7 Meadowlark (O Happy Bird!)

[askellington]

Home bound traffic's not too bad, so they're back at Jensen's house almost before Jensen's ready for it. Stopping on the front steps, he gazes around at his little house, soon to be his alone. He heaves a sigh, and unlocks the door.

"Come on in, Jared. We'll get you sorted out, okay?" Standing aside, smiling slightly, he ushers Jared in. Inside, it's so quiet-so quiet that he can hear Jared's shaky intake of breath. Nerves, probably. They step in further inside, into the foyer, and Jensen notes the covert little glances Jared takes of the house. Before Jensen can lead him into the living room, Jared stops, wincing in pain.

"Do you, would you like to…sit?" Jensen points out the hall tree bench, and Jared does sit, with a grateful sigh.

"Oh, thanks, Jen. My feet are killing me." He slides his shoes off, gingerly, and grimaces. "Ugh. These babies were not  made to go barefoot in," he says, trying to affect a light tone. Jensen has to bite back a growl when he sees what running around barefoot in the platform shoes had done to Jared's feet. The skin is red, raw, and blistered at the heels. Is that blood?   Jensen wonders and this time, growls out loud before slapping his palm against the wall.

"Sonofafuckingbitch," he yells, alarming Jared, who leaps to his feet, then stands there jittering and wringing his hands in distress, obviously unsure what to do next. Oh for fucks sake,    Jensen thinks. Scare the shit out of the guy who's already had a fucked up day.

"I--" Jared starts, and nervously looks about. "What about your wife?" he whispers, eyes wide as he haltingly backs closer to the front door.

"Relax, Jare." Jensen reaches out and grips Jared's shoulder, trying to calm him. "It's just you and me here now. Jeanette, ah, she moved out pretty quickly once we…talked." He knows the smile he's giving Jared is a little twisted. Even if their separation's more or less mutual, he's not yet at the point where he doesn't feel a bit like he failed. "After some, some, well, it can wait until you feel better. But it's okay, really. She was…you know, it was like she was waiting for a sign. The both of us."

Jensen's rubbing up and down Jared's shoulder, the whole time he speaks, like he can send the truth of his words through touch. "Don't worry, okay?"

Jared nods slowly, maybe not wholly convinced, but he is looking slightly   more at ease. Jensen coaxes him out of the foyer into the living room, where Jared turns circles, eyeing everything. He misses Jensen's wince-Jensen's pretty sure he knows what Jared is seeing. Jared turns back to him, clearly struggling to find something complimentary to say about the place. After a beat, he settles on a nice, neutral, "Well! This is very clean. Very…nice?" His voice rises a bit at the end, as if he's not entirely sure that's true, but it is Jensen's house, so maybe it is.

"Oh god, no it's not," Jensen laughs. It's sterile and utilitarian because that's how Jeanette wanted it. Restful,   she called it.Neat and orderly.   Jensen had been fine with it. It had been comfortable enough as far as he was concerned, a place to leave work behind. Now, looking at the nearly colorless, spartan space through Jared's eyes, it's… wow. It really is   bad: boxy furniture in rigid lines, everything cream on beige on palest green. A single bookcase holds a few books and a glass vase. On the far wall, too high and too small to see very well, hangs a single, lonely painting. It was a piece of art she'd actually been drawn to, which made it unique.

"It's not nice now, but it will be." Jensen smiles at Jared, who blushes, which reminds Jensen about the  blood, oh my god!  The poor kid is standing there, looking like a bloody Jackson Pollack, and here Jensen is worrying about his damn beige decor. "C'mon, Jare. Let's get you into a shower."

"Okay, but no funny business," Jared mutters, trying to lighten the mood, but it comes out rather flat.

"Noted," Jensen  replies, "no red, rubber noses or seltzer bottles in the shower." He's a little surprised, and very pleased, when he gets a tentative smile in return.

Jensen invites himself into the bathroom with Jared; Jared needs the help. He's in too much pain to easily raise his arms, plus he's favoring one knee, groaning when he tries to lift it. Jensen closes the toilet lid and makes Jared sit while he bustles around like a mother hen, turning on the water, finding a fresh toothbrush, unwrapping a fresh bar of soap and laying it out for Jared. He takes Jared's elbow-carefully-to help him into the shower, he even adjusts the shower head for him.  Afterwards, Jensen helps to dry him off, brushing off Jared's thanks with, "No, no, you'd do the same for me."

