tres
HA I ACHIEVED I will stop posting now I promise sorry guys :(d
I was pretty sure there was one time-stamp I wanted to write that no one would request (and, given the range of things requested, I'm amazed I was right about this), so I decided I'd just write it anyway. GO TEAM. Anyway, the other day in my drabble meme I had a SUPERHERO PROMPT and that is awesome, so. Here's the original drabble, and this picks up after, from Jensen's POV. Woot woot.
Jensen wishes he was more like Bruce Wayne, because being a superhero isn't cheap, and working a day job is lame. Clark Kent, of course, doesn't have these problems, because he's all invulnerable and magical Kryptonian costume and real super powers and shit. And fictional, but Jensen can still be jealous. He figured superheroics would be all glory and awesomeness, and instead it's hard work, getting beat up, and having to go in to work two shit jobs afterward anyway. He loves saving people, of course, and it's fun, but he wishes his secret identity wasn't quite so secret.
That's why the new guy is so exciting.
Jensen didn't become a superhero to get tail, but he wouldn't have minded. He knows he's the object of affection for a number of people, but, again, secret identity, and creepy stalkers. None of those really make him want to run out and find them.
Junior Stretch (which Jensen privately thinks is a terrible name, not like he can talk) burst on to the hero scene in San Antonio a few months back, and Jensen followed him with a mild interest that he would have denied had anything to do with thinking he looked hot. Really, it's hard not to have some less-than-professional thoughts about a guy who looks that good in spandex.
And then they meet up, and Junior Stretch is kind of dorky and funny and sweet, and Jensen finds himself thinking that he might be able to make a friend.
*
Jensen's in a really good mood when he gets to his shift at Verna's. The owner's name is actually Maggie, but she thought that Verna sounded like a better diner name, and Jensen thinks she's crazy in general, so he's never tried to argue the point. He works too early in the morning, given how much of the night he stays up, but he's got it worked out so he sleeps through most of the afternoon before he has to go to his second job bartending. Jensen is amazingly awesome at coordination.
"What's got you so sunny?" asks Samantha, the line chef.
"What, I'm not allowed to be happy?" he retorts, throwing a wink over his shoulder as he grabs his apron.
"You? Yeah, you're sunshine and roses, kid."
"And don't you forget it."
His day looks up further when there's only one person waiting outside for the doors to open up, a tall, really hot guy blowing into his hands. He smiles hopefully when he sees Jensen pass, and Jensen only debates for a second before he takes pity and opens up, even though it's not quite time.
"Thank you," says the guy, flashing a smile that brings dimples out in his cheeks. "I am not used to this weather yet."
Jensen laughs. "Watch out, it just gets colder. You can sit anywhere you like. We're not quite officially open yet, but I'll bring you a menu anyway."
"Thanks," the guy says again, slumping into a booth and rubbing his hands together to warm them. "I appreciate it."
Jensen hands him a menu. "No problem. I'm Jensen, I'll be your server today. Like I said, kitchen's not open yet, but feel free to browse."
The guy ducks his head. "Um. No chance you've got coffee ready? I mean, if you don't, it's fine, just thought I'd ask, cuz I'm asleep on my feet here. Well, off my feet now, but. Yeah."
"I think I can rustle some up," says Jensen, smiling.
"Thanks, Jensen," says the guy, and Jensen feels a swoop in his belly.
He goes and pours a mug from the employee coffee pot, which warrants a raise of eyebrows from Sam.
"He's cold," Jensen says defensively.
Sam just keeps looking at him. "He cute?" she asks.
"Very."
"Then I guess I can let this slide."
"You're an angel," says Jensen.
"I must be, to put up with you," Sam grumbles. "It's like you have reverse PMS. Five days out of the month, you're cheerful, and the rest of the time you just want to kill everyone."
"I'm not answering that," says Jensen, as he goes out the doors into the diner proper. The tall guy is still the only person there, and he looks at Jensen like he's his personal savior when he sees the coffee.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," says the guy.
"No problem," says Jensen, laughing a little. "I'll be back for your order in a few minutes. And I'll bring a refill."
The guy laughs too. "My hero."
*
Junior Stretch is waiting on the roof when Jensen gets there. He wishes phone booths were actually common now, because it takes way too long to get to somewhere decent to change.
Junior Stretch is bouncing on the balls of his feet, and he brightens immediately and greets Jensen with a wave and a dorky smile.
"Hey!"
"Sorry I'm late," says Jensen.
Junior Stretch smiles. "Didn't even notice. So, uh, what's your usual patrol?"
"How do you get around?" asks Jensen, cocking is head.
"In general?" he laughs sheepishly. "Walking."
"Okay, good. All that running around on rooftops? Really not for me. I can't get down fast enough to stop any crimes."
