Domestic Bliss (2/3)
Dressed in just jeans an undershirt, lying on his side in bed, Jensen’s freshly showered but lazy with his ankles crossed and elbow keeping him up enough to read through the paper. He flips pages over as he scans headlines and opening paragraphs. He taps his foot to the radio playing in his bathroom, keeping Jared company in the shower.
There’s the distinct noise of the water shutting off and the shower curtain being tugged open. Jensen calls out, “That new cop movie is at seven tonight.”
“What d’you wanna do for dinner?” Jared replies through the closed door.
A glance at the clock on his nightstand tells him it’s not even ten in the morning. He shakes his head with a smile. “Can’t not think about food, can ya?”
Jared opens the door and strolls through the room, stark white boxer briefs accentuating his tan and an equally bright towel being scrubbed over his damp hair. “I’m still a growin’ boy,” he smirks, going to the bottom drawer of Jensen’s dresser.
Jared’s drawer.
Jensen stalls at the sight of Jared crouched down, back hunched as he combs through the few pieces of clothing he’s stashed away in the last week. Every time Jared shifts, the ripple of muscle running right down to his lean hips and tight ass has Jensen reconsidering ever leaving his bedroom.
Jared draws a pair of jeans up each leg and glances over to Jensen. “What’re your plans for the day?”
He shakes his head to stay focused on doing something that would involve leaving his apartment, seeing as, over the last week, they haven’t really done much outdoors aside from going to work or grabbing late dinners. “Hadn’t gotten that far - oh shit,” he exclaims, eyes focused on the first page of the state-wide section he’s now stopped on.
“What?” Jared asks, dragging a tee over his head.
“Civil unions,” he mumbles, drawing his finger over the paragraphs. “They passed it. Went through last night.”
Jared slides onto the bed, huddling behind Jensen and looking over his shoulder. His voice is high and wondrous at Jensen’s ear. “Are you kidding me?”
“No, I’m not,” Jensen laughs, a little giddy, disbelieving really.
He drops his face to Jensen’s shoulder, mouth against his shirt with his breath warm and comforting in a way Jensen can’t describe. They’re reading the article together, quiet except for their breathing. “You ever think about it?”
“Never had the chance,” Jensen admits quietly as he keeps reading. “Didn’t think it’d ever be an option.”
“I’d like to,” Jared whispers, and the way the admission drifts off makes Jensen wonder what it’d be like to be with someone day in and day out for … ever. Heck, with Jared. And then he thinks about how little they’ve been apart from the day they met.
Jared tucks his chin just over Jensen’s shoulder and murmurs, “Awesome,” as the article ends, and he reaches over Jensen to turn the page so they can read more of the paper together. It’s happened before, Jared reading over Jensen’s shoulder at the kitchen table, on the couch, at magazine racks in the grocery store. But there’s something different here that makes Jensen’s nerves burn up.
Jensen turns to look at him even as Jared’s eyes are drawn to the pages on the mattress.
“I love you.”
Jared’s eyes meet Jensen’s for a second before he smiles and looks back at the paper. “Okay.”
He tips his head. “You hear what I said?”
“Yeah, you love me,” Jared says plainly, turning the page again. “Just like you love your plasma TV and my burgers. And coffee.”
Jensen’s eyebrows draw down.
“Netflix streaming, Palladia, daylight savings time,” Jared continues with a crooked smile.
He shifts to his back to look at Jared, keeping him from the paper with how close he gets. “You don’t wanna believe me?”
With an odd look, Jared takes a moment. “I’d love to believe you,” he says with a lightly mocking tone. “But I said it weeks ago and since then you’ve told me how much you love the smell of fresh wood chips and dew on grass. Or tequila with lemonade. It’s like the boy who cried love.”
Jensen all but shoves Jared onto his back and crawls over him, arms curling beneath Jared’s shoulders as he tangles their legs together, not just to get close, but also to keep him there. At Jared’s startled, wide eyes, Jensen smirks down at him. “I’m trying to be serious for once.”
“For once,” Jared chuckles.
He takes a moment to look at Jared, really look, and make sure that he gets it. He can feel the easy way his face settles, along with his simple smile. “I love you.”
The deep breath Jared takes forces Jensen’s chest in, just a short catch of air, but then his face drops, sober, and he nods. “Okay.”
“I do.”
“Really?” Jared asks quietly doubtful.
Jensen chuckles and dips down to kiss, a soft tug on Jared’s bottom lip before he slips his mouth right over Jared’s again. Gentle and slow, and then he licks into Jared’s mouth, lips curling when Jared moves into it with his hands rubbing over Jensen’s lower back and legs shifting to get them even closer.
Dropping just a few more pecks, ending with a touch at the corner of Jared’s mouth, Jensen breathes deep enough to make his mind whirl. Then he says, “Let’s get married.”
“What?” Jared breathes back.
“Civil unioned, whatever. Let’s do it.”
“You’re crazy.”
“Maybe,” Jensen chuckles, nerves flaring in his belly, warring with excitement.