"I would," he replies, so solemnly it makes Jensen feel like something much deeper has been said. Swallowing hard, he holds out a  folded, clean set of PJs to Jared, who bites his lip to keep-unsuccessfully-from laughing.

"Oh my goodness,  Sugar-nips, I haven't worn anything like those in years! In fact, I haven't worn anything at all  come bedtime in years. This is too funny-are those cows?   Why cows? Can't I have the cowboy ones?" he asks as he slips the pants on. "Lord, it's like wearing a bag knit from barb-wire. Who hated you enough to give you these?"

"Shut up, you dork! These dumb pajamas are the only set I own," Jensen laughs. Jared teasing him makes his heart soar, makes him feel like things might be improving but he loses even a trace of a smile after seeing again what's been done to Jared, how stiffly the kid lifts his arms to put the top on. Jensen takes Jared's hands, kisses them lightly and moves them out of the way so that he can take over buttoning. "Jared, god-you should let me call my doctor to check you out."

"No, no, Jen it looks worse than it is. Listen, if it was really bad, I'd be begging you to take me to him, believe me. Fucking Jeff," Jared hisses as Jensen tries to gently smooth the shirt down. "What a fucking asshole. I mean, I knew he was a jerk, and he had a temper-I guess that's obvious-but he didn't seem like a, a murderous jerk until today. I swear, Jen, he just suddenly turned into a nightmare.  You think you know people." Jared starts to shake his head but gasps, his hand going up to gingerly cup his eye.

"Yeah-careful, sweetheart," Jensen murmurs, using a tissue to pat the skin around Jared's swollen eye dry, while promising himself that he was going to find this Jeff bastard and kick the  fucking shit out of him. "I'm familiar with dealing with Asshole Jeffs. My ex-boss is one."

"Ex-boss is a-wait, you quit your job? But you loved   that job."

Jared looks so distressed that Jensen quickly explains, "I quit the job, yes, and yes, it was a good job, but not what I loved. Teaching kids, that's what I've always wanted to do. But for right now, I'm just going to revel in the fact I never have to deal with that asshole Morgan again. No more whining 'Mr. Morgan, please calm down' ever again. Oh, sure Jeff, batwing collars are hip to the max. Ha! Mr. Jeff Morgan can kiss my ass. I'd like to grab that fucker by his stupid mustache and sweep the floor with his face. If I never hear him call me Baby Boy again, it'll be too soon."

"H-he...he does what?" Jared suddenly goes limp like a puppet with its strings cut, and only Jensen's grip keeps him from hitting the floor. "Is he-is he tall and," Jared waves his hand around his head, "dark haired with a lame Mark Spitz mustache-Jeff Morgan's your boss?"
A weird sort of dull roar crashes through Jensen's head, muffling his hearing and fogging his sight. "Jeff…did this to you…he hurt you like this?" Jeff…so it was Jared who'd made Jeff look like he'd had an encounter with a sledgehammer. "That fucker was your client?"

Good. He's glad Jared got his shot in. But it's not enough, not for Jensen. He stalks out to the foyer and grabs his shoes from under the bench.

"He was a client!"Jared calls after him. "Past! And trust me, I left my mark on him. Jensen!   Where are you going?"

"To kill Jeff."

"No, Jen! Please don't!   I don't have anything else but you-Jen, I can't risk losing you!" Jared voice rises until he's almost screaming; he sounds so desperate that Jensen staggers to a stop. Turning back to Jared, all he can do is stare at him, open-mouthed and a little shocked that Jared seems to have taken him literally. For god's sake, did Jare really think he had it in him to murder someone? For some reason, the thought brings laughter bubbling out of him; he gasps out an apology for laughing when Jared is so visibly upset, but apologizing for something so out of the world just starts him off again, until finally even Jared laughs.

"Jare! Tell me you didn't seriously think I was off to murder Jeff in cold blood!"

"No! Stop laughing at me! God, why do I love you so much?" Jared slaps a hand over his mouth. "Oh, dear. I meant-"

Finally, Jensen thinks, finally. "Can you possibly think I don't love you too? Baby, of course   I do, so much." Jensen takes Jared by the hand-carefully. If Jared was in any better shape, he'd swing him around the room, smother him with kisses until Jared called him a bozo and pushed him away. Taking a step back, he knocks into the banker's box he'd brought home. There's a heavy thump  as something inside the box shifts. Hearing it triggers a reminder of what's inside, which triggers a light bulb moment, possibly the germ of a plan.

