Smoke & Lightning, Heavy Metal Thunder [16/?]
Flagged for adult stuff.
Note: I'd just like to say thank you to all the people who sent good wishes my way. ~hugs everyone~ And a huge apology for this being a week late now! But we're back! I'm not completely on top form yet, but a lot better than I was, so updates will return to their regular schedule. And we have a few extra goodies heading your way in thanks for you being so patient. I really hope this chapter was worth the wait! ♥
Title: Smoke And Lightning, Heavy Metal Thunder (16/?)
Authors: bloody_adorable and eviltwin
Fandoms: Supernatural RPS
Pairing: Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki.
Rating: Adults only.
Wordcount: 4,981
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.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Jensen left the English room and decided to hang out in the bathroom for about fifteen minutes, while the noise in the hallways outside died down to nothing. Chris would have given up on waiting for him and gone home, he knew. He'd told him that he was meant to be getting a lift with Jared anyway so he wouldn't be worried. He gathered his books out of his locker and stuffed them in his bag, securing it over his shoulders. As he headed for the main door he heard it squeak open and looked up, half-expecting to find Doug waiting for him.
It was Jared. Immediately Jensen lifted himself out of his slouch, ignoring the slight pain in his stomach as he did so.
"Hey. Was just wondering where the hell you got to."
"I, uh, had to sort some work out." Jensen stopped a couple of feet away from him, eyes darting to either side to make sure that there was definitely nobody else around before he stepped forward once more and kissed Jared on his chin. Jared tugged him forward with two fingers looped around his belt and Jensen tilted his head back to make the reach easier. They kissed quietly and briefly before Jensen followed him out to the bike. Thankfully, nearly all the other kids were gone and the few that remained were too engrossed in their own conversations for now. Jensen knew that would change as soon as Jared started the bike's engine so he shoved the helmet onto his head quick and flicked the visor halfway down, obscuring his face.
"You want to rent a movie or take a chance on Jeff's collection?" Jared asked, as he stood behind him pulling his own helmet on. He stepped closer to Jensen and tightened the straps of his bag for him so it was snug against his back. Jensen just wanted to get home, so he suggested they skip the rental store. He wanted to get his homework out of the way before they settled down to anything.
Jared agreed to it and when they got back he left Jensen in peace and took advantage of Jeffrey not being home. He showered for a long time and came down into the kitchen still dripping. Jensen didn't even look around as Jared kissed the back of his head, concentrating hard on getting his essay finished. It got harder after Jared had shoved a load of his teeshirts into the washer and set it going, because once that was done he sat opposite Jensen wearing nothing but his towel and a grin. Jensen found it hard to draw his eyes away from smooth skin and glistening muscle, and especially hard not to stare at Jared's tattooed chest and those damned silver rings. He looked up to find Jared smirking at him and laughed.
"Asshole. Go sit somewhere else, okay? I'm not moving 'til I've finished this and if you sit there it's going to take even longer."
"Ugh. I hate how logical you are."
"I know. Go get dressed. I'll only be another ten minutes, I swear."
"Okay." Jared made a show of sighing, of heaving himself up out of his seat, and of disappearing into the garage. He was good, though, and didn't return for a full quarter-hour, leaving Jensen in peace to finish his schoolwork. He came back inside dressed in navy sweatpants and a white wife-beater and snagged two beers from the refrigerator, telling Jensen to come with.
Leaving his books out on the table, Jensen followed Jared into the lounge and kicked back on the sofa while the other man selected a movie and stuck it into the player. Jared joined him on the sofa, putting his bare feet up on the table and slinging an arm around the back of Jensen's shoulders.
For the first ten minutes they actually both watched the movie, although Jensen found it difficult to follow once Jared began combing his fingers through the back of the younger man's hair. His eyes drifted closed and he felt Jared shifting around beside him, unsurprised when he felt a warm mouth against his jaw.
"The movie.." He mumbled.
"Why'd you think I chose one I've seen a billion times already?" Jared chuckled, then moved his kisses to Jensen's ear, licking around the lobe and making him swear. Then Jared slid his other hand over Jensen's chest and Jensen quickly sat forward before he could go any lower.
"Okay, maybe we should watch the movie. I haven't seen it and I really don't want Jeff catching us like-"
"The movie ain't going anywhere. And Jeff's out for the night, I reckon. Just me and you, for hours. Thought you'd want to make the most of it."
"Yeah, but-" Jensen was cut off again as Jared used the hand against his chest to push him back into his seat.
"But nothin'. I know you're gonna love this so stop getting all nervous and crap. That stopped being cute last night."
"Jay..."
Jared didn't listen, instead sliding a hand under Jensen's shirt, thankfully not pressing hard, just skimming over skin until his fingers found Jensen's nipples and began toying with one. Maybe he'd be okay so long as Jared didn't-
"Take your shirt off."
Jensen didn't even hesitate. He just said no, he didn't really want to, which got him about as far as he'd expected it would.
"C'mon, don't be a pussy. Take it off. I promise I'll make it worth it."
Knowing Jared would argue forever more if he didn't do as he was told, Jensen slowly unbuttoned his shirt and looked up at the ceiling as Jared pushed it open.
"Huh," he said, seeing the dark red mark and bruise straight away. He sat back, staring at Jensen. "Let me guess. Dodgeball?"
"You promised, Jay. You promised you wouldn't do anything to him."
"I might've said I wouldn't kill or maim him. Never said anything about anything else."
"You know how much worse it'd get if you did anything? Everyone would think that I can't fight my own battles and-"
"I know, Jensen. I know you said you want to fight this one yourself, but it doesn't look like you're doing such a great job so far, now does it?"
"Fuck you," Jensen muttered, slumping back into the sofa.
"Oh, right. Fuck me, huh? I'm just the guy who wants to help your ass out. What the hell d'you think is gonna happen tomorrow, Jen? That overnight you're going to turn into Superman and show that sorry prick what you're made of?"
"You know what? Stranger things have happened!"
"Not to you!"