He’s never felt like this before. Never felt so good, so fast, and he’s never been so impulsive to have considered this in his life. His longest relationship an on-and-off ordeal of three years that ended with a handshake because Jensen couldn’t say he cared enough to do anything but be amicable.
But the way that Jared looks back at him with wonder and care and so much longing makes him think it’s not all for naught. That he’s been worn down by years of mixed feelings and sluggish relationships to realize that Jared is really fucking great for him. And with him. And he has to hang onto that.
In a scattering of words, he says as much, following it all up with: “I’ve never spent this much time with one person. This is nothing like what I’ve done before. And we’re practically living together already. How much different would it really be? We just decide on one apartment to stay at, keep everything in one place, and we’re good.”
Jared’s been awfully quiet through it all, and Jensen feels a chill run through him, head to toe, and back up again. Until Jared finally mumbles, “Civil unioned, huh?”
Jensen nods, scared to say anything that could derail them.
“You just conjugated partnership.”
He snorts then chuckles, pushing his face into Jared’s neck. “Yeah, I did.”
“You’re so clever,” Jared says as he grips Jared’s neck and squeezes.
“So … yes?”
“Yes,” he laughs. “I will civil union you.’
In retaliation of Jared’s mocking, Jensen bites into Jared’s neck. He’s grinning at Jared’s yelp, and he pulls back to look at him. But then they’re kissing and it doesn’t stop for a long time.
They’re slouching on a bench outside the courtroom, knees knocking with nerves, or excitement. Jensen’s sure it’s a bit of both. Jared covers Jensen’s hands with his own, fingers slotting together and squeezing, even as Jensen rubs their hands over his knee then leaves them there.
“In dire need of a character witness?” Danneel jokes as she approaches.
Jensen sits up immediately, fingers clenching around Jared’s. “Kinda?”
She stops right in front of them, eyes raking from head to toe, eyes going a bit wide at the sharp suits they’re wearing, especially when Jensen swipes his free hand over his black tie.
Neither can get a word out before Chad shows up with a somber, “Hey,” then a lower, more illicit, “Hi,” as he purposely and obviously checks Danneel out from head to toe. His gaze lingers at her backside as he, again, says, “Hi.”
Rolling her eyes, Danneel turns back to Jensen. “What’s the deal?”
Jared stands first, bringing Jensen with him as neither will release their hold on the other’s hand.
They share a look, and Jensen licks his lips with even more tension to have to say it aloud.
He’d only told Danneel that he needed her help at the courthouse, and she’d come on her lunch break, smartly dressed for the office. Jared likely said the same to his roommate because Chad’s wearing his typical purposely worn jeans and distressed graphic t-shirt, though he does have a zip-up sweater over it to seem a bit put together.
Instead of giving a full explanation, Jensen goes with the highlights: “Jared and I have to deal with some paperwork inside and need you two to sign off with us. As witness.”
Chad checks his watch. “Whatever, guys. I gotta get back to the store in twenty-five. We gonna be done by then?”
He’s looking right at Jensen, and this is the most Chad’s ever said to him. Jensen chuckles, rubbing a thumb over his eyebrow as he looks away. “Yeah, we should be done by then.”
As they enter the courtroom, Danneel keeps shooting him odd glances, and she grabs hold of his elbow for attention, even as he won’t release Jared’s hand. “What’d you do? Please tell me this isn’t as bad as Lucy Harmon. I’m a corporate lawyer. I deal with investments, not criminal law.”
“Who’s Lucy Harmon?” Jared asks.
Jensen huffs, narrowing his eyes at her, ignoring Jared’s chuckle. “It’s nothing bad. I did not break the law or kill someone’s garden. Chill out and do me just one favor, okay?”
All four sit, sharing the same long bench. She eyes him more critically then talks loud enough for Jared to hear, “You tell me what happened or I tell Jared.”
“No, way. Stay out of-”
“Jensen pissed in Lucy’s bushes and they died,” she says loudly, with the people behind them beginning to murmur and giggle.
He lets go of Jared’s hand so he can cover his face, trying his best to ignore both Jared’s and Chad’s laughter.
“He was pissed that she blew Brady Miller in the alley when he was in love with him.” She shoots him a sideways glance. “Should I keep going?”
“We’re getting married,” he mumbles with his face still buried in his hands.
“Civil unioned,” Jared corrects.
“Oh, my God, shut up,” Jensen groans, but he’s starting to smile at Jared, who’s grinning right back at him. Jared’s smile has become his kryptonite; he can’t deny it.
Danneel’s eyebrow is high on her forehead as she stares at them both, then solely at Jensen. “You care to explain?”
“No?”
“You couldn’t tell me this before? Just ‘hey, c’mon down during lunch, I need a favor’?”
“Well, I do,” he quickly argued. “And would you have come otherwise? If I told you?”
“Of course I-”
“Without argument?”
Danneel scowls and looks away.
