R | Just a Little Office Maintenance
Title: Just a Little Office Maintenance
Rating: R for language
Words: 4,200 - ON THE DOT HECK YEAH
Summary: Jared pines, oh does he pine, for the maintenance guy in his office.
Notes: For diabolical22 under help_haiti, who asked for office pining :-D
Jared is curious by nature. So whenever he spots someone new in the office, he tends to walk an easy trail down one hallway and back around to get a good look at whatever the person’s doing. If he can’t figure out what they’re doing there, he’ll go to the front desk and ask Genevieve who it is.
But the day he catches a new, hot guy, in a well-fitted polo and khakis, and scoping out the main color printer, he’s more than curious. He circles round, about four times. Well, five, but that’s when he’s spotted. The guy looks up with confused face and points at the machine. “You waitin’ for something?”
Jared shakes his head and tries to smile. “Nah, I’m good.” He even raises his eyebrows with the smile and then spins on his heel and marches around the corner. Then he jogs to the front desk and is nearly huffing as he looks around to make sure the guy didn’t see him run away. “Who’s the new guy?”
Genevieve gives him an evil eye and points at her headset as he keeps talking. “Is there anyone else who could help you? … He’s expected back tomorrow morning … I’m sorry but he’s unavailable would you like his voicemail? … Okay, thank you.” She punches a button to disconnect the call then glares at him. “I don’t know why you never see the headset. You never respect the headset.”
“Your hair looks like shit under that headset,” he shoots back immediately and then rushes right into what he wants to know (though he’s internally smirking when she runs a hand over her hair and frowns). “Who’s the new guy? He’s been hanging around printer thirteen for like twenty minutes.”
She looks at her computer screen and gets to typing out a memo she’d been working on before. Naturally, she’s distracted. “Thirteen’s been down for a week. Whoever’s using it is stupid.”
Naturally, he stares back because she is no help. “Well, there was some hot guy hanging around the printer and I need to know his name.”
“Hi, Jensen,” Genevieve smiles brightly as she turns to the guy approaching the front desk. Jared’s rolling his eyes, but then he nearly chokes when she says, “Did you figure out the outlet for the printer?”
Jared looks over and it’s the guy, and he’s got his head down while filling out maintenance paperwork. Jared can’t stop staring at Jensen’s profile and how sharp his jaw is, how carefully mussed the hair is, and Jesus H. Christ, his eyelashes flutter perfectly up then down onto his cheeks as he looks up then down to the paper as he talks to Genevieve.
“Fuck, that’s gorgeous.”
Jensen looks up in confusion, eyes roaming Jared’s face, and Jared’s cursing himself because he really did not mean to say that aloud.
He clears his throat then points at the watch on Jensen’s wrist. Silver and black band with a large black face. It’s not a particularly expensive watch, but Jared does recognize that it’s not, like, a Casio. “That’s a really nice watch,” Jared manages lamely.
For a second, Jensen looks at the piece, tipping his wrist closer, and then he nods with a careful, “Thanks. Had it a while.” He rips a carbon copy sheet from his clipboard and hands it over to Genevieve. “The outlet should be set for the power surge now.” He gives a small smile, saying, “Have a good one,” as he turns away.
She smiles back and once he’s through the door and into the elevator lobby, Genevieve rolls her eyes. “Wow, you’re smooth.”
“That was him!”
“Yeah. I Got that.” She ends the conversation by punching a phone key and saying, “Pellegrino and Associates. How can I help you?”
*
Jared gets ideas sometimes, and he’s pretty proud of himself for this one.
He’s been working for nearly four months with one fluorescent light out above his cubicle. He sits next to the window and there are a billion other lights in the ceiling that gave him plenty of light, so he never cared before. But he cares now and tells Genevieve that the light’s out, maintenance should be called.
Jensen doesn’t come that day, but he does the next, shortly after Jared makes his nine am coffee trip. When he gets back to his desk, Jensen is standing on his desk and reaching up to the ceiling to twist the bad bulb out.
Jared stands in the opening to his cube and feels a small pang of disappointment that he wasn’t there when Jensen first showed up. But then he realizes how this gives him the best chance (and view) to stare at Jensen. Stare at the way his polo is starting to untuck from his belt and show a flash of pale skin. At the way his biceps are bulging, polo sleeves pulling tight with every movement. At the way his hips swivel as he moves his hands and finally gets the bulb free. And when Jensen turns, Jared’s pretty much just staring at his crotch.
“Uh, can you, uh?”
He snaps to attention, looking up to Jensen’s confused face and gulps. “Oh, right, okay,” he nods, putting his coffee down and reaching up for the bulb. Jared turns each way to find a spot to put it down and lamely says, “Sorry, about that. I just, didn’t know, figured I’d stay away.” He shakes his head and quickly says, “Outta the way. Didn’t wanna be in your way.”
After putting the bulb under his desk so it’s out of the way for now, he looks up to Jensen, who’s just staring down on him. It’s a few seconds of awkward staring until Jensen makes an strained face and points down to the desk. “The other one’s down there.”
“Oh! Right, yes, okay.” Jared bends down to look and now he’s wondering which was the old one he just put down there and which is the new one. He holds one in each hand and frowns at Jensen. “Uh, I don’t know …”
“Shake it.”
He stares. “Huh?”
