Fic: How Jared Met Jensen: A Love Story in the Key of D (For Dog) - 6/7
Title: How Jared Met Jensen: A Love Story in the Key of D (For Dog)
Authors:
thrdstrike and
burnfor
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 14,200+
Summary: It's been three years since Jared and Sandy got divorced, and Jared's sister and brother think that it's time he meets someone new. Nobody said that it would be easy.
Master Post | Part Five
Jared resists the urge to smack his head against his dresser as he pulls on a loose pair of jeans.
The date with Sophia had, by all technicality, gone well. A little too well on Sophia's part. That was mighty evident by the way she clung to him on the walk home, then on the doorstep while she looked up at him with a petulant frown when he declined her invitation for "tea or coffee". And then again with the heated glance after she gave him a sloppy kiss goodnight.
He hesitates a second before punching in the number.
"Hello?" There's some pounding bass line in the background and dialogue Jared can't make out.
"Hi." Jared's not really sure what he's doing, calling.
"Wha'd ya want?"
"Jensen?"
"No. Jesus."
Jared pauses. There's a sarcastic bite to Jensen's tone that he hasn't heard before, and he doesn't quite know how to respond.
"Jay-red. Just spit it out so I can leave, a'ight?" The drunken slur of Jensen's voice makes Jared wince, guilty.
"Look, I'm sorry about earlier. She really likes me, and I felt bad about turning her down. She's the mother of-"
"Simon." Jensen cuts him off and sounds entirely too sober all of a sudden. "I remember. And I don't care. It's fine. It's not like I have any claim on you. It's not like we were going steady or anything."
Jensen's petulant tone is beginning to make Jared angry. "You know what Jensen? If that's the way you feel then fine. But maybe you should grow the fuck up and stop acting so childish if it obviously doesn't mean anything to you. I'm sorry I fucking bothered."
Jared hangs up the phone and flops back against the couch cushions. Any guilt he may have been feeling when he'd called Jensen officially dissipated. If that's the way that Jensen feels, Jared isn't going to try to coddle him into forgiving him.
Picking up the phone once more, Jared calls Tom and Mike and sullenly asks if they're busy. "I feel like drinking and I'm sure that I shouldn't do it alone."
Tom agrees slowly, obviously having a silent conversation with Mike before assuring Jared that they'll be over in a few minutes. "With tequila!" Mike shouts in the background, and it doesn't make Jared feel any better.
***
"Jared!" Mike calls as he pounds on the front door, not waiting for Jared to answer, barging in a few minutes later with a stack of DVD's under his arm, and a large bottle of tequila tucked under the other. "You have got it bad, son," Mike proclaims flopping down next to Jared and giving him a firm look. "What happened?"
Jared sighs and looks despairingly at Tom.
"Mike," Tom says softly, trying to control his boyfriend somewhat.
"What?" Mike shoots back. "Jared called us over to drink. That means that this Jensen guy obviously is something more than Jared is letting on." He turns back to Jared. "Now. What happened?"
"I fucked up, that's what." Mike glares and Jared throws up his arms in defeat, pushing himself off of the couch and beginning to pace. "I like Jensen, okay? Like, a fucking lot. But well, the other night one of my student's parents - Sophia - asked me out to dinner, and I didn't have the heart to say no. And then Jensen wanted to go out, but I already had plans and then we ran into Jensen while we were out, and it all went to shit." Jared takes a breath before continuing on. "And then I called to apologize and Jensen tells me that he doesn't care, that he never had any claim to me, and... and -"
"He's lying," Mike says.
"What?"
"The bastard is lying," Mike repeats. "Like hell he doesn't have any claim on you. Look how riddled with guilt you are? You wouldn't ever be like that over someone you didn't have some serious emotions for, dude."
Tom nods his head. "He's right, Jared."
Jared doesn't know what to say. He looks back and forth between Tom and Mike before groaning angrily and sinking back down onto the couch. "I am such a fucking idiot!" he mutters and Mike wraps an arm around Jared's shoulders.
"No, man. You aren't an idiot." He looks Jared straight in the eye before continuing. "Jensen is the idiot because he let someone like you get away."
It should make Jared feel better, but it doesn't.
***
"Who was on the phone?" Chad asks coming back in from the kitchen with two beers in hand.
