Family Life
Title: Family Life
Fandom: RPS
Characters: Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki
Prompt: 087. Life.
fanfic100 table: here
Word Count: 3,855
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Schmoop!
Summary: A hectic work schedule and three kids can make life a little stressful. But Jared wouldn't have it any other way.
Author's Notes: For nothingscripted, for her prompt of J2 with a houseful of kids and their bedtime routine in my help_haiti thread. Given the donation, I tried to make this longer and make it more of a full day in their lives, so...hope it fits with what you wanted! ♥
Jared pulled into his driveway half relieved to be home and half frightened that he couldn’t even remember how he got there. It had been one of those nights at the hospital again, and he found himself wondering not for the first time why the hell he had chosen this profession. Sure, it was about helping people. But once you had one too many patients who were anything but patient and took their maladies out on you, well…you started thinking about going back to school. Or, at the very least, working on your resume. Jared sighed. He was only human, anyway. It was easy to forget the noble reasons for going into medicine when faced with long hours and unforgiving attitudes.
He put the car into park, turned the key in the ignition, and hauled himself up out of his seat. The house was fuzzy around the edges, its gray stone exterior blurring with the semi-darkness of the early morning sky. His eyes burned with the need for sleep. All he could think about, all he’d been thinking about for the past couple of hours, was his bed, with soft sheets, a thick comforter, and fluffy pillows. And Jensen. Though Jensen wouldn’t be back in bed until after he’d taken the kids to school, and by that time, Jared would be passed out beyond all hope. Jared frowned. So much for enjoying family life.
He somehow managed to drag himself up the porch steps, wood creaking beneath his feet. It took him a few tries to get his key in the lock, and he snorted, wondering if any neighbors were watching and how many of them would think he was drunk out of his mind rather than exhausted from working so hard. He heard the click of the lock, opened the door, and heard another sound that he wished he never had.
It was an alarm. Jared could just hear the sound of his and Jensen’s alarm blaring through the door of their bedroom. His mood dropped, and he sagged back against the door. That sound could only mean one thing. It meant that Jensen’s equally long, hard day at work had left him passed out beyond all hope, enough for the alarm to have absolutely no effect on him. It meant that Jensen wasn’t up yet, which meant that the kids weren’t up yet, which meant that it would be damn near impossible to get them to school on time without the entire household falling into a major meltdown.
Jared could picture it now, what he’d find when he went upstairs. Just the thought of it had him gritting his teeth, his hands balling into fists. He tried to tell himself that getting angry at Jensen wouldn’t solve anything. It was misplaced anger. Not even anger, but fatigue and frustration with the situation, with life. He closed his eyes and silently fumed, trying to get himself under control. But he didn’t have any time to waste. They had a schedule to keep, and he didn’t want their kids to be those kids who were always late to school. He had to get everything moving.
So he marched up the stairs, tired as could be and almost ready to sob with it and throw himself on the floor like a belligerent child throwing a temper tantrum. He passed the kids’ rooms and made his way to the door at the end of the hall, the sound of the alarm growing louder as he approached it. He reached out and grasped the knob, knuckles turning white, and flung it open, almost sending it slamming into the wall. He saw the Jensen-shaped lump beneath the sheets, the limp arm sticking out and hanging over the edge of the bed, so close to the alarm that Jared could imagine Jensen flailing for it subconsciously. It made his blood pump hard and his nostrils flare, and he stalked stiffly over to the alarm, his hand slamming down on it to turn it off. The noise ceased, and the silence in the room was almost more aggravating. Because it was quiet and peaceful, and everything Jared didn’t feel but wanted so badly right now.
“Jensen,” he ground out, his jaw set so tight that it hurt. “Jensen!” He looked down at the bundled mass that was Jensen, not much showing besides the aforementioned arm and mussed hair. Jared reached out and wrapped his fingers around the body beneath the blankets, not even sure what parts he was grabbing, but practically lifting Jensen’s entire body up off of the mattress as he shook him awake. “JENSEN.” Jensen gasped and made a small frightened sound that almost made Jared feel bad, but his sympathy was short-lived when he remembered that it was supposed to be him in that bed. “Get up. You were supposed to get the kids up and out to school.”
“Shit, Jare, s’ry,” Jensen slurred, rubbing his face as it finally appeared above the covers. He looked just as exhausted as Jared felt, complete with pillow creases in his face. But that just reminded Jared that Jensen had at least gotten some sleep, so he didn’t feel so bad about his short, clipped tone. He turned away and headed for the kids’ rooms, opening the first door he reached after the bathroom.
“Alright, guys, come on,” he called out, clapping his hands and stepping towards the bunk beds on the far wall. Both of the twins whined at the same time, and Jared couldn’t help smiling a little at that. They rolled and stretched beneath their blue baseball sheets, splayed little limbs peeking out and showing off striped pajamas. “Come on, now, none of that,” Jared chided gently. “We’re already running late. You gotta get to school on time!”