“The bad one will have loose filament.”
“Right, yeah,” he smiles and is motioning with his hands, nearly smacking the desk with the bulb that doesn’t make any noise. Jared frowns as he hands it over and puts the bad one back down. To distract himself, he grabs his coffee then sits in his chair. It’s the first time he realizes how small his cube really is because the only thing he can do is stare at Jensen’s feet or at the cube across the aisle. He turns, and it’s Chad, who’s currently digging for gold in his nose. “Ugh,” he mumbles and turns back and looks up.
Jensen’s pushing off the balls of his feet and again, Jared can catch the small peek of skin at his hip and his eyes focus on that. Until he sees the perfect ass popping in and out of view as Jensen shifts this way and that to get the bulb into place.
And again, he’s caught when Jensen turns and clears his throat. “You mind, uh …”
Jared shifts back in the chair as far as he can go, which isn’t far. He’s frowning again, but tries to sound nice as Jensen lowers himself to hop off the desk. “I’m sorry. Just, small cubicle, you know?”
Jensen nods with a low, “Right, yeah,” and then he’s grabbing the old bulb and his tool satchel on his way out of the cube.
*
There’s been talk of replacing carpeting on the other side of the office, so Jared has no hope of getting the small snag in his space fixed. His wheel runs over it, continually pulling on the loose threads, and sometimes the heel of his shoes gets stuck in it, too. Over the past two months, he’s managed to train himself to wheel only so close to the desk, and he’s even changed the way he rests his feet beneath the desk.
But things are different now. He spends the next few days purposely running his chair over the split in the rug, pulls his feet back to drag it open, and even gets his fingers in there to rip it open. Then he calls Genevieve and waits.
Jensen pops by late in the afternoon with a quiet, “Gen said your rug’s busted up.”
Jared nods and smiles tightly. “Yeah, it’s been bad for a bit, but then getting worse.”
He steps into the cube and crouches to look at the giant snag. Jared suddenly feels a little bad about it, because it’s likely three times as big as it was before. “Well, the best answer is a new rug,” he says with a quick glance up.
“Yeah, I figured. But they’re not replacing this side.”
Jensen nods and shuffles a little closer, fingers playing with the loose threads. He looks back at Jared and kind of shrugs with a tip of his head. “You mind if I get in there? Can probably tape it back.”
“Oh, yeah, right, of course,” Jared pushes away, wheeling himself to his cubicle opening to watch. Jensen’s on all fours, firm ass in the air, and Jared’s eyes are tacked to the seam of his pants, splitting between Jensen’s cheeks. Jared swallows, it might’ve been loud, because he can feel the ripple in his throat, but he’s not sure he cares because this is the best view he’s ever had of Jensen and he doesn’t want it to stop.
Yet, it gets better when Jensen shifts to the side to grab the carpet tape and then moves back in so she can pull the ends together. It’s like porn. White collar office porn, when Jensen’s ass bunches beneath the khaki pants and he pushes it up as he moves closer to the rug and then down as he sits back again.
Jared’s mouth goes dry and he subconsciously shifts in his chair to alleviate all the blood that’s racing from his feet and brain to pool in his lap.
There’s a solid slap to the back of his head and a grumble of, “Freakin’ perv,” and he whips around to catch Chad settling in his cubicle. He practically growls at Chad, who’s just smirking and going right to his monitor without another word.
When Jared turns back, Jensen’s sitting back on his haunches and staring at them. Jared scratches the back of his head and nods with a tight smile. “Got a meeting to get to,” and hurries out of his cube.
*
He’s working late, trying to tie up loose ends before a major deadline on Friday, and he decides coffee is the best idea to keep functioning this late. In the kitchen, his patience is tried when the coffee maker gurgles to life but barely dribbles out any liquid whatsoever. Jared smacks the top of it, trying to dislodge whatever’s keeping it from properly functioning, but it doesn’t work. He smacks it again and then winces, thinking about breaking it and having to get maintenance up there …
Jared smirks. He practically punches the machine, smiling when there’s a distinct crack and hiss. He leaves a note on Genevieve’s desk that night.
In the morning, he stops at the front desk, all smiles. “You call maintenance for the machine?”
Genevieve turns with a deathly glare. “You proud of yourself?”
“What?” he practically squeaks.
“You broke the coffee machine. You think anyone’s happy with that?”
“Well, no, but, I,” he tries.
She tips her head to the side and purses her lips. “Look, you wanna make a big gay hookup, that’s fine. But not at the cost of coffee or the entire office, okay?”
He swallows and nods, feeling entirely too bad over the thing, and leaves for his cubicle.
Not even ten minutes later, three’s a soft knock at the cubicle wall and he’s huffing as he turns, not wanting to be disturbed but it’s Jensen carefully leaning against the wall, arm hanging casually over the top. His fingers are randomly picking at a push pin that’s holding up a picture of Jared standing atop a ski hill, all bright smiles among a cluster of snow. Jensen looks at the picture for a second then up with a straight face. “Do you know what happened with the coffee machine last night?”
Jared gulps, not really wanting to own up to it.
“Gen said you were the last to use it. Was it making weird noises or anything?”
He nods quickly. “Yeah, it was, like, this strange knocking? And then a hiss. And then I, uh,” and he stops, because next words were going to be him pointing out that he smacked it.