Junior Stretch's laugh is more genuine this time. "I'm tall enough, don't need to go around up high and make it more obvious."
"Yeah, you're a real freak. So, wanna just go my regular route?"
"Lead the way."
*
Tall, dark, and handsome is back at Verna's the next morning, all wrapped up in a black coat with bags under his eyes.
"Long night?" asks Jensen.
"I think I'm still jetlagged."
"Yeah?" asks Jensen. "Where'd you fly in from?"
"Texas," says the guy.
"Oh yeah? I'm from Richardson," says Jensen.
"Dude, awesome! Man, I haven't been up that way since I got to see the Cowboys play in high school. Hey, you ever--"
And from there, it rapidly turns into a discussion of best places to go in Dallas, and Jensen is grinning for the rest of his shift.
*
"So listen," says the guy, a week after Jensen first meets him, "I've got a weird request."
"You don't want Tabasco sauce on your pancakes, do you?"
"Why would anyone want that?"
"I don't know," says Jensen. "People are fucked up."
"What I actually wanted," says the guy, rolling his eyes at Jensen, "was, um. A tour guide."
"A tour guide?"
"Or at least--a friend? Jeez, this is coming out all wrong."
"You want me to show you around," says Jensen.
"Yeah," says the guy. "That would be it."
"I'll do it on one condition."
"Yeah?"
"You gotta tell me your name, dude."
The guy laughs and ducks his head. "Jared. My name's Jared."
"Then I guess I could give you a tour. I'm done at eleven."
Jared gives him a huge grin. "See you then."
*
In retrospect, it's all really fucking obvious, but Jensen has never claimed to be the world's greatest detective or anything.
Jared starts them down the same path Jensen goes on to start his patrols, and he doesn't quite get his weird deja vu--it feels familiar for more than just his patrol, and he can't figure out why.
"This is really a bad part of town," says Jensen, kind of nervously.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, it's--"
"Didn't a couple heroes do a bust in here the other night?" asks Jared, too casually.
"Um. Yeah, I think so."
"Green Crusader and--who was it?"
"Junior Stretch."
"Right," says Jared. He glances over at Jensen. "You think they're a thing?"
"A thing?"
"You know, like Captain Jupiter and Girl Tornado."
"Oh," says Jensen. "Uh. I. What?"
"I just thought it kind of looked like Junior Stretch had a thing for Green Crusader. Not that I blame him," he continues, winking. "Green Crusader's pretty hot."
"I guess, yeah."
Jared looks supremely amused. "You're really--not that smart," he says.
Jensen glares at him. "What?"
"You're six-one," says Jared. "You have a very slight Texas accent. You work out. You work bizarre hours. You don't do a great job disguising your laugh."
Jensen is at sea. "I don't try."
"I know," says Jared. "It's kind of flattering, actually. I never heard Green Crusader laugh before."
Jensen splutters. "What's Green Crusader got to do with--"
Jared gives him a kind of pitying look. "I decided you work alone because you are totally not stealthy. And not very suspicious, because, dude, how many guys do you know who are six-four and just moved here from Texas?"
Jensen realizes, in a flash, that while Jensen Ackles just knows one, Green Crusader knows one too.
Then he rapidly understands why Jared was laughing at him, and groans. "Seriously?"
Jared pops a couple buttons on his shirt to reveal his costume under, which is actually kind of cool. Jensen's never been able to do that.
"How long have you known?" asks Jensen.
"A few days. I've been working in some subtle questions to make sure."
Looking back, Jensen can remember innocuous times when Junior Stretch asked things like where he was from and how he liked his coffee and what he thought of Obama, and he hadn't noticed that he'd told Jared all the same things.
"You're a jerk," says Jensen half-heartedly.
Jared laughs. "What'd you want me to do? Wait for you to figure it out?"
"Shut up," Jensen mutters.
Jared grins wider. "I've got another favor."
"Less humiliating?"
"Unless you really suck in restaurants. I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me."
Jensen suddenly recalls what Jared said about Junior Stretch's thing for Green Crusader. He swallows. "Um, yeah. You--yes."
Jared laughs. "Just so you know, I totally have newspaper cuttings of Green Crusader on my bedroom door."
"But not over your bed?" asks Jensen.
Jared shoots him a look that's all heat. "Saving that for the real one," he says. He reaches over and takes Jensen's hand. "How about showing me a good part of town for once?"
"You saying I never take you anywhere nice?" asks Jensen, squeezing Jared's hand.
"Not yet," says Jared. "But you could start."
"Fine," says Jensen. "Whiner."
As it turns out, even in the good part of town, without their costumes, they end up breaking up a burglary and getting a kitten out of a tree. Jared smiles and nods and rolls his eyes at Jensen when the effusively thankful woman with the kitten isn't looking, and Jensen just thinks, yeah, being a superhero? Totally awesome.
