Smoke & Lightning: City Of Angels (31/32)
Title: Smoke & Lightning : City Of Angels (31/32)
Authors: eviltwin and bloody_adorable
Fandoms: Supernatural RPS AU
Pairing: Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki.
Wordcount: 4,816
Rating: Adult.
Summary: Everyone has something new to get used to.
Disclaimer: None of the following is true in any way, and no profit is made from this work of fiction.
MASTER POST
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
The following day was Monday - the first day of a new school week for Matty and the first day of a new routine for Jensen and Jared. Jensen woke before his alarm was due to go off - well before, in fact - and he only had to listen for a couple of moments to figure out why. He elbowed Jared sharply in the ribs, making the other man grunt and wake up quickly.
"What?" Jared asked, groggy.
"Listen."
Jared stopped moving, went quiet, and then they both heard it again. Voices coming from down the hall. Jensen glanced at the clock and saw that it was only just past 4am. Heart pounding, he got quickly out of bed and padded across the room to the door. The voices didn't stop as he opened the door, and he heard Jared getting up behind him. He had all kinds of thoughts going through his head as he approached Matty's bedroom - someone's in the house, someone's trying to take Matty from us - and he pushed open the door to the boy's bedroom in one fluid movement, not even thinking twice.
Matty was sat up in bed, wide awake, staring at his tv which was on. The volume was low, but loud enough to be heard next door. He started when Jensen came in, and quickly dove under his covers when Jared appeared aswell, snapping the lights on.
"What are you doing?" Jensen asked.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"
"You know what time it is?"
Matty peered at him over the top of his covers, looking petrified. Jensen turned the tv off, his worry replaced by anger.
"I told you about not watching this at night, didn't I?"
Jared's hand came around Jensen's arm then. "Jen-"
"No, Jay. I have work in a few hours and Matty, you have school. You need to get back to sleep and if you wake up again this early then find something quiet to do. This happens again and this tv goes somewhere else. We clear?"
Matty nodded, looking miserable, and Jensen tried not to feel like an asshole for telling him off. "Sorry," he said again, as Jensen reached for the light-switch.
"Okay," Jensen said, sighing. "Okay. We'll forget it now, all right? Try and get some more sleep." He turned off the lights and Jared stepped aside to let him go back to their room first. He followed and stood by the side of the bed as Jensen got back under the covers. "What?" Jensen asked, after another second. "Are you going to tell me that was too harsh?"
Jared shook his head. "Nope." He got into bed next to Jensen and pulled the other man against him, kissed him. "Not at all. You handled it just right."
"Thank you."
"And I love you."
"I love you too."
"So since you're up..."
Jensen laughed, smacking Jared away. "Not a chance. I'm going back to sleep." He ignored the disappointed sigh Jared gave him and turned over. It was only a couple of seconds before Jared's chest was pressed to his back, an arm thrown over him as he held him tightly. "Good night," he murmured, already starting to doze off.
The next time that Jensen woke up was to the alarm. Jared reached across him and shut it off, took the opportunity to kiss him. "Morning."
"You want to get Matty up?" Jensen asked.
"He's not gonna hate you just because you had to tell him off already," Jared said.
"Please?"
Jared ducked down, nipped at the side of Jensen's neck. "Fine. I'll tell him you're not angry and that you're a total pussy."
Jensen rolled his eyes, grunting when Jared climbed over him to get out of bed. Once he was out of the room, Jensen got up too and got his work stuff together before going for a shower. By the time he got downstairs, Jared and Matty were seated at the kitchen island with their breakfast and there was a pot of coffee brewing with a mug ready for him to use. He poured himself some coffee out and sat next to Jared, found Matty watching him.
"I'm sorry," Matty said, before Jensen could even open his mouth.
"It's..fine," Jensen said. "I know it's just first night stuff. Excitement, right?" Matty nodded and Jensen continued. "It's just that we all need our sleep. You need it before school and I need it before work. Nobody wants to make a mistake because they're tired, huh?"
"No."
"So, who am I meeting today?" Jensen asked, changing the subject completely. "Homeroom teacher?"
