Smoke & Lightning, Heavy Metal Thunder [13/?]
Title: Smoke And Lightning, Heavy Metal Thunder (13/?)
Authors: bloody_adorable and eviltwin
Fandoms: Supernatural RPS
Pairing: Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki.
Rating: PG all the way to NC-17 in future chapters.
Wordcount: 3,835
Summary: AU. Jared's a classic case of rich kid gone wrong, whose only sense of family comes from his motorbike, the guy he rents a garage from to live in and the precinct cops who know his face better than most already. Jensen's a hard-working student whose family are helping push him towards great things. What happens when their two worlds collide, and will Jared's troublesome nature be too much for Jensen to handle?
Disclaimer: None of the following is true in any way, and no profit is made from this work of fiction.
Note: If you haven't read last night's bonus (HET) update..some of the beginning of this chapter may not make sense. It's no problem really if you don't read it, but bear in mind the pairing involved in it are kind of important and will have plenty to do with our storyline. :)
----
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
There it was. Monday. Staring him right in the face. Laying on his back, Jensen looked up at the garage ceiling, one hand resting on his T-shirt covered stomach. He sighed when the radio alarm clock went off. He'd been awake for hours already. Quietly, he reached over and turned the alarm off. Making sure not to awaken Jared, he climbed out of bed and got ready for school. He was out of the shower by the time Jeffrey was headed towards the bathroom.
"Hey, Jensen."
"Hi," he said, trying to hide the sense of impending doom he felt in his voice. "You were out late."
"Yeah," Jeffrey nodded. "I, uh, had to go visit a friend. Hang out and I'll bring you to school."
Jensen nodded. "Okay," he agreed. "I'll scrounge for some breakfast."
"Cereal in the top cupboard, kiddo," Jeffrey said as he closed the bathroom door.
Jensen stood in the hallway, wanting to knock on the door and ask Jeffrey if they could talk. His stomach was churning; he really wasn't looking forward to food, and there was no way the day's lessons could fit in his head, what with everything milling about in there. When he heard the shower turn on, however, he decided that he would have to face the day on his own. Dad would never have helped him, anyway, if he'd ever had the nerve to tell him about Doug. He would have told him to face his problems head-on and learn to deal with them like a man. Jeffrey would surely say the same thing.
After half a bowl of cereal, Jensen went back into the garage and packed up his knapsack. Most of his books were stacked neatly on one corner of the workbench, but he couldn't find the copy of Taming Of The Shrew he needed for English. He looked around on the floor, searching for any sign of it, but found nothing. Frowning, he opened some of the drawers there, wondering if it Jared had moved it or put it away without thinking. Finally, in the last drawer, he found it. Smiling, he grabbed the book and stopped short. Behind it, a little out of the way, was a gun.
It was the same gun that he had seen when Jared had first brought him here, Jeffrey's gun. He was suddenly curious as to how the gun would feel in his grasp. He picked it up, finding it to be heavier than he would have thought. He remembered seeing on movies how they checked to see if they were loaded, and looked for the lever to push. He located it, flipped open the revolver and saw that there were no bullets inside. He closed the chamber again, moving slowly so that the clicking wouldn't awaken Jared, still asleep up in the loft.
He knew better than to bring the gun to school. But it wasn't loaded. And Doug was a serious threat. Maybe he could just scare him with it. That way, Jared wouldn't feel obligated to beat Doug to a bloody pulp. Or worse, kill him.
Glancing around for a moment, Jensen made sure no one would see him slide the revolver into his knapsack. He was almost ready by the time Jeffrey emerged from the house, his hair still wet and his beard unshaven. He ran his fingers across the dark-and-graying stubble. "Almost the season for a beard, eh?"
Jensen smiled. "Keeps you warm in the winter?"
Chuckling, he nodded. "Sure does."
Jensen laughed with him, and then slung the pack over his shoulder. "Ready when you are."
"Give me a chance to grab my coffee and we're outta here."
Outside, Jeffrey's car was not in the driveway. Jensen stopped short and looked further, finding it on the curb. "Your car," he said, pointing at it.
"Yeah, I uh..." Jeffrey said, clearing his throat. "I moved it over there."
"When?"
He scratched at the nape of his neck. "Oh, last...you know. When you guys were in bed."
Jensen made a face at him, confused. "Why?"
"Well, I just...I think it has a leak. I didn't want to get the drive all oily," he explained. "Come on, let's go. You're going to be late."
Jensen turned and looked at the cement driveway. It was marked with dirt, grease and oil, stained again and again from numerous oil changes and Jared's bikes. "Oh..." he said, blinking, "...kay."
"What's wrong, kiddo?"
Jensen realized he was staring. He turned and looked at Jeffrey. "What?"
"What's wrong?" he asked again. "You act like you don't want to go to school today."
"Oh," he swallowed. "Sorry."
Jeffrey reached out and touched him, rubbing at Jensen's shoulder. "You need a day to play hooky?"
The simple touch to his shoulder did more than Jeffrey realized. Jensen smiled and shook his head. "No," he chuckled. "Thank you though."