“Come on, guys!” Jared jolted at the sound of Jensen’s voice and turned, not expecting to see Jensen carrying their little girl into the room. She was almost lifeless, still asleep, Jared knew, her head on his shoulder, arms around his neck. “Come on, I’m sorry, I should’ve had you up sooner, we gotta hurry.” He hefted their daughter in one arm and held his other out to Jason in the lower bunk. Jason yawned and took Jensen’s hand, pulling himself up out of bed. “Alright, good. Now help Tyler down.” Jason did as he was told under Jensen’s watchful eye, and then Jensen turned to Jared. “You can go to bed, I got this.”
Jared’s reaction time was slow, and he just stood staring dumbly as Jensen and the kids went about their business. He followed them out into the hallway slowly, watching as Jensen set Layla down and gently but firmly succeeded in getting her to stand on her own and wake up without the morning mood swings Jared was used to when their roles were reversed.
“Brush your teeth, guys,” Jensen was saying, but the boys were already doing it, toothbrushes sleepily moving in their mouths. “You, too.” Jensen smiled and picked Layla up to sit her on the edge of the sink, and she giggled. Jared couldn’t believe his eyes. He watched as Jensen helped her, putting the correct amount of toothpaste on the brush and handing it to her, giving her a stern look when she made a face and nearly stopped brushing. Jared knew how much she hated the taste of that particular brand, and he’d always struggled with her over it. Jensen gave her a look, and she calmly followed orders. Jared wondered briefly if he actually had gone to bed, and this was all a dream. He supposed it was entirely possible.
He watched as Jensen combed the boys’ hair and told them to go pick out their outfits. He watched as Jensen sprayed that stuff in Layla’s hair that was supposed to eliminate tangles and tears but never did, and let his mouth hang open as Jensen brushed through her hair without one little whine. He watched as Jensen asked her what color she was wearing today and picked the appropriate hair tie, pulling it back for her, nice and neat and sleek, where Jared’s ponytails were always messy and off to one side. He watched as Jensen got all three kids dressed, shoes and all. He watched as Jensen marched them all down the stairs in record time, and he heard the sound of various cereals being poured into bowls, a quick breakfast before school. He stood in the hallway and listened to them eat and clean up when Jensen told them, the sound of the door coming sooner than it ever did for him, followed by the car starting in the driveway. Normally, they’d walk to school, but since they’d gotten a late start, Jensen was making sure they’d get there on time.
And then the house was quiet. The way Jared had wanted it. The way Jared had imagined it when he’d come in and suddenly found himself angry, angry at Jensen and the world. He’d felt his blood boiling, felt exasperated at having to do everything by himself. And then Jensen had swooped in and saved the day, speeding the morning along more efficiently than Jared could ever have imagined. Jared looked towards his bedroom and blinked, realizing that he could go to bed now, but suddenly not wanting to be asleep when Jensen came back home. It wouldn’t be long, now. He sighed and stepped towards the stairs, sitting down on the first one and waiting.
“Jay?” Jared jolted and flinched, eyes snapping open. He hadn’t realized that he’d closed them. Jensen’s face was inches from his, standing a few steps below him and smiling in both amusement and concern, hand resting on Jared’s shoulder. “What are you still doing up? Come on, you’re gonna end up fallin’ down the stairs, and then what are we gonna do?”
Jared’s eyes drooped again, and he heard Jensen chuckle, felt Jensen’s arms wrap around him and lift. He felt like there was something he was supposed to say, but he couldn’t remember what. But he was up now, and he had to concentrate on getting his legs beneath him and moving them properly. He gave up when he let his eyes open to slits and spotted the bed, and Jensen grunted and lifted him up onto it. He was just barely aware of Jensen’s fingertips, hands moving him, undressing him, and settling him beneath the covers.
“There we go,” Jensen said quietly, crawling in beside him and moving in close, warm skin in a warm bed. Jensen’s lips pressed against his, and Jared instinctively snuggled in closer to him. “Sorry about this morning.”
“No, ‘m s’ry,” Jared mumbled, remembering now that that was what he was supposed to have said. “Was mad. Shouldn’t have been.”
“You did scare the shit out of me.” Jensen was laughing, and Jared was fading, his body sinking into the mattress. “Get some rest, Jay.”
****
By the time Jared woke up, the smell of food was wafting up from downstairs, and he could hear the kids running around and playing. He stretched, alone in bed, and missed the feel of Jensen next to him. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes, eventually yawning and sitting up. He threw the covers off and stood, getting himself dressed and heading downstairs.