Jensen relaxes with Jared’s hand at his neck, just a light touch but enough to ease him. And he’s grateful Jared’s not getting into it. If Chad raised a stink, Jensen would’ve kept completely quiet.
Which, at this point, Jensen can overhear Jared quietly asking his roommate, “Not like it matters a whole lot at this point, but you okay?”
“Whatever, man,” Chad answers evenly, eyes steady on the front of the room where the judge is speaking with the clerk. “Saved me from throwing your bachelor party. And buying a tux. And a night of questionable life choices.” He makes a face then smirks at Jared, “For the both of us.”
Jared snorts and shakes his head.
Chad looks at the two of them, purposely leaning forward to see Jensen. “So, you know, thanks for that. Quite thoughtful really.”
“Thoughtful?” Danneel harps back, catching her voice and dropping it as she goes off on Jensen, though quietly. “You’re running off after a month of knowing each other to get married. You are certifiably crazy.”
Jensen slowly turns to her, trying his best to not be hurt by her disapproval. He’d expected it, no matter how close they are, how many years they’ve known each other, or how much she did like Jared. He knows they’re crazy, and if Danneel didn’t take issue, he’d start to wonder about them all.
“You would’ve been stuck at a reception getting drunk alongside Chad,” he murmurs to her. “I doubt he accepts ‘no,’ especially after downing a few dozen drinks.”
She looks at Chad, winces at his wink, and then turns back to Jensen. After an insanely deep breath and sitting back, she clears her throat. “Okay. Thank you for that.” She shifts to look right at Jensen and gives a tiny, nervous smile. “You seriously want to do this?” she whispers
Jensen takes a moment but then he’s nodding firmly.
“He didn’t talk you into it? Some kind of run at your money?”
“I asked him. And you know I don’t have more than a dozen issues of Superman in my mom’s basement.”
“You always said they’d be worth something,” she replies airily. Then her eyes widen. “Your mom’s gonna kill you.”
Just then, the clerk calls for all marriage licenses and Jensen makes a face, one of happy resignation. “We can discuss my homicide later?”
Danneel grumbles, “Christ,” as they rise. But she stands beside him the whole time, clutching the hand that’s not holding onto Jared’s.
Jensen can’t log any of the words that are said in the room. Not because he’s lost in euphoria or even in Jared, but more because it’s all stale and recited with the excitement one hears during in-flight safety announcements, repetitive and scripted. But he does take the time to index each time that Jared looks over at him, rating the length and size of each smile.
In the end, they’re man and man. And even Chad pats him on the back and smiles.
---
At the door to Jared’s apartment, just before crossing the threshold, Jensen points a sharp finger. “Don’t even think about it.”
Jared smirks and simply unlocks the door, pushing it open and swiping a hand inside. “Be my guest. Mr. Padalecki.”
He can’t stop the grin before it’s there, and his cheeks start to burn, but he suddenly doesn’t care. “I’m not taking your name,” he murmurs as he enters, walking backwards with Jared following him.
“Hyphenate?”
Jensen furrows his brow, but the grin’s still there. “We’ll negotiate later.”
They stop in the kitchen to crack open a bottle of champagne Jared had received as a Christmas present from a client a few years ago. One he hadn’t bothered to use. “Never thought I’d have a real reason to celebrate.”
Jensen chuckles and accepts a short glass a quarter-filled with bubbly. “Just the start. Then we can celebrate properly.”
They sip together, Jared’s eyes creeping over the top of the glass as they watch each other.
“In the bedroom.” When Jared doesn’t say or do anything but drink again, Jensen adds, “Sex. In case you didn’t catch my drift.”
Jared laughs as he dips down to kiss. “I’m right there with you.”
Minutes later, they’re finished with their glasses and leave jackets at kitchen chairs before moving onto the bedroom. Jared slowly undoes Jensen’s tie, eyes solid on Jensen’s as Jensen unbuttons Jared’s shirt and pushes his hands beneath the undershirt.
“Nice tie,” Jared murmurs as he pulls it from Jensen’s shirt.
“Nice occasion,” Jensen returns just as quietly with his hands going to Jared’s back. He brings Jared closer, grabbing Jared’s bottom lip between both of his before completely taking Jared’s mouth over, sucking lips and plunging tongue.
Jared keeps up the kiss, backing away enough to remove his shirt then stops to drag the undershirt off, and Jensen does the same. “Kind of a shame,” Jared mumbles as they settle onto the bed and Jared works at Jensen’s belt and the fly of his pants. “Looked all good for such a short time.”
“Gonna be looking good for a little longer. Unless you plan on not consummating our union,” Jensen jokes.
With a lethal look, all dark eyes and pursed lips, Jared whispers, “I fully intend on that.”
Jensen drags his pants the rest of the way off and Jared rolls to his back to take care of his own, shoes and socks kicked to the floor with the rest of their clothes, underwear tossed to the top of the pile.
