FIC: "Shelf Ice Meander" (3/10)
Shelf Ice Meander
By Simarillion
Fandom: Supernatural RPS
Universe: Alternative Universe
Rating: R
Beta: asm_z
Pairing: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki, others
Warnings: slash, M/M
Word Count: 3,014 (9,209)
Summary: What does it take to break you? (Of betrayals and broken trust)
Disclaimer: None of the herein presented happenings and events are true. Everything is 100% fiction and that includes the sexuality of the characters. I don’t claim to be in the know about their relations and private affairs, and I don’t make any money with the creation of this story.
Author’s Note: I changed the age of Jensen and Jared, they are the same age now. The plot wouldn’t really work otherwise.
This is part 4 of the Glaciology! ‘verse. Jensen is a scientist in the field of glaciology and he spends most of his time surrounded by ice, whereas Jared is a Hollywood movie star. Prequel to this story are Invisible Glaciers, Iceberg Anatomy, Avalanches Approaching and Crevasse Rescue.
[ Masterpost]
Part Three
When Tom picks Jensen up at the airport he doesn’t mention the photos he saw in the magazine (which is still stuffed into the net on the back of the seat), and neither does his friend. Tom inquires about their flight and asks Kerr about his first time working in the field. Then they say goodbye to the TA, who gets picked up by his flat mate, and make for the car.
His mood is rather low from the shock on the plane, so the conversation on the drive from the airport to Jensen’s home is one-sided and stilted. Tom stops asking about how Jensen liked the trip after the umpteenth time he only gets a grunt as an answer.
Fifty minutes after they departed from the airport, the car pulls up to the curb in front of Jensen’s house. Originally it had only been planned that Tom would drive him home, but when Jensen gets out of the car and carries his bags to the door, his friend follows him. Jensen doesn’t comment on it, and just unlocks the front door, where an excited husky is already lying in wait for his return.
Dean jumps him and barks happily. Jensen pets him, his bags abandoned on the floor next to him, and ruffles Dean’s fur. The happiness Dean displays lifts his own mood somewhat. He buries his face the thick fur and takes a couple of calming breaths.
Tom just watches the reunion, his expression shifting from worried (about Jensen’s silence), to amused (about Dean greeting Jensen), and back. When Jensen pushes the husky down and picks up his luggage to take the final steps into the house, his friend determinedly comes with him. He pats the dog’s head who dances around him, and then trails after Jensen.
Inside the house all his energy leaves him. Jensen just drops the bags in the hall, making for the kitchen. He gets a bottle of water from the fridge, there isn’t much else in it anyways. Taking a swig he turns to Tom and watches his friend study his face, looking for clues what has Jensen in such a funk.
“So, what happened? The last time I saw you, before the expedition, you were high as a kite.” Tom leans against the door frame, his height almost towering in it.
“Nothing.” Jensen’s not sure he wants to talk about it. There’s a fifty/fifty chance that Tom will say that he shouldn’t worry about the pictures, or that he’ll start telling Jensen that he shouldn’t let Jared treat him like this. Which one of the options he prefers Jensen can’t say.
“Bullshit. I know that something is up, and somehow I suspect that a certain actor is involved. So, what did he do?” His friend has a determined look on his face, insistent that he find out what is bothering Jensen.
Screwing the water bottle shut, Jensen sets it on the counter. The task allows him to look away from Tom. He’s not sure he can look him in the eye when talking about his discovery.
“It’s just something I read on the plane.” Jensen squirms uncomfortably, feeling the weight of Tom’s gaze on him.
“What did you read?” It feels like pulling teeth. Jensen rubs his hand over his face before he answers.
“There were pictures of Jared with some woman, and in the article they said that they were together.” It sounds ridiculous when he says it, because deep inside Jensen knows that Jared would never do something like that. Jared isn’t someone who would stab anyone in the back like that.
“What pictures?” Tom frowns at him. “D’you have the magazine with you?”
At that Jensen only shakes his head. There had been no way that he would take those photos home with him. He doesn’t want them around.
“Okay, so what kind of photos were they? Did they kiss in them? Hold hands?” All of those questions Jensen can answer with a headshake. “What did they do on those pictures?”
Tom is starting to sound exasperated with Jensen’s lack of cooperation.
“They were playing with the dogs.” Jensen feels a cold knot in his stomach at the memory of Jared and his dogs playing with the strange woman.