"Mm-hm! Mrs Anderson. She's really nice." Matty stirred the cereal in his bowl with his spoon for a moment and then asked, "Are we going on your motorbike?"
"No we are not," Jensen said, laughing. "Not a chance until we get you kitted out and even then, short trips around the block only."
Matty got a gleam in his eyes at that, like he couldn't wait to have a turn.
Jared leaned closer to Jensen then, nudged him gently. "Are you eating breakfast?"
Jensen shook his head. "I'll get something at the hospital."
"Make sure you do."
"Why? Are you going to check up on me?"
"Maybe."
They finished up quietly after that and Jared suggested that Matty go and get his things together for school. When he got up and left them alone, Jensen stood and started clearing the dishes away and Jared stayed where he was, leaning over the counter to watch him.
"What?" he asked, after a few minutes of the silent scrutiny.
"Your ass looks really good in scrubs, that's all."
Jensen smirked and patted his backside with one hand. "Feels good too."
"Tease. I think I need to test that out, too." Jared beckoned Jensen over and pulled him close as soon as he was near enough to reach. He slid his hands over Jensen's ass, squeezed firmly. "Not bad," he said. "Still think it requires more testing, though."
"The day I get a saggy ass is the day you leave me," Jensen joked.
"Aw. I'll never leave you." Jared moved his hands, slipping them under the elastic of the scrubs pants. He grinned and pulled Jensen up flush to his body.
"Hey, take it easy. Matty'll be back any second," Jensen told him, grabbing at his wrists and pulling Jared's hands free of his pants. Jared just wrapped his arms around Jensen's neck instead, and leaned in for a kiss.
"I'm gonna go and get a shower," Jared said, as he pulled away. "I'll see you later, anyway. I'll bring your bike up at lunch and swap it for the car, then I can be at the school for three-fifteen."
"Don't forget."
"I'm not going to forget, Jensen. Relax, would you?"
"I am relaxed."
"Uh-huh. Sure." Jared kissed him again and told him he loved him before he let him go. Matty was stood in the doorway already with his backpack, waiting, as Jared went past him. He ruffled the boy's hair and told him to have a good day and Jensen was very glad that Matty didn't turn to watch Jared go up the stairs because halfway up them Jared stopped and yanked his pants down, mooning at Jensen before laughing and running up the rest of the way.
The whole first day, Jensen worried. He worried that Jared wouldn't get to the school on time, that Matty would be left waiting for one of them to come get him. He worried that his shift would be extended so much that he wouldn't get home until late and would miss seeing either of them that night. He worried that something would happen at the school and nobody would know to call him or Jared, despite the fact that he had spoken to Mrs Anderson that morning and given her his cell and work phone numbers. Of course, it was all unnecessary. When he arrived home at half-six that evening Matty was set up at the kitchen counter with his homework and Jared was working around him to put together their evening meal.
Jensen rested his helmet on the side and gave Jared a kiss hello.
"How was school?" he asked Matty, going into the refrigerator for a can of soda.
"It was okay," Matty replied, not sounding enthusiastic at all.
"Oh, just okay? What'd you learn about?"
"Lots of stuff."
Jensen looked at Jared, who only shrugged before going back to his cooking. "Did something happen at school today?"
Matty just shrugged and Jensen unzipped his jacket as he watched him.
"Talk to me, buddy, c'mon. I'm not going to get angry."
"I know." Matty still didn't look up and Jensen sighed, giving in.
"Okay, you don't want to tell us, that's cool. We'll listen when you're ready."
Matty nodded, kept his head down. Jensen asked Jared how long dinner would be and when he said another fifteen minutes, told him he was going for a really quick shower. He asked Matty if he needed any help with his homework after dinner, but Matty just said that he was almost done.
Jensen gave up, went upstairs to his and Jared's room where he stripped. He showered fast and then dressed in a clean pair of sweatpants and a grey tshirt. He went back downstairs and stopped short in the kitchen doorway at the sight that greeted him. Jared was turned away from the stove and hugging Matty tightly as the clearly very upset boy clung to him.
