Jays² (23/?)
Title: Jays² (23/?)
Genre: J2 RPS, AU
Pairing: Jensen/Jared and many others. Heh. You know major league teams have 25-man rosters, right?
Rating: Adult
Warnings: Language, Baseball, Schmoop, Sex, Angst, Crack. So, the usual.
Word Count: 4,600 (this part, but in total? About 95,000. HOMG.)
Disclaimer: Fiction not fact. All these beautiful guys belong to themselves. Jensen and Jared belong to each other. Shut up, they totally do! Only the words are mine. No copyright infringement intended for the use of the MLB teams/players/logos. This is for fun, not profit.
A/N: Baseball season is so close, I can almost smell the beer and popcorn and pizza in the stands. I’ve been watching some of the Spring Training games and I’m so excited again. I love this game, and this year, I might just make it to Opening Day when the Minnesota Twins come to the Rogers Centre. Oh, and did I mention that Opening Day is on April 1st this year? You know, a certain Jays2 wedding anniversary? Hee! So, to celebrate, here’s another episode of Jays2! Actually, I was just waiting for March to come around, so I can watch and write, lol! I’m anticipating wrapping this up in about 30 parts; I still have a lot of story to tell.
As always, enjoy! Comments = Love!
Summary: The boys are back in blue (and white and red and black, but whatever) and it's about damn time!
TWENTY-THREE
BACK IN BLUE
Rogers Sportsnet Pre-Season Broadcast:
Blue Jays Central with Matt Campbell and Caroline Millar
Good Afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Blue Jays Spring Training Camp! As always, I’m Matt Campbell, here with Caroline Millar, in beautiful, sunny Dunedin, Florida, as we welcome back your Toronto Blue Jays!
Jays fans, I can’t even begin to tell you all how excited we are for this season! Jays GM, JD Morgan has been busy in the off-season, and there are going to be some interesting times up ahead for Toronto as we say goodbye to a couple of retiring veterans and welcome back old favorites and new hopefuls. But first things first. Fans can breathe a huge sigh of relief now that Jensen Ackles, our Gold Glove-winning shortstop from last season, has decided to return to the organization; he’s signed a new three year contract, so there’s no danger of him going anywhere anytime soon. Also over the winter, long-time veteran Jays, Christian Kane and Steve Carlson both announced their retirement from the team. Carlson’s announcement wasn’t very surprising, but Kane’s was, however, both the Jays Front Office and Chris Kane insist that the parting of ways was amicable. Matt, any thoughts?
Well, Kane, Carlson and Boreanaz have been with the Jays for a number of years, and they’ve always talked about finishing off their careers with the team, so I think that’s all it is with the Kane and Carlson. No news yet about Boreanaz’s status with the team but the last time we spoke to JD Morgan, he said his closer wasn’t going anywhere for the immediate future. It’ll be interesting to see where he ends up come April.
It’s all open for speculation because set-up man, pitcher John Daley, who was essentially Boreanaz’s protégé last season, is poised to take over as team closer, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see what the Jays decide to do. Another loss for the roster is starter Lou Diamond Phillips, who left the team for rotator cuff surgery last season and is still working on getting his throwing arm into shape. According to what we’ve heard, he will pitch for the Jays Triple-A team, the Las Vegas 51s, until he’s back to a 100%.
The good news about that is that Phillips’ mid-season replacement, pitcher Chris Pine, along with last year’s rookie starters, Cory Montieth and Mark Salling, have all settled into the third, fourth and fifth position in the starting rotation quite comfortably, and so the Jays have a real solid pitching line-up to face opposing batters this year.
Absolutely, and the active roster going into the Jays’ 36th year in the majors isn’t as up-in-the-air as it was last year. I spoke to Eric Kripke about his plans for 2013.
[Cut to Caroline's interview Jays Manager, Eric Kripke]
Caroline: Eric, thanks for joining us. After all the excitement last season, what are your thoughts for the 2013 Blue Jays?
Eric: Thanks, Caroline. It’s great to be back in Dunedin again, but really? I can’t wait to get back to Toronto, and I can’t wait to get going on this season - I have high hopes. Really high hopes!
Caroline: So do we, believe me! We’ve been talking to the fans in the off-season, and those who’ve come to Spring Training. The air down here is positively electric with anticipation!
Eric: It feels exactly like that in the clubhouse. It’s great not having to make tough decisions about the active roster again this year. Plus, I think we finally have a handle on the starting rotation. I’m really very pleased.
Caroline: Absolutely, especially with two Cy Young award winners in there.
Eric: Yes, indeedy. Rosenbaum and Welling had such a good year last year. We’re really, really keeping our fingers crossed for a repeat performance of that. Plus, Pine and Montieth were great and even Salling settled into that fifth spot quite well towards the end of the season. He and Michael Terry spent the off-season playing winter ball in Hawaii, so they’ve both actually improved their games tremendously. Not to mention, Daley and Boreanaz rounding off what our starters can do as well as they have.
Caroline: What about the rest of the team?
Eric: We’re pretty happy with the way things fell into place last season, and this year we want to concentrate on honing our skills in the field and at the plate. The biggest thing for me personally, and really for most of the team, was making sure we had Jensen back in the line-up and now that we do, it makes my job a heckuva lot easier. He’s pretty good as a mentor to the younger guys on the team too, and we would have really missed him out there.
Caroline: Yeah, and it would have broken up one of the most epic infield partnerships ever - Ackles and fellow Gold Glove-winner, Jared Padalecki.
Eric: Believe me - no one’s happier than Jared that he’s still here!
Caroline: I can imagine! I’m going to add my voice to Jays fans out there who are so excited to see our dynamic duo back in blue again!
Eric: Yeah, you’ll be seeing the return of most of the starting line-up pretty much; outfielders Bratt, Hodge and Vahdat, infielders Beach, Collins, Murray and Padalecki and Ackles, of course. Plus, we’ve got Zach Quinto waiting in the wings to take over from Carlson as back-up catcher.
Caroline: Eric, do you have a good idea right now as to what the rest of the roster is looking like?
Eric: We had a couple of empty spots to fill, as you know, and one of them was in our bullpen. We really needed another leftie middle reliever and we’ve found him in Brendan Fehr, who came to us in a deal with the Giants that saw some of our younger prospects go to San Francisco. Fehr will join Thyne, Whitfield, Buckley and Terry in our bullpen. We were really happy with Byrd and Pena’s performance last year; they’re technically outfielders, but they’re so versatile that we can really utilize them anywhere. I’m also very interested in Richard Speight Jr. who’s been with the Vegas 51s for many seasons now; he had a career year last season, and we could use another infielder, so I’ll be watching him pretty closely this month.