“That’s all? He was walking his dogs with some woman?” The disbelief in his friend’s voice has Jensen cringe.
But the thing is that it isn’t the fact that Jared and the woman are walking the dogs together, but that Jared is so happy doing it with someone who isn’t Jensen. If he can be this happy with someone else, and gets to share his love for Sadie and Harley with them, what does he need Jensen for?
This thought is ghosting around Jensen’s brain, and sucks all his energy and happiness out of him.
“I haven’t seen those pictures, but Jensen I don’t think that you should worry about them too much. So far there’s one random magazine posting them, but no one else has said anything about it.” Tom’s words make sense, and Jensen knows from experience that if the press is convinced of something they will print and show it everywhere. But even knowing that doesn’t change the feeling Jensen has.
He tries to look more upbeat, but he isn’t sure if he’s successful.
In the end, Tom has to leave. He heads out with last words of encouragement, and Jensen drags himself upstairs to unpack his bags. Dean trails after him, jumping on the bed and curling up while Jensen sorts out his clothes. The gear that doesn’t need washing is stowed away, and the rest he throws into the laundry basket and carries downstairs to the washing machine.
He loads the machine, and starts a cycle. With his laundry taken care of, Jensen is standing in his basement unsure what to do now. There are some preparations he could do for work, but Jensen doesn’t feel too interested in that right now.
It’s the ringing of his cell phone upstairs that has him moving out of the basement. Jensen heads for the ringing, finding the phone in the pocket of his coat, and when he flips it open he finds Jared’s ID on the display. Taking a deep breath he picks up.
“Hey.” Jensen can feel his heart beating hard. His palms are sweaty.
“Hey, Tarzan of the Cold.” Jared’s happy banter doesn’t have its usual effect on Jensen. Instead of making him feel better, he now thinks about Jared having fun with the woman from the pictures. “So, everyone still have their fingers and toes?”
“Yeah, mostly.” He shakes himself and does his best to banish those photos from his mind. Tom had been right, and he shouldn’t worry about them overly much.
“What now? Someone lose half a toe?” With his mind made up, Jensen finally gets to let go of the depressing thoughts he’s been harboring.
“One of the British students sprained her ankle.” This has Jared chuckle, the sound having Jensen smiling softly in turn.
“Seems to be a common ailment up North.” Jensen remembers all too vividly his own run in with a sprained ankle.
“So, you coming up tomorrow like planned?” There’s the sound of toenails clicking, and Dean comes downstairs. He glances at Jensen, but decides that with the phone in hand, the human isn’t entertaining. With a sigh, the dog makes for the kitchen.
“About that,” The words have Jensen tense. “I wanted to leave really early to be at your place around noon, but I have to meet with my agent about a script at ten, so I won’t get to leave before noon earliest.”
It’s almost as if a weight is lifted from his shoulders, and Jensen calms down. “Hey, don’t worry. If you’re are going to arrive in the evening, I’ll just head down to Stanford and get some paperwork taken care of. One would think with me having a TA now, I wouldn’t have to bother with things like that anymore, but somehow it always ends up on my desk.”
Jared laughs amused. “Dude, you should have a serious talk with your TA about the lack of deference.”
“Somehow I’ve got the feeling that it wouldn’t change anything. My suspicions are that Loretta is sneaking them in when Kerr and I aren’t looking.” The thought of the secretary slinking around the department, distributing paperwork to hapless teachers, has Jensen chuckle.
“She’s got all of you whipped.” Jensen can only agree. If anyone ever thought that anyone else but the department secretary is running EESS, they’ll be in for a surprise. Loretta Devine is the silent (sometimes not so silent) force behind the faculty and staff, and she lets them know it in very subtle, but nevertheless efficient ways.
“That’s a lie, if I ever heard one.” His fake protestation has Jared laugh harder.
“Dream on.” Jensen can hear Linda talking in the back, asking Jared a question. “Uh, Linda wants me to tell you that she hasn’t seen you for too long, and that she’s growing sick of my and Chad’s faces.”
There’s laughter from all three of them at that. “Tell her that I’ll visit as soon as the midterms are over. At the moment all I’m doing is preparing exams, reviewing lessons, and dodging students that want to barter with me. One student from my seminar tried to appeal to my better nature by claiming that he’s physically and emotionally not able to take more than one exam per week.”