“What is this?” he said, smirking at the pillow fort set up between the couch and the recliner. The twins stood outside of it, both of them wielding Nerf guns, and Jared was half amused and half disappointed that he’d been missing this. He cursed work once again for taking times like this away from him.
“Daddy!”
The twins had looked up at him excitedly, but upon hearing their sister shout, they turned back to the fort, ready and aiming with their guns as she came running out from the back of it. Jared laughed and moved to sweep her up in his arms, spinning around and taking a few Nerf balls to the back in the process.
“Always here to save you, princess!”
Layla giggled and squealed when he blew a raspberry on her cheek, her arms wrapping around his neck. Jared turned just in time to see Jensen crawling out from the fort, grinning up at him with his own Nerf gun in hand.
“I was teaching her how to aim,” Jensen explained, but Jared could tell from the glint in Jensen’s eyes that he’d been enjoying the fun, too. “She’s got two older boys gangin’ on up on her. Can be pretty tough.”
“So she gets the oldest child to help her, huh?” Jared teased, laughing when Jensen shot him in the ass, the kids giggling madly. “Shouldn’t you be checkin’ on dinner?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Jared realized that the pleasant smell he’d woken up to was now rather unpleasant. In fact, it smelled like something was burning. Which would explain why Jensen’s face was falling, and the smoke alarm was suddenly going off.
“Shit!”
Jensen’s gun clattered to the floor, the kids busy pointing out that Daddy had said a bad word as he went running for the kitchen. Jared set Layla down and ventured out there himself, just feeling a dull sense of surprise when he saw smoke filling the room, Jensen opening windows and waving a dish towel around.
“I got it!” Jensen coughed, trying his damnedest to move the smoke out the window with his arms. “I got it!” Jared mechanically moved towards the smoke detector and reached up, easily dismantling it to turn it off. He was waiting to feel something, waiting to explode, especially after this morning, but it wouldn’t come. Jensen turned to him and smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Guess we’re ordering pizza?” Jared just shook his head, slowly lowering it, just catching Jensen’s smile fading as he did. “I’m sorry.”
“You weren’t watching it?” Jared asked, his body beginning to tense. Maybe there was some anger here, after all. “You could’ve…You could’ve burned the house down, Jen! Thank God I woke up!”
“You really think I’m gonna let that happen?” Jensen’s eyes narrowed, hurt and angry. “You think I’d be stupid enough to do that?”
“Almost!” was all Jared said, hand flung out towards the oven, the smoke slowly dissipating. “You didn’t wake up this morning, you got the kitchen full of smoke! If I weren’t here, who knows what would happen!”
Jensen glared at him, stepping forward and opening his mouth to respond. He stopped short, and Jared saw Jensen’s eyes catch on something behind him. Jared turned to see the twins staring up at them, wide-eyed, Layla hanging back further. He sighed, feeling bad now for arguing in front of the kids. Jensen pushed past him and grabbed for the phone.
“It’s alright, guys, I’m gonna order some pizza for us, okay?”
Jensen’s tone was so calm, so soothing, but Jared knew by the set of Jensen’s shoulders that he was just pushing down his emotions for the kids. He watched Jensen find the correct menu and then dial, heard his polite conversation with whoever had picked up the phone on the other end, and mentally cursed himself. He’d already apologized to Jensen once, and now here he was, putting himself right back in the same situation. It was just one of those days.
****
Jared tossed the paper plates into the trashcan with a sigh. The kids were already back in the living room playing, Jensen attempting to clean up the mess of toys and pillows from earlier. He stood there after he closed the lid. He didn’t have much to do. The kids had informed him during dinner that their homework was already done. Jensen had helped them with it while he was still sleeping.
“You okay?”
Jared turned to see Jensen leaning in the entryway of the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest. His posture was still a bit stiff, but his head was cocked just so, a bit confused and concerned. Jared took a chance and walked over to him, leaning down to kiss him softly on the lips. Jensen didn’t respond much, but he didn’t back away, either, and Jared straightened to look down at him.
“I’m sorry. I let everything stress me out, and then I took it out on you.” He smiled a little, reaching his fingers out to play with the hem of Jensen’s shirt. “Truth is, I don’t know what I would do without you here. You always come through.”
“We’re a team, Jared,” Jensen said, arms falling to his sides in a more relaxed position. “We’re in this together.” There was a shout from the other room, and Jensen chuckled quietly. “Wii,” he explained, and Jared laughed with him.
“Good thing it’s bedtime soon. I’ve been dying to play it myself.”
“We have off tomorrow,” Jensen said with a smile. It was soft and warm and just a little suggestive. “We’ll have all the time we want to play while the kids are at school.”
Jared grinned. He’d forgotten all about their day of vacation, and he felt liberated now, with Jensen standing before him. Maybe this day wasn’t so bad, after all.