I was pretty sure there was one time-stamp I wanted to write that no one would request (and, given the range of things requested, I'm amazed I was right about this), so I decided I'd just write it anyway. GO TEAM. Anyway, the other day in my drabble meme I had a SUPERHERO PROMPT and that is awesome, so. Here's the original drabble, and this picks up after, from Jensen's POV. Woot woot.
Jensen wishes he was more like Bruce Wayne, because being a superhero isn't cheap, and working a day job is lame. Clark Kent, of course, doesn't have these problems, because he's all invulnerable and magical Kryptonian costume and real super powers and shit. And fictional, but Jensen can still be jealous. He figured superheroics would be all glory and awesomeness, and instead it's hard work, getting beat up, and having to go in to work two shit jobs afterward anyway. He loves saving people, of course, and it's fun, but he wishes his secret identity wasn't quite so secret.
That's why the new guy is so exciting.
Jensen didn't become a superhero to get tail, but he wouldn't have minded. He knows he's the object of affection for a number of people, but, again, secret identity, and creepy stalkers. None of those really make him want to run out and find them.
Junior Stretch (which Jensen privately thinks is a terrible name, not like he can talk) burst on to the hero scene in San Antonio a few months back, and Jensen followed him with a mild interest that he would have denied had anything to do with thinking he looked hot. Really, it's hard not to have some less-than-professional thoughts about a guy who looks that good in spandex.
And then they meet up, and Junior Stretch is kind of dorky and funny and sweet, and Jensen finds himself thinking that he might be able to make a friend.
*
Jensen's in a really good mood when he gets to his shift at Verna's. The owner's name is actually Maggie, but she thought that Verna sounded like a better diner name, and Jensen thinks she's crazy in general, so he's never tried to argue the point. He works too early in the morning, given how much of the night he stays up, but he's got it worked out so he sleeps through most of the afternoon before he has to go to his second job bartending. Jensen is amazingly awesome at coordination.
"What's got you so sunny?" asks Samantha, the line chef.
"What, I'm not allowed to be happy?" he retorts, throwing a wink over his shoulder as he grabs his apron.
"You? Yeah, you're sunshine and roses, kid."
"And don't you forget it."
His day looks up further when there's only one person waiting outside for the doors to open up, a tall, really hot guy blowing into his hands. He smiles hopefully when he sees Jensen pass, and Jensen only debates for a second before he takes pity and opens up, even though it's not quite time.
"Thank you," says the guy, flashing a smile that brings dimples out in his cheeks. "I am not used to this weather yet."
Jensen laughs. "Watch out, it just gets colder. You can sit anywhere you like. We're not quite officially open yet, but I'll bring you a menu anyway."
"Thanks," the guy says again, slumping into a booth and rubbing his hands together to warm them. "I appreciate it."
Jensen hands him a menu. "No problem. I'm Jensen, I'll be your server today. Like I said, kitchen's not open yet, but feel free to browse."
The guy ducks his head. "Um. No chance you've got coffee ready? I mean, if you don't, it's fine, just thought I'd ask, cuz I'm asleep on my feet here. Well, off my feet now, but. Yeah."
"I think I can rustle some up," says Jensen, smiling.
"Thanks, Jensen," says the guy, and Jensen feels a swoop in his belly.
He goes and pours a mug from the employee coffee pot, which warrants a raise of eyebrows from Sam.
"He's cold," Jensen says defensively.
Sam just keeps looking at him. "He cute?" she asks.
"Very."
"Then I guess I can let this slide."
"You're an angel," says Jensen.
"I must be, to put up with you," Sam grumbles. "It's like you have reverse PMS. Five days out of the month, you're cheerful, and the rest of the time you just want to kill everyone."
"I'm not answering that," says Jensen, as he goes out the doors into the diner proper. The tall guy is still the only person there, and he looks at Jensen like he's his personal savior when he sees the coffee.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," says the guy.
"No problem," says Jensen, laughing a little. "I'll be back for your order in a few minutes. And I'll bring a refill."
The guy laughs too. "My hero."
*
Junior Stretch is waiting on the roof when Jensen gets there. He wishes phone booths were actually common now, because it takes way too long to get to somewhere decent to change.
Junior Stretch is bouncing on the balls of his feet, and he brightens immediately and greets Jensen with a wave and a dorky smile.
"Hey!"
"Sorry I'm late," says Jensen.
Junior Stretch smiles. "Didn't even notice. So, uh, what's your usual patrol?"
"How do you get around?" asks Jensen, cocking is head.
"In general?" he laughs sheepishly. "Walking."
"Okay, good. All that running around on rooftops? Really not for me. I can't get down fast enough to stop any crimes."
Junior Stretch's laugh is more genuine this time. "I'm tall enough, don't need to go around up high and make it more obvious."