"No one," Jensen answers reaching to take one beer from Chad, chugging it back as soon as the bottle touches his lips.
"Whoa, easy there cowboy," Chad says as he sits down next to him. "We got the entire night ahead of us."
Jensen sneers at Chad and sinks lower, until he can barely see the television over his bent knees. "Jared," he says quietly after several minutes pass and Chad blinks and looks over.
"Huh?"
"It was Jared," Jensen says a bit louder and Chad raises an eyebrow.
"What did he say?" Chad prompts. He pauses the movie they're watching, car exploding on the side of a cliff frozen mid-way.
Jensen doesn't answer, taking another pull from his beer and shoving another handful of popcorn into his mouth. He knows that Jared was being sincere, but he's still stung over the fact that Jared was out on a date. With someone that wasn't him.
It feels ridiculous that Jared makes him feel like this, and knowing Chad, he'd never hear the end of it.
***
"No way. 'M not calling him." Jared stares wild-eyed at Tom and Mike as they advance on him. "Nuh-uh."
They're a few hours into drinking, and with collective effort have pried the story out of them.
"Yes, you are." Mike grins and shoves a phone in Jared's face. "Do it. Now. Ask him if he's free tomorrow night."
***
Of course Chad eventually gets it out of Jensen and is then faced with having the phone shoved in his face. "Call him. Call him you stupid fucking asshole. Ask him if he's free tomorrow night. God! Why do you always do this? Why do you always fuck up the good things that happen to you?"
"I do not fuck up all the good things," Jensen replies, defensive.
"One thing, Ackles. Tell me one thing you haven't fucked up because you were scared."
Jensen frowns and punches Chad in the shoulder. Hard. "My career, you stupid douche. That's what. And yeah, I was scared of failing with that, too, and here I am, successful. So fuck you!" Jensen grabs the phone and punches in Jared's number, glaring hard at Chad as it rings next to his ear.
***
Jared jumps as the phone rings in his hands. He glances at Tom and Mike with wide, startled eyes.
Mike laughs. "Answer it, stupid."
Jared looks down at the phone like he doesn't know how it works and then fumbles to press the right button. "H-hello?" He clears his throat, coughs. "Hello?"
"Jared?"
Jensen's voice is more lucid now and Jared breathes out slowly, still staring intently at his friends. "Yeah. This is Jared."
There's a long tense silence and Jared chews on his lip uncomfortably. Why isn't Jensen saying anything? Did he call Jared just to fuck with his head or something? Just as Jared is reaching the end of his patience, Jensen clears his throat and speaks.
"Are you free tomorrow night?"
The question seems so completely out of left field based on the conversation they'd had previously. No "I'm sorry"; No "I over reacted"; No "Would you want to see me again?";
"I don't know," Jared answers slowly. "I might have plans."
Mike throws a pillow at Jared's head and calls him a bitch. "Say yes, retard." Jared bats the pillow away and sticks his tongue out at Mike.
"Oh," Jensen replies. He doesn't say anything else and Jared wishes that he would just apologize already and they could get this petty jealousy thing out of the way.
Frustrated, Jared sighs again. "If there's nothing else, Jensen -"
"Please, Jared." Tom sits down next to Mike and their fingers are linked tightly together as they watch the outcome of the conversation. "Please, just... see me tomorrow, okay? Please."
Defeated, Jared's shoulders relax and his voice is gentle when he asks, "When and where?"
***
Jared is just heading out the door to meet Jensen when his phone rings. It's Samantha and she sounds panicked. "Jared. I need you to come over right away. I've got a bit of a - uh, situation."
"Samantha, I'm kind of on my way out to meet -"
"Jared," Samantha begs, cutting Jared off. "Please. It's an emergency."
He really doesn't want to stand Jensen up, but Samantha does sound like something is really wrong. "I'll be there as soon as I can." Hanging up the phone, Jared pulls out his cell phone and calls Jensen.
"Jensen, I really don't want to have to do this, but I have to go and help a friend. Maybe we can meet later? Or maybe just rain check? I'm sorry. I am so sorry to do this to you."
***
Jensen frowns at Jared's message. It doesn't seem like a brush off, but if it was, Jensen certainly wouldn't blame Jared in the least. Snapping his phone shut, he orders himself a coffee and sits in the back of the coffee shop and sulks.