Jensen rolled off the sofa, annoyed at Jared being so close and pissed that he was right. He sat on the chair opposite and sighed, clutching his hands together.
"See that?" Jared asked. "That's why you keep losing. Don't run the fuck away all the time. Stand your ground. He's not the one who's right; you are. He's not the better man. You are."
"You have no idea, Jay. No idea what it's like to live with-"
"You know why?" Jared interrupted. "Because I don't sit whining about it to the people I think will listen, okay? I got hurt, I picked myself up, I found the son of a bitch that hurt me and I hurt him right the fuck back. Only way to get their respect. Only way to stop them. You think that I want to hear about how big and scary Doug's been to you all your life? You think I want to hear about how mean I'm being to you by telling you the truth? You're important to me, you know that? Already you're fucking...You're fucking me up in ways I never dreamt of. And that's the reason I'm giving you this shit. You don't want me to fight for you, but, fuck, Jensen.. You gotta do it yourself or I'm not gonna listen any more."
"You're a prize fucking dick sometimes."
Jared shrugged. "All the time, but be that as it may, I'm a dick who's right about this."
Jensen looked away from him finally, staring instead at the TV although he didn't really see it. Eventually he let out a frustrated sigh and pushed himself up, heading into the garage. Jared followed, just as he'd expected.
"How the hell do I take on three guys by myself?"
"You don't. Doug's a meathead. He's nothing without his pals. You get him on his own, the deal's done."
"He's never on his own."
"He's gonna let his guard down. You've just never thought to watch for it before now."
"And then what? Say I manage to take him down, yeah? I get into shit for punching out the school's star quarterback?"
"Because the first thing Doug's gonna do is admit he got flattened by the school's star fag." Jared pulled Jensen into his arms and kissed the top of his head gently. "I know people like him. I know just what he'll do. He'll make some excuse for it, same as you do. And if he needs a little persuading away from putting you in trouble, then there's always plan B."
"What the hell's plan B?" Jensen asked. Jared just grinned at him.
"You'll find out if it's needed. I promise that it won't cause him any physical harm."
"Hmm.."
"Scout's honour." Jared gave him a goofy three-fingered salute and Jensen couldn't help but smile. At least Jared hadn't flipped. The truth had hurt, but at least he hadn't done something stupid. "Can we get back to watching the movie now?"
"You sure you don't want to just cut out the middle man and start making out right now?"
Jared laughed at that. At Jensen's choice of words. "Sure, but back on the sofa. Comfier, is all."
And warmer, Jensen thought. He followed Jared back to their spot on the couch and they got settled into a comfortable position; Jared on his side with his back against the cushions and Jensen on his side, facing him, their legs interlocked so they couldn't lose their balance. To Jensen, it felt absolutely perfect. More so when Jared closed the distance between their mouths and kissed him. He was careful though, and they got no further with fooling around that night than kisses and soft touches to skin that was already exposed. When the credits rolled on the movie, they both agreed it had been awesome and then Jared let Jensen pull him up off the sofa and out to the garage, locking up the house on the way.
By the time they crashed into bed together, Jensen had a pleasant buzz from the beers and the making out and a deep relief that Jared had stuck to his word. Still in his shorts, quite in spite of Jared's protests, Jensen pressed himself up against Jared's back and curled an arm around him, letting his knuckles brush against his stomach.
"Don't get me all horny else I'm gonna make you follow through on it," Jared warned, in a low whisper.
"Jay, you're horny every damn second of the day," Jensen retorted, still rubbing his hand back and forth. "Maybe I want to do this without getting anything back."
"Mm..no. I don't want to come. The anticipation's better. But you can keep doing that. Feels good." Jared leaned back more against him, his head pressed to Jensen's shoulder. "Keep doing that 'til we both fall asleep."
"Gotta go, Jared."
"No you don't. I decided. Four days ain't long enough and you're so damned smart that one extra day don't have to count. I'll even write you a sick-note."
"Don't be an idiot."
"'Dear sir, Jensen was unable to attend school today because his boyfriend kept him in bed all day so he could blow his fucking mind.'" Jared pressed his hand between Jensen's legs as he finished talking, and squeezed to emphasise his point. Jensen rolled away a little and looked over the edge of the bed.
"Where's my tie?"
"Doesn't matter. You ain't going in today."
"Aren't I? So what am I doing?"
"Staying with me, like I just said. I got plans for you. And then you don't have to deal with Dougie-boy either."
"And my homework?"
Jared shrugged. "Call the school. I'll call the school, whatever. If you're that desperate for homework over Thanksgiving then I'm sure we can get it sorted for you."
Jensen turned onto his back, raised his arms above his head and clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Okay, wiseass. What if I want to go to school?"
"Tough shit. Not gonna let you. Jensen, be a rebel. For once in your life, take a goddamned break. World's not gonna end if you have one day off." He leaned in, sucked a quick bruise just under Jensen's armpit, made him moan.
"What are your plans anyway?"
"We can stay here in bed all day and I'll show you a little something else, or we can go to this gym I know and I'll show you just how you fuck Doug up without fucking yourself up."
"More training?"
"Proper training, since the other session apparently didn't work."
"And you promise not to be an asshole about it?"
"I'm not gonna let you embarrass yourself," Jared told him, dragging Jensen closer. "So forget your fucking tie, yeah?"
"Guess I don't have much choice."
Jared grinned. "Not really. However, there's about three hours 'til this particular gym opens, so I suggest we stay in bed a while, have a leisurely shower and breakfast and then take a slow ride over on the bike. Sound good?" And Jared felt so warm and inviting right then that Jensen didn't even feel like arguing. He turned to face him and pressed hard against him, hooking one foot around his ankles. "I'll take that as a yes."
The gym was in the basement of a bar and pool hall and there were already a few people in there when Jared led Jensen inside. A couple of them greeted Jared and stared at Jensen in turn, making him feel slightly uncomfortable. He smiled nervously back, almost wishing he'd been strong enough to stand his ground and just go to school. But then, he thought, that was the whole point of this. Making him strong enough. Jared led him to the back corner of the room, past a ring and a row of battered sack-cloth punchbags that made Jensen think this place hadn't been touched in about twenty years.