Jared guides Jensen’s hand over his belly, across his dick, and lower yet, all while he shifts to the bedside table to grab lube. Jensen takes the lead, fingers ghosting over Jared’s hole, too excited to care about any other form of foreplay. His blood’s pumping fast to each corner of his body, and he’s hard with the anticipation of their first time like this, as this.
As Jensen fingers Jared, slowly and surely, Jared’s hand coasts over the back of Jensen’s head, his neck, his shoulders, all while they languidly kiss. When Jensen’s working two fingers, still unhurried and confident, Jared strokes Jensen’s dick just as leisurely.
There’s no rush here, but there are plenty of feelings.
It continues at this pace when Jensen lines up and pushes in, savoring the slow slide and being wrapped in Jared’s heat. When he bottoms out, he stays there, dipping down to take Jared’s mouth before gently rocking in and out. Jared wraps his legs around Jensen’s hips, holds at his back, and lets Jensen settle all his weight down. It does little to help with angles or force, to get them anywhere fast, but Jensen just keeps going with shallow thrusts, dragging it on for as long as possible.
Jared tips his hips up to increase a bit of pressure, to get the rhythm a little quicker, but it’s still them taking their time and making it last. Jensen feels the change and is thankful for the extra bit of sensation that’s running beneath his skin. He wraps his arms around and over Jared’s head, bracketing him as he mouths and licks and nips along Jared’s neck.
Jensen’s chest burns with it; he’s never had this connection, has never felt this emotional pressure beating his heart for him. The closeness of Jared’s body, of their chests pressed together, cheeks locked tight against one another, it’s all too much. Jensen’s hips hitch up, pressing in deep and hard. It drags a coarse groan from Jared’s lips, and Jensen swallows it up.
He moves rough then. His thrusts are sharp and exacting with how he paces them, making them both grunt, mouths still sealed together but tongues stagnant, just pushing against each other.
Jared’s mouth goes slack and the whimpering becomes more insistent, and his legs tighter around Jensen’s waist. Suddenly, it’s a long, drawn out groan as the arms at Jensen’s back squeeze hard. Jared tenses, and Jensen can feel the clench of Jared around him and the wetness between them just as it occurs to him: Jared’s orgasm hit without a hand on him.
Jensen rises enough to look between them, still fucking into Jared, and his breath catches. He can’t manage a proper response, breathing still coming to him in pieces, and he’s smiling, laughing really. Emotions already high getting only higher and more intense and making him delirious.
As Jared’s body sags into the mattress, so does Jensen. He lays out over Jared, just like how they’d started, skin on skin and impossibly close. Jensen sucks along Jared’s neck as he grinds into him.
Now it’s all long thrusts but with a great push behind them as he feels heat coil in his spine and spread over his back. His stomach flips with the sudden build and he’s at the edge for only a few more thrusts before he comes, teeth locked on the dip of Jared’s shoulder.
Jared’s nails dig into Jensen’s back until Jensen lets go of Jared’s shoulder, dropping his head down along with the rest of his body. He’s sure he’s crushing Jared, but he can’t move for another minute or two, has to let himself come down before he can try any of his muscles.
Jensen rises to his elbows and he mouths at the deep marks left behind by the bite then thumbs at the indentations, making Jared flinch. He snorts lightly. “It hurt?”
“Yeah,” Jared admits. “A little.” He pulls his arms around Jensen. “But worth it.”
His eyes stay on the marks as he fingers over them. “I don’t think you were supposed to come first,” Jensen says with a small smirk.
Thumping his head into the pillows, Jared tries to pull Jensen closer, but it’s a lazy kind of movement. “Next time I’ll try to hold out.”
He laughs lightly. “No, really, don’t. It’s the highest of compliments.”
Jared hums, trailing his fingers up and down Jensen’s spine. “Good first time, hubby.”
“God,” Jensen snorts loudly. “Don’t call me that. Ever.”
They drag themselves out of Jared’s front door, clothes clean but disheveled with how lazily they dressed themselves, lips curling into sated smiles, and sunglasses protecting their sleepy eyes from the sun. It’s the first time they’ve seen daylight since they came home from the courthouse.
Jared wraps his arms around Jensen from behind and they fumble with walking in a straight line, but they’re laughing, and Jared keeps kissing along Jensen’s neck, nipping and making him laugh more.
“I know you’re hungry, but I am not a chew toy,” Jensen jokingly whines.
“You weren’t complaining about that earlier,” Jared murmurs in his ear.
Nearly giggling, Jensen nods. “Okay, you have a point.”
At a busy diner a few blocks over, they’re seated at a small booth that hardly contains Jared’s height but they find enough room to tangle their legs together. Jared’s foot constantly rubs over Jensen’s shin, his leg, his ankle, and Jensen keeps smirking over his menu.
When someone steps up to the table, Jared smiles up at the tall, blond, and rather well-built man, and says, “I’d like the Denver scramble, white toast, and extra sausage.”
Jensen just stares at the guy and then gives a tight look. “Hey. Dan.”
“Jensen,” Dan says with a smile. “Man, I thought you were dead or something. Where you been hiding the last few weeks?”