"Alright," he nodded. "As long as you're sure."
He nodded again. "I'm sure." Taking a deep breath, Jensen pushed open the car door and got out. Time to face the day. It wasn't going to help him, hiding in the car, as much as he wanted to stay there.
Day four, an even day. That meant Jensen had Phys Ed. He wasn't particularly excited about gym class. Mostly just because Doug could readily pound on Jensen, and Coach would take it as though it was just boys being boys.
But all through the morning classes, and even during P.E., Doug didn't come near him. Repeatedly, Jensen looked over at him, so sure he would be bloodied up before too long. Doug barely even looked at him. Maybe an occasional glance or two, but that was it. His lip was scabbed over, and a bruise had formed in the corner of his mouth. Jensen wondered how he had explained that one away. The anticipation was worse than if Doug had just belted him one. Still, Jensen wondered if going up to him and apologizing would help. He doubted it, but part of him still wanted to try.
He was mulling over what exactly to say to Doug, digging through the top shelf of his locker for his textbook for Math. He had forgotten it, and gotten a pass to leave class in order to retrieve it. In an instant, he was shoved up against the line of lockers, rushed at from behind. Pain flashed through his shoulders and chest. He winced as his cheek bounced off the edge of the shelf in his locker, his cheekbone already feeling bruised. Weight pressed against him, making his chest feel tight, like he couldn't take a full, deep breath.
"Hey, Jenny."
Jensen's eyes drifted closed for just a second. Doug. He would have known that voice anywhere. It had been part of his nightmares since Kindergarten.
Using his body to pin Jensen up against the lockers, Doug spoke softly into the boy's ear. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Not so tough without your pretty little boyfriend?"
Clenching his jaw, Jensen didn't fight Doug. He let himself be pinned, even though everything within him wanted to buck against the bully and shake him off. And if he did, what then? Would he grab the gun from his knapsack and try to scare Doug? Jensen wondered if the overbearing ass would even flinch.
"And what about Sugar Daddy?" he continued. "They ain't here to save you now, are they?"
Jensen swallowed nervously. "Doug, come on, man."
"Come on? Come on?" he snarled. "Come on what, you piece of shit?"
Hands open and fingers splayed to hopefully show no sign of aggresion, Jensen frowned slightly. "Look, I'm sorry how things went down," he explained.
Doug laughed in Jensen's ear. "Yeah, I bet you are, twink," he smiled. "And you know what? You're going to be a fuckload sorrier by the time I'm done with you."
"Freeman."
Still keeping hold of Jensen, Doug turned and looked at the teacher that was standing in the empty hallway.
"What's going on here? Shouldn't you be in class?"
"Yes, sir," he answered. He looked back at Jensen and smiled. With his free hand, he reached around and patted the side of Jensen's face, a little too hard. "See you later," he chuckled. "Princess."
Jensen felt Doug's weight leave him. He remained where he was for a moment, taking a deep breath. When his wits returned to him, he took another cleansing breath and pressed his hand to his cheekbone. He was going to have a bruise there, he could tell. And how was he going to explain that to Jared?
I'd fucking kill him if he touched you.
"Ackles, you alright?"
Jensen glanced back to the same teacher that had called Doug off. "Sir?"
"Are you alright?"
He nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Yes, sir," he answered.
"Get back to class then."
"Yes, sir."
Regardless of the fact that Doug had finally confronted him, or maybe because of it, Jensen didn't wait around for Jared or Jeffrey to show up. Usually, Chris walked to the bus stop with him, or gave him a lift in his truck, but he and Dani had already made plans. Jensen was on his own and he was glad. He needed some alone time. The skies were clear, but it was still cold, and he pulled his blazer firmly across his chest to keep warm. As he walked, he thought of Doug's threat. He knew it was going to take a lot to get the bully to back off, and he wasn't sure he had it within himself to solve the problem. His mind turned to Jared. He was overly fearful of what Jared would do if he was told of what Doug had said. Jensen decided to keep the threat quiet. He would have to figure out a way to deal with Doug on his own.
An old stone wall bordered the school property between the main building and where the busses were kept, about a quarter mile away. Jensen stopped along the wall and sat down, shivering. He thought of the gun, still sitting in his pack, and reached for it. It felt heavy in his hands, even though it wasn't loaded. He gripped it, put his finger over the trigger and wondered how bad the recoil would be when fired.
Shaking his head, Jensen frowned. It had been stupid to bring the gun, loaded or not. If he'd been caught, he would have been expelled. And Dad would have been right. Sighing, Jensen put the gun back in his knapsack and started on his way back home, to Jared.
Jared had been taking advantage of the clear skies all day. The garage door was open, and the Suicycle was almost looking normal again. A couple of FedEx boxes sat nearby, making Jensen curious as to when Jared had had the time to order parts for the bike.
"She's looking good," Jensen smiled, walking up the drive.
Jared half-turned. "Hey," he greeted. "Jeff didn't pick you up?"
"Nah, I caught the bus."