“Did you hit it?”
“What? No!”
“The top’s all messed up. Something in the filter housing is cracked.”
Jared frowns, trying so hard to not give away his guilt.
“Looks like someone pounded the hell outta it,” Jensen says, and it’s then that Jared notices a tiny crack of a smile coming through on Jensen’s lips and in his words.
The corner of his mouth quirks as he tries to still hide everything that happened, though he does admit, “I might’ve nudged it. Tried to get it going.”
Jensen nods and has a small smile as he straightens and taps the top of the cubicle wall. “Just checking if it was more than that. I’d hate to fix the housing and then find out there’s more with the water spigot.”
Jared’s hands clench together as he turns it all over in his head. He could admit to what he did and be known as the guy who clocked the coffee maker into submission. Or he could stay quiet and have Jensen come again to fix it, even if Jensen would then know Jared had lied.
His palm pats the wall again and he nods with a tight smile. “Okay, I’ll check it out, see what all’s going on. You guys might need a new coffee maker. So good luck on caffeine today.”
Jared groans at that, because while having Jensen show up and being able to talk to him a little bit, it doesn’t feel like it’s worth going sans coffee for the day, especially with so little sleep. “Yeah. Guess it’s a Starbucks day.”
Jensen shifts back from the cubicle with his mouth in a flat line, looking at Jared’s nametag, and likely the dumb little #1 ribbon he’d ‘won’ after an interoffice chair race. One eyebrow goes high and then he leaves. And Jared swears under his breath.
*
It’s not one hour later that he’s dying for a pick-me-up and runs down to the Starbucks around the corner. He’s waiting for his vanilla latte when he hears the barista call out, “Jensen? Tall with soy.”
His head whips around to see Jensen grabbing the offered drink, and when the guy turns he obviously spots Jared. They watch each other for a few seconds, until the barista calls Jared’s name and drink, and Jensen grabs the cup and then he’s stalling for a few seconds, putting his own cup down and eyeing Jared’s before picking them both up and turning towards Jared.
Jared takes a few steps as Jensen meets him halfway and hands it over. “Hey, thanks,” Jared says awkwardly.
“No problem,” he returns as he draws his cup up for a tiny sip. “Figured you’d be down here soon enough.”
Jared takes a long gulp of his coffee to distract his mouth from saying anything stupid, but the coffee is burning his mouth and throat, and he coughs on it.
Jensen pats Jared’s back then rubs between his shoulders, chuckling and obviously trying to hide a smile. “You okay there?”
“Real hot,” he breathes out.
“Yeah, kinda the point?”
Jared nods in return and moves out of the way of other customers retrieving their orders. He takes another sip, only smaller, and eyes Jensen over the top of the cup. He realizes that Jensen’s in the same polo and black pants from earlier that morning, but somehow it’s different. When he’s in this coffee shop and among plenty of other business casual folks, he looks like one of them. Not the maintenance guy. And suddenly, it’s not just lusting after the guy, but being really intrigued and drawn to the gentle smile and friendly eyes.
Those eyes are looking right back at him, framed by crinkled eyebrows, and Jared realizes that he’s been staring for far too long. He glances out the front door and when he looks back at Jensen, the guy’s got an awkward smile and fidgets with his coffee cup.
Jared motions towards the door. “Uh, I should really get back. Been busy this week.”
Jensen clears his throat and nods. “Yeah, right, me, too.”
He walks outside and realizes Jensen’s following right behind. He looks at him oddly, and then Jensen points with his coffee to the next office building. “We do both work there.”
With a deep breath, Jared chuckles, trying to not be so awkward, but of course the harder he tries not to, the harder it really is. “No, right, of course.”
They take a few more steps together and Jared stops then starts walking again, still not sure if he should actually say anything. It’s not like they’re friends; Jensen just fixes all the crap that Jared breaks, and happens to be terribly hot. Jared figures he shouldn’t feel obligated to say anything to the guy if he doesn’t want to. He does want to, but he also doesn’t want to open his mouth for fear of every single thought spilling out.
In the lobby, Jensen gestures to the side hallway, “I’m this way.”
Jared waves with his coffee cup and gives a short smile as he goes on to the elevators and up to his floor. It’s when he’s sitting at his desk and holding the cup in both hands that he finally sees the writing on his cup. There’s his name and order, as usual. But it’s the haphazard scribbles of Jensen and seven digits that keep his eyes glued. It’s Jensen’s number. On his coffee cup.
Then he groans because he just wasted the best opportunity to talk to Jensen not talking.
*
“I’m fucked,” he mutters to Genevieve the next morning.
“No, I’m sorry, he’s not in today,” she’s saying nicely but shooting Jared a truly ugly glare while pointing at her headset.
He rolls his eyes and turns against the counter to look down the hallway as he waits for her to finish the call.
“Head. Set,” she grits out, even while she repositions it to make sure there are no creases in her perfect ponytail.
“Don’t. Care,” Jared returns with a pissy look. Then he sighs and leans over the counter, whining, “I’m so fucked.”
“What did you break now?”
“Nothing. This time.” Her raised eyebrow prompts him to finally say, “Jensen gave me his phone number.”
The other eyebrow goes up and then she has a tiny smirk that is unsettling. “Wow, so he is gay.”
“Apparently.”