Caroline: It’s great to finally have a team we’ll all be familiar with.
Eric: Exactly. For the coaches, too.
Caroline: The biggest change though comes in the starting line-up; Chris Kane’s replacement in the Designated Hitter spot.
Eric: Yeah. We were thrilled when JD announced that the trade with Texas went through. Ryan Reynolds needs no introduction. He’s a power hitter and a good guy and we’re lucky to have him. He showed up early for Spring Training, he’s excited, and really, that’s what we’re looking for in any player. He’s got a positive attitude and we’re just as happy to have him as he is to be in a Jays uniform.
Caroline: Well, I for one cannot wait. I’m sure Jays fans will agree with me on that. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us, Eric. Good luck out there!
Eric: Thank you, Caroline. It’s really good to be back.
[Return to Jays Central Live Broadcast]
Looks like Eric seems pretty optimistic for the coming year.
Definitely, Matt, and can you blame him? I don’t think we, and the fans really, have been this excited since probably the early 90s. The Jays have a lot to look forward to and I have a good feeling about them making another run at the play-offs this year, especially now that Ryan Reynolds’ bat is in our starting line-up.
You’re not kidding. The biggest news of the off season was the acquisition of Ryan Reynolds from the Texas Rangers. Reynolds has been the fighting force behind the Rangers recent successes, including taking them into the post-season last year, but when he came into free agency at the end of last season, he jumped at the chance to play for the high-flying Jays and return home to Canada. I spoke to him earlier today.
[Cut to interview with Jays Designated Hitter Ryan Reynolds]
Matt: We’re here with Ryan Reynolds, newest member of the Toronto Blue Jays, primed to take over from the retiring Christian Kane. Ryan, welcome to the team!
Ryan: Thanks, Matt. It’s great to be here!
Matt: So you got plenty of offers ever since your free agency came up, especially after your stellar performance last season with the Rangers, but you’ve been biding your time. Was it waiting for a better deal to come along or really exploring your options in terms of where you wanted to go in your career?
Ryan: Not gonna lie, Matt - the deals were all pretty good, but when JD and I talked about potentially playing in Toronto, I just really liked the idea of coming home to Canada.
Matt: You’re Vancouver born and bred, correct?
Ryan: That’s right, yeah. And until the MLB decides to give Vancouver a team, I guess I’ll have to settle for playing in the T-dot. It feels great though. But that’s not even the coolest part of this gig.
Matt: Oh? And what would that be?
Ryan: Dude, I get to play with Jensen Ackles again! He’s… er… we were in the minors together for a couple of years, we met in Omaha playing for the Storm Chasers…
Matt: The Royals Triple-A team.
Ryan: Yeah, and then we were traded in a two-person deal to the Reno Aces, so we spent a lot of time together, and we roomed together for all our away games, too. He’s… amazing, and a real savvy player. He has this incredible insight into how the game is played and a real passion for baseball. I learnt a lot from him.
Matt: Well, we in Toronto certainly saw that in action last season.
Ryan: Yeah, man! I watched pretty close, too. Jensen’s so exciting to watch, you know; he’s always got something going. I used to think that even standing still, he’s always in motion. His instincts are infallible when it comes to getting the ball in play. I can’t wait to see him again. I can’t wait to play with him again.
Matt: Well, the starting players arrive at camp tomorrow, so you don’t have to wait much longer. And it’s great to already have a friend around when you join a new team.
Ryan: I’m really looking forward to it!
Matt: Awesome - we look forward to seeing you in the Jays blue, Ryan. Good luck this season!
Ryan: Thanks, Matt.
[Return to Jays Central Live Broadcast]
Well, there you have it, Caroline. Right from the horse’s mouth. He’s genuinely pumped to be with the Jays; the man can’t stop smiling. Too bad we won’t get to see him in the field, but I’m thinking Kripke may have a few aces up his sleeve when it comes to the starting line-up.
You could be right. Kripke’s not afraid to pull his punches when it comes to shuffling the line-up, and Kane did occasionally take over from Collins at first.
True. Also, Reynolds talking about his history with Ackles made me curious, so I looked into it and they played Second and Short with the Aces, respectively. Who knows - maybe we’ll see them out there when Padalecki gets a day off.
Yes, because that works so well when Ackles takes a day off and Eugene Byrd takes over at Short, right?
It’s not funny.
You’re right, Matt. It’s hilarious.
Well, yeah, all right. I think Kripke figured out quite early last season that if his regular second-baseman and shortstop need a day off - they take it together and Byrd and Pena take their turn.
And with history between Ackles and Reynolds already, Jays fans have yet another reason to tune in. I know I sure will!
On that note, we’ll return you to the Sportsnet studios. Stay tuned for This Week in Baseball, where our broadcast team will be bringing you the latest news from around the MLB. And don’t forget to join us on Sunday for our first Spring Training game against the Pittsburg Pirates. Until then, for Caroline Millar, I’m Matt Campbell saying so long from Dunedin. We’ll see you Sunday!
Cory stretched and breathed in deep, getting a whiff of freshly mown grass as the hot Florida sun bore down on everything in its wake, including his skin. It smelled like heaven, and it felt like home in a way Eden, Idaho, could never compare.
He squinted at the wide expanse of the outfield at Dunedin Stadium and willed his pulse to slow until it thudded heavily in his ears. There wasn’t an axe over his head this year; he had already proven his worth, now all he had to do was keep it together and keep at it.
Easier said than done, he thought, his eyes travelling down the foul line to the left of him, to where Mark was standing talking to Michael Terry, both of them laughing at something. He tried to look away but then Mark’s arm came up and found a place across Michael’s shoulders, and Cory found his gaze riveted to the spot where Mark’s grip seemed to tighten, and he suddenly felt bile rising in his throat.
Apparently, he’d been replaced.
“Hey, Cory.”
Even with John standing right next to him, he found himself unable to look away, his jaw clenched tight, his blood simmering with jealousy. It was ridiculous, of course. He’d been the one to call it off, not Mark; he had no right to feel anything. He was still pretty sure he wanted nothing to do with the man, but seeing him again made all his carefully crafted excuses fly right out of the window; Mark still had a hold on him. Right by his dick, no less.
“I really hate him,” he muttered in lieu of a greeting, finally looking his best friend in the face.