“So why’s he attending college then?”
“Beats me. I sent him to Harold, the other teacher who’s got his midterm in the same week as mine. Maybe he’s a better person than I am.” Dean returns from the kitchen and stares at him. It’s like he wants to tell Jensen that he’s being weird having a conversation in the hallway.
“I bet that he’ll just have to study hard and take both of the exams.” Jensen walks through the living room to the porch, and lets the husky out. The air is fresh, but not cold, and he follows Dean outside, sitting down on the steps to the garden.
“Yeah, that’s what I told him as well. He wasn’t happy about it.” He can still see the pouty look on the student, looking like some moody teenager. “What did you do while I was gone? Work all the time?”
“Mostly. I tried to spend some time with Harley and Sadie, because during winter I was rarely around. The shooting and the preparations for the Oscars took a lot of time, not forgetting the dubbing I did for the new animated Disney movie.” When Jared mentions his dogs, Jensen wants to ask if he spent the time with his dogs only, or if someone else was with them.
In the end he doesn’t do it though. If it was of any importance, Jared would have said something about it. The only thing he would achieve by asking after the photos would be to give the incident more meaning than it probably has.
“Sounds great. Dean will be happy to spend some time with your dogs. He’s missing the company of a sled team. He’s used to spending longer amounts of time in a pack of dogs, and the solitude of me being gone throughout the day, is not really to his taste.” He watches Dean nose around the bushes in the back. There’s movement close to him and one of the kittens, that is actually almost full grown now, crawls out.
Even though the mother had been rather suspicious in the beginning - she still is the most cautious of the cats, the kittens got used to the husky very quickly, and Paws (named after the white paws he has) likes to play with the tall dog. Jensen watches them run around the garden, Dean chasing after the young cat.
“Harley and Sadie were all sad after we left the last time. I think they love you and Dean more than they love me.” The tone of voice is teasing though.
“Like that would ever be possible.” Jensen knows that the two huge dogs worship the ground Jared walks on, and it’s the same the other way round.
“I don’t know. They pine after the two of you quite a lot, and lately they’ve been searching for cats in the bushes.” This makes Jensen laugh.
“I wasn’t aware that they got so attached to the cats.” This comes as a surprise since Harley and Sadie, both, had been very suspicious and distrusting of the feline family. The mother cat had swiped at Harley’s nose when he tried to sniff at the kittens the first time he saw them.
“Apparently the cats are of great importance to us as well.” Jared talks about it like he’s actually searching the bushes together with the dogs.
“Okay.” Two more cats join in, and Dean is happily running around, playing a strange kind of tag with the kittens.
His attention is drawn away from the game when he hears loud complaining of a very douchy kind on the other side of the phone. Chad has arrived, and he lets everyone know about his presence. Some may call it whining, and rarely anyone calls it charming.
There seems to be some kind of struggling, and then Chad is on the phone.
“Dude, get him to drive up there to San Francisco. His moaning about you being gone for so long is boring, and it’s bad for my karma to have someone mope all the time.” Jensen just snorts. Leave it to Chad to dispel even the last remnants of Jensen’s doubts and fears by just being himself.
“Moping?” He can’t help but ask.
“Like you won’t believe. It wasn’t pretty, let me tell you that.” In the back he can hear Jared complaining, trying to get the phone back from Chad.
“So he missed me?” Jensen will take what he can, and making fun of Jared together with Chad is as good as it gets.
“Yeah, the idiot was all weepy eyed, huge and full of tears. His chin wobbling and all. The full program.” Jensen can’t keep from laughing anymore, he bursts out, deep whoops of laughter, hearing Chad rag on Jared who’s commandeered the cell phone back.
“Don’t believe what he said. I did miss you, but in a totally manly kind of way.” Somehow this doesn’t really make any less funny. And Jensen starts another bout of laughing. “Dude, how’s Jensen ever going to respect me again?”
Jensen can hear ‘Like anyone would respect you, asshat’, and grins widely. Who’d have thought when he met Chad for the first time that the Blonde would grow on him like that.
“Don’t worry, I do respect you.” His barely restrained laughter doesn’t really help to convey honesty. Jared harrumphs and Jensen just has to ask: “Are you pouting?”
The silence he gets and then the quick denial is all he needs to know. Jensen teases Jared about being such a girl, and Jared mock threatens to stay in LA. Jensen’s answer to that is to make some more fun of him, and in the end Jared has to admit defeat and agree that he might, just a little bit of course, be pouting.