"Oh, sorry, man," he apologized, standing from his place on the cement driveway. "I thought he was going to get you today."
"It's okay."
Jared froze as he gazed over at Jensen.
Jensen squinted, smiling at Jared. "What?"
"What happened to your face?"
A sudden panic attack latched onto Jensen's throat. Shit, he thought. The bruise! He had forgotten to make up a legitimate excuse for the near-black eye that he now had. "Oh, that," he said, trying to buy some time. "It's nothing."
“Nothing, my ass," Jared said. "That's a shiner. Who gave it to you?"
"What?" Jensen asked. "Oh, no, it was from... I had P.E. today."
"And?"
"And, we played...dodgeball."
Jared watched Jensen nod his head, but he wasn't convinced. "A bunch of high school jock seniors played dodgeball?"
"Yeah," he agreed. "Sure, why not?"
He shook his head. "You're full of shit."
"I am not," he returned, sounding offended. "I got popped in the face with one of the balls."
Jared still didn't believe him. "By who?"
Sighing, Jensen quickly picked a name from the gym class roster. "Gregory Billings," he answered. "Okay?"
Quietly, Jared eyed him. "Not Doug?"
Success. "Not Doug."
Sighing, Jared turned towards the array of tools that were spread out on the blanket underneath the wheels of the Suicycle. "Alright," he said. "Well, help me pick up and we'll close up the garage and have hot boy sex."
Jensen smiled brightly and shook his head. "I have homework," he replied.
Putting up the kickstand on the bike, Jared pushed it into the garage, parking it beside the old Ducati. "Fine," he nodded. "We'll watch some lame television."
Jensen helped him move the stuff into the garage, dragging the blanket inside and leaving it beside the motorbike, all the tools and little odds and ends still settled upon it. "No, I'm going to do my homework, first."
"Homework?" Jared laughed. There was the inability to speak for a second or two as the garage door was pulled shut, clattering and groaning the whole way. "Come on," he encouraged after it was quiet again. "Watch a little TV for awhile and I'll help you with your homework later."
It was Jensen's turn to laugh. "No, you won't," he chuckled.
Jared bit at his bottom lip and playfully lunged towards Jensen, grabbing for his knapsack. He laughed when Jensen ducked out of the way, and made a frail attempt at shoving Jared back. Jensen voiced a protest, but it was feigned harsh words amidst a hearty laugh.
"Get off me," he said.
The words only fueled Jared's attempts to get the knapsack away from Jensen. He tried one more time, this time successful in knocking it off of the man's shoulder. The bag clattered to the floor, thick history books and english notes tumbling from within. They didn't catch Jared's attention as much as the pistol that rolled out from inside the bag. Smiles faded and all playfulness stopped.
Jensen felt his heart pound in his chest. He suddenly realized that he was more fearful now than when he faced Doug, watching Jared push him aside and start towards the gun. "Jared..."
Jared looked back at him, directly into Jensen's eyes, before he leaned down and picked up the gun. "What the hell is this?"
He held his hands up in the air in surrender. "I didn't use it," Jensen said.
Furious, Jared clenched his jaw and stepped closer, his fingers curled around the gun. "What the fuck is this for?"
Jensen winced. Jared's voice was much louder than before. If Jeffrey had been home, he would have come out into the garage to see what the problem was. "Jared, it's not even loaded," he told him. "Calm down."
"Fuck you, calm down," he snarled back. "Why are you carrying a gun? What -- to school? Is it because of that asshole on the football team? He's the one that gave you that shiner, isn't he?"
"Jared."
"You lied to me," he reminded him. "It wasn't from dodgeball and Gregory what-the-fuck-ever, was it?"
Jensen sighed, a frown darkening his face for a moment. "No," he answered. "I got it from Doug when he pushed me up against the lockers."
He raised the pistol in his palm, flashing it at Jensen. "And you brought this, why?"
Jensen almost sighed a second time. "Because," he began, pausing long enough to look away, searching for the right words. "Because I was afraid."
"Bullshit," Jared snapped. "Doug is a panty-waste. You could down him in a heartbeat if you wanted to. Why are you afraid of him?"
"It's not him I'm afraid of."
It took a moment for Jensen's words to sink in. Jared stared at him, stunned. His fury dissipated, and the tension in his shoulders seemed to lessen. He wasn't looming over Jensen like he had been a moment ago. Instead, he took a step back, hurt in his eyes. "You're afraid of me?"
Jensen frowned, raking his fingers through his hair. "I should feel honored that you fought for me," he said. "I know. But you scared me."
"Because I punched his lights out?"
"Because of what you said."
"What did I say?"
"That you would have killed him."
Jared honestly didn't see the problem with what he had said, and it showed in his expression. "I would have!"
Jensen growled and reached out to him. He shoved Jared back with one hand, just barely knocking him off balance. "I don't want you to hurt Doug like that. Not just for me. I know you think you're doing it 'cause you care, but if you get in trouble for anything involving him then I'm gonna feel guilty for not being able to stand up to him myself."