John rolled his eyes. “Sure you do. Here.”
Cory accepted the ice cold bottle of water gratefully, taking a refreshing gulp when he heard the crunch of footsteps approaching them. Not from the left, though, so he shoved down his anxiety and turned to see Ryan Reynolds, their new DH, come to a halt next to them, a giant grin on his face, and a long arm held out. John shook his hand first, and Cory followed suit as their new teammate introduced himself. About a minute later though, the hair at the back of his neck stood on end, and he knew instinctively that this time, Mark was standing right behind him.
“Hey, man,” Mark said jovially - and damned if that in itself didn’t throw Cory for a loop - and held his hand out to Ryan, “Mark Salling. This is Michael Terry. Bullpen.”
“Ryan Reynolds, DH.”
“Dude, we know. Welcome to the team!”
Cory gawked. Since when had Mark Salling joined the Jays pep squad? He darted a stunned glance at John, who merely shrugged in response, but couldn’t stop gaping at his ex-fuck buddy. Who was now staring right back at him, and oh shit, his face was getting redder by the second.
“S’up, Idaho?”
His mouth suddenly incredibly dry, Cory could only manage a tight nod in response. Luckily for him, John stepped in. “Hey, Mark, Michael. Heard you guys were playing ball in Hawaii. Were you on the same team?”
“Yeah,” Michael grinned, his whole face lighting up. “Man, it was awesome. The islands were gorgeous and even the baseball was relaxing, and so much fun! You should’ve come along, John.”
Mark grinned. “I’m sure Francis had better things to do, dude.”
“Like what?” Michael frowned.
“Well, last I heard, you were on your way to Maine, right?”
John’s entire body froze up, his face draining of whatever little color it had. Cory quickly found his voice and put it to use. “We didn’t stay long,” he told them, and something made him add, “we went back to Idaho. John stayed with me for the most part before we came here.”
Mark’s eyes snapped to his, the look in them cool, assessing. He didn’t say anything though, which surprised Cory. Instead, he studied John for a few, quiet seconds before speaking, his tone soft, apologetic. “I’m sorry, man.”
This time, John was as taken aback as Cory was. “I’m fine,” he finally managed to say, and Mark actually gave John’s shoulder a friendly squeeze at that. Michael and Ryan looked to Cory, but he was clueless. Who the hell was this man in front of him and what the fuck had he done to Mark Salling?
“What’s with all the gloomy faces?”
“Jensen!” Considering all five of them said it at the same time, it was pretty loud, but the absolute glee lighting up Ryan Reynolds face as he said Jensen’s name had the other four frowning at their newest teammate, who took no notice of them, instead pushing through the little group circle they had formed, his big hand wrapping around the back of Jensen’s neck, startling him, until recognition dawned in his eyes.
“Reynolds!” Jensen laughed. “Holy shit, dude! Good to see you!”
“Man, it’s really good to see you too, Jensen,” Ryan rasped out, his voice pitched low as he hugged Jensen close. Cory blinked. Jensen was patting Ryan on the back, and he couldn’t see his face, but Ryan’s face - eyes scrunched shut, blissful expression, big smile - and the tight grip he had on Jensen made Cory's shackles rise. Did the new guy not value his life?
He knew John was thinking the same thing when he hastily looked around the field, trying to find their second baseman. Michael was looking as slack-jawed as he felt, but again, it was Mark’s reaction that hit him out of left field.
“Dude,” Mark gritted out, tapping Ryan on the shoulder, “give the rest of us a turn, will ya?” He smiled and mumbled under his breath, so low that only Cory really heard him, “Before Jared shows up and kills you.”
Jensen chuckled, clearly not thinking anything was out of place, and he turned to give them all a hug in greeting. “Good to see you guys again! Michael - the tan suits you, buddy.”
Michael blushed; it was disgustingly adorable. Jensen laughed and playfully ruffled his hair as Mark grinned and smooched Michael's pink cheek, causing Cory’s eyes to damn near pop out of his skull in shock.
Mark leered at the younger man. “Yeah, you’re all cute and shit when you blush, baby.”
Everyone but Cory laughed, Michael elbowing Mark in the gut, and suddenly Cory couldn’t take it anymore. He turned abruptly, fully intending to high-tail it out of there but he walked right into Jared’s wide chest, his mouth colliding with Jared’s jaw. Jared naturally just turned it into a big hug. “Hey, Cory. How’s it going, man?”
“Great, Jared - just awesome,” he grunted, looking out the corner of his eye to see that Ryan still had a proprietary arm around Jensen’s shoulders. Big mistake, buddy, he thought to himself, fully prepared to restrain Jared if need be. But as Jared hugged the rest of the guys, nothing happened. Not until Jensen introduced him to Reynolds, that is, Jared’s eyes going a little squinty as he took in the other man’s arm on his husband.
Jesus.
“Good to meet you, Ryan,” Jared greeted the newcomer politely, probably just like his momma had taught him, “welcome to the team.”
“Thanks, Jared,” Ryan grinned, giving Jensen another squeeze, “still can’t believe I’m here! And with Jensen again, no less!”
“Again?” Jared asked in surprise before the rest of them could echo the sentiment.
Jensen smiled at Jared. “Ryan and I were in Omaha and Reno together. He played second base back then, but I guess a year with the Rangers and he graduated to DH.”
Ryan grinned wide, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. “That’s ‘cause I swing a big bat.”
Jensen laughed and smacked him in the gut, Jared just blinking at the two of them in silence. A second later, though, Jensen turned back to him. “Where were you, Jared?”
“Uh… Eric wanted to see me.”
“Anything important?” Jensen asked with a slight frown.
“Naw, just shootin' the shit. But he wanted to talk to both of us, actually. Uh… whenever you’re ready, I guess,” Jared shrugged, his hand rubbing at the back of his neck. Cory felt uncomfortable for him, but Jensen just nodded.
“Now's good. See y’all later, guys,” he said, finally moving away from Reynolds' grabby hands and towards Jared, where he belonged.
And then - right then - in that second, the weirdest shit happened: Jared reached out for Jensen and Jensen… flinched. Recoiled. Away from Jared. Jared’s face fell, but he gamely nodded at them before turning to trail after Jensen as they headed towards the clubhouse.
Cory’s jaw dropped in shock, and he made no effort to hide it. Holy shit - what the hell had just happened? Everything had been fine in Dallas; he’d even heard about them cementing their vows in Toronto, making everything legal and official and binding.