He laughs awkwardly and looks down at the table for a second before making a tight face. “Here and there.”
They’re nodding together but not saying anything. It’s Jared who gives a light laugh and smiles at Jensen as he nudges his foot against Jensen’s. “How about some coffee at least?”
“I’m sorry?” Dan asks.
Jensen nudges Jared’s foot in return. “He’s not our waiter.”
Dan shakes his head. “I’m actually Jensen’s -”
“Friend, an old friend,” Jensen cuts in quickly.
He looks between Jensen and Jared then nods, like he’s got it all figured out. “Interesting. Eight months and we never ate a real breakfast. Never out during the daytime hours.”
“What?” Jared asks quietly.
Jensen repositions the fork at his elbow and clears his throat before glancing at Jared. “It’s a long story,” he returns just as softly.
“We’d really only eat in the middle of the night after a long run at the bar,” Dan explains with a smile as he leans against the edge of Jensen’s side of the booth. “Before crashing … somewhere.”
Jensen licks his top lip then perks up when a waitress approaches Jared’s side of the booth. “Hi!” he says rather brightly before rambling off their order just so he doesn’t have to focus on Dan. “We’ll have two coffees. Ham and cheese omelet with wheat toast. Denver scramble with white, extra sausage. And potatoes,” he adds with a wink at Jared. Just as the waitress finishes writing, he adds, “And a large orange juice.”
It’s a nice moment for Jensen and Jared to smile together and push feet at each other again, but then Dan raps his knuckles at the edge of the table and smirks at Jensen.
“I’ll let you two be. But gimme a call so we can catch up. It’s been while.”
Jensen nods with a shaky smile. “Sure thing.”
Dan gives one last look over them, the table, and then Jensen as he shakes his head. “Real breakfast.”
When he’s gone, Jared’s looking right at Jensen. They stay quiet as the waitress returns to pour their coffees and hand over Jared’s orange juice. Once they’re alone, Jared asks rather levelly, “What was that? Or … who?”
He considers the easiest way to explain without giving up too much information. But all it takes is the soft, nearly sad way that Jared’s eyes stay with his and he gives in. “I was dating him when I met you. We used to go out for a lot of long nights, get up to no good. Stay up all night and sleep all day. But, then I met you. And obviously, I’m not dating him anymore.”
“You were dating for eight months,” Jared points out.
“Yeah, but I,” Jensen starts before taking a long breath. He knows it’ll sound cheesy, but it’s true. “Then I met you. And I was never really serious about him anyways. He was way too blond for my liking,” he jokes to lighten the mood.
“You never ate a real breakfast with him?”
Jensen takes the time to add sugar and cream to his coffee.
“Eight months and you guys never went out during the day?”
He shrugs and takes a sip of coffee, waiting for Jared to be distracted with his own coffee. “I just didn’t really care before.”
“We went out the morning after our first date,” Jared points out lightly.
Another shrug and Jensen only tries to hide his smile for a moment. “Never cared before.”
The corner of Jared’s mouth tips up high and he wraps both legs around one of Jensen’s. “Before Jared?”
Jensen smiles and nods. “Before Jared.”
“BJ,” Jared suggests with a raised eyebrow.
He laughs and twists his foot to rub against Jared’s calf. “When we got home.”
“Finally decided to come up for air, huh?”
Jensen stops in the doorway to the kitchen and eyes Danneel, a bit afraid of the twist of her lips and cock of her hips against the kitchen counter.
“For all that I appreciate you running off for a shot gun wedding and saving me from walking down the aisle with Chad, I could stand to have a roommate once in a while. The dishes aren’t gonna wash themselves,” she finishes with a sweeping hand at the full sink. “And before you say a word, I know for a fact that the grease slathered all over my grandma’s platter is from Jared’s barbeque a week ago.”
“I come home and this is what I get?” he asks lightly. “Just a bunch of motherly nagging? No ‘hey, Jensen, how ya doing? How’s Jared?’”
“Hey, Jensen, how’re you? How’s your husband ? When’re you paying rent?”
He winces. “Funny about that.” She hums in return and he takes a deep breath. “Jared and I were talking, and we figured to avoid putting you out of the apartment, because I know you love it,” he squeezes in with a smile. “That I’ll move in with him. His place is smaller-”
“He’s got a giant patio,” she says with a roll of her eyes. “I’m sure it’s a hardship that you chose his place.”
Jensen frowns but still continues with, “But I feel bad putting you out of this place.”
She hums again then taps nails at the faux-marble countertop. “You happen to feel bad for leaving me with a full lease?”
“Yes, of course,” he smiles as warmly as possible in an effort to ease her into the idea. “We’ve got a great candidate for a roommate. Pays bills on time, keeps to themselves. Has a great reference.”
“Honey, I’m home!” comes from the front room and Danneel instantly moves into the doorway.
“Oh, you’re kidding me,” she groans before punching at Jensen’s stomach.
Chad’s dropping four duffel bags to the floor as he looks around. “Man, this place is roomy.”