Genevieve’s voice is suddenly gentle, like she’s amused but actually does care. “What’s the problem?”
“I barely even talked to him. And he only ever caught me checking him out. I can’t call him.”
She rolls her eyes. “You are such a dumbass.”
“Shut up,” he shoots back, then lamely adds, “Jerk.”
Another eye roll and then she answers an incoming call, ending the conversation.
*
Over the next few days, Genevieve asks if he’s called Jensen yet. It happens the second he’s in the door and as he’s leaving the office. Each time he says no and grumbles as he focuses on ways to avoid going through the elevator lobby. He starts using the side door, even if it’s further from his cubicle. Anything to avoid her nagging him.
Except then there are post-its. First on his phone, proclaiming USE THIS TO CALL HIM. And then a few sprinkled throughout his cubicle - on his monitor, chair, water bottle. He throws them all out.
When she stops using the post-its, he thinks he’s clear. Except he’s not, because then Jensen’s in his cubicle walkway and grabbing at the tool satchel over his shoulder. He clears his throat and looks around the desk area as he says, “Gen said your phone was broke?”
Jared stares, not just with confusion at what Jensen had said, but also with fluttery butterflies in his stomach because Jensen is just as good looking as he’d remembered. Even when looking so uncomfortable. Jared shakes his head anyway. “I don’t know what she’s talking about.”
“She said you haven’t been able to make any calls?”
It takes a few seconds for it to finally click and he sighs, looking away from Jensen. Then he’s chuckling, cursing Genevieve under his breath as he turns back to Jensen and finally smiles. Just gives the guy an easy smile for the first time since this whole debacle started. “I think she means because I didn’t call you.”
Jensen scratches fingers across his chest. “Oh, well, okay.”
He’s walking away and Jared has to follow, stopping Jensen at the turn of the hallway with a hand on his arm. Jensen’s looking down on the hand, which doesn’t go away, while Jared just spits it all out. “So, I’ve liked you, since that day at the printers. And then you came for the lights, and I tore up my rug, and punched the coffee machine.”
At the last part, Jensen’s eyes are wide and incredulous but he’s quiet as Jared continues rambling.
“And then we were at Starbucks, I didn’t even see the number. And it was weird. I had no idea what to say or do, and I was afraid of saying the wrong thing or afraid I wouldn’t being able to stop saying stupid things”
“Kinda like now,” Jensen smoothly drops in.
Jared frowns and bites his lower lip. “Yeah, kinda like now.” Jensen’s quiet and watching Jared, his face void of any real reaction. Jared can’t stand the tension so he finally says, “So that’s the story.”
Jensen has a stilted nod and then looks down the hall to some of Jared’s coworkers coming their way. “I should probably …” he says with a thumb behind him.
“Yeah, of course. Sorry,” Jared nods back, trying so hard to not frown. He spins away and marches back to his cubicle. At his desk, he hangs his head in his hands and sighs. The phone rings and he answers with a measly, “This is Jared.”
“Sounds like the phone’s working.”
Jared sits up and stares at the caller ID. He doesn’t know the number, but it’s local and he’s pretty sure he knows that voice.
“You still there?”
“Yeah,” he nearly croaks out. “Yeah, I am.”
“You wanna get dinner?” comes Jensen’s simple question.
“Uh yeah. Yes. Yes!”
*
Genevieve rolls her eyes at Jared’s playful smile. And she doesn’t even look at him when he reports that the outlet under his desk isn’t working.
“Right, sure.”
“Totally. I heard sparks and some hissing.”
She shakes her head and places the call.
When Jensen arrives, he gives Jared a tired look but still puts his satchel on the ground and crouches down to look under the desk. “What’s the problem now?”
Jared gets down on his hands and knees, shuffling underneath and pointing at the outlet where he has two extension cords plugged in to power his computer and phone. “There were sparks or something.”
Jensen moves underneath so Jared can point out the plug. “What’s something?”
A split second later, Jared’s mouth is on Jensen’s, tongue pushing in. “Noises. Light,” he tries to say into Jensen’s mouth, but winds up just smiling against Jensen’s lips.
Between kisses, Jensen mumbles, “This is … totally inappropriate.”
They’re still on their knees, but pushed in close, Jared’s hands slipping under the back of Jensen’s polo. “You’re not stopping.”
There’s a rap of knuckles on his cubicle wall as the words, “Hey, Jared, you got …” catch them.
Jensen moves back and up, knocking his head under the desk with a loud curse, and Jared slides out to find Chad rolling his eyes. “Outlet’s out,” Jared smirks as he stands.
With one high eyebrow, Chad says, “Last week was the internet. Week before, the heater.”
“Got bad office luck.”
Chad looks over Jared’s shoulder to Jensen. He’s swiping his lower lip with his thumb and looking away. “Whatever,” Chad sighs. “Was just looking for the Winters report.”
“Sure, I’ll forward it to you.”
“Once your power’s back up?” Chad shakes his head with a snort and goes back to his cubicle.
Jensen grabs his satchel and sets it over his shoulder. “You all set here?”
Jared smirks and smacks Jensen’s ass, squeezing and tugging him closer for a quick kiss. “You can finish it later.”
He rolls his eyes, but there’s a smile that’s doing a lousy job of hiding as he leaves the cubicle with Jared watching him the whole way, thinking all about later.