Jared listened, his jaw still set in anger.
"Aside from that, you'd probably go too far and get in real trouble and then I wouldn't see you again," Jensen continued. "So just...just promise me. Okay?"
Looking down at the gun in his hand, Jared thought quietly to himself. His anger wasn't nearly as potent as it was before. Jensen had a point. "So what the hell am I supposed to do?" he asked. "Stand back and watch him kick your ass?"
"Yes," Jensen said. "Let me fight my own fights."
Jared shook his head. He walked over to the work bench and put the gun back in the drawer where it had been before. "Fine," he said, slamming the drawer closed.
Sighing, Jensen noticed that Jared kept his back to him, resting his hands atop the work bench. "Doesn't mean I couldn't use some coaching though," he said.
Jared turned to face him. "Teach you some moves, you mean?"
"Why not?"
In the momentary silence, Jared looked up and down Jensen's body, then back ino his eyes. "I won't go easy on you," he told him.
"That would kind of defeat the purpose."
Before he could even finish his sentence, Jared lashed out at him. Jensen had enough time to duck somewhat, leaving Jared's hand to skip off the top of his head. It was an open-fisted hand; Jared was taking it easy on him, regardless of what he had said. Still, Jensen knew that the training had started. Laughing, he backed away from Jared. "Oh, ho ho!"
"Where you going?" Jared smiled. "Don't walk away. That means you're afraid. Pussy."
Jensen still laughed, moving around the cluttered garage. He was relieved that Jared had taken the news of his fear so well, and thankful that the man was going to help him work through it. "I am afraid," he returned. "You'll kill me."
"No I won't, come here."
Jensen saw Jared lunging at him, but he didn't have the time, nor space, to react. He had time enough to cry out before he felt Jared's arms envelop him. He heard Jared laugh at him, felt his long arms twining around him in an impossible knot. "No, let go!"
"Get out of it," Jared told him.
"How is this helping?" He heard the sound of fabric barely tearing and froze. "No, no, no! Hold on, you're going to tear my uniform."
"Take it off then."
"Kind of hard to when you're attached to me."
Jared chuckled and finally let go of Jensen. He didn't back away, instead sticking close by to watch Jensen remove his blazer and unbutton the shirt and pull it from his shoulders. "You're kinda sexy when you take your shirt off like that," he grinned.
"You're kinda creepy when you watch like that," Jensen teased, tossing the shirt to the side. He watched it land over the back of the sofa and then looked back at Jared. Before the wily man could grab hold of him, he took off like a shot, trying to put some distance between them. Somehow the lesson in tactical fighting had become nothing more than a playful game of tag. Some things were knocked off the box columns that were precariously towering in the garage. Jared set up boundaries as their path twisted around the garage; his main rule was to keep away from where the bikes were, for there were delicate parts that could easily break. Jensen respected the boundaries and thought he had plenty of room until he made a wrong turn and found himself face to face with Jared. Almost squealing like a girl, Jensen turned and tried to scramble away, but he felt a hand close around the waist of his pants.
Jared laughed, gaining enough leverage to pull Jensen back towards him.
"Augh, no!"
Still keeping hold of Jensen's belt, Jared chuckled and swivelled him around to face him. Jensen's shoes scraped along the cement garage floor as he skidded closer to Jared. "I win."
Jared laughed in response, curling his fingers around Jared's wrist and trying to dislodge his hold.
Time seemed to slow. They were suddenly acutely aware of each other's breathing, of the pulse that throbbed in one another's throat. Jensen noticed how Jared's hair fell in front of his eyes, and Jared was mesmerized by Jensen's eyes, rimmed with long, dark lashes. Still with a handful of trouser and belt, Jared leaned in just slightly, Jensen following his example. Their foreheads bumped together just slightly before their lips met. Jensen had to crane his neck back just slightly, to Jared's height.
He didn't know how the lesson had turned into this, but when he felt Jared let go of him to slide his hands along Jensen's jaw and then back into his hair, he suddenly didn't care. Jared's tongue was warm and tasted like peppermint gum. Jensen smelled like linen and cologne, and his hands were slightly chilled as they rested at Jared's hips.
Jared couldn't help but wonder how far Jensen would let this go; he couldn't help it. He wanted the nineteen-year-old more than he should, really. Blindly, he directed Jensen to the ladder that led to the bed on the second level.
Jensen bumped into it and remained there for a moment. He had a feeling he knew what Jared wanted, but he was still timid. Jared was getting insistant too, teeth as well as tongue being added into the kiss. Jensen wanted to give into him; he was so close to agreeing. His heart nearly skipped out of his chest when he felt Jared push his arms up straight, pinning his wrists against the rungs of the ladder.
Just as he was about to give in to Jared and pull him up the ladder, there was the rumble of an engine beyond the garage door. The engine cut out and then there was the familiar hinge squeak to Jeffrey's car door. Jared broke the kiss and looked down at Jensen, sighing softly. He skated his fingers down Jensen's arms, purposefully grazing the pads of his fingers over both of Jensen's nipples. "We need to get our own place," he mumbled.