“No way in hell!” she shrieks.
Jared comes in behind Chad, putting three boxes to the ground and smiling right at Jensen. “She excited?”
“I hate you,” she grits out. Jared looks to her, all wide-eyed and slack-jawed. “You stole my roommate and now you’re pushing your fleabag on me!” With a glance to Chad, she adds, “No offense,” but sounds like she hardly cares.
“None taken. So which room’s mine?” he asks as he roams down the hallway to check out the rest of the apartment.
Jared frowns and hurries to her to explain. “I promise you that he always makes rent on time, early sometimes. He’s ridiculously good at money management, despite his more … unsavory habits, and he’s relatively clean.”
“Totally temporary,” Jensen butts in. “It’s just for now, to help you out until you find a new place.”
“I like the current place. I like it a lot, you idiot,” she complains, smacking Jensen upside the head.
He flinches and throws a hand up to block more attacks. “Okay, so until you find a new roommate.”
“I liked my roommate as well! When he was here.” Danneel turns to Jared, “So, you know. Thanks for that.”
“You’re welcome,” Jared says with a questioning turn to his voice.
Jensen pushes a hand at Jared’s chest. “Just … Jared, stay out of it.”
“Okay,” he nods and takes a step back.
Suddenly, they’re all distracted with the loudness of the toilet flushing and when they turn to the hallway, they can see that the bathroom door is still open. Just a second later, Chad exits, wiping a hand across the front of his shirt. “This place is sweet.”
Danneel makes a whiny-cough noise. Right then, Jared moves in and engulfs her with an embrace that looks more like he’s suffocating her than comforting.
“What is he doing?” Danneel mumbles from Jared’s chest.
“He’s hugging you,” Jensen lamely replies. Her head turns and even with half of her face covered in Jared, he can tell she’s glaring. Jensen shrugs awkwardly. “It’s what he does.”
“I’m gonna kill you.”
Jensen can smell dinner the second he has the door to the apartment open. The luscious aromas overtake his senses and force him into an immediate daydream of juicy beef and spicy sauces as he drops his laptop bag to the ground and slips his coat off. When he catches Jared moving around the kitchen, he grins and calls out, “My God, this is the best homecoming ever.”
Jared turns at Jensen’s voice with a smirk crossing his face before going back to the tall pot on the stove. “You know, the way to a man’s heart and all.”
Jensen slips behind him, wrapping an arm around Jared’s waist as he looks into the pot and inhales long enough to go into food euphoria. He reaches forward to snag to the ladle, praying for a tease of the bubbling chili but Jared bats his hand away and shucks back on Jensen to force him away.
“Outta the kitchen,” Jared orders with a smile. “Chef at work.”
“How much longer?”
“Gotta stew it up right. Maybe forty-five?”
“Minutes?” Jensen nearly shrieks. “I’m starved.”
“You’ll live,” Jared returns, hip-checking Jensen hard enough to force him out of the room.
Jensen sits on the arm of the couch, staying within distance to watch Jared work, but far enough away to appease his demand. He pulls his phone out to flip through a few work emails, logging what to follow up on first thing in the morning and forwarding a few onto coworkers.
“While you’re doing nothin’, why don’t put your stuff away?”
He glances around the living room, not spotting anything out of place, and goes back to his phone. “Looks fine,” he mumbles.
“By the door,” Jared says and then he’s leaning out o the kitchen to face the pile of stuff Jensen had dumped upon first entering.
They share a long look, Jensen barely picking his head up from his phone but bringing his eyes up to Jared’s. “I’ll get it after dinner.”
“C’mon, Jen,” Jared smiles. “Do it now. Then you won’t have to worry about forgetting.”
“Not gonna forget,” he chuckles, thumbing through a few bookmarks on his phone’s browser. Not even five seconds pass and he realizes that Jared hasn’t moved from his spot in the doorway, and he hasn’t stopped staring at Jensen. His eyes meet Jared’s again and he smiles strangely. “You really gonna stand there ‘til I move it?”
“Are you gonna make me stand here ‘til you do?”
It’s odd; they’re both smiling and the tones are playful but Jensen can feel static in the air. He takes a deep breath and stands, licking his lip. Their eyes flick over each other and Jensen stares a bit longer before just giving in, closing the space, and kissing Jared for a few leisurely seconds. Then he bats at Jared’s thigh as he moves away. “Only ‘cause you’re cookin’.”
When they’re settled at the kitchen table, bowls filled to the brim with savory chili, tortilla chips, shredded cheese, and sour cream, Jensen can’t do anything but moan at the flavors swirling in his mouth. He’s barely done with his serving when he slides closer and slips his hand over Jared’s thigh. He kisses at Jared’s neck, even while Jared’s chewing on his last spoonful. “What’s for dessert?” he murmurs.
Jared smiles and is unfazed when he rises from the table to ladle another serving into his bowl. “After a long day of work, Betty Crocker can only do so much.”