****
“Alright,” Jared called out, standing up from the couch. “Bedtime!” He grinned at the usual whining protests and scooped Tyler up in his arms, his son suddenly shrieking with laughter while he marched him up the stairs. Jason and Layla chased after him, and he stopped and turned towards them in the hallway, Jensen standing behind them and smiling. “Who wants first bath?”
“No!” Tyler protested, squirming in his arms. “Not me!”
“Was that a yes?” Jared asked, looking down at him with wide, innocent eyes. “Okay, then! Tyler’s turn!” He held the kid out and spun him, delighting in the sound of his son’s laughter, the other kids giggling in the background. He made airplane noises and rushed Tyler into the bathroom and set him down. “No, no, no,” Jared laughed when Tyler tried to run past him and escape. “Come on, buddy, in you go.”
Jared got Tyler a towel and washcloth and adjusted the water for him, letting him test it before undressing and getting in. Then Tyler gave him that look that said, “I can do this myself,” and Jared smirked and left the room, leaving the door open a crack and waiting outside of it. Jensen stood next to him with Jason and Layla, waiting.
“They’ll be movin’ out soon,” Jensen joked, and Jared snorted. Though it did seem like just yesterday that the three of them were tiny and helpless. Not so much anymore.
It was a little while before Jared heard the water draining in the tub, then the water in the sink and the sound of Tyler brushing his teeth. The door opened a few minutes later, Tyler wrapped up in a towel, hair still dripping wet.
“Let me see.” Jared picked him up and sniffing playfully at the kid’s neck. Tyler laughed, skin still pink and warm from his bath. “Good,” Jared said, nodding his approval. “Now let’s get your hair a little drier, huh?” He looked to Jensen, who just saluted him and ushered Jason into the bathroom next while giving an exaggerated shout of, “Alright, let’s keep the line movin’, people!”
Tyler yawned after getting his pajama pants on, sitting on the edge of the bottom bunk while Jared ran his fingers through his hair, hair dryer set on high. He ruffled the hair when he was done, Tyler squawking and pushing at his hands, and then Jared was slipping Tyler’s shirt on for him and pulling the covers back on the top bunk. And as much as the kid liked to do things himself these days, there were times like this, when Tyler would look up at his bed and then look up at Jared, silently lifting his arms. Jared swept him up into his arms again, kissing his forehead and lifting him up into bed.
“Goodnight, kid,” Jared said, ruffling Tyler’s hair again as he lifted the covers up over him.
“’Night, Daddy.”
Jensen entered the room soon after with Jason, also wrapped in a towel and with hair just as wet as Tyler’s was. “We got one more!”
“I got her,” Jared said, finding Layla out in the hallway and taking her into the bathroom. He still stayed with her during her baths, mostly because her long hair was a bit too much for her to handle on her own. But Jared couldn’t bring himself to cut it. While it could be a mess when tangled, it was beautiful when it wasn’t.
He knelt by the side of the tub as she washed herself up, making sure she did it properly. And when she stopped and looked up at him, he smiled and gently lowered her down enough to soak her hair in the water before lifting her back up. He squeezed her shampoo out into his hand, the one that she picked out because it smelled nice, and lathered up the long blonde strands. He rubbed her scalp with his fingertips, careful to wipe away the suds that threatened to fall down into her eyes. He took his time rinsing the hair out, making sure to wash all the shampoo out of it.
“There we go, sweetheart.” He pulled the plug out of the drain and lifted her up and out, drying her off and gently squeezing her hair in the towel before wrapping her up in it. Just as he was coming out of the bathroom, Jensen was closing the door to the boys’ room.
“They’re asleep,” Jensen said quietly, turning and picking Layla up in his arms. “How’s my little girl? You tired yet?”
“No,” came the quiet reply from down on his shoulder, and Jensen chuckled with Jared as they took her into her room. Drying her hair was more of a task, but Jensen was there with him, spraying it with the same stuff he’d used that morning and combing through it while Jared passed the hair dryer over it. By the time they were done, it was that perfect, straight, bright blonde that Jared loved, Layla leaning into him, half asleep already.
“See?” Jensen said, smiling at him and then looking down at Layla, brushing her hair away from her face with his fingers. “Teamwork.”
She clung to Jared when he tried to move her into bed and beneath the covers, and Jensen gently pulled her away, placing her teddy bear into her arms. She settled then, lying down with the stuffed animal and waiting for them to say goodnight and turn her nightlight on before closing her eyes. They left the room, Jared closing the door behind them. Jensen immediately grabbed his arm and led him into their bedroom, closing the door and locking it. Jared kissed him, feeling warm and grounded now. He forgot about that morning, the dinner, all of the stress and anger, everything. This was the life he’d always wanted.