--TBC--
Authors: bloody_adorable and eviltwin
Fandoms: Supernatural RPS
Pairing: Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki.
Rating: PG all the way to NC-17 in future chapters.
Wordcount: 3,835
Summary: AU. Jared's a classic case of rich kid gone wrong, whose only sense of family comes from his motorbike, the guy he rents a garage from to live in and the precinct cops who know his face better than most already. Jensen's a hard-working student whose family are helping push him towards great things. What happens when their two worlds collide, and will Jared's troublesome nature be too much for Jensen to handle?
Disclaimer: None of the following is true in any way, and no profit is made from this work of fiction.
Note: If you haven't read last night's bonus (HET) update..some of the beginning of this chapter may not make sense. It's no problem really if you don't read it, but bear in mind the pairing involved in it are kind of important and will have plenty to do with our storyline. :)
----
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
There it was. Monday. Staring him right in the face. Laying on his back, Jensen looked up at the garage ceiling, one hand resting on his T-shirt covered stomach. He sighed when the radio alarm clock went off. He'd been awake for hours already. Quietly, he reached over and turned the alarm off. Making sure not to awaken Jared, he climbed out of bed and got ready for school. He was out of the shower by the time Jeffrey was headed towards the bathroom.
"Hey, Jensen."
"Hi," he said, trying to hide the sense of impending doom he felt in his voice. "You were out late."
"Yeah," Jeffrey nodded. "I, uh, had to go visit a friend. Hang out and I'll bring you to school."
Jensen nodded. "Okay," he agreed. "I'll scrounge for some breakfast."
"Cereal in the top cupboard, kiddo," Jeffrey said as he closed the bathroom door.
Jensen stood in the hallway, wanting to knock on the door and ask Jeffrey if they could talk. His stomach was churning; he really wasn't looking forward to food, and there was no way the day's lessons could fit in his head, what with everything milling about in there. When he heard the shower turn on, however, he decided that he would have to face the day on his own. Dad would never have helped him, anyway, if he'd ever had the nerve to tell him about Doug. He would have told him to face his problems head-on and learn to deal with them like a man. Jeffrey would surely say the same thing.
After half a bowl of cereal, Jensen went back into the garage and packed up his knapsack. Most of his books were stacked neatly on one corner of the workbench, but he couldn't find the copy of Taming Of The Shrew he needed for English. He looked around on the floor, searching for any sign of it, but found nothing. Frowning, he opened some of the drawers there, wondering if it Jared had moved it or put it away without thinking. Finally, in the last drawer, he found it. Smiling, he grabbed the book and stopped short. Behind it, a little out of the way, was a gun.
It was the same gun that he had seen when Jared had first brought him here, Jeffrey's gun. He was suddenly curious as to how the gun would feel in his grasp. He picked it up, finding it to be heavier than he would have thought. He remembered seeing on movies how they checked to see if they were loaded, and looked for the lever to push. He located it, flipped open the revolver and saw that there were no bullets inside. He closed the chamber again, moving slowly so that the clicking wouldn't awaken Jared, still asleep up in the loft.
He knew better than to bring the gun to school. But it wasn't loaded. And Doug was a serious threat. Maybe he could just scare him with it. That way, Jared wouldn't feel obligated to beat Doug to a bloody pulp. Or worse, kill him.
Glancing around for a moment, Jensen made sure no one would see him slide the revolver into his knapsack. He was almost ready by the time Jeffrey emerged from the house, his hair still wet and his beard unshaven. He ran his fingers across the dark-and-graying stubble. "Almost the season for a beard, eh?"
Jensen smiled. "Keeps you warm in the winter?"
Chuckling, he nodded. "Sure does."
Jensen laughed with him, and then slung the pack over his shoulder. "Ready when you are."
"Give me a chance to grab my coffee and we're outta here."
Outside, Jeffrey's car was not in the driveway. Jensen stopped short and looked further, finding it on the curb. "Your car," he said, pointing at it.
"Yeah, I uh..." Jeffrey said, clearing his throat. "I moved it over there."
"When?"
He scratched at the nape of his neck. "Oh, last...you know. When you guys were in bed."
Jensen made a face at him, confused. "Why?"
"Well, I just...I think it has a leak. I didn't want to get the drive all oily," he explained. "Come on, let's go. You're going to be late."
Jensen turned and looked at the cement driveway. It was marked with dirt, grease and oil, stained again and again from numerous oil changes and Jared's bikes. "Oh..." he said, blinking, "...kay."
"What's wrong, kiddo?"
Jensen realized he was staring. He turned and looked at Jeffrey. "What?"
"What's wrong?" he asked again. "You act like you don't want to go to school today."
"Oh," he swallowed. "Sorry."
Jeffrey reached out and touched him, rubbing at Jensen's shoulder. "You need a day to play hooky?"
The simple touch to his shoulder did more than Jeffrey realized. Jensen smiled and shook his head. "No," he chuckled. "Thank you though."
"Alright," he nodded. "As long as you're sure."