"What happened?" Jensen asked, staying where he was.
"Some kids in Matty's class found out that he'd moved in with us," Jared replied.
"What do you mean, found out?"
"They asked him and he told them. About his two dads."
Jensen's heart sank. "Right."
"They called me what that man called Jared yesterday," Matty said, his voice stilted and shaky.
"Shit."
"I'm sorry-" Matty started, but Jensen interrupted.
"You've got nothing to be sorry for, all right? I'll bring you to school tomorrow and we'll talk to your teacher."
Matty started to protest, but Jared hugged him tighter and quietened him. "No," he said. "I think I have a better idea."
Later on, after dinner, Jensen went through Matty's homework with him while Jared took Maya out for a walk. When he got back, the three of them sat on the couch together and watched some tv. Jensen called his mom after a little while, since he hadn't done so the night before, and Jared turned over to a kid's channel for Matty before fetching his laptop through. As he started working on it, he quickly realised that Matty was watching him instead of the tv. He looked over at him, grinned when Matty noticed he'd been caught out. Instead of getting embarrassed, though, he just shuffled closer and leaned against Jared's side. He watched Jared work on some designs and when Jared minimised the program window, he asked who was on the desktop. Jared had a photo of his and Jensen's family on there and he smiled down at Matty, put an arm around him as he pointed out each one.
"That's Jensen's mom and her boyfriend, Rock. Jensen's sister and that's my adoptive parents and my little brother and sister. All of whom you will meet in a couple of weeks."
"All of 'em?"
"Yup. Not all at once, don't panic."
"I'm not."
"You want to see who else you get to meet?"
Matty nodded, so Jared opened up the folder of pictures from back home and went through them all, telling him about Eric, Phin, Chris - "Call him Uncle Chris, he's Jensen's best friend in the world except for me." - Lynn and their son Johnny. There were photos that Jensen had taken, of Mickey, the bar, Josh and Cathy, Doctor Ballantine, Jeff's dog Shelby. Matty asked questions about each one and then asked how come there were no pictures of Jensen's real dad.
"Did he die?" he asked.
"No, he's not... He didn't die. He just decided that he didn't want to understand us and he wasn't willing to learn. Not to start with. By the time he thought he could try, I guess it was too late."
"So you don't see him?"
"He's there if Jensen wants to see him. Just like we're here if he ever wants to make the effort. Honestly, though? Let's not hold our breath."
The following day they all got up a few minutes earlier. Jared shared a shower with Jensen - to save time, he said, though it took them just as long thanks to his inability to leave Jensen alone - and they were downstairs before Matty, making breakfast and packing lunches. Jensen got everything into Matty's schoolbag after breakfast and then drank his coffee and washed dishes while Jared and Matty got their jackets.
"Where are my boots?" Jared asked. Jensen didn't even answer him, since they'd argued before about how he needed to stop losing things, so he just sighed loudly and went to find them himself. They were all ready on time and Jensen got Matty out to the car while Jared went out to his bike and got on, adjusting the pack on his back with his laptop so it sat more securely. He let Jensen pull out first and followed him to Matty's school at a leisurely pace, pulling back altogether when they got close.
When they arrived at the school there were already buses there and Matty said that the one they were waiting for was amongst them. Jensen got out with him and waited by the car as Matty headed towards the school. If Jensen knew bullies, and he figured that he should know them better than most, the kids from yesterday would most certainly single Matty out again today.
They did. He saw two slightly bigger kids heading right for Matty and he straightened, more alert. He didn't hear what the kids said to Matty, but he saw Matty look in his direction before one of the kids shoved him. Now he moved, heading for them with long strides.
"Hey, hey!" he shouted, gently pulling Matty out of their reach. "What's going on?"
"Nothing," both boys cried in unison.
"It didn't look like nothing to me. Maybe I should go find your teacher, huh? Matty, you okay?"
"I'm fine, Dad."
Jensen hadn't been expecting that. He stared at Matty in surprise for a moment, had to force himself to remember what he was doing.