The walls were yellowed from cigarette smoke and age, and spattered with dark, round spots that Jensen didn't want to think about. There was an old radio in the corner they were headed for, sat on the dusty sill of a narrow window and tuned in to the local station. The noise was minimal, which made Jensen feel almost like he was in a library and would get glared at if he dared to speak.
Jared clearly didn't share the sentiment. He dumped the gear he'd brought with him on the floor near a punchbag and told Jensen to hold out his hands. He did so and Jared gripped them hard as he wrapped them.
"This is so you don't hurt yourself too much. If you ever use these moves on Doug, you gotta be careful. They'll hurt him a lot more than you, but you won't get out of it without some sore knuckles." Jensen thought back to the fight at Mickey's, to how sore Jared's hands had been that night, and nodded. "Don't punch too hard. If it's unexpected it can cause just as much damage. This is a heavy bag, so it's not really like hitting an actual person. It's more solid and it doesn't fight back."
"Shouldn't I warm up first?" Jensen asked, thinking of his swimming practice.
"Will Doug stand and wait while you do twenty star-jumps?" Jared asked, tidying the loose ends of the wrappings. The question was met with silence. "Didn't think so. Now, you're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for, so take it easy. See what you can do with those swimmer's muscles."
Jensen waited until Jared stood aside, then took a swing at the bag. It was heavier than he expected, and certainly more resistant, and he stumbled back a step when his fist connected.
"Again," Jared said. "Harder." He was wrapping his own hands as he watched Jensen take another swing. "And again. Just keep going." Now he stood slightly to the side of the bag, in Jensen's line of vision, and as Jensen went to hit it again he gripped the bag tight and moved it slightly. "Move with it. Anticipate. Go again."
It was a lot more difficult than Jensen had assumed it might be at first. He'd known Jared would make it harder for him today, and the slight pain that lingered in his abdomen wasn't helping him much. But he was determined not to complain about it, knowing that Jared wouldn't listen to him anyway. He was also determined that he was going to get some form of praise out of Jared, even after half an hour of constant criticism. Even though he was already feeling bruised and tired of it. The punchbag didn't seem to move and, at first, Jensen thought he wasn't hitting hard enough. Then he realized that Jared was still holding it and that his muscles were tensed up from the strength it was taking him to keep it still.
"Let go," he told him. "You're not being fair."
"Yeah, I am. Wanted to see how hard you would go." Jared let go of the bag and walked round it, standing behind Jensen. "Go on, Jen. Beat the crap out of it. Do that and I'll give you whatever you want."
Jensen glanced back at him and then faced the punchbag again. Taking a deep breath and readying his body, he lifted both arms and began.
"Fuck, that was amazing." Jensen swallowed, catching his breath in his throat, and coughed. He was unwinding the wrappings on his hands as Jared grinned at him with an 'I told you so' expression. "I didn't know I could-"
"Well, now you do." Jared began unwrapping his own hands and Jensen watched the movements, mesmerized. "And this is harder compared to Doug, trust me. You can take him on now and not have any excuses."
Jensen lifted his gaze. "So if I don't knock him flat next time..."
"If you don't put him on his ass the next time he does something, then that promise I made you? Voided."
Jensen's eyes widened momentarily and then he nodded. That was fair. Besides, with the way he felt right now? He knew he wouldn't need Jared's help. "So, hey. You said I could ask for whatever, right?"
"Sure. Anything you want."
"Can we go to the movies?"
"You asking me out on a date, Ackles?"
Jensen laughed. "I think we've gone beyond dating, haven't we? I'd just really like to see that new comedy and it'd be more fun with company."
"Okay. Since I promised."
They went outside and made their way round to the back of the building, to where the Harley was parked out of sight. Jared's own bike was nearly ready to ride again, Jensen knew, so he made the most of the slightly more sedate pace at which Jared rode the bigger motorcycle. Jared took them over to the mall, as when they passed the little independent cinema they saw that the new film wasn't showing there yet. There was a big chain cinema in the mall, though, and Jensen felt more conspicuous than ever as they made their way through the weekday shoppers towards the entrance.
When he was alone with Jared he never noticed it, but out in public, in crowds of people so far away from Jared's version of normal, it was worryingly obvious. Jared got stared at, he got people nudging one another and whispering to their friends. He seemed oblivious; Jensen wondered if he really was. He was different, there was no arguing that, and people clearly equated that with something else. They joined the line outside the cinema and Jensen tried to relax and forget about worrying on what everyone else there was thinking. The queue was fairly long as it was close to the time when the next showings were due to start, so ignoring other people was a little more difficult than it should have been.
"Can't believe I let you ask me to do this," Jared said, his voice quiet and close to Jensen's ear.
"You'll enjoy it, so don't say another word."
"You could've asked Chris to come with you. Bet this is right up his alley."
"It's not going to matter, Jay. I doubt you're going to see half the movie anyway, right?"
"Oh yeah? Why's that?" Jared asked, taking hold of Jensen's shoulder and turning him enough that he could see his eyes. Jensen just shrugged, because he knew he didn't need to answer that. "If I get to see any of the movie..." Jared pushed Jensen against the wall they were standing next to then, put one hand to the side of his head and held him. As he leaned in, Jensen panicked and started to say something. The words were swallowed, though, as Jared covered his mouth and kissed him, hard. Jensen could feel people staring and squirmed, unable to drag himself away from Jared. He didn't really want to, but the feeling of being this public spectacle all of a sudden was making him uncomfortable. Then Jared's tongue slid into his mouth and he heard himself moan quietly and felt something drop in his stomach. He reached his arms around and threaded his fingers into the curling ends of Jared's thick hair.
Kissing Jared, or, rather, being kissed by Jared was really something else. It always felt, Jensen thought, like he was trying to kiss deeper every single time. To get further under Jensen's skin than anyone else had before. Like-
"Sir? Excuse me?"