After some more teasing remarks, and the promise that Jared and his dogs are going to arrive around six or seven the next evening, Jensen says goodbye to Jared, and ends the call. He stays sitting on the steps and enjoys the pleasant evening air.
The trip to the Northwest Territories had been a very welcome escape into the world of snow and ice, but Jensen has to admit that the Mediterranean climate of San Francisco does have its advantages. For once he can sit outside without freezing. The summers are a bit too hot for his taste but having grown up in Texas; he knows how hot it can get.
The temperature and the humidity are going to be a challenge with the AE expedition in summer. Hiking through the Ecuadorian jungle is not really something Jensen is used to, and he has to admit that the task is somewhat daunting. Not impossible, but challenging.
David had instructed him on what to expect and Chuck is constantly instructing Jensen on how to live in a rainforest. Having lived in the Caribbean for some time, and having participated in a couple of expeditions to Costa Rica, Stanford’s resident specialist on Marine Ecological Systems is well versed in jungle life.
So far Jensen has understood that it’s hot, and wet, and that there are huge animals of everything that crawls and has more than four legs.
Dean yips and Jensen catches the end of what appears to be a collective cat attack at the husky. The kittens crawl all over the much larger dog, and the husky playfully snaps at the foursome. The joyful play has Jensen smile.
“Don’t let them get away with it.” His order is ignored as Paws tears at the bushy tail of his tall prey. Dean turns to the little cat, dislodging the kitten who had been balancing on this shoulders, and huffs. “You my friend are pussy whipped.”
They ignore his comment and Jensen decides to go inside and get his camera. This would make for an awesome picture.
When he gets up from the steps and pockets his phone, he remembers the postcard he bought at the airport in Edmonton. First he gets the camera from his backpack, and then he searches for the post card in the pockets of his jacket. On his way back to the porch Jensen swipes a pen. Upon his return to the garden, he finds the kittens still climbing the husky, and Jensen quickly takes a couple of pictures.
Then he sits down and thinks about what to write. Considering the best way to begin the card he taps the pen against his lips, and then he grins.
He cracks his fingers and starts to write.
continue: Part Four
By Simarillion
Fandom: Supernatural RPS
Universe: Alternative Universe
Rating: R
Beta: asm_z
Pairing: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki, others
Warnings: slash, M/M
Word Count: 3,014 (9,209)
Summary: What does it take to break you? (Of betrayals and broken trust)
Disclaimer: None of the herein presented happenings and events are true. Everything is 100% fiction and that includes the sexuality of the characters. I don’t claim to be in the know about their relations and private affairs, and I don’t make any money with the creation of this story.
Author’s Note: I changed the age of Jensen and Jared, they are the same age now. The plot wouldn’t really work otherwise.
This is part 4 of the Glaciology! ‘verse. Jensen is a scientist in the field of glaciology and he spends most of his time surrounded by ice, whereas Jared is a Hollywood movie star. Prequel to this story are Invisible Glaciers, Iceberg Anatomy, Avalanches Approaching and Crevasse Rescue.
[ Masterpost]
Part Three
When Tom picks Jensen up at the airport he doesn’t mention the photos he saw in the magazine (which is still stuffed into the net on the back of the seat), and neither does his friend. Tom inquires about their flight and asks Kerr about his first time working in the field. Then they say goodbye to the TA, who gets picked up by his flat mate, and make for the car.
His mood is rather low from the shock on the plane, so the conversation on the drive from the airport to Jensen’s home is one-sided and stilted. Tom stops asking about how Jensen liked the trip after the umpteenth time he only gets a grunt as an answer.
Fifty minutes after they departed from the airport, the car pulls up to the curb in front of Jensen’s house. Originally it had only been planned that Tom would drive him home, but when Jensen gets out of the car and carries his bags to the door, his friend follows him. Jensen doesn’t comment on it, and just unlocks the front door, where an excited husky is already lying in wait for his return.
Dean jumps him and barks happily. Jensen pets him, his bags abandoned on the floor next to him, and ruffles Dean’s fur. The happiness Dean displays lifts his own mood somewhat. He buries his face the thick fur and takes a couple of calming breaths.