He nodded again. "I'm sure." Taking a deep breath, Jensen pushed open the car door and got out. Time to face the day. It wasn't going to help him, hiding in the car, as much as he wanted to stay there.
Day four, an even day. That meant Jensen had Phys Ed. He wasn't particularly excited about gym class. Mostly just because Doug could readily pound on Jensen, and Coach would take it as though it was just boys being boys.
But all through the morning classes, and even during P.E., Doug didn't come near him. Repeatedly, Jensen looked over at him, so sure he would be bloodied up before too long. Doug barely even looked at him. Maybe an occasional glance or two, but that was it. His lip was scabbed over, and a bruise had formed in the corner of his mouth. Jensen wondered how he had explained that one away. The anticipation was worse than if Doug had just belted him one. Still, Jensen wondered if going up to him and apologizing would help. He doubted it, but part of him still wanted to try.
He was mulling over what exactly to say to Doug, digging through the top shelf of his locker for his textbook for Math. He had forgotten it, and gotten a pass to leave class in order to retrieve it. In an instant, he was shoved up against the line of lockers, rushed at from behind. Pain flashed through his shoulders and chest. He winced as his cheek bounced off the edge of the shelf in his locker, his cheekbone already feeling bruised. Weight pressed against him, making his chest feel tight, like he couldn't take a full, deep breath.
"Hey, Jenny."
Jensen's eyes drifted closed for just a second. Doug. He would have known that voice anywhere. It had been part of his nightmares since Kindergarten.
Using his body to pin Jensen up against the lockers, Doug spoke softly into the boy's ear. "What's wrong?" he asked. "Not so tough without your pretty little boyfriend?"
Clenching his jaw, Jensen didn't fight Doug. He let himself be pinned, even though everything within him wanted to buck against the bully and shake him off. And if he did, what then? Would he grab the gun from his knapsack and try to scare Doug? Jensen wondered if the overbearing ass would even flinch.
"And what about Sugar Daddy?" he continued. "They ain't here to save you now, are they?"
Jensen swallowed nervously. "Doug, come on, man."
"Come on? Come on?" he snarled. "Come on what, you piece of shit?"
Hands open and fingers splayed to hopefully show no sign of aggresion, Jensen frowned slightly. "Look, I'm sorry how things went down," he explained.
Doug laughed in Jensen's ear. "Yeah, I bet you are, twink," he smiled. "And you know what? You're going to be a fuckload sorrier by the time I'm done with you."
"Freeman."
Still keeping hold of Jensen, Doug turned and looked at the teacher that was standing in the empty hallway.
"What's going on here? Shouldn't you be in class?"
"Yes, sir," he answered. He looked back at Jensen and smiled. With his free hand, he reached around and patted the side of Jensen's face, a little too hard. "See you later," he chuckled. "Princess."
Jensen felt Doug's weight leave him. He remained where he was for a moment, taking a deep breath. When his wits returned to him, he took another cleansing breath and pressed his hand to his cheekbone. He was going to have a bruise there, he could tell. And how was he going to explain that to Jared?
I'd fucking kill him if he touched you.
"Ackles, you alright?"
Jensen glanced back to the same teacher that had called Doug off. "Sir?"
"Are you alright?"
He nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. "Yes, sir," he answered.
"Get back to class then."
"Yes, sir."
Regardless of the fact that Doug had finally confronted him, or maybe because of it, Jensen didn't wait around for Jared or Jeffrey to show up. Usually, Chris walked to the bus stop with him, or gave him a lift in his truck, but he and Dani had already made plans. Jensen was on his own and he was glad. He needed some alone time. The skies were clear, but it was still cold, and he pulled his blazer firmly across his chest to keep warm. As he walked, he thought of Doug's threat. He knew it was going to take a lot to get the bully to back off, and he wasn't sure he had it within himself to solve the problem. His mind turned to Jared. He was overly fearful of what Jared would do if he was told of what Doug had said. Jensen decided to keep the threat quiet. He would have to figure out a way to deal with Doug on his own.
An old stone wall bordered the school property between the main building and where the busses were kept, about a quarter mile away. Jensen stopped along the wall and sat down, shivering. He thought of the gun, still sitting in his pack, and reached for it. It felt heavy in his hands, even though it wasn't loaded. He gripped it, put his finger over the trigger and wondered how bad the recoil would be when fired.
Shaking his head, Jensen frowned. It had been stupid to bring the gun, loaded or not. If he'd been caught, he would have been expelled. And Dad would have been right. Sighing, Jensen put the gun back in his knapsack and started on his way back home, to Jared.
Jared had been taking advantage of the clear skies all day. The garage door was open, and the Suicycle was almost looking normal again. A couple of FedEx boxes sat nearby, making Jensen curious as to when Jared had had the time to order parts for the bike.
"She's looking good," Jensen smiled, walking up the drive.
Jared half-turned. "Hey," he greeted. "Jeff didn't pick you up?"
"Nah, I caught the bus."