He looks up as a shadow falls across his table to find a cute blond whose name he learns is Katie. She's funny and witty and Jensen isn't sure why he cares so much about Jared when he's with her.
***
When Jared pulls up at Samantha's there's a bicycle sitting against her front steps, and he raises a worried eyebrow, bounding up the stairs and knocking on the door. Samantha calls him in and Jared is surprised to see a young man - can't be more than seventeen, maybe - sitting on her couch with his hands clasped between his knees, eyes wide and looking a bit wet.
"This is?" Jared asks as he turns to look at Samantha and she nods slowly.
"Turned up on my porch a few hours ago."
Zac - the kid Samantha had told Jared about the last time that he'd been over - looks between the two adults. "Don't send me home, okay? Samantha is my soul mate! I don't care how old she is! She's beautiful, and she has a beautiful soul."
Jared can see Samantha soften at that and he gives her a stern look. She sighs and moves to sit next to Zac. "Look, honey. I know you think that I'm everything that you're looking for, but you're just a baby still. You've got so much to experience in life and I'm not it. Not yet. Not now."
Zac chews on his lip and looks up at Samantha mournfully. "I rode my bike all this way to be with you," he whispers and Samantha cups his cheek and kisses his forehead.
"I know, baby. And I'm flattered. But I think that maybe you should go home."
"I can give you a ride, if you want," Jared offers and Zac shrugs a shoulder noncommittally.
Samantha and Jared share a concerned look and Samantha squeezes Zac's shoulder. "How 'bout I let you sleep here on the couch tonight and you make sure to give your mom a call to let her know where you are. We'll get you home tomorrow."
Zac nods and heaves a heavy sigh. "Alright."
"Thanks for coming," Samantha says as she walks Jared to the door. "He just showed up and I didn't know what to do!"
"I think you did the right thing. I mean, not letting him entertain that delusion." Samantha frowns and Jared laughs softly. "I didn't mean it like that." He glances at his watch and chews his lip. "Think I still have time to catch Jensen? Not too late?"
"It's never to late to go get your man. You do what you have to. I've got it covered here."
***
The coffee shop is close to closing when Jared arrives, but he can still see Jensen sitting inside. He's talking to someone that Jared can't see, smiling and laughing and it makes his gut twist with jealousy.
The Barista smiles when Jared enters. "Just about closing time, you're in luck. What can I get you?" Jared smiles back and looks towards Jensen and a smiling blond who casts an inquisitive look in Jared's direction.
"Uh, nothing. I'm good, thanks."
The blond leans in and says something quietly to Jensen before slipping out of her seat and leaving. "It was nice meeting you, Jensen. Give me a call sometime, hmm?"
"Yeah, I will. Have a nice night, Katie."
Jared slips into the seat that Katie had vacated and looks at the table, feeling the heavy weight of Jensen's eyes on him. "Nice of you to show up," he says flatly.
"I said I was sorry. Why don't you ever believe me when I say that?"
"I haven't really had any reason to up to this point, Jared."
"You haven't really taken the time to, either."
"How was your date with Sophia?"
Jared clenches and unclenches his jaw. "That isn't what you asked me here to talk about," he replies tightly.
"Oh?" Jensen asks jovially. "Isn't it? Because I didn't really specify what it was we were here to talk about, and I'd rather you didn't make assumptions."
Jared can feel the Barista watching them and wishes that they weren't the only people there. He doesn't know how to answer Jensen, so he says nothing.
"Did you fuck her?" Jensen asks quietly after several moments and Jared's head shoots up.
"What?"
"You heard me."
"No, Jensen. I didn't. Is that what you were worried about? What, were you jealous or something?"
Jensen clenches his jaw and looks away and realization dawns on Jared. "You were. You were jealous."
"Shut up," Jensen snaps. "Just shut up. What was I supposed to think, Jared? When we were out and your intent was so obvious and then she showed up and - " he trails off in a huff of annoyance.
"Jensen..."
"This was a bad idea," Jensen says as he stands abruptly. It's a mirror of the first time they'd met each other, except this time it's Jensen running instead of Jared. "See you around, Jared."
"Wait. Jensen! Jensen wait!"