Tom just watches the reunion, his expression shifting from worried (about Jensen’s silence), to amused (about Dean greeting Jensen), and back. When Jensen pushes the husky down and picks up his luggage to take the final steps into the house, his friend determinedly comes with him. He pats the dog’s head who dances around him, and then trails after Jensen.
Inside the house all his energy leaves him. Jensen just drops the bags in the hall, making for the kitchen. He gets a bottle of water from the fridge, there isn’t much else in it anyways. Taking a swig he turns to Tom and watches his friend study his face, looking for clues what has Jensen in such a funk.
“So, what happened? The last time I saw you, before the expedition, you were high as a kite.” Tom leans against the door frame, his height almost towering in it.
“Nothing.” Jensen’s not sure he wants to talk about it. There’s a fifty/fifty chance that Tom will say that he shouldn’t worry about the pictures, or that he’ll start telling Jensen that he shouldn’t let Jared treat him like this. Which one of the options he prefers Jensen can’t say.
“Bullshit. I know that something is up, and somehow I suspect that a certain actor is involved. So, what did he do?” His friend has a determined look on his face, insistent that he find out what is bothering Jensen.
Screwing the water bottle shut, Jensen sets it on the counter. The task allows him to look away from Tom. He’s not sure he can look him in the eye when talking about his discovery.
“It’s just something I read on the plane.” Jensen squirms uncomfortably, feeling the weight of Tom’s gaze on him.
“What did you read?” It feels like pulling teeth. Jensen rubs his hand over his face before he answers.
“There were pictures of Jared with some woman, and in the article they said that they were together.” It sounds ridiculous when he says it, because deep inside Jensen knows that Jared would never do something like that. Jared isn’t someone who would stab anyone in the back like that.
“What pictures?” Tom frowns at him. “D’you have the magazine with you?”
At that Jensen only shakes his head. There had been no way that he would take those photos home with him. He doesn’t want them around.
“Okay, so what kind of photos were they? Did they kiss in them? Hold hands?” All of those questions Jensen can answer with a headshake. “What did they do on those pictures?”
Tom is starting to sound exasperated with Jensen’s lack of cooperation.
“They were playing with the dogs.” Jensen feels a cold knot in his stomach at the memory of Jared and his dogs playing with the strange woman.
“That’s all? He was walking his dogs with some woman?” The disbelief in his friend’s voice has Jensen cringe.
But the thing is that it isn’t the fact that Jared and the woman are walking the dogs together, but that Jared is so happy doing it with someone who isn’t Jensen. If he can be this happy with someone else, and gets to share his love for Sadie and Harley with them, what does he need Jensen for?
This thought is ghosting around Jensen’s brain, and sucks all his energy and happiness out of him.
“I haven’t seen those pictures, but Jensen I don’t think that you should worry about them too much. So far there’s one random magazine posting them, but no one else has said anything about it.” Tom’s words make sense, and Jensen knows from experience that if the press is convinced of something they will print and show it everywhere. But even knowing that doesn’t change the feeling Jensen has.
He tries to look more upbeat, but he isn’t sure if he’s successful.
In the end, Tom has to leave. He heads out with last words of encouragement, and Jensen drags himself upstairs to unpack his bags. Dean trails after him, jumping on the bed and curling up while Jensen sorts out his clothes. The gear that doesn’t need washing is stowed away, and the rest he throws into the laundry basket and carries downstairs to the washing machine.
He loads the machine, and starts a cycle. With his laundry taken care of, Jensen is standing in his basement unsure what to do now. There are some preparations he could do for work, but Jensen doesn’t feel too interested in that right now.
It’s the ringing of his cell phone upstairs that has him moving out of the basement. Jensen heads for the ringing, finding the phone in the pocket of his coat, and when he flips it open he finds Jared’s ID on the display. Taking a deep breath he picks up.
“Hey.” Jensen can feel his heart beating hard. His palms are sweaty.
“Hey, Tarzan of the Cold.” Jared’s happy banter doesn’t have its usual effect on Jensen. Instead of making him feel better, he now thinks about Jared having fun with the woman from the pictures. “So, everyone still have their fingers and toes?”
“Yeah, mostly.” He shakes himself and does his best to banish those photos from his mind. Tom had been right, and he shouldn’t worry about them overly much.
“What now? Someone lose half a toe?” With his mind made up, Jensen finally gets to let go of the depressing thoughts he’s been harboring.