"Oh, sorry, man," he apologized, standing from his place on the cement driveway. "I thought he was going to get you today."
"It's okay."
Jared froze as he gazed over at Jensen.
Jensen squinted, smiling at Jared. "What?"
"What happened to your face?"
A sudden panic attack latched onto Jensen's throat. Shit, he thought. The bruise! He had forgotten to make up a legitimate excuse for the near-black eye that he now had. "Oh, that," he said, trying to buy some time. "It's nothing."
“Nothing, my ass," Jared said. "That's a shiner. Who gave it to you?"
"What?" Jensen asked. "Oh, no, it was from... I had P.E. today."
"And?"
"And, we played...dodgeball."
Jared watched Jensen nod his head, but he wasn't convinced. "A bunch of high school jock seniors played dodgeball?"
"Yeah," he agreed. "Sure, why not?"
He shook his head. "You're full of shit."
"I am not," he returned, sounding offended. "I got popped in the face with one of the balls."
Jared still didn't believe him. "By who?"
Sighing, Jensen quickly picked a name from the gym class roster. "Gregory Billings," he answered. "Okay?"
Quietly, Jared eyed him. "Not Doug?"
Success. "Not Doug."
Sighing, Jared turned towards the array of tools that were spread out on the blanket underneath the wheels of the Suicycle. "Alright," he said. "Well, help me pick up and we'll close up the garage and have hot boy sex."
Jensen smiled brightly and shook his head. "I have homework," he replied.
Putting up the kickstand on the bike, Jared pushed it into the garage, parking it beside the old Ducati. "Fine," he nodded. "We'll watch some lame television."
Jensen helped him move the stuff into the garage, dragging the blanket inside and leaving it beside the motorbike, all the tools and little odds and ends still settled upon it. "No, I'm going to do my homework, first."
"Homework?" Jared laughed. There was the inability to speak for a second or two as the garage door was pulled shut, clattering and groaning the whole way. "Come on," he encouraged after it was quiet again. "Watch a little TV for awhile and I'll help you with your homework later."
It was Jensen's turn to laugh. "No, you won't," he chuckled.
Jared bit at his bottom lip and playfully lunged towards Jensen, grabbing for his knapsack. He laughed when Jensen ducked out of the way, and made a frail attempt at shoving Jared back. Jensen voiced a protest, but it was feigned harsh words amidst a hearty laugh.
"Get off me," he said.
The words only fueled Jared's attempts to get the knapsack away from Jensen. He tried one more time, this time successful in knocking it off of the man's shoulder. The bag clattered to the floor, thick history books and english notes tumbling from within. They didn't catch Jared's attention as much as the pistol that rolled out from inside the bag. Smiles faded and all playfulness stopped.
Jensen felt his heart pound in his chest. He suddenly realized that he was more fearful now than when he faced Doug, watching Jared push him aside and start towards the gun. "Jared..."
Jared looked back at him, directly into Jensen's eyes, before he leaned down and picked up the gun. "What the hell is this?"
He held his hands up in the air in surrender. "I didn't use it," Jensen said.
Furious, Jared clenched his jaw and stepped closer, his fingers curled around the gun. "What the fuck is this for?"
Jensen winced. Jared's voice was much louder than before. If Jeffrey had been home, he would have come out into the garage to see what the problem was. "Jared, it's not even loaded," he told him. "Calm down."
"Fuck you, calm down," he snarled back. "Why are you carrying a gun? What -- to school? Is it because of that asshole on the football team? He's the one that gave you that shiner, isn't he?"
"Jared."
"You lied to me," he reminded him. "It wasn't from dodgeball and Gregory what-the-fuck-ever, was it?"
Jensen sighed, a frown darkening his face for a moment. "No," he answered. "I got it from Doug when he pushed me up against the lockers."
He raised the pistol in his palm, flashing it at Jensen. "And you brought this, why?"
Jensen almost sighed a second time. "Because," he began, pausing long enough to look away, searching for the right words. "Because I was afraid."
"Bullshit," Jared snapped. "Doug is a panty-waste. You could down him in a heartbeat if you wanted to. Why are you afraid of him?"
"It's not him I'm afraid of."
It took a moment for Jensen's words to sink in. Jared stared at him, stunned. His fury dissipated, and the tension in his shoulders seemed to lessen. He wasn't looming over Jensen like he had been a moment ago. Instead, he took a step back, hurt in his eyes. "You're afraid of me?"
Jensen frowned, raking his fingers through his hair. "I should feel honored that you fought for me," he said. "I know. But you scared me."
"Because I punched his lights out?"
"Because of what you said."
"What did I say?"
"That you would have killed him."
Jared honestly didn't see the problem with what he had said, and it showed in his expression. "I would have!"
Jensen growled and reached out to him. He shoved Jared back with one hand, just barely knocking him off balance. "I don't want you to hurt Doug like that. Not just for me. I know you think you're doing it 'cause you care, but if you get in trouble for anything involving him then I'm gonna feel guilty for not being able to stand up to him myself."
Jared listened, his jaw still set in anger.