Jared pulled away from Jensen, glanced over at the ticket clerk. Other people had bought their tickets and left and the young woman behind the ticket desk was beckoning them both forward, trying to move the queue along.
"Still want to see the movie?" Jared asked.
Jensen looked at him, dazed, and shook his head. Jared shrugged, wiped at his bottom lip with his thumb, and then took Jensen's hand to walk him away from the line of staring people. It was then that Jensen figured out why Jared didn't notice people looking at him, because as Jared led him out he found he couldn't concentrate on anything but putting one foot in front of the other and making sure he didn't fall over. He had started to get hard during their kiss and, even though it was easing off, he still felt like he could use some relief. He said as much to Jared, in not quite so many words, as soon as they were outside.
"Damn. Jeff'll be home by now, too."
"This early?"
"Wednesday before Thanksgiving he always finishes real early. But don't worry, I have an idea. Take you somewhere you can make as much noise as you want, even if it's just for a little while."
Jensen climbed off the back of the bike and tugged his helmet off, looking up at the flickering neon sign that was missing several bulbs in the word 'VACANCY' and round at the chipped front of the old motel that looked like some forgotten throwback from a 60s road movie.
"Seriously?"
"Sure, why not? I know the guy who runs the joint. Sure he'll let me rent a room for a couple hours at a reasonable rate."
"Anyone you know who isn't just a little bit..." Jensen stopped, not sure how he should put it. Fortunately, Jared just gave him a cheerful wink.
"Not many. And it's good for calling in favors when I need them, so stop complaining."
Jensen had to admit, although only to himself and not to Jared, that the rooms were actually a lot cleaner than he'd expected. They were still covered in dust on most surfaces, and the paper was peeling from three out of four walls, but the sheets didn't look stained at all and the room smelt like air freshener. Being somewhere nobody knew him was easier, Jensen found, as he stripped down. Jared had rid himself of his clothes as soon as the door was locked behind them and was now pulling the drapes closed. They were on the second floor and there was a small balcony leading off from a pair of french windows that Jensen suspected would screech in protest when they tried to open them. The sun was blocked out, mostly, by the dark drapes, and Jared turned on one of the bedside lights to compensate.
"You gonna take your shorts off?" Jared asked as he settled back on the bed, propping his head up on the pillows.
"I was thinking I could keep them on and tease you," Jensen told him, sitting down beside him.
"I'm thinking more take them off and let me see you. I like seeing you like that."
Jensen felt his cheeks heat up, but did as Jared asked, sliding the shorts off over his hips and pushing them down his legs and off the end of the bed.
"Better," Jared told him, before leaning over him and nipping at the side of his neck. He massaged his hands over Jensen's chest, stopping to tease his nipples into stiff peaks which he then moved his kisses down onto. Jensen moaned, holding the back of his head, letting his eyes fall closed. There would be no building up to it, he guessed. The erection that had died down on the ride over now came back and he gasped for air when Jared's fingers tightened around it, moving in a quick motion just once; up and down. Then Jared's hands slid over his stomach instead, light against the bruise and pressing hard everywhere else.
Jared lifted his head then and asked Jensen if he was going to just lie there.
"Yeah," Jensen told him. "Thought this was for me as a reward."
"That what you thought?"
Jensen didn't answer, just pushed Jared's head back down against his belly and groaned loudly as he felt sucking, biting kisses on his skin. Jared lifted one leg over Jensen's and moved upward until they were kissing one another, until his cock, just as hard as Jensen's, was pressed against the other man's erection. Jared moved against him, in a weird echo of the kind of sex that Jensen actually knew about, and the sudden friction made him choke on Jared's tongue.
"You okay?" Jared asked, raising his head up a fraction to speak.
"Mm.." Jensen managed, when he felt far from okay. When he felt weak and shaky and needy like he didn't remember feeling before. Jared pulled down against him, their skin sticking, and then thrust up against him again. He made an undignified whimpering at that, and Jared chuckled into his neck.
"Get used to it," he said, his voice low and husky, as he moved again. Jensen swore and Jared swallowed it, keeping his rhythm slow for now. He kept it slow until he felt Jensen responding with his whole body, rather than just with his hands and his mouth. When Jensen started meeting him halfway, when their hips started pushing together, Jared picked up the pace. The feel of it was still not lost on him; the stickiness of their leaking dicks smeared between their stomachs and the pressure and heat right where he needed it most continued to overwhelm.
He was noisy, too, Jensen was, and Jared was glad they'd come here rather than chancing it back home in the garage. Jensen would have alerted Jeffrey and every neighbour on their block as to what was going on. He was surprised at how little Jensen held back. Surprised that he wasn't more self-conscious given the still public nature of their current surroundings. But it didn't seem to matter as Jensen moaned and swore beneath him, panting for breath and clutching the back of Jared's head tight so he couldn't move away.
When he finally came, that was the best sound. Jensen cried out and held it, fingers digging in hard to slick skin, and Jared reached down between them and grabbed hold of his dick, jerking himself off for those last few moments that he needed. He came too, quieter, and collapsed against Jensen as he did.
There was no sound for quite a while other than their laboured attempts to calm their breathing and, once he was back down from his high, Jared rolled off Jensen and lay beside him. Side by side they stayed, naked and sweaty and spattered with come, until Jared finally broke the silence.
"Worth skipping school for?"
It was just beginning to turn dark when Jared woke up. He turned over, smiling at the view he was presented with. Jensen stood naked in front of the motel room window, the drapes pulled slightly open, looking out at the dusky sky. He looked back over his shoulder when he heard Jared move. "Hey, sleeping beauty."
"Yeah?"
"We should get back. Jeff'll be wondering what the hell happened to us."
Jared yawned. "Yeah. Okay. Shower first, though."
"I already did. So hurry up." Jensen watched Jared get out of bed and just as he was about to go into the dank little bathroom, he caught his arm. "Jay?"
"What?"
"Thanks for today. For everything."
Jared kissed him, soft and silent. "You're welcome."