The door swings shut with the quiet tinkering of bells against glass. Jared sinks lower into his chair and wonders why things have to be so fucking complicated.
Part Seven
Authors:
thrdstrike and
burnfor
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: 14,200+
Summary: It's been three years since Jared and Sandy got divorced, and Jared's sister and brother think that it's time he meets someone new. Nobody said that it would be easy.
Master Post | Part Five
Jared resists the urge to smack his head against his dresser as he pulls on a loose pair of jeans.
The date with Sophia had, by all technicality, gone well. A little too well on Sophia's part. That was mighty evident by the way she clung to him on the walk home, then on the doorstep while she looked up at him with a petulant frown when he declined her invitation for "tea or coffee". And then again with the heated glance after she gave him a sloppy kiss goodnight.
He hesitates a second before punching in the number.
"Hello?" There's some pounding bass line in the background and dialogue Jared can't make out.
"Hi." Jared's not really sure what he's doing, calling.
"Wha'd ya want?"
"Jensen?"
"No. Jesus."
Jared pauses. There's a sarcastic bite to Jensen's tone that he hasn't heard before, and he doesn't quite know how to respond.
"Jay-red. Just spit it out so I can leave, a'ight?" The drunken slur of Jensen's voice makes Jared wince, guilty.
"Look, I'm sorry about earlier. She really likes me, and I felt bad about turning her down. She's the mother of-"
"Simon." Jensen cuts him off and sounds entirely too sober all of a sudden. "I remember. And I don't care. It's fine. It's not like I have any claim on you. It's not like we were going steady or anything."
Jensen's petulant tone is beginning to make Jared angry. "You know what Jensen? If that's the way you feel then fine. But maybe you should grow the fuck up and stop acting so childish if it obviously doesn't mean anything to you. I'm sorry I fucking bothered."
Jared hangs up the phone and flops back against the couch cushions. Any guilt he may have been feeling when he'd called Jensen officially dissipated. If that's the way that Jensen feels, Jared isn't going to try to coddle him into forgiving him.
Picking up the phone once more, Jared calls Tom and Mike and sullenly asks if they're busy. "I feel like drinking and I'm sure that I shouldn't do it alone."
Tom agrees slowly, obviously having a silent conversation with Mike before assuring Jared that they'll be over in a few minutes. "With tequila!" Mike shouts in the background, and it doesn't make Jared feel any better.
***
"Jared!" Mike calls as he pounds on the front door, not waiting for Jared to answer, barging in a few minutes later with a stack of DVD's under his arm, and a large bottle of tequila tucked under the other. "You have got it bad, son," Mike proclaims flopping down next to Jared and giving him a firm look. "What happened?"
Jared sighs and looks despairingly at Tom.
"Mike," Tom says softly, trying to control his boyfriend somewhat.
"What?" Mike shoots back. "Jared called us over to drink. That means that this Jensen guy obviously is something more than Jared is letting on." He turns back to Jared. "Now. What happened?"
"I fucked up, that's what." Mike glares and Jared throws up his arms in defeat, pushing himself off of the couch and beginning to pace. "I like Jensen, okay? Like, a fucking lot. But well, the other night one of my student's parents - Sophia - asked me out to dinner, and I didn't have the heart to say no. And then Jensen wanted to go out, but I already had plans and then we ran into Jensen while we were out, and it all went to shit." Jared takes a breath before continuing on. "And then I called to apologize and Jensen tells me that he doesn't care, that he never had any claim to me, and... and -"
"He's lying," Mike says.
"What?"
"The bastard is lying," Mike repeats. "Like hell he doesn't have any claim on you. Look how riddled with guilt you are? You wouldn't ever be like that over someone you didn't have some serious emotions for, dude."
Tom nods his head. "He's right, Jared."
Jared doesn't know what to say. He looks back and forth between Tom and Mike before groaning angrily and sinking back down onto the couch. "I am such a fucking idiot!" he mutters and Mike wraps an arm around Jared's shoulders.
"No, man. You aren't an idiot." He looks Jared straight in the eye before continuing. "Jensen is the idiot because he let someone like you get away."
It should make Jared feel better, but it doesn't.
***
"Who was on the phone?" Chad asks coming back in from the kitchen with two beers in hand.
"No one," Jensen answers reaching to take one beer from Chad, chugging it back as soon as the bottle touches his lips.