It's obvious that Jared's puzzled at Jensen's excitement when he opens the box and all he takes from it is a camera. Jensen's fond of it-a nice little Yashica he'd bought to take pictures of really top-notch displays for his portfolio. Dangling it from his hand, he hesitantly approaches Jared with the idea he'd been struck with. It's not a great idea. In fact, it's kind of slimy and underhanded, but then so is Jeff. The only one Jensen's worried about possibly hurting is Jared.

"So. Two things, Jared. First? No matter how much I might want to, I'm not about to kill Jeff or, or anybody,  for crying out loud. Second I wanted to tell you earlier but with the whirlwind life has been lately, it just…how do I say this…?"

"Ungh, Jen, just-out with it!"

"Well, good news, baby," Jensen laughs. "You have a job! You are employed! I got a spot for you in Gyre Bros. In fact," Jensen says, in as dramatic a tone as he can muster. "You are now, as Michael calls them behind my back, almost officially the newest gofer-dogsbody-schlepper-menial on the Gyre Bros Display Department team."

"What the fuck are you talking about, Jensen? Are you fucking with me?" Jared's staring at Jensen, really searching his face, whatever he sees makes his lip tremble and his eyes go shiny. "Really? Oh my god…I dreamed, I mean I hoped that someday I'd have something like this-oh SHIT.  Fuck, fuck, fuck! Jeff,  Jensen!  I'm done before I even start-even if he agrees to Michael hiring me, that bastard will make my life a living hell."

Jared limps over to the couch and drops down, hissing a little as he does. He looks devastated, and Jensen can't stand how lost he looks. He sits next to Jared, camera still in his hand. "Jared…listen. I have an idea. It's…frankly kind of awful, but it might work."

"Does it involve cutting Jeff into tiny pieces and burying them secretly in various obscure locales?"

Jensen stares at him again. "Wow. Have you always been this scarily bloodthirsty and I'm just noticing it now?" When Jared giggles, it feels like a wonderful reward. "No cutting. Actually, it may be worse. I..I want to take pictures of you." Jensen talks over Jared's yelp of protest, desperate to explain. "No, wait, Jared. This might work, considering the kind of guy Morgan is, and the kind of face he stands to lose. You'll have something to hold over him, so he'll have to be nice."

Jared hates the idea, but gets it. "I'm used to being practical. Hell, I'm no saint. Not at this point, right?"

Jensen is going to take pictures of everything Jeff's inflicted on Jared, every bruise and scrape and cut.  Jensen promises Jared, cross his heart and hope to die, that no other person besides the two of them and Jeff will ever see the photos-he's going to develop them himself, using a friend's darkroom. Once they're ready, he'll confront Jeff.

"Do you really think that'll ensure he doesn't fuck up the job for me?"

Jared looks uncertain, but Jensen can tell he's already agreeing to the plan. Jensen's absolutely not going to tell Jared that what he wants to do is make sure of more than that. He just kisses Jare on the cheek and says, "Something like that, sweetheart. Just…leave it to me, okay? I'm going to make sure you get this job, and that you'll keep it."

"I don't know, Jen. It just seems. Not right, y'know? Like I'm cheating. Like I'm using you instead of making it on my own. Everyone else has to interview and I just walk in off the street like, Oh hey, it's me, thanks for the job? I mean, you've worked for what you have, you came from an arts, a graphic arts background. You came with proof of what you were capable of. All I've ever done was fuck people and sling sandwiches."

"Sling…what? " Jensen asks, then waves it off. "And work towards your associates with everything stacked against you, and have a great understanding of design, and you're an idiot if you don't take an advantage thrown in your lap! How do you think people get ahead? Through connections, dude, and luck, and talent-take this chance, for god's sake!" Jensen's working himself up. He's going to convince Jare to do this, take this leap by god, or-

"Okay."

"Jared, I'm telling you, you-oh.  Okay?" Jensen deflates a little, and laughs at himself for being disappointed he doesn't get to argue his point longer.

Jared scoots back on the couch and pulls his feet up, grabs one of the boxy little pillows lined up against its back and tucks it under his knees, He's got the cream throw Jeanette always placed, folded just so, along one arm of the couch, wrapped around him and he looks like he's settling in for a while. Jensen feels like floating, he's so damn happy. Look at his boy, making himself at home.