--TBC--
Note: I'd just like to say thank you to all the people who sent good wishes my way. ~hugs everyone~ And a huge apology for this being a week late now! But we're back! I'm not completely on top form yet, but a lot better than I was, so updates will return to their regular schedule. And we have a few extra goodies heading your way in thanks for you being so patient. I really hope this chapter was worth the wait! ♥
Title: Smoke And Lightning, Heavy Metal Thunder (16/?)
Authors: bloody_adorable and eviltwin
Fandoms: Supernatural RPS
Pairing: Jensen Ackles / Jared Padalecki.
Rating: Adults only.
Wordcount: 4,981
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.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Jensen left the English room and decided to hang out in the bathroom for about fifteen minutes, while the noise in the hallways outside died down to nothing. Chris would have given up on waiting for him and gone home, he knew. He'd told him that he was meant to be getting a lift with Jared anyway so he wouldn't be worried. He gathered his books out of his locker and stuffed them in his bag, securing it over his shoulders. As he headed for the main door he heard it squeak open and looked up, half-expecting to find Doug waiting for him.
It was Jared. Immediately Jensen lifted himself out of his slouch, ignoring the slight pain in his stomach as he did so.
"Hey. Was just wondering where the hell you got to."
"I, uh, had to sort some work out." Jensen stopped a couple of feet away from him, eyes darting to either side to make sure that there was definitely nobody else around before he stepped forward once more and kissed Jared on his chin. Jared tugged him forward with two fingers looped around his belt and Jensen tilted his head back to make the reach easier. They kissed quietly and briefly before Jensen followed him out to the bike. Thankfully, nearly all the other kids were gone and the few that remained were too engrossed in their own conversations for now. Jensen knew that would change as soon as Jared started the bike's engine so he shoved the helmet onto his head quick and flicked the visor halfway down, obscuring his face.
"You want to rent a movie or take a chance on Jeff's collection?" Jared asked, as he stood behind him pulling his own helmet on. He stepped closer to Jensen and tightened the straps of his bag for him so it was snug against his back. Jensen just wanted to get home, so he suggested they skip the rental store. He wanted to get his homework out of the way before they settled down to anything.
Jared agreed to it and when they got back he left Jensen in peace and took advantage of Jeffrey not being home. He showered for a long time and came down into the kitchen still dripping. Jensen didn't even look around as Jared kissed the back of his head, concentrating hard on getting his essay finished. It got harder after Jared had shoved a load of his teeshirts into the washer and set it going, because once that was done he sat opposite Jensen wearing nothing but his towel and a grin. Jensen found it hard to draw his eyes away from smooth skin and glistening muscle, and especially hard not to stare at Jared's tattooed chest and those damned silver rings. He looked up to find Jared smirking at him and laughed.
"Asshole. Go sit somewhere else, okay? I'm not moving 'til I've finished this and if you sit there it's going to take even longer."
"Ugh. I hate how logical you are."
"I know. Go get dressed. I'll only be another ten minutes, I swear."
"Okay." Jared made a show of sighing, of heaving himself up out of his seat, and of disappearing into the garage. He was good, though, and didn't return for a full quarter-hour, leaving Jensen in peace to finish his schoolwork. He came back inside dressed in navy sweatpants and a white wife-beater and snagged two beers from the refrigerator, telling Jensen to come with.
Leaving his books out on the table, Jensen followed Jared into the lounge and kicked back on the sofa while the other man selected a movie and stuck it into the player. Jared joined him on the sofa, putting his bare feet up on the table and slinging an arm around the back of Jensen's shoulders.
For the first ten minutes they actually both watched the movie, although Jensen found it difficult to follow once Jared began combing his fingers through the back of the younger man's hair. His eyes drifted closed and he felt Jared shifting around beside him, unsurprised when he felt a warm mouth against his jaw.
"The movie.." He mumbled.
"Why'd you think I chose one I've seen a billion times already?" Jared chuckled, then moved his kisses to Jensen's ear, licking around the lobe and making him swear. Then Jared slid his other hand over Jensen's chest and Jensen quickly sat forward before he could go any lower.
"Okay, maybe we should watch the movie. I haven't seen it and I really don't want Jeff catching us like-"
"The movie ain't going anywhere. And Jeff's out for the night, I reckon. Just me and you, for hours. Thought you'd want to make the most of it."
"Yeah, but-" Jensen was cut off again as Jared used the hand against his chest to push him back into his seat.
"But nothin'. I know you're gonna love this so stop getting all nervous and crap. That stopped being cute last night."
"Jay..."
Jared didn't listen, instead sliding a hand under Jensen's shirt, thankfully not pressing hard, just skimming over skin until his fingers found Jensen's nipples and began toying with one. Maybe he'd be okay so long as Jared didn't-
"Take your shirt off."
Jensen didn't even hesitate. He just said no, he didn't really want to, which got him about as far as he'd expected it would.
"C'mon, don't be a pussy. Take it off. I promise I'll make it worth it."
Knowing Jared would argue forever more if he didn't do as he was told, Jensen slowly unbuttoned his shirt and looked up at the ceiling as Jared pushed it open.
"Huh," he said, seeing the dark red mark and bruise straight away. He sat back, staring at Jensen. "Let me guess. Dodgeball?"
"You promised, Jay. You promised you wouldn't do anything to him."
"I might've said I wouldn't kill or maim him. Never said anything about anything else."
"You know how much worse it'd get if you did anything? Everyone would think that I can't fight my own battles and-"
"I know, Jensen. I know you said you want to fight this one yourself, but it doesn't look like you're doing such a great job so far, now does it?"
"Fuck you," Jensen muttered, slumping back into the sofa.
"Oh, right. Fuck me, huh? I'm just the guy who wants to help your ass out. What the hell d'you think is gonna happen tomorrow, Jen? That overnight you're going to turn into Superman and show that sorry prick what you're made of?"
"You know what? Stranger things have happened!"
"Not to you!"