Fandom: RPS
Characters: Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki
Prompt: 087. Life.
fanfic100 table: here
Word Count: 3,855
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Schmoop!
Summary: A hectic work schedule and three kids can make life a little stressful. But Jared wouldn't have it any other way.
Author's Notes: For nothingscripted, for her prompt of J2 with a houseful of kids and their bedtime routine in my help_haiti thread. Given the donation, I tried to make this longer and make it more of a full day in their lives, so...hope it fits with what you wanted! ♥
Jared pulled into his driveway half relieved to be home and half frightened that he couldn’t even remember how he got there. It had been one of those nights at the hospital again, and he found himself wondering not for the first time why the hell he had chosen this profession. Sure, it was about helping people. But once you had one too many patients who were anything but patient and took their maladies out on you, well…you started thinking about going back to school. Or, at the very least, working on your resume. Jared sighed. He was only human, anyway. It was easy to forget the noble reasons for going into medicine when faced with long hours and unforgiving attitudes.
He put the car into park, turned the key in the ignition, and hauled himself up out of his seat. The house was fuzzy around the edges, its gray stone exterior blurring with the semi-darkness of the early morning sky. His eyes burned with the need for sleep. All he could think about, all he’d been thinking about for the past couple of hours, was his bed, with soft sheets, a thick comforter, and fluffy pillows. And Jensen. Though Jensen wouldn’t be back in bed until after he’d taken the kids to school, and by that time, Jared would be passed out beyond all hope. Jared frowned. So much for enjoying family life.
He somehow managed to drag himself up the porch steps, wood creaking beneath his feet. It took him a few tries to get his key in the lock, and he snorted, wondering if any neighbors were watching and how many of them would think he was drunk out of his mind rather than exhausted from working so hard. He heard the click of the lock, opened the door, and heard another sound that he wished he never had.
It was an alarm. Jared could just hear the sound of his and Jensen’s alarm blaring through the door of their bedroom. His mood dropped, and he sagged back against the door. That sound could only mean one thing. It meant that Jensen’s equally long, hard day at work had left him passed out beyond all hope, enough for the alarm to have absolutely no effect on him. It meant that Jensen wasn’t up yet, which meant that the kids weren’t up yet, which meant that it would be damn near impossible to get them to school on time without the entire household falling into a major meltdown.
Jared could picture it now, what he’d find when he went upstairs. Just the thought of it had him gritting his teeth, his hands balling into fists. He tried to tell himself that getting angry at Jensen wouldn’t solve anything. It was misplaced anger. Not even anger, but fatigue and frustration with the situation, with life. He closed his eyes and silently fumed, trying to get himself under control. But he didn’t have any time to waste. They had a schedule to keep, and he didn’t want their kids to be those kids who were always late to school. He had to get everything moving.
So he marched up the stairs, tired as could be and almost ready to sob with it and throw himself on the floor like a belligerent child throwing a temper tantrum. He passed the kids’ rooms and made his way to the door at the end of the hall, the sound of the alarm growing louder as he approached it. He reached out and grasped the knob, knuckles turning white, and flung it open, almost sending it slamming into the wall. He saw the Jensen-shaped lump beneath the sheets, the limp arm sticking out and hanging over the edge of the bed, so close to the alarm that Jared could imagine Jensen flailing for it subconsciously. It made his blood pump hard and his nostrils flare, and he stalked stiffly over to the alarm, his hand slamming down on it to turn it off. The noise ceased, and the silence in the room was almost more aggravating. Because it was quiet and peaceful, and everything Jared didn’t feel but wanted so badly right now.
“Jensen,” he ground out, his jaw set so tight that it hurt. “Jensen!” He looked down at the bundled mass that was Jensen, not much showing besides the aforementioned arm and mussed hair. Jared reached out and wrapped his fingers around the body beneath the blankets, not even sure what parts he was grabbing, but practically lifting Jensen’s entire body up off of the mattress as he shook him awake. “JENSEN.” Jensen gasped and made a small frightened sound that almost made Jared feel bad, but his sympathy was short-lived when he remembered that it was supposed to be him in that bed. “Get up. You were supposed to get the kids up and out to school.”
“Shit, Jare, s’ry,” Jensen slurred, rubbing his face as it finally appeared above the covers. He looked just as exhausted as Jared felt, complete with pillow creases in his face. But that just reminded Jared that Jensen had at least gotten some sleep, so he didn’t feel so bad about his short, clipped tone. He turned away and headed for the kids’ rooms, opening the first door he reached after the bathroom.
“Alright, guys, come on,” he called out, clapping his hands and stepping towards the bunk beds on the far wall. Both of the twins whined at the same time, and Jared couldn’t help smiling a little at that. They rolled and stretched beneath their blue baseball sheets, splayed little limbs peeking out and showing off striped pajamas. “Come on, now, none of that,” Jared chided gently. “We’re already running late. You gotta get to school on time!”