"Yeah, okay," Jared says, his eyes are gleaming, his  big, dimpled smile is just visible over the edge of the throw. "Yes, alright, my very own personal avenging angel. I'd be a fool not to take the chance you're giving me. Screw Jeff."

"With a vengeance," Jensen promises. "God, Mike is going to love you."

Jared giggles. "What about Glover?"

"Don't wish for the moon, love."

It's early morning when Jensen comes back home with a folder full of photos and a splitting headache. Hanging out in a darkroom working the night through was tougher than he remembered it being in college, Still, seeing Jared in those goofy PJs and one of Jensen's robes wrapped around him, looking like he belonged curled up in the breakfast nook, went a long way towards easing the thumping behind Jensen's eyes.  "Good morning love, what are you doing up so early? Are you feeling okay?"

Jared shoves the coffee cup in front of him away and looks up at Jensen. He pokes at the single slice of toast on his plate. Turns a look on Jensen that would put a sad puppy to shame and moans, drawing out Jensen's name. "Everything I do hurts.  I can't even lift a slice of toast!"

"Aww, I know, baby. But see this?" He waves the folder full of pictures at Jared. "This is our ticket to our future. After I slap these on Jeff, everything changes." He tries to hand the folder to Jared, but Jared holds his hands up, frowning.

"No, Jen. I don't want to see them. You…you do what you have to, just don't let that bastard get hold of them."

"Never. Not in a million years. These pictures here go into the fire as soon as I'm done with Jeff. Promise. And the negatives are going into a fire safe in the bedroom."



Chad calls just as Jensen is leaving. Jared blows him a kiss, crosses his fingers and crosses himself as Jensen walks out, then turns his attention to Chad.

"What's Wonder Boy doing?" Chad asks and when Jared hesitates says, "Probably something I shouldn't know about. Okay. Good for him. So, listen, Justin called, wanted to know if you're following up on the interviews he set up for you. Teaching? Also, good for him. You have some fuckin' amazing friends, Jay-rad."

He laughs before going on, "Dude, no idea why, but he also wanted to know when you were going shopping for...basketball shorts? And sneakers? Are you really giving up the biz or is this some kinda weird fetish, like, no judgment and all but Wonder Boy might not like you side-fuc-"

"Chad! No! Like you said, he's just an amazing friend-apparently the only one I have, you pervert. But hark, I have a job, an amazing one! Jensen arranged a job for me at Gyre Bros, I mean, if Jensen's plan works out."

"What plan? No, you know what, don't tell me. All your friends' plans are illegal."

"Not all of them, just you and me," Jared says. "I guess I don't need Justin's addresses-oh my god, I'm a fucking idiot! Chad-can you bring those papers to me? No, you know what? Meet me at the diner, puh-leeeze?"

"What the hell, I got nothing else to do, why not?"



Jensen strides into Gyre Bros like he owns the place; head up, shoulders back, his lips curved in a smile verging on a smirk. He hopes that no one notices that he's a little pale with nerves, that the hand clutching the large envelope is shaking. He stops at security and asks them if they could please call up to Michael and have him come down. The man appears in what feels like seconds, smiling from ear to ear, his arms out for a hug.

"Hello,  darling!" He talks over Jensen's grunt of pain-the man has the muscular grip of a Russian shot-putter, despite acting like he's made of a single strand of straw. "Where's your boy? I thought you were bringing him?" he asks, peering behind Jensen like he might be hiding all six foot something of Jared behind his back.

Jensen closes his eyes for a second, before taking Michael to the side. He asks quietly, "Michael…what would you do if Jeff was gone? I mean like, gone  gone?"

Michael takes a big step back, plants his hands on his hips and looks Jensen up and down. His expression shifts from amused to the most serious Jensen's ever seen on the man's face.

"If he was gone…would that mean you were coming back? Not that I wouldn't love to have you back, darling one..." Jensen shakes his head no, and Michael goes on, "Then I would run the whole shebang. I can do it, you know I can, and do a better job than Jeff's ever done. Hell, between the two of us, we did his damn job."

"Take me up-I've got something to talk to Jeff about."

Michael's still staring at Jensen, then his gaze moves to the envelope Jensen's gripping. He doesn't say a word, just lifts an eyebrow and purses his lips, giving Jensen the faintest nod. They go up with the elevator practically vibrating with the depth of silence in it. Michael walks Jensen through the studio, hands up at anyone who wants to speak.