Jensen rolled off the sofa, annoyed at Jared being so close and pissed that he was right. He sat on the chair opposite and sighed, clutching his hands together.
"See that?" Jared asked. "That's why you keep losing. Don't run the fuck away all the time. Stand your ground. He's not the one who's right; you are. He's not the better man. You are."
"You have no idea, Jay. No idea what it's like to live with-"
"You know why?" Jared interrupted. "Because I don't sit whining about it to the people I think will listen, okay? I got hurt, I picked myself up, I found the son of a bitch that hurt me and I hurt him right the fuck back. Only way to get their respect. Only way to stop them. You think that I want to hear about how big and scary Doug's been to you all your life? You think I want to hear about how mean I'm being to you by telling you the truth? You're important to me, you know that? Already you're fucking...You're fucking me up in ways I never dreamt of. And that's the reason I'm giving you this shit. You don't want me to fight for you, but, fuck, Jensen.. You gotta do it yourself or I'm not gonna listen any more."
"You're a prize fucking dick sometimes."
Jared shrugged. "All the time, but be that as it may, I'm a dick who's right about this."
Jensen looked away from him finally, staring instead at the TV although he didn't really see it. Eventually he let out a frustrated sigh and pushed himself up, heading into the garage. Jared followed, just as he'd expected.
"How the hell do I take on three guys by myself?"
"You don't. Doug's a meathead. He's nothing without his pals. You get him on his own, the deal's done."
"He's never on his own."
"He's gonna let his guard down. You've just never thought to watch for it before now."
"And then what? Say I manage to take him down, yeah? I get into shit for punching out the school's star quarterback?"
"Because the first thing Doug's gonna do is admit he got flattened by the school's star fag." Jared pulled Jensen into his arms and kissed the top of his head gently. "I know people like him. I know just what he'll do. He'll make some excuse for it, same as you do. And if he needs a little persuading away from putting you in trouble, then there's always plan B."
"What the hell's plan B?" Jensen asked. Jared just grinned at him.
"You'll find out if it's needed. I promise that it won't cause him any physical harm."
"Hmm.."
"Scout's honour." Jared gave him a goofy three-fingered salute and Jensen couldn't help but smile. At least Jared hadn't flipped. The truth had hurt, but at least he hadn't done something stupid. "Can we get back to watching the movie now?"
"You sure you don't want to just cut out the middle man and start making out right now?"
Jared laughed at that. At Jensen's choice of words. "Sure, but back on the sofa. Comfier, is all."
And warmer, Jensen thought. He followed Jared back to their spot on the couch and they got settled into a comfortable position; Jared on his side with his back against the cushions and Jensen on his side, facing him, their legs interlocked so they couldn't lose their balance. To Jensen, it felt absolutely perfect. More so when Jared closed the distance between their mouths and kissed him. He was careful though, and they got no further with fooling around that night than kisses and soft touches to skin that was already exposed. When the credits rolled on the movie, they both agreed it had been awesome and then Jared let Jensen pull him up off the sofa and out to the garage, locking up the house on the way.
By the time they crashed into bed together, Jensen had a pleasant buzz from the beers and the making out and a deep relief that Jared had stuck to his word. Still in his shorts, quite in spite of Jared's protests, Jensen pressed himself up against Jared's back and curled an arm around him, letting his knuckles brush against his stomach.
"Don't get me all horny else I'm gonna make you follow through on it," Jared warned, in a low whisper.
"Jay, you're horny every damn second of the day," Jensen retorted, still rubbing his hand back and forth. "Maybe I want to do this without getting anything back."
"Mm..no. I don't want to come. The anticipation's better. But you can keep doing that. Feels good." Jared leaned back more against him, his head pressed to Jensen's shoulder. "Keep doing that 'til we both fall asleep."
"Gotta go, Jared."
"No you don't. I decided. Four days ain't long enough and you're so damned smart that one extra day don't have to count. I'll even write you a sick-note."
"Don't be an idiot."
"'Dear sir, Jensen was unable to attend school today because his boyfriend kept him in bed all day so he could blow his fucking mind.'" Jared pressed his hand between Jensen's legs as he finished talking, and squeezed to emphasise his point. Jensen rolled away a little and looked over the edge of the bed.
"Where's my tie?"
"Doesn't matter. You ain't going in today."
"Aren't I? So what am I doing?"
"Staying with me, like I just said. I got plans for you. And then you don't have to deal with Dougie-boy either."
"And my homework?"
Jared shrugged. "Call the school. I'll call the school, whatever. If you're that desperate for homework over Thanksgiving then I'm sure we can get it sorted for you."
Jensen turned onto his back, raised his arms above his head and clicked his tongue against his teeth. "Okay, wiseass. What if I want to go to school?"
"Tough shit. Not gonna let you. Jensen, be a rebel. For once in your life, take a goddamned break. World's not gonna end if you have one day off." He leaned in, sucked a quick bruise just under Jensen's armpit, made him moan.
"What are your plans anyway?"
"We can stay here in bed all day and I'll show you a little something else, or we can go to this gym I know and I'll show you just how you fuck Doug up without fucking yourself up."
"More training?"
"Proper training, since the other session apparently didn't work."
"And you promise not to be an asshole about it?"
"I'm not gonna let you embarrass yourself," Jared told him, dragging Jensen closer. "So forget your fucking tie, yeah?"
"Guess I don't have much choice."
Jared grinned. "Not really. However, there's about three hours 'til this particular gym opens, so I suggest we stay in bed a while, have a leisurely shower and breakfast and then take a slow ride over on the bike. Sound good?" And Jared felt so warm and inviting right then that Jensen didn't even feel like arguing. He turned to face him and pressed hard against him, hooking one foot around his ankles. "I'll take that as a yes."
The gym was in the basement of a bar and pool hall and there were already a few people in there when Jared led Jensen inside. A couple of them greeted Jared and stared at Jensen in turn, making him feel slightly uncomfortable. He smiled nervously back, almost wishing he'd been strong enough to stand his ground and just go to school. But then, he thought, that was the whole point of this. Making him strong enough. Jared led him to the back corner of the room, past a ring and a row of battered sack-cloth punchbags that made Jensen think this place hadn't been touched in about twenty years.