"This is your dad?" asked one of the other kids.
"Well, he adopted me, yeah. Him and my other dad."
The boys looked at Jensen nervously, like they weren't sure what to believe, or what to say next. When the thunderous rumble of Jared's Indian grew louder until it stopped just behind Jensen's car, they looked about ready to run away.
"That'd be his other dad," Jensen told them. "Anything you need to say to Matty?"
"No, sir."
"Maybe let's keep it that way, right?"
Both boys nodded and then ran for it, leaving Jensen and Matty alone. Jensen looked down at the boy, who looked a lot happier than he had yesterday.
"So. Dad?"
Matty looked up sharply at that, worried. "It's okay, isn't it?"
Jensen didn't know what to say. Instead he just nodded, pulled Matty in for a hug. He had a feeling that it was going to take him longer to get used to this than it was Matty.
Jared was off the bike when he went back to the car. He stood with his feet slightly apart, helmet dangling from one gloved hand. "Everything okay?" he asked.
"Uh-huh."
"Jensen?" Jared caught him by the arm to stop him. "Is everything okay?" he asked again, his voice more insistent this time.
"Yes, Jay. Everything's fine. Matty told them I was his dad."
Jared's eyes widened in understanding and he held Jensen tight in one arm, squeezed him when Jensen returned the embrace. "That's great," he said. "Better than great. He called you 'Dad'."
"He called you Dad, too."
"He did?"
Jensen nodded. "Me and you." He exhaled, pressed his face against Jared's leather jacket. "Fuck."
The next few days went by quietly, with Matty having better days at school and the three of them getting to spend time together in the evening to look at school-work, walk Maya and watch movies. Then on Friday Jensen switched to night-shifts and didn't see Matty the whole day. He missed him as much as he missed Jared and he sacrificed some sleep over the weekend so that they could do stuff together before he went to work again. Matty reminded them both on Sunday morning that they'd said they would look for a helmet for him, so Jared took him out to go find one and made Jensen stay home for sleep.
He woke up hours later to Jared knelt over him, kissing his forehead lightly.
"C'mon, sleeping beauty. Time for some food before work."
"It's that time already?" Jensen asked, his voice throaty with sleep.
"You needed the rest."
"Where's Matty?"
"He's out in the yard with Maya." Jared settled his weight on top of Jensen, bending down to kiss him properly, more thoroughly. "Found him a helmet."
"Oh. Did you take him out already?"
"Figured I'd leave that to you. I told him if he waits until we take him to Jeff's, he can have a go on the Harley."
"Did you tell him a Harley was a real bike?"
Jared laughed. "His eyes lit up when I said it so maybe I don't have to."
"Well you can tell him that I'm never trading in my Triumph. Just so he knows."
"Uh-huh. Are you getting up?"
Jensen shifted. "If the answer to the question 'are you getting your huge ass off me' is yes, then... Yes."
"You just call me fat?"
"I called your ass fat."
"Oh. Well then." Jared rolled off of him, leaned on one elbow. "Up. You got three hours before work."
"What's for dinner?"
"Pizza."
"Delivered?"
"Yes, delivered. I figure we've been really good all week. And we'll be getting nothing but home-cooked after Wednesday. So, today, pizza."
"Okay, okay. Pizza it is. I'll be down in fifteen. Order my usual."
Matty had school the first two days of the following week, and the routine was easy now. Jared walked him down for the bus and waited with him until it got there, then met him off the bus in the afternoon and sat him in his office to do his homework until it was time to go. Jensen didn't get home from the hospital for more than a half hour over those two days, getting ahead of paperwork and working as many hours as he could before they went away. It wore him out to the point that when he was finally free from work, Jared had to pack his bags for him and let him sleep for the first eight hours of the drive. Matty slept in the backseat, curled up in a sleeping bag, since they set off just before midnight on Tuesday.