Suddenly, Cory felt himself dragged a little way away from their group, Mark’s hand firm on his elbow. “What the fuck just happened?”
“Damned if I know,” Cory muttered, watching their second baseman and shortstop head indoors. “Fuck.”
“You guys look as stunned as I feel,” John said, coming up to stand with them. Cory darted a look behind him to find Michael and the new guy chatting to each other, oblivious to the drama they’d just witnessed.
“Shit,” Mark grumbled. “Does this mean we have to stage another intervention?”
They looked at each other, before John sighed, resigned yet resolute. “Let’s go get the gang together.”
“Jared?” Jensen asked, when they had finally made good on their escape from Eric’s office and were well on their way back to the hotel, Jensen making the most of the drive in the Mustang he had bought Jared as a wedding present. “You all right?”
“Yeah.”
Jensen took another look at Jared’s blank face and frowned. Okay. Not good. He supposed his first clue should’ve been the fact that Jared had just tossed him the keys and gotten in the passenger side; his husband never missed out on an opportunity to drive this baby. And now, with that adorable little pout on his mouth, Jensen knew something was up. He bided his time and when he could, he pulled over onto the side of the road, his hand reaching out to grapple in the hair at Jared’s neck as his husband looked at him in surprise.
“What’s up?”
“I dunno,” Jared shrugged. “How ‘bout you tell me.”
“I would, except I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Jared blinked at him, his forehead furrowing as he frowned, the little wrinkles between his brows deepening. Jensen cupped his face, thumbs smoothing out all those lines and furrows. He found it impossible not to kiss Jared just then, so he just leaned in and did, his mouth soft and pliant against his husband’s, coaxing him into sighing, surrendering to the sensual assault on his defenses.
“Jensen…”
“Talk to me, baby,” Jensen encouraged when Jared faltered. He shimmied closer, ignoring the gear-shift in between them. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”
“You.”
“Me?” Jensen pulled back in surprise as Jared nodded.
“You… pulled away from me. I went to touch you, to hug you out by the dugout, and you pulled back.”
Jensen blinked and then huffed out a laugh. “Are you kidding me? That’s what this is about?”
Jared shoved at his chest, and before Jensen could process anything, his pissy husband was out of the car, the door slamming in his wake.
“Don’t laugh at me!” Jared snarled when he got out, not stopping until he was in Jared’s space again, up close and real personal.
“I wasn’t laughing at you,” Jensen muttered, pulling his husband’s face close, until their lips almost touched. “Did you forget our little conversation last night?”
Jared just stared at him. “What conversation?”
“The one where we agreed to keep it cool at work? No touchy feely stuff at the ball park? Or in the club house?”
“It was just a hug, Jensen! You needn’t have made it seem like I had a contagious disease!”
“Oh my God, Jared!” Jensen practically shouted. “It’s never just a hug with us anymore! It always escalates into something else. I thought we agreed to keep everything on the down low now that we’re married? Didn’t we do that?”
“Yeah. Okay,” Jared said between clenched teeth. “So, I’m supposed to just stand by and do nothing when Ryan Reynolds has got his dirty, filthy paws all over my husband, huh?”
Jensen was rendered completely speechless. So of course, he goes and does the worst possible thing, which is burst out laughing, and Jared went from pissed off to livid in the blink of an eye. It was really quite fascinating to watch because right up until then in their relationship, he had never seen his laid-back, easy-going husband look quite so angry. He stopped laughing as Jared pushed him away again, and fought his way back into his space.
“Yeah, your husband, idiot. Yours,” Jensen reiterated.
Jared kept right on pouting. “How come you never told me about him?”
“Because I totally forgot about his existence until I saw him standing there with the guys,” Jensen told him, his hands massaging the back of Jared’s neck as he leaned his body flush against Jared’s, pushing him back against the passenger side door of the car. “And yeah, I’ve known him for a couple of years, and he’s a good guy, all friendly and shit. Kinda like you a little bit, actually.”
“Great, just what I wanted to hear,” Jared grumbled, his hands possessively gripping Jensen’s hips, inching under his shirt until those long fingers Jensen loved so much were flexing against his skin, his hold just shy of painful.
“Not gonna lie, Jared. I did like him…” Jensen cut off Jared’s doubtless angry retort at the pass, kissing him quick. “As a friend. Well, as much a friend as I allowed myself to have anyway. He was just another teammate, man. I guess he must’ve been happy to see me again. That’s all.”
“Really?”
“Really. Plus, you keep forgetting that you are the first guy I’ve ever liked. You’re the one person I’ve ever really been in love with,” Jensen smiled as those big hands cupped his ass, squeezing hard as he was pulled impossibly closer, Jared nuzzling his face, overwhelming Jensen’s senses with his warm, sun-kissed skin and the faint scent of his cologne. “Love you, Jared,” Jensen whispered, moving his head until his mouth was pressed against Jared’s. “Only you. Always you.”
“Damn right,” Jared murmured, between fleeting kisses. “My Jensen,” he said, his steely, possessive tone deceptively soft, sending shivers down Jensen’s back, “mine.”
And as mellow, sweet kisses grew heated and passionate, Jared pushed and shoved until Jensen was back in the car, this time in the passenger seat, his husband grinning and full of himself as he slid in beside him, smacking his hand when it reached for the radio dial, instead adjusting it himself until he found a song he liked.
“Driver picks the music,” Jared informed him, not for the first time, “shotgun shuts the fuck up and sings along.”
Jensen laughed. “Well, at least it wasn’t ‘shotgun blows me’, this time.”
“Saving that for when we get back to the hotel,” Jared teased, leering at him.
Jensen leered right back. “Who says you’re driving tonight?”
“Me. I call top. Need to remind you who you belong to.”
Jensen stopped breathing for a second, and when he started again, it felt like he had run a marathon in a minute. Jealous Jared was a real fucking turn on; an unexpected bonus of Reynolds joining the team. Jensen grinned, wicked and wanton. “Put the pedal to the metal, sunshine.”
Jared looked over at him and gulped, Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. "Damn straight."
Jensen smirked. "Ain't gonna be nothin' straight about it."
And as they drove away with a squeal of rubber on asphalt, neither of them noticed the non-descript car in the convenience store parking lot across the street. Neither of them noticed the man behind the steering wheel, the telephoto lens of his camera pointed in their direction, zoomed in on them as they had kissed. And neither of them heard the malice in his voice as he muttered to himself, “Gotcha.”