Rating: R for language
Words: 4,200 - ON THE DOT HECK YEAH
Summary: Jared pines, oh does he pine, for the maintenance guy in his office.
Notes: For diabolical22 under help_haiti, who asked for office pining :-D
Jared is curious by nature. So whenever he spots someone new in the office, he tends to walk an easy trail down one hallway and back around to get a good look at whatever the person’s doing. If he can’t figure out what they’re doing there, he’ll go to the front desk and ask Genevieve who it is.
But the day he catches a new, hot guy, in a well-fitted polo and khakis, and scoping out the main color printer, he’s more than curious. He circles round, about four times. Well, five, but that’s when he’s spotted. The guy looks up with confused face and points at the machine. “You waitin’ for something?”
Jared shakes his head and tries to smile. “Nah, I’m good.” He even raises his eyebrows with the smile and then spins on his heel and marches around the corner. Then he jogs to the front desk and is nearly huffing as he looks around to make sure the guy didn’t see him run away. “Who’s the new guy?”
Genevieve gives him an evil eye and points at her headset as he keeps talking. “Is there anyone else who could help you? … He’s expected back tomorrow morning … I’m sorry but he’s unavailable would you like his voicemail? … Okay, thank you.” She punches a button to disconnect the call then glares at him. “I don’t know why you never see the headset. You never respect the headset.”
“Your hair looks like shit under that headset,” he shoots back immediately and then rushes right into what he wants to know (though he’s internally smirking when she runs a hand over her hair and frowns). “Who’s the new guy? He’s been hanging around printer thirteen for like twenty minutes.”
She looks at her computer screen and gets to typing out a memo she’d been working on before. Naturally, she’s distracted. “Thirteen’s been down for a week. Whoever’s using it is stupid.”
Naturally, he stares back because she is no help. “Well, there was some hot guy hanging around the printer and I need to know his name.”
“Hi, Jensen,” Genevieve smiles brightly as she turns to the guy approaching the front desk. Jared’s rolling his eyes, but then he nearly chokes when she says, “Did you figure out the outlet for the printer?”
Jared looks over and it’s the guy, and he’s got his head down while filling out maintenance paperwork. Jared can’t stop staring at Jensen’s profile and how sharp his jaw is, how carefully mussed the hair is, and Jesus H. Christ, his eyelashes flutter perfectly up then down onto his cheeks as he looks up then down to the paper as he talks to Genevieve.
“Fuck, that’s gorgeous.”
Jensen looks up in confusion, eyes roaming Jared’s face, and Jared’s cursing himself because he really did not mean to say that aloud.
He clears his throat then points at the watch on Jensen’s wrist. Silver and black band with a large black face. It’s not a particularly expensive watch, but Jared does recognize that it’s not, like, a Casio. “That’s a really nice watch,” Jared manages lamely.
For a second, Jensen looks at the piece, tipping his wrist closer, and then he nods with a careful, “Thanks. Had it a while.” He rips a carbon copy sheet from his clipboard and hands it over to Genevieve. “The outlet should be set for the power surge now.” He gives a small smile, saying, “Have a good one,” as he turns away.
She smiles back and once he’s through the door and into the elevator lobby, Genevieve rolls her eyes. “Wow, you’re smooth.”
“That was him!”
“Yeah. I Got that.” She ends the conversation by punching a phone key and saying, “Pellegrino and Associates. How can I help you?”
*
Jared gets ideas sometimes, and he’s pretty proud of himself for this one.
He’s been working for nearly four months with one fluorescent light out above his cubicle. He sits next to the window and there are a billion other lights in the ceiling that gave him plenty of light, so he never cared before. But he cares now and tells Genevieve that the light’s out, maintenance should be called.
Jensen doesn’t come that day, but he does the next, shortly after Jared makes his nine am coffee trip. When he gets back to his desk, Jensen is standing on his desk and reaching up to the ceiling to twist the bad bulb out.
Jared stands in the opening to his cube and feels a small pang of disappointment that he wasn’t there when Jensen first showed up. But then he realizes how this gives him the best chance (and view) to stare at Jensen. Stare at the way his polo is starting to untuck from his belt and show a flash of pale skin. At the way his biceps are bulging, polo sleeves pulling tight with every movement. At the way his hips swivel as he moves his hands and finally gets the bulb free. And when Jensen turns, Jared’s pretty much just staring at his crotch.
“Uh, can you, uh?”
He snaps to attention, looking up to Jensen’s confused face and gulps. “Oh, right, okay,” he nods, putting his coffee down and reaching up for the bulb. Jared turns each way to find a spot to put it down and lamely says, “Sorry, about that. I just, didn’t know, figured I’d stay away.” He shakes his head and quickly says, “Outta the way. Didn’t wanna be in your way.”
After putting the bulb under his desk so it’s out of the way for now, he looks up to Jensen, who’s just staring down on him. It’s a few seconds of awkward staring until Jensen makes an strained face and points down to the desk. “The other one’s down there.”
“Oh! Right, yes, okay.” Jared bends down to look and now he’s wondering which was the old one he just put down there and which is the new one. He holds one in each hand and frowns at Jensen. “Uh, I don’t know …”
“Shake it.”
He stares. “Huh?”
“The bad one will have loose filament.”