"Aside from that, you'd probably go too far and get in real trouble and then I wouldn't see you again," Jensen continued. "So just...just promise me. Okay?"
Looking down at the gun in his hand, Jared thought quietly to himself. His anger wasn't nearly as potent as it was before. Jensen had a point. "So what the hell am I supposed to do?" he asked. "Stand back and watch him kick your ass?"
"Yes," Jensen said. "Let me fight my own fights."
Jared shook his head. He walked over to the work bench and put the gun back in the drawer where it had been before. "Fine," he said, slamming the drawer closed.
Sighing, Jensen noticed that Jared kept his back to him, resting his hands atop the work bench. "Doesn't mean I couldn't use some coaching though," he said.
Jared turned to face him. "Teach you some moves, you mean?"
"Why not?"
In the momentary silence, Jared looked up and down Jensen's body, then back ino his eyes. "I won't go easy on you," he told him.
"That would kind of defeat the purpose."
Before he could even finish his sentence, Jared lashed out at him. Jensen had enough time to duck somewhat, leaving Jared's hand to skip off the top of his head. It was an open-fisted hand; Jared was taking it easy on him, regardless of what he had said. Still, Jensen knew that the training had started. Laughing, he backed away from Jared. "Oh, ho ho!"
"Where you going?" Jared smiled. "Don't walk away. That means you're afraid. Pussy."
Jensen still laughed, moving around the cluttered garage. He was relieved that Jared had taken the news of his fear so well, and thankful that the man was going to help him work through it. "I am afraid," he returned. "You'll kill me."
"No I won't, come here."
Jensen saw Jared lunging at him, but he didn't have the time, nor space, to react. He had time enough to cry out before he felt Jared's arms envelop him. He heard Jared laugh at him, felt his long arms twining around him in an impossible knot. "No, let go!"
"Get out of it," Jared told him.
"How is this helping?" He heard the sound of fabric barely tearing and froze. "No, no, no! Hold on, you're going to tear my uniform."
"Take it off then."
"Kind of hard to when you're attached to me."
Jared chuckled and finally let go of Jensen. He didn't back away, instead sticking close by to watch Jensen remove his blazer and unbutton the shirt and pull it from his shoulders. "You're kinda sexy when you take your shirt off like that," he grinned.
"You're kinda creepy when you watch like that," Jensen teased, tossing the shirt to the side. He watched it land over the back of the sofa and then looked back at Jared. Before the wily man could grab hold of him, he took off like a shot, trying to put some distance between them. Somehow the lesson in tactical fighting had become nothing more than a playful game of tag. Some things were knocked off the box columns that were precariously towering in the garage. Jared set up boundaries as their path twisted around the garage; his main rule was to keep away from where the bikes were, for there were delicate parts that could easily break. Jensen respected the boundaries and thought he had plenty of room until he made a wrong turn and found himself face to face with Jared. Almost squealing like a girl, Jensen turned and tried to scramble away, but he felt a hand close around the waist of his pants.
Jared laughed, gaining enough leverage to pull Jensen back towards him.
"Augh, no!"
Still keeping hold of Jensen's belt, Jared chuckled and swivelled him around to face him. Jensen's shoes scraped along the cement garage floor as he skidded closer to Jared. "I win."
Jared laughed in response, curling his fingers around Jared's wrist and trying to dislodge his hold.
Time seemed to slow. They were suddenly acutely aware of each other's breathing, of the pulse that throbbed in one another's throat. Jensen noticed how Jared's hair fell in front of his eyes, and Jared was mesmerized by Jensen's eyes, rimmed with long, dark lashes. Still with a handful of trouser and belt, Jared leaned in just slightly, Jensen following his example. Their foreheads bumped together just slightly before their lips met. Jensen had to crane his neck back just slightly, to Jared's height.
He didn't know how the lesson had turned into this, but when he felt Jared let go of him to slide his hands along Jensen's jaw and then back into his hair, he suddenly didn't care. Jared's tongue was warm and tasted like peppermint gum. Jensen smelled like linen and cologne, and his hands were slightly chilled as they rested at Jared's hips.
Jared couldn't help but wonder how far Jensen would let this go; he couldn't help it. He wanted the nineteen-year-old more than he should, really. Blindly, he directed Jensen to the ladder that led to the bed on the second level.
Jensen bumped into it and remained there for a moment. He had a feeling he knew what Jared wanted, but he was still timid. Jared was getting insistant too, teeth as well as tongue being added into the kiss. Jensen wanted to give into him; he was so close to agreeing. His heart nearly skipped out of his chest when he felt Jared push his arms up straight, pinning his wrists against the rungs of the ladder.
Just as he was about to give in to Jared and pull him up the ladder, there was the rumble of an engine beyond the garage door. The engine cut out and then there was the familiar hinge squeak to Jeffrey's car door. Jared broke the kiss and looked down at Jensen, sighing softly. He skated his fingers down Jensen's arms, purposefully grazing the pads of his fingers over both of Jensen's nipples. "We need to get our own place," he mumbled.
--TBC--