The walls were yellowed from cigarette smoke and age, and spattered with dark, round spots that Jensen didn't want to think about. There was an old radio in the corner they were headed for, sat on the dusty sill of a narrow window and tuned in to the local station. The noise was minimal, which made Jensen feel almost like he was in a library and would get glared at if he dared to speak.
Jared clearly didn't share the sentiment. He dumped the gear he'd brought with him on the floor near a punchbag and told Jensen to hold out his hands. He did so and Jared gripped them hard as he wrapped them.
"This is so you don't hurt yourself too much. If you ever use these moves on Doug, you gotta be careful. They'll hurt him a lot more than you, but you won't get out of it without some sore knuckles." Jensen thought back to the fight at Mickey's, to how sore Jared's hands had been that night, and nodded. "Don't punch too hard. If it's unexpected it can cause just as much damage. This is a heavy bag, so it's not really like hitting an actual person. It's more solid and it doesn't fight back."
"Shouldn't I warm up first?" Jensen asked, thinking of his swimming practice.
"Will Doug stand and wait while you do twenty star-jumps?" Jared asked, tidying the loose ends of the wrappings. The question was met with silence. "Didn't think so. Now, you're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for, so take it easy. See what you can do with those swimmer's muscles."
Jensen waited until Jared stood aside, then took a swing at the bag. It was heavier than he expected, and certainly more resistant, and he stumbled back a step when his fist connected.
"Again," Jared said. "Harder." He was wrapping his own hands as he watched Jensen take another swing. "And again. Just keep going." Now he stood slightly to the side of the bag, in Jensen's line of vision, and as Jensen went to hit it again he gripped the bag tight and moved it slightly. "Move with it. Anticipate. Go again."
It was a lot more difficult than Jensen had assumed it might be at first. He'd known Jared would make it harder for him today, and the slight pain that lingered in his abdomen wasn't helping him much. But he was determined not to complain about it, knowing that Jared wouldn't listen to him anyway. He was also determined that he was going to get some form of praise out of Jared, even after half an hour of constant criticism. Even though he was already feeling bruised and tired of it. The punchbag didn't seem to move and, at first, Jensen thought he wasn't hitting hard enough. Then he realized that Jared was still holding it and that his muscles were tensed up from the strength it was taking him to keep it still.
"Let go," he told him. "You're not being fair."
"Yeah, I am. Wanted to see how hard you would go." Jared let go of the bag and walked round it, standing behind Jensen. "Go on, Jen. Beat the crap out of it. Do that and I'll give you whatever you want."
Jensen glanced back at him and then faced the punchbag again. Taking a deep breath and readying his body, he lifted both arms and began.
"Fuck, that was amazing." Jensen swallowed, catching his breath in his throat, and coughed. He was unwinding the wrappings on his hands as Jared grinned at him with an 'I told you so' expression. "I didn't know I could-"
"Well, now you do." Jared began unwrapping his own hands and Jensen watched the movements, mesmerized. "And this is harder compared to Doug, trust me. You can take him on now and not have any excuses."
Jensen lifted his gaze. "So if I don't knock him flat next time..."
"If you don't put him on his ass the next time he does something, then that promise I made you? Voided."
Jensen's eyes widened momentarily and then he nodded. That was fair. Besides, with the way he felt right now? He knew he wouldn't need Jared's help. "So, hey. You said I could ask for whatever, right?"
"Sure. Anything you want."
"Can we go to the movies?"
"You asking me out on a date, Ackles?"
Jensen laughed. "I think we've gone beyond dating, haven't we? I'd just really like to see that new comedy and it'd be more fun with company."
"Okay. Since I promised."
They went outside and made their way round to the back of the building, to where the Harley was parked out of sight. Jared's own bike was nearly ready to ride again, Jensen knew, so he made the most of the slightly more sedate pace at which Jared rode the bigger motorcycle. Jared took them over to the mall, as when they passed the little independent cinema they saw that the new film wasn't showing there yet. There was a big chain cinema in the mall, though, and Jensen felt more conspicuous than ever as they made their way through the weekday shoppers towards the entrance.
When he was alone with Jared he never noticed it, but out in public, in crowds of people so far away from Jared's version of normal, it was worryingly obvious. Jared got stared at, he got people nudging one another and whispering to their friends. He seemed oblivious; Jensen wondered if he really was. He was different, there was no arguing that, and people clearly equated that with something else. They joined the line outside the cinema and Jensen tried to relax and forget about worrying on what everyone else there was thinking. The queue was fairly long as it was close to the time when the next showings were due to start, so ignoring other people was a little more difficult than it should have been.
"Can't believe I let you ask me to do this," Jared said, his voice quiet and close to Jensen's ear.
"You'll enjoy it, so don't say another word."
"You could've asked Chris to come with you. Bet this is right up his alley."
"It's not going to matter, Jay. I doubt you're going to see half the movie anyway, right?"
"Oh yeah? Why's that?" Jared asked, taking hold of Jensen's shoulder and turning him enough that he could see his eyes. Jensen just shrugged, because he knew he didn't need to answer that. "If I get to see any of the movie..." Jared pushed Jensen against the wall they were standing next to then, put one hand to the side of his head and held him. As he leaned in, Jensen panicked and started to say something. The words were swallowed, though, as Jared covered his mouth and kissed him, hard. Jensen could feel people staring and squirmed, unable to drag himself away from Jared. He didn't really want to, but the feeling of being this public spectacle all of a sudden was making him uncomfortable. Then Jared's tongue slid into his mouth and he heard himself moan quietly and felt something drop in his stomach. He reached his arms around and threaded his fingers into the curling ends of Jared's thick hair.
Kissing Jared, or, rather, being kissed by Jared was really something else. It always felt, Jensen thought, like he was trying to kiss deeper every single time. To get further under Jensen's skin than anyone else had before. Like-
"Sir? Excuse me?"