Genre: J2 RPS, AU
Pairing: Jensen/Jared and many others. Heh. You know major league teams have 25-man rosters, right?
Rating: Adult
Warnings: Language, Baseball, Schmoop, Sex, Angst, Crack. So, the usual.
Word Count: 4,600 (this part, but in total? About 95,000. HOMG.)
Disclaimer: Fiction not fact. All these beautiful guys belong to themselves. Jensen and Jared belong to each other. Shut up, they totally do! Only the words are mine. No copyright infringement intended for the use of the MLB teams/players/logos. This is for fun, not profit.
A/N: Baseball season is so close, I can almost smell the beer and popcorn and pizza in the stands. I’ve been watching some of the Spring Training games and I’m so excited again. I love this game, and this year, I might just make it to Opening Day when the Minnesota Twins come to the Rogers Centre. Oh, and did I mention that Opening Day is on April 1st this year? You know, a certain Jays2 wedding anniversary? Hee! So, to celebrate, here’s another episode of Jays2! Actually, I was just waiting for March to come around, so I can watch and write, lol! I’m anticipating wrapping this up in about 30 parts; I still have a lot of story to tell.
As always, enjoy! Comments = Love!
Summary: The boys are back in blue (and white and red and black, but whatever) and it's about damn time!
TWENTY-THREE
BACK IN BLUE
Rogers Sportsnet Pre-Season Broadcast:
Blue Jays Central with Matt Campbell and Caroline Millar
Good Afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Blue Jays Spring Training Camp! As always, I’m Matt Campbell, here with Caroline Millar, in beautiful, sunny Dunedin, Florida, as we welcome back your Toronto Blue Jays!
Jays fans, I can’t even begin to tell you all how excited we are for this season! Jays GM, JD Morgan has been busy in the off-season, and there are going to be some interesting times up ahead for Toronto as we say goodbye to a couple of retiring veterans and welcome back old favorites and new hopefuls. But first things first. Fans can breathe a huge sigh of relief now that Jensen Ackles, our Gold Glove-winning shortstop from last season, has decided to return to the organization; he’s signed a new three year contract, so there’s no danger of him going anywhere anytime soon. Also over the winter, long-time veteran Jays, Christian Kane and Steve Carlson both announced their retirement from the team. Carlson’s announcement wasn’t very surprising, but Kane’s was, however, both the Jays Front Office and Chris Kane insist that the parting of ways was amicable. Matt, any thoughts?
Well, Kane, Carlson and Boreanaz have been with the Jays for a number of years, and they’ve always talked about finishing off their careers with the team, so I think that’s all it is with the Kane and Carlson. No news yet about Boreanaz’s status with the team but the last time we spoke to JD Morgan, he said his closer wasn’t going anywhere for the immediate future. It’ll be interesting to see where he ends up come April.
It’s all open for speculation because set-up man, pitcher John Daley, who was essentially Boreanaz’s protégé last season, is poised to take over as team closer, but I guess we’ll have to wait and see what the Jays decide to do. Another loss for the roster is starter Lou Diamond Phillips, who left the team for rotator cuff surgery last season and is still working on getting his throwing arm into shape. According to what we’ve heard, he will pitch for the Jays Triple-A team, the Las Vegas 51s, until he’s back to a 100%.
The good news about that is that Phillips’ mid-season replacement, pitcher Chris Pine, along with last year’s rookie starters, Cory Montieth and Mark Salling, have all settled into the third, fourth and fifth position in the starting rotation quite comfortably, and so the Jays have a real solid pitching line-up to face opposing batters this year.
Absolutely, and the active roster going into the Jays’ 36th year in the majors isn’t as up-in-the-air as it was last year. I spoke to Eric Kripke about his plans for 2013.
[Cut to Caroline's interview Jays Manager, Eric Kripke]
Caroline: Eric, thanks for joining us. After all the excitement last season, what are your thoughts for the 2013 Blue Jays?
Eric: Thanks, Caroline. It’s great to be back in Dunedin again, but really? I can’t wait to get back to Toronto, and I can’t wait to get going on this season - I have high hopes. Really high hopes!
Caroline: So do we, believe me! We’ve been talking to the fans in the off-season, and those who’ve come to Spring Training. The air down here is positively electric with anticipation!
Eric: It feels exactly like that in the clubhouse. It’s great not having to make tough decisions about the active roster again this year. Plus, I think we finally have a handle on the starting rotation. I’m really very pleased.
Caroline: Absolutely, especially with two Cy Young award winners in there.
Eric: Yes, indeedy. Rosenbaum and Welling had such a good year last year. We’re really, really keeping our fingers crossed for a repeat performance of that. Plus, Pine and Montieth were great and even Salling settled into that fifth spot quite well towards the end of the season. He and Michael Terry spent the off-season playing winter ball in Hawaii, so they’ve both actually improved their games tremendously. Not to mention, Daley and Boreanaz rounding off what our starters can do as well as they have.
Caroline: What about the rest of the team?
Eric: We’re pretty happy with the way things fell into place last season, and this year we want to concentrate on honing our skills in the field and at the plate. The biggest thing for me personally, and really for most of the team, was making sure we had Jensen back in the line-up and now that we do, it makes my job a heckuva lot easier. He’s pretty good as a mentor to the younger guys on the team too, and we would have really missed him out there.
Caroline: Yeah, and it would have broken up one of the most epic infield partnerships ever - Ackles and fellow Gold Glove-winner, Jared Padalecki.
Eric: Believe me - no one’s happier than Jared that he’s still here!
Caroline: I can imagine! I’m going to add my voice to Jays fans out there who are so excited to see our dynamic duo back in blue again!
Eric: Yeah, you’ll be seeing the return of most of the starting line-up pretty much; outfielders Bratt, Hodge and Vahdat, infielders Beach, Collins, Murray and Padalecki and Ackles, of course. Plus, we’ve got Zach Quinto waiting in the wings to take over from Carlson as back-up catcher.
Caroline: Eric, do you have a good idea right now as to what the rest of the roster is looking like?
Eric: We had a couple of empty spots to fill, as you know, and one of them was in our bullpen. We really needed another leftie middle reliever and we’ve found him in Brendan Fehr, who came to us in a deal with the Giants that saw some of our younger prospects go to San Francisco. Fehr will join Thyne, Whitfield, Buckley and Terry in our bullpen. We were really happy with Byrd and Pena’s performance last year; they’re technically outfielders, but they’re so versatile that we can really utilize them anywhere. I’m also very interested in Richard Speight Jr. who’s been with the Vegas 51s for many seasons now; he had a career year last season, and we could use another infielder, so I’ll be watching him pretty closely this month.