They walk past Glover, who's leaning against a table, both eyebrows lifted high. Jensen knows that Glover knows something is about to happen-he winks at Jensen before turning back to work. It makes Jensen smile, even wider when he sees his ficus in a brand-new pot.

Michael leaves him at Jeff's door with a whispered, "Don't get yourself in trouble, Jensen. But screw him dry and hard."

Jensen straightens, his hold on the envelope tightening, tells himself, 'Okay, Jensen, don't flake, don't fold; Jared needs this.'  He  taps on the edge of the open door and steps inside.

Jeff looks up with a smirk on his face that drops off when he sees it's Jensen in the doorway. "What the hell are you doing here? This is for employees only," he says, sneering at Jensen like he'd been fired instead of quitting. "You better haul ass before I call security," Jeff snaps. "No, fuck that. I'm calling 'em right now."

He grabs his phone, finger on the button for security. His sneer's back, wider now, verging on unhinged. A crocodile smile,   Jensen thinks. Shaking his head, Jensen steps forward, opens the envelope. He shakes a few photos out of the envelope, they skitter across Jeff's desk, and he makes an instinctive move to catch them. Jensen watches him, arms crossed over his chest. He feels like...like he's showering in slime. But it's for Jared, he tells himself. And honestly, it doesn't feel horrible at all watching Jeff pale to a fish-belly white and his expression flip from "supercilious bastard" to "desperate drowning man".

"So-so what. No one's going to care about a-a whore," Jeff gasps.

Ignoring the instant wave of rage that hearing Jared disrespected by an asshole brings, Jensen shakes his head. "Oh, Jeff. Such   an asshole. What do you think would happen if, say, your bosses got these? Your wife …imagine her getting these." Jensen grimaces and nudges a photo across the desk: a curve of hip, the camera angle pointing downwards to show a bruised hip with just a hint of Jared's ass-skin marred with purple, finger-shaped bruises and scratches. He pulls it back before Jeff can touch it, then fans out a handful featuring Jared's face and chest-bruised and swollen and beaten. Jeff looks like he's going down for the third time. Jensen gathers the photos back, sits across from him and waits.

Jeff's jaw works for a few seconds before he can spit something out, "What do you want?" he shouts. "Your whore want money? Or you want your position back? No, a higher one, right?  Is that what you're angling for-I can work something out."

Jensen taps the envelope on the edge of the desk, rubs his chin like he's thinking hard about Jeff's offer. Across from him, Jeff's starting to smile. He leans his elbows on the desk; it's obvious he thinks he's going to win something here.

Jensen gives the asshole a crocodile smile of his own and says, "Let's talk about how you want a transfer to a South Atlantic store-I hear that's a growing region now-and how you recommend Michael to head the department. Let's talk about you leaving--now."

Jensen comes back from the city about a few hours later, smiling from ear to ear. He's still jazzed at how well the plan went, and even happier when he opens the door to see his lover waiting for him, smiling like a naughty Donna Reed, wrists wrapped in multiple pearl bracelets and dressed only in a pair of tiny orange track shorts. Only that, along with some lipstick and rouge and a long, flowing scarf complete his ensemble. As far as Jensen's concerned, Jared's dressed to the impeccable nines. He's also holding some sort of drink, an electric blue thing, so Jensen grabs it with a murmured thanks and gulps half of it, ignoring Jared's gasped, I meant have a taste, not the whole thing!

"God, I needed that-that was in the bar?" He flaps his free hand, dismissing his own question, and hands Jared his drink back. Wrapping the silk scarf floating around Jared's gorgeous neck in his fingers, Jensen pulls him close and whispers in his ear, "Guess who's now officially Gyre Bros new assistant to the head of design?"

Jared tosses down what's left of his drink, before pressing a hand to his chest, like he's trying to hold his heart in place. "Assistant to the head of design? Oh my god, are you insane?   No, that's totally crazy-I can't do that, Jensen!" Jared protests but Jensen hushes him, covering Jared's mouth with a gentle hand.

"Yes you can. Remember we talked about this. The minute you can see out of both eyes, Michael wants you in the studio. You. Can. Do. This," Jensen punctuates each word with a kiss. "Remember, it's who you know-and what you can do with that, that makes amazing breaks. Just think of it as your ship finally coming in."