“Come on, guys!” Jared jolted at the sound of Jensen’s voice and turned, not expecting to see Jensen carrying their little girl into the room. She was almost lifeless, still asleep, Jared knew, her head on his shoulder, arms around his neck. “Come on, I’m sorry, I should’ve had you up sooner, we gotta hurry.” He hefted their daughter in one arm and held his other out to Jason in the lower bunk. Jason yawned and took Jensen’s hand, pulling himself up out of bed. “Alright, good. Now help Tyler down.” Jason did as he was told under Jensen’s watchful eye, and then Jensen turned to Jared. “You can go to bed, I got this.”
Jared’s reaction time was slow, and he just stood staring dumbly as Jensen and the kids went about their business. He followed them out into the hallway slowly, watching as Jensen set Layla down and gently but firmly succeeded in getting her to stand on her own and wake up without the morning mood swings Jared was used to when their roles were reversed.
“Brush your teeth, guys,” Jensen was saying, but the boys were already doing it, toothbrushes sleepily moving in their mouths. “You, too.” Jensen smiled and picked Layla up to sit her on the edge of the sink, and she giggled. Jared couldn’t believe his eyes. He watched as Jensen helped her, putting the correct amount of toothpaste on the brush and handing it to her, giving her a stern look when she made a face and nearly stopped brushing. Jared knew how much she hated the taste of that particular brand, and he’d always struggled with her over it. Jensen gave her a look, and she calmly followed orders. Jared wondered briefly if he actually had gone to bed, and this was all a dream. He supposed it was entirely possible.
He watched as Jensen combed the boys’ hair and told them to go pick out their outfits. He watched as Jensen sprayed that stuff in Layla’s hair that was supposed to eliminate tangles and tears but never did, and let his mouth hang open as Jensen brushed through her hair without one little whine. He watched as Jensen asked her what color she was wearing today and picked the appropriate hair tie, pulling it back for her, nice and neat and sleek, where Jared’s ponytails were always messy and off to one side. He watched as Jensen got all three kids dressed, shoes and all. He watched as Jensen marched them all down the stairs in record time, and he heard the sound of various cereals being poured into bowls, a quick breakfast before school. He stood in the hallway and listened to them eat and clean up when Jensen told them, the sound of the door coming sooner than it ever did for him, followed by the car starting in the driveway. Normally, they’d walk to school, but since they’d gotten a late start, Jensen was making sure they’d get there on time.
And then the house was quiet. The way Jared had wanted it. The way Jared had imagined it when he’d come in and suddenly found himself angry, angry at Jensen and the world. He’d felt his blood boiling, felt exasperated at having to do everything by himself. And then Jensen had swooped in and saved the day, speeding the morning along more efficiently than Jared could ever have imagined. Jared looked towards his bedroom and blinked, realizing that he could go to bed now, but suddenly not wanting to be asleep when Jensen came back home. It wouldn’t be long, now. He sighed and stepped towards the stairs, sitting down on the first one and waiting.
“Jay?” Jared jolted and flinched, eyes snapping open. He hadn’t realized that he’d closed them. Jensen’s face was inches from his, standing a few steps below him and smiling in both amusement and concern, hand resting on Jared’s shoulder. “What are you still doing up? Come on, you’re gonna end up fallin’ down the stairs, and then what are we gonna do?”
Jared’s eyes drooped again, and he heard Jensen chuckle, felt Jensen’s arms wrap around him and lift. He felt like there was something he was supposed to say, but he couldn’t remember what. But he was up now, and he had to concentrate on getting his legs beneath him and moving them properly. He gave up when he let his eyes open to slits and spotted the bed, and Jensen grunted and lifted him up onto it. He was just barely aware of Jensen’s fingertips, hands moving him, undressing him, and settling him beneath the covers.
“There we go,” Jensen said quietly, crawling in beside him and moving in close, warm skin in a warm bed. Jensen’s lips pressed against his, and Jared instinctively snuggled in closer to him. “Sorry about this morning.”
“No, ‘m s’ry,” Jared mumbled, remembering now that that was what he was supposed to have said. “Was mad. Shouldn’t have been.”
“You did scare the shit out of me.” Jensen was laughing, and Jared was fading, his body sinking into the mattress. “Get some rest, Jay.”
****
By the time Jared woke up, the smell of food was wafting up from downstairs, and he could hear the kids running around and playing. He stretched, alone in bed, and missed the feel of Jensen next to him. He blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes, eventually yawning and sitting up. He threw the covers off and stood, getting himself dressed and heading downstairs.