“Right, yeah,” he smiles and is motioning with his hands, nearly smacking the desk with the bulb that doesn’t make any noise. Jared frowns as he hands it over and puts the bad one back down. To distract himself, he grabs his coffee then sits in his chair. It’s the first time he realizes how small his cube really is because the only thing he can do is stare at Jensen’s feet or at the cube across the aisle. He turns, and it’s Chad, who’s currently digging for gold in his nose. “Ugh,” he mumbles and turns back and looks up.
Jensen’s pushing off the balls of his feet and again, Jared can catch the small peek of skin at his hip and his eyes focus on that. Until he sees the perfect ass popping in and out of view as Jensen shifts this way and that to get the bulb into place.
And again, he’s caught when Jensen turns and clears his throat. “You mind, uh …”
Jared shifts back in the chair as far as he can go, which isn’t far. He’s frowning again, but tries to sound nice as Jensen lowers himself to hop off the desk. “I’m sorry. Just, small cubicle, you know?”
Jensen nods with a low, “Right, yeah,” and then he’s grabbing the old bulb and his tool satchel on his way out of the cube.
*
There’s been talk of replacing carpeting on the other side of the office, so Jared has no hope of getting the small snag in his space fixed. His wheel runs over it, continually pulling on the loose threads, and sometimes the heel of his shoes gets stuck in it, too. Over the past two months, he’s managed to train himself to wheel only so close to the desk, and he’s even changed the way he rests his feet beneath the desk.
But things are different now. He spends the next few days purposely running his chair over the split in the rug, pulls his feet back to drag it open, and even gets his fingers in there to rip it open. Then he calls Genevieve and waits.
Jensen pops by late in the afternoon with a quiet, “Gen said your rug’s busted up.”
Jared nods and smiles tightly. “Yeah, it’s been bad for a bit, but then getting worse.”
He steps into the cube and crouches to look at the giant snag. Jared suddenly feels a little bad about it, because it’s likely three times as big as it was before. “Well, the best answer is a new rug,” he says with a quick glance up.
“Yeah, I figured. But they’re not replacing this side.”
Jensen nods and shuffles a little closer, fingers playing with the loose threads. He looks back at Jared and kind of shrugs with a tip of his head. “You mind if I get in there? Can probably tape it back.”
“Oh, yeah, right, of course,” Jared pushes away, wheeling himself to his cubicle opening to watch. Jensen’s on all fours, firm ass in the air, and Jared’s eyes are tacked to the seam of his pants, splitting between Jensen’s cheeks. Jared swallows, it might’ve been loud, because he can feel the ripple in his throat, but he’s not sure he cares because this is the best view he’s ever had of Jensen and he doesn’t want it to stop.
Yet, it gets better when Jensen shifts to the side to grab the carpet tape and then moves back in so she can pull the ends together. It’s like porn. White collar office porn, when Jensen’s ass bunches beneath the khaki pants and he pushes it up as he moves closer to the rug and then down as he sits back again.
Jared’s mouth goes dry and he subconsciously shifts in his chair to alleviate all the blood that’s racing from his feet and brain to pool in his lap.
There’s a solid slap to the back of his head and a grumble of, “Freakin’ perv,” and he whips around to catch Chad settling in his cubicle. He practically growls at Chad, who’s just smirking and going right to his monitor without another word.
When Jared turns back, Jensen’s sitting back on his haunches and staring at them. Jared scratches the back of his head and nods with a tight smile. “Got a meeting to get to,” and hurries out of his cube.
*
He’s working late, trying to tie up loose ends before a major deadline on Friday, and he decides coffee is the best idea to keep functioning this late. In the kitchen, his patience is tried when the coffee maker gurgles to life but barely dribbles out any liquid whatsoever. Jared smacks the top of it, trying to dislodge whatever’s keeping it from properly functioning, but it doesn’t work. He smacks it again and then winces, thinking about breaking it and having to get maintenance up there …
Jared smirks. He practically punches the machine, smiling when there’s a distinct crack and hiss. He leaves a note on Genevieve’s desk that night.
In the morning, he stops at the front desk, all smiles. “You call maintenance for the machine?”
Genevieve turns with a deathly glare. “You proud of yourself?”
“What?” he practically squeaks.
“You broke the coffee machine. You think anyone’s happy with that?”
“Well, no, but, I,” he tries.
She tips her head to the side and purses her lips. “Look, you wanna make a big gay hookup, that’s fine. But not at the cost of coffee or the entire office, okay?”
He swallows and nods, feeling entirely too bad over the thing, and leaves for his cubicle.
Not even ten minutes later, three’s a soft knock at the cubicle wall and he’s huffing as he turns, not wanting to be disturbed but it’s Jensen carefully leaning against the wall, arm hanging casually over the top. His fingers are randomly picking at a push pin that’s holding up a picture of Jared standing atop a ski hill, all bright smiles among a cluster of snow. Jensen looks at the picture for a second then up with a straight face. “Do you know what happened with the coffee machine last night?”
Jared gulps, not really wanting to own up to it.
“Gen said you were the last to use it. Was it making weird noises or anything?”
He nods quickly. “Yeah, it was, like, this strange knocking? And then a hiss. And then I, uh,” and he stops, because next words were going to be him pointing out that he smacked it.
“Did you hit it?”