"Yeah, you're a real freak. So, wanna just go my regular route?"
"Lead the way."
*
Tall, dark, and handsome is back at Verna's the next morning, all wrapped up in a black coat with bags under his eyes.
"Long night?" asks Jensen.
"I think I'm still jetlagged."
"Yeah?" asks Jensen. "Where'd you fly in from?"
"Texas," says the guy.
"Oh yeah? I'm from Richardson," says Jensen.
"Dude, awesome! Man, I haven't been up that way since I got to see the Cowboys play in high school. Hey, you ever--"
And from there, it rapidly turns into a discussion of best places to go in Dallas, and Jensen is grinning for the rest of his shift.
*
"So listen," says the guy, a week after Jensen first meets him, "I've got a weird request."
"You don't want Tabasco sauce on your pancakes, do you?"
"Why would anyone want that?"
"I don't know," says Jensen. "People are fucked up."
"What I actually wanted," says the guy, rolling his eyes at Jensen, "was, um. A tour guide."
"A tour guide?"
"Or at least--a friend? Jeez, this is coming out all wrong."
"You want me to show you around," says Jensen.
"Yeah," says the guy. "That would be it."
"I'll do it on one condition."
"Yeah?"
"You gotta tell me your name, dude."
The guy laughs and ducks his head. "Jared. My name's Jared."
"Then I guess I could give you a tour. I'm done at eleven."
Jared gives him a huge grin. "See you then."
*
In retrospect, it's all really fucking obvious, but Jensen has never claimed to be the world's greatest detective or anything.
Jared starts them down the same path Jensen goes on to start his patrols, and he doesn't quite get his weird deja vu--it feels familiar for more than just his patrol, and he can't figure out why.
"This is really a bad part of town," says Jensen, kind of nervously.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, it's--"
"Didn't a couple heroes do a bust in here the other night?" asks Jared, too casually.
"Um. Yeah, I think so."
"Green Crusader and--who was it?"
"Junior Stretch."
"Right," says Jared. He glances over at Jensen. "You think they're a thing?"
"A thing?"
"You know, like Captain Jupiter and Girl Tornado."
"Oh," says Jensen. "Uh. I. What?"
"I just thought it kind of looked like Junior Stretch had a thing for Green Crusader. Not that I blame him," he continues, winking. "Green Crusader's pretty hot."
"I guess, yeah."
Jared looks supremely amused. "You're really--not that smart," he says.
Jensen glares at him. "What?"
"You're six-one," says Jared. "You have a very slight Texas accent. You work out. You work bizarre hours. You don't do a great job disguising your laugh."
Jensen is at sea. "I don't try."
"I know," says Jared. "It's kind of flattering, actually. I never heard Green Crusader laugh before."
Jensen splutters. "What's Green Crusader got to do with--"
Jared gives him a kind of pitying look. "I decided you work alone because you are totally not stealthy. And not very suspicious, because, dude, how many guys do you know who are six-four and just moved here from Texas?"
Jensen realizes, in a flash, that while Jensen Ackles just knows one, Green Crusader knows one too.
Then he rapidly understands why Jared was laughing at him, and groans. "Seriously?"
Jared pops a couple buttons on his shirt to reveal his costume under, which is actually kind of cool. Jensen's never been able to do that.
"How long have you known?" asks Jensen.
"A few days. I've been working in some subtle questions to make sure."
Looking back, Jensen can remember innocuous times when Junior Stretch asked things like where he was from and how he liked his coffee and what he thought of Obama, and he hadn't noticed that he'd told Jared all the same things.
"You're a jerk," says Jensen half-heartedly.
Jared laughs. "What'd you want me to do? Wait for you to figure it out?"
"Shut up," Jensen mutters.
Jared grins wider. "I've got another favor."
"Less humiliating?"
"Unless you really suck in restaurants. I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me."
Jensen suddenly recalls what Jared said about Junior Stretch's thing for Green Crusader. He swallows. "Um, yeah. You--yes."
Jared laughs. "Just so you know, I totally have newspaper cuttings of Green Crusader on my bedroom door."
"But not over your bed?" asks Jensen.
Jared shoots him a look that's all heat. "Saving that for the real one," he says. He reaches over and takes Jensen's hand. "How about showing me a good part of town for once?"
"You saying I never take you anywhere nice?" asks Jensen, squeezing Jared's hand.
"Not yet," says Jared. "But you could start."
"Fine," says Jensen. "Whiner."
As it turns out, even in the good part of town, without their costumes, they end up breaking up a burglary and getting a kitten out of a tree. Jared smiles and nods and rolls his eyes at Jensen when the effusively thankful woman with the kitten isn't looking, and Jensen just thinks, yeah, being a superhero? Totally awesome.