“One of the British students sprained her ankle.” This has Jared chuckle, the sound having Jensen smiling softly in turn.
“Seems to be a common ailment up North.” Jensen remembers all too vividly his own run in with a sprained ankle.
“So, you coming up tomorrow like planned?” There’s the sound of toenails clicking, and Dean comes downstairs. He glances at Jensen, but decides that with the phone in hand, the human isn’t entertaining. With a sigh, the dog makes for the kitchen.
“About that,” The words have Jensen tense. “I wanted to leave really early to be at your place around noon, but I have to meet with my agent about a script at ten, so I won’t get to leave before noon earliest.”
It’s almost as if a weight is lifted from his shoulders, and Jensen calms down. “Hey, don’t worry. If you’re are going to arrive in the evening, I’ll just head down to Stanford and get some paperwork taken care of. One would think with me having a TA now, I wouldn’t have to bother with things like that anymore, but somehow it always ends up on my desk.”
Jared laughs amused. “Dude, you should have a serious talk with your TA about the lack of deference.”
“Somehow I’ve got the feeling that it wouldn’t change anything. My suspicions are that Loretta is sneaking them in when Kerr and I aren’t looking.” The thought of the secretary slinking around the department, distributing paperwork to hapless teachers, has Jensen chuckle.
“She’s got all of you whipped.” Jensen can only agree. If anyone ever thought that anyone else but the department secretary is running EESS, they’ll be in for a surprise. Loretta Devine is the silent (sometimes not so silent) force behind the faculty and staff, and she lets them know it in very subtle, but nevertheless efficient ways.
“That’s a lie, if I ever heard one.” His fake protestation has Jared laugh harder.
“Dream on.” Jensen can hear Linda talking in the back, asking Jared a question. “Uh, Linda wants me to tell you that she hasn’t seen you for too long, and that she’s growing sick of my and Chad’s faces.”
There’s laughter from all three of them at that. “Tell her that I’ll visit as soon as the midterms are over. At the moment all I’m doing is preparing exams, reviewing lessons, and dodging students that want to barter with me. One student from my seminar tried to appeal to my better nature by claiming that he’s physically and emotionally not able to take more than one exam per week.”
“So why’s he attending college then?”
“Beats me. I sent him to Harold, the other teacher who’s got his midterm in the same week as mine. Maybe he’s a better person than I am.” Dean returns from the kitchen and stares at him. It’s like he wants to tell Jensen that he’s being weird having a conversation in the hallway.
“I bet that he’ll just have to study hard and take both of the exams.” Jensen walks through the living room to the porch, and lets the husky out. The air is fresh, but not cold, and he follows Dean outside, sitting down on the steps to the garden.
“Yeah, that’s what I told him as well. He wasn’t happy about it.” He can still see the pouty look on the student, looking like some moody teenager. “What did you do while I was gone? Work all the time?”
“Mostly. I tried to spend some time with Harley and Sadie, because during winter I was rarely around. The shooting and the preparations for the Oscars took a lot of time, not forgetting the dubbing I did for the new animated Disney movie.” When Jared mentions his dogs, Jensen wants to ask if he spent the time with his dogs only, or if someone else was with them.
In the end he doesn’t do it though. If it was of any importance, Jared would have said something about it. The only thing he would achieve by asking after the photos would be to give the incident more meaning than it probably has.
“Sounds great. Dean will be happy to spend some time with your dogs. He’s missing the company of a sled team. He’s used to spending longer amounts of time in a pack of dogs, and the solitude of me being gone throughout the day, is not really to his taste.” He watches Dean nose around the bushes in the back. There’s movement close to him and one of the kittens, that is actually almost full grown now, crawls out.
Even though the mother had been rather suspicious in the beginning - she still is the most cautious of the cats, the kittens got used to the husky very quickly, and Paws (named after the white paws he has) likes to play with the tall dog. Jensen watches them run around the garden, Dean chasing after the young cat.
“Harley and Sadie were all sad after we left the last time. I think they love you and Dean more than they love me.” The tone of voice is teasing though.
“Like that would ever be possible.” Jensen knows that the two huge dogs worship the ground Jared walks on, and it’s the same the other way round.
“I don’t know. They pine after the two of you quite a lot, and lately they’ve been searching for cats in the bushes.” This makes Jensen laugh.