“What? No!”
“The top’s all messed up. Something in the filter housing is cracked.”
Jared frowns, trying so hard to not give away his guilt.
“Looks like someone pounded the hell outta it,” Jensen says, and it’s then that Jared notices a tiny crack of a smile coming through on Jensen’s lips and in his words.
The corner of his mouth quirks as he tries to still hide everything that happened, though he does admit, “I might’ve nudged it. Tried to get it going.”
Jensen nods and has a small smile as he straightens and taps the top of the cubicle wall. “Just checking if it was more than that. I’d hate to fix the housing and then find out there’s more with the water spigot.”
Jared’s hands clench together as he turns it all over in his head. He could admit to what he did and be known as the guy who clocked the coffee maker into submission. Or he could stay quiet and have Jensen come again to fix it, even if Jensen would then know Jared had lied.
His palm pats the wall again and he nods with a tight smile. “Okay, I’ll check it out, see what all’s going on. You guys might need a new coffee maker. So good luck on caffeine today.”
Jared groans at that, because while having Jensen show up and being able to talk to him a little bit, it doesn’t feel like it’s worth going sans coffee for the day, especially with so little sleep. “Yeah. Guess it’s a Starbucks day.”
Jensen shifts back from the cubicle with his mouth in a flat line, looking at Jared’s nametag, and likely the dumb little #1 ribbon he’d ‘won’ after an interoffice chair race. One eyebrow goes high and then he leaves. And Jared swears under his breath.
*
It’s not one hour later that he’s dying for a pick-me-up and runs down to the Starbucks around the corner. He’s waiting for his vanilla latte when he hears the barista call out, “Jensen? Tall with soy.”
His head whips around to see Jensen grabbing the offered drink, and when the guy turns he obviously spots Jared. They watch each other for a few seconds, until the barista calls Jared’s name and drink, and Jensen grabs the cup and then he’s stalling for a few seconds, putting his own cup down and eyeing Jared’s before picking them both up and turning towards Jared.
Jared takes a few steps as Jensen meets him halfway and hands it over. “Hey, thanks,” Jared says awkwardly.
“No problem,” he returns as he draws his cup up for a tiny sip. “Figured you’d be down here soon enough.”
Jared takes a long gulp of his coffee to distract his mouth from saying anything stupid, but the coffee is burning his mouth and throat, and he coughs on it.
Jensen pats Jared’s back then rubs between his shoulders, chuckling and obviously trying to hide a smile. “You okay there?”
“Real hot,” he breathes out.
“Yeah, kinda the point?”
Jared nods in return and moves out of the way of other customers retrieving their orders. He takes another sip, only smaller, and eyes Jensen over the top of the cup. He realizes that Jensen’s in the same polo and black pants from earlier that morning, but somehow it’s different. When he’s in this coffee shop and among plenty of other business casual folks, he looks like one of them. Not the maintenance guy. And suddenly, it’s not just lusting after the guy, but being really intrigued and drawn to the gentle smile and friendly eyes.
Those eyes are looking right back at him, framed by crinkled eyebrows, and Jared realizes that he’s been staring for far too long. He glances out the front door and when he looks back at Jensen, the guy’s got an awkward smile and fidgets with his coffee cup.
Jared motions towards the door. “Uh, I should really get back. Been busy this week.”
Jensen clears his throat and nods. “Yeah, right, me, too.”
He walks outside and realizes Jensen’s following right behind. He looks at him oddly, and then Jensen points with his coffee to the next office building. “We do both work there.”
With a deep breath, Jared chuckles, trying to not be so awkward, but of course the harder he tries not to, the harder it really is. “No, right, of course.”
They take a few more steps together and Jared stops then starts walking again, still not sure if he should actually say anything. It’s not like they’re friends; Jensen just fixes all the crap that Jared breaks, and happens to be terribly hot. Jared figures he shouldn’t feel obligated to say anything to the guy if he doesn’t want to. He does want to, but he also doesn’t want to open his mouth for fear of every single thought spilling out.
In the lobby, Jensen gestures to the side hallway, “I’m this way.”
Jared waves with his coffee cup and gives a short smile as he goes on to the elevators and up to his floor. It’s when he’s sitting at his desk and holding the cup in both hands that he finally sees the writing on his cup. There’s his name and order, as usual. But it’s the haphazard scribbles of Jensen and seven digits that keep his eyes glued. It’s Jensen’s number. On his coffee cup.
Then he groans because he just wasted the best opportunity to talk to Jensen not talking.
*
“I’m fucked,” he mutters to Genevieve the next morning.
“No, I’m sorry, he’s not in today,” she’s saying nicely but shooting Jared a truly ugly glare while pointing at her headset.
He rolls his eyes and turns against the counter to look down the hallway as he waits for her to finish the call.
“Head. Set,” she grits out, even while she repositions it to make sure there are no creases in her perfect ponytail.
“Don’t. Care,” Jared returns with a pissy look. Then he sighs and leans over the counter, whining, “I’m so fucked.”
“What did you break now?”
“Nothing. This time.” Her raised eyebrow prompts him to finally say, “Jensen gave me his phone number.”
The other eyebrow goes up and then she has a tiny smirk that is unsettling. “Wow, so he is gay.”
“Apparently.”