"Whoa, easy there cowboy," Chad says as he sits down next to him. "We got the entire night ahead of us."
Jensen sneers at Chad and sinks lower, until he can barely see the television over his bent knees. "Jared," he says quietly after several minutes pass and Chad blinks and looks over.
"Huh?"
"It was Jared," Jensen says a bit louder and Chad raises an eyebrow.
"What did he say?" Chad prompts. He pauses the movie they're watching, car exploding on the side of a cliff frozen mid-way.
Jensen doesn't answer, taking another pull from his beer and shoving another handful of popcorn into his mouth. He knows that Jared was being sincere, but he's still stung over the fact that Jared was out on a date. With someone that wasn't him.
It feels ridiculous that Jared makes him feel like this, and knowing Chad, he'd never hear the end of it.
***
"No way. 'M not calling him." Jared stares wild-eyed at Tom and Mike as they advance on him. "Nuh-uh."
They're a few hours into drinking, and with collective effort have pried the story out of them.
"Yes, you are." Mike grins and shoves a phone in Jared's face. "Do it. Now. Ask him if he's free tomorrow night."
***
Of course Chad eventually gets it out of Jensen and is then faced with having the phone shoved in his face. "Call him. Call him you stupid fucking asshole. Ask him if he's free tomorrow night. God! Why do you always do this? Why do you always fuck up the good things that happen to you?"
"I do not fuck up all the good things," Jensen replies, defensive.
"One thing, Ackles. Tell me one thing you haven't fucked up because you were scared."
Jensen frowns and punches Chad in the shoulder. Hard. "My career, you stupid douche. That's what. And yeah, I was scared of failing with that, too, and here I am, successful. So fuck you!" Jensen grabs the phone and punches in Jared's number, glaring hard at Chad as it rings next to his ear.
***
Jared jumps as the phone rings in his hands. He glances at Tom and Mike with wide, startled eyes.
Mike laughs. "Answer it, stupid."
Jared looks down at the phone like he doesn't know how it works and then fumbles to press the right button. "H-hello?" He clears his throat, coughs. "Hello?"
"Jared?"
Jensen's voice is more lucid now and Jared breathes out slowly, still staring intently at his friends. "Yeah. This is Jared."
There's a long tense silence and Jared chews on his lip uncomfortably. Why isn't Jensen saying anything? Did he call Jared just to fuck with his head or something? Just as Jared is reaching the end of his patience, Jensen clears his throat and speaks.
"Are you free tomorrow night?"
The question seems so completely out of left field based on the conversation they'd had previously. No "I'm sorry"; No "I over reacted"; No "Would you want to see me again?";
"I don't know," Jared answers slowly. "I might have plans."
Mike throws a pillow at Jared's head and calls him a bitch. "Say yes, retard." Jared bats the pillow away and sticks his tongue out at Mike.
"Oh," Jensen replies. He doesn't say anything else and Jared wishes that he would just apologize already and they could get this petty jealousy thing out of the way.
Frustrated, Jared sighs again. "If there's nothing else, Jensen -"
"Please, Jared." Tom sits down next to Mike and their fingers are linked tightly together as they watch the outcome of the conversation. "Please, just... see me tomorrow, okay? Please."
Defeated, Jared's shoulders relax and his voice is gentle when he asks, "When and where?"
***
Jared is just heading out the door to meet Jensen when his phone rings. It's Samantha and she sounds panicked. "Jared. I need you to come over right away. I've got a bit of a - uh, situation."
"Samantha, I'm kind of on my way out to meet -"
"Jared," Samantha begs, cutting Jared off. "Please. It's an emergency."
He really doesn't want to stand Jensen up, but Samantha does sound like something is really wrong. "I'll be there as soon as I can." Hanging up the phone, Jared pulls out his cell phone and calls Jensen.
"Jensen, I really don't want to have to do this, but I have to go and help a friend. Maybe we can meet later? Or maybe just rain check? I'm sorry. I am so sorry to do this to you."
***
Jensen frowns at Jared's message. It doesn't seem like a brush off, but if it was, Jensen certainly wouldn't blame Jared in the least. Snapping his phone shut, he orders himself a coffee and sits in the back of the coffee shop and sulks.