Jensen leans back in his chair, purposely sprawling his legs wide, tugging at the fabric of his pants to pull tight across his thighs. He’s about to suggest a lascivious way to clear the table when Jared starts shoveling chili into his mouth. And Jensen can’t help but stare with a strange mix of surprise and distaste. “Jared, you keep downing that, your stomach’s gonna declare mutiny on your body.”
Jared smirks and leans forward to kiss Jensen, just a wet smack of the lips, but it leaves behind globs of sour cream and red sauce. Which had tasted utterly delicious off of Jensen’s spoon, but is a bit disturbing now.
Jensen rubs at the corner of his mouth and wipes the leftover food at the napkin he’d wadded up when he was finished eating. “That was … sweet,” he mumbles, unable to stop himself.
“What was?” Jared mumbles through more chewing. Except now his mouth is dropped open with the words, showing off the orange mix of meat, sauce, and sour cream.
Before Jared can spot his grimace, Jensen spins out of his chair to take his used dishes to the sink. “The chili was good,” he insists instead.
In the middle of the night, Jensen finds himself in the kitchen for a drink to wet his dry throat. He fetches a glass from the drying rack next to the sink and fills it from the two-liter of lemon lime soda he’d opened at dinner. He drinks slowly, leaning into the corner of the counter and staring down at his bare feet on cool tile.
He’d woken out of nowhere, hot as hell, throat dryer than the desert. He couldn’t pin down why he’d come out of a deep dream to feeling as if he’d only napped. Now, he's afraid of not being able to get back to sleep, of having to spend the rest of the night counting sheep across the ceiling. His best bet is likely to crash on the couch and let mindless infomercials lull him to sleep.
Jared all but stumbles into the kitchen, wiping at his eyes when the light in the kitchen is too much. “What’s wrong?” he mumbles.
Jensen smiles at the mussed up hair and the tight v-neck and long pajama pants that’re just as messed up from the dead sleep Jared had fallen into soon after they’d caught up on most of their DVRed shows. Jensen takes a long sip from his glass then frowns. “Nothing. Just couldn’t sleep.”
The kitchen light is flipped off, but Jared shuffles closer. He slides up to Jensen’s side, one arm around his shoulders and the other around his waist. They lean onto each other and Jensen closes his eyes to the comfort.
“Come back to bed,” Jared mumbles sleepily.
“I will,” Jensen says as he drinks.
“Now. Come back now.”
Jensen rubs at Jared’s back, smiling softly. “You can’t sleep without me there?”
“No.”
He chuckles and then downs the rest of his soda. “You’re a big baby.”
Jared buries his face into Jensen’s neck, breath warm as it begins to even out. “Back to bed,” he mumbles. “Can’t sleep standing up.”
Jensen lets Jared lead him back to the bedroom and down to the mattress. He tries to focus on the softness of the sheets below him and the covers above. He talks himself through the way his body lays, toes to knees to hips and up through to his chest as he steadies his breathing.
He can feel the way his muscles go slack, and his mind starts to drift into nothingness.
Then he’s disrupted when Jared shifts over him, head set hard at his shoulder and one long arm a dead weight across his chest.
A few heavy breaths relax him long enough to not say anything, but he doesn’t get more than a few broken moments of sleep.
When daylight breaks through the blinds, Jared snuffles awake and tightens his arm around Jensen. He pushes a leg between Jensen’s and smiles against his jaw. “I slept so good,” Jared mumbles.
Jensen’s ready to laugh in mad hysterics, to mock because he did anything but. Except, Jared starts sleepily rocking against him and kissing up to the soft spot behind his ear.
“How about a nice wake-up call?” Jared murmurs as he mouths at Jensen’s ear.
He can’t deny the way his body warms up immediately, in the oh-so-good way that starts pumping blood through his system. He stretches his legs out to entice Jared to get closer, which Jared does, and then they’re grinding together. It’s just a slow drag of bodies, and he feels Jared’s dick pressing into his hip on each movement.
Jared hums into his neck, all sleep-warmed and lazy as he pushes his hips down, creating a sluggish friction that’s perfect first thing in the morning. “Good morning,” he says, lips pressing a smile into Jensen’s skin.
Jensen chuckles lightly and rubs his hand over Jared’s neck, keeping him close. “You are forgiven.”
Rising to look down on Jensen, Jared frowns. “For what?”
“For keeping me up all night.”
Jared stops moving and just stares at him. “For what?” he repeats.
Jensen lifts his hips to get them going again. “Are we really stopping?” As Jared tries to move away, Jensen grabs onto Jared’s arms, bringing him back down. “C’mon. You get me all going and now you’re gonna stop?”
“How did I keep you up?”
He’s fumbling for the words to explain without complaining and it’s damned impossible. “It was just …”
“Just what?”
Jensen winces then bites into his lip. “Like you were hogging my space or something.”
There’s no response, but Jared’s steadily breathing and his eyes wander over Jensen’s face multiple times.