“What is this?” he said, smirking at the pillow fort set up between the couch and the recliner. The twins stood outside of it, both of them wielding Nerf guns, and Jared was half amused and half disappointed that he’d been missing this. He cursed work once again for taking times like this away from him.
“Daddy!”
The twins had looked up at him excitedly, but upon hearing their sister shout, they turned back to the fort, ready and aiming with their guns as she came running out from the back of it. Jared laughed and moved to sweep her up in his arms, spinning around and taking a few Nerf balls to the back in the process.
“Always here to save you, princess!”
Layla giggled and squealed when he blew a raspberry on her cheek, her arms wrapping around his neck. Jared turned just in time to see Jensen crawling out from the fort, grinning up at him with his own Nerf gun in hand.
“I was teaching her how to aim,” Jensen explained, but Jared could tell from the glint in Jensen’s eyes that he’d been enjoying the fun, too. “She’s got two older boys gangin’ on up on her. Can be pretty tough.”
“So she gets the oldest child to help her, huh?” Jared teased, laughing when Jensen shot him in the ass, the kids giggling madly. “Shouldn’t you be checkin’ on dinner?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Jared realized that the pleasant smell he’d woken up to was now rather unpleasant. In fact, it smelled like something was burning. Which would explain why Jensen’s face was falling, and the smoke alarm was suddenly going off.
“Shit!”
Jensen’s gun clattered to the floor, the kids busy pointing out that Daddy had said a bad word as he went running for the kitchen. Jared set Layla down and ventured out there himself, just feeling a dull sense of surprise when he saw smoke filling the room, Jensen opening windows and waving a dish towel around.
“I got it!” Jensen coughed, trying his damnedest to move the smoke out the window with his arms. “I got it!” Jared mechanically moved towards the smoke detector and reached up, easily dismantling it to turn it off. He was waiting to feel something, waiting to explode, especially after this morning, but it wouldn’t come. Jensen turned to him and smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Guess we’re ordering pizza?” Jared just shook his head, slowly lowering it, just catching Jensen’s smile fading as he did. “I’m sorry.”
“You weren’t watching it?” Jared asked, his body beginning to tense. Maybe there was some anger here, after all. “You could’ve…You could’ve burned the house down, Jen! Thank God I woke up!”
“You really think I’m gonna let that happen?” Jensen’s eyes narrowed, hurt and angry. “You think I’d be stupid enough to do that?”
“Almost!” was all Jared said, hand flung out towards the oven, the smoke slowly dissipating. “You didn’t wake up this morning, you got the kitchen full of smoke! If I weren’t here, who knows what would happen!”
Jensen glared at him, stepping forward and opening his mouth to respond. He stopped short, and Jared saw Jensen’s eyes catch on something behind him. Jared turned to see the twins staring up at them, wide-eyed, Layla hanging back further. He sighed, feeling bad now for arguing in front of the kids. Jensen pushed past him and grabbed for the phone.
“It’s alright, guys, I’m gonna order some pizza for us, okay?”
Jensen’s tone was so calm, so soothing, but Jared knew by the set of Jensen’s shoulders that he was just pushing down his emotions for the kids. He watched Jensen find the correct menu and then dial, heard his polite conversation with whoever had picked up the phone on the other end, and mentally cursed himself. He’d already apologized to Jensen once, and now here he was, putting himself right back in the same situation. It was just one of those days.
****
Jared tossed the paper plates into the trashcan with a sigh. The kids were already back in the living room playing, Jensen attempting to clean up the mess of toys and pillows from earlier. He stood there after he closed the lid. He didn’t have much to do. The kids had informed him during dinner that their homework was already done. Jensen had helped them with it while he was still sleeping.
“You okay?”
Jared turned to see Jensen leaning in the entryway of the kitchen, arms crossed over his chest. His posture was still a bit stiff, but his head was cocked just so, a bit confused and concerned. Jared took a chance and walked over to him, leaning down to kiss him softly on the lips. Jensen didn’t respond much, but he didn’t back away, either, and Jared straightened to look down at him.
“I’m sorry. I let everything stress me out, and then I took it out on you.” He smiled a little, reaching his fingers out to play with the hem of Jensen’s shirt. “Truth is, I don’t know what I would do without you here. You always come through.”
“We’re a team, Jared,” Jensen said, arms falling to his sides in a more relaxed position. “We’re in this together.” There was a shout from the other room, and Jensen chuckled quietly. “Wii,” he explained, and Jared laughed with him.
“Good thing it’s bedtime soon. I’ve been dying to play it myself.”
“We have off tomorrow,” Jensen said with a smile. It was soft and warm and just a little suggestive. “We’ll have all the time we want to play while the kids are at school.”
Jared grinned. He’d forgotten all about their day of vacation, and he felt liberated now, with Jensen standing before him. Maybe this day wasn’t so bad, after all.