Jared pulled away from Jensen, glanced over at the ticket clerk. Other people had bought their tickets and left and the young woman behind the ticket desk was beckoning them both forward, trying to move the queue along.
"Still want to see the movie?" Jared asked.
Jensen looked at him, dazed, and shook his head. Jared shrugged, wiped at his bottom lip with his thumb, and then took Jensen's hand to walk him away from the line of staring people. It was then that Jensen figured out why Jared didn't notice people looking at him, because as Jared led him out he found he couldn't concentrate on anything but putting one foot in front of the other and making sure he didn't fall over. He had started to get hard during their kiss and, even though it was easing off, he still felt like he could use some relief. He said as much to Jared, in not quite so many words, as soon as they were outside.
"Damn. Jeff'll be home by now, too."
"This early?"
"Wednesday before Thanksgiving he always finishes real early. But don't worry, I have an idea. Take you somewhere you can make as much noise as you want, even if it's just for a little while."
Jensen climbed off the back of the bike and tugged his helmet off, looking up at the flickering neon sign that was missing several bulbs in the word 'VACANCY' and round at the chipped front of the old motel that looked like some forgotten throwback from a 60s road movie.
"Seriously?"
"Sure, why not? I know the guy who runs the joint. Sure he'll let me rent a room for a couple hours at a reasonable rate."
"Anyone you know who isn't just a little bit..." Jensen stopped, not sure how he should put it. Fortunately, Jared just gave him a cheerful wink.
"Not many. And it's good for calling in favors when I need them, so stop complaining."
Jensen had to admit, although only to himself and not to Jared, that the rooms were actually a lot cleaner than he'd expected. They were still covered in dust on most surfaces, and the paper was peeling from three out of four walls, but the sheets didn't look stained at all and the room smelt like air freshener. Being somewhere nobody knew him was easier, Jensen found, as he stripped down. Jared had rid himself of his clothes as soon as the door was locked behind them and was now pulling the drapes closed. They were on the second floor and there was a small balcony leading off from a pair of french windows that Jensen suspected would screech in protest when they tried to open them. The sun was blocked out, mostly, by the dark drapes, and Jared turned on one of the bedside lights to compensate.
"You gonna take your shorts off?" Jared asked as he settled back on the bed, propping his head up on the pillows.
"I was thinking I could keep them on and tease you," Jensen told him, sitting down beside him.
"I'm thinking more take them off and let me see you. I like seeing you like that."
Jensen felt his cheeks heat up, but did as Jared asked, sliding the shorts off over his hips and pushing them down his legs and off the end of the bed.
"Better," Jared told him, before leaning over him and nipping at the side of his neck. He massaged his hands over Jensen's chest, stopping to tease his nipples into stiff peaks which he then moved his kisses down onto. Jensen moaned, holding the back of his head, letting his eyes fall closed. There would be no building up to it, he guessed. The erection that had died down on the ride over now came back and he gasped for air when Jared's fingers tightened around it, moving in a quick motion just once; up and down. Then Jared's hands slid over his stomach instead, light against the bruise and pressing hard everywhere else.
Jared lifted his head then and asked Jensen if he was going to just lie there.
"Yeah," Jensen told him. "Thought this was for me as a reward."
"That what you thought?"
Jensen didn't answer, just pushed Jared's head back down against his belly and groaned loudly as he felt sucking, biting kisses on his skin. Jared lifted one leg over Jensen's and moved upward until they were kissing one another, until his cock, just as hard as Jensen's, was pressed against the other man's erection. Jared moved against him, in a weird echo of the kind of sex that Jensen actually knew about, and the sudden friction made him choke on Jared's tongue.
"You okay?" Jared asked, raising his head up a fraction to speak.
"Mm.." Jensen managed, when he felt far from okay. When he felt weak and shaky and needy like he didn't remember feeling before. Jared pulled down against him, their skin sticking, and then thrust up against him again. He made an undignified whimpering at that, and Jared chuckled into his neck.
"Get used to it," he said, his voice low and husky, as he moved again. Jensen swore and Jared swallowed it, keeping his rhythm slow for now. He kept it slow until he felt Jensen responding with his whole body, rather than just with his hands and his mouth. When Jensen started meeting him halfway, when their hips started pushing together, Jared picked up the pace. The feel of it was still not lost on him; the stickiness of their leaking dicks smeared between their stomachs and the pressure and heat right where he needed it most continued to overwhelm.
He was noisy, too, Jensen was, and Jared was glad they'd come here rather than chancing it back home in the garage. Jensen would have alerted Jeffrey and every neighbour on their block as to what was going on. He was surprised at how little Jensen held back. Surprised that he wasn't more self-conscious given the still public nature of their current surroundings. But it didn't seem to matter as Jensen moaned and swore beneath him, panting for breath and clutching the back of Jared's head tight so he couldn't move away.
When he finally came, that was the best sound. Jensen cried out and held it, fingers digging in hard to slick skin, and Jared reached down between them and grabbed hold of his dick, jerking himself off for those last few moments that he needed. He came too, quieter, and collapsed against Jensen as he did.
There was no sound for quite a while other than their laboured attempts to calm their breathing and, once he was back down from his high, Jared rolled off Jensen and lay beside him. Side by side they stayed, naked and sweaty and spattered with come, until Jared finally broke the silence.
"Worth skipping school for?"
It was just beginning to turn dark when Jared woke up. He turned over, smiling at the view he was presented with. Jensen stood naked in front of the motel room window, the drapes pulled slightly open, looking out at the dusky sky. He looked back over his shoulder when he heard Jared move. "Hey, sleeping beauty."
"Yeah?"
"We should get back. Jeff'll be wondering what the hell happened to us."
Jared yawned. "Yeah. Okay. Shower first, though."
"I already did. So hurry up." Jensen watched Jared get out of bed and just as he was about to go into the dank little bathroom, he caught his arm. "Jay?"
"What?"
"Thanks for today. For everything."
Jared kissed him, soft and silent. "You're welcome."
--TBC--