“It’s nothing. No big deal, I was just imagining things,” Jensen lies, lips curling into a drowsy smile. He rings his calf over Jared’s leg and pushes his body up to Jared’s. “C’mon,” he hums. “Gimme that good morning.”
Jared slides against him, reigniting the delicious friction between them. His cheeks go pink and he’s frowning, but the slow crawl of their bodies makes Jensen close his eyes against the sight. “So, this isn’t really wake-up sex then,” Jared says softly.
“It’s still sex,” Jensen smirks. He pulls Jared down to kiss, licking inside his mouth to further distract him.
The success is evident in Jared moving faster and harder, and Jensen whimpers into Jared’s mouth. Their tongues swirl languidly, hips tight and forceful, hands slipping under shirts to find warm, bare skin. They go on for only a few more minutes until Jared comes and he becomes a dead weight on Jensen’s heated body.
Jensen tries to move against him anyway, but it doesn’t help. Jared shifts to the side, face down to the pillow, and Jensen’s sighing to himself before grabbing his dick and tugging quick to get off. He pulls his shirt up and with sure strokes of his tight fist, his hips lift off the mattress until he’s shooting up his belly.
He’s sated enough to only recognize that Jared quietly rolls out of bed and locks himself in the bathroom to shower and ready for work when it’s too late to say anything.
Jensen considers being annoyed with Jared finishing first and not making an effort to help him off, or in his taking over the bathroom. But he winds up falling back asleep for an hour before he has to be up and considers it a small victory.
---
Danneel meets him for lunch and smiles while shaking her head at the sad state of him being unshaven and weary. “Trouble in paradise?” she asks when she drops into the chair across from him.
Jensen rubs at his eye, trying to wake himself up. When he orders coffee, she chuckles.
“Or is he keeping you up with all the honeymooning?”
“More like his attention deficit issues,” he grumbles. At her confused look, he sighs and admits, “It’s like he can’t sleep without me being right there. He laid on me for half the night and I couldn’t move without waking him up.”
“Aww,” she coos. “Your sacrifice is adorable.”
“It’s killing me.”
Danneel laughs at him. “Like you didn’t realize these things with you two sleeping together before?”
The way she cuts him a sharp look makes his stomach turn, and he files the worry away for later. “So how’s Chad?” he asks, hoping to divert attention.
“Disgusting.”
He laughs and nods. “Given into the hate sex yet?”
“Ew,” she harps. “I will never.”
“You’ve done worse,” he points out with a smirk as he fixes up the coffee the waitress slides in front of him.
“Don’t think that you’ve made me forget that you suddenly hate sleeping with your husband.”
Jensen picks up the menu and stares at it. “Have you tried the crusted chicken?”
---
“Hey,” Jensen calls out when he gets home from work.
Jared’s in the kitchen, piling condiments on a leftover chicken breast to fashion himself a sandwich. He barely looks up while responding with the same awkward, “Hey.”
He rests next to Jared, hands on the counter as he slightly rocks back and forth. “How was work?”
“Okay.”
“Yeah?” he asks, lost on what to really say. Even when he knows there’s more to discuss than Jared’s day.
“Yeah.” Jared adds a handful of chips to his plate and clears his throat. “Wasn’t in the mood for cooking tonight, but there’s more leftovers. Was just gonna watch the game or something.”
Jensen clears his throat, too, affected by the tightness to Jared’s words. He takes a deep breath then lets it out. “So, I was kinda assy this morning.”
“What makes you say that?” Jared asks, surprisingly level.
“Danneel,” Jensen chuckles. Jared gives him an odd look and he goes on. “I met her for lunch and I was grouchy all day. I just had a hard time sleeping and I shouldn’t have blamed you for that.”
Jared licks his lips then turns to face Jensen. “And I guess I shouldn't have gotten annoyed with it in the middle of …”
Jensen rubs his hand over Jared’s hip, smiling gently. “Okay. We’ve got a few bugs to iron out. Everyone does early on, right?”
He leans into Jensen’s touch and his frown lines smooth into the easy going Jared that Jensen knows best. “Yeah, right,” Jared responds with a light laugh.
“Just a kink in the chain. No big deal,” Jensen assures him. And with his nod, he realizes he’s convincing himself as well, figures they could both use the good faith right now, what with this being their first real speed bump.
“Yeah, of course,” he nods with Jensen. “I’m sorry you couldn’t sleep.”
“And I’m sorry I blamed you.”
They share a gentle look then move closer to kiss. It’s easy and warm like they’ve disagreed and made up a hundred times before.
“I can heat something up for you,” Jared suggests quietly.
“Sandwich is fine,” Jensen says firmly. “If it’s good enough for you, it’s good enough for me.”
“Okay,” he returns with a light huff as if he’s releasing a breath he’s been holding through the whole conversation. “Wanna watch the game?”
“Who’s playing?”
“Cavs and Heat.”
He grins. “I’ll be right there. Just gotta stack me a sandwich as big as yours.”
Jared laughs and kisses him once more. And it all feels good and right and like it’s all been no big deal at all.
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