He looks up as a shadow falls across his table to find a cute blond whose name he learns is Katie. She's funny and witty and Jensen isn't sure why he cares so much about Jared when he's with her.
***
When Jared pulls up at Samantha's there's a bicycle sitting against her front steps, and he raises a worried eyebrow, bounding up the stairs and knocking on the door. Samantha calls him in and Jared is surprised to see a young man - can't be more than seventeen, maybe - sitting on her couch with his hands clasped between his knees, eyes wide and looking a bit wet.
"This is?" Jared asks as he turns to look at Samantha and she nods slowly.
"Turned up on my porch a few hours ago."
Zac - the kid Samantha had told Jared about the last time that he'd been over - looks between the two adults. "Don't send me home, okay? Samantha is my soul mate! I don't care how old she is! She's beautiful, and she has a beautiful soul."
Jared can see Samantha soften at that and he gives her a stern look. She sighs and moves to sit next to Zac. "Look, honey. I know you think that I'm everything that you're looking for, but you're just a baby still. You've got so much to experience in life and I'm not it. Not yet. Not now."
Zac chews on his lip and looks up at Samantha mournfully. "I rode my bike all this way to be with you," he whispers and Samantha cups his cheek and kisses his forehead.
"I know, baby. And I'm flattered. But I think that maybe you should go home."
"I can give you a ride, if you want," Jared offers and Zac shrugs a shoulder noncommittally.
Samantha and Jared share a concerned look and Samantha squeezes Zac's shoulder. "How 'bout I let you sleep here on the couch tonight and you make sure to give your mom a call to let her know where you are. We'll get you home tomorrow."
Zac nods and heaves a heavy sigh. "Alright."
"Thanks for coming," Samantha says as she walks Jared to the door. "He just showed up and I didn't know what to do!"
"I think you did the right thing. I mean, not letting him entertain that delusion." Samantha frowns and Jared laughs softly. "I didn't mean it like that." He glances at his watch and chews his lip. "Think I still have time to catch Jensen? Not too late?"
"It's never to late to go get your man. You do what you have to. I've got it covered here."
***
The coffee shop is close to closing when Jared arrives, but he can still see Jensen sitting inside. He's talking to someone that Jared can't see, smiling and laughing and it makes his gut twist with jealousy.
The Barista smiles when Jared enters. "Just about closing time, you're in luck. What can I get you?" Jared smiles back and looks towards Jensen and a smiling blond who casts an inquisitive look in Jared's direction.
"Uh, nothing. I'm good, thanks."
The blond leans in and says something quietly to Jensen before slipping out of her seat and leaving. "It was nice meeting you, Jensen. Give me a call sometime, hmm?"
"Yeah, I will. Have a nice night, Katie."
Jared slips into the seat that Katie had vacated and looks at the table, feeling the heavy weight of Jensen's eyes on him. "Nice of you to show up," he says flatly.
"I said I was sorry. Why don't you ever believe me when I say that?"
"I haven't really had any reason to up to this point, Jared."
"You haven't really taken the time to, either."
"How was your date with Sophia?"
Jared clenches and unclenches his jaw. "That isn't what you asked me here to talk about," he replies tightly.
"Oh?" Jensen asks jovially. "Isn't it? Because I didn't really specify what it was we were here to talk about, and I'd rather you didn't make assumptions."
Jared can feel the Barista watching them and wishes that they weren't the only people there. He doesn't know how to answer Jensen, so he says nothing.
"Did you fuck her?" Jensen asks quietly after several moments and Jared's head shoots up.
"What?"
"You heard me."
"No, Jensen. I didn't. Is that what you were worried about? What, were you jealous or something?"
Jensen clenches his jaw and looks away and realization dawns on Jared. "You were. You were jealous."
"Shut up," Jensen snaps. "Just shut up. What was I supposed to think, Jared? When we were out and your intent was so obvious and then she showed up and - " he trails off in a huff of annoyance.
"Jensen..."
"This was a bad idea," Jensen says as he stands abruptly. It's a mirror of the first time they'd met each other, except this time it's Jensen running instead of Jared. "See you around, Jared."
"Wait. Jensen! Jensen wait!"
The door swings shut with the quiet tinkering of bells against glass. Jared sinks lower into his chair and wonders why things have to be so fucking complicated.
Part Seven