Caroline: It’s great to finally have a team we’ll all be familiar with.
Eric: Exactly. For the coaches, too.
Caroline: The biggest change though comes in the starting line-up; Chris Kane’s replacement in the Designated Hitter spot.
Eric: Yeah. We were thrilled when JD announced that the trade with Texas went through. Ryan Reynolds needs no introduction. He’s a power hitter and a good guy and we’re lucky to have him. He showed up early for Spring Training, he’s excited, and really, that’s what we’re looking for in any player. He’s got a positive attitude and we’re just as happy to have him as he is to be in a Jays uniform.
Caroline: Well, I for one cannot wait. I’m sure Jays fans will agree with me on that. Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to us, Eric. Good luck out there!
Eric: Thank you, Caroline. It’s really good to be back.
[Return to Jays Central Live Broadcast]
Looks like Eric seems pretty optimistic for the coming year.
Definitely, Matt, and can you blame him? I don’t think we, and the fans really, have been this excited since probably the early 90s. The Jays have a lot to look forward to and I have a good feeling about them making another run at the play-offs this year, especially now that Ryan Reynolds’ bat is in our starting line-up.
You’re not kidding. The biggest news of the off season was the acquisition of Ryan Reynolds from the Texas Rangers. Reynolds has been the fighting force behind the Rangers recent successes, including taking them into the post-season last year, but when he came into free agency at the end of last season, he jumped at the chance to play for the high-flying Jays and return home to Canada. I spoke to him earlier today.
[Cut to interview with Jays Designated Hitter Ryan Reynolds]
Matt: We’re here with Ryan Reynolds, newest member of the Toronto Blue Jays, primed to take over from the retiring Christian Kane. Ryan, welcome to the team!
Ryan: Thanks, Matt. It’s great to be here!
Matt: So you got plenty of offers ever since your free agency came up, especially after your stellar performance last season with the Rangers, but you’ve been biding your time. Was it waiting for a better deal to come along or really exploring your options in terms of where you wanted to go in your career?
Ryan: Not gonna lie, Matt - the deals were all pretty good, but when JD and I talked about potentially playing in Toronto, I just really liked the idea of coming home to Canada.
Matt: You’re Vancouver born and bred, correct?
Ryan: That’s right, yeah. And until the MLB decides to give Vancouver a team, I guess I’ll have to settle for playing in the T-dot. It feels great though. But that’s not even the coolest part of this gig.
Matt: Oh? And what would that be?
Ryan: Dude, I get to play with Jensen Ackles again! He’s… er… we were in the minors together for a couple of years, we met in Omaha playing for the Storm Chasers…
Matt: The Royals Triple-A team.
Ryan: Yeah, and then we were traded in a two-person deal to the Reno Aces, so we spent a lot of time together, and we roomed together for all our away games, too. He’s… amazing, and a real savvy player. He has this incredible insight into how the game is played and a real passion for baseball. I learnt a lot from him.
Matt: Well, we in Toronto certainly saw that in action last season.
Ryan: Yeah, man! I watched pretty close, too. Jensen’s so exciting to watch, you know; he’s always got something going. I used to think that even standing still, he’s always in motion. His instincts are infallible when it comes to getting the ball in play. I can’t wait to see him again. I can’t wait to play with him again.
Matt: Well, the starting players arrive at camp tomorrow, so you don’t have to wait much longer. And it’s great to already have a friend around when you join a new team.
Ryan: I’m really looking forward to it!
Matt: Awesome - we look forward to seeing you in the Jays blue, Ryan. Good luck this season!
Ryan: Thanks, Matt.
[Return to Jays Central Live Broadcast]
Well, there you have it, Caroline. Right from the horse’s mouth. He’s genuinely pumped to be with the Jays; the man can’t stop smiling. Too bad we won’t get to see him in the field, but I’m thinking Kripke may have a few aces up his sleeve when it comes to the starting line-up.
You could be right. Kripke’s not afraid to pull his punches when it comes to shuffling the line-up, and Kane did occasionally take over from Collins at first.
True. Also, Reynolds talking about his history with Ackles made me curious, so I looked into it and they played Second and Short with the Aces, respectively. Who knows - maybe we’ll see them out there when Padalecki gets a day off.
Yes, because that works so well when Ackles takes a day off and Eugene Byrd takes over at Short, right?
It’s not funny.
You’re right, Matt. It’s hilarious.
Well, yeah, all right. I think Kripke figured out quite early last season that if his regular second-baseman and shortstop need a day off - they take it together and Byrd and Pena take their turn.
And with history between Ackles and Reynolds already, Jays fans have yet another reason to tune in. I know I sure will!
On that note, we’ll return you to the Sportsnet studios. Stay tuned for This Week in Baseball, where our broadcast team will be bringing you the latest news from around the MLB. And don’t forget to join us on Sunday for our first Spring Training game against the Pittsburg Pirates. Until then, for Caroline Millar, I’m Matt Campbell saying so long from Dunedin. We’ll see you Sunday!
Cory stretched and breathed in deep, getting a whiff of freshly mown grass as the hot Florida sun bore down on everything in its wake, including his skin. It smelled like heaven, and it felt like home in a way Eden, Idaho, could never compare.
He squinted at the wide expanse of the outfield at Dunedin Stadium and willed his pulse to slow until it thudded heavily in his ears. There wasn’t an axe over his head this year; he had already proven his worth, now all he had to do was keep it together and keep at it.
Easier said than done, he thought, his eyes travelling down the foul line to the left of him, to where Mark was standing talking to Michael Terry, both of them laughing at something. He tried to look away but then Mark’s arm came up and found a place across Michael’s shoulders, and Cory found his gaze riveted to the spot where Mark’s grip seemed to tighten, and he suddenly felt bile rising in his throat.
Apparently, he’d been replaced.
“Hey, Cory.”
Even with John standing right next to him, he found himself unable to look away, his jaw clenched tight, his blood simmering with jealousy. It was ridiculous, of course. He’d been the one to call it off, not Mark; he had no right to feel anything. He was still pretty sure he wanted nothing to do with the man, but seeing him again made all his carefully crafted excuses fly right out of the window; Mark still had a hold on him. Right by his dick, no less.
“I really hate him,” he muttered in lieu of a greeting, finally looking his best friend in the face.