Jared pulls his scarf from Jen's grip, nibbles on the end of it. "I think I can talk to Michael,” he mutters. Then, a bit louder, says, “Yes, I will go talk to him, and he’s going to see how fabulous I am, and, and-oh Jen, I can't believe it! I'm finally going places-it's too exciting," Jared crows. Wraps his scarf around Jensen’s neck and yanks him in, planting a big, deep, wet kiss on him. Before Jensen can react, Jared is sweeping away, headed for the kitchen.

"Now I’m definitely doing this, but you have something to do for me. Mr. Michael Murray called. Said he heard from Justin-an ex-client, sorry, you're probably going to see a lot of him. Oh, and Timothy too, you'll adore him-anyway, it reminded me that Justin had set up some interviews for me, teaching positions; I swear, that Justin boy could sell sand sundaes in a desert! What we'll do is work it so you'll take these interviews instead, okay?"

Jensen’s baffled. In what world did Jared think this could work? He looks into his lover’s smiling face, not wanting to squash the excitement he sees in Jared's sunflower eyes but..."Jared, they're expecting you-I can't just walk in in your place, like, yo what’s crackin’ dudes?"

“No!” Jared laughs long and loud. “Puh-leeeze! Promise me never say that again!"Jared throws himself into one of the kitchen chairs and wraps his long, naked limbs around the legs, making Jensen take a second to wonder what it would feel like to have those legs wrapped around him. He blinks when Jared calls his name, and grins shamefaced before sitting as well.

"Of course, you can take my place, and you will! Jensen, seriously, you have a much better chance at getting those jobs than I do, with your knowledge and experience. Just, smile a lot and be all charming as well and you'll get it." Jared's face lights up, and leaning across the table, he reaches out and takes Jensen's hand. "Oh my stars...Jensen. I've got a job, a real job. I'm never going to have to smell like pathetic sex or salad dressing ever again! Now you go get yours."

Jensen leaves Jared at home, resting. He's doing great, healing really well, but Jensen's managed to talk him into taking the rest that a kid that young never thinks they need-and there he goes again acting like he's some grandpa years older than Jared. He shakes his head and flags down the waitress. She smiles, because though it's been a while, the waitresses still remember Jensen, the Mr. Rockafeller of generous tipping. He orders a breakfast sandwich, pork roll, egg, and cheese on a bagel, with black coffee, and asks for an extra cup to come in ten minutes.

Jensen wolfs down the sandwich-appears blackmail makes for a hearty appetite. Wiping his mouth, he glances around the time-worn place, the place where, not to be corny, his real life began. For the better, god, so much for the better.

He's staring at the tabletop, thinking, smiling, and halfway through his cup. He looks up, and there's Chad suddenly appearing out of nowhere like a fucking Jedi.

He's frowning, but in a thoughtful way. He's got an oversized white envelope in his hand, and an extremely skeptical look on his face. He doesn't say a word, just sits there, glaring at Jensen, and after a few seconds Jensen realizes, Chad's glaring at his coffee, too, just about to open his mouth when the waitress drops a coffee on the table.

"Well, hell, If I'd known it was for you, I'd have waited until it got cold," she drawls, leaning a hip against the table and looking Chad up and down like he's an upright slug.

"Yeah, sure, you know you love me," Chad grins. "Heck, what's not to love?"

She snorts and whirls off, but Jensen catches the way the corner of her mouth turns up in a smile. Turns to Chad. "So, thanks for bringing that for Jare.  And I guess I have to thank that Justin guy for taking the extra step for him."

"Yeah…where's Jay-Jared? It was us supposed to be meeting? Why's he not here?" He glares impossibly harder. If Chad had possessed heat ray vision, no doubt he'd be a pile of ash right now.

"Jared's good, better than good. Healing great. I had to beg him to stay home and get some sleep."

"Hmmm. " Chad takes a slug of coffee then leans over the table towards Jensen, squinting slightly with the intensity of his emotions and says, "Swear to god, if you screw Jared in any way, I'll kill you. He's a great kid, he deserves something great. Yeah, he might need a bit of a push sometimes, 'cause okay, he's a little too prone to slide the easy way, but...I know he can be anything if he has someone who believes in him."

Jensen tries to sit back away from Chad's looming presence and his cologne, says "Of course, agreed-wait. Are you, you are-you're jealous." Didn't this guy have a wife? Jare said he had a wife….

"Fuck yes", Chad says, "and if I thought I had a whiff of a chance, I'd cram you in a cement overcoat and toss you in the river, but I'm invisible to him that way. That's why I paid, to remind myself that what we had was business. Well, now he's my best friend.  No matter what my loopy ex thinks." He stops, takes a breath and another slug of coffee. "Ah well. Say La Vee."

