Life Across The Finish Line (Or J2 Does The Fast And the Furious) 5 of 5 J2, Brian/Dom
Chapter Five
Sighing, Jensen paused on the sidewalk in front of what appeared to be a rundown building waiting as Dom pounded on the door. The sign on the side of the building said Dos Gringo’s Cantina and again Jensen tried to figure out why they were at a bar at eleven AM on a Tuesday.
“Goddamned motherfucker Toretto WHAT?” Jensen heard a familiar voice scream, and knew he looked like a jackass all open mouthed staring at Christian’s dirty blonde hair and blazing blue eyes wondering what Twilight Zone he’d slipped into.
“I brought you a present,” Dom informed Chris before tilting his head toward where Jensen was standing and Jensen’s mouth closed with a snap as he realized what was happening, his fear hitting him like a sledge hammer.
Before he could react though, someone was slamming into him wrapping him in arms he’d missed, fists pounding on his back, as Chris whispered, “Goddamn boy,” into his ear, “fuckin’ missed you,”
“What the fuck... Jenny?” He heard but didn’t even have time to look up before Steve had joined them and Jensen fell apart with broken sobs of apologies and begs and pleadings of forgive me’s. When they finally straightened remembering they were in the middle of the parking lot, Jensen looked around immediately for Jared and spotted him leaning in the open doorway watching him with a fond smile and a soft expression in his eyes, Dom and Brian missing.
Not too much later, Jensen found himself seated at a table as close to Jared as he could get listening to the explanation of how in the hell his best friends knew his new friends. “Ain’t really all that deep,” Chris drawled tilting a beer up to his lips. “We work with Dom on and off, more on than off back before this place. Met thru racin’, we don’t do it much, just sometimes. Found out they needed help before Dom got out. Brian had opened the garage and he and Jared were workin there, but couldn’t keep up. Steve an’ I needed something to support our musical aspirations so we went to help out.”
Steve took up the story putting another round on the table before sitting down next to Chris. “When Dom found out we’d always been interested in owning our own bar where we could hang out with our buddies, play when we wanted, not have to worry about going to search out gigs he offered up this place. Used to be a grocery store with a little café type place in it, but it’d been sitting empty for awhile. And here we are.”
“Jesus,” Jensen whispered grinning big and shaking his head, relaxed and happy feeling Jared’s thumb running over the back of his neck keeping him mellow and slightly turned on. When Christian winked at him with a knowing grin on his lips, Jensen just blushed lightly and hid behind his beer bottle.
“You’re a scary man Texas,” Brian said seeing Jensen’s discomfort and while amused by it did his best to help the guy out. “You were pretty much dead on with your predictions of how Jared would react with them. Only thing you got wrong was that it was Dom’s honor they fought over instead of yours. It was pretty funny to watch ‘til Jared tried to beat Christian to death.”
Jensen turned to look at Jared narrow eyed and Jared just sniffed fingering his pop. “He deserved it,” When Jensen just arched an eyebrow Jared huffed louder getting genuinely annoyed. “He did!”
“Chill, Jenny,” Christian drawled. He probably would have let it go on if he hadn’t just gotten Jensen back and knew that look in his eyes when he watched Jared when the kid wasn’t looking. “He’s right. I mighta been a bit of a jackass when I found out about Dom’s assault record. Hell even Steve didn’t stick up for me that time.”
Jensen looked to Steve who was just snorting at Chris, “You say that time like it’s the first. You’re always a jackass and I stopped sticking up for you a long time ago, but he’s right Jen. Jared didn’t do anything you wouldn’t if someone’d been talkin’ shit bout me or Chris. ‘Sides they kissed and made up and now they’re all kosher an’ best buddies and crap.”
When Jared blushed at the kissed part, Jensen arched an eyebrow again, knowing he’d be bugging Jared for that story later, pretty sure sex was involved somewhere, and he for one wanted all the incredibly hot details.
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Later that afternoon, Jensen found himself upstairs above the bar, in Chris and Steve’s spare room, more than a little drunk with Jared pounding into him like there was no tomorrow, happier than he’d ever been in his life. “S’fuck, Jay.” Jensen slurred a deep crying moan escaping from the back of his throat. “Love this, love how you touch me, love how you feel in me, God, Jay.” Jensen wrapped his legs tighter around his boyfriend holding onto the headboard behind him and closed his eyes letting the feeling wash over him until there was no more of anything but darkness and a feeling of belonging.
He woke up to the beats of some country song thumping through the floor. Jared was once again tucked in behind him, holding him tight to his body. This time his hand was stroking up and down lazily on Jensen’s stomach and Jensen sighed snuggling backward, mentally wondering if he really was turning into a girl with all the cuddling he was starting to really enjoy.
“How’s your investigation going,” Jared asked softly, startling Jensen slightly, and Jensen turned in his arms, pushing Jared backward to lay with his head on his chest. “Got some suspects,” Jensen muttered softly. “Racers Dom and Brian think would be likely to get into somethin like this with a guy like Sterling. Dom and Brian went to talk to that punk you had in the shop. Brian said he got some good info out of him so he turned what he found out over to Nick.” Jensen shrugged yawning as the thump turned slower and Jensen figured some love song must be playing now. “I just want it all to be over with.”