Genevieve’s voice is suddenly gentle, like she’s amused but actually does care. “What’s the problem?”
“I barely even talked to him. And he only ever caught me checking him out. I can’t call him.”
She rolls her eyes. “You are such a dumbass.”
“Shut up,” he shoots back, then lamely adds, “Jerk.”
Another eye roll and then she answers an incoming call, ending the conversation.
*
Over the next few days, Genevieve asks if he’s called Jensen yet. It happens the second he’s in the door and as he’s leaving the office. Each time he says no and grumbles as he focuses on ways to avoid going through the elevator lobby. He starts using the side door, even if it’s further from his cubicle. Anything to avoid her nagging him.
Except then there are post-its. First on his phone, proclaiming USE THIS TO CALL HIM. And then a few sprinkled throughout his cubicle - on his monitor, chair, water bottle. He throws them all out.
When she stops using the post-its, he thinks he’s clear. Except he’s not, because then Jensen’s in his cubicle walkway and grabbing at the tool satchel over his shoulder. He clears his throat and looks around the desk area as he says, “Gen said your phone was broke?”
Jared stares, not just with confusion at what Jensen had said, but also with fluttery butterflies in his stomach because Jensen is just as good looking as he’d remembered. Even when looking so uncomfortable. Jared shakes his head anyway. “I don’t know what she’s talking about.”
“She said you haven’t been able to make any calls?”
It takes a few seconds for it to finally click and he sighs, looking away from Jensen. Then he’s chuckling, cursing Genevieve under his breath as he turns back to Jensen and finally smiles. Just gives the guy an easy smile for the first time since this whole debacle started. “I think she means because I didn’t call you.”
Jensen scratches fingers across his chest. “Oh, well, okay.”
He’s walking away and Jared has to follow, stopping Jensen at the turn of the hallway with a hand on his arm. Jensen’s looking down on the hand, which doesn’t go away, while Jared just spits it all out. “So, I’ve liked you, since that day at the printers. And then you came for the lights, and I tore up my rug, and punched the coffee machine.”
At the last part, Jensen’s eyes are wide and incredulous but he’s quiet as Jared continues rambling.
“And then we were at Starbucks, I didn’t even see the number. And it was weird. I had no idea what to say or do, and I was afraid of saying the wrong thing or afraid I wouldn’t being able to stop saying stupid things”
“Kinda like now,” Jensen smoothly drops in.
Jared frowns and bites his lower lip. “Yeah, kinda like now.” Jensen’s quiet and watching Jared, his face void of any real reaction. Jared can’t stand the tension so he finally says, “So that’s the story.”
Jensen has a stilted nod and then looks down the hall to some of Jared’s coworkers coming their way. “I should probably …” he says with a thumb behind him.
“Yeah, of course. Sorry,” Jared nods back, trying so hard to not frown. He spins away and marches back to his cubicle. At his desk, he hangs his head in his hands and sighs. The phone rings and he answers with a measly, “This is Jared.”
“Sounds like the phone’s working.”
Jared sits up and stares at the caller ID. He doesn’t know the number, but it’s local and he’s pretty sure he knows that voice.
“You still there?”
“Yeah,” he nearly croaks out. “Yeah, I am.”
“You wanna get dinner?” comes Jensen’s simple question.
“Uh yeah. Yes. Yes!”
*
Genevieve rolls her eyes at Jared’s playful smile. And she doesn’t even look at him when he reports that the outlet under his desk isn’t working.
“Right, sure.”
“Totally. I heard sparks and some hissing.”
She shakes her head and places the call.
When Jensen arrives, he gives Jared a tired look but still puts his satchel on the ground and crouches down to look under the desk. “What’s the problem now?”
Jared gets down on his hands and knees, shuffling underneath and pointing at the outlet where he has two extension cords plugged in to power his computer and phone. “There were sparks or something.”
Jensen moves underneath so Jared can point out the plug. “What’s something?”
A split second later, Jared’s mouth is on Jensen’s, tongue pushing in. “Noises. Light,” he tries to say into Jensen’s mouth, but winds up just smiling against Jensen’s lips.
Between kisses, Jensen mumbles, “This is … totally inappropriate.”
They’re still on their knees, but pushed in close, Jared’s hands slipping under the back of Jensen’s polo. “You’re not stopping.”
There’s a rap of knuckles on his cubicle wall as the words, “Hey, Jared, you got …” catch them.
Jensen moves back and up, knocking his head under the desk with a loud curse, and Jared slides out to find Chad rolling his eyes. “Outlet’s out,” Jared smirks as he stands.
With one high eyebrow, Chad says, “Last week was the internet. Week before, the heater.”
“Got bad office luck.”
Chad looks over Jared’s shoulder to Jensen. He’s swiping his lower lip with his thumb and looking away. “Whatever,” Chad sighs. “Was just looking for the Winters report.”
“Sure, I’ll forward it to you.”
“Once your power’s back up?” Chad shakes his head with a snort and goes back to his cubicle.
Jensen grabs his satchel and sets it over his shoulder. “You all set here?”
Jared smirks and smacks Jensen’s ass, squeezing and tugging him closer for a quick kiss. “You can finish it later.”
He rolls his eyes, but there’s a smile that’s doing a lousy job of hiding as he leaves the cubicle with Jared watching him the whole way, thinking all about later.