It was worth it, though. More than worth it to be awake for the last part of the journey. They'd had only a few stops along the way and made good time thanks to Jared's driving, but it was already growing dark by the time they hit the familiar streets of their original home-town. Jensen drove that last part, listening to Jared point places out to Matty that they passed, and he felt his excitement growing as they neared Jeff's place. It was coupled with nerves, though. He was anxious over what Matty's reaction to this meeting might be, but he made himself be calm as he finally pulled into the driveway.
He hit the horn once, briefly, and smiled as he saw the front door open. He was surprised that the first person out was Stevie and not Holly, but he didn't say a word. Jared was already out of the car, hugging Stevie tightly. Jensen looked round at Matty and smiled at him.
"Wanna go and say hi?" he asked.
Matty looked at him, eyes wide.
"Want to come with me and say hi?"
At that suggestion, he nodded. He kept a tight hold on Jensen's hand as they neared the house, but seemed to relax a little bit when Stevie said hello to him and crouched down to his level to give him a brief hug. She hugged Jensen too, told him that Jeff and his mom were inside.
"Kenzie's looking after the kids at your mom's place. We thought if she brings them over later on then it's not too overwhelming."
"Thanks."
"So, would any of you guys like a drink?" Stevie asked, her voice growing louder now as she led them into the house. "You must be thirsty after that long drive. Matty? A soda maybe?"
"Yes, please."
"Jensen? Jared?"
Jared just grinned. "Beers, I reckon. I'll get 'em."
Stevie stopped to look at him. "Okay. Don't touch anything else in that fridge, sunshine. I'll know."
Jared stared at her for a moment. "You scare me."
"I know, sweetie," she said, patting his arm. "Someone has to." She left Jared to drinks duty then and Jensen followed her to where his mom sat waiting, Matty still holding tight to his hand. He only let go when Jensen's mom got up, excitedly greeting them both and enveloping her son in a huge bear hug, kissing his cheek with a laugh.
"It's so good to see you! And Matty, well, look at you!"
Jensen could tell his mom was trying her best not to let any tears fall and she was doing a great job of it.
"Hi," Matty said shyly, jumping as he was pulled into an enthusiastic cuddle. When Donna let him go she told him that she was glad to meet him at last and that she felt very lucky to have him in the family. He didn't say a word to that, just watching with wide eyes. Jensen pulled him down to the couch and Matty didn't fight it, just sat on Jensen's lap with his head against Jensen's chest as he watched and listened to Donna and Stevie talking. He didn't sit up until Jared came in and handed him a can of soda, Jensen a bottle of beer.
"Where's the old man?" Jared asked, as Jeff was not to be seen.
"Out in the garage," Stevie told him. "He'll be in any minute. He just took a bed out there for Matty."
Matty looked up then, startled. "The garage?"
Stevie smiled at him. "Sure, honey. It used to be Jared's bedroom. And now it's a guest room. You're all sleeping in there, don't worry, you won't be on your own. And it's real nice in there, trust me."
"Well, hell then, ain't you gonna introduce me?" came Jeff's voice, from the doorway through to the kitchen. They all turned to look at him and he stayed where he was, waiting.
"You're Jeff," Matty said, watching him, still looking slightly wary.
"Yeah-"
"Jared's dad."
"Sorta, yeah."
"Like Jensen and Jared are sorta mine, right?"
Bemused, Jeff nodded. "Right, kiddo."
"Jared told me you've got a Harley."
Jeff glanced at Jared, then looked back at Matty. "Sure do. You want to see it?"
Matty looked up at Jensen, who nodded that it was okay. "Yes, please," he said. He clambered off Jensen's knee and handed his can of soda over for him to hold, then as Jeff turned to go back to the garage he quickly reached for his hand and grabbed it as he followed him. Jensen watched them both go, mouth open in surprise.
"Did you just see that?" he asked.
"Yeah. Jeff's good with kids, who knew?" Jared said, laughing as he sat next to Jensen and received a shove which nearly sent his beer flying. "It's not surprising, Jen. Matty's obviously got a new interest."
Jensen just made a non-commital sound at that, moved and settled back in Jared's arms.
"So how is it going with him?" Stevie asked. "Are you both managing all right?"
"We're managing fine, I think. I don't know. It's been a couple of weeks, that's all. I guess we have a lot to come still."