“It will be,” Jared whispered his fingers running through Jensen’s hair lazily and Jensen let the thumping beats guide him back to sleep.
In the end, he was right. It was a lot easier than Jensen figured it had any right to be. All the planning and hard work paid off. Dumb racer A was followed back to bad criminal B who just happened to be Sterling’s right hand man, and who apparently had musical aspirations of his own, because the moment he figured out what was going on he started singing like a canary. When they raided Sterling’s house in the morning, Jensen was delighted to see Mike seated at the breakfast table with the criminal. He more than enjoyed putting the cuffs on the boss who’d made his life miserable.
When he turned him over, handing the cuffed man to the uniformed cop outside the gates of Sterling’s mansion, Bilkins was standing nearby talking to DiNozzo. Jensen made short work of turning over his own badge and gun. Neither man looked particularly surprised, but surprisingly to Jensen anyway both looked regretful. “If you ever change your mind...” Bilkins started leaving the rest go unsaid and Jensen nodded to him shaking the older man’s hand grateful that he’d restored Jensen’s faith and given him a real family back in Brian and Dom.
“Just because you’re not active, doesn’t mean you’re not one of us,” Tony said when it was his turn to shake Jensen’s hand and Jen blinked surprised. “You’re one of us.” The man said simply and Jensen blushed nodding shyly.
Saying goodbye to Greg was a little more difficult, but when he’d found his friend, he’d been laughing with Messer, and Jensen felt better about leaving him with The Cynical Ones. “You’ll always be my friend,” Greg whispered in his ear as they hugged. “Just because we don’t work together don’t mean you won’t hear from me, so don’t be a stranger damnit! We can get together again and watch Nick and Jared do that weird Texas thing again.” And, Jensen laughed looking forward to it.
The transition from FBI agent to Joe Mechanic was much simpler than he’d imagined. The morning after the bust Jensen found himself in Dom’s garage under a car with Jared humming happily as he listened to his boyfriend cuss at the offending machine. All in all things worked out better than he’d ever imagined they could. In some ways, he thought he knew how Jared must have felt like coming out of prison. He’d walked into a terrible situation where he should have been completely screwed with little hopes of coming out anything but worse for the wear. Instead he’d walked out with more family than he’d went into it with, and a future he’d only been able to dream of previously.
He had a boyfriend who loved him, and they were looking for a house together. He had his friends back and new friends to laugh and enjoy life with, who he knew he could count on to be there if the chips all fell again. His real family surprisingly took things better than he’d ever imagined. His mother chiding him when she said, “baby we just want you to be happy.” They were planning a visit as soon as he and Jay found a house. He’d even started playing with Chris and Steve again, joining them onstage on the weekends jamming and singing when he could be coaxed into it.
Yes, all in all things had worked out wonderfully. Jensen realized he had to thank that crooked bastard Michael Rosenbaum for giving him the assignment in the first place and every time Jared pounded into him, Jensen made sure to do so.
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“Babe, we racin’ tonight?” Jared hollered up the stairs and Jensen shrugged slipping his shoes on before running down them to meet Jay at the bottom. “Sure why not,” Jensen said shrugging. “Are we doing that thing with you, me, Brian, and Dom?”
Jared nodded smiling big, excited at the prospect. “Yeah, just for fun. Hector’s gonna take outside bets, but we ain’t gotta put down no money to get in.” Leaning down Jared stole another kiss from his boyfriend, already having gotten several already that morning. “Oh, there’s somethin’ for you on the kitchen table.” Jared offered, and lifting an eyebrow Jensen wandered into the kitchen to see a guitar case propped up in one of the kitchen chairs.
“Figure with all this playin’ your doing, you should have one of your own,” Jared said quietly from behind him. “Chris said you used to have a few of ‘em. I hope it’s good. I picked it out myself. I probl’y shoulda asked him or Steve to go with me but…”
Wandering over Jensen lifted the case reverently placing it on the table as if it was something sacred. His hands shook as he undid the latches and lifted the lid. Inside was a black acoustic guitar with a blue grey trim that had a similar color smeared over the top in spots. There were also designs in the color, some leaf and heart patterns that Jensen ran his shaking fingers over. The neck had stars and moons laid into it under the strings, and Jensen’s eyes blurred with tears.
“Is it ok?” Jared asked nervously behind him and Jensen spun around throwing his arms around his boyfriend nodding into his neck. “S’perfect Jay. S’perfect.”
“Just figured with as happy as it makes you, you should have one of your own, so you can play around here and our house when we find one anytime you want.” Jared explained and Jensen laughed into his neck nodding. “Sounds great babe.”
Closing his eyes, Jensen relaxed into Jared’s arms letting the peace settle over him. His life was not what he’d imagined it would be as little as three months ago, but he wasn’t complaining. Turns out, he’d had no clue how good things could be. All he needed was a formerly confused kid who made the wrong decisions before turning into a loyal and loving man to find him and lead him in the right direction.
Apparently life can be pretty damned perfect if you just let it.
Who knew?
The End