****
“Alright,” Jared called out, standing up from the couch. “Bedtime!” He grinned at the usual whining protests and scooped Tyler up in his arms, his son suddenly shrieking with laughter while he marched him up the stairs. Jason and Layla chased after him, and he stopped and turned towards them in the hallway, Jensen standing behind them and smiling. “Who wants first bath?”
“No!” Tyler protested, squirming in his arms. “Not me!”
“Was that a yes?” Jared asked, looking down at him with wide, innocent eyes. “Okay, then! Tyler’s turn!” He held the kid out and spun him, delighting in the sound of his son’s laughter, the other kids giggling in the background. He made airplane noises and rushed Tyler into the bathroom and set him down. “No, no, no,” Jared laughed when Tyler tried to run past him and escape. “Come on, buddy, in you go.”
Jared got Tyler a towel and washcloth and adjusted the water for him, letting him test it before undressing and getting in. Then Tyler gave him that look that said, “I can do this myself,” and Jared smirked and left the room, leaving the door open a crack and waiting outside of it. Jensen stood next to him with Jason and Layla, waiting.
“They’ll be movin’ out soon,” Jensen joked, and Jared snorted. Though it did seem like just yesterday that the three of them were tiny and helpless. Not so much anymore.
It was a little while before Jared heard the water draining in the tub, then the water in the sink and the sound of Tyler brushing his teeth. The door opened a few minutes later, Tyler wrapped up in a towel, hair still dripping wet.
“Let me see.” Jared picked him up and sniffing playfully at the kid’s neck. Tyler laughed, skin still pink and warm from his bath. “Good,” Jared said, nodding his approval. “Now let’s get your hair a little drier, huh?” He looked to Jensen, who just saluted him and ushered Jason into the bathroom next while giving an exaggerated shout of, “Alright, let’s keep the line movin’, people!”
Tyler yawned after getting his pajama pants on, sitting on the edge of the bottom bunk while Jared ran his fingers through his hair, hair dryer set on high. He ruffled the hair when he was done, Tyler squawking and pushing at his hands, and then Jared was slipping Tyler’s shirt on for him and pulling the covers back on the top bunk. And as much as the kid liked to do things himself these days, there were times like this, when Tyler would look up at his bed and then look up at Jared, silently lifting his arms. Jared swept him up into his arms again, kissing his forehead and lifting him up into bed.
“Goodnight, kid,” Jared said, ruffling Tyler’s hair again as he lifted the covers up over him.
“’Night, Daddy.”
Jensen entered the room soon after with Jason, also wrapped in a towel and with hair just as wet as Tyler’s was. “We got one more!”
“I got her,” Jared said, finding Layla out in the hallway and taking her into the bathroom. He still stayed with her during her baths, mostly because her long hair was a bit too much for her to handle on her own. But Jared couldn’t bring himself to cut it. While it could be a mess when tangled, it was beautiful when it wasn’t.
He knelt by the side of the tub as she washed herself up, making sure she did it properly. And when she stopped and looked up at him, he smiled and gently lowered her down enough to soak her hair in the water before lifting her back up. He squeezed her shampoo out into his hand, the one that she picked out because it smelled nice, and lathered up the long blonde strands. He rubbed her scalp with his fingertips, careful to wipe away the suds that threatened to fall down into her eyes. He took his time rinsing the hair out, making sure to wash all the shampoo out of it.
“There we go, sweetheart.” He pulled the plug out of the drain and lifted her up and out, drying her off and gently squeezing her hair in the towel before wrapping her up in it. Just as he was coming out of the bathroom, Jensen was closing the door to the boys’ room.
“They’re asleep,” Jensen said quietly, turning and picking Layla up in his arms. “How’s my little girl? You tired yet?”
“No,” came the quiet reply from down on his shoulder, and Jensen chuckled with Jared as they took her into her room. Drying her hair was more of a task, but Jensen was there with him, spraying it with the same stuff he’d used that morning and combing through it while Jared passed the hair dryer over it. By the time they were done, it was that perfect, straight, bright blonde that Jared loved, Layla leaning into him, half asleep already.
“See?” Jensen said, smiling at him and then looking down at Layla, brushing her hair away from her face with his fingers. “Teamwork.”
She clung to Jared when he tried to move her into bed and beneath the covers, and Jensen gently pulled her away, placing her teddy bear into her arms. She settled then, lying down with the stuffed animal and waiting for them to say goodnight and turn her nightlight on before closing her eyes. They left the room, Jared closing the door behind them. Jensen immediately grabbed his arm and led him into their bedroom, closing the door and locking it. Jared kissed him, feeling warm and grounded now. He forgot about that morning, the dinner, all of the stress and anger, everything. This was the life he’d always wanted.