“I wasn’t aware that they got so attached to the cats.” This comes as a surprise since Harley and Sadie, both, had been very suspicious and distrusting of the feline family. The mother cat had swiped at Harley’s nose when he tried to sniff at the kittens the first time he saw them.
“Apparently the cats are of great importance to us as well.” Jared talks about it like he’s actually searching the bushes together with the dogs.
“Okay.” Two more cats join in, and Dean is happily running around, playing a strange kind of tag with the kittens.
His attention is drawn away from the game when he hears loud complaining of a very douchy kind on the other side of the phone. Chad has arrived, and he lets everyone know about his presence. Some may call it whining, and rarely anyone calls it charming.
There seems to be some kind of struggling, and then Chad is on the phone.
“Dude, get him to drive up there to San Francisco. His moaning about you being gone for so long is boring, and it’s bad for my karma to have someone mope all the time.” Jensen just snorts. Leave it to Chad to dispel even the last remnants of Jensen’s doubts and fears by just being himself.
“Moping?” He can’t help but ask.
“Like you won’t believe. It wasn’t pretty, let me tell you that.” In the back he can hear Jared complaining, trying to get the phone back from Chad.
“So he missed me?” Jensen will take what he can, and making fun of Jared together with Chad is as good as it gets.
“Yeah, the idiot was all weepy eyed, huge and full of tears. His chin wobbling and all. The full program.” Jensen can’t keep from laughing anymore, he bursts out, deep whoops of laughter, hearing Chad rag on Jared who’s commandeered the cell phone back.
“Don’t believe what he said. I did miss you, but in a totally manly kind of way.” Somehow this doesn’t really make any less funny. And Jensen starts another bout of laughing. “Dude, how’s Jensen ever going to respect me again?”
Jensen can hear ‘Like anyone would respect you, asshat’, and grins widely. Who’d have thought when he met Chad for the first time that the Blonde would grow on him like that.
“Don’t worry, I do respect you.” His barely restrained laughter doesn’t really help to convey honesty. Jared harrumphs and Jensen just has to ask: “Are you pouting?”
The silence he gets and then the quick denial is all he needs to know. Jensen teases Jared about being such a girl, and Jared mock threatens to stay in LA. Jensen’s answer to that is to make some more fun of him, and in the end Jared has to admit defeat and agree that he might, just a little bit of course, be pouting.
After some more teasing remarks, and the promise that Jared and his dogs are going to arrive around six or seven the next evening, Jensen says goodbye to Jared, and ends the call. He stays sitting on the steps and enjoys the pleasant evening air.
The trip to the Northwest Territories had been a very welcome escape into the world of snow and ice, but Jensen has to admit that the Mediterranean climate of San Francisco does have its advantages. For once he can sit outside without freezing. The summers are a bit too hot for his taste but having grown up in Texas; he knows how hot it can get.
The temperature and the humidity are going to be a challenge with the AE expedition in summer. Hiking through the Ecuadorian jungle is not really something Jensen is used to, and he has to admit that the task is somewhat daunting. Not impossible, but challenging.
David had instructed him on what to expect and Chuck is constantly instructing Jensen on how to live in a rainforest. Having lived in the Caribbean for some time, and having participated in a couple of expeditions to Costa Rica, Stanford’s resident specialist on Marine Ecological Systems is well versed in jungle life.
So far Jensen has understood that it’s hot, and wet, and that there are huge animals of everything that crawls and has more than four legs.
Dean yips and Jensen catches the end of what appears to be a collective cat attack at the husky. The kittens crawl all over the much larger dog, and the husky playfully snaps at the foursome. The joyful play has Jensen smile.
“Don’t let them get away with it.” His order is ignored as Paws tears at the bushy tail of his tall prey. Dean turns to the little cat, dislodging the kitten who had been balancing on this shoulders, and huffs. “You my friend are pussy whipped.”
They ignore his comment and Jensen decides to go inside and get his camera. This would make for an awesome picture.
When he gets up from the steps and pockets his phone, he remembers the postcard he bought at the airport in Edmonton. First he gets the camera from his backpack, and then he searches for the post card in the pockets of his jacket. On his way back to the porch Jensen swipes a pen. Upon his return to the garden, he finds the kittens still climbing the husky, and Jensen quickly takes a couple of pictures.
Then he sits down and thinks about what to write. Considering the best way to begin the card he taps the pen against his lips, and then he grins.
He cracks his fingers and starts to write.
continue: Part Four