John rolled his eyes. “Sure you do. Here.”
Cory accepted the ice cold bottle of water gratefully, taking a refreshing gulp when he heard the crunch of footsteps approaching them. Not from the left, though, so he shoved down his anxiety and turned to see Ryan Reynolds, their new DH, come to a halt next to them, a giant grin on his face, and a long arm held out. John shook his hand first, and Cory followed suit as their new teammate introduced himself. About a minute later though, the hair at the back of his neck stood on end, and he knew instinctively that this time, Mark was standing right behind him.
“Hey, man,” Mark said jovially - and damned if that in itself didn’t throw Cory for a loop - and held his hand out to Ryan, “Mark Salling. This is Michael Terry. Bullpen.”
“Ryan Reynolds, DH.”
“Dude, we know. Welcome to the team!”
Cory gawked. Since when had Mark Salling joined the Jays pep squad? He darted a stunned glance at John, who merely shrugged in response, but couldn’t stop gaping at his ex-fuck buddy. Who was now staring right back at him, and oh shit, his face was getting redder by the second.
“S’up, Idaho?”
His mouth suddenly incredibly dry, Cory could only manage a tight nod in response. Luckily for him, John stepped in. “Hey, Mark, Michael. Heard you guys were playing ball in Hawaii. Were you on the same team?”
“Yeah,” Michael grinned, his whole face lighting up. “Man, it was awesome. The islands were gorgeous and even the baseball was relaxing, and so much fun! You should’ve come along, John.”
Mark grinned. “I’m sure Francis had better things to do, dude.”
“Like what?” Michael frowned.
“Well, last I heard, you were on your way to Maine, right?”
John’s entire body froze up, his face draining of whatever little color it had. Cory quickly found his voice and put it to use. “We didn’t stay long,” he told them, and something made him add, “we went back to Idaho. John stayed with me for the most part before we came here.”
Mark’s eyes snapped to his, the look in them cool, assessing. He didn’t say anything though, which surprised Cory. Instead, he studied John for a few, quiet seconds before speaking, his tone soft, apologetic. “I’m sorry, man.”
This time, John was as taken aback as Cory was. “I’m fine,” he finally managed to say, and Mark actually gave John’s shoulder a friendly squeeze at that. Michael and Ryan looked to Cory, but he was clueless. Who the hell was this man in front of him and what the fuck had he done to Mark Salling?
“What’s with all the gloomy faces?”
“Jensen!” Considering all five of them said it at the same time, it was pretty loud, but the absolute glee lighting up Ryan Reynolds face as he said Jensen’s name had the other four frowning at their newest teammate, who took no notice of them, instead pushing through the little group circle they had formed, his big hand wrapping around the back of Jensen’s neck, startling him, until recognition dawned in his eyes.
“Reynolds!” Jensen laughed. “Holy shit, dude! Good to see you!”
“Man, it’s really good to see you too, Jensen,” Ryan rasped out, his voice pitched low as he hugged Jensen close. Cory blinked. Jensen was patting Ryan on the back, and he couldn’t see his face, but Ryan’s face - eyes scrunched shut, blissful expression, big smile - and the tight grip he had on Jensen made Cory's shackles rise. Did the new guy not value his life?
He knew John was thinking the same thing when he hastily looked around the field, trying to find their second baseman. Michael was looking as slack-jawed as he felt, but again, it was Mark’s reaction that hit him out of left field.
“Dude,” Mark gritted out, tapping Ryan on the shoulder, “give the rest of us a turn, will ya?” He smiled and mumbled under his breath, so low that only Cory really heard him, “Before Jared shows up and kills you.”
Jensen chuckled, clearly not thinking anything was out of place, and he turned to give them all a hug in greeting. “Good to see you guys again! Michael - the tan suits you, buddy.”
Michael blushed; it was disgustingly adorable. Jensen laughed and playfully ruffled his hair as Mark grinned and smooched Michael's pink cheek, causing Cory’s eyes to damn near pop out of his skull in shock.
Mark leered at the younger man. “Yeah, you’re all cute and shit when you blush, baby.”
Everyone but Cory laughed, Michael elbowing Mark in the gut, and suddenly Cory couldn’t take it anymore. He turned abruptly, fully intending to high-tail it out of there but he walked right into Jared’s wide chest, his mouth colliding with Jared’s jaw. Jared naturally just turned it into a big hug. “Hey, Cory. How’s it going, man?”
“Great, Jared - just awesome,” he grunted, looking out the corner of his eye to see that Ryan still had a proprietary arm around Jensen’s shoulders. Big mistake, buddy, he thought to himself, fully prepared to restrain Jared if need be. But as Jared hugged the rest of the guys, nothing happened. Not until Jensen introduced him to Reynolds, that is, Jared’s eyes going a little squinty as he took in the other man’s arm on his husband.
Jesus.
“Good to meet you, Ryan,” Jared greeted the newcomer politely, probably just like his momma had taught him, “welcome to the team.”
“Thanks, Jared,” Ryan grinned, giving Jensen another squeeze, “still can’t believe I’m here! And with Jensen again, no less!”
“Again?” Jared asked in surprise before the rest of them could echo the sentiment.
Jensen smiled at Jared. “Ryan and I were in Omaha and Reno together. He played second base back then, but I guess a year with the Rangers and he graduated to DH.”
Ryan grinned wide, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. “That’s ‘cause I swing a big bat.”
Jensen laughed and smacked him in the gut, Jared just blinking at the two of them in silence. A second later, though, Jensen turned back to him. “Where were you, Jared?”
“Uh… Eric wanted to see me.”
“Anything important?” Jensen asked with a slight frown.
“Naw, just shootin' the shit. But he wanted to talk to both of us, actually. Uh… whenever you’re ready, I guess,” Jared shrugged, his hand rubbing at the back of his neck. Cory felt uncomfortable for him, but Jensen just nodded.
“Now's good. See y’all later, guys,” he said, finally moving away from Reynolds' grabby hands and towards Jared, where he belonged.
And then - right then - in that second, the weirdest shit happened: Jared reached out for Jensen and Jensen… flinched. Recoiled. Away from Jared. Jared’s face fell, but he gamely nodded at them before turning to trail after Jensen as they headed towards the clubhouse.
Cory’s jaw dropped in shock, and he made no effort to hide it. Holy shit - what the hell had just happened? Everything had been fine in Dallas; he’d even heard about them cementing their vows in Toronto, making everything legal and official and binding.
