so deep inside his own head that he didn’t hear Jared running up to him, calling his name. He wasn’t aware Jared had come after him until he felt himself being grabbed and turned around.
He was sure he looked pathetic, tears slipping down his face as Jared gripped his shoulders and shook him. He could see Jared’s mouth moving, see the panic on Jared’s face but none of it registered. Nothing was making sense. He’d set his whole world on Jared’s shoulders and had just seen it come crashing down. Maybe nothing would ever make sense, not anymore.
“Jensen, please!” Jared pleaded, pulling Jensen into him. “Please, you have to…it wasn’t…Chad’s not. He’s just not. I’m not, not with him. Jen. Jen, please. That wasn’t -”
Jensen pushed him away, stumbling back out of Jared’s reach. “Don’t you dare tell me it’s not what it looked like, Jared,” he snarled, trying to put more anger into his voice than hurt. “You and Chad…I knew it. I always knew it. The way you two looked together. Jared…how could you?”
“I didn’t, Jen! You have to believe me! I would never do that to you!”
Jensen could see the tears pooling in Jared’s eyes, but it didn’t matter. Not now.
He shook his head, taking a few steps back to his car. “You know what the worst part about this is?” he asked, softly. Jared shook his head, hands still outstretched for him. “Justin was right.”
Without another word, another look, he turned on his heel and ran. He got in his car and headed to Chris and Steve’s hotel, not daring to look back. Shudders and sobs wracked his body the whole way. It’s amazing he was able to make it in one piece.
Chris opened the door, and Jensen fell apart.
* * *
Jared couldn’t move, couldn’t even think. He just stood there in the parking lot, staring at Jensen’s taillights long after they rounded the corner. The effects of the alcohol and the sleeping pills were long gone, leaving instead a gaping hole that he wasn’t sure he could fix. Jensen had looked so final, so completely shattered and unwilling to listen to his reasoning.
He couldn’t say that he blamed him though. He would have reacted the same way, after months of being paranoid that there was someone else. But, Jared had told him, explained countless times that Chad meant nothing to him.
And now Chad meant even less.
Jared heard footsteps behind him and swung without even looking, a grim satisfaction coming over him with he felt his fist connect with Chad’s face. Chad was knocked to the ground, one hand rubbing along his jaw, and Jared towered over him.
“You couldn’t leave well enough alone, could you?” he snarled at his supposed friend. “You couldn’t just let me be happy. After seeing me miserable for a fucking year, you couldn’t let me have this one thing?” He couldn’t stop himself from getting a kick into Chad’s ribs as tears began to fall to the ground.
He laughed as it started raining, a light drizzle that just added to his fury.
“I have never done anything to you, always helping you out of sticky situations. I gave you a goddamn place to live when you got screwed out of your last place. I’ve helped you out more than you deserve and never asked for a single, fucking thing in return but for you to be nice to Jensen. For you to accept that I wanted him, that I’m fucking in love with him.”
Chad whimpered. “Jay, m’sorry. But, I… I love you! Why couldn’t you see that?! You’ve always overlooked me!” He paused, making his shakily way to his feet. “I wanted you to see me,” he whispered.
Jared knew he must look like a monster, face twisted in a mixture of rage and hurt. “Well, Chad,” he whispered, the fight suddenly gone out of him. “I see you now. I sure as fucking hell see you now.”
The steady drizzle turned to a downpour as Jared fished his keys out of his pocket and turned towards his truck. He paused as he started to climb into the cab, calling across his shoulder, “I’ll leave your stuff outside the door.”
He didn’t even care that he was leaving Chad in the pouring rain, with no way to get home or a home to get to.
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I am SO sorry about this, guys. Please keep the tomato-throwing to a minimum? I promise to fix it! :)?
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