"La Vee," Jensen mutters and Chad finally cracks a smile.

"You know, that's the original reason I sent Justin his way. Jay-rad deserves something nice, and that dude's a catch, even if he's dumb enough to think he doesn't want a serious thing. Too bad he ended up in the same boat as me-he didn't figure out what he needed until it was too late."

Jensen stares at Chad, feeling the emotional place Chad's in, the knowing the one you want will never want you back."I want him with me, only me, forever." After choking feelings like this into silence all his life, it's terrifying to say it out loud. But...feels good too.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. The both of ya. Sickening." Chad rolls his eyes, but behind the smirk, there's a little pain. But, when he says, "I knew this is the way it would end the moment I saw the boy eyeing your hot-ass, you bastard." There's also a bit of real affection there too.

"Anyhoo, catch you later, Jenny. Good luck," Chad says and drops a couple of bills on the table before walking out. "Take care of our boy," he shouts over his shoulder, and then he's gone, leaving Jensen to sip lukewarm coffee and try and avoid the eyes that are all pinned on him. He picks up the money and sees it's more than enough for breakfast ans a tip, and snorts, has to smile. He thinks maybe he gets why Jared loves the guy so much.

In the year that they've lived together, Jared's life has changed in ways he'd always been afraid to imagine. He gets to sleep with, and wake up to, the most amazing man in the world. He has an incredible job, and as time goes on, he adores his coworkers more and more. His boss Michael is a high decibel queen and he loves her for it. As for Glover...well. John is the smart, elegant, sarcastic Queen Mother he hopes one day to be, and Jared adores him as well. Friday lunches with John is the icing on his weekly cake. The fact that it kind of pisses Jen off that they get along so well is just a wee bit of an extra bonus.

The job itself? He loves the brainstorming, he loves putting their ideas into workable plans, he loves the work of dressing the windows, even on days when he feels like putting a chair through every single fucking one of them. It’s okay though, on those days he takes a deep breath, exhales slowly, and remembers what the woman who raised him used to say, ‘How can you know what’s good if you never have some bad?’

Jensen is doing wonderfully well himself, thanks to dearest Justin’s helping hand. He'd had his pick of positions-something Jared knows he wouldn't have had. Jensen loves teaching, and he's wonderful with the kids, just like Jared knew he'd be. He's patient, and kind, and truly cares about his students. It's something that Jared got to know after they moved in together, just how deeply, genuinely, unselfishly caring he is. Everyday with Jensen feels like a discovery of how good life with the right person can be.

There's a fairy tale quality about all this-minus the rough divorce, and the streetwalking, and the forbidden love-but Jared does kind of feel like he's been woken by the handsome prince with a kiss-but the handsome prince got his own awakening. They are their own family, and all’s right in the Queendom.



It's a beautiful Sunday, the lawn is a brilliant blue-green under a watercolor sketch of a sky. Jared's wildly running around in circles, exhorting a little brindle dog that looks like a slightly wonky, pocket-size German Shepard to go for some kind of stick thing that cost a million dollars but that Jared insists was safe for her and that was all that mattered. Jensen shakes his head. Hell, when he was a kid, dog toys were grody old sticks and dog treats were leftover chicken bones to chew on. But not for Heidi, oh no. Heidi slept inside on her very own fluffy pillow. She had a wardrobe almost as big as Jared's. It's just fucking ridiculous the way that man dotes on a dog he “rescued” from a shelter. One minute its just Jared and Jensen, and the next, there's a little four-legged girl whose puppy eyes give her dad's a run for his money. Apparently, those were the kind of things happened when you were with someone with a heart as big as Jare's.

Jensen, on the other hand, led with his head, not his heart. He was immune to puppy dog eyes of any tripe. And he would let bamboo slivers be shoved under his nails before he'd confess that when Jared worked a rare evening, Heidi slept next to Jensen in the bed.

This morning, Heidi slept in her kitchen bed-Jared had woken them both early, sent Heidi to the kitchen, and shut the bedroom door before advancing on Jensen with a leer.

"Are you planning on having your way with me, you wicked, wicked man?"

"Aren't I supposed to be asking you that," Jensen laughs, and spreads out wide like a starfish in the bed.