"Do you ever," Donna said. "But you'll be fine with it."
"You know you're both grandmas now, right?" Jared asked, looking between them both. Donna eyed him and Stevie reached across and smacked his knee.
"And you know you're not too old to get punished for that remark," she said, sternly. "I'm still too young and glamorous to be a grandma."
"Sorry, sugar, you don't get a choice in the matter. But you can both be the coolest grandparents he has."
Donna was laughing already. "I think Jeff already took that role on," she told them. "I really doubt Matty's interested in learning to bake or shopping."
Matty hopped down the stairs, still holding on to Jeff's hand. He looked around the garage as he went, his eyes still wide. This time, however, it wasn't out of anxiety, but instead curiosity. "Wow, this is your garage?"
Jeff chuckled. "Well," he began with a sigh, "it hasn't really been a garage since Jared was about sixteen."
Finally letting go of Jeff's hand, Matty ran a hand along the cupboards. After Jared and Jensen had left, the precarious piles of junk had been cleared out. The place looked neat and orderly now. "Why'd he sleep out here?"
Jeff neared a couple of covered bikes, shrugging his shoulders. "It was kind of a freedom thing," he said. "Staying out here made Jared feel like he was independent. And I was all for that."
"Did you adopt him when he was really young?"
He nodded. "Roundabouts," he said. "See, his Mom got real sick and died. She and I were going to get married, and... Well, life kind of stepped in. But she made sure that I adopted Jared just before she died."
"Does that mean you're my Grandpa?"
Jeff laughed, truly amused. He never thought he'd hear that. Hell, he'd never thought Jared would make it past twenty-five, much less find someone and settle down, even adopt. "Yeah, I guess it does."
"Do I have to call you Grandpa?"
"You can call me whatever you want to, kiddo."
Matty thought for a moment and smiled, giggling slightly. "I used to call my other Grandpa 'Papa Mike'. But he died. Can I call you Papa Jeff?"
"Sure you can, big guy."
It was quiet for a moment. But Jeff could tell that Matty was just brimming with questions. It didn't take long before he asked another one. "Was Jared's dad really bad?"
Jeff rested a hand on the cover of the bikes. "He was pretty bad news," he said, nodding. "But I gave him what-for and he's not around anymore."
Fear slipped into Matty's eyes again. "He's dead?"
"No," Jeff laughed. "No, he's just choosing to stay out of Jared's life for good now."
"Oh," he said, calmed again. "I'm glad."
Jeff grinned at him. "Me too, kiddo," he agreed. "Now, you want to see a real bike?"
Matty smiled brightly and nodded his head.
Jeff pulled the cover back enough to reveal the Harley. It was black and shiny and filled Matty's eyes.
"Woah," the boy lowed. "That's a beauty!"
Jeff laughed, nodding his head. "Yes, she is."
"Jared named his Indian Sioux," he told him. "Geddit? Indian, Sioux?"
"Yeah," Jeff groaned. "Jared always was pretty bad with the jokes."
"What did you name yours?"
He thought for a moment, arms crossed over his chest, tongue-in-cheek. This kid was pretty damn awesome. He reminded him of Jared a little, and he knew that he already loved the boy. "Hm," he mumbled. "I don't think I've ever named her." Of course, that was a lie. He'd named her the day he got her, but he didn't tell Matty that. "Why don't you name her?"
Stunned, Matty turned and looked at him. "For real?"
Jeff smiled and nodded. "Go for it, kiddo."
Matty looked over at the Harley again. "Okay." He seemed deep in thought, but Jeff was in no hurry and did not rush him. Instead he just watched the kid, his eyes glittering. Matty reached out and touched the gas tank on the bike, where the Harley Davidson logo shone in the light of the garage. "Can I name her Angel?"
"Angel?" Jeff repeated. "Sure."
"That was my Mom's name," he said. "And she is one now, so I think that would be a nice name."
Admiringly, Jeff gazed at the boy. "Yeah," he agreed. "I think that's the perfect name." And it really was.
tbc