Suddenly, Cory felt himself dragged a little way away from their group, Mark’s hand firm on his elbow. “What the fuck just happened?”
“Damned if I know,” Cory muttered, watching their second baseman and shortstop head indoors. “Fuck.”
“You guys look as stunned as I feel,” John said, coming up to stand with them. Cory darted a look behind him to find Michael and the new guy chatting to each other, oblivious to the drama they’d just witnessed.
“Shit,” Mark grumbled. “Does this mean we have to stage another intervention?”
They looked at each other, before John sighed, resigned yet resolute. “Let’s go get the gang together.”
“Jared?” Jensen asked, when they had finally made good on their escape from Eric’s office and were well on their way back to the hotel, Jensen making the most of the drive in the Mustang he had bought Jared as a wedding present. “You all right?”
“Yeah.”
Jensen took another look at Jared’s blank face and frowned. Okay. Not good. He supposed his first clue should’ve been the fact that Jared had just tossed him the keys and gotten in the passenger side; his husband never missed out on an opportunity to drive this baby. And now, with that adorable little pout on his mouth, Jensen knew something was up. He bided his time and when he could, he pulled over onto the side of the road, his hand reaching out to grapple in the hair at Jared’s neck as his husband looked at him in surprise.
“What’s up?”
“I dunno,” Jared shrugged. “How ‘bout you tell me.”
“I would, except I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Jared blinked at him, his forehead furrowing as he frowned, the little wrinkles between his brows deepening. Jensen cupped his face, thumbs smoothing out all those lines and furrows. He found it impossible not to kiss Jared just then, so he just leaned in and did, his mouth soft and pliant against his husband’s, coaxing him into sighing, surrendering to the sensual assault on his defenses.
“Jensen…”
“Talk to me, baby,” Jensen encouraged when Jared faltered. He shimmied closer, ignoring the gear-shift in between them. “Tell me what’s bothering you.”
“You.”
“Me?” Jensen pulled back in surprise as Jared nodded.
“You… pulled away from me. I went to touch you, to hug you out by the dugout, and you pulled back.”
Jensen blinked and then huffed out a laugh. “Are you kidding me? That’s what this is about?”
Jared shoved at his chest, and before Jensen could process anything, his pissy husband was out of the car, the door slamming in his wake.
“Don’t laugh at me!” Jared snarled when he got out, not stopping until he was in Jared’s space again, up close and real personal.
“I wasn’t laughing at you,” Jensen muttered, pulling his husband’s face close, until their lips almost touched. “Did you forget our little conversation last night?”
Jared just stared at him. “What conversation?”
“The one where we agreed to keep it cool at work? No touchy feely stuff at the ball park? Or in the club house?”
“It was just a hug, Jensen! You needn’t have made it seem like I had a contagious disease!”
“Oh my God, Jared!” Jensen practically shouted. “It’s never just a hug with us anymore! It always escalates into something else. I thought we agreed to keep everything on the down low now that we’re married? Didn’t we do that?”
“Yeah. Okay,” Jared said between clenched teeth. “So, I’m supposed to just stand by and do nothing when Ryan Reynolds has got his dirty, filthy paws all over my husband, huh?”
Jensen was rendered completely speechless. So of course, he goes and does the worst possible thing, which is burst out laughing, and Jared went from pissed off to livid in the blink of an eye. It was really quite fascinating to watch because right up until then in their relationship, he had never seen his laid-back, easy-going husband look quite so angry. He stopped laughing as Jared pushed him away again, and fought his way back into his space.
“Yeah, your husband, idiot. Yours,” Jensen reiterated.
Jared kept right on pouting. “How come you never told me about him?”
“Because I totally forgot about his existence until I saw him standing there with the guys,” Jensen told him, his hands massaging the back of Jared’s neck as he leaned his body flush against Jared’s, pushing him back against the passenger side door of the car. “And yeah, I’ve known him for a couple of years, and he’s a good guy, all friendly and shit. Kinda like you a little bit, actually.”
“Great, just what I wanted to hear,” Jared grumbled, his hands possessively gripping Jensen’s hips, inching under his shirt until those long fingers Jensen loved so much were flexing against his skin, his hold just shy of painful.
“Not gonna lie, Jared. I did like him…” Jensen cut off Jared’s doubtless angry retort at the pass, kissing him quick. “As a friend. Well, as much a friend as I allowed myself to have anyway. He was just another teammate, man. I guess he must’ve been happy to see me again. That’s all.”
“Really?”
“Really. Plus, you keep forgetting that you are the first guy I’ve ever liked. You’re the one person I’ve ever really been in love with,” Jensen smiled as those big hands cupped his ass, squeezing hard as he was pulled impossibly closer, Jared nuzzling his face, overwhelming Jensen’s senses with his warm, sun-kissed skin and the faint scent of his cologne. “Love you, Jared,” Jensen whispered, moving his head until his mouth was pressed against Jared’s. “Only you. Always you.”
“Damn right,” Jared murmured, between fleeting kisses. “My Jensen,” he said, his steely, possessive tone deceptively soft, sending shivers down Jensen’s back, “mine.”
And as mellow, sweet kisses grew heated and passionate, Jared pushed and shoved until Jensen was back in the car, this time in the passenger seat, his husband grinning and full of himself as he slid in beside him, smacking his hand when it reached for the radio dial, instead adjusting it himself until he found a song he liked.
“Driver picks the music,” Jared informed him, not for the first time, “shotgun shuts the fuck up and sings along.”
Jensen laughed. “Well, at least it wasn’t ‘shotgun blows me’, this time.”
“Saving that for when we get back to the hotel,” Jared teased, leering at him.
Jensen leered right back. “Who says you’re driving tonight?”
“Me. I call top. Need to remind you who you belong to.”
Jensen stopped breathing for a second, and when he started again, it felt like he had run a marathon in a minute. Jealous Jared was a real fucking turn on; an unexpected bonus of Reynolds joining the team. Jensen grinned, wicked and wanton. “Put the pedal to the metal, sunshine.”
Jared looked over at him and gulped, Adam's apple bobbing in his throat. "Damn straight."
Jensen smirked. "Ain't gonna be nothin' straight about it."
And as they drove away with a squeal of rubber on asphalt, neither of them noticed the non-descript car in the convenience store parking lot across the street. Neither of them noticed the man behind the steering wheel, the telephoto lens of his camera pointed in their direction, zoomed in on them as they had kissed. And neither of them heard the malice in his voice as he muttered to himself, “Gotcha.”