Jared gasps. "I do believe you are!" he says and leaps onto the bed. He splays out on top of Jensen. "I challenge you, sir. Hand jobs at dawn," he whispers and Jensen chuckles.

“I accept your challenge...it sounds perfect.”

They begin with kisses; long, slow kisses, that heat up the longer the kisses go on. They rub against each other, slow, undulating waves. Jared reaches between them to roll Jensen's balls in his fingers, soft but firm movement as his tongue slides against Jensen's. Jensen groans, tries to spread his legs wider when Jared's fingers walk back, over his perineum, thumb rubbing there just long enough to make Jensen jerk his hips up. A long, slim finger slides into his asshole. "Fuck Jare, that feels good."

"I know, right?" Jared mumbles, his finger moving in and out, tugging a bit at the rim as he pulls out, the way Jensen likes it. Kissing away Jensen's automatic protest as Jared pulls back, he moves just enough for him to gather their dicks together in his hand the way only Jared can because his mitts are huge. Jensen cups his own hand over Jared's because he's helpful like that. Okay, mainly it's to feel the way tendons and muscles move in Jared's hand as he works them together-so fucking hot.

Jensen fumbles around in the bed, looking for-ah. The little bottle of lube that ended up under his pillow last night. Jensen pours a little lube over them to slick the way.

"Ooo, thanks," Jared says, and begins a slow, thorough glide up, down, making sure his clever fingers catch against their crowns as he goes, that the heads of their dicks rub together. Jared's beginning to get noisy, leaking slick steadily-something Jensen loves. Precome mixes with the lube and makes it wetter, hotter, inspires Jared to move faster.

Jensen wraps his arms around Jared, twists their legs together, just does what he can to get as close as possible. Jared's opens to him, smeary wet kisses punctuated with groans and soft grunts. Jensen sucks on Jared's tongue like he'd suck his dick, because for some reason that's a thing that totally sends Jared.

"Gonna come all over you, gonna mark you up," Jared growls, like a porn star top. Jensen giggles, groans; when his princess suddenly turns into a savage beast it's just so fucking hot, especially when he tosses Jensen around like he's made of fluff and feathers...but this morning it's just hand jobs and sweet kisses and then Sunday breakfast at their favorite place.

Suddenly all thoughts of breakfast go flying out of his head, anything that’s not "Jared!" Jensen gasps, belly hitching and his toes curling, dick swelling and jerking against Jared's as he comes. It pulls the  trigger on Jared's own orgasm and they hit together like synchronized swimmers in a Busby Berkeley flick. And damn it, Jared, he shouldn't be thinking about Busby Berkeley after sex this freakin' good.

Jensen's knees are still a little shaky when they leash Heidi and head to the park, even after buckets of coffee and a ton of bagels-Jared's still a growing boy and his raging metabolism requires tons of fuel, at least that's his claim. Their neighborhood just put in something they call a dog park, and Jensen guesses that means your dog can shit guilt free there. Fine, he's got a huge coffee and a bagel left from breakfast, and there's an empty bench right outside the little park's gate. Comfortably content, he chews on his bagel and watches his little family and smiles. They are cute together, no doubt.

Jensen closes his eyes and lifts his face to the sun, letting it warm him, soothing his spirit the way it always does. He opens them with a contented sigh, searching out the grass for his lover, and sees  her.

Jeanette. She looks good, relaxed, right up until they make eye contact and she stiffens. Jensen lifts his coffee and smiles into his cup. There's no need for her to panic, after all, they both got what they wanted, finally. Jensen turns his head and sees that Jared is totally engrossed in making Heidi fetch the stick thing, an act she doesn’t seem to understand. He's so involved that he misses the interaction between Jensen and his ex wife, and anyway, Jared wouldn't know Jeanette from Adam even if he had caught it.

Jensen tips his cup to her, a spare movement. Jeanette glances over in Jared's direction and sees him dashing across the grass, Heidi’s toy held high and Heidi running after him. Jensen can tell when some instinct leads her to put two and two together. She startles, and then, gives  him a slow head nod before walking away. The whole encounter takes less than five minutes; there'd been no mystery about the reason their marriage ended, yet it still feels somehow like the world has changed.

Jensen turns his head away, inhales the scent of crushed grass and freshly turned soil, warmed by the sun. In a few more minutes, he’s going to go collect his little family. Later this evening, they’re meeting Tim for dinner, and then...who knows? Maybe a movie, maybe dessert, definitely sex. Sex and dessert.

